Academy – Reunion

Jade was sitting at the dining table having dinner. Across from him, Rena was devouring her food as they shared the evening meal.

“Try this too.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Rena took the meat Jade offered on his fork into her mouth. After chewing noisily, she let out an impressed sigh.

“Mmm… This is really delicious?”

“Haha, would I tell you to try it for no reason? You should only eat tasty things during this important period.”

“You even think about things like that? You’re quite a mannerly man.”

Rena carefully stroked her own belly. Her swollen abdomen clearly revealed the life growing inside.

After graduating from the academy, Jade had married Rena and returned to his hometown to live with her.

‘She’s still beautiful today…’

Looking at Rena’s unchanged beauty despite her pregnancy, memories of their days together flooded back.

Defeating Doran in a duel, confessing to Rena, becoming an adventurer to earn money…

Though there had been many hardships, they had ultimately succeeded in seizing their happiness.

“It’ll be 10 months soon, right? I can’t wait to see our child.”

“…What did you say?”

Rena’s brightly smiling face suddenly turned expressionless.

“D-did I say something wrong?”

Jade stammered as Rena stared at him with cold eyes. Her gaze suggested he’d uttered something forbidden.

“‘Our’ child? It’s Master’s child.”

“M-master?”

“Obviously Lord Doran. The person we slaves must follow forever.”

“Hey, you’re joking right? I defeated Doran in a duel and saved you.”

Was Rena trying to tease him after all this time? Jade patted her shoulder reproachfully for making such an unfunny joke.

-Thud!

“What nonsense are you spouting? Are you delirious?”

But Rena slapped his hand away roughly, her face angry.

“Did you suddenly get amnesia? Back in our academy days, when we presumptuously challenged him to a duel, he crushed us effortlessly. Then with great mercy, he took me in and has cared for me until now. Moreover, he allowed a mere slave like me to carry his child.”

Rena murmured with a lovestruck expression.

“Haa… I want to give birth quickly and receive education with Master’s magnificent cock until I pass out. Lately he’s been too gentle with me out of consideration.”

‘She’s not joking?’

Only then did Jade’s surroundings come into focus.

The place wasn’t their cozy newlywed home but a small, shabby room. Instead of delicious, lavish food, only hard bread sat on the table.

“What is this…?”

Looking down, his clothes were frayed and full of holes, no better than rags.

Jade looked no different from a beggar pleading in back alleys.

“You’ve been spouting nonsense since earlier. Did you eat something bad?”

Rena set down her fork and stopped eating. She began hurriedly packing her belongings.

Jade urgently asked her:

“Where are you going?”

“You should prepare too. Isn’t it almost time for you to clean the stables? I need to go serve Lord Doran now. I’ll go first. Get your act together.”

Leaving Jade trembling in disbelief, Rena walked out. Jade reached toward her and screamed:

“No!”

-Jerk!

Jade shot upright with a scream.

“Huff, huff… R-Rena?”

He needed to save Rena from Doran’s clutches immediately. Frantically, he looked around.

But all he saw were pure white curtains and beds. The bitter smell of medicine stung his nose.

“Where is this?”

Jade was familiar with this scenery from frequently getting injured during training or Doran’s torment.

“The infirmary.”

Becoming Doran’s eternal slaves? Rena happily pregnant with Doran’s child? That had clearly been a nightmare.

He must have been moved to the infirmary after fainting when the duel ended.

Jade tightly shut his eyes and shook his head to dispel the fear.

‘How much time has passed?’

Looking outside, the moon had replaced the bright sun, leaving everything dark. Considerable time had passed since the duel ended.

After calming his chaotic mind, he noticed weight on his right arm.

“Hmm?”

Following the sensation, Jade looked down-

-Squeak, squeak.

Rena was fast asleep with her head resting on his bandaged right arm.

‘Could she have been nursing me since the duel ended? If true, I’m really grateful but…’

The person who suffered most wasn’t me – it was Rena.

