Chapter 101

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 101

Chapter Title: Sealed Divine Relic

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The information about this ruin had reached the Black Mercenary Corps about a month ago.

In the meantime, Arpad had been tracking the whereabouts of the gem blessed by the gods through every channel he could think of. He'd even given orders to the mercenary corps.

But a month ago, when his adjutant came rushing in with cheers of excitement, Arpad—as Gerald—couldn't have cared less.

"We've found information on the location where the divine relic is sealed!"

"No need."

"...Pardon?"

"It's useless now."

"But sir, you've been hounding us for years to track this down. Do you have any idea how much money and time we've sunk into it? And now..."

"It's not coming back just for you."

"Th-then what am I supposed to do with it?!"

"Figure it out. Sell it for a fair price or whatever."

The adjutant's despair at that moment was off the charts.

The corps members, long accustomed to the captain's iron-fisted rule, actually felt sorry for him.

The adjutant couldn't bear to sell off the info after all the hardship it'd taken to obtain it.

And then, when the captain did a complete one-eighty and started demanding info on that precious gem, this was the first thing he brought.

"This is that info you said you didn't need anymore, Captain!!"

The adjutant brimmed with joy.

Arpad swiftly shifted gears and accepted the information.

"Well done."

Every member of the Black Mercenary Corps who heard those words doubted their own ears.

It was the first time they'd ever heard Gerald praise a subordinate.

But there was no time for their感動 to linger. Gerald spoke out of the blue.

"We're mounting an expedition. Assemble seventy thousand of our elite."

"Pardon? What expedition?"

"To here."

When Gerald set down the map of the ruin where the divine relic was sealed—the one his adjutant had handed him—the mercenaries' faces turned ashen.

The map was marked with an estimated danger rank.

- Danger Rank: S++

And now, these unfortunate mercenaries were being dragged by their captain into this out-of-nowhere adventure.

Monsters roared from all directions, and traps sprang to life everywhere.

This was a true "ruin"—one that had devoured countless adventurers and let no one inside.

The adjutant, forced to devise a conquest plan within a week and procure supplies and gear, shed tears.

'What in the world is going on here?!'

No one dared raise an objection in front of the captain, who led the charge with terrifying momentum, unleashing crimson sword aura.

Boom! Kraaang!

Gargoyles shattered under the swing of Gerald's blade.

Gerald charged ahead like a rhinoceros horn.

As a result, the group pulled off the impossible: they conquered the ruin a full day ahead of the absurd schedule Gerald had set.

The night Arpad suddenly left a message for Yulken and vanished.

I found myself alone in the bedroom for the first time in ages.

I had the massive bed all to myself for once.

"Yippee!"

I let out a cheer and dove onto the bed, reveling in its perfect cushioning.

I rolled around, hugging a pillow, savoring my freedom.

Ever since getting married, whenever I fell asleep, woke up briefly in the night, or got up in the morning, Arpad was always there in my line of sight.

He was always watching me with his eyes wide open.

'Even with dragon blood meaning he needs less sleep, that was a bit much.'

At first, I thought he was just keeping tabs on me.

I even said as much once.

"Sleep comfortably for once."

"I am sleeping comfortably."

"You're not actually sleeping because you're on guard against me, right? Even if you let your guard down completely, I couldn't hurt you anyway, so relax."

Arpad gave me a look like I'd said something ridiculous.

"I know that. Even if I stuck my neck out, those skinny wrists of yours couldn't kill me. Unlike regular folk, I don't die easy from a knife to the gut."

"Then why do it?"

"I don't need much sleep to begin with. And..."

Arpad trailed off ambiguously.

His expression was so odd that I pestered him until he gave in and answered.

"It was weird."

"Huh?"

"I'd never imagined anyone lying next to me before. It was so unfamiliar and strange... and fascinating that I just watched."

Surprisingly, in those early days of marriage (well, still newlyweds now, technically), Arpad and I had felt much the same.

