I just stood there, dumbfounded, catching her body in my arms.
Sohow, I managed not to fall over. A pointless little thought crossed my mind—that I should praise myself for that today. I lowered my head slightly and checked on Airen’s condition.
What’s going on...?
Since she had suddenly thrown herself into my arms, I wondered for a mont if sothing bad had happened.
"Airen, did sothing happen?"
"No."
"Did sothing go wrong?"
"It was fine. Nothing happened. I... I’ve been doing well."
"Then why...?"
"......"
Instead of answering, she buried herself deeper into , whispering again and again:
I missed you. I missed you...
At first, I was startled by how suddenly she embraced ...
But with ti, I began to realize—without much difficulty—that the person I should be holding in my arms was right here.
"I missed you too, Airen."
I gently ran my hand through her ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) red hair.
With just that, I felt calm settle in from my fingertips.
I had co back to where I belonged.
Where I should be—was by her side, after all.
Whenever I imagined the person I’d marry first, Airen always ca to mind. It wasn’t just a passing thought.
Her scent naturally found its way to my nose.
Unlike Serpina, who always had a strong yuzu perfu, or Reika, whose skin carried the sweetness of her favorite cakes—
Airen’s scent was raw. A mix of sweat and the unmistakable scent of a woman.
It made sense, considering she was always engaged in physical work. Her scent would naturally be stronger.
It was strange. Among the won I had close ties with, this primal scent stirred sothing in the most.
And it wasn’t just the scent.
Even with her armor, she couldn’t hide her overwhelming figure.
That chest—so bold, so impossible to ignore. Pretending I wasn’t affected would be a lie.
...
...No.
Just because we reunited after a long ti, indulging in thoughts like this wasn’t fair to her.
I forced myself to empty my head.
These kinds of thoughts... could wait for later.
As much as I wanted to keep holding her, to feel her warmth—
this wasn’t the ti.
Calmly, slowly... I gently drew back and asked:
"And Her Grace?"
"She’s been doing well. We talked a lot about different things. While you were gone, only good things seed to happen, so her expression’s been brighter too."
"Talked? About what?"
"Mm."
I was curious, but I didn’t press. Airen was entitled to her privacy.
Instead, I asked about what ca after.
"Sothing good happened?"
"You know about it, don’t you? About how Yuri was spreading awful rumors about Her Grace."
"Yeah. That’s why I went all the way over there."
"While the relief camp was running, Her Grace’s reputation really improved."
...Whew.
I let out a breath of relief.
It looked like everything had played out as I’d predicted.
With Intelligence 100, I had already foreseen that “there’s nothing to be gained from interfering.”
And if Serpina’s public image improved, that only proved I was right.
Still—hearing it firsthand brought a certain joy.
After a bit of small talk with her—
"I’d love to talk more, but there’s still a lot I need to take care of."
"Yeah, I know. I won’t get in your way. Also..."
Airen finally turned to the side, addressing Reika, who had been quietly standing nearby.
"...Sorry. I, um... I should’ve greeted you first."
"Ah, no! It’s totally fine...! Hehe..."
"Still."
This ti, Airen gently embraced Reika.
"I missed you a lot, Reika."
"Ah..."
Reika closed her eyes tightly, stroking Airen’s back as if soothing a child.
" too. I missed you, Lady Airen. You’ve been well, right?"
"I have..."
"Good."
Co to think of it, while Reika and I were gone, Airen had been staying all alone in that big mansion.
There were attendants, sure, but not the people she talked to every day.
She must have felt terribly lonely.
I waited quietly for them to finish their mont.
"Then, I’ll see you later. Reika. ...And Swen, you too."
"Yes! See you later, Lady Airen. Let’s have sothing delicious for dinner tonight!"
"I’ll be inside. Don’t take too long."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Leaving Airen behind, we finally followed Irian into the capital.
We had only walked a few steps when—
"U-um..."
"Yes?"
Reika suddenly spoke up.
"This might be kind of random, but... I really think... Lady Airen looks the happiest when she’s with you, Swen...!"
"...You think so?"
"Yes! Like, incredibly... incredibly happy. It’s like she turns into a completely different person. Usually she’s so strict and composed, but... around you, she changes."
With Reika rambling like a teenage girl, I found myself too embarrassed to respond.
"... too."
"Huh?"
"I want to be happy too... with both of you... the three of us, together."
...!
I turned in surprise and looked at Reika trailing behind .
