Ch.35Living on forever.

“Your Majesty. A messenger has arrived from Amurtat.”

“A messenger, is it? About time they arrived.”

Similar to Tiberius’s thoughts, Grand Duke Marcus had already obtained information about the conflict between Amurtat and Elisia.

For someone of his stature as Grand Duke, planting a spy in a neighboring country was hardly a challenge, so he already had a vague understanding of the current situation in Elisia.

“Bring in the messenger.”

“Yes!”

At the Grand Duke’s command, his guards escorted in Amurtat’s messenger, who respectfully bowed before taking out a parchment from his breast pocket.

The aide promptly received it and handed it to Marcus, who broke the wax seal and unfolded the parchment to read its contents.

“Hmm… as expected.”

The letter read as follows:

[Elisia has violated Amurtat’s sovereignty, which constitutes a serious act of betrayal against mutual trust.

Elisia has thus far neither expressed any position nor sent a letter of apology or messenger. Therefore, Tiberius von Adler, the sovereign of Amurtat, has resolved to take punitive military action if Elisia does not express remorse by next spring.

In this process, Amurtat’s army will pass near the borders of Fahrenheit, for which we request your understanding in advance, as well as permission to purchase provisions and other consumables.]

Elisia and Amurtat.

Marcus found it rather amusing that these tiny cities, with a combined population of less than 500,000, were at each other’s throats over such trivial disputes. But knowing that wars often break out precisely because such small matters remain unresolved, he read the letter with seriousness.

As Marcus placed the parchment on the table, his aide asked him:

“What will you do?”

“I knew Elisia’s situation wasn’t good, but I never imagined they would do something this insane.”

Marcus let out a hollow laugh.

Even from the information collected by Fahrenheit’s spies, Elisia’s internal affairs were an absolute disaster.

Just as wearing a uniform doesn’t turn a thug into a police officer, in Elisia, not only did public authority fail to punish such thugs, but the authority itself had devolved into warlordism. It wouldn’t be surprising if the country collapsed at any moment.

“Princess Francesca probably knows nothing about this right now. Information must certainly be blocked from reaching her.”

Is there any barrier thicker than a wall of people?

One cannot plant beans and expect pumpkins to grow. Thinking based on distorted information can only lead to distorted conclusions.

“Inform the frontline units that Amurtat’s forces will be passing near the border, and permit Fahrenheit’s merchants to sell provisions and other consumables to the Amurtat army.”

“I will relay your orders.”

Marcus made his decision.

In truth, there was no other conclusion to reach, making it essentially a foregone conclusion, but the fact that there was only one possible decision didn’t mean the proper procedures could be ignored.

As the ruler of this northern power, he had no choice but to side with Amurtat, which had at least followed the minimum protocols.

*

The summer heat had finally begun to subside.

I, Tiberius von Adler, sovereign of Amurtat, was enjoying an elegant dinner on the balcony, feeling the setting sun and the slightly cool breeze.

Glug, glug.

Michaela poured wine into my empty glass from a bottle prominently labeled “Amurtat.”

The wine was made from grapes harvested in Amurtat’s vineyards. Though it had been produced quite some time ago, being presented to me meant it had undergone years of aging, making it impossible to drink immediately.

“Come to think of it, that’s a drawback.”

“What is?”

“Things that require fermentation or aging, like wine, don’t continue those processes when placed in ‘storage.’ They must be kept in the material world.”

“I see. I didn’t know that.”

“Well, that’s understandable. It’s not something one would typically discuss.”

The extradimensional storage preserves items in a state of “suspension” rather than “preservation,” meaning that even pickling processes that require salt or soy sauce penetration would halt inside the storage.

Generally, this was an advantage, but it became a disadvantage when storing preserved foods or alcoholic beverages.

Well, the storage wouldn’t change just because I found it inconvenient, so I’d just have to live with it.

I took a long sip of the wine in my glass, then cut into my medium-rare steak to soothe my parched mouth.

The juicy texture was incomparably savory as I chewed, and it slid smoothly down my throat.

“The steak is cooked well.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Michaela is my personal maid. That means she handles cooking, cleaning, and all those small errands.

For example, if Ignatz wants to speak with me, he would tell Michaela first, and I would then consider his opinion.

Naturally, her responsibilities are immense—managing the food that enters the sovereign’s body, the cleaning that directly affects the sovereign’s health, and the attire that represents the sovereign’s dignity.

So how could she bear such responsibilities without falling into corruption?

The answer was simple.

“Master, will you… sleep with me again tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Then… I’ll prepare myself and return.”

The solution was to instill feelings of love.

One would never poison someone they love, nor leave the room of a loved one dirty, nor prepare shabby clothes for them, nor relay false information to them.

In a way, she was performing “emotional labor” in the most literal sense.

However, as someone who still retained modern sensibilities, I found it difficult to accept Michaela’s aggressive advances.

We already share a bed, but what if I carelessly touched her and she became pregnant?

The chances of a child between Michaela and me being born as a sovereign were slim, and the possibility of inheriting the ability to see the invisible was even slimmer.

The special blood of a sovereign essentially meant being a mutant, and such traits were extremely rarely inherited.

Having been a shut-in who entrusted my identity to the internet back on Earth, receiving a woman’s unconditional love was incredibly unfamiliar to me.

Clatter…

“Sigh… love, huh.”

After finishing my meal and wiping my mouth, I paced a bit before lying down on the bed to think.

Bodily fluids are exchanged even through kissing, so I could live with her just by kissing her.

But what about a child between us?

Would I spend a lifetime injecting my saliva or blood into a child who hadn’t received immortality? That would be a life worse than that of a pig raised for slaughter.

I finally understood why the sovereigns of this world don’t indulge in the pleasures of women or men.

Living forever is painfully lonely, but even more painful is watching your descendants die without inheriting anything from you.

The color of my beard will never fade, but when my child’s beard and hair turn white, when wrinkles form on their skin, when their back begins to hunch—how would my child look at me? How should I look at them?

I was terrified.

Afraid they might curse me with a fading voice, asking why I didn’t pass on the qualities of a sovereign; afraid their mind might deteriorate to the point where they couldn’t straighten their hunched back or even speak my name.

And ultimately, afraid that someone carrying my blood might look at me as they depart. I am so very afraid.

Rustle…

Just then, a soft sensation entwined with my right arm.

Michaela had arrived.

Smooch.

Her lips touched my neck.

With a slight sucking sound, her soft lips made contact, and her thighs gradually began to wrap around my legs.

“Master. Don’t be so afraid.”

At those words, I turned to look at Michaela.

Flawless skin, voluptuous breasts and hips, a slender waist, and beautiful features. Ordinary men might commit murder just to embrace her.

But could I—living an immortal life—embrace her?

Could I mix bodies with her, whisper words of love, and promise to spend a lifetime together?

“My teachers told me. That for immortals, love is a frightening thing.”

“Michaela…”

“I won’t rush you. I can understand your pain.”

Saying this, Michaela held me tight.

Why does she love me? I’ve done nothing for her…

I don’t know… Perhaps I’ll never know.

That night, for the first time in a very long while, I dreamed of my life on Earth.

The life of a mortal, where everyone grows old and dies.