RODH Side Story Chapter 11

Side Story 11. The Life of Newlyweds

No matter how much Alvis tried to dress up his words, there was no avoiding the truth.

The fortress displayed all the worst traits of Northerners.

“So… what you mean to say is, you don’t care if it breaks?”

—That is correct.

“…Ha.”

The energy drained from the room.

Ian turned his gaze to Alvis, hoping there might be another way, but the man only shook his head.

“If the fortress refuses, we cannot connect the trunk to the protective artifact.”

“Then persuasion is our only option.”

“Do you have any means of doing so?”

There was no clever solution to be found.

But Ian had no intention of simply watching while the fortress behaved so recklessly.

On the day the wyverns attacked, how terrified Blony had been.

If something like that happened again, her heart wouldn’t survive.

And Ian no longer wanted to see Nevan put in danger either.

Pointing toward the heart of the fortress, Ian said,

“It’s old anyway. Let’s tear it down and build a new one.”

“What?”

“Let’s rebuild. A new fortress wouldn’t be this stubborn. Clinging to its own pride while others get hurt… how ridiculous.”

As expected, the fortress reacted.

—What did you say, a new fortress?

“Yes. We’ll tear it down and rebuild. Selling off a couple of mines should just about cover the costs.”

—How dare you speak of a new fortress while I still stand?!

Rumble—

The underground shook as if it would collapse.

“My lord Ian, it’s dangerous!”

Alvis wanted Ian to stop there, but Ian had no such intention.

If it was to be a showdown, he was ready to take it to the very end.

Ian was the kind of man who carried through once he decided.

“I have a seed blessed to me by Anna Tuatla herself. Planting it as a ceremonial tree when we rebuild the fortress would be perfect.”

—Y—You…!

“Well, it’s not that I dislike the current fortress.”

—Then why, in the name of the heavens!

“How could anyone live, eat, and sleep in a place that might collapse the moment a monster charges through?”

—…

The fortress fell silent, unable to respond.

Unlike the others, who had gone pale, Ian remained calm.

“If the protective artifact functions properly, then we won’t need to demolish and rebuild. That’s the best outcome. But either way, I won’t mind.”

“Your Grace the Grand Duchess!”

Even for the one destined to bring spring, rebuilding the fortress was a weighty matter.

Where would they live in the meantime? And the budget was no trivial issue. Yet he spoke of selling off two precious mines!

Luke was utterly opposed.

Blony felt the same.

For the fame of Kirias did not come from the Grand Duke’s name alone, but also from the venerable fortress itself.

At that moment, the fortress cried out.

—Khhrrrm! Very well! As the Grand Duchess commands, I shall allow the use of the protective artifact.

“You must not go back on your word.”

—My pride is at stake. I will share Kirias’s fate until the very end.

“Thank you.”

Immediately, Ian summoned the other knights to install the artifact.

The massive crystal shone with a blue light, rising in an instant from underground to the surface.

Before long, Nevan and Klain came rushing in.

“My lord Nevan.”

“Are you unharmed?”

Before even greeting Alvis, Nevan went straight to check Ian’s condition.

Fortunately, Ian looked unscathed.

Still, just in case, Nevan took both his hands and examined his palms.

The hands bore only the scar of an old wound, nothing fresh.

Ian, noticing the many eyes on him, quickly pulled his hands back.

“I didn’t use magic. By the way, what brings you here? At this time, you should be out on inspection…”

“I had a strange feeling, so I came.”

One would expect him to ask what had happened, but instead Nevan silently looked around.

“The protective artifact is functioning.”

At that, Klain and the knights let out something between a sigh and an exclamation of awe.

“I spoke directly with the fortress. Lord Alvis assisted me.”

“Thank you, Lord Alvis.”

Alvis clasped Nevan’s hand and nodded.

“It’s quite an unusual fortress. The reason the trunk and the core had never connected before was due to its fickleness.”

“…”

Nevan frowned slightly but said nothing more.

The other knights, however, looked utterly baffled, unable to make sense of it.

Regardless, the problem was solved, and Ian assured them he would now be able to live in the fortress in peace.

“Let’s go back up.”

Ian’s stomach had been unsettled for a while, and he no longer wished to remain here.

Had Nevan not appeared, he might have left long ago.

* * *

The suffocating feeling in certain places continued.

It was fine where the air was clear, but the moment I stepped into the kitchen or a closed room, the heaviness in my chest became unbearable.

Antacids only worked for a day or two, so I ended up living off mint tea.

‘You must get examined.’

Nevan, after hearing about it, had worried, but aside from the tightness in my chest, there was nothing else wrong.

And I didn’t want to summon a physician for something like this.

Once again today, after filling my stomach with mint tea, I headed toward the west library.

“Let me come with you, Your Grace the Grand Duchess!”

Blony followed behind me, pushing a cart full of books.

“I told you there’s no need to carry all of that.”

“But you should still read everything you wish to, my lady. Before long, even that might be difficult for you.”

“Hm? What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, nothing at all!”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Blony.

Like Bain before her, she busily rolled her eyes to avoid my gaze.

Now that I thought about it, the day to visit House Ruben was drawing close.

I couldn’t help but look forward to seeing how Bain had kept the place in order.

The west library.

Unlike the eastern library, this one was blocked on all sides with books.

Because of that, it wasn’t a place one could linger, so I began selecting the necessary books quickly.

Ah, better leave etiquette.

The teacher who visited me every week was more than enough for that.

“You should head back now, Your Grace. Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Yes. Please, quickly.”

“It is true I feel stifled. Thank you, Blony.”

Tsk.

Unable to determine the cause of this tightness in my chest, I returned to my chambers.

The moment I stepped into a room with open windows, the heavy pressure seemed to lift right away.

‘Is it just my imagination, or do I truly need to be examined?’

That thought lingered as I read, until eventually drowsiness overtook me.

It had always been like that, but lately, oversleeping had become worse.

So I tried to avoid napping during the day… but that wasn’t something the body obeyed easily.

In the end, I yawned widely and fell asleep with my head resting on the desk.

I think I even dreamed.

A lone eagle soared beneath a cloudless blue sky.

I stood in the middle of a snowy field.

Thanks to the silver fox fur cloak Nevan had gifted me, the cold did not touch me.

Feeling the crunch of snow beneath my boots, I ran forward without pause.

A wolf with pointed ears stared at me.

The moment its yellow eyes met mine, I felt as though I were being pulled into them.

“Haah!”

I jolted awake, shaking off the image of the far too vivid wolf.

The tightness in my chest returned.

* * *

Nevan was worried about how little Ian had been eating lately.

“It’s just… a time when I’ve lost my appetite, that’s all.”

That was what Ian said, but Nevan suspected he was suffering from homesickness.

And since it was unkind to hold back someone who longed for home, he told Ian he could visit today.

“Truly?”

Ian lit up with joy, like a child receiving a gift.

“Take Luke with you. He’s someone I trust.”

“Then I’ll be off.”

After a brief kiss and seeing Ian off, Nevan returned to his office—only to overhear something shocking along the way.

“I tell you, it’s certain that he’s with child!”

“There’s no way it could happen so quickly. His Grace the Grand Duke is far too busy…”

“What is this about? Who is said to be with child?”

Caught in an argument with Klain, Blony lowered her head and answered.

“Lately, His Grace the Grand Duchess has been complaining of indigestion. The symptoms are so much like what my cousin experienced when she was with child…”

“…”

The words ‘pregnancy’ and ‘symptoms’ floated separately in Nevan’s mind.

For a long moment they refused to connect—until suddenly the realization struck him.

Ian might be carrying a child.

Was it that day?

The timing fit.

“Klain, I’ll leave things in your hands.”

“Your Grace.”

“I must go.”

“…Understood.”

Leaving Klain behind, Nevan mounted his horse.

He would not catch up with the carriage that had already departed, but by dusk he would arrive at the ducal estate.

The moment he arrived, he would summon a physician to confirm whether Ian was indeed with child.

As the horse galloped, it felt as though his very heart was racing along with it.

A family.

The family he had longed for so desperately.