Ch.125Chimera (3)

Kirsy ran through the hallway after hearing the news.

Behind her, servants called out, saying they were falling and asking her to slow down, but Kirsy didn’t want to.

“Haa… haa…!”

She hastily flung open the door to Asena’s office.

Inside were Riana and Asena.

Asena was engrossed in a letter she held in her hand. She didn’t seem to notice Kirsy’s arrival.

“B-broth…er…?”

Her speech impediment had improved significantly. She could now perfectly pronounce the word “brother.”

Asena’s eyes moved continuously from one side to the other. She remained silent.

“…Brother…?”

Kirsy couldn’t hold back and approached her.

“Calm yourself, Kirsy.”

Lady Riana said with a small smile beside her.

“Caden has won.”

Kirsy covered her mouth with both hands in surprise, then moved close to Asena in delight. Her eyes began scanning the letter too.

Asena’s lips twitched slightly as she whispered the letter’s contents.

“…reinforcements…..Payne…….repelled…..”

After staring at it for a long time, Asena let out a long sigh of relief and relaxed her body.

“…J-just…a moment..!”

Kirsy snatched the letter from Asena and began reading it intently.

The beginning briefly mentioned the victory, with detailed explanations of the war situation written below.

Kirsy’s eyes became similar to Asena’s earlier when she reached the part about reinforcements.

But it stated that was the war’s final crisis, and Caden’s correct choice had been able to end the war.

“Brother….!”

Kirsy felt like crying again. She never doubted he would return victorious, but now that it was over, she realized the anxiety she had been ignoring.

The fact that she no longer had to wrestle with that anxiety was such a relief to her.

How could he look even more impressive… how could she be even more proud of him, Kirsy couldn’t tell.

“So, did they reveal the identity of the reinforcements?” asked Riana, who had calmed herself. She seemed to be trying to hide her joy.

“No. It seems they’re still investigating.”

“What else?”

“The Payne Family is… all dead. Except for Shallon Payne.”

“….So space has been created for Caden’s family to be established.”

Kirsy, who had been embracing the letter while processing her joy, opened her eyes.

“….Brother’s…family?”

Her eyes trembled, demanding an answer.

“….Brother not…coming back…here?”

“….I’ll explain slowly. For now… let’s prepare to depart for Payne’s territory.”

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They soon arrived at Payne’s territory after a few days.

The Praesters rode in one carriage.

Daisy Hexter traveled in another carriage.

Passing through the devastating battlefield, beyond the castle gates… they saw allied soldiers walking around everywhere.

What was unusual was that some citizens came running out and began applauding the Praester carriage.

Kirsy had to be bewildered as she secretly pulled back the curtain on the carriage a little to see the citizens cheering for them.

Asena was the same.

“….Why are they welcoming us?”

After all, they were invaders from outside, so there was no reason for them to receive such cheers.

Neither Riana nor Asena could answer that question with certainty.

Perhaps they were madmen. Perhaps they were trying to curry favor with the new leaders.

Asena pondered briefly, then easily set aside her interest in that… and looked forward to meeting Caden soon.

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Four women were waiting in front of the large reception hall door.

Among them, those with the surname Praester could recognize familiar soldiers’ faces.

Those soldiers smiled at the twins and Riana, showing their pride in having survived.

After quickly asking about each other’s well-being, the soldiers called out toward the closed door.

“Duchess Asena Praester, Kirsy Praester, former Duchess Riana, and Lady Daisy Hexter have arrived!”

‘Open the door for them.’

Hearing Caden’s heavy voice from inside, goosebumps rose on Asena’s arms.

She felt both relief and overwhelm at his voice. It had always been that way… and would continue to be.

He was maddeningly lovable yet simultaneously terrifying. That’s what being overwhelmed meant.

It was sometimes difficult that he was the only thing in the world she couldn’t control as she wished.

And yet, because of that… she was completely devoted to him.

