episode_0249

***

The third year of Queen Isabella’s reign.

A peaceful afternoon with warm sunlight streaming down.

The city of Hamilton, adjacent to the royal capital.

The bell tower standing tall in the center of the city suddenly began to ring madly.

Kookookookookook.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwa!

People came running out of the building screaming.

“It’s an earthquake!”

“Eww! It’s an earthquake!”

“Everyone, evacuate while being careful of your heads!

The ground throughout the city shook violently, and all the buildings collapsed like dominoes, creating a huge dust storm.

“Oh my gosh, save me!”

A scene of chaos where a city that had existed for hundreds of years collapsed in an instant.

The earthquake continued for a full hour.

Two days later.

The news of the earthquake that occurred in the city of Hamilton was quickly relayed to the capital.

“It is estimated that there are approximately 7,000 casualties.”

“How many troops can be mobilized for the rescue?”

“Currently under investigation. I have ordered all units to send in some rescue troops.”

Emergency disaster response meeting held by Queen Isabella.

The Queen looked down at the map on the round table with a serious expression.

A wide area was hit by the earthquake, causing significant damage to the kingdom.

Since even the plains where grains were grown densely were damaged by this disaster, it is expected to have an immediate impact on grain supply.

“Inform each noble family of this fact and tell them to donate food and relief supplies, and also tell each family to send someone to Cambridge to go to the scene, provide food and shelter, and actively care for the people who are sad and hurt. I will pay special attention to who has been to the scene and who has not.”

“Yes! Your Majesty!”

“And the overall command of the rescue site will be Grand Duke Kang Naru. Everyone, follow his orders well and act quickly.”

“I… I haven’t seen the Archduke since this morning.”

“I just went to your office to ask you to attend the meeting, but you weren’t there.”

The queen smiled faintly at the ministers’ questions.

“My husband sensed the earthquake with his warrior’s excellent senses even before the disaster report came in and headed to the scene.”

From the next day onwards, carriages of nobles waiting to go to the disaster site lined up.

It was a procession where, due to Queen Isabella’s strict instructions, if the person, his wife, or a couple could not go, they sent their children in their place so as not to get into trouble.

“Sister, how many sets of clothes did you pack? Someone said you should have at least two months.”

Inside the carriage heading to Cameron.

Stepsister Millia looked at Ashley and asked.

“… Ten sets.”

Ashley was fiddling with a faded family portrait, her eyes filled with anticipation.

A family portrait depicting Naru, once her husband, with her.

It was old and worn, and now the color had faded, as if the whole thing had been painted brown.

‘Once you get there, you can come up with a reasonable excuse to meet him.’

Ashley smiled contentedly as she continued to look down at the portrait, which was the size of her two palms put together.

***

A disaster of unprecedented scale where the entire city collapsed.

“Take the vials! Hurry up!”

“This way! Move it this way!”

“Everyone gather! Let’s go clean up the rocks again today!”

“Yes!”

People were bustling everywhere.

Wizards magically lift and move heavy building debris, while soldiers are busy building temporary shelters for surviving civilians in the vast open space.

The priests set up an emergency medical station and cared for the injured citizens.

But everyone is short-handed.

Because a city of 30,000 people was blown away overnight, the hastily dispatched personnel were not enough to handle the aftermath.

Because of this, nobles were also brought in.

To rebuild the collapsed city, nobles, regardless of gender, were to take on various tasks such as construction, administration, medical care, cooking, waste disposal, transportation, and production.

The first noble carriage sent from the royal capital arrives today.

After a brief meeting with the commanders, Naru stopped by the quarters for a moment.

“I should wash up and meet you.”

The accommodation was built of tents.

In addition to the office space, there was also a small conference room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms.

The soundproofing was not very good because the partitions were made of wooden planks.

“Hoo.”

It’s been four days since the massive earthquake.

Naru hasn’t been able to sleep a wink during that time.

The first day I arrived here, I was frantically trying to figure out the situation, and today I finally feel like things are starting to come together.

My body quickly began to adapt to barrack life.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go to the Academy for the time being.

Now, I had to put aside my professorship and take direct responsibility for the disaster site as the queen’s husband.

Anyway, each academy in the capital declared a month-long closure, and I was scheduled to come here a few days later to volunteer.

