Chapter 158

The figure that caught Reika’s eye was a diminutive person surrounded by a group.

A neatly-dressed individual with black hair, presumed to be female, stood between men significantly larger than herself, exuding an unsettling atmosphere.

“Of course… could they be bandits?”

Reika recalled her past encounter with Sir Swoen.

Back then, strange folks had randomly approached her, leaving her flustered—until Sir Swoen and Lady Iren came to her aid.

At that moment, she felt it: “I want to become someone as cool as Lady Iren.”

That thought still lingered somewhere in the back of her mind.

“Should I help? I probably can…”

There was no need to use magic; simply calling the city patrol guards would suffice. Besides, using magic might unnecessarily draw attention, so that’d likely be safer.

“Right. Instead of getting involved and making things worse, I should hurry and call for help—”

Just as she was about to act on this thought—

“I’ll go in first, then.”

“—!”

The voice of the black-haired woman reached Reika, prompting her to instinctively hide behind the wall.

Faintly, snippets of their conversation began to reach her ears.

“Got it, Zenis? Never forget you’ve already taken your first step. You know what you must do to get what you desire, right?”

“…Yeah, I know.”

“Is… is that a woman?”

The voice confused her. It was somewhat androgynous—leaning more toward masculine.

“Then go on in.”

“Yes.”

Footsteps followed—and fortunately, the group moved away in the opposite direction.

“Phew…”

Reika let out a deep sigh. Apparently, they weren’t troublemakers like the ones she’d encountered before; they seemed to know each other.

“If I’d interfered, I’d have ended up embarrassing myself horribly…”

Had she summoned the guards only to discover they were acquaintances, things would’ve gotten awkward indeed.

“But… something did feel off just now…”

The expression on the small figure’s face—whether male or female, it wasn’t clear—had looked quite troubled. Though unclear what was going on, it was best not to meddle unnecessarily.

“To think I almost got involved and caused trouble for Lady Iren…”

Previously, the servants of the Nachthardt family had protected her, but now it was Lady Iren who safeguarded her. She didn’t want to inconvenience someone who treated her so kindly despite having little connection beyond her ties to Swoen.

“I should just head home.”

The sun would set soon anyway. She needed to tidy up the accommodation before Lady Iren returned. With Shica out on business and Deputy Commander Iren always busy assisting Lady Serpina until late at night, it felt right to handle the smaller tasks herself.

“Lady Iren’s busy, so here I should take the lead!”

With that, she wiped the recent incident from her mind and headed back to the accommodations.

—

* * *

— That day.

After being found out for saving Serpina’s life and having my lips defiled by her—

I’ve spent every moment since in a daze, doing nothing but letting time slip away.

“But understand this—I have no intention of giving up on you. Those who bear Einhardt’s blood never abandon what they desire, be it this continent or… Swoen, you yourself.”

“Let me reiterate: A member of the Einhardt clan does not lose what they yearn for and pursue desperately. And—”

“…Haa.”

Even now, the sensation of her lips lingers vividly in my memory.

The citrusy taste that filled my mouth, the pleasant softness of her tongue, the way she gazed at me with half-lidded eyes while letting out a deep moan…

Just recalling that moment makes my heart race—it’d be impossible to claim that experience was anything less than fascinating.

As I thought back to her golden eyes glaring at me like she wanted to devour me alive, I wondered:

How did it come to this?

Reflecting on it, Serpina has always been different from other rulers since our very first meeting. In fact—she was the blonde woman who often appeared in the dreams I used to have after reincarnating into this world. Since meeting her, I haven’t had those dreams anymore, though I’m certain it was her.

Moreover,

I felt an unusual sense of familiarity toward her.

So when… during that first kiss, although initially startled, I distinctly remember feeling…

“A kind of peaceful reassurance.”

That kiss was undeniably intriguing. It felt like finding exactly where I was supposed to be. While hard to put into words, it seems safe to say I feel some sort of pull toward her, much like she feels toward me.