Asena entered the room with a hardened expression.

Kirsy, Riana, and Daisy followed behind Asena.

Family heads stood on both sides of the wide, long room. A carpet covered the floor, and the room was filled with warm air.

The Praester flag hung from the pillars supporting the ceiling.

And at the very end, in the deepest part of the room, on a slightly elevated chair…

Caden sat like a king.

Seeing Asena enter first, he smiled and stood up.

Asena’s eyes quickly examined him.

He wasn’t injured anywhere.

After accomplishing so much in the war, he hadn’t even been hurt.

Asena had to restrain herself from breaking into an expression of pure joy. Especially in front of so many subordinate and allied family heads, she couldn’t act in a way unbecoming of a Praester.

Caden came down from his seat and greeted them.

“You’ve come.”

Kirsy rushed forward beside Asena… then hesitated.

She turned back and looked for Daisy.

Daisy also looked at Kirsy briefly, then ran to Caden as if releasing her pent-up feelings.

The two who were to be bound by marriage shared a long embrace.

“I told you I would be fine, didn’t I?”

Caden quietly said to Daisy.

Daisy nodded and exhaled in relief.

Next was Kirsy.

As Daisy pulled away, she didn’t even check her surroundings before throwing herself into Caden’s arms.

Caden blinked as he received Kirsy in his arms… and slowly embraced her.

The surrounding family heads smiled at the heartwarming scene.

Asena could read the atmosphere in the room.

She had already heard that Caden had played a crucial role in the war, but the family heads who had experienced the reality seemed to have developed even more respect for him.

The rude disorder of the family heads she had observed when watching Caden leave from her room was now orderly.

Though he was a former Praester of common birth, they now acknowledged his abilities.

That was good news.

-Tap tap.

Caden signaled to Kirsy that it was enough and that she should let go, but Kirsy wouldn’t release him.

Asena had to suppress the jealousy rising within her.

She sometimes envied Kirsy so much.

As twins… if she had been born later…

Kirsy would have become the family head, and she wouldn’t have to be mindful of appearances in this situation. She could be the one in his arms.

-Tap tap.

When Caden signaled again, this time tapping Kirsy’s waist instead of her back, she finally let go.

Some of the family heads who had been watching Kirsy’s tear-streaked face with fondness burst into small laughter.

Next was Riana.

Riana approached Caden, stroked his shoulder, and exchanged glances with him.

Caden also smiled at Riana and nodded.

Only at the very end did Asena’s turn come.

But there was no warm physical contact between them as before.

That fact was painfully difficult for Asena, but she knew she had to endure it.

Caden spoke.

Being formal, he elevated his speech this time.

“We have won the war. Most of the Payne Family members died during capture, and only Shallon Payne, who initiated the war, survived. She is currently imprisoned in the underground dungeon. We have also identified the families who sent reinforcements. They were various families… reportedly connected to the crimes the Payne Family was orchestrating. We have announced retribution against them, and our allied families have already marched out.”

Asena had goosebumps throughout his report, but at his last words, they rapidly subsided. Her face twitched.

“….You’re going to war again?”

She whispered quietly. So no one else could hear.

Caden looked at her gently and answered just as quietly.

“….I have to go. Don’t worry. It shouldn’t take long. We subdued most of the soldiers in this war.”

Although the war had grown larger than expected due to the appearance of reinforcements… judging by Caden’s expression, it didn’t seem to be a major problem. As he assured, it didn’t appear to be difficult, but rather seemed like the final stage of cleanly concluding the incident.

Asena felt anxious, but she was somewhat relieved by Caden’s expression and those of the surrounding family heads.

She nodded and thanked everyone for their hard work.

****

Only after entering a private space did Asena embrace Caden from behind as he walked into the room.

She no longer cared about Riana or Kirsy’s reactions.

Caden gave a small smile and patted the back of Asena’s hand a couple of times to reassure her.

