Chapter 15

The battle with that mad Khalid finally ended with his escape right after the tense situation had subsided.

I didn’t even have time to savor the victory before I collapsed, and it seems I fell asleep.

It was only natural given how much fatigue and pain had accumulated in my body, making me unable to stay awake any longer.

Though Khalid’s blow hadn’t inflicted a fatal wound on me, the massive hostility that surged through my core when I blocked or deflected his strikes caused excruciating pain.

I needed to forcefully cut off my consciousness, like a magic tool with its power source disconnected.

Usually, when consciousness is lost this way, one might experience chaotic dreams, but I couldn’t recall the reason why.

Given such circumstances, I often found myself having nightmares.

They were varied and numerous.

Sometimes, I would face the orphanage years filled with self-loathing for being abandoned without a name.

Other times, I’d relive the days when I lived rough in the back alleys after fleeing the orphanage with my bare fists.

There were moments when I encountered the loathsome gaze of the former head of the Sword Mansion, whose golden eyes flashed like those of a beast.

Often, these nightmares ended with scenes of me charging through a hellish battlefield wearing a steel mask.

But until the weight on my upper body woke me up, I hadn’t been tormented by any nightmares.

I felt good. I had worried about falling into restless sleep after rescuing Asulin from a dangerous situation, but I managed to wake up without any nightmares.

Could this weight on my upper body be what prevented such nightmares?

“No way.”

Though my eyes remained closed, I forced a light smile at the thought and immediately dismissed it.

But then, what exactly is this weight?

Well, it shouldn’t be hard to find out—just open my eyes.

As I slowly opened them, the first thing my vision caught was the familiar ceiling.

“This is the bedroom. The one I shared with Asulin.”

It seemed they brought me here after the situation stabilized, to recover.

Next, I needed to verify the source of the comfortable weight pressing against my upper body.

Lifting my head slightly, I could clearly see the cause of the weight.

“…”

I barely managed to suppress the gasp that almost escaped my lips.

A blue sea was rippling above me.

Even in the dim light, the beautiful sea shimmered attractively.

I knew who the owner of this sea was, and there was no need to think deeply about it.

“…Asulin.”

I cautiously called her name, trying to suppress the smile that naturally formed on my lips, worried she might wake up.

How could I not smile?

Just looking at the scene, it resembled a common sight: someone tending to a patient lying in bed, so exhausted they leaned part of their body on the bed for rest.

Yet, even in this common scene, there were small details that defied normalcy.

“What…”

Who would lay their own body over an injured person while sleeping?

Normally, in such situations, people would lean just their forehead on the bed to avoid burdening the patient.

And those considerate ones would sit in a chair, keeping their posture straight and only slightly bowing their head.

Asulin, however, slept in a way far from the norm of caring for a patient.

While it wasn’t uncomfortable, it provided comfort and warmth, which greatly helped me, despite the absurdity of the sight.

This was the first thing I processed as soon as I opened my eyes: suppressing the laughter that threatened to burst forth.

This task was completed rather quickly.

Just as I was about to suppress the laugh that was about to erupt, something occurred to me in my mind.

“…Who’s taking care of whom?”

I realized that Asulin, despite suffering injuries due to Khalid’s attack, was tending to me.

Honestly, Asulin, with her level of skill, was able to sustain injuries from Khalid’s surprise attack and lose consciousness, but not much more than that.

If she had been an ordinary martial artist, she would have surely perished instantly from the impact of Khalid’s strike.

This was both fortunate and concerning.

Though she appeared fine on the surface, I couldn’t help but worry that she might have sustained serious internal injuries affecting her core.

Carefully, I tried to get up. Despite moving cautiously, the effort did not yield satisfactory results, yet during this process, Asulin did not wake up.

During the Succession War, even though it was not my intention, I approached her to assassinate her while wearing a steel mask.

No matter how quiet I was, even if I didn’t touch her, just getting close would trigger her response.

“…”

Even though our bodies were touching and moving around, her lack of reaction indicated that her condition was not good.

“Haa…”

What a fool. I should have put Asulin to bed instead of laughing at the ridiculous sight.

