IDIBC Chapter 76

If You Wish

Having turned back time once more, Stuart was astounded by God’s omniscience and omnipotence.

He realized that such a God had a clear purpose. And that ultimately, for that unknowable goal, Ricardo and Stuart had joined hands and used the imperial family’s power.

How contradictory are the words omniscience and omnipotence?

If one who knows all things can accomplish all things, who could possibly ask God for anything?

But Stuart knows. He knows how God’s omniscience and omnipotence escape that realm of contradiction.

Stuart had conveyed everything he needed to say. So now it was time to witness the Emperor’s fury.

As if meeting his expectations, the Emperor grabbed the tablecloth and yanked it up, sweeping everything on the table to the floor.

Though he didn’t scream, what showed on his face was unmistakable rage. His father’s true face that Stuart had never seen since his birth, and hadn’t seen even after turning back time.

The raw, unfiltered emotion a human being could show when fear became tangible.

Stuart threw his head back toward the sky like on the day Ricardo achieved his manifestation, and laughed like a madman.

“Oh my, oh my. Because Your Majesty overturned the entire table, all the documents to make me a deposed crown prince are ruined, aren’t they?”

“You, you! Shut that mouth!”

“Ah, I understand. As you know, wasn’t I an upright crown prince worthy of being counted among the best in a thousand years of history? However, I must say this one thing before I withdraw.”

The Emperor merely trembled, clutching the tablecloth in his hand, unable to say anything.

“Depose me as crown prince. And expel me from this imperial palace. Then I will gather public support. As Your Majesty knows, how many people are there who are just waiting for a suitable pretext?”

“…….”

“There isn’t anyone in this empire who doesn’t know that Ricardo and I are close, so the moment news spreads that I’ve left the palace, people will be falling over themselves to align with me.”

“You, do you trust the Rochester bloodline? Do you believe that cruel bloodline will spare your son and your wife?”

Stuart shook his head from side to side and turned his wheelchair around.

“Who do I trust? In this harsh world where I can’t even trust my father.”

Ricardo and Stuart had sworn before God with their blood. In exchange for turning back time, he would become emperor and spare his wife and son. And pass that crown to his son.

There was no way he could break that. Who knows what God would do if he broke it.

Throughout history, it had been proven what terrible price those who broke blood oaths made before God had paid. Moreover, that cruel bloodline the Emperor mentioned, Rochester, was a family that had never once betrayed their faith in a thousand years of history.

‘So God truly does love this Stuart Reid Schneider specially.’

With this idle thought, Stuart left the reception room just like that.

Listening to the sound of objects falling and breaking as if the building would collapse, until he completely exited the tomb-like corridor.

****

It wasn’t until the sun was tilting westward that Ricardo and I were able to board the rowboat. There were so many people in line to get on this boat that we had to endure for quite a while, rubbing our aching legs.

As soon as Ricardo lifted his long legs aboard, the small boat rocked greatly, and he caught my swaying body and seated me properly on the opposite side.

“I never knew you could stand in line to do something.”

Those were the first words that came from him after boarding the boat. I burst out laughing at what seemed like an absurd comment.

“Even after falling in the water last time, did you still want to come out to the lake again? Do you… like water? Or riding boats? Or are you just fearless?”

Though it was a trivial question, I answered carefully.

“This is a must-do course for lovers. Look, everyone on rowboats in the lake are young lovers. So I really wanted to come here with you, Young Duke.”

The two of us rowed toward the middle of the lake, just like the other couples.

As Angela had said, the atmosphere was truly romantic.

The weather was good, the lake was surrounded by flowers, and petals were falling from the pretty trees standing tall along the path. Moreover, people’s expressions were bright and beautiful, overflowing with vitality.

But on the rowboat itself…

“But Young Duke, something’s been bothering me for a while now.”

Ricardo tilted his head and asked innocently, ‘What?’

“I’m rowing alone right now, aren’t I?”

“Ah……”

‘Ah? Just ah?’

I looked around the beautiful lake again. The rowboats that had departed with us earlier had already reached the other side and were coming back toward us, but only our boat hadn’t budged an inch from the middle of the lake.

