Ch.196Revelation (10)

The room without stars or moon was darker than outside. The darkness had taken away all the clutter, leaving only the two of them.

Yet it didn’t feel real at all. They had waited too long for this moment.

As if to confirm the other was truly there, they kissed and intertwined their tongues. Laughter was covered by shallow moans and deep breaths.

Even in that moment, interruptions persisted. Lily’s armor kept making metallic sounds. Rings clanged against rings, scabbard against sword, creating sharp noises.

Lily roughly pulled at the armor’s fasteners. But in her urgency, her hands wouldn’t cooperate.

Instead of untying the knots, she tangled them further. Frustrated, Lily wanted to cry.

“I should have worn a skirt…”

“No, no,” Kain comforted her. “How did you get here? Were you really on patrol?”

Lily was wearing thick leather armor, reinforced with tightly woven chain links and wolf fur. The ice that had clung to the leather had melted, making it damp. She wore an imperial sword at her waist.

“Yes. I was in training. As commander, I need to keep moving. We received orders to minimize noise because there’s a guest in the quarters. So…”

“So you came.”

“Why did you do that in the confessional?”

“I wasn’t trying to play games. I…”

Lily didn’t listen to Kain’s defense. As if suddenly remembering, she gently took his right hand.

“You got hurt… really…”

They kissed lightly again, and both smiled at each other. They both knew time was limited. After all, Lily had only stopped by briefly.

Because of this, Kain needed to tell her everything that had happened since they parted as concisely as possible.

It was a dry, factual account like a report on sensitive information—the kind he would submit to Verneith. It wasn’t ideal, but there was no choice.

“I’m going to visit Laios’s hometown. I want to find out who revealed to him and Ismene that they would become heroes, and also trace how the Asas fruit came to be there.

The Venelucia matter isn’t fully resolved, but their intelligence department said they’d send a ‘gift’ to the imperial capital, so I think something will come of that.”

“And then?”

“Only one hero remains now. Günther the Patience. If he doesn’t use the Demon King’s power residing within the heroes, Laios can’t come. Or unless someone nearby performs a Black Phoenix ritual…

And Günther doesn’t seem to be using the Demon King’s power. He seems to be suppressing it instead.

He might be the final puzzle piece in all this. What to do next will depend on when all the pieces fit together.”

“I want to go with you,” Lily sobbed. “Please take me with you. I can’t bear it anymore. I feel like I’m withering away here.”

Kain made up his mind to take Lily with him. The only remaining question was how to get her out.

The entrance was guarded by triple gates. Going over the mountains in the back was out of the question. They would surely die trying.

Above all, they were training as if in a war situation. Especially now that Astrid knew about their relationship.

“If there’s no tournament, you should be able to leave freely. You’re a knight, but you’re also a Security Bureau agent. What’s the problem with an agent doing her job? What grounds do they have to stop you?”

“That’s exactly why I’ve been waiting for you. Only with you can I leave this place quickly. We agreed to meet here. I promised, so I couldn’t go elsewhere. When I knew you had arrived, I said I wanted to leave.”

“They wouldn’t let you?”

“My brother seems intent on keeping me here until I die,” Lily burst into tears. “Even Aunt Astrid can’t do anything about that part. Last time I left because of the duel’s outcome, but if I leave now…”

“If you leave now?”

“…If I leave now, it would simply be desertion. I was so angry I wanted to quit everything. I begged them to let me go, to release me… but the other knights…”

Kain thought of the genealogist Huber.

“The other knights stopped you?”

“They said if I desert, the White Blood Knights would fall into great chaos. That’s why Aunt Astrid is conducting full training for the entire White Blood Knights. It keeps everyone busy, but it also means we can’t hold private duels or position tournaments.”

“I heard about it.” Kain shared what the genealogist had told him. Lily confirmed it was true.

“I’m terrible, aren’t I?”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone is trying to make things work, but all I can think about is escaping. Like an immature child, I just can’t bear this situation…”

“You are a child, so what?” Kain playfully kissed her forehead. Lily pretended to be upset and rolled her eyes.

“I’m not a child.”

“You’re the youngest one here.”

Though he said that, it didn’t seem to fit anymore. When was it? Boehm and Bom? They had said Lily’s face would change once she lost her baby fat.

They had literally treated her like a child, but the twin brothers were right. When she had some roundness in her cheeks, she looked somewhat cute no matter what she did.

But now, the woman rolling her eyes had a slender face. All traces of childishness had completely disappeared. Perhaps without even realizing it herself, she had grown up.

“I’m always on your side,” Kain gently caressed Lily’s cheek. “Wherever you are, I want to be on your side and help you. So tell me, what would you like to happen?”

“I just want to escape all of this,” Lily shook her head roughly. Kain patted her back again.