Dragon blood or not, a person's still a person, I guess.

Lately, he'd grown a bit more accustomed and even let me see him sleeping sometimes.

It felt like taming a feral beast bit by bit—immensely satisfying.

That's probably why.

After getting so used to him...

This huge bed felt so empty.

'Hmm. Didn't think of this downside. Even after years married to Ludwig, I never felt this.'

A few butterflies fluttered deep in my chest.

The unfamiliar sensation made me shake my head and hug the pillow tighter, rolling across the bed some more.

Then I miscalculated and tumbled right off onto the floor.

"Oof!"

Only then did it hit me.

The reason I hadn't fallen out of bed all this time was that solid wall of a man, Arpad.

I have terrible sleeping habits—I've been falling out of bed since I was a kid.

That's why my bed back at Delphin had railings, but there was no way this one did.

'And yet I never fell out once while asleep.'

For the first time, it occurred to me that might've been thanks to Arpad.

"..."

I drifted off late, carrying an undeniable loneliness.

For the entire time Arpad was away.

Whether Arpad was by my side or not, time marched on relentlessly.

And all the plans I'd set in motion proceeded without a hitch.

Three days after helping Duchess Muzeen.

I received a request for an audience from her and the young duke.

Thanks to that, I got to meet the duchess in good health, along with her son.

"Iolin Muzeen greets Your Highness the Crown Princess."

"Aaron Muzeen is honored to meet Your Highness."

They were remarkably polite, far beyond what their status and power demanded.

Moreover, Duchess Muzeen seemed startled to see Grand Duchess Axion—my chief lady-in-waiting—right by my side.

She gave a brief bow to the grand duchess in greeting, then looked at me with eyes full of admiration.

She must've assumed the grand duchess's name was just for show on the chief lady-in-waiting roster, given her prestige.

Seeing the grand duchess personally attending me forced a rethink.

And aside from that, they had every reason to treat me with respect.

"Without Your Highness's help that day, my mother would've faced grave peril. Allow me to express our formal gratitude."

"Truly, thank you so much, Your Highness."

They already knew it was me who'd helped them back then.

"No need for thanks. It was pure luck the timing worked out."

I asked Aaron Muzeen one thing that had been nagging at me.

"Did Ruth's daughter happen to tell you who I was back then, by any chance?"

Aaron chuckled and shook his head.

"No. Lady Ruth went pale as a ghost and vanished without a word. Quite rude, if you ask me."

The duchess sighed beside him.

"I've heard about what happened between Lady Ruth and Your Highness. Even so, to clam up like she was hiding something... She's as petty-hearted as the rumors say."

Evangeline Ruth had clearly left a poor impression on this mother and son.

Unlike before my regression.

'Back then, they were prime followers of hers.'

The duchess had even thrown a fit because she couldn't get that dress dyed with the Shaling petals she loved so much, right up to the end.

Rita Morgan (Isipin) never made dresses for anyone close to Evangeline.

'But this time, she got her hands on an Isipin dress for the first time outside of me.'

Maybe because of that—or maybe from nearly dying and pulling through—she looked positively radiant.

Her eyes sparkled at me like stars.

"...?"

But it was a little intense.

Intense enough that I started breaking a nervous sweat.

She wouldn't take her eyes off mine.

"Duchess?"

"......"

"Is something wrong, Duchess?"

I called her a few more times, but she kept staring at my eyes in a trance.

Aaron cleared his throat and nudged her side, snapping her out of it.

"Oh dear, forgive me! I lost myself there for a moment."

"It's fine. Is there something on my face?"

The duchess's pale cheeks flushed pink.

She gazed at me like a girl with stars in her eyes.

"You're just so much to my taste, Your Highness."

"...Pardon?"

I nearly spilled the tea I was sipping from the shock.

Aaron gawked at his mother in horror.

"M-Mother?!"

I mumbled blankly.

"Um... I'm already married, Duchess."

You have a husband—and a son right there besides you.