Ch.127The Last Endurance (2)

Four families had originally supported the Payne Family.

Our army didn’t even need to enter their territory.

During our advance, the heads of the families who had supported Payne were waiting for us.

They no longer had the power to oppose us, and so they surrendered one by one.

Now only the last family remained.

It was only the second day since departing from Payne’s territory.

The army advanced, breathing in the refreshing morning air.

In this situation where war was unlikely, the army’s atmosphere was quite light.

It felt almost like going for a walk.

Though it might seem too careless… there was enough military difference that even a surprise attack wouldn’t be a problem, and if war seemed likely, our scouts would report to us.

Since we were marching across plains, there was no chance of being ambushed.

I yawned widely while stroking Rush.

At that moment, Lawrence fell into step beside me as I walked leisurely.

“She’s dead.”

He said it casually, as if offering a morning greeting. I turned my head to look at Lawrence’s face as he yawned along with me.

“Huh?”

He waved a small note.

“Shallon Payne. She died in prison.”

“…”

I took a moment to digest this fact, then slowly nodded.

“…I see. So that’s that.”

“The Payne Family is completely wiped out.”

“Payne’s influence will still remain. The families that have surrendered to us so far… the criminal organizations and such.”

“We can root them all out, can’t we? We’ve already subjugated four families, and if the prestige of Praester spreads widely through this, all the better.”

I nodded. Thanks to Lawrence talking to me, my sleepiness was gradually fading away.

Silence fell between us for a while.

In the distance, a small group of people could be seen waiting for us. It was the last family from whom we needed to receive surrender.

Now, truly, the end of this war was in sight.

Lawrence asked.

“…Who will govern it?”

“What?”

“Payne’s territory. Who will manage it?”

“…”

I didn’t answer that question either.

*****

Asena, Kirsy, and Daisy sat around the table waiting for the last person.

When the door opened, Asena thought it would be Judy, but… it was Helen who appeared.

Helen reported with a joyful voice.

“News that Caden has received the final surrender! It seems he subjugated everyone without war!”

Kirsy and Daisy let out long sighs of relief.

Only Asena quietly closed her eyes, controlling her joy internally.

“Will my brother arrive by tomorrow then?”

Kirsy asked Helen.

Helen rolled her eyes for a moment, considering.

“…Hmm… I think he’ll arrive tomorrow or the day after.”

At that moment, Judy appeared through the open door.

She looked awkwardly at the gathered women… then slowly entered the room.

Asena found herself looking at Judy with envious eyes.

The idea that Caden loved Judy the most… was unacceptable, so she told herself it probably wasn’t true.

But Judy was the one Caden was most comfortable with in his current state, and Asena envied that.

Moreover, due to her abilities, Judy could be with Caden no matter what happened to him.

That’s why she had been by his side during this war.

“I heard you called for me…”

Asena never thought she would feel this way toward a knight who once guarded her.

Judy still maintained her manners, carefully standing beside the table.

Helen, who had delivered the information, read the atmosphere, bowed, and left the room, closing the door.

-Thud.

There had been changes in Judy too. In the past, she would have stood there with an expressionless face like a knight from a painting… but since everyone present knew how complicated their situation was, Judy’s eyes darted around.

“…Sit down, Judy.”

It was clear that Judy found this atmosphere uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, since Judy could guess why Asena had called her, she sat down without argument.

In fact, according to family lineage, Asena should now speak respectfully to both Daisy and Judy.

The reason she wasn’t doing so was…

First, she still didn’t want to submit to her rival, and…

Second, she no longer wanted to remain as Caden’s sister.

Since the name Praester was no longer attached to Caden’s name, she acted accordingly.

The eyes of the three women were directed at Judy.

Judy nervously rolled her eyes… then took a deep breath and hardened her expression.

Like a knight gathering courage before war, Judy seemed unwilling to be looked down upon any longer.

“Judy. I’m trying to create a new family for my brother.”

But even Judy’s composed expression quickly crumbled at this shocking declaration.

“…What?”

Asena passed something to Judy across the table.