Coming from the usual Reika, I would’ve expected her to stumble over her words, unable to speak clearly—
but she t my gaze directly, her bright pink eyes unwavering.
"...I an it."
"Reika...?"
...What was this feeling?
Both Airen and Reika—today, they felt... different sohow.
Hard to put into words. Unusual.
Especially Reika. Ever since we kissed, it was like she’d beco soone else.
As I struggled to find the right words to reply, a man’s voice called out from behind.
"There you are, Swen."
"...General Irian?"
The one who called out to was Irian.
And honestly, I found myself unconsciously relieved that the conversation with Reika had co to an end.
"I’ve been looking for you. You weren’t in the banquet hall."
"I’m sorry. I was just exchanging greetings with General Airen..."
"No need to apologize. I’m not here to scold you. I just have a ssage to pass along."
"A ssage for ?"
Irian slowly nodded.
"Her Grace is urgently asking for you. She said to et her in the annex."
The annex... was that the place where we once shared drinks?
I didn’t know why she was calling for , but when your liege summons you, it’s your duty to go.
"I’ll explain things at the banquet hall. You head to where Her Grace is."
"Ah, um..."
"Pl-please go ahead... Lord Swen."
This ti, it was Reika who had just been speaking with monts ago.
She looked at with a bright smile and said,
"I’ll be fine on my own, so... don’t worry about ... really! I can manage... just fine."
She was better at expressing herself now, at least around —but I still worried whether she could manage at the banquet alone.
Still, she was a hero who had accomplished a great feat this ti.
No one would treat her carelessly.
Here, I’d just have to trust Jenna and General Irian.
"Understood. Then, if you’ll excuse ."
I gave a polite nod to both Irian and Reika, then made my way to the annex where Serpina awaited.
***
She’s already cleaned it up again.
Every ti I ca here, I couldn’t help but notice how beautifully the garden was maintained.
As far as I knew, no servants ever entered this space. That ant Serpina managed it all herself.
Balancing the responsibilities of a sovereign while maintaining a garden of this size—
That wasn’t an easy task.
And yet, she handled it all with that small fra of hers, accomplishing everything with remarkable ease.
When I stepped inside, Serpina was standing by the window, gazing outside.
"Your Grace. I heard you were looking for ."
"..."
Instead of turning to face , Serpina kept her eyes on the window and spoke in a voice tinged with sothing like lancholy.
"Co here, Swen."
As I approached her—
"......!!"
—I suddenly realized that, once again, I had been pulled into a woman’s embrace.
The sharp citrus of yuzu invaded my senses, washing away every trace of the scent I’d just experienced earlier.
Sothing’s strange about today.
Was it one of those days when won just naturally clung to ?
Before I could dwell on that thought, Serpina gave no ti to process anything.
"...Swen."
"Yes..."
Her voice trembled, as did her body.
I gently pulled her closer, hoping to soothe her, at least physically.
"Did you not miss ...?"
Just earlier, it was "I missed you."
Now it was "Did you not miss ?"
Such a subtle shift in words, and yet it highlighted the stark difference between the two won. I almost let out a laugh, but held it back just in ti.
"I missed you, Your Grace."
"...Is that so."
She fell silent again, but I didn’t press her.
Instead, I calmly stroked her back.
How much ti passed like that, I wasn’t sure.
Eventually, Serpina began to speak again, little by little.
"Thanks to you... for the first ti, I realized there are people on the Central Continent who don’t hate . Just by doing as you said... I was able to defeat Yuri."
"Truth has a way of reaching people."
Yes.
Truth reaches people.
All of this happened because she was sincere in her desire to help as many people as possible, even if it ant shouldering slander.
The fact that not the entire world was against her—
That alone gave this outco deep aning.
How lonely must it have been to live believing the entire world despised her?
I could only imagine the kind of isolation she’d endured, walking alone through such a dark tunnel.
The least I could offer... was the comfort of my arms.
"I missed you, Swen."
"Yes."
"Every ti I lay down in bed, I would think of you."
"Yes."
"And the more I did... the more I longed for you not as a ruler, but as a woman. From my head to my toes, every part of —longed for every part of you."
"...Excuse ?"
I was startled.
This conversation... was heading sowhere I wasn’t prepared for.
I looked at her, shocked. Her golden eyes trembled.
Before I could even think of what to say, Serpina spoke again.
"Just once. Just for a single mont. I won’t demand your entire life.
I won’t beg you to stay with forever.
So please. Just for today――"
Be the man of this body.
Not as the ruler Serpina—
but as a woman, she whispered those words to .
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