Ch.383Chapter 383. What Remains Unchanged

* * *

The memory of that moment remains vivid in my mind even now.

The moment I first met Irene.

Irene, who had been wearing her nightclothes as if she hadn’t expected a visitor, warmly welcomed me, a foreign man of different gender who had suddenly appeared.

It must have been uncomfortable for her. Lynn’s intention was to make Irene feel humiliated about being told to “accept a man.”

It would have been even more so since she normally had no contact with men. How miserable must it have been to have to take in a strange man as a roommate in her home simply on the monarch’s orders?

Nevertheless, she didn’t take out her frustrations on me. Strictly speaking, she was my superior, so she could have blamed me if she wanted to, but she didn’t.

Rather, she treated me exceptionally well. She made me warm tea and grilled meat for me. She gave up her bed so I could sleep, and even told me to stay away from her lest I suffer disadvantages by being associated with someone who had fallen out of the monarch’s favor.

The warmth I felt from her then was the biggest reason I became attached to this world I had possessed with just a gaming mindset.

Irene and I defended the northern fortress together.

She completely believed my words, even when they sounded absurd.

I was truly surprised when a meteor fell instead of lightning, but I think that incident relatively broadened my range of movement.

I betrayed the Brans army and defected to the Aeshus army to save Irene.

When I was abandoned by the Aeshus army and handed over to the Serpina army, she followed me without question.

Except for the brief period we spent in the Lunarian army, Irene was essentially the person who spent the most time with me in this world.

I am a man, and Irene is a woman.

We’re not far apart in age, and we’ve twice participated together in the unprecedented act of overthrowing monarchs.

It would be a lie to say feelings didn’t blossom between us. In fact, haven’t we confirmed our feelings for each other many times since that day?

Embracing, kissing under trees in full bloom… mixing our tongues for dozens of minutes in the place where we once stayed.

Irene was my greatest shelter and the first woman who made me want to protect someone.

Just by being near her, I felt like I had found a place to belong… and naturally, she was always included in the future I envisioned.

Perhaps that’s why.

I thought nothing would ever go wrong.

I thought that even in dangerous situations, Irene would be able to solve everything easily.

So I thought it wouldn’t be too late to get married after resolving the issues between Lunarian and Serpina.

Because I had such a complacent thought.

Because I thought Irene would never die.

That she would always be by my side no matter what.

Because I thought I could somehow protect her with my intelligence of 100—

“S-Swen…”

—I could only hold Irene in my arms and cry.

“I’m sorry, Irene… I’m just sorry for everything. Even after confirming our feelings, I only told you to wait.”

“You must have felt frustrated… but you kept waiting.”

“Thank you… for believing in me and not saying anything…”

“…”

How does my expression look to Irene right now?

I wanted to propose in the most impressive way possible.

To be honest, I loved Irene. And I loved Serpina, and I came to love Reika.

Even in a world where polygamy is normal, I admit that loving so many women simultaneously might not show steadfastness.

Nevertheless, what remained unchanged was— the person I would confess to first.

The person I would ask to marry me first.

The person who would become my first wife… was always Irene.

I wanted it to be truly magnificent.

I wanted it to be an unforgettable moment for both me and Irene.

Not like this, without proper sleep, gasping for breath.

I didn’t want to show such an unsightly appearance with tears streaming down my face… like throwing a tantrum.

“Please marry me, Irene…”

“Please don’t leave my side… please don’t get involved in dangerous situations.”

“You don’t have to do anything, just stay where I can see you…”

At the thought that I could have lost Irene, I couldn’t even properly control my emotions.

It felt like something I had been holding back all this time was bursting out.

The strategist with intelligence of 100 who predicts everything, the white-haired magician, the man who creates miracles…

Strip away all those shells.

All that remained was a man who absolutely didn’t want to lose Irene’s breath, Irene’s taste, Irene’s scent… everything about her.

How many minutes did I cry while holding her?

“…Seems like the roles are reversed.”

The woman Irene, not the female knight and commander Irene, spoke to me.

“…”

“Remember, Swen? At the fortress… when I realized I had been abandoned by Lynn. Back then, I was the one crying like a fool in your arms… but now you’re crying in front of me.”

