episode_0157

* * *

Tepelo Castle, part of the Karelian Army.

“Wow, hehe… … Just a little bit, just a little break… … .”

Francis, the eldest son of Kane’s children entrusted to Luna, and who shows great talent in spearmanship, puts his spear in the ground and gasps for air, making a demand to his teacher –

“Hey. Are you already causing a stir because you are so young? How much did you say you did?”

The female teacher, with her red hair roughly tied back, was looking at her student with pitiful eyes.

“From the sun rises until the sun just sets… … I continued training except for lunch time.”

“What’s wrong with that? What are you going to call it a play at night? At that age? If you’ve decided to become stronger, don’t you have to practice until you go to bed?”

“I… … Tifa. Anyway, practicing all day is a bit… … .”

Teacher Tifa approached Francis and spoke in a very serious tone.

“Hey. You say you want to be active? Didn’t you want to look good to Luna?”

“No, that’s… … .”

Francis lowered his head, blushing slightly.

“Now, rather than looking good… … In order to somehow achieve outstanding results and avoid damaging my uncle’s reputation… … .”

“Grandpa Kane? What kind of face does that gloomy old man have?”

Tifa said that and burst into laughter.

Depending on the situation, it could have been a very rude remark, but Francis had also felt the bond between Tifa, Kane, and their master Luna while staying here, so he did not bother to criticize him.

“Hey, Francis. You are much better than Grandpa Kane. Talent is talent, but as far as what you have, you are really a much better person. That old man looks a little shy, doesn’t he? I don’t know exactly who you are, but you still feel like a noble prince. Since I use my body all day, my skin is pretty good.”

“… … .”

Francis lowered his head and said nothing.

to be honest.

By this age, I was old enough to know that my appearance was superior to that of my peers.

Because it was filling Francis with adolescent self-esteem.

Of course, in these difficult times, a man’s appearance is outstanding, and what is so important about a man’s appearance?

“At least among the men I’ve seen, you’re in second place. So be proud, man! What a shame Grandpa Kane has! It’s good to be like that old man, so Francis, sweat to make your name known across the continent, you bastard.”

Tifa Dane brought up the story to encourage him in her own way, but-

Francis, who was still young, caught a word in her sentence that he couldn’t just ignore.

“… … Second place?”

If I were a normal person, I would have made a mistake expression here…

Muscular Brain Tifa, who doesn’t like lying, or even doesn’t know how to lie, answered honestly without thinking about it.

“Huh? uh. You are in second place. There was a man who was much more handsome than you.”

Still, for Francis, who grew up hearing people around him say, ‘You have an outstanding appearance,’ this could not have been a very important event.

“Really? Who is that?”

“Swen.”

“Swen… … ?”

“First time hearing this? He is a man who served as a detective in our military… … Huh?”

at that time.

Tifa, who saw Luna approaching from a distance, raised her hand and said hello.

“Uh, Luna? Is your work already done?”

“Yes. There is nothing special to do until an order comes from above.”

Currently, war clouds were hanging over the southern continent more than ever, led by Hesna County.

The reason Tifa trained Francis intensively was because she was confident that if Francis was as talented as other generals, she would be able to put him into combat immediately.

Her theory was that for a general wandering the battlefield, actual combat experience was more important than any training.

“Really? What did I ask for?”

“But that’s why I came here. Oh, wait a minute.”

Luna turned her head to look at Francis and asked with a grin.

“Francis, you always work hard. Have you been working hard today?”

“Ah… … Yes, four!”

Francis, who had been sitting down, immediately got up from his seat and answered her bravely.

“I continued to work hard to help Luna somehow.”

“Really? Hehe, I feel reassured.”

Francis could not bear to meet Luna’s eyes as she smiled like starlight as she said that –

Turn your head quickly to cool your heated face.

I feel like I want to help Luna somehow… … Does she even understand?

“What were you two talking about? Talk about performance?”

“Swen’s story.”

“… … Huh?”

at that time.

As soon as she heard the name ‘Swen’, Luna’s expression clearly turned red.

“Swen… … ? Well, suddenly… … ?”

To Luna, who didn’t know what to do, Tifa said without thinking.

“Yes. I was telling Francis. He will become a general in our military in the future, so wouldn’t it be good to know in advance about the tricks we can’t live without?”

“Ah… … That’s what it meant… … .”

Luna took a short sigh.

‘… … !’

She smiled, looking very happy both as a monarch and as a woman.

That smile is so beautiful, so pure, and makes people feel so warm, regardless of the emotions.

Crucially – it was a smile that Francis had never shown before.

She was always kind to me, kind, smiling and serving me quietly… but… … I’ve never smiled like that before.

“That’s right. The only tactician in our military is Swen. No one else… … Because I can’t replace Swen.”

“… … .”

“… … I hope you are doing well.”

Hehe, her smile definitely looked like a girl in love.

