In most conventional relationships, the woman would be the one people worry about.
But Viretta dleridge was anything but conventional.
She was the kind of person who, upon eting soone for the first ti, would propose a dragon-hunting expedition. Normal concerns had no place in her world.
Thus, Lanken’s words, while earnest, didn’t faze her. However, she was left dissatisfied with the exchange. Puffing out her cheeks slightly, she pouted.
“Aren’t you worried about ? What if Iola tries sothing?”
“That’d be a win for you. You wouldn’t resist anyway.”
“What are you saying?! Do you think so little of ? We’re an unmarried couple! I’d at least pretend to resist.”
“Goodnight. If anything happens, ring the bell.”
Lanken shrugged at Viretta’s flustered outburst, leaving one last word of caution—for Iola—and then exited like a storm, leaving only traces of his presence behind.
Once Lanken’s whirlwind departure left the room in peace, Iola, still lying on the bed, let out a quiet laugh.
“Lanken sure says amusing things.”
“Y-yes, haha. He’s quite the friend who takes jokes too far.”
“You’re lucky to have such a close escort. By the end of this journey, I hope to grow closer to him.”
Speaking warmly, Iola rested his head on the pillow, pulling the blanket up to his shoulders and letting out a contented sigh.
Seeing Iola settle in so naturally, Viretta’s still-flushed cheeks deepened in color as a new wave of fluster overtook her.
“Are you really going to sleep already?”
Iola nodded, lifting the blanket slightly as if inviting her to join. His casual gesture left Viretta stomping her feet in frustration.
“Right there? Together? Seriously?”
While they’d slept near each other before—on the back of a carriage or around a campfire—this was the first ti they’d share a bed. And in a room so deliberately designed to set the mood, lying next to him felt like an entirely different matter.
Watching her bounce nervously, Iola gave her a gentle smile.
“Are you feeling a bit uncomfortable? Don’t worry. We’re engaged, after all. It’s not like this will start any bad rumors.”
“Yes, we’re engaged, but aren’t we planning to break it off?”
“That’s the plan—but only after we’ve slain the dragon.”
Sothing about that response struck a chord in Viretta’s mind.
Her flushed face gradually regained its natural tone as a cool sensation crept over her. Slowly, she began retracing her thoughts, piecing together the discomfort she felt until a possibility surfaced.
She took a deep breath and carefully sat down beside Iola, folding her hands in her lap.
“Iola… do you not believe we’ll actually break off the engagent?”
“…”
Silence filled the room. Iola closed his eyes briefly, as though weighing his words, before opening them and responding with a calm voice.
“I trust your intentions, Viretta.”
“But you can’t imagine a future where we’re no longer engaged, can you?”
Again, Iola gave her a serene smile.
That reaction confird her suspicions.
Speaking the thought aloud solidified what had been a vague concern lingering in her heart.
Iola’s deanor often gave off a sense of detachnt. When trust is betrayed, people naturally react—shock, anger, or sadness. But Iola exhibited none of those emotions.
When truths were revealed, or when the foundations of his knowledge crumbled, Iola didn’t seem rattled in the slightest.
It wasn’t the reaction of soone naive or unworldly. If anything, it bordered on indifference.
Though outwardly trusting and respectful, his subsequent reactions carried a subtle dissonance.
Iola’s expression grew thoughtful, his smile becoming one of mild discomfort.
“…If we’re being objective, then yes, you could say that. No one can ever be certain of how things will end.”
Even so, he admitted the truth candidly.
“I will slay the dragon.”
“Yes. I believe in your determination, Viretta. But that’s your perspective and your decision.”
Iola gently reached for her hand, holding it cautiously.
“Whether I believe in the outco… well, that’s sothing else.”
“But you just said you trust .”
“How could I possibly know the conclusion? I trust in what you say, but that doesn’t an I take every word as an absolute truth. I believe it’s possible.”
His words were complicated. Viretta couldn’t grasp the full aning imdiately, and it frustrated her.
She had thought Iola truly believed in her, but now it felt like his trust wasn’t as solid as she’d imagined.
Only one thing needed clarification.
“Do you think it’s impossible for
to slay the dragon?”
“No.”
His answer was firm. That alone comforted Viretta, keeping her from breaking into tears.
That was enough. If he believed in her ability to slay the dragon, she couldn’t fault him. Differences in the finer details were understandable.
“With soone as bold as you, Viretta, it’s possible to slay a dragon. However…”
Still lying down, Iola paused, his lips pressing together montarily before speaking again.
“However, the likelihood of failure is much higher. I assud you knew that.”
“I do. The chances of failure are high. But unlike ordinary people who let that stop them, I’m different.”
Viretta believed in her success.
Even if sothing began as boastful words, once they left her lips, they beca a truth—a prophecy she was determined to fulfill.
It was simply her nature. Viretta had an uncanny ability to believe in the impossible.
Because, after all, it wasn’t impossible.
If there was even the smallest chance, believing in it was only natural.
In other words, even knowing failure was probable, Viretta was the type to bet everything on success.
People who lose their fortunes at gambling often think the sa way. “This ti, I’ll win that 0.03%!” they tell themselves, placing all their money on the line.
“I don’t understand you, Iola. I thought you always trusted others.”
“I do.”
He spoke softly.
“I do trust. I believe in everything. That’s the choice I’ve made. I… yes.”
In contrast, Iola was the type who predicted failure but couldn’t abandon hope.
Like soone buying a lottery ticket, fully aware that 99 out of 100 tis it wouldn’t work, yet unable to let go of that slim chance of success.
Iola’s faith worked like that.
The unique thing about him was that he genuinely believed every word he heard.
To him, every statent sparkled with the possibility of being true.
“This might sound strange. Since the opportunity has presented itself, let
share my story. You are my fiancée, after all, and you have a right to know.”
Sitting up against the headboard, Iola gently guided Viretta to join him.
While lying together was too much, refusing to sit beside him felt unnecessarily harsh. Viretta climbed onto the bed, sitting next to him. Pulling the blanket up to her knees and leaving only the bedside lamp on, the atmosphere turned calm and intimate.
“First, I should explain how I ca to be engaged to you.”
“Wait, don’t tell —”
Love?
Intrigue?
Conspiracy?
Her heart raced at the enticing introduction. Iola’s serious expression sent her mind into a whirl.
“I was originally destined to marry into one of the noble families of Saha.”
Of course. Nothing about Iola ever ca easy.
It seed inevitable that his story would circle back to their engagent being an accident. Yet his tender touch on her hand stirred her heart, subrging her unease.
“My na is Iola Jin, son of the Jin family. We hail from Najin, the rcenary city of Saha.”
In the dim light, Iola began his tale.
“When my father, leader of the Dusk rcenary Corps, t my noble mother, their union was celebrated. Everyone anticipated their child would be remarkable.”
In the flickering lamplight, Iola’s expression carried a tinge of lancholy. Viretta instinctively reached out, as if to soothe his sorrow.
“And for a ti, I fulfilled those expectations. I was born of noble lineage, excelled as a warrior, and, though it feels immodest to say, possessed a fair amount of intellect.”
“That much is obvious.”
Even from their brief ti together, Viretta had no doubts about his exceptional abilities.
“The great nobles of Saha sought to make
their son-in-law and heir. At that ti, no one could have imagined I’d enter into an arranged marriage with the second daughter of a rchant family from a foreign land.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)