“You can escape anytime. What I’m asking is ‘how do you want to escape?’

If you want to climb over the wall cliff, I’ll find a way. If you want to walk out proudly rather than fleeing, I’ll find that way too.

But I don’t want to do it in a way you don’t want.”

Lily’s eyes wavered. Kain wanted to reassure her more.

“Liliana. You never wanted to become a knight, but you said you were glad you did in the end. You were happy because you could protect what was precious to you. Remember?”

“…Yes.”

“If you don’t want to be a knight anymore, if none of that matters to you, let’s just leave together. Do you think Maria and I can’t get you out? But if you want to be a knight… I think you need to resolve this ‘as a knight.'”

“What does that mean?”

“So that when you look back on today in the distant future, you won’t be ashamed of yourself.

Running away isn’t bad. If you choose to run away, that’s enough. But if you’re driven out, if you’re swept away like driftwood, you’ll surely regret it.

You said it yourself. That it feels like you’ve returned to where you started. That you feel you can’t escape.

No. That’s not true. If you get through this well, if you escape wisely in the way you want, then if something like this happens again, you’ll be able to escape easily.

It’s like walking. You stumble, fall, and repeat the same mistakes countless times, but once you learn to walk, it’s no longer difficult.

Liliana, I want you to be proud of yourself. You’re the best knight I’ve ever met. No one would deny that.

Even if someone says otherwise, you shouldn’t think of yourself that way. Even when the whole world turns its back on you, you must be on your own side.”

Lily lowered her eyes. “I understand.” She nodded and then smiled brightly again. “I understand.”

A somewhat strange silence fell between them. Lily seemed somehow excited, while Kain, on the contrary, became a bit subdued. Staring at Kain, Lily bit her lip slightly.

“You said you went to Venelucia.”

“Yes.”

“How was it?”

“I found peace.”

Lily’s eyes widened. Kain smiled gently.

“And I missed you terribly. The things I learned from you saved me. Looking back now, it was really difficult and painful then.”

“…Did I really help you?”

“Many times.”

Lily’s face lit up with joy.

“I’m so glad… really…”

“And I think I finally understand what you were trying to tell me. I was stupid. All your actions were expressions, each and every one. I was too dull to realize it until now.”

Lily’s face froze. For a moment, Kain wondered if he had said something wrong. But that wasn’t it. Lily, with her head bowed, moved her hands to the knots of her armor.

The straps securing the armor were so tightly fastened and slightly frozen from the cold that they were difficult to untie.

All Lily could do was loosen the breastplate area slightly. But that seemed to be enough.

Releasing Kain’s right hand, Lily took his left hand instead. She guided Kain’s slightly hesitant hand into the gap between her armor and clothes.

“I’m really… glad.”

Lily’s hand slipped between Kain’s clothes. With one arm around his body, her other hand gently caressed the hollow between his waist and hip.

Kain’s fingertips touched something soft. It was the cloth binding her chest. Lily lowered her head slightly in embarrassment but didn’t look away.

“I, I just changed into this… so it’s not dirty. So…”

When Kain’s hand tried to move to her back, Lily squirmed slightly. “In front…” She meant the knot was in the front.

Distracted by embarrassment, Kain moved his hand somewhat carelessly. “Ah!” Lily’s body trembled.

Startled, Kain inadvertently grasped some flesh. The armor and outer clothes that hadn’t been fully removed pressed down, and his touch added to the sensation.

Lily closed her eyes tightly and clenched her mouth, but she couldn’t help the moan rising from deep within her body.

“Mmph.”

The knot was between her breasts. Just by wiggling his fingers, the knot easily came undone. Kain kissed Lily so she wouldn’t be startled, pressed his cheek against hers, and stroked her back. He slowly pulled away the soft, warm cloth.

“Haa, hic.”

Lily gasped, either from ticklishness or sensitivity, opening her mouth and panting. She kept swallowing and licking her lips as if her mouth was drying up. Her lips were so flushed that they seemed like they might crack and bleed if touched wrongly.

Her heated body was pressed by the armor and tickled by her outer clothes. Each time, something hot rose from deep inside her. Perhaps because it was so hot, her legs seemed to be losing strength.

Kain held the gradually crumbling Lily. It was as if he was comforting her, telling her it was okay to rest for a while. With this stable and comfortable descent, Lily’s heart lightened a bit.

Just as people don’t call a bird’s feather falling but descending, Lily, holding onto Kain, gradually sank to the ground. Kain also sat down on the floor with her.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

Without needing to say anything more, the two overlapped their bodies. Lily tried hard to undo her belt and remove her pants, but the armor and leather straps wouldn’t come loose.

Kain gently held Lily’s hands and shook his head slightly. Instead, he slipped his hand into the gap in Lily’s clothes. Slowly, gently, he caressed and soothed her.