Ch.221Chapter 221. First Encounter (3)

“I suspect he might be in Serpina’s territory right now… Though I’ve been living in seclusion lately, so I’m not sure of the details. Since he was essentially sold as a prisoner, it’s most likely that he’s being detained. I apologize for not being of more help to you, my lord.”

Ginor deliberately said that Swen was being detained by Serpina, avoiding anything that might upset Lunarian’s feelings.

Though he couldn’t be certain, for some reason he felt that was what he should say in Lunarian’s presence.

Lunarian, who had no way of knowing his intentions, slowly nodded as she processed this information.

“No. That alone… is enough.”

Just knowing where Swen currently was proved sufficient.

I see.

So Lord Swen is now… being detained in Serpina’s territory.

If that’s the case, perhaps what Violet told me wasn’t just an unfounded rumor after all.

She couldn’t understand what purpose Serpina had in exchanging hostages for Swen.

But what else would you expect from a tyrant?

A moment’s entertainment, some vile and filthy hobby, or perhaps she coveted Lord Swen’s abilities and acted on her own whims.

Whatever the reason, just knowing he was alive was satisfying enough.

At that point, another question came to mind.

Why had Lord Swen been in Aeshus territory?

“Um… may I ask a few more questions?”

“Of course, my lord.”

“Why did… Lord Swen go to Aeshus territory? I was certain Lord Swen would be in Brans territory…”

Ginor stroked his beard for a moment.

“I don’t know the full circumstances, but…”

“That’s fine. As I said, just tell me what you know.”

“He betrayed Brans and defected to our territory.”

“…What? Betrayed?”

“That’s right.”

Lord Swen betrayed them?

Why?

No, from Lord Swen’s perspective, betrayal would be different from my betrayal of Karelia.

An arrogant woman like Lynn would never have treated Swen seriously, and the fact that Lord Swen was in Brans territory in the first place was essentially the same as forcibly taking him away from my side.

But still, was there a reason he needed to go so far as to betray them and defect to Aeshus?

Strangely.

Very strangely, I was extremely curious about “why Swen betrayed them.”

Was this a ruler’s intuition, or—

“Do you happen to know the reason?”

—a woman’s intuition?

“The reason… I’m not sure why Lord Swen himself betrayed them. He didn’t defect alone. To be more precise, it would be more accurate to say he followed someone else who betrayed them.”

“What? Followed someone…?”

“There was a female knight who defected with him.”

“…What?”

Lunarian’s eyes grew cold again at the mention of a female knight.

“I suspect he probably followed her. The two of them seemed to have quite a special relationship.”

“…???”

Huh?

A special relationship?

Special enough to betray together?

The reason he left Brans, even going so far as to betray them and defect to Aeshus was… that?

Lunarian’s fingertips grew cold.

Of course, it wasn’t difficult to understand intellectually.

If it was Lord Swen’s decision, there must have been a reason, and she knew she had no right to question whatever path he took after being transferred to Brans.

Besides, the fact that he betrayed Brans was practically the same as saying he would return to her someday.

It shouldn’t matter whom he met along the way.

After all, her relationship with Swen was that of lord and vassal.

So rationally speaking, this shouldn’t be such a shocking revelation…

But why?

Why do I feel so… dejected?

This emotion was different from what she felt when she learned that Yurie had sold Swen.

If the previous emotion was pure anger, what she felt now was… something deeper and more intimate than anger.

Though Lunarian herself didn’t recognize what this emotion was, anyone observing what she was focusing on would easily identify it as a profoundly human feeling.

At that moment.

Her woman’s intuition began sending her signals more fiercely than ever before.

“Um… what is the name of that female knight?”

“She’s a renowned general. You must know of Irene Juliette, the specialist in siege warfare.”

“!!!!!!”

Irene Juliette.

Of course.

Of course she knew that name.

When Lord Swen went to negotiate with Lynn, with the fate of Zeilant Castle at stake.

Irene was the vanguard commander of the Brans forces that invaded their territory.

But.

The female knight who seemed to be very special to Lord Swen.

The person he wanted to follow even to the point of betrayal, why did it have to be Irene, who had attacked their forces?