“She will be fine. Even the nonsense things were, when you look back, they were all true, right?”

“I guess so… … ?”

It wasn’t that difficult to read the maddening longing in Luna’s eyes.

At that moment, Francis, who had sworn to hold the spear for her, feels a wall he can never overcome.

What kind of man is Swen?

What kind of man is he to make Luna make such an expression?

Francis hides a complex feeling that he feels for the first time in his life and cannot be explained in words… … Think quietly.

What kind of person is he?

* * *

“Serpina… … sir… … ?”

“… … .”

After hearing her one-sided ‘sentence’, I was half entranced and could barely utter her name.

Serpina looked at me like that… … Slowly, he placed his hand under my chin and slightly raised my head.

“Like last time, you call me Serpina at a critical moment.”

“No, this… … My lord.”

“It’s okay. Because I don’t care about small things. Didn’t I say it clearly just now? No matter who is inside you, it’s okay. okay. It’s okay if you don’t serve me now.”

“… … I am… … I’m already part of Serpina’s army.”

To me, who is using the word “serving” in an indirect way –

She raised the corners of her mouth slightly.

Just now, those shiny, moist lips smiling seductively… … I couldn’t believe it at all that his lips were touching mine.

“Swen. You are so good at lying to women. No one would dare to calmly tell a lie in front of this body without even changing their expression. Hehehe… … .”

“… … !”

It’s a lie… …

why… … Can you be that sure?

Is there some source I don’t know about?

She was a monarch, and my whereabouts could be fully investigated if one wanted to, so from Serphina’s perspective, it might not have been that difficult to find a connection between me and the lord I truly served – Runarien.

Although I was a little embarrassed, I thought it was likely just a guess, so I gritted my teeth and gave him a puzzled look.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“Swen. Is the real master you embrace really Lin Brans, or is it Baranga Yuuri Acious, or if not, is it someone else…? … There’s no way I can find out. You’re not that sloppy enough to get caught.”

I was a more sloppy person than I thought, but there was no need to remind her of that.

“But, I have no intention of giving up on you. A person with Eigart’s blood will never give up what they want. Whether it’s this continent, or Swen… … Regardless of whether you are a human being.”

Serpina said so-

He looked straight into my eyes.

The fragrant scent of citron that had been filling my mouth just moments ago tickled my nose with a pop as her face got closer.

“When Yeo was still young, it was a time when everyone believed that the empire would prosper at some point. Countless men approached her. They worked hard to win the favor of me, who had blood from the royal family. As if he were a peacock showing off his feathers, he gave a long speech about how his family, his position, and his talents were worthy of me, who had noble blood, and how much glory he could bring to the royal family. .”

“Not a single one of them could capture her heart. They were so obvious. I could see what they were thinking and what they were aiming for when they approached her and wagged their miserable tails. They were all just predictable people. Every single person.”

Her eyes shine as she says, “Not even one person.”

beautiful.

“After becoming a monarch, he couldn’t even wag his tail at me. Because I was a tyrant whose blood I washed away. I was able to gain freedom only after I became something that small children were afraid to even approach. Isn’t that funny? Even though this body at this moment has become much more valuable than me when I was still young and didn’t know anything, I can’t approach it with fear?”

Serpina smiled as she said that.

It was a similar tone to Lin Brans… … While Rin’s smile was filled with arrogance, Serpina’s smile was purely joyous and mischievous.

“But, Swen. You are different. You are better than any man I have ever met… … I can’t read it. This is my first time doing something like this. No man has ever made my body pound like you do. If you mix your talent with Eyngart’s noble blood… … Aren’t you curious about what will be born? Hehehe… … ♥”

Serpina finished talking to that point.

He looked at me with a very red face and a very sticky voice… …

“I will say it again. The humans of the Eingart family never lose sight of what they long for and desperately want. And—”

――This body wants you.

I only realized this after listening to her story.

Coming to this world, the woman I will be most deeply involved with is not Luna… … Maybe it’s her.

And for me, who had to stick by Serpina’s side and somehow preserve her life, it was like setting up an unavoidable time bomb.

* * *

“Thank you… … !”

The market alley of Eyngart Castle.

Reika, who now had the freedom to go outside without any hesitation, was purchasing various items necessary for daily life.

‘Thanks to Iren, I think I’ll be able to leave the dorm soon… … From then on, you can try cooking in earnest, right?’

Although it was said that all meals were taken care of by direct maids, Reika wanted to spend time in the kitchen herself.

Even if it wasn’t cookies, cakes, or bread, there were a lot of foods I wanted to try.

For her, who had always been confined to a mansion like a caged bird, practicing magic over and over again, each simple attempt to plan something on her own gave her a strange thrill, like a kind of deviation.

‘Then let’s stop by over there… … uh?’

That moment.

Something unusual came into Reika’s field of vision.