Martin Bertoldo POV
I stared out the window of my office with a gloomy expression. I had looked out the window at the barren trees countless times, and I never grew tired of seeing them.
No, it's not because I'm interested in the barren trees that offer me nothing. But because I feel empty.
Since hearing the news of Eden Thames' death, everything no longer looks the same to me. Everything has faded, turning my once colorful world into a gray one.
Silent. Without the chance to hear Eden's voice again.
Eden's death, which I learned from my head servant last month, has shattered my life.
It may be hard for anyone to believe, but I miss him deeply. I miss his wicked, yet fitting laughter. I miss his arrogant attitude, his evil smile, and everything wicked he did without hesitation.
More accurately, I liked his attitude of always doing things without hesitation. I didn't care about the crimes he had committed. I even always offered to help perfect his crimes. But no matter how hard I tried, Eden would never look at me.
"I don't need your help, or anyone else's. Do you think I'm weak, Martin?"
That's what he always says whenever I offer to help him. What makes me even more frustrated is the fact that Eden isn't interested in me. Only one man captures his attention.
The man who, unfortunately, ended up killing him was James Patrick.
My hands clench tightly, recalling James's icy demeanor every time Eden tried to approach him. No matter how hard Eden tried, James would never acknowledge him.
Why was Eden interested in him? Why wasn't Eden ever interested in me? What was I lacking? I could give him anything he needed, even my kingdom, if Eden wanted it. Meanwhile, James never gave Eden anything. So what did Eden see in James Patrick?
I bit my lower lip, holding back the urge to cry again. Beside me, I poured whiskey into my glass and sipped it again.
"How can you like this drink, Eden?" I asked myself, lifting the glass high and staring at it with a sad expression.
Whiskey was clearly not my favorite drink. I much preferred fruit wine, which had a low alcohol content and a sweet taste. This whiskey was an exception. Throughout his life, Eden always drank it with a blank expression, enjoying it until the bottle was empty.
Even now, I don't understand why Eden liked it. Was it because of its bitter taste? Or because, for Eden, whiskey perfectly suited his personality?
Only Eden knows. To me, everything Eden did was perfect. To me, only Eden could capture my attention. No one who ever approached me could compare to Eden's extraordinary beauty and grace. Unlike others, Eden never attempted to get to know me. Eden bluntly said he wasn't interested in me.
And now, he is no longer in this world with me. I feel like no one can capture my attention anymore. I wish I could smoke like everyone else to distract myself from the pain in my chest. This suffocating feeling and the invisible pain in my chest overwhelm me, but I can't smoke.
If only I could have saved him...
If only I had been there, by Eden's side, during the coup...
If only I had insisted on helping him instead of accepting Eden's rejection with a heavy heart...
Perhaps Eden would still be in this world, alive with me. Perhaps he would still show his sour face every time I visited his palace, calling me a fool for always smiling whenever he saw me.
Perhaps everything would have continued as usual...
I took another deep breath, placed my whiskey glass on my desk, and returned to work.
"Excuse me, Master Bertoldo."
My butler, Frank, knocked on the door of my office. My attention shifted from my work to him. I put down the documents I was reading and looked up toward the door.
"What is it?"
"There's a letter addressed to you..."
"Throw it away. I don't want to read it."
"I'm not sure you'll do that. This letter is from Mx Sheffield."
"Richardson?"
I jumped up from my chair and ran to the door. I rushed to open the door and there was Frank, a small smile playing on his aged face, still standing outside my office. He gave me the letter, which I eagerly opened at once.
[To Your Highness Martin]
"I've told you a million times, it's Martin," I grumbled. I consider Richardson a close friend.
They knew I loved Eden, just as I knew they shared the same special feelings for Eden.
Rather than competing, I much preferred to share my feelings with Richardson, so we eventually became friends.
[I wish to inform you that Your Highness Eden Thames is still alive. Currently, His Highness Eden is under my observation, but if you'd like, you can come and visit His Highness Eden in person...]
My eyes widened. My hands trembled violently as I read Richardson's letter.
"Is there good news?" Frank asked curiously. "I can see how happy you are."
I shifted my attention away from the letter I hadn't finished reading, gazing at Frank with a questioning look.
"You already knew about this, didn't you?"
"Yes, I was the one who told Papa."
Behind me, the figure of a woman in a cloak appeared. The woman removed the hood covering her face, as well as her mask, before flashing a small smile at me. The same small smile Frank had just shown.
"Susan?"
The woman was named Susan, Frank's daughter, whom I had hired as my personal spy.
Although she was a woman, she was highly skilled and tactical, with self-defense abilities far above average for her age.
Her abilities were equivalent to three men, so I hired her without caring that she was a woman.
"Does that mean Eden is still alive? Is that true?"
It was hard for me to believe the news I had just received until I heard my voice trembling because of it.
Susan walked toward me and kneeled before me.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this sooner," Susan continued. "I had to help Richardson on his way back in secret."
"I..." I paused for a moment, then my face turned pale. "What did you just say?"
"Mx Sheffield was attacked by an unknown group of people on his way back to the kingdom."
My face turned angry. "Is this Vionna's doing?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I think it was her plan."
Vionna Rochester is James Patrick's fiancée. Since she appeared, I did not like her. According to rumors, she is a powerful female sorceress beside the fact that she was Duke Rochester's daughter, and her beauty and kindness have won over James Patrick's heart.
Rumors say she is a good person. But my first impression of that woman was completely different. Compared to a good person, I think it's more accurate to describe her as highly manipulative.
Since Vionna's arrival, Eden's life has been plagued by one misfortune after another.
I asked Susan to investigate the connection between Eden's misfortunes and Vionna. My hunch was correct; Vionna was indeed connected to all of it, though I'm still curious about how she did it.
"She must have been trying to prevent Richardson from getting the antidote for Eden," I reassured myself. "Back to our original topic. Is Eden really alive?"
"Yes. I saw him myself."
"But shouldn't he have died--"
"There was a miracle, if I may say so. I don't know what happened, but suddenly His Majesty James rushed to save Eden secretly after the royal authorities announced Eden Thames' death."
"James?"
My eyebrow raised in surprise at the news I had just heard.
Did I hear that correctly? James, the man who hated Eden the most, actually saved him?
"Do you know why?"
"I don't know what happened, but thanks to that, Mx Sheffield managed to administer the antidote. So I rushed back here. And when I returned, it turned out Mx Sheffield had also sent you a letter about the same matter."
I folded the letter and put it back in my jacket pocket, then closed the door to my office.
"Frank! Prepare the carriage for me. I'm going to the Kingdom of Thames!"
"A-Are you planning to leave right now?" Frank looked shocked, as did Susan.
"That's right!" I smiled widely, unable to hide my excitement. "I'll change clothes and get ready!"
My smile widened, leaving the two of them confused.
I left them there while I turned around, running happily down the corridor, leaving the two of them still staring at me with puzzled expressions, heading toward my bedroom.
"Wait for me, Eden! I'll be right there!"