Chapter 60

The fortress fell under our control much faster than I had anticipated. Managing this new fortress seemed to be Epinal’s responsibility now. It was clear she came here for that purpose. With the great general of the Aishias Army stationed at the front, the Brance Army must feel like they’ve been struck by lightning on a clear day.

There was nothing we could do about it. Since we’d already earned their enmity, we had to keep shaking up the Brance Army.

Lin’s character wasn’t the type to quietly step down anyway, and once she joined another army, it was certain she’d harbor resentment in some form or another. In such a case, bringing soldiers with us was a far better judgment call. There was also the desire to repay what happened to Iren.

Moreover, taking control of the central region from the Brance Army and balancing the power was crucial for me personally as well. When the Lunarien Army eventually rises, it would be far easier to deal with two balanced nations rather than one massive state.

After she took control of our side’s fortress, I followed our new lord, Iren, toward Falahart Castle.

On the way to Falahart, I found myself lost in thought.

“Hmph… looks like my lying skills have improved.”

This decision was supposed to ensure no regrets, right? But eventually, both Iren and I will leave the Aishias Army. Of course, unless something extraordinary happens, it’s highly likely we’ll resign peacefully instead of betraying them with troops like last time…

But who knows how things might turn out?

And then there was another lie.

“So… does that mean you think I’m destined to become the unifying ruler?”

“Can Baranga Yuri Aishias truly become the ruler who will unify the continent?”

[No.]

Despite making that prediction, I shamelessly gave an immediate answer.

Well, if she stays here long enough, she’ll realize why she can’t be the unifying ruler.

While I was pondering these trivial thoughts…

“Um… Swoen.”

“Yes?”

Iren grabbed the hem of my clothes and spoke.

“Uh… what exactly happened back there…?”

“What do you mean?”

“Wh-when you spoke to Lord Yuri at the end… why did you suddenly say those things?”

Ah… I instantly understood what she meant.

“Lord Yuri seems like someone with quite a playful nature.”

Thinking back on what just happened, our new lord didn’t seem as solemn as I initially thought. The intense interest they showed in my elopement with Iren felt more like the gaze of a girl full of youthful excitement rather than a monarch.

“Our lord seemed to think I abandoned everything to follow Iren in a kind of romantic escape.”

“WHAT?!”

Iren turned beet red, her eyes wide with shock.

“Well, if that’s what they think, there’s no harm in going along with it. After all, thanks to that, our surrender was accepted without issue.”

She sighed briefly, then regained her composure.

“S-so… you mean… you went along with the story…”

“Not entirely, but still… it’s true that I want to protect you, Iren. Remember what I said that night?”

Upon hearing my words, Iren looked at me in surprise before nodding shyly, her face still flushed.

“Yes.”

For a moment, I was lost in her smile. She was such a lovely woman—beautiful beyond measure, with curves that could captivate any man. Her presence alone was enough to make one feel like selling an entire kingdom wouldn’t be worth losing her.

But I didn’t think of her as merely beautiful. As I mentioned earlier, she was “lovable”—a stark contrast to Yuri, who was simply stunning.

It occurred to me that since we were starting anew in this country, it would be nice for her to regain some self-esteem after enduring days of being unrecognized despite her efforts under the Brance Army, which surely crushed her confidence.

“Whenever it may be, please tell me your story when everything is over. I’ll wait.”

“…When everything is over, huh?”

I didn’t plan on waiting that long.

With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I continued toward Falahart Castle.

***

Falahart Castle exuded a unique atmosphere unlike Anel Castle or Kelshtain Castle. The people’s attire felt subtly different compared to Jellrant Castle, Anel Castle, and even Kelshtain Castle, which stood on the northern route.

As for the territorial people’s vibe… if I had to compare, it leaned closer to the slightly tense ambiance of Jellrant Castle rather than the peaceful calmness of Anel Castle, though there was still a noticeable sense of peace.

The walls soared impressively high, and well-trained soldiers patrolled inside, maintaining public order.

To summarize: while there was tension due to the war, the citizens clearly felt secure.

After dismissing the soldiers, Yuri approached us.

“You’ve both worked hard getting here. Thank you again for becoming part of my family. Joining a small nation isn’t an easy decision.”

Iren bowed deeply.