“I swore then. Swen, that I would protect you… that I would be your sword and shield.”

“My feelings… have remained constant since then.”

“…!!”

I slowly moved away from her.

Irene’s face was completely flushed… and she was crying.

“The words asking me to marry you… I’ve been waiting for those words until this moment.”

“Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for breaking the Brans army’s spell. Thank you for not abandoning me when everyone else turned away and for taking my hand. The fact that I’ve been able to live until now… it’s all thanks to you, Swen.”

“…I accept your proposal…”

“Irene…”

“Not ‘my lady.’ Swen…”

She took a step toward me.

Because she had fled hastily from the battlefield, her strong body scent tickled my nose…

Strangely enough, I never wanted to lose this smell of flesh. It felt as if I had run all the way here just to smell this scent.

“Call me Irene.”

“…Irene…”

“I am yours now. Your woman. From that day until now, everything of mine has been yours… but now, there’s proof of that.”

“Swen. I’ll serve you as your wife for life. On the battlefield, I’ll be your sword and shield to protect you as a strategist. When you cry, I’ll cry too. When you laugh, I’ll laugh too. No matter what happens, I’ll look in the same direction as you.”

“All I want from you is one thing… to love me as you do now. That’s all. Because you’ve already given me everything… your life, hope, the will to live, and… love.”

“I too…”

Damn it.

There must be more impressive words.

But I couldn’t think of anything.

So I just said,

“I feel the same way, Irene. Because of you… I wanted to see the future of this world.”

I spoke words that only I would understand, that she wouldn’t comprehend.

“This was a world that had nothing to do with me. But after meeting you, this place became my world. I think if you weren’t here, I would have returned to my homeland.”

“But because you’re here… now, I have no intention of going back. I’ll live with you by your side.”

She surely wouldn’t understand what I meant.

But Irene nodded and listened to my words.

In her wavering purple eyes, there was only me.

“All of that… Irene, you created it for me.”

“Swen…”

“So… stay by my side forever, Irene. …I love you.”

“…Yes. I love you, Swen.”

We were outside.

Soldiers keeping watch from the tower might witness this.

But none of that mattered.

As if only Irene and I existed in this world… I brought my lips to hers.

With a sticky sound, our tongues intertwined roughly again.

Already our third kiss.

At this moment, my mind was dominated only by Irene’s taste.

* * *

Irene and I spent time together until Serpina’s army arrived.

I thought about consummating our relationship right then, but… I believed that could wait until after we were formally married.

Neither Irene nor I were in physical condition for a proper relationship—and anyway, we were going to get married.

“When our lord arrives, I plan to step down from the commander position.”

“Is that so? However, Irene, there’s no suitable person to take the commander position right now—”

“…Swen.”

Irene puffed her cheeks and pressed her finger against my lips.

“Are you planning to call me ‘Irene, my lady’ again?”

I had been speaking informally earlier caught up in the moment—

Indeed, it wasn’t easy to adapt to speaking informally to someone I had always addressed formally.

“…W-well… you’re still my superior, that hasn’t changed.”

“It seems your declaration of love was a lie.”

“No, that’s not it… it’s just, I’m too embarrassed…”

“…!!”

At the mention of embarrassment, Irene’s face visibly reddened.

She was truly transparent. Perhaps that’s what made her comfortable to be around.

“…Hmm, well. There’s a period of adjustment, I suppose. However… if you still speak formally after we’re married, I’ll be quite disappointed.”

“I understand. By then… I’ll try my best.”

“Anyway, if I remain as commander… well, Swen, I won’t be able to stay only where your eyes can see me…”

“…Ah.”

Come to think of it, I had said something like that too.

I seemed to have said all sorts of things without any shame.

“So, I’m thinking of becoming your bodyguard instead. The position of state strategist is as important as the monarch’s position.”

“…I’m not sure if such a position exists, but thank you anyway.”

And after a few more days passed.

While we were spending time at Hisfil Castle waiting for Serpina’s main force, the news that reached us was—

“Anel Castle… has fallen?”

—the unbelievably rapid advance of the Lunarian army.