“Before winter comes, we need to quickly build temporary shelters for thousands of people… ”

Because there are so many disaster victims, there is no suitable vacant lot to build a dormitory.

We had to quickly clear away the rubble of the building to make room for the foundation.

Besides, installing the toilet is also a problem.

Hundreds of toilets also had to be built.

“But… ”

Naru scanned the list of nobles who had been dispatched for the first time this time.

I kind of expected it, but I didn’t think we’d meet this soon…

[2 Lapone Family Volunteers – Ashley Kang (26) and Milia Lapone (21)]

His ex-wife was clearly included on the list of noble volunteers.

In addition, as if it were a joke, he didn’t use his last name as Lapone, but instead used Naru’s last name, ‘Kang’.

Does she know that I am here and why she is doing this?

“… I might have a headache from now on.”

If we ever meet, I’ll have to nag him to change his last name right away.

***

Ten carriages carrying nobles who had come to provide disaster relief services filed into the command camp.

Since they were nobles, the commander in chief had to come out and personally greet them at least once.

“Thank you all for coming. We are all on a historic mission… ”

After giving a brief speech to the nobles lined up in a large space, he shook hands with each of them.

“Count Lihine is here too.”

“I can’t stay still. I will actively contribute my strength for the sake of all the people.”

After shaking hands one by one and moving, I finally stood in front of Ashley.

His face brightened with joy.

Her eyes widened when she saw Naru.

It was an expression of someone unable to control their emotions.

“Honey!”

How long has it been since you got divorced?

No matter how happy you are, you have to be realistic.

She tried to hug him happily, but Naru quickly moved aside.

He immediately raised his hand and made a gesture telling them not to come near.

“Lady Ashley Laponé. Thank you for your hard work on your long journey.”

I spoke clearly and concisely, deliberately emphasizing my last name.

“Honey… Can’t you hug me? It’s been a while since we last saw each other.”

Naru’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked at her, still calling her “honey, honey.”

After clearing his throat, he spoke calmly.

“You will have a hard time in the future. Cheer up. That’s all for now.”

“Don’t go! I didn’t say anything! You have to talk to me!”

“Shh.”

Naru put her finger to her lips and gestured for silence.

“Let’s talk about it later, just the two of us. People are watching right now.”

“Later? Will you meet me later?”

“I have something to tell you. Wait.”

“Okay! When will you meet me?”

“I’ll send someone separately.”

Ashley suddenly calms down and looks delighted.

A bright smile appeared on her lips again, relieved.

“Hello. Should I call you Hyeong-bu? Hehe, it’s awkward. Since my sister got divorced, I guess it’s right to call you Grand Duke? Nice to meet you, Grand Duke. I’m Ashley’s younger sister, Milia. I’ve heard a lot from you.”

Milia Lafone.

Since I had heard some of the circumstances of the Narudo Rapone family, I had a rough idea of who it was.

I know she is the daughter of the woman whom my father-in-law, Heir, met at a resort called Reese when he went on a solo trip and remarried.

I met you for the first time today and you looked so pretty and energetic.

She was completely different from Serena, Ashley’s dead younger sister.

‘If I had a sister-in-law like this, would she have helped me when I was having a hard time? Then I wouldn’t have divorced, right?’

Naru suddenly had that thought.

“The future will be difficult. Be strong and work hard for the people.”

“Yes! I’ll work hard! See you often!”

“Have a nice day.”

Naru took a step forward.

He could feel Ashley’s gaze constantly watching him from behind.

It’s very hot.

I don’t think about falling.

It’s burdensome.

‘Stop looking at me. The world knows that you and I are divorced, so if you keep looking at me like that, I’ll misunderstand. I’ll meet you quietly later and tell you to stop using the Kang surname and stop acting like we’re a married couple.’

That’s what Naru thought, but…

In fact, he was secretly attracted to the sexual allure of the word ‘ex-wife’.

Ex-wife.

At one time, I didn’t want to see her because I felt betrayed, but when I saw her again after a long time, I felt refreshed, as if I had met a new woman.

Just now, seeing Ashley brought back a warm memory, and at the same time, he remembered the shape of her breasts and the taste of her vagina, and Naru also knew that the thing in his pants had become slightly heavier.

But I tried hard to ignore it.

No matter how much I like her, I must not touch her, I thought… and made up my mind strongly.