Ch.106Chapter 106. Encounter (4)

# After sending Swen to negotiate.

Irene, who had been standing in a suitable spot outside the palace, approached Reika who was gazing at the sky and asked:

“Miss Reika.”

“Ah…! What is it, Lady Irene…?”

“I was wondering what you were thinking about so intently.”

“Ah…”

Reika smiled faintly and said:

“Just that… I came here with some anxiety, but I’m relieved that it seems less serious than I expected…?”

“Anxiety, you say?”

“Yes. Actually… I had a rather unpleasant dream.”

With that as a starting point, Reika shared the story of her dream with Irene. Irene nodded and said:

“I see. A dream where Swen is in danger… So when you said ‘I was worried and decided to come along,’ you were referring to that dream.”

“Yes… that’s right.”

“You needn’t worry about that.”

Irene looked toward the palace with a steadfast gaze and said:

“I won’t allow him to get hurt.”

Her words weren’t empty boasting. Irene was a general far too powerful to merely serve as an escort for an envoy. It was only because Lynn hadn’t given her even such minor roles that she had developed a mindset of not complaining about any assignment. She was strong enough that no one would blame her if she did complain about being given such trivial tasks.

“If Lady Irene is protecting him… certainly, that is reassuring… I think.”

“Yes. And I’m not just protecting Swen.”

“Pardon…?”

“Reika, you are naturally included as well. I came here to accompany both of you.”

“Ah…”

Reika’s face turned slightly red. Though Irene had seemed somewhat unapproachable at first, Reika thought she was even more impressive than her first impression suggested. Carefully, she opened her mouth:

“Th-thank you…! But actually, being worried because of a dream… I thought such a far-fetched story might be inappropriate to share with someone I just met…”

“I understand that feeling. My image isn’t particularly favorable, I imagine.”

“Pardon…?”

Irene’s voice was utterly calm as she spoke about herself.

“I often hear from soldiers that I don’t make a good impression. Having survived many battlefields, I’ve always maintained an intimidating expression, thinking I shouldn’t appear too approachable. That expression has somehow become my default. Everyone naturally hesitates to speak freely in my presence.”

“I see…”

“Of course, to some extent, that’s my intention. There’s nothing more dangerous in battle than letting the enemy read your expressions. A person’s face inevitably reveals their anger, fear, terror, embarrassment… and those ultimately become weaknesses.”

After listening silently to Irene’s words, Reika very cautiously spoke in a timid voice:

“Um… well…”

“Hmm?”

“I… if this is presumptuous, I apologize in advance.”

“It’s fine, go ahead.”

“Don’t you feel lonely…?”

“…What?”

Irene’s eyes widened slightly at Reika’s question, as if she had never considered it before.

“But… you have to hide your emotions, right? If so, you can’t share your feelings with others… Isn’t that quite lonely?”

“…”

“I was… lonely too. Because I didn’t have friends to share my feelings with… So somehow, I think I understand. It might be presumptuous of me, but… I can imagine how you might have felt when you saw fear in the soldiers looking at you… That is…”

As she spoke, repeatedly apologizing for her lack of eloquence, Irene calmly reassured her.

“How should I put it… I don’t think that way…!”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not afraid of you, Lady Irene… Rather… I think you’re impressive. You must have gone through so much to reach your position… I could never be as brave as you… That’s what I find impressive about you.”

Though her sentences weren’t quite complete, merely expressing emotions she could barely articulate, there was something about her simple honesty that touched Irene’s heart.

“I see.”

Irene smiled at Reika, who was fidgeting awkwardly.

“Thank you, Reika. You are truly a kind woman.”

“Lady Irene is… kind too.”

After exchanging these words, silence fell between them again. But this silence wasn’t based on heavy awkwardness. It was the feeling that something had been communicated without words. In this quietness, what Reika felt wasn’t loneliness but warmth.

After a few minutes passed, Reika carefully spoke again.

“It seems… nice.”

“Nice?”

“Yes.”