Until now, I’d been so intoxicated by the surrounding beauty that I hadn’t noticed he wasn’t lifting a finger, but as my arms gradually hurt as much as the deepening lake, I finally realized he’d been sitting leisurely with his arms crossed the whole time.

Ah, why did I instinctively grab the oars as soon as I got on the boat? Without anyone even telling me to.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to say something about your position again and claim you’ve never rowed before?”

He shrugged his shoulders. There wasn’t a trace of apology anywhere.

“That’s the truth. Of course I wouldn’t have sat on a boat like this going heave-ho, heave-ho, rowing.”

“Oh, really!”

Even amid this, I carefully secured the oars I’d been rowing with to the rope, worried they’d fall into the water, and caught my slightly quickened breath. It was a slightly late afternoon with the setting sun fiercely radiating heat.

Since Dermeier’s weather itself didn’t change dramatically, even in summer it wasn’t enough to make you sweat profusely, but from the unexpected rowing, enough sweat had seeped out to make my palms slippery.

“So you’re not going to do anything now?”

“Well, floating leisurely on the water isn’t so bad either, is it?”

As Ricardo said, he was creating another masterpiece with even the lake as his backdrop. However, this time I wasn’t going to be entranced by that masterpiece.

“Look around. The men are rowing using every muscle they have, and even those they don’t have, to impress the women.”

Just as I said, all the couples on boats looked similar. When the man looked at the woman and rowed with all his might, the woman would smile shyly and then lose herself in the scenery. Then again the man would lose himself looking at such a woman.

These heartwarming scenes came together to complete the beautiful view of the lake.

“At this point, should I assume you have absolutely no intention of impressing me?”

Then Ricardo made a ‘hmm’ sound and rubbed his chin with his finger. Then he shook his head from side to side.

“It’s not that, as I said earlier, my position is such that I don’t need to win a woman’s heart with such things.”

“Is that what you’re talking about now? Impress me. Me. I think it’s attractive when men’s muscles bulge up and down like this on their forearms!”

As I leaned forward slightly and pointed above my sleeve, he quickly reached out and caught my hand. With a lurch, the small, shabby boat on the water swayed greatly trying to regain its balance. My heart dropped with a thud because of it.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“I caught you in case you fell into the water.”

I wish he wouldn’t say such things.

I carefully pulled my bottom away from him and returned to my seat. Ricardo didn’t let go of the hand he’d caught even in the midst of this. With a faint smile on his lips.

“Where did the person who said they’d put down that position go?”

My face flushed from his hot gaze, I grumbled sullenly for no reason.

“Now? Here?”

“What do you…?”

Ricardo suddenly got up and thrust his face toward me. His words were truly fact.

Without needing to capture a woman’s heart with things like bulging veins on his forearms, just bringing his face close seemed like it would suck out even one’s soul.

“If you wish.”

The face that approached in one motion tilted slightly, and then lips touched. The deep kiss that completely stole one’s spirit was full of sweetness.

“What was the name of the food we ate earlier?”

“……Getuda.”

As he asked with his lips still pressed together, I obediently answered his question. With a face as if enchanted by a lake monster from legend.

“Bought getuda with jingling coins, and kissed not on a street but on a rowboat…”

He took my lower lip in his mouth again for a long moment. I thought his lips were even hotter than the sun burning hotly overhead.

“So now I should row too, shouldn’t I? As you wish. Putting down my position.”

“Ah……”

Noble and pitiful Ricardo untied the oars I’d secured to the rope and began rowing smoothly.

Even though he was rowing an unimpressive boat on an unglamorous lake, his bearing was elegant and beautiful.

Watching him somehow made my throat dry, so I turned my gaze away innocently to look at the setting sun.

I really was too fearless.

The child from the east wing who had shaken my entire life and left had suddenly reappeared and completely stirred up my life.

Even if seduced, I shouldn’t have fallen for it.

The man who would be both the greatest flutter and the greatest sorrow of my life would remain as an unforgettable memory.

I found myself absurd for being relieved that this time it wouldn’t be only my memory, but what could I do?

The reflection of him and me captured as water shadows on the sparkling surface was so beautiful.