Jade felt guilty seeing how Rena had cared for him despite her exhaustion.

No matter how he thought about it, his mental suffering and torture paled compared to what Rena endured.

Jade slowly recalled the duel’s events.

The desperate situation when his final desperate move was blocked, facing certain defeat.

The explosive energy awakening from within his body at that critical moment. That power let him defeat Doran.

The sensation had felt unreal, but…

When Jade raised his left hand to gather mana,

-Vooom

Blue energy instantly began coalescing in his palm.

“This power is unbelievable.”

Jade still didn’t understand why he could use this ability. Had he become a hero?

But that wasn’t important right now.

Jade looked at Rena.

Seeing her sleeping peacefully made saving her feel real.

‘I saved her…’

“Haha…”

Laughter leaked out as happiness and joy flooded his body.

Crushing the bastard who tormented me, saving the girl I love with my own hands.

Could anything bring greater joy? He wanted to run out and boast to the whole neighborhood.

-Swish, swish.

Unable to resist the impulse to touch her, Jade slowly stroked Rena’s golden hair.

‘So soft.’

Despite enduring days of humiliation, her hair remained soft and silky.

“Ugh…”

Suddenly Rena frowned at Jade’s touch. Then she began mumbling something.

“Stop, please stop… I-I was wrong…”

“?!”

Startled by her unconscious words, Jade hastily withdrew his hand.

“Could it be…”

Had his touch made Rena remember her time with Doran? His elated heart instantly sank.

Though freed from Doran’s grasp, her wounds still lingered deep within. From now on, he and Annie would need to work hard for her recovery.

As Jade gazed at Rena with complicated emotions, she opened her eyes.

“Yawn…”

Rena gave a small yawn, rubbed her eyes, then noticed Jade watching her.

“Huh…? Jade, you’re finally awake!”

“Yeah. Were you waiting here the whole time?”

-Whoosh!

“Hup?!”

Suddenly Rena lunged at Jade and hugged him.

“Wh-what’s this all of a sudden?”

“Thank you for saving me…”

Rena pressed her face against Jade’s chest and began crying. The bandages around Jade’s body grew damp.

Rena was crying in front of him. Jade could feel her trembling against his chest.

He carefully wrapped his arms around her.

“Sniff… I was really terrified.”

The Rena Jade knew had always been calm and rational in any situation. It was hard to imagine her ever panicking.

At the academy, she’d done everything herself as if needing no one’s help.

This was the first time Jade saw Rena’s vulnerable side – crying and seeking support.

“I hated myself for succumbing to Doran’s touch and those relationships. I wanted someone to help me, but friends just humiliated and insulted me. Haha… I guess I’ve lived my life all wrong.”

Rena laughed hollowly.

“In the end, I surrendered to Doran and said terrible things to you. You must have been hurt, right? I despise myself most for doing that.”

Her lament turned to self-blame, as if hating herself for becoming corrupted by pleasure.

“Jade, I’m sorry. I’m just a lewd female animal like Doran sai-“

“No.”

Jade cut her off firmly. His feelings toward Rena hadn’t changed at all.

“Wait a moment.”

He pushed Rena back slightly. Holding her shoulders, he looked straight into her eyes.

“You did nothing wrong. You know it’s all Doran and those academy trash’s fault, right?”

“B-but…”

“You asked if I was hurt? Yes. Seeing you suffer was agonizing. But if I were in your position, I wouldn’t have lasted a day.”

While preparing for the duel, Jade had thought much about Rena.

What to say if he won. How to comfort her.

He actually had different words he wanted to say. But those could wait.

It wasn’t time yet.

The words he most wanted to give her who’d suffered more than him-

“Rena, welcome back.”

“…Yeah.”

Rena nodded with a smile as beautiful as a painting.

-Whoosh.

She hugged Jade tightly again.

Holding the relieved Rena, Jade made a firm resolution.

He would never let Rena experience such things again.

Never again.