Side Story 8 : Afternoon Tea Time

“Your Majesty, what shall we do with this?”

Sneaking out of the window to check time, Ruve frowned at his aide as he kept asking for his review.

He usually thought his aide was a tactless person, but he got more annoyed by him today, perhaps because of his impatience.

Maybe because he was in a bad mood, he couldn’t help but look through the document his aide handed and said

“……I don’t know why this is becaome a problem again. I’m sure something similar happened last year. Who’s in charge?”

“Its’s Earl Wrestling”

“I want you to send the summons right now. If he don’t find a solution by this time tomorrow, He’ll be responsible for this, okay?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Do…….”

“What else?”

As someone who assists the emperor, his reaction was surprisingly so slow. Only when Ruve asked in an annoyed tone, the aide shook his head hurriedly, saying, “No Your Majesty, It’s nothing.”

[‘If he didn’t competent enough, i already fired him’]

Ruve rose from the seat abruptly, stared at his aide, who was trying to check his expression. He could not understand how the aide got his current position when he did not even have a quick judgement.

But what mattered to him now was not whether his aide was quick-witted or not. Once again, looking out of the window, Ruve checking the time and left the Central Palace with a quick step. He was in a hurry because it was already late from the promised time.

After walking for a long time past the arched gate made of dorsal trees, he could see the royal knights standing at the end of the trail from a distance. He also noticed the silver flower tree in the middle of the small garden behind it.

“We’re honored to see you, the Sun of the empire…”

“Shh, you can skip the greetings.”

Ruve quickly ordered the knights to be courteous, and stood at the entrance garden for a moment and looked silently at the large and small shadows gathered under the shade of the silver flowering tree.

A woman with silvery hair smiling softly at him, a silver-haired girl talking hard with a face that resembled her mother exactly, a blue-haired boy who listens to her sister, and a tiny silver-haired girl looking at her siblings with her bright eyes.

When he saw the four who captivated him, his irritation and fatigue that tormented him all morning  washed away at once.

Ruve was so happy about just looking at their lovely figure. He unwittingly holding her breath, walked toward them cautiously.

“……and then? I was really, oh, how annoying.”

“But that, I think it’s your fault sister”

The unique voices of bickering children were heard from the closer distance.

Diana, his older daughter pleaded with her brother, eight years younger than him, because she was innocent, and Adrian, his only son listened to her with an expression that looked much more mature.

Ruve smiled, watching his two children talking with a serious look on their faces. He thought both of them were so cute..

“No! Because you didn’t see the situation! And you, as my brother shouldn’t you take my side? How can you side with Gradis?”

“But no matter how much I think about it, I think you did wrong. Besides, i don’t side with anybody when judging who is right or wrong”

“Oh Yeah ! are you kidding me?”

As if she was scared about their rising voices, the little girl grabbed the hem of her mother’s skirt with one hand and spoke in tearful voice.

“Sister, brother, please don’t fight.”

When they saw her little sister bursting into tears,, Diana and Adrian stopped talking in a hurry and shook their heads.

“No, Elina,  we didn’t fight. Who says we fought?”

“That’s right. So don’t cry,  father said you were a bad kid when you cried, right ?”

When Ruve stopped for a moment and listened to the conversation quietly at the lovely appearance, he suddenly met the gaze of Diana, who was trying to comfort her younger sister with an embarrassed expression.

“Elina look ! Father has come. We should go and say hello, right?” Letting out a sigh of relief, Diana poked her youngest sister.

“Oh, really? ah Your Majesty father !” Elina jumped off the chair cheerfully as if nothing happened.

Ruve smiled, and hugging the child who running to him in a flash.

“Father, Why are you so late?”

“I’m sorry. I tried to come quickly, but things kept happening. Have you waited a long time?”

“Yes, I’ve been waiting you so long. Mother said we shouldn’t eat the cake until you come.”

Ruve looked at his daughter and sighed,

[“Gezz…Did they happy because i’m coming or it because they can finally eat the cake?’]

He walked into the shade of the tree with a vague feeling holding Elina in his arms, and Tia greeted him with a smile.

“Welcome, Ruve. Did you have a lot of work to do? It looks like you were quite busy.”

“It wasn’t exactly like that, but Rankle kept clinging to me senselessly. I had a hard time to hold back my anger.”

“Don’t do that, It’s all for the sake of the Empire. He’s also a hard worker.”

In a soothing gentle voice, she comforted him and said, looking back at the children.

“Diana, Adrian, say hello to your father.”

“Welcome father, Your Majesty!”

“Father, have you come?”

Diana greet him with a cute smile, Adrian with only his head down, and Elina buried her face in his arms.

He and Tia had three children. The three children born  from her were diverse in character as they looked.

Among them, only Adrian looked very cold and resemble him. but Ruve really love him and thought he was so cute. If he stretch out your hand and stroke his son hair like now, Adrian would frown his eyebrows and his neck blushed.

Sometimes he was seen as a cold-hearted son in the middle of the beauty of his two daughters. But from time to time he was very lovely. Many people said Adrian acted like an adult  but he and Tia don’t feel that way.

Once again Ruve stroked Adrian’s hair, and sat in an empty seat holding Elina in his arms.

He had Elina sit on his lap comfortably, and she picking up a small fork immediately,

“Your Majesty, can I have a cake now?”

“Elina, you should tell your father to try it first.”

“Eung…. Father, please have some cake.”

“Sure, you too, enjoy the cake a lot.”

When Elina pretended to lift the fork after nodding, Adrian quickly grabbed a cake plate as if he was waiting for this moment.

