Episode 12. Rebellion (6)

Monica arrived much faster than I expected. I had put a fast messenger on a swift horse, and even though it was a three-day journey one way, it only took Monica five days to arrive.

“Alright, everyone, go inside and rest.”

Monica dismissed the soldiers who had gathered to salute with a wave of her hand and headed straight for Baron Enicson’s office-cum-bedroom, where I was staying.

“Looks like the damage is worse than I thought?”

“Well, it was a siege after all… But we captured it in just one day.”

“You should be able to do that much, at least. What kind of castle does this tiny barony even have…”

Does she have to belittle me with every word she says? I felt like only my desire to be nice to her, as Vera suggested, was being chipped away.

“So, what’s the reason I absolutely had to come here? You should be able to handle things well enough that I don’t have to deal with anything twice. If it’s nothing important after dragging me all the way here…”

I had to send the message through the messenger’s mouth because there was no one in the unit who could write, so it seemed like a lot of explanation about the situation was missing. I thought he was smart for a commoner, but his limitations are clear.

“In conquering Baron Enicson’s territory, we had an unexpected collaborator.”

“Unexpected?”

“After breaking through the outer walls and entering the inner castle, a certain Enicson Young Lady had already subdued Baron Enicson.”

“His daughter subdued her father?”

It’s really annoying how she keeps picking at every word.

“No, judging by the circumstances, it seems to be Baron Enicson’s younger sister. She introduced herself as a Young Lady. She greeted us as if she had been waiting for us as soon as we entered the inner castle and handed Baron Enicson over to our forces.”

“Baron Enicson’s younger sister, so Jeina Enicson? That ugly old maid calling herself a Young Lady is ridiculous. She should just go to a monastery.”

Monica sneered coldly. Compared to Monica, that woman is quite ugly. Even though Monica’s personality is terrible, her face is decent.

“So, are you sure it’s not a cover-up?”

“I suspected that too, so I had her imprisoned, but this letter she presented as evidence made it ambiguous.”

“What letter?”

As I handed her the letter, Monica quickly scanned the contents.

“When did you receive this?”

“I received it the day before the battle started.”

“No, it says here that if we attack the castle, they will cooperate from the inside.”

“I thought it might be a trap.”

“But they ended up cooperating from the inside. Then why did you imprison her?”

Ugh, I don’t want to reveal this to Monica.

“I can’t read, so I couldn’t confirm the contents of the letter.”

“So, you’re saying you couldn’t anticipate the existence of a collaborator because you couldn’t read this letter? And that’s why you did such a reckless siege?”

“There was no one who could read…”

“Oh, my head…”

She’s giving me such a look for not being able to read that I have nothing to say. When I was young, I wasn’t given the opportunity to learn, perhaps because they were worried about creating seeds of discord in the succession competition. I only received training to become a knight and came to marry into the family as a son-in-law.

After getting married, I couldn’t learn before the regression because Monica interfered, and after the regression, I didn’t have time to learn. I was planning to learn to read from Vera after this expedition anyway.

“It’s my fault, my fault. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a problem arising because the commander can’t read.”

Usually, you don’t need to read because you use messengers, right? I was building up resentment inside, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my married life, it’s that arguing with an annoyed Monica only makes the situation worse. It’s easier to think of it as nagging I’ve always heard, listening with one ear and letting it out the other. I’m so fed up that I’ll just learn myself.

“No, you should have said you couldn’t read. If you had, I would have prepared something, Sir Edward?”

“Knights usually can’t read, can they…”

“That’s just what you think. You should report even trivial things to minimize these kinds of problems. Am I wrong to assume that nobles can read at least?”

Of course, you’re wrong. How can guys who hate studying and want to become knights by swinging swords read, when they have to study to learn to read? Some of the worst ones even considered it shameful to know how to read, saying that only cowardly priests learn to read. My mind has changed, though.

