NOVEL NEXT Chapter 277
* * *
I just stood there, dumbfounded, as I caught her in my arms.
“Phew, didn’t fall over this time.” With a silly thought to commend myself for today’s balance, I lowered my head to check on Lady Iren’s condition.
“What’s the matter…?”
Suddenly clinging to me like this made me wonder if something bad had happened, so I asked.
“Lady Iren, is something wrong?”
“No.”
“Did something happen?”
“It’s fine. Nothing’s wrong. I… am doing well.”
“But why…”
“…”
Instead of answering, she buried herself into my chest again and mumbled.
“I missed you, I missed you…”
At first, I was startled by the unexpected embrace…
But as time passed, it wasn’t hard to realize that the woman standing before me was none other than the person I should be holding close.
“I missed you too, Lady Iren.”
I gently brushed her crimson hair with my hand.
Simultaneously, a sense of reassurance began to build from the tips of my fingers.
“I’ve come to where I’m supposed to be. The place I need to be is right here, beside this woman.”
If I were to pick one person to marry… Lady Iren always came to mind first, and it wasn’t just some fleeting feeling.
The natural scent of her body wafted into my nose.
Unlike Lady Serpina, who always smelled of strong yuzu perfume, or Reika, whose skin carried hints of her favorite cake’s sweetness, Lady Iren’s scent was raw—sweat mingling with the essence of femininity.
Since she constantly engaged in physical work, her scent was naturally more intense. But strangely, among all the women closely connected to me, this primal aroma stimulated something deep within me most intensely.
It wasn’t just her scent. Even though her armor couldn’t completely hide it, her oppressively large bust size was undeniable every time I saw her. To say it didn’t affect me would be a lie.
“…Hmm.”
No, wait.
It’s rude to dwell on such thoughts after seeing her for the first time in a while.
I desperately tried to clear my increasingly complicated mind.
These thoughts can wait until later.
Though I wanted to keep holding her and feel her warmth, now wasn’t the time.
As calmly and slowly as possible, I gently lowered her and asked.
“My Lord?”
“He’s been in good health. We’ve shared many stories during your absence. With only good things happening, his mood has been excellent.”
“Stories?”
“Yeah.”
Something felt off, but Lady Iren deserved her privacy, so I refrained from prying further.
Instead, I moved on to the next topic.
“Was there any good news?”
“Swoen, you know about Yuri’s false rumors about our Lord, right?”
“Yes. That’s why I went there.”
“While managing the relief camp, the public opinion about our Lord improved significantly.”
“…Phew.”
I sighed in relief internally.
Everything seems to have gone according to my predictions.
Even though Divinity 100 told me ‘this won’t help,’ it was inevitable that Serpina’s reputation would rise—
Still, nothing beats hearing about success firsthand.
After exchanging a few light words with her,
“I’d love to talk more, but I have a lot of work to do.”
“Yeah, I understand. I don’t intend to bother you. And… um…”
Only now did Lady Iren turn her head toward Reika beside her.
“Sorry… I should have greeted you first…”
“Oh no, it’s okay! Hehe…”
“Still…”
Then, she lightly hugged Reika.
“I missed you, Reika.”
“Ahhh…”
Reika closed her eyes tightly and patted Lady Iren’s back like comforting a child.
“I missed you too, Lady Iren. Are you doing well?”
“I’m doing well…”
“That’s good.”
Thinking about it, while we were away, Lady Iren must have spent her days alone in that vast manor.
Even with servants around, without the people she usually conversed with daily, she must have felt quite lonely.
I waited quietly for their conversation to conclude.
“Alright, see you later. Reika… Swoen, you too.”
“Yes! See you later, Lady Iren. Let’s eat something delicious together tonight!”
“Go ahead. I’ll join you soon.”
With that, leaving Lady Iren behind, I finally followed Irian into the royal palace.
After taking a few steps…
“Um…”
“Yes?”
Reika suddenly spoke to me.
“Though it might seem random, still… I really think… Lady Iren looks happiest when she’s with you, Sir Swoen…”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! Extremely… extremely feminine! She’s usually so strict and cold, but in front of you, she becomes like this…”
Listening to Reika chatter like a teenage girl made me feel somewhat embarrassed, and before I could respond—
“…Me too.”
“Huh?”