Of course, I have no intention of changing my allegiance now—but this subtle emotion I don’t recall feeling toward Lin, Yuri, or even my first master, Lady Luna, stirs up a whirlwind inside me.

“Isn’t it curious how things turned out?”

“And if we mix your talents with the noble blood of Einhardt… wouldn’t you wonder what might result? Hehehe…♥”

“That reminds me, she also said that.”

Her hidden meaning wasn’t difficult to decipher.

She wants my child. Even I’m not oblivious enough to miss that. Is this considered a proposal?

Still, everything feels rushed. Not to mention problematic.

I always thought my first marriage would be to Lady Iren.

“Excuse me…”

While marriage might seem like a big deal, what happens if I reject a ruler’s proposal?

Surely not execution?

Serpina tends to act impulsively, which admittedly frightens me somewhat. Despite showing surprising calmness and rational judgment upon meeting her, she did try locking me up during our first encounter. And she did say, “If I can’t have you, I’ll destroy you.” Coming from Serpina, those aren’t idle words.

“…Excuse me, Sir Swoen?”

What should I do?

Should I quickly propose to Lady Iren?

Here in this continent, a man can have four wives, so perhaps rejecting Serpina’s proposal wouldn’t be necessary. Of course, there’s still the question of whether this counts as a formal proposal and whether marrying the heir to an imperial dynasty is even feasible—

“Sir Swoen!”

“…Huh?”

Sitting at the table in the accommodations, lost in thought, Iol Al Caskey asked me with a worried look.

“Are you alright? You seem… spaced out.”

Ah, I hadn’t even noticed her speaking to me while I was so absorbed in my thoughts.

“No… it’s nothing. Just some personal matters.”

“Is that so? If so, I’m relieved.”

“What is it?”

“Well…”

Iol hesitated briefly before getting to the point.

“I received a letter from my brother. He’ll return tomorrow.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Yes.”

I nodded at her statement.

“Understood. You’ve endured a lot these past days.”

“Not at all. I practically forced myself upon you, and besides… without Sir Swoen, you wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to help me.”

With that, she bowed deeply to me.

“I truly cannot thank you enough. By the name of the Al Caskey family, I will never forget this kindness.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not one to nitpick over such things.”

“But… once I return, I’d like to offer compensation—”

“No, no. I receive sufficient pay from the state. Money isn’t an issue.”

While I’ve been picky in the past, there doesn’t seem to be much to gain from the Al Caskey family, so why not save face a little here? Moreover, considering the investigation I’ll conduct on Zenis after his return, accepting gratitude from Iol feels somewhat disingenuous.

“…Is that so.”

Iol smiled at me then, clearly displaying a far more girlish charm compared to her brother.

“Sir Swoen truly is a considerate person. Thank you.”

‘…’

Again, I pondered why I lack information on the Al Caskey siblings. Hopefully, there’s nothing troubling about them. After all, in my brief encounters, neither Zenis nor the girl before me now struck me as evil individuals.

“You’ve been most accommodating. Please stay well, Sir Swoen.”

“You too, Miss Iol.”

After exchanging light farewells, I contemplated how to proceed when Zenis returns. Should I follow him discreetly? Or create a situation where we can speak openly? If he’s plotting rebellion, he won’t confess easily, so that might be risky… With such thoughts in mind, I bid farewell to Iol.

*

And then, the next day.

For some reason, Zenis didn’t show up.

I spent another sleepless night at the accommodations, contemplating what to do when he arrived. As another day passed—

“?”

“Excuse me…”

When the sun began to set, it wasn’t Zenis but Iol who visited the accommodations. Still, having spent time with both of them, I could slightly discern the subtle differences between the twins.

“Miss Iol? What brings you here? Where’s Zenis?”

“Sir Swoen… has my brother come here at all?”

“No.”

Having waited idly at the accommodations all yesterday and today, I was confident no one had visited.

“It seems…”

Iol wore a troubled expression as she spoke.

“It looks like… contact with my brother has been lost.”