When Irene asked what was nice, Reika replied in a somewhat more comfortable tone:

“The three of us traveling together like this… doesn’t seem bad at all.”

“The three of us together. Indeed, that does sound nice.”

And then, before she knew it, Reika dropped a bombshell statement:

“If I were to become Swen’s wife… would this kind of life continue?”

“Keh!”

“Ah, Lady Irene?!”

*Cough, cough!*

After clearing her throat several times, Irene’s cold expression completely crumbled, and she stared at Reika with a dumbfounded look.

“What… what did you just say?”

“No, that’s… well, um…”

With Irene’s hands on her shoulders, looking like a completely different person, Reika was too flustered to speak. Realizing how she must appear, Irene carefully covered her mouth with her hand.

“No, um… I-I’m sorry. It’s just that… I think I heard something strange.”

“Ah… I-I’m sorry…! Someone like me…!”

“There’s no need to apologize… Anyway, if I didn’t mishear.”

Irene asked very carefully with a flushed face. Looking at her like this, the knightly dignity that had overwhelmed Reika earlier was nowhere to be seen.

“I think I heard something about… becoming a wife.”

“Yes? Ah… well, marriage talks with Swen are in progress…”

*Thud.*

The moment she heard those words, Irene’s world turned gray.

What…?

Swen… getting married? To Reika who was standing right here?

Reika seemed to be saying something like ‘of course nothing’s been decided yet’ or ‘it’s just at the stage where our fathers are discussing it,’ but Irene could barely hear her.

‘Marriage… Swen… marriage.’

Well, an adult man might get married, of course. Judging by the name Nighthart, her father must be Ginor. She had seen such marriage talks happen several times in her life.

But why?

Why was it that the moment she heard Reika might marry Swen, everything that constituted Irene ceased to function properly? Her mind wasn’t working. She wasn’t sure if she was even breathing. She could barely make out what was in her field of vision.

‘Why… how…?’

As Irene fell into a state of panic, Reika’s voice gradually reached her ears.

“…rene! Lady Irene…!”

“…Ah.”

Only then did she feel the wind stinging her cheeks. She also noticed that Reika was looking at her with great concern.

“Are you alright, Lady Irene…?”

“Ah? Y-yes… Yes. Yes.”

Irene took a short breath and looked at Reika, who was worrying about her.

She hadn’t noticed it before, but Reika was quite beautiful. Unlike Irene’s skin, which had many small scars from repeated battles, Reika’s was white, smooth, and very feminine. Her voice was cute, and her mannerisms were quite lovable.

If she were to place herself and Reika side by side, she thought anyone would find Reika much more appealing to men. Since Swen was a man, wouldn’t he prefer someone lovely and pure like Reika rather than someone dull like herself? Wouldn’t someone like Reika be much more suitable by Swen’s side than someone like her?

As Irene was thinking this, Reika’s voice reached her ears.

“Um… did I do something wrong…?”

“…No. How could you have done anything wrong? Getting married is no concern of mine. Yes. Nothing is wrong.”

Though she said this, Irene still seemed to have lost her composure. Reika tilted her head and asked:

“It’s not confirmed that we’ll get married yet… From the situation, it seems Lady Irene isn’t settled either.”

“…Huh?”

Irene looked puzzled.

“Why am I being mentioned? I… it doesn’t matter to me…”

“What? How could that be…”

Both of them felt that something in their conversation wasn’t connecting. While Irene was confused, Reika took the initiative:

“Lady Irene, you’re going to be Swen’s first wife, aren’t you…?”

“Kuh! Kuhak! Kek!”

“Eek… a-are you alright…?!”

Seeing Irene’s reaction, which was much more intense than when she had heard about Reika and Swen’s marriage talks, Reika broke into a cold sweat, not knowing what to do.

“Wh-what.”

Having barely regained her composure, Irene mumbled something to Reika with her ears turning bright red. Looking at her, still not understanding, Reika tilted her head in the opposite direction and asked with an expression like a rabbit looking up at a predator:

“Isn’t that right…? Or not…? When I talked with Swen, that’s what it seemed like…”

“S-Swen?!”

