Chapter 143

Serpina chuckled, “Kukuku,” as she gazed at me with a sly smile.

Her eyes sparkled with an almost supernatural intensity.

What a mesmerizing face. With that visage and that laugh, there’d surely be a line of people ready to throw everything away.

“Hmm. An alliance with the Brance Army, you say. So we’re forging an alliance with a nation we were at war with just the other day, huh?”

Breathing…

Her breathing was far too close.

I could feel my head growing hot.

The scent of yuzu was ravaging my mind.

But this sensation… it wasn’t bad. Rather, it made my heart race pleasantly.

And it wasn’t some instinctual awkwardness from being physically close to such a beauty either.

What I felt was… longing.

“Why…?”

I didn’t quite understand why I felt this longing, but-

Nevertheless, since she had asked me a question, there was nothing else to do but answer.

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

Serpina slowly distanced herself from me.

Then, looking straight into my eyes, she quietly intoned,

“I shall follow your will. Let’s proceed with forming an alliance with the Brance Army.”

“Yes.”

“However, there is one last thing I wish to ask.”

Instead of answering, I gave her a slight bow, signaling for her to go ahead with whatever she wanted to say.

She easily picked up on the gesture.

“Why do you believe this alliance will be beneficial for our army? Can you explain your reasoning?”

“…”

Though her talk about some ‘Mind’s Eye’ was lengthy, in the end, all she wanted was solid evidence, right?

Unfortunately, I had nothing convincing to offer under the condition of presenting something that resembled proper evidence.

Sure, if I thought about it more, I might come up with something, but I couldn’t squeeze anything out right now. Just because my stats said ‘Divinity 100’ didn’t mean I had become as smart as that.

But…

“Regarding the alliance with the Brance Army… don’t you think it presents an opportunity for our forces?”

‘Huh? Maybe I can deflect this back.’

My apologies to Serpina, but let’s see if I can wiggle out of this by seizing on a loophole in her words.

“Lord, I believe you’ll be able to find the evidence yourself.”

“Evidence? Me…?”

This was the first time today.

Until now, she had always dealt with me in a composed manner, but now her pupils contracted for the very first time.

“That’s correct. Didn’t you say that this alliance would present an opportunity for us? Naturally, you must already be aware of it, right?”

“Oh, I may have said that, but it was merely reading the change in your expression.”

“No. I believe, Lady Serpina, that you can certainly figure it out. Isn’t there something inevitable you’d feel simply by being in your position?”

Even though I couldn’t immediately guess what it was… still, given that this would benefit our army, someone who knows the ins and outs of our situation better than me—our monarch—would surely have a broader perspective to judge the situation.

With that intention behind my words, she looked at me blankly, seemingly startled.

“…!!!”

“Milady Serpina, I believe you’ll soon understand the reason. I trust you.”

Judging from the circumstances so far, she likely intended to listen to me.

She didn’t ask for evidence after agreeing; she questioned the evidence only after giving her consent.

Moreover, reflecting on her previous actions, for some reason, she seemed to deeply trust my words.

So, there was no need for me to say anything strange here.

There’s always weight that the trusting side must bear.

At that moment,

She looked at me with a hint of realization dawning on her face.

“…Ah, I see, Swoen. Now I understand what you’re talking about.”

And then, with a confident expression as if she had figured something out—

She quietly whispered to me,

“So, you’re testing me, are you?”

“…Huh?”

“Long ago, you told me that truly winning someone’s heart is incredibly difficult. Yet, I never expected you’d directly test me… Swoen, you truly entertain me.”

“??????”

No, that comment back then was just something I said to avoid getting thrown into prison…

…Nah.

‘Maybe I should just stay quiet?’

For some reason, I felt that staying silent would solve things effortlessly. So, like someone silently saying, “Figure it out yourself,” I maintained an impressive expression without averting my gaze from her eyes.

“In my life, many have claimed they would test me, but never has a man dared to say he would test me.”

With that, she swept her hand down her cheek.

…It was seductive.

If she did it intentionally, it was impressive. If unintentional…

This woman had the power to easily bind any man as her slave.

“Really… really, Swoen, I’m starting to like you more and more… kukuku…”

After a few minutes of exchanging silent gazes—

“…Understood.”

With those words, the situation concluded.

“Swoen.”

“Yes.”

“I want you. Therefore, I will show you my sincerity. This matter is also part of that. Please watch closely. Surely, someday, there will be room in your heart… for me.”

After saying that, she flashed a faint smile.

Once the audience ended,

As I strolled through the corridor, I recalled the dream I had.

The golden-haired woman… the moments when Serpina and I happily exchanged stories and smiled together.

Walking hand in hand through a place with buildings adorned with blue rooftops, whispering sweet nothings…

Such scenery.

Longing.