It was a family crest with a chimera embroidered on it.

Judy’s eyes looked at the mixed animals, then raised her head as if understanding.

“…”

Judy’s eyes alternated between Asena and Kirsy.

“…My brother hasn’t accepted us yet. But when he returns this time… he said he’d give us an answer.”

“…”

“…The reason I called you isn’t because of that…”

Asena asked Judy a question to which the answer was already determined.

“…If my brother’s family can change… will you still marry him?”

“…Yes.”

At Judy’s unwavering answer, Asena nodded. She hadn’t expected any other response anyway.

“…I see. I’ll let the Duke of Ice know too. He might already be aware of the possibility of a new family.”

“…”

“…Actually, this is good for you too, isn’t it? Being tied to my brother’s family rather than the hostile Praester Family.”

As Judy had once been forced to distance herself from Caden due to family circumstances, she knew this fact best.

“…That’s… right.”

“It’s good for my brother too. Forming alliances with Ice, Hexter…………and even Praester.”

“…”

As the brief conversation ended and the two women fell silent, a prickly tension circulated among the four women.

They were not on good terms, not even by pretense. They were simply entangled because of a man named Caden.

Although they had felt gratitude, sympathy, pity, and regret toward each other… in the end, they were all rivals.

This was no exception even between Asena and Kirsy.

On the surface, Daisy was Caden’s first wife, but… Daisy was in a position where she had to be mindful of Judy.

And Judy, though standing one step behind Daisy to enter as Caden’s concubine, still saw her as a competitor.

And strangely enough, when the twins entered this situation, Daisy and Judy seemed to become allies… creating an odd relationship.

Perhaps this was because they instinctively felt threatened by the twins’ unfathomable deep love.

If there was one thing Daisy and Judy could agree on, it was that the twins loved Caden madly. That was the only thing.

Though the twins were accepting them out of necessity given the situation, they couldn’t let their guard down.

Asena was the one who spoke.

Perhaps due to her leadership as the head of the family, she dominated the atmosphere.

“…My brother… didn’t say he would accept us, but.”

Daisy and Judy looked at her.

“…Still, if he does accept us, we need rules between us.”

Asena, who calmly stated this, seemed to have already dismissed the thought of Caden rejecting her.

No, she seemed unwilling to consider that possibility. Even if he did reject her, she also showed determination to keep trying until Caden accepted her.

Judy had no desire to probe that deep feeling.

So she focused only on what Asena had said.

“Rules?”

“Yes, rules. For example…”

Asena’s eyes found Daisy.

“Daisy. Could you tolerate it if Caden was… kissing Judy in front of you?”

The one who reacted to those words wasn’t Daisy but Kirsy.

Kirsy’s fist on the table suddenly clenched tightly.

Daisy looked at Judy for a moment, then said, blinking her eyes nervously.

“…It’s fine.”

“Really?”

“…”

Asena’s gaze then turned to Judy.

“Judy, if I try to monopolize my brother. Would you just watch? You still haven’t fully accepted me.”

“…”

Judy didn’t answer. But even that was a silent response.

Asena sighed deeply and said.

“…I can’t tolerate it.”

Once again, that tense atmosphere swept over the four of them.

“…Judy. I’ll spend my life repaying you for saving my brother. Daisy… I won’t forget that you made it possible for my brother to be with you.”

“…”

“But… even so, I can’t tolerate it. I still hate it when my brother’s love is directed at someone else.”

Gradually, Daisy and Judy began to realize that Asena was sincerely sharing her honest feelings without malice.

She was preparing for situations that might arise in the future.

“…I don’t want to spend my life fighting with you. So… I’m suggesting we make rules.”

“…What kind?”

Kirsy, who had been silent, quietly asked. Her brief words indicated that she was going along with Asena’s plan.

“…”

After thinking for a moment, Asena spoke.

“…I’ve never shown affection to my brother in front of others.”

Daisy, Judy, and even Kirsy could agree with that.

Especially Daisy and Judy, who had thought Asena disliked Caden.

“…You should do the same.”

“…What?”

