Chapter 164

Some time later.

A massive purge of the rebels took place. Given the circumstantial evidence that Jenis had been frequently associating with them and was aware they were plotting rebellion but failed to report it immediately, the Al Caskey clan could’ve easily found themselves in grave danger—yet thanks to providing decisive evidence on this case, they narrowly avoided annihilation. Instead, Jenis himself faced a mere three-month imprisonment, which was practically no punishment at all considering Serpina’s usual stance of showing zero mercy to anyone even slightly connected to treason. Thus, Jenis seemed to accept his situation calmly without objection.

In a way, I had altered the predetermined future.

After he was taken to prison…

“Thank you so much, Sir Swoen.”

“I must also express my gratitude. Without you, we would’ve faced great calamity.”

At the front of the Al Caskey manor, I, along with Iren and Reika, were continuously thanked by Ilian and Ilian Al Caskey.

“As I mentioned, we’re satisfied having nipped the rebellion in the bud, so there’s no need to worry too much about it.”

“That isn’t true. How can we possibly repay such a favor… Iren, you’ve done us an immense kindness this time. I will never forget this.”

Iren spoke in an indifferent tone to Ilian, who kept bowing deeply to her.

“Just as Swoen said, there’s no need to dwell on it. We simply did what was necessary.”

“I understand that, but the fact remains that your actions have become our debt. From early childhood, my father taught me not to become someone who betrays favors.”

Indeed, from Ilian’s perspective, he probably wanted to thank us countless times.

Though unintentional on his part, due to his younger brother’s foolishness, their clan would’ve otherwise been wiped out.

Anyway, this confirmed that the reason they didn’t exist in my memories was because those events had already flown away long ago.

“This favor will never be forgotten. Please take care.”

“Stay healthy, Sir Swoen.”

With that final farewell to Ilian and Iolanthe…

On the way back, I casually asked Iren:

“When do you think we’ll be able to enter the mansion?”

“Perhaps soon. All the necessary procedures are complete.”

“Is that so? Our days of living together again won’t last much longer then.”

“…Yes.”

Iren nodded, her face slightly flushed.

Reika, walking quietly beside us, smiled and said:

“I’m also… glad to live together… Hehe…”

Ah, so Reika will be living with us too.

Since the mansion is spacious, we’ll each have our own rooms, but nonetheless, this meant the three of us would officially start cohabiting.

‘Because we’ve been apart until now, it’s about time we had a proper talk.’

Currently, Reika was the only one I had formally discussed marriage with.

While it’s true that contact with her father, Jinoru, has been cut off, given that he proposed the idea in the first place and willingly entrusted Reika to me, his intentions were pretty clear.

That left only Reika’s feelings.

If Reika wished to marry me…

‘Maybe I should seriously propose to Iren first.’

It wasn’t that I disliked Reika, but ideally, I’d prefer if Iren became my first bride.

She was the one I first considered marrying, and she had followed me through two regime changes, trusting me completely.

Once we safely navigate our time with the Serpina Army and Luna raises her banner, we’ll switch sides—

With Jenis’ issue resolved, this felt like the best possible life plan.

Even though Iren became the Deputy Commander of the occupying forces, war would inevitably come, but I was confident I could protect her no matter what. And compared to past rulers like Lin or Yuri, Serpina was relatively cooperative.

Of course, lately she’s been more than just cooperative—her obsession with me has grown noticeable—but as a strategist advising a ruler, it’s better than dealing with a distant and unresponsive monarch.

“Then, I’ll send someone soon.”

“Yes. I’ll be waiting. Since I still need to process my move-out from my current lodging, it might take some time.”

“Hmm. Then… I’ll wait for that day. Be careful going home, Swoen.”

“See you again, Sir Swoen!”

After exchanging farewells with the two women, I returned to my quarters.

Entering my room, the empty space with the bunk bed somehow felt lonely. The time spent with Senior Jenis and Iolanthe wasn’t bad after all.

