Chapter 38: Marcus — Part 1

“What is this uneasy feeling?”

Marcus spoke to Nick, the attendant standing beside him.

“You have been saying that often lately.
Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

The attentive attendant always gave the same reply.

He knew there was no real answer to Marcus’s words.
Marcus himself knew it as well, and over the past few months it had become almost like their daily greeting.

For about half a year now, Marcus had felt vaguely unsettled, but he could not understand the reason at all.

Ten years earlier, at the age of fifty-six, he had passed the throne to his thirty-two-year-old son.
The heavy responsibilities he once carried had disappeared completely.

Now he lived a leisurely life, merely overseeing matters that were not urgent and attending to work he enjoyed.

While strolling through the garden, he stopped at the familiar gazebo to rest.

Because this gazebo was built higher than the surrounding area, it allowed a clear view over the garden.

Sitting on the bench and looking around calmed him.

“As expected, this place is pleasant.”

Whenever he was here, the restless feeling faded away.

He closed his eyes and quietly soothed his mind for a while.

“Shall we return soon?”

As he said that and placed his hand on the gazebo railing to stand, the railing snapped with a loud crack.

The next instant, before he could even think “I knew it,” his body lifted into the air, and Marcus fell out of the gazebo.

When he awoke, he was in his usual bedroom.
It seemed he had been lying in bed.

His physician noticed immediately and asked,

“How are you feeling?”

“I feel a little dazed.
What happened again?”

Nick appeared beside him.

“The railing of the usual gazebo had weakened.
The moment you placed your hand on it, it broke.
You fell beneath the gazebo and lost consciousness.
It has been about half a day since then.”

Another accident, he thought with weary irritation.

There were many accidents around him.
Thinking further about it was troublesome, so he merely said,

“I see.
Sorry for the trouble.”

Nick then asked,

“Her Majesty the Queen Dowager has sent word that she wishes to visit you.
What shall I reply?”

“Tell her she may come anytime.
No need to bring gifts.”

Marcus did not know whose doing this accident was.

However, some of the past incidents had surely been arranged by Ella.

That was the kind of relationship they had.

After all, Ella had once been in love with his half-brother.

The plan had been simple:
Assassinate Marcus, make the half-brother king, and Ella would become queen.

But that plan had collapsed instantly because of Marcus’s protection.

His brother had been condemned, and Ella—who at the time had been the leading candidate to become Marcus’s fiancée—had ended up marrying him instead.

Marcus had no woman he loved, and he did not dislike Ella.

Moreover, he had known nothing about her relationship with his brother.

And Ella had never shown him the slightest sign of it.

He had to admire how perfectly she concealed it and smiled all the same.

Thus, the king and queen appeared to be a harmonious couple in public.

Later, the crown prince was born.

Peaceful days passed, but when the crown prince turned fifteen, accidents around Marcus began to occur from time to time.

“Marcus-sama, Her Majesty the Queen Dowager has arrived.”

“Ah, let her in.”

The door opened, and a lively elderly lady entered.

Yes—Ella.
His wife.

Marcus smiled faintly, thinking she looked disappointed.

“Marcus-sama.
I am relieved it was nothing serious.
That gazebo is dangerous, so we should have it dismantled.
I will give the order.”

“No.
It is a place I like.
Have it repaired properly.

“Nick, arrange it.
And pile soil around the gazebo.
Then if I fall again, I will only roll down.”

“Yes, understood.
I will arrange it immediately.”

Nick responded without hesitation.

That too was the result of years of experience.

His wife loved doing things he disliked.

Ella looked Marcus over from head to toe as if evaluating him.

She wrinkled her nose before putting on an exaggerated smile.

“It seems you still possess that protection.
How enviable.

“I thought the protection had transferred to the king during the succession ceremony.
Just how long will it remain with you?”

“I do not know.
I cannot even remember how it worked.”

“Really.
At this rate, the next one to receive the protection will probably be the crown prince.
You look quite healthy, after all.”

Marcus snorted softly.

The moment he abdicated the throne, she had stopped hiding her nature.

What a frightening woman.

Sometimes he wished he could slap his younger self—the naive youth who had once wondered if he might be able to love this woman—and wake him up.

“I am glad you look well.”

Marcus had never been blessed with love or family warmth.

But he had fulfilled his duty as king, passed on the throne, and now lived a peaceful life.

That was enough happiness for him.

“Love…”

Perhaps that was the source of the unease he had been feeling.

A sense of loss, as though love had vanished.

Yet it was faint.

Besides, he had never been fortunate enough in love to feel such loss.

“Did you say something?”

Ella looked at him with irritation.

“No.
Nothing at all.”

If this woman died before him, would he feel anything?

…Well, perhaps something.

But the feeling of losing love?
Even faintly—that would be impossible.

“Please stop staring at me like that.
It is unpleasant.”

She truly looked annoyed.

“Could you leave now?
I would like to sleep a little.”

Marcus said this while suppressing a laugh.

In truth, his head was beginning to feel heavy, and dizziness was coming over him.

At that moment, a sudden pain shot through his head.

Then a memory burst into his mind.

Even though his eyes were open, he could see nothing through the confusion.

He closed them and curled up on the bed.

“Marcus-sama, what is wrong?”

The physician and Nick rushed over.

After writhing for a while, it ended abruptly.

Marcus slowly sat up on the bed and looked at his hand.

It was a gnarled, wrinkled hand he did not recognize.

Did not recognize?

No, he did.
It was his hand.
The hand he saw every day.

Something was wrong.

What had happened?
What was he doing now?

“What is going on?
What has happened to me?
Where is Eris?”

“Marcus-sama, please calm yourself.
Your memory may be confused because you struck your head.”

It was the physician who said that.

Yes, he was the physician—but since when?
Marcus did not remember ever having such a physician.

“I must return to the Kingdom of Rhys quickly and bring Eris back.
She will be waiting.”

“Marcus-sama… who is Eris?”

“She is the woman I met during my diplomatic visit to Rhys.
We promised to marry.”

The physician and Nick looked utterly shocked.

Yet Marcus somehow knew the man was Nick.

“When… did that happen?”

The physician asked quietly.

“Just a few days ago.
She is the daughter of Count Bale of Rhys.
She had no fiancé and accepted my proposal.

“I hurried back home to prepare for the wedding.
But it seems I had an accident.
How long has it been?
Have I kept her waiting many days?”

The physician and Nick looked at one another.

Their expressions were serious, as though each wished the other to speak first.

Then an elderly woman approached.

Marcus did not recognize her.

“Marcus-sama.
It seems you forgot about it for nearly forty years after that accident.

“I doubt the woman you speak of is still waiting for you.”

The woman spoke with a triumphant, unpleasant expression.

Her words struck Marcus like a blow.