Today’s whiff of yuzu fragrance was undoubtedly making me yearn.

“…”

I quietly repeated the question my roommate had once asked me.

“Can Serpina von Einhardt become the unifying monarch?”

[No.]

The result hadn’t changed.

Truthfully, I hadn’t expected it to. It was a prediction that had consistently given the same answer no matter how many times I asked.

“I… ”

Yeah.

Let’s not get swayed by pointless thoughts.

All I need to do is walk my own path.

With that thought, I quietly departed from the royal palace.

* * *

“Ain’t that right, Lady Serpina? You should be able to figure it out. Isn’t there something inevitable you’d feel just by being in your position?”

After sending Swoen off,

Serpina fell deep into thought.

“Something inevitable by virtue of my position…”

Though it sounded cryptic—

Serpina believed that Swoen enjoyed using such hard-to-understand metaphors.

He had done the same when they managed to apprehend the rebel forces, saying, “We must see what cannot be seen.”

She firmly believed this was his way of testing her abilities.

If that was the case, there must surely be an answer hidden within those words.

“The last surviving member of the Einhardt clan. The ruler of the Serpina Army. And… a tyrant.”

Serpina began listing the descriptors of herself, organizing her thoughts.

Her position. As a ruler, there must be something she inevitably feels…

After pondering for a few more minutes, nothing particularly clear came to mind.

“Alright. Instead of fixating on minor phrases, let’s take a broader view.”

The two entities forming the alliance—Serpina’s army and the Brance Army.

The Brance Army lowered their pride and requested an alliance with us. Why?

“Clearly… it wouldn’t be viewed favorably internally.”

Considering her position, the relationship with the Brance Army, and events from the recent war…

Yet they still approached for an alliance—it must surely reflect the will of their commander, Lin…

Little by little,

Very gradually, her thoughts began to crystallize.

Serpina—she desperately wanted to pass this test.

Though it was outrageous for a mere subordinate to test their sovereign, it didn’t matter.

She wanted to show him her true feelings somehow.

If the rumors surrounding him were true, she wanted to win his heart despite everything.

If his “Mind’s Eye”-like intuition was indeed fact, it made her desire even stronger.

The one thing she lacked—

Even Jena, the Nation’s Strategist, couldn’t provide it.

But Serpina was certain Swoen could fill that void.

“By any means necessary… Swoen, I will make you mine.”

Whoever occupied his heart at the moment, it didn’t matter.

Body and soul, she wanted him to sincerely look up to her, Serpina von Einhardt.

For the first time in a long while, her head throbbed with intense thought.

She didn’t dislike the sensation of using her brain. Back when she carried no burdens, she often indulged in such deep contemplation.

―How nostalgic.

The longing that arose in her heart upon seeing Swoen’s face must surely stem from memories of her youth.

Thinking that, she slowly began deciphering the puzzle-like sentence Swoen had posed.

Since meeting Swoen,

Serpina no longer dreamed.

Simultaneously—

She embraced a vivid dream.

Not the fleeting kind that vanishes upon waking, but one that propelled her forward.

* * *

“Yaaaah!”

As soon as I entered the room, Jenis screamed in surprise, prompting me to ask,

“What’s wrong, senior?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s… um…”

Wait?

Something seems off…

“…? Why are you using honorifics?”

“Huh? Ah… oh! No, it’s… uh! Ah! Never mind, I’ve just been a bit scatterbrained…”

Jenis waved her hands nervously, flashing an awkward smile.

“Are you reading some kinda dirty novel or something?”

“Wha…?! No, no, no! Of course not! It’s just… uh… yeah, I’ve been a bit tired today…”

His face turned bright red as he fumbled with his words, unsure of what to do.

What’s going on…? Why’s he acting like this all of a sudden? Between men…

“?”

It seemed unusually strange, but…

There was no need to pry too much into it.

Senior Jenis deserves his privacy.

“Ah, but… um… hey.”

“You usually call me by name just fine?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah. Yeah. Swoen.”

“…Somehow, you seem different today.”

“There’s a letter for you. I kept it for you.”

“Ah, thanks.”

I took the letter from him.

The sender was…

“…Lady Iren?”

Upon checking the contents, there were plenty of flowery phrases.

Wishing for good health, mentioning how much time had passed since Valentine’s Day…

The writing style reminded me of chivalric romance literature, which was pretty fitting for Lady Iren.

Anyway, summarizing the content—

“She wants to meet and has something to say.”

Perfect timing.

I was feeling rather drained after my audience with the lord, but I could relax around Lady Iren.

“I’ll be stepping out for a bit.”

“Huh? Oh… yeah, sure. Take care.”

Although Jenis’ behavior seemed a bit odd, meeting Lady Iren was more important to me right now.

So, I immediately headed toward our agreed meeting spot.