“No, my lord. We are grateful that you’ve taken us in.”

“I’m grateful too.”

Our bows prompted a nod from her, and she glanced skyward. The night had grown dark, adorned with countless stars.

“It’s late, so there’s no need to visit the royal palace tonight. All necessary ceremonies have been completed. Our next regular meeting is in three weeks. If anything urgent arises, I’ll summon you, but otherwise, you don’t need to take on additional duties during this period.”

Three weeks. Longer downtime than expected. If it were an emergency, she would’ve issued orders immediately, but perhaps the internal situation was stable enough not to require that. It might be good to explore Falahart Castle during this free time.

“Understood.”

“Right. By the way, do you need somewhere to stay?”

Yuri tapped her finger against her lips, humming thoughtfully.

“Hmm… let’s see… there’s an empty house recently built… yes, that should work. Iren?”

“Yes, my lord?”

“There’s a street called Shaman Street that branches off from the square heading southeast. Number 9 on Shaman Street. That should suffice. It’s newly constructed, so it’s clean, but there might be some dust.”

“That’s fine. I’ll handle the rest. Just providing us with lodging is already more than enough.”

“Good. Then that settles it.”

Yuri smiled warmly.

“Well, I’ll head off now. You’ve both worked hard today. See you at the next meeting if nothing comes up.”

Just as she was leaving…

“Excuse me, my lord.”

“Yes?”

“Where should I go?”

Assuming Iren will live at number 9 on Shaman Street… where should I go? Given her flowery talk about family, I didn’t expect her to treat us differently.

However…

Yuri responded with a tone that implied I shouldn’t even ask.

“Huh? Didn’t I say? Number 9 on Shaman Street. Go there.”

“…So, I should go there?”

“?!”

Something felt off at that moment—but I caught onto something.

“Um… could it be…”

“Hehehe.”

Yuri covered her mouth and chuckled—a laugh that, while seemingly elegant and dignified to the uninformed, was unmistakably mischievous.

“You two should live together. Naturally.”

“!!!”

“Wait… what…”

Iren tried to interject, flustered, but Yuri cut her off without hesitation.

“I’m not that clueless. The place is perfect for the two of you. Consider it your new home. Got it?”

“…”

Reflecting on it, hadn’t we always lived together before?

I nodded.

“Understood.”

“Great. I look forward to good news. See you later.”

After Yuri left, Iren and I stood silently for a while.

It was strange. Up until just now, I managed to remain calm thinking, “Haven’t we always lived together?” So why did my face feel so unbearably hot?

Judging by her reaction, Iren seemed similarly affected, standing beside me with a bright red face, hesitating and glancing nervously at me.

Though it felt awkward, recalling our previous cohabitation helped me regain composure. In situations like this, dragging things out only makes the atmosphere worse.

“Shall we go, Iren?”

“Eh?! Oh… uh… y-yes. Let’s go.”

Thus, we headed toward our new home.

***

Arriving at our new residence, we lit the lanterns. It was indeed a clean and pleasant house, freshly built. It was larger than where we stayed in East Anel, with a more refined kitchen area and overall better facilities. Most notably, the bed was large—easily a double size.

For some reason, the bed kept drawing my attention.

“We’ve arrived.”

Iren unpacked lightly and remained silent again. Looks like I’ll have to take the lead here.

“Let’s start with cleaning, shall we? There’s bound to be some dust.”

“Cleaning…”

The evening was darkening, but it wasn’t yet deep night, with people still walking around outside. Honestly, none of that mattered. I just wanted to break this awkward silence.

“Let’s do it. Cleaning sounds good. Yes.”

Iren agreed, seemingly eager to move as well.

Cleaning definitely made the time pass quickly. Sweeping every corner of the house cleared my mind somewhat.

Once the cleaning was done, silence returned.

“Alright. Next, let’s bathe. We’ve sweated and traveled a long distance.”

“Mm. Good idea.”

We took turns bathing after the cleaning.

Washing away the grime left us feeling refreshed both physically and mentally. Now… there really was nothing left to do. The night had grown deep.

The silence returned once more.

This time, Iren spoke first.

“Swoen.”

“Yes?”

Her face turned crimson as she looked at me, her voice trembling slightly…

“Would… would you like to sleep together?”

***