“Me too… I want to become happy with both of you, as a trio.”
“…”
I was surprised and turned my head to look at Reika following behind me.
Normally, she’d probably lower her head and fumble with words in situations like this—but Reika looked at me steadily with unwavering pink eyes.
“…I mean it.”
“Reika…”
What is this?
Both Lady Iren and Reika today… there’s something indescribable… especially Reika feels almost like a different person since our kiss.
Just as I was pondering how to respond, a male voice called out from behind.
“There you are, Swoen.”
“General Irian?”
The person calling me was General Irian.
For some reason, I unconsciously felt relieved that my conversation with Reika had ended.
“I was looking for you. You weren’t in the banquet hall.”
“I apologize. I was briefly greeting General Iren…”
“No, I don’t intend to scold you for that. There’s something I need to convey.”
“To me?”
General Irian slowly nodded.
“It seems our Lord urgently seeks you. He said to inform you to go to the side wing.”
The side wing… the place where we drank wine and such?
I may not know why he’s calling me, but isn’t it a vassal’s duty to answer when the lord calls?
“I’ll explain to the banquet guests, so you should head to where our Lord is.”
“Ahh, I…”
“Go ahead, Sir Swoen.”
This time, the voice came from Reika, who had been chatting with me moments ago.
She smiled brightly and said,
“I’ll leave first… so don’t worry about me… it’s fine! I can handle it alone.”
Although she talks more confidently now, I still worry if she can manage on her own in that banquet hall—
But she is also a hero who accomplished great deeds this time, so they won’t treat her rudely.
Here, let’s trust Strategist Jena and General Irian.
“Understood. Excuse me then.”
I briefly greeted General Irian and Reika before heading to the side wing where Serpina awaited.
* * *
‘She must have tidied up already.’
Every time I come here, I notice how beautifully the garden is maintained.
As far as I know, no servants enter this place. It must all be managed by Serpina herself.
While handling the monarch’s duties without fail, maintaining a garden of this scale must be incredibly exhausting—but somehow, she manages everything deftly with her petite frame.
When I opened the door, Serpina stood gazing out the window.
“Lord, I heard you summoned me.”
“…”
Serpina didn’t turn to face me. Instead, she stared out the window and spoke to me in a tone as if submerged in water.
“Come closer, Swoen.”
Following her words, as I approached her—
“—!!”
Before I knew it, I found myself once again embraced by a woman.
The yuzu fragrance invading my nose threatened to erase all traces of the previous scent I encountered earlier.
‘Today is definitely an odd day.’
Just as I wondered if this was one of those days when women kept clinging to me, Serpina quickly began speaking without giving me time to think.
“…Swoen.”
“Yes…”
Her body and voice trembled slightly.
Wishing to calm her down, I tightly embraced her.
“Didn’t you miss me…?”
I missed you earlier. Don’t you miss me now?
The stark difference between these simple words made me almost chuckle but managed to suppress it.
“I missed you, My Lord.”
“…Is that so.”
Even afterward, she remained silent, so I refrained from rushing her and calmly stroked her back.
How much time passed?
Finally, Serpina began to speak.
“Thanks to you… for the first time, I learned that there are people in the Central Continent who don’t hate me. Simply following your advice allowed me to overcome Yuria.”
“Because truth always finds its way through.”
That’s right.
Truth prevails.
All this happened because she purely desired to save as many civilians in the Central Continent as possible, willingly bearing the stigma without hesitation. Just proving that not everyone in this world hates her holds significant meaning.
How lonely must it be to live a life constantly feeling that everyone hates you?
I gladly offered her my embrace, knowing she walked through an unimaginably lonely tunnel.
“I wanted to see you, Swoen.”
“Yes.”
“Every night, lying in bed, I thought about you.”
“Yes.”
“The more I thought about it… the more the heart of a woman, rather than a ruler, yearned for you. From head to toe, every part of me desires every part of you.”
“…Yes?”
Startled by the changing atmosphere of the conversation, I looked at her face.
Serpina’s golden eyes were trembling.
Before I could think of what to say, Serpina continued.
“Just once, it’s fine. Even for just a moment, I won’t beg you to stay with me forever. So… today, just for today—”
—Become the master of this body.
Not Queen Serpina, but simply Serpina, whispered this to me.