As someone who would eventually leave the Serpina Army, saving a talent like Ilian would undoubtedly benefit her greatly. Though not a battlefield commander capable of turning the tide of war, his contributions during the conflict with the Brance Army were undeniable.

This should be enough to absolve any lingering sense of debt toward her, I thought, when suddenly—

“—Huh?”

I noticed a piece of paper wedged near the door. Upon picking it up and reading its contents…

*

[You have been summoned by the Lord. Please proceed to Einhardt Royal Palace immediately upon receiving this note.]

“What’s this about now?”

Having gone back and forth so many times, the route from my lodging to the royal palace had become quite familiar.

On the way, I speculated about why she had called me.

“Maybe she wants advice on how to handle the rebels?”

But really, for the sake of maintaining national discipline, there was no other method besides executing everyone involved, just like before. Considering the continued occurrences of rebellion, adopting lenient policies wouldn’t solve anything.

From what I could tell, Serpina’s karma ran deep and heavy, likely being the root cause of her tyrannical tendencies. Despite her efforts to manage state affairs well, rebellions kept breaking out.

“No matter what, I need to support her appropriately.”

To act freely within the Serpina Army, gaining her trust was essential. While her growing attachment to me was becoming evident, similar to my earlier thoughts, it was far more beneficial for me to be fully utilized and obsessively relied upon rather than ignored like under Yuri’s rule.

Lost in these thoughts, I arrived at the palace gates where a soldier immediately saluted and asked:

“Are you Sir Swoen?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“The Lord requests your presence in the villa’s reception room. She says you’ll know what she means.”

The villa? That place she often summoned me to?

‘Serpina sure likes that spot.’

To me, it was just an old mansion exuding a somber atmosphere, nothing more, nothing less. Was it special to her in some way?

After exchanging pleasantries with the soldier, I headed toward the villa.

*

Upon entering the villa and making my way to the reception room, I found her waiting.

“You’ve arrived, Swoen. Please, take a seat here.”

She greeted me with a smile. Her tone, her slightly flushed cheeks—it all felt different from her usual demeanor. The reason was obvious: there was a glass of red wine on the table.

“My Lord, forgive me for saying this, but excessive drinking is harmful to your health.”

“Do you think I’m so frail that a few glasses would knock me out?”

“…My apologies.”

I sat across from her, meeting her gaze. Unintentionally, my eyes kept drifting to her lips.

My first kiss, which tasted of citrus, came to mind. Since then, we hadn’t brought up anything related to it, and I had acted as if nothing happened—but pretending something significant didn’t happen is impossible.

We shared a kiss, and she even made a proposal-like comment. Seeing her now, slightly tipsy and relaxed, brought back memories of that moment, leaving me feeling strangely restless. In situations like this, changing the subject is always best.

“Why have you summoned me?”

“Does a ruler need a specific reason to summon one of her generals?”

“Not necessarily, but generally speaking, we’re here to serve the ruler—”

“Just stop.”

Serpina interrupted me, then stared straight into my eyes with a serious tone, devoid of any playful undertones.

“I wanted to see you, Swoen.”

“…”

“I summoned you because I missed seeing you.”

Her expression, slightly influenced by alcohol, looked incredibly forlorn. There was no hint of mockery or condescension.

Could it be… she truly summoned me simply because she missed me? The incident from a few days ago came to mind—the words she had spoken to me.

As always, Serpina remained an enigmatic character.

Without saying a word, I fetched a glass from the cabinet, placed it across from her, and said:

“My Lord, whatever may be troubling you today, I can at least be your drinking companion. If you wish to discuss anything, feel free to speak.”

“…Not just a drinking companion, can you offer more?”

“Naturally, following the ruler’s orders is my duty.”

“Such smooth talk doesn’t sit well with me. Are you prepared?”

Seeing her smile after saying this, I felt somewhat reassured.

“Of course.”

However…

Without hesitation, she uttered words I couldn’t have imagined.

“If so, I must test you.”

Serpina lightly traced her lips with her finger and, in a voice that was seductive and entirely feminine—not regal—said:

“Swoen, stay by my side tonight.”