Ruve watched his son with a happy expression for a moment and looked to the side, turning down the fork off.

“Oh, Tia.”

“Yes Ruve….”

“What you said last night, would you want to go with me?

“Oh, yes. I want”

“Good. Then let’s finish tea time and go together.”

“Sure….”

Her warm shining golden eyes bent gently toward him. 

Ruve flirted at her, who smiled gently.

It’s been 14 years after he ascended the throne.

There was so much going on in those long – short years, he went through so many ups and downs. But, with Tia by his side, he’s not lonely and healthy, he could keep the empire safe and peaceful thanks to her presence.

She was the only one who could stand in the same place and could share his concern with.

“Oh no, they’re started again.” Diana sighed.

“……yeah…..” 
“Seriously,i felt like watch romance drama looking at them. Of course, loving each other like that is good for us, but…”

“Well, what can we do? We have to understand them as we’re their children.. ” Adrian keeps spooning the cake into his mouth with stone-face.

“Phew, you bet. Let’s have some cake, too. Elena will eat it all at this rate.”

Ruve, who was trying to hold her soft hand gently, stopped when he heard Diana and Adrian conversation. Tia also, quickly pulled her hand from him with an embarrassed expression when she heard they whispering to each other and she hurriedly  giving him a teacup.

“Dear,  It’s going to get cold. Please have some tea.”

“Ah you too dear,  why don’t you have tea, too?” Ruve took Elina down from his lap in an awkward mood and slowly reached out to grab the teacup.

Her tea, which was getting more and more tasteful as the years went by, really suited his taste. The smell made him unable to touch any other tea unless she had made it herself.

It’s like a loss in a way, but what can he do? She’s always with those lovely kids anyway and Ruve have made a firm commitment to live with her for the rest of his life.

When he was enjoying the flavor of the tea  with his eyes closed for a moment, something cold suddenly touched his mouth.

He opened his eyes wide in surprise. Elina, with a big smile suddenly thrust something by her hand.

“Have some cake, father !”

“Oh, yeah. Thank you, Elina.”

He could feel the white cream all over his  face, but Ruve ate the cake his daughter gave to him with a smile on his face. He had it happily, not caring at all. He could not let his little girl who was flirting and laughing because of the cream on his face.

“Ah-ha-ha, father ! What’s with your face!”

“Oh my…”

“Oh, my God, Elina. You have to be careful.”

Looking at Diana laughing and Adrian trying hard to hold back his laughter, Tia, who also had a smile around her lips hurriedly took out her handkerchief. 

The condition of his face seemed to be quite serious. It seemed that cream was all over his face.

But whether everyone laughs or not, Elina cuts the cake again, immediately gave her forks and smiled.

“Mother, have some cake!”

“Huh? Oh, dear are you giving it to mother, too?”

“Yes! This is so delicious!”

“Thank you, my daughter.”

Ruve smiled at his wife, who looked very happy and ate the cake. It was very strange and funny to see her, who was always neat, with white cream around her mouth. 

Tia seems to read his mind and she slightly squinted at him, giving him a handkerchief,.

“Would you mind not looking at me like that? I know your face is a mess too, Your Majesty”

“I know, but…… you look funny, hahaha.”

“Oh please stop it, don’t laugh like that.” Tia pouted her lips. Her sullen face was so cute that she didn’t look like a woman who gave birth to three children.

Ruve took the handkerchief from her with full of smiles on his face. Then instead of wiping his face, he stretched out his arm and wiped her mouth with it.

“Don’t be so angry. It was something I didn’t even see when I was young, and somehow it’s amazing and funny when your face messy like this”

Tia smiled and let her face be gently wiped by him.

“…….” 

“Ahem…..Your Majesty, please don’t forget that we’re here, too…… Aahhhhhh!”

Diana pinched Adrian grumbling at the moment and sprang to her feet, saying,

” Hey  Adrian, Elina, are you guys finished the cake ? Let’s go over there and play. When I saw it on the way here earlier, it was full of flowers.”

Elina who nodded immediately, jumped out of the chair, and Adrian who was staring at his parents with his eyebrows frowned, also stood up.

Ruve giggled at Diana, who was quick to leave her seat. 

Perhaps because she experienced lots of stuff like this for a long time, she was indeed quick-witted.  And Ruve was very grateful for her consideration.

Tia who had been staring at the children, who were moving away from each other, with a soft smile around her lips said.

“Our children, aren’t they so pretty?”

“Of course, I’m already worried about how to marry them off later. “

“When I was young, I never thought this day would come……… I’m so happy now.”

“So am I, Tia. I never dreamed that a day would come when I sat next to you and laughed like this. I couldn’t even think we would have children who look like us.”

When he whispered in low voice, Tia gently leaned her head against his shoulder with a thin smile on her face.

Ruve carefully raised her arms and wrapped her slender shoulders, breathing deeply into her signature subtle lavender scent.

” I love our Children,  but you are the most precious to me, Tia. Because you were something I always longed for, the only sanctuary of my heart, and you have been like my breath. Of course, you will continue to be so.”

“… ..Ruve.”

“How about you? Do you feel the same way?”

“Yes. Forever, as it has always been.” Tia whispered softly in his ear

Her gentle voice was very warm, so was the laughter of the children coming from far away.

The warm feeling that could not be exchanged for anything in the world filled his heart with pride. With the eyes full of the people he loved.

Ruve smiled, sweeping down her soft silvery hair.

It was a warm spring afternoon.


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