“Aren’t you ashamed to live as an illiterate? It seems like it would be inconvenient before you’re even ashamed. What have you been doing all this time?”

Swinging a sword, you bitch. Still, less than half of the knights can read. What’s my basis? My experience from my head. But it’s less scolding than I expected. Is it because she’s still young and not as vicious?

“I don’t want to hear that I married an illiterate. Either hide it well forever without getting caught, or learn to read. I don’t know if you can hide it with a brain that can’t even read.”

“Anyway, I’ll leave the disposition of the Enicson Young Lady to the Lord’s representative, -nim. It doesn’t seem like a matter for a mere knight to decide.”

“Alright, get out of the way.”

Monica stole my chair. Then, noticing the bandage tied around my left arm, she asked,

“Why is your arm like that?”

“I was hit by an arrow during the battle. The wound isn’t serious, but I plan to get treatment as soon as I return to the County, -nim.”

“Carelessly getting hit by arrows and such. Edward, your body isn’t just yours. Since you swore allegiance to me, you getting hurt is no different from my property getting damaged.”

“…Yes.”

Now I’m being treated like private property. Even if it’s the relationship between a lord and a knight, isn’t it a bit much to be ignored this much? It seemed like it was because I was a knight without my own territory.

“So, go back and get treatment first. What if the wound gets infected and you can’t use your arm? I don’t want to live with a crippled husband, so leave this barony to me and return to the County, -nim first.”

“Yes, I understand.”

How many husbands does she not want to live with? Still, for once, Monica allowed me to return before her. I was prepared to be stuck in the barony for a few days and get nagged, but what luck. I need to heal my wounded mind and body by looking at Vera. I quickly left the office before Monica could change her mind. Monica seemed to say something, but if it’s important, she’ll call me again.

Vera had been feeling a heat in her body lately, which made her life very uncomfortable. If it were just a fever, she would have suffered through it and been done with it, but it was her first time feeling hot and full of energy, so she couldn’t help but be flustered. She increased the simple exercises she usually did every day for self-care and even went for walks, but it didn’t subside, so she had many nights where she couldn’t fall asleep until late. Tonight was no different.

‘How unladylike…’

Her body had been like this since Edward started visiting. A desperate measure to appease Edward, who wanted to marry Vera herself instead of her daughter. The pretext was that the mother-in-law was helping her troubled son-in-law, but Edward’s trouble was mostly due to his sexual desire. Vera had no choice but to diligently take care of Edward’s sexual desire with her body. Firmly hugging her from behind, trapping her with arms as sturdy as old trees, and tightly squeezing her hot flesh between his thighs…

‘How indecent… Thinking about this makes it even harder to sleep.’

She had only been taught that sexual intercourse was a means for couples to successfully continue their lineage, and only in modest, safe positions befitting her dignity. To her, Edward’s actions were a cultural shock. An act solely for the purpose of obtaining pleasure, without the goal of creating a child. Sexual behavior, not sexual intercourse, and sexual behavior using Vera’s own body. Semen that should have become life, scattered into the air between her thighs. Watching that white liquid, Vera felt that her body had changed from usual.

She caresses between her legs with her fingers. The part that Edward’s thing kept rubbing against. As Vera recalled Edward’s movements and rubbed with her slender fingers, Vera’s body twitched with a thrilling sensation. Vera, savoring that strangely tickling feeling as if enjoying it, was startled and pulled herself together.

‘I shouldn’t be doing this…’

It was said that women in their thirties are prone to the temptation of lust. At times like this, she should tidy up her appearance and control her mind. To indulge in lust herself when Edward isn’t around, how lewd and undignified.

Unable to sleep, Vera relit the candle and took out the Bible to calm her mind. Religion had been like a pillar of support for her since she was young and her life was not easy. Even on nights like this, when she was consumed by lust, reading the Bible and praying to God would drive it all away.

“Ah.”

Vera’s thoughts collapsed in front of the bookshelf that smelled of dried semen.