There were so many things she couldn’t understand, but what bothered her most was something else entirely.

Why did it have to be… a woman?

Why?

At this moment, what was asserting itself more strongly than ever was her identity as a woman.

* * *

And similarly.

Ginor, who had been sitting across from her, telling her the story and observing her constantly changing demeanor, could now be almost 100% certain.

Her expressions that changed whenever Swen was mentioned, and her current attitude.

When all these were put together, there was only one conclusion.

This person, Lunarian… holds Swen in special regard.

Beyond that of a lord caring for her vassal.

That’s why she’s overly agitated by news of him, and unable to hide her emotions in front of him, a stranger.

‘…It seems this isn’t the time for straightforward explanations.’

Whatever happened between them in the past, there was no need to make things worse.

Ginor cleared his throat a few times, then carefully spoke.

For now, he should try to calm her down.

“However, that’s all just this old man’s speculation, my lord.”

“Speculation… you say?”

“Yes. The only truth is that the two of them defected together. The rest is all speculation, and unless you hear directly from him, it’s best to understand that we can’t know what the truth is.”

Everything was just his speculation—

That was the best Ginor could do.

From the beginning, this woman… this lord had been referring to Swen as “Lord Swen.”

It didn’t sound like a ruler addressing a vassal, but rather like a woman addressing her husband.

Though he didn’t know the details, stories of women jealous of their husband’s other partners weren’t particularly unusual.

It had been the right decision to mention Irene first instead of Reika, just in case.

At first.

To gain her trust, he had considered hinting that Swen might become his son-in-law.

But from her reaction, he could be certain that bringing up that topic now would not be a good decision for their lord-vassal relationship.

Besides, since it was only a possibility and nothing was confirmed, there was nothing strange about not mentioning it.

There was no need to provoke her here, so there was no reason to talk more about that female knight… Irene.

Especially.

What expression Swen had when looking at Irene… that was something better kept secret forever.

As expected of the sharp-minded Ginor, he had grasped the core of the matter quite well.

Meanwhile, Lunarian’s ruby-colored eyes wavered upon hearing Ginor’s words.

‘Speculation… speculation.’

Yes.

If it’s just speculation.

No, even if it wasn’t speculation… it’s not that important, is it?

Lord Swen’s words had always proven right in the end, so there was likely something hidden that she didn’t know.

He must have had his reasons. He must have had his intentions… Thinking this way, she was finally able to compose her emotions.

Only then did Lunarian calm her trembling body and bow her head again.

“Ah, I… I’m sorry. I showed quite an… unsettled side of myself.”

“Not at all. As I said earlier, that’s fine… but may this old man presume to ask my lord a question?”

“Please go ahead.”

“How did you come to meet Lord Swen?”

“Lord Swen…”

Lunarian lowered her head, recalling when they first met.

He only agreed to join her side after she visited him five times, and at every critical moment, he always guided their forces along the optimal path with advice no one else could have conceived.

To Lunarian, Swen was a guide, the nation’s strategist, a reliable partner in governing, the most trustworthy vassal… and.

“…Lord Swen is the savior of my life.”

“The savior of your life?”

“Yes. You may not know this, but… I was once one of the minor lords ruling a small country in the western continent. If Lord Swen hadn’t been there… I would likely have lost my life at the hands of Lynn Brans.”

Ginor silently nodded.

And then, he finally understood why Swen had sent him here.

‘So, this place was Lord Swen’s final destination all along.’

It was commonly believed that Brans, where he first distinguished himself, was his first appointment.

But before serving Lynn, he had already been serving the woman before him—Lunarian.

Even when he was with Aeshus, and after he was transferred to Serpina, that thought probably remained unchanged.

After their conversation had somewhat concluded.

“Then, I’ll take my leave now. Please call for me whenever you need to issue orders.”

“I understand. Thank you for choosing our forces. …And thank you for sharing this information with me today.”

At those words, Ginor bowed deeply, then looked straight into Lunarian’s eyes and said:

“Not at all. I look forward to serving under you, my lord.”

And so Ginor once again made his appearance on the continent by joining the newly formed Lunarian forces.

The pieces that Swen had laid across the continent gradually began to gather around her.