“Let’s not show affection to my brother in front of each other. If he initiates it, that’s different… but let’s not take the first step.”

The four women considered this and answered one by one.

“…Alright.”

Judy said, and,

“Okay.”

Daisy nodded.

“…”

Only Kirsy hesitated for a moment. Her daily routine had always been to act cute with Caden.

“…”

But soon, she too nodded. Thinking about Asena’s words again, and imagining Caden embracing and kissing another woman, she couldn’t bear it.

Once Asena’s proposal was agreed upon, Daisy spoke next.

“…Then let’s agree not to… interfere with each other.”

“What?”

“If a good atmosphere develops between Caden and one of us, don’t interfere with it. If we start interfering with each other, there will be no end to it.”

“…”

Asena nodded. The others did the same.

Right after, Kirsy opened her mouth.

“…Let’s do this too. When my brother…”

.

.

.

After a long time, the meeting of the four women came to an end.

They had found a compromise to avoid fighting with each other.

****

Many residents welcomed Caden as he returned triumphantly after subjugating everyone.

In just a few days, remarkable changes had occurred, and people had accepted the new conqueror.

While Caden led the army to finish the job, Asena had promised to root out the criminal organizations embedded in Payne’s territory, and gradually the residents were feeling happy about their actions.

The war had ended without problems, and the residents welcomed him, so a smile began to appear on Caden’s face.

Riding his horse like that, he arrived at the inner castle.

In front of it, four women were waiting for Caden.

And having sorted out his thoughts during this time, Caden could now greet them with a comfortable heart like before.

As he dismounted, the twins who were at the front approached him.

And like someone tired of waiting… Asena whispered to him.

“…Brother… have you made your decision…?”

Unlike when dealing with others, she showed such a cautious demeanor toward him.

Caden looked down at them and instead asked a question.

“…Asena, Kirsy. Do you know what area your brother likes best?”

“…Huh?”

“Guess.”

Asena was starting to get impatient… but she tried to calm herself as he asked. In fact, there was one place that came to mind.

“…It’s a place you both like too.”

Caden gave a hint.

Kirsy hesitated for a moment, then quietly said.

“…Mels Plains.”

Mels Plains was where Kirsy had recently cured her aphasia while being held by Caden.

The open plains. Lively creatures moving about. Cool breeze.

Mels Plains was the place the twins and Caden visited most often when they went for walks.

There was no other answer. All three knew this fact.

“…That’s right.”

And sure enough, he nodded.

“…Mels. I was thinking of using it as a family name.”

Asena’s heart began to pound at those words.

“…W-What?”

“Caden Mels. What do you think?”

Kirsy’s legs weakened slightly, and Caden caught her.

“…B-Brother… sob…”

In his arms, Kirsy began to cry. Her whole body started trembling with joy.

“…Stop.”

Caden said, still wearing a small smile.

Asena could feel what it was like to have a dream come true, that pleasure.

If someone touched her, she felt like she would cry like Kirsy in front of everyone.

At times like this, Asena envied Kirsy. Just a few seconds’ difference allowed her to put down so much responsibility.

“…”

Then Asena decided to give up. This happiness was simply impossible to contain.

Instead of envying, just for now, she put aside her dignity as the head of the Praester Family.

She threw herself into his arms.

Receiving the twins with both arms, Caden let out an awkward laugh.

Asena hid her face in his embrace, trembling and crying.

They were hot, overwhelming tears.

“…I know you still don’t see me completely as a woman… brother…”

Asena said.

“…But I’ll try… I’ll try so you won’t regret this choice…”

“…You stop crying too, Asena. How can you cry like a little sister?”

Asena rubbed her head against him, wiping away her tears. She tried to stop crying as he said.

And she raised her head to look at Caden.

She had never been this happy in her life.

“I love you, brother.”

Kirsy still couldn’t control her tears.

Asena continued.

“…I love you.”

She was about to kiss him… but barely, she endured that desire.

“I like it, brother.”

Kirsy chimed in. She was still crying, but she worked hard to get the words out.

“…Kirsy Mels. I like it.”