SIDE STORY 2.

Like a Fairy Tale

“It’s hit! The creature is bleeding!”

“Pursue and finish it off. I’ll follow and make sure there are no others left.”

As soon as Lahart’s command was given, the knights spurred their horses into action. Though the night was deep and the surroundings dark, the knights trained under Lahart and seasoned on the battlefield had no trouble following the dark red blood trails on the white snow.

Left alone, Lahart searched the surroundings with his distinctive sharp intuition. The night in the mountains was darker and more foreboding than outside, so it was better to rely on his senses than his sight.

This mountain was close to civilian residences. Therefore, the goal was to exterminate the monsters as quickly as possible.

The monster they were currently chasing had a habit of moving in packs centered around a leader. The one that had been hit by an arrow and fled was an adult but not the leader. Either the leader was where it fled, or…

Here it comes.

Lahart dismounted and drew his sword. At that moment, a monster with black fur lunged at him.

It resembled a wolf but had sharper ears, a longer snout, and a serrated tail.

The monster’s ambush was menacing, but it was of no use against Lahart. He swung his sword effortlessly. The blue-tinged sword energy left rough marks on the snow as it surged towards the monster.

Instead of retreating from the sword energy, the monster charged at Lahart. But Lahart, as if expecting this, twisted one corner of his mouth. His sword drew a large arc.

“Keeyaaak!”

Unpleasant screams erupted from all directions. The leader’s charge was a feint, and the rest of the monster pack, hidden in the bushes, attacked Lahart simultaneously.

But they all fell in an instant, unable to even touch a hair on Lahart’s head.

“Awoo, awooo!”

Having lost its pack in an instant, the leader lost its mind and attacked Lahart.

To Lahart’s eyes, each of its frantic attacks was clearly visible.

He dodged the leader’s attacks with minimal movement and then swiftly beheaded it. It was a quick and destructive finish, leaving the leader no time to even scream.

“Duke! We heard something strange just now… huh.”

The knights, who had returned upon hearing the monsters’ cries, were speechless at the scene centered around Lahart. More than ten monster corpses lay around him, including the large body of what seemed to be the leader.

In contrast, Lahart was perfectly fine. His white cloak was spotless, without a single drop of blood.

The knights looked at Lahart with eyes full of awe, realizing he had single-handedly and effortlessly taken down a horde that even they couldn’t guarantee victory against.

Ignoring his subordinates’ gazes, Lahart shook the blood off his sword. Then he pulled a small scroll from his pocket.

The scroll was a one-time-use magical tool enchanted with a return spell set to a predetermined location. Naturally, that location was the ducal castle.

It had been three days since he left the castle. Tonight would mark the fourth day, meaning it had been nearly four days since he last saw Iren and Rian.

Lahart was now so impatient that every minute he spent here felt like a waste. If he didn’t return to the castle where Iren and Rian were waiting, if he didn’t feel their presence beside him soon, he felt he would go mad. He had no intention of spending another night away. Absolutely not.

That’s why he had deliberately let the creature escape with an arrow wound, knowing it would lead him to the leader and the remaining pack to deal with them all at once. Though it was a somewhat reckless plan since monsters were stronger at night, it posed no problem for Lahart.

He could endure physical pain and injuries. What he feared was Iren leaving him or turning her back on him. And Rian too. No one else in this world could hurt him except for Iren and Rian.

Thus, he would protect them from anything that might cause them distress. Even if it meant using his entire body, no matter what it took.

The plan worked. Now that he could return to the castle, Lahart’s expression visibly brightened.

“You can handle the cleanup, right?”

“Yes! Leave it to us!”

“I’ll return first.”

Without hesitation, Lahart tore the scroll. Seeing him use a scroll worth more than a high-grade gem without a second thought, a new knight’s mouth fell slightly open. But before he could say anything, Lahart was enveloped in light and disappeared like the wind.

The new knight, still speechless long after Lahart had vanished, cautiously asked his senior.

“The Duke always seems to return in a hurry. Even using such expensive scrolls…”

In fact, the new knight’s curiosity wasn’t just from this one hunt. Since becoming a knight, he had participated in five hunts, and each time, Lahart had swiftly dealt with the monsters and returned to the castle using a scroll.

Considering the battles the new knight hadn’t participated in, the cost of the scrolls Lahart had used would be enough to buy a decent house in Sirencia.

The new knight continued his questions.

“Moreover, I heard he even had mages develop return spells… Isn’t that an unimaginable amount of money?”

The senior knight clicked his tongue and patted the new knight’s shoulder.

“You’re lucky. If you had come a few months earlier, you would have experienced hell.”

“Hell?”

“Yes, hell. The days when Madam wasn’t in Sirencia… Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.”

The senior knight’s face turned pale as if he had barely survived a descent into hell. The new knight tilted his head in confusion and voiced another question he had been holding.

“So, is it true that the Duke is completely under the Madam’s thumb?”

“Haven’t you ever seen them together? The Duke and the Madam?”

“No, I haven’t. I’ve hardly ever seen the Madam… I can count the times on one hand.”

“That’s exactly it.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s proof of how much the Duke cherishes Madam. Don’t you get it?”

“Well, not really…”

The senior knight shrugged at the still-confused new knight. He would naturally come to understand while living in Sirencia.

Just how tenderly and dearly, no, how obsessively Duke Cardius cherished the Duchess and the young duke.

* * *

The magic circle linked to the return scroll was installed in a secluded space inside the castle. This was to respond to any potential external attacks or intrusions.

Lahart stepped out of the magic circle even before the light had fully faded. Though the castle was brightly lit even at night, the corridors were sparsely populated.

The quiet corridors were filled with Sirencia’s characteristic sharp and chilly air. Walking through it, Lahart’s presence was more fierce than a raging snowstorm.

His seemingly unstoppable stride came to a halt in front of the ducal couple’s bedroom. After the recent invitation from the Emperor to the imperial villa, Iren and Lahart had started using the marital bedroom. This was largely thanks to Rian’s strong insistence on having his own room, but Lahart was also very pleased, feeling that Iren’s heart had opened a bit more.

However, there was one problem with using the marital bedroom. No matter how much Lahart wanted, he couldn’t control every moment of his schedule, which inevitably disturbed Iren’s rest.

With monsters rampant on the outskirts of Sirencia, Lahart frequently had to go on expeditions. Even when the monsters were quiet, he would go hunting in the harsh winter to secure food supplies. The struggle for survival spared no one, regardless of status, and Lahart had no sense of entitlement in this regard.

Whether it was hunting or monster extermination, his frequent absences from the castle often led to unexpected schedule changes. Just like now.

He had considered returning at dawn rather than waking Iren by coming back late at night. He had even tried it twice. But Lahart quickly abandoned that thought. It wasn’t just his selfish desire to see Iren as soon as possible.

“…”

Lahart carefully stepped into the bedroom after opening the door. The room was dark and warm. The cozy air faintly carried Iren’s scent. Now, it was more of a sweet flesh scent than herbal. The subtle, sweet fragrance always made his heart flutter.

As Lahart quietly took off his cloak, a voice called out to him.

“You’re back?”

Iren’s clear voice called to him. Lahart immediately nodded, knowing she couldn’t see him in the dark. Showing even the smallest gesture and sincerely responding to her was something the old Lahart would never have imagined doing.

“Sorry to wake you. Go back to sleep.”

“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine, no injuries. