RODH Chapter 95 – End

95.

“Mmh.”

I mixed in a short breath.

How greedy of me, when I had only just risen from my sickbed.

I wanted to take those soft lips freely and tangle my tongue with his.

But Nevan, after seeming to meet me halfway a few times, turned his head away.

The sting of disappointment lasted only a moment before my lip was bitten.

I looked up at him, puzzled by the sharp sensation.

Nevan, as though nothing had happened, gazed down at me with a clear expression.

“Rest.”

“It felt good though….”

“……”

“You did that on purpose?”

“Yes.”

Nevan wiped my forehead with a dry towel placed nearby.

Even arranging my bedding, he left no opening for further intimacy.

I grew petulant and clutched at the hem of his shirt.

Perhaps because southern winters were warmer than the north, he wore only a simple shirt.

Or maybe, since it was the dead of night, he had just finished training and bathed.

With all those possibilities clinging to the shirt I gripped, Nevan let out a short sigh.

“Ian, you need to rest.”

“Just one kiss. Then I think I’ll be able to fall asleep.”

“……”

Pleading like a child made his cheeks flush faintly.

Nevan was weak to requests.

He sat at my side where I lay under the covers, and pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek.

A cool forest scent lingered softly before fading.

“Now sleep.”

“Good night.”

“Yes.”

Nevan left, and Bain came in as if to replace him.

Bain fussed that His Grace was still outside.

“He’ll probably stay until I fall asleep.”

“He really is amazing. Every night at dawn he appears—I don’t know if he even gets proper sleep anymore.”

“Really?”

I half sat up, listening carefully to Bain’s words.

Even Seor and the others had stopped by once or twice, but none visited as often as Nevan.

I wasn’t offended.

Perhaps they simply hadn’t wanted to.

Each of them must have been busy.

And besides, with Nevan’s blue eyes glaring, they couldn’t have come often even if they wanted to.

Then Bain said,

“Young master, I’ve been thinking….”

“What is it?”

“Isn’t it best you marry His Grace the Grand Duke, but keep His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince Consort, and the Admiral as your consorts?”

“You still haven’t given up?”

Bain stomped his feet, saying it was such a waste otherwise.

“Think about it. This would bring immense benefit to House Ruben.”

“Who even invented the consort system?”

“The great nobles?”

House Ruben was included among them.

It was like spitting in my own face—I shook my head.

“Look at His Grace’s face.”

“I can’t look properly, he’s too frightening. I once saw him slaughter a mountain goat bigger than a house….”

Bain gagged in pantomime.

I looked at him with exasperation, then explained slowly,

“Look closely next time. His Grace’s face is the face of an angel come down from heaven.”

“You can’t live by eating a face, young master.”

“They say you do live off your husband’s face.”

“Who says that?”

“My eldest sister.”

“Well… she’s not wrong.”

Unable to dismiss the words of my married sister, Bain trailed off—but didn’t seem about to yield his own opinion either.

I said to him, wavering as he was,

“Most of all, if you keep three consorts like that—”

Bain swallowed hard.

“They’ll fight. Just picture it. Three of them quarreling. But why is the Admiral even in there?”

“He outranks the Tower Lord, doesn’t he?”

And so Alvis was cast aside, without even realizing it.

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

“If Alvis knew, he’d cry.”

“You don’t know how much His Grace and the Admiral quarreled while you were lying unconscious.”

It wasn’t hard to imagine.

Southerners and Northerners could hardly get along.

“But still, didn’t Nevan endure a lot?”

“That’s true. Their standoff left no room for His Highness Seor to even draw his sword.”

Poor Seor.

Blinking my heavy eyes, I listened to Bain chatter on.

Unaware, I began to nod off.

Bain adjusted my bedding for me.

“Tomorrow you must eat heartily. Otherwise the others will scold you.”

“Why would they scold me?”

Even half-asleep, the absurdity of it made me chuckle.

Bain sighed heavily, just like Nevan.

“Because you do everything you’re told not to.”

“But everyone’s safe, aren’t they….”

I yawned wide.

“You weren’t safe, young master. Their hearts nearly stopped—they thought they’d be holding a funeral again.”

“All right, I’m sleepy now, Bain.”

“Good grief. You’re exactly like the Duke in his youth. Charging forward like a bull with no thought for anything else.”

Half-asleep, I muttered, “You say that like you lived back then.”

Bain said something in response, but I couldn’t remember it.

* * *

The next morning, just as Bain had warned, I was being scolded one after another.

Seor’s nagging was the longest of all.

“…There have been such foolish figures in the history of the Empire. Did you act so recklessly just to be remembered like that? What kind of righteous man throws himself in for a criminal?”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true.”

The moment I listened half-heartedly, Seor would erupt in fury.

In the middle of it, Lucian cut in to add more nagging.

“I thought Seor had already said everything, but Ian—this time I’m truly disappointed. If you sacrifice yourself for a criminal, then what about us? Should we announce to the world that Lord Ian Ruben died saving a criminal?”

“Well, that’s…”

At that moment, Alvis stepped in.

“Did I not tell you never to use magic, especially life magic?”

“Now that you mention it, the mark you gave me didn’t activate.”

Alvis explained it was because the mana shield had blocked all mana at its source.

“I never imagined you’d use that gap to rush in.”

Rather than scolding, Alvis confessed honestly that he had been terrified.

“If Lord Alex’s mana had exploded then, you would not have survived either.”

“But I’m safe, aren’t I?”

“Ian Pearl Ruben!”

I made a face as if to say, “What did I do?”—but Nevan’s silent gaze made me lower my tail.

Before Nevan, even ten mouths would have nothing to say.

Last came the Admiral’s turn.

Lucius let out a long sigh.

“Troublesome guests, every one of you.”

Still, since it was my first meeting with him, and I had shown poor manners, I apologized.

“I’m sorry. The situation was urgent, and I lost my head…”

“Enough, enough. There’s no tragedy greater than losing a precious beauty in this world. But by the blessing of the gods, that didn’t happen.”

“Ah… yes.”

I wondered if Southerners carried around a book of such lines to recite.

Then Nevan cut in.

“I find this offensive.”

“Even calling a beauty a beauty is offensive?”

“Yes.”

“Now that I look, Your Grace yourself is rather—”

Nevan glared at the Admiral.

Lucius shook his head.

“No, nothing at all. A wolf is not beautiful, but wild.”

I decided to change the subject from the Admiral’s cryptic remarks.

“Has Sir Hubert the elder been found?”

“A physician just came to see him.”

“And is it truly him?”

“He has regained his memory.”

Seor’s expression grew complex.

Meeting my gaze, he asked,

“Will you go see him?”

“Yes.”

The elder Hubert was Dennis El Hubert.

I had seen him a few times in silver armor when I was young.

I recalled it must have been during joint training.

I expected him to be much changed from then, but he seemed preserved from that time—silent and steady.

Only the flow of years showed, in the natural lines etched across his face.

“Sir Dennis, I am Ian of House Ruben. Do you remember me?”

Dennis first spotted Seor and his face twisted with emotion.

Then, seeing me, he answered with a familiar smile.

“Ian, it’s been a long time. Haven’t you grown so much?”

“I’ve gone through the coming-of-age ceremony. Soon I will be married.”

“Married? To whom?”

“To His Grace the Grand Duke of Kirias.”

“But House Kirias is…”

I smiled at Dennis and said,

“The curse of Kirias has been lifted, Sir Dennis.”

* * *

The Empire was in an uproar at the news of Dennis El Hubert’s survival.

Naturally, the one most delighted was the Emperor.

He patiently gave Dennis time until he was ready.

Meanwhile, Alex and Michael were imprisoned on charges of attempted bombings.

Peter, torn between joyful and sorrowful news, could not hide his conflicted heart.

“Father.”

For the first time, I saw the ice on Peter’s face melt away.

Dennis looked around at the unchanged House Hubert with a bitter expression.

“Yulia has gone to her rest, and you have become Lord Hubert.”

“Yes. I’m glad you are alive, Father.”

I left the two of them alone, not wanting to intrude on the reunion of father and son after eight years.

As I wandered past the rose garden, someone suddenly seized my wrist.

“Nevan!”

It was him.

We kissed, hidden in the thicket where no one could see.

It wasn’t exactly proper to be doing so in someone else’s garden, but since I had regained my health, our affection had only grown.

After kissing for some time, I caught my breath and said,

“A spring wedding would be nice.”

Nevan smiled, radiant and soundless.

The End.