“Jared, have you read the letter from Father?”
“Yes, I have. I will apprehend Cornelia Alway tomorrow.”
Jared, upon meeting Mia and learning of Luzer’s brainwashing, felt indignation but couldn’t tell anyone, choosing to hide it. He believed that Luzer’s brainwashed state would be an advantage after his liberation from Dolf Ein. However, he also thought it would be unnecessary worry for others if he shared this information, and thus kept his silence.
However, as expected, Olivier saw through him, realizing he was shouldering another burden alone, and brought him to her room, where she made him confess.
He was strangely being given a lap pillow.
Though he didn’t understand the meaning of this pose, he felt inexplicably shy about her body heat transferring to his face. Moreover, Olivier stroking his hair with her fingers made Jared as quiet as a startled cat.
“Is that so? Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“That’s not an option. If all goes well, no, I will end everything tomorrow. I want Olivier-sama and Hannelore-sama, and Trane, to be able to live their lives without worry anymore.”
“I’m sorry for burdening you so much.”
A letter had already arrived from the Duke, and with permission from the Royal Palace, it was decided that Cornelia would be apprehended tomorrow. Initially, instructions were given to observe the situation to avoid it being treated as a civil war. However, after fully disclosing the fact that Cornelia had allied with defectors from Waalthe—the King personally ordered Duke Alway to apprehend Cornelia Alway as soon as possible and expel the Waalthe defectors from the country.
However, the conditions were strict. No Court Mage would be dispatched, and the Knights could not be mobilized. It was to be handled internally as a matter for the Ducal Family.
He could understand. Defectors from the Assassination Organization were operating in the capital, attempting to form a new organization. And they were doing so within the capital, slipping through the intelligence network of a clan skilled in espionage. Even so, it went without saying that the mobilization of Court Mages and Knights would cause unrest among the populace. Since no actual harm had yet occurred, they couldn’t act even if they wanted to.
Moreover, after the recent incident with Barnabas Kaif, it was not good to have such consecutive incidents. It was ideal for the matter to be handled internally as a Ducal Family issue.
The Duke understood this and sought permission to secretly deploy over a dozen direct Knights of the Ducal Family along with Jared Murphy and operate within Waalthe. To his surprise, permission was granted remarkably easily.
However, the Duke’s letter stated that Jared was to have a meeting with the King and Queen, along with the Prince and Princess, before being appointed as a Court Mage. Frankly, he wanted to scream, “Why?” While he expected to meet the King eventually, he never dreamed he would be summoned.
“By the way… um.”
“Yes?”
“Why am I being given a lap pillow by Olivier-sama?”
“What, you don’t like it?”
“It’s not that I dislike it, but, well, I’m a boy of a certain age, so I thought such intimate contact might not be appropriate, or perhaps not.”
He felt embarrassed as soon as he said it. He had already kissed Olivier, but that was it. He had hugged her before, but it was out of psychological necessity, not physical desire.
It felt good to surrender to her warmth like this, an almost pleasurable sensation like being immersed in warm water. But he also wondered why it was happening so suddenly.
More than that, he felt that if he didn’t focus on his questions, he might start thinking about undesirable things.
“…I’ve never seen you show interest in that kind of thing before, so I thought you weren’t very interested. But I’m relieved if you are, and now you’re starting to get embarrassed.”
Still, she didn’t stop the lap pillow or stroking his hair.
Moving only his eyes, he looked at Olivier, and her cheeks were faintly flushed. He realized he had said something he shouldn’t have, but as a man himself, he also wished she would feel a bit cautious.
Of course, he would also feel lonely if she became too wary and kept her distance.
Jared realized that he desired Olivier more than he himself was aware.
He didn’t dislike physical contact. However, he also worried that his blood-stained hands would taint Olivier if they touched. He had experienced many battles, but he had never done anything he could be proud of. He killed to avoid being killed, and killed enemies with the excuse of not wanting to die.
He sometimes wondered if someone like him had the right to touch a proud and kind woman who had always strived to be strong to protect her mother.
She would say she didn’t mind. In fact, she had told him so before. Still, he couldn’t reconcile it within himself.