She coughed again at the mention of Swen’s name. Then, with great difficulty, she parted her heavy lips.

“I… I.”

Me… Swen’s first wife?

What on earth is going on?

Why does she think that, what conversation did she have with Swen? There was a mountain of things Irene wanted to discuss with Reika, but—

The current situation began to unfold rapidly, not allowing the two to continue their conversation normally.

“You two there.”

“…?”

Serpina’s guard walked toward them. His expression was ominous. Even for guards escorting an envoy from an enemy country, they seemed excessively vigilant.

“What is it?”

“Don’t make a fuss and quietly follow me.”

“Why?”

“I have no obligation to explain that.”

“…And if we refuse?”

The soldier answered Irene’s question with a very sharp tone:

“Then I’ll use force.”

The guard drew the sword at his waist. Irene, without panicking, sent Reika behind her and drew her own sword.

“This doesn’t seem like proper treatment for an envoy’s escort.”

“The situation calls for it.”

The situation calls for it?

Come to think of it… despite quite some time having passed, Swen hadn’t come out of the palace.

What on earth is happening?

* * *

“What…?”

I blinked my eyes and looked up at Serpina.

She wants me…?

Suddenly??

In stark contrast to me, frozen in shock at Serpina’s abrupt statement without any warning, she spoke in a very relaxed tone:

“Yes. That’s right, Swen. I need you. I’ve heard much about your reputation. If someone with your abilities helps me, I could send someone like Anima Ingram several times over.”

“…I’m sorry, but that’s not for me to decide.”

“Yes. You know your place well, Swen. Your words are quite right.”

Serpina said this with another smile. I had to admit that her smile possessed an unspoken aura that made one want to kneel and worship her.

“It’s not for you to decide. That matter is entirely for me to decide.”

“…What?”

Just as I was thinking ‘what nonsense is this,’ that moment… flashed through my mind like lightning again.

* * *

[Ruler of Serpina’s Army / Serpina]

[Is anyone there?]

[Take this person to the underground prison]

* * *

‘No way…!!’

“Listen, all of you.”

Serpina commanded the soldiers behind me.

“Arrest the envoy and transport him to the underground prison.”

“Yes!”

As her words reached me, the soldiers began walking toward me.

‘Is she out of her mind?!’

Arresting an envoy?

Is she really doing this?!

And if this is happening… does that mean the ‘most efficient prediction’ is me being captured by Serpina and dragged to an underground prison?

‘That can’t be right!’

There was no way a brain with Intelligence 100 would consider me being dragged to an underground prison as the most efficient outcome. Based on all my past experiences, there hadn’t been a single moment when I was in danger.

Yes, thinking about it carefully… the prediction result wasn’t just [That is the most efficient]. The conclusion was [It depends on heaven’s will]. That means this is a situation where I need to take action, regardless of the outcome.

In the end, my thoughts will definitely be correct. So, I should just move as my heart guides me.

“Please wait a moment, Lady Serpina.”

“…”

Without showing any urgency, I looked at her with a very relaxed expression and spoke.

Fortunately, upon hearing my words, Serpina extended her hand forward. I could easily tell that this was a gesture to temporarily dismiss the soldiers.

“It’s a bit embarrassing, but let me ask once more. Did you say you want to have me?”

“That’s right.”

“Then this approach won’t work.”

“Oh my.”

Fortunately, she seemed interested in what I had to say.

Now, what should I do?

If I had more time, I would have calmly thought through to find the best outcome… But what I have now isn’t time, but the unfailing ‘Intelligence 100 prediction.’ Based on that, I needed to shape my future in real-time.

Calmly.

Even if you enter a tiger’s den, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.

Reminding myself of this thought repeatedly… I carefully made a proposal to her.

“It’s a contest, Lady Serpina. If you want to have me, you must accept this challenge.”