Afterward, they sat in the prepared seats.

Only the Praesters had entered the room.

Asena was the first to ask a question.

“….Are you alright?”

With the eyes watching them gone, Asena asked in a tone overflowing with concern.

“I’m fine. No injuries.”

“Haa….. Brother, can’t you just rest now? You can leave the remaining enemy forces to the family heads…”

“Asena, as I said, we’ve already subdued almost all the remaining enemy forces. In fact, it’s just a matter of entering the territory and accepting their surrender.”

“…….”

Caden also relaxed and leaned back in his chair.

“Still… I was surprised when the reinforcements first appeared. The Payne Family seems to have more influence than I thought. In a bad way. You’d be surprised to know what Payne did for the families that appeared as reinforcements this time… We need to root it out now.”

“….How dirty must their deeds have been for them to dare bare their teeth at the Praesters?”

“It’s surprising, Asena. But well….. it’s also an opportunity. We can use this as a pretext to subjugate them.”

Riana quietly nodded.

“…B-brother.”

Kirsy opened her mouth. Caden smiled broadly at the sight.

“You’re speaking well now, Kirsy.”

“Yes…getting…better gradually.”

“…That’s good.”

Caden thought briefly that his judgment had been correct.

The gathered members conversed for a long time. The structure of the war, the members of the Payne Family, the well-being of the soldiers, casualties, and so on…

The conversation seemed endless.

Then Kirsy called Caden again.

“….Brother.”

“What is it, Kirsy?”

“…..I’m curious…when we came here….some of the citizens cheered when they saw us…do you know why…?”

“Ah.”

“…..I have no idea.”

Caden scratched his head, then shrugged.

“…..You already know the Payne Family was close to crime, right? They had gangs they supported and such… But with this war, those roots have been pulled out, so the citizens seem happy. Not all of them, of course…but some.”

Asena listened to Caden’s voice, nodded, and said.

“….That’s good. It will help with our future plans.”

“…..Huh? Plans?”

“Brother.”

Asena adjusted her posture and looked at Caden.

All eyes turned to him.

Seeing that the attention was on him who was answering, not on Asena who had spoken, Caden realized they were conveying to him a conversation that had already concluded among the three of them.

Asena hesitated, then looked directly at him and asked.

“…….Don’t you want to establish a family?”

“…………”

Caden’s expression froze.

Asena didn’t stop speaking.

“….Grandmother was from the royal family…. As such, we’ve received permission from the royal family through Grandmother. To establish a viscounty to replace the Payne Family.”

“….Viscount?”

Asena took something out from her bosom.

Though it was unfamiliar, he quickly realized it was the emblem of the family Asena was proposing to him.

A sheep’s head. A bear’s paw. A snake’s tail.

It was a strange form of monster… but still. It was a type of chimera from mythology.

And what particularly captured Caden’s attention were the types of animals.

Hexter’s sheep.

Ice’s bear.

And… Praester’s snake.

He could understand what she was trying to say through this emblem.

Riana said nothing.

“…….”

Kirsy’s trembling hand touched the back of Caden’s silent hand.

Asena, following Kirsy, grabbed Caden’s arm.

The twins looked at Caden simultaneously.

Asena spoke.

“……This land needs a leader now. You said the criminal roots have been pulled out and the citizens are happy. From what I saw earlier, the other family heads seem to acknowledge you too. You had a good reputation at the Academy from the beginning…”

Asena explained at length the reasons for establishing a family, but everything was just a pretext.

Caden, Asena, and Kirsy all knew it.

The snake’s tail included in the family emblem proved it.

“…….”

Asena continued speaking, then closed her mouth.

Then she revealed the true reason.

“……This is the last time. If you refuse…..I’ll truly give up.”

Caden’s eyes sought Asena.

In Asena’s expression as she spoke of giving up…… there wasn’t a trace of sincerity.

But at the same time, she knew that Caden’s heart had wavered.