After pouring out my frustration internally, I carefully prepared to lay Asulin back down on the bed and cover her with the blanket.

As I lifted her, my body, still struggling from the forced circulation of hostility, protested, but I ignored it and moved behind her.

Even back when I was wandering the back alleys and didn’t know breathing techniques for mana cultivation, I could still manage this—or rather, this was nothing compared to the injuries and fatigue I’ve endured while pretending to act casually.

In a situation not threatening my life, I should have taken it more seriously and not acted so recklessly.

Perhaps after my core heals, I’ll need to intensify my mana cultivation and physical training.

To add tension to this situation, I gently held Asulin under her armpits with both hands, even though her body felt lighter than I expected.

Compared to her superhuman feats on the battlefield and unyielding spirit, her current lightness felt oddly disproportionate.

Even considering her size, which was smaller than mine, her weight felt negligible, almost as if I could lift her with one hand.

Her soft skin, felt through minimal contact, added to the sensation.

“…You fool.”

I decided to push that thought away.

How could I be thinking about the physical curves of the person who had been nursing me while I lay in her arms?

I internally clicked my tongue at myself and gently laid Asulin back down, covering her with the blanket.

Splat-splat—

Contrary to my concerns, when I briefly lifted her body, her even breaths proved she was in better shape than I was.

She had protected herself with armor and barely escaped Khalid’s crude strike, which was hard to believe given the impact.

Could it be because she inherited the bloodline of a Dragon Slayer, like the late Emperor, and the strong physique of the Caladborg family?

Thinking of the late Older Brother, who lamented that although the swordsmanship derived from the Sword Mansion could rival the Sword Law, the physical strength passed down through their lineage was beyond my control.

Even if we had fought each other during the Succession War, marveling at their tenacity was all we could do.

Now, bound by marriage to the direct descendants of the Sword Law, I couldn’t help but feel relieved seeing her soundly asleep without a scratch.

When I first joined this mountain of swords as a son-in-law, I had thought I was entering a tomb.

Yet, even after just two days, my thoughts were changing slightly.

Even though we clashed swords for political reasons, the fact that I respected and honored my worthy opponent, who understood honor and duty, has changed my perspective.

While I may not have an immediate answer, I should make an effort to reflect on this.

Though I woke up and didn’t move much, my eyes felt heavy.

“I guess I need more rest.”

Apart from the weakness brought on by my core’s damage, I didn’t want to resist the urge for rest and the instinctual need to lie down.

I moved to the corner of the bed where Asulin was sleeping and lay down.

Initially, I considered either letting her have the entire bed or sitting in the chair where she had been, watching her sleep, but recalling her irritated look from earlier, I decided it was best to sleep.

Frankly, her cute expression with her cheeks puffed up as she looked at me was irresistible, but I knew I had to restrain myself.

Ah, but maybe it wouldn’t be bad if she sat on the warm chair…

‘What a crazy kid.’

Quickly dismissing the thought, I closed my eyes.

Ever since last night, every time I met Asulin or thought of her, crazy thoughts kept popping into my head.

I need to be careful and mindful to avoid doing anything reckless…

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Splat-splat

Huff-huff

The gentle, rhythmic breathing of two people sleeping quietly in the bedroom.

Splat-

A delicate breath, presumably from the woman,

Huff-

Followed by a stronger breath from the man.

Despite being nothing more than breathing, the perfect harmony created in this silent space was almost like a masterpiece.

“…”

The owner of the delicate breath slowly raised her body from the bed she had been sleeping in.

Even just the simple act of lifting her body made her well-combed hair shimmer beautifully, and anyone witnessing it would sigh at its beauty.

And the beauty showcased through her hair was just a fraction of the overall beauty she possessed.

“…”

Her emerald green eyes, half-open, now softened into a gentle curve, exuding friendliness.

Her slightly trembling lips, seemingly meaningless alone, combined with her beautiful appearance, created a picture of shyness that could not be surpassed.

And this woman, Asulin Blatt Caladborg, who orchestrated this scene, was about to show her true beauty when she gently placed her right hand on the sleeping man’s cheek beside her.

In comparison to the warmth of the living artwork that was Asulin, nothing could describe her better.