More importantly, Jared held feelings of affection for Olivier.
Since meeting her, he had become interested in her character and was dazzled by her resolve to face her past and problems. Naturally, he wanted to help her, and he liked her as a person. Before, he hadn’t known how he felt about her as a woman, but now Jared—he liked Olivier Alway as a woman.
Once he realized it, his feelings grew stronger.
Thinking back, this might be his first love. He thought to himself. That was precisely why his body tensed up when they touched, and he felt both nervous and shy.
“Hey, Jared. I hope you can safely bring back your friend.”
Olivier’s voice brought a small assent.
“If you care about someone, then I care about them too. I know you’ve been through many difficult experiences, but I want you to stop dwelling on the past and look towards the future with us.”
“I believe that once I bring Luzer back, I will be able to face the future instead of the past.”
“I will help you achieve that. It may not be much, but I am your fiancé, so I want you to rely on me. I also want to think about you, be relied upon, and feel overwhelmed.”
“Olivier-sama, you’re eccentric. Normally, one wouldn’t go that far just because they are engaged.”
“You’re no different. How many times have you been seriously injured and close to death for your fiancé?”
“I have absolutely no retort to that.”
Olivier smiled with apparent amusement as she stroked his head.
He felt a comforting affection, as if from an older sister or a mother.
“Here, I’ll give this to you, Jared, who always gets injured.”
Saying this, she gently placed a pendant into Jared’s hand. It had a simple design, but the intricate carving of a goddess presiding over the earth indicated it was crafted by a renowned artisan. Above all, it was made of pure silver. Silver was believed to have resistance to magic, making it commonly worn as an amulet. Olivier had probably received it as a protective charm.
He knew the moment he touched it that it held strong magical power.
“I received this for my birthday when I was young and still cute. It has magical protection, so it might be useful in an emergency. Of course, I hope there won’t be any emergencies, but you never know what might happen, so keep it on you.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m giving it to you because I want you to accept it.”
“Thank you. Then, may I have you put it on for me?”
“Oh, I’d be happy to.”
Olivier put the pendant around his neck. He had never worn any accessories before, so it felt new. More than anything, the fact that Olivier had given it to him warmed his heart.
“Actually, I was going to complain a little.”
“Complain?”
“Yes, because, even if it’s for our sake, I don’t want you to face danger. But you’re always so earnest, and you genuinely worry about us from the bottom of your heart, so I couldn’t say anything.”
“It’s because Olivier-sama is so important to me.”
Unconsciously, Jared said only Olivier’s name. Usually, when discussing such matters, he would always say, “Olivier-sama and the others.” But today, Jared was different.
Of course, he knew Hannelore and Trane were also important, as was Yeny. But for now, Olivier savored the joy of feeling Jared’s feelings were solely hers.
Suddenly, Olivier noticed Jared’s soft breathing as he slept.
Olivier knew Jared was always on guard around others. His wariness, like a wounded animal’s, was understandable given his past. She even found it painful to witness. Seeing him sleep so soundly on her lap, she realized their bond had deepened from living together.
She knew how much he valued her, to the point of pain. She didn’t know if it was love, but she felt surprisingly little anxiety.
Of course, there was Yeny, who was decided to be a consort, and Trane, who was trying to become his lover, but she didn’t mind them. They were family now, so their relationship wouldn’t be broken no matter what happened.
She also felt suspicious of Adelina Bischof, the Court Mage, the dragon girl Rio, and Jared’s master, Almeida, but she didn’t want to lose.
“Good night, Jared. At least, have sweet dreams until tomorrow.”
Wishing for her fiancé, who awaited battle, to rest even a little, she gently kissed his forehead.
She felt embarrassed by her own actions, but relieved that there was no one else around, she fanned her flushed face with her hands to cool it down.
“—Ah.”
Then, her eyes met a gaze directed at her from the slightly ajar doorway.
“…Trane.”
Calling out the name of the sister-like figure with whom she had a long association, Trane, who usually had a stoic expression, entered the room with a deliberately exaggerated smile, making no sound.
Wondering how long she had been watching, Olivier began a silent battle with her comrade, trying to prevent her from reporting to their mother.
