Chapter 53: Chapter 53

Chapter 53

The continental war proceeded completely differently from the original. As I could recall, the war was over after about two years and six months, and in the beginning, the Cavilus Empire was at a disadvantage. However, it was said that the flow of victory was changed by the guerrilla-style tactics of the knights as commanded by McCain, and Cavilus eventually won the war.

However, these days, a little over a year after the war started, the atmosphere became somehow unusual. I had never heard of monsters being used in this war, but there were rumors that the enemy’s allied forces used taboo magic to summon monsters.

So, hearing the news that the enemy was approaching right in front of the capital, the empire was in a state of turmoil. Cavilus had to prepare for an all-out war, as the empire was really in danger of really getting destroyed if it went on like this.

Everyone who had not been conscripted now had to go to the battlefield to defend the country.

And because of today’s meeting, Bleon, who had just returned from going to the imperial palace, had a very dark expression on his face. I saw him and realized that my efforts to protect Bleon were all in vain.

“Duke…”

Calling for Bleon to come into the mansion, I approached him.

“Wife…”

“Did the meeting go well?”

“…Yes.”

We were both very careful with every word we said to each other. It felt like something was about to erupt if I touched him.

“Let’s hurry and go up. Was it hard?”

After a meeting that started early in the morning, he returned late at night. His exhausted expression was evident on his face, but his eyes were more sad than that. We held hands and went up to the bedroom. And after I let all the maids go, I deliberately served him.

“Aren’t you hungry? Shall I ask them to make something simple?”

“It’s okay, Wife…”

Saying it was okay, Bleon led me to the sofa. And after we sat down next to each other, he gently touched my hair.

“What did you do today?”

“Today… I read a book in the library.”

In fact, I couldn’t do anything because of my worries, but I couldn’t tell him. So, I was just saying that I read a book.

“Tomorrow… What are you going to do?”

“Tomorrow, I want to go for a walk with Bleon… That’s fine, right?”

“Of course. Tomorrow, let’s go out for a walk.”

It’s not tomorrow. Tomorrow I can be with him. I felt a deep sense of relief in my anxiety.

“Next week? Next week… Can we go for a walk?”

“…….”

So I asked again. I wanted to get confirmation from him that we would be together again next week, but Bleon didn’t answer. His eyes fluttered violently when I made eye contact with him with an expression full of impatience.

“Bleon…?”

“Haa, wife…”

“What…… happened…… ?”

“…At today’s meeting, I was ordered to go. Not only me, but also nobles and knights in the Empire have been approved to go.”

“Go…?”

“Yes.”

I had been anticipating and preparing my heart all day today, but when it really happened, my eyes went dark and my head went blank.

“We, we have no heirs. There is no successor, so why?”

That was my last hope. That was the future as I knew it, and it was the truth, so I somehow managed to avoid getting pregnant.

“You know that if there is no future for the empire, there is no point…”

“…….”

It was so true that I couldn’t even say what I wanted to say. What good is this title if there is no country? If there is no country, can a nobleman with only a name be able to live properly? We could never do that. Rather, if we were nobles with high peerage in a country that’s fallen to ruin, a more miserable and wretched life would have been waiting for us. I closed my eyes for a moment and cleared my mind.

‘I have to pull yourself together.’

Not everyone who goes to war will die. Bleon will come back alive. He’s never going to leave me alone like this. So calm down. I need to pull myself together and do what I can.

“So, when? When are you leaving?”

I opened my eyes, captured my expression, and asked him.

“Three days later. That’s what’s been decided.”

Three days later is too short. The time I had with him was too short. But I couldn’t show weakness by whining to the person who was going. I clenched my hand, holding back the tears that were about to come out.

“So soon…You have a lot to prepare, so you have to hurry.”

And with that as an excuse, I got up from the sofa. I wouldn’t cry in front of Bleon, but I needed time to make up my mind on my own. So it was when I let go of his hand and turned around to take a step. Bleon hugged me from behind, and finally the tears I had endured in his warm arms burst out like a waterfall.

“Hiic… Huhp…!”

“Wife…….”

Bleon’s voice was low and hoarse.

“Bleon…!”

I turned around and hugged Bleon’s neck. Then I buried my face in his chest and cried profusely.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Hiic, I can’t do this while holding on to someone who is going, I can’t… Hiic…”

“It’s okay. Wife. Cry as much as you want to cry…”

“I never thought I’d ever be separated from you… Huuk.”

“Me too. Haa, how could I leave my wife alone…?”

He hadn’t left yet, but tears flowed as if he had already gone. I shouldn’t cry since I’m more mature, I had to show a more determined and mature image, but I think I depended on him a lot more than I thought and put him in my heart. Now that he was going to disappear in front of me, I couldn’t make a rational decision.

“Shall… Shall we just run away?”

“What?”

Bleon whispered secretly in my ear. But I guess I’m crazy too. His call to run away sounded so tempting, not absurd.

“I can’t survive a single day without you, Wife, but can you…?”

I shook my head vigorously. I didn’t want to live a day without him.

“Then let’s run away now…? Shall we go to a place no one knows about us and live together, just the two of us?”

I wanted to. I wanted to do that so much. I really wanted to do it if I could. But if we run away like that and save our life, will he be able to live properly? Will we be able to live sanely for the rest of our life when we hear that everyone we know is dead and face the fact that we were the only ones alive? I have already suffered from blame once. And I could see how hard it was and how devastating it was. But this would be even worse than that. So I could never do that.

And Bleon… I’m not, but he was a nobleman from birth to the very bone. Nobles had their honor to protect. An honorable death was more valuable to them than a poor life. I didn’t want to taint Bleon’s name, Einer. He was a nobleman. I must protect the noble name of a noble person. I can’t let him ruin it for me. Thinking about it that way, I came to my senses again.

As I looked up at him with determination, I saw that his eyes were all red. So I opened my mouth again, holding on to my weakened heart.

“Will you die and leave me alone?”

To strengthen my will, I deliberately spit out the expression if he would die.

“You can never die. So come back and I’ll wait. I will wait until you return, Bleon, so make sure you come back alive.”

“…….”

After giving a completely different answer to his request to run away, Bleon didn’t say anything and looked at me with a despairing face.

“You are strong. So you won’t leave me alone like this. I believe you.”

Bleon got stronger. He became incredibly strong, comparable to McCain. That I could guarantee. Strong people don’t die easily. He would never die.

“Wife.”

“Then tell me you’ll be back. Please tell me that you will come back alive.”

He won’t lie to me. So, I was able to endure enough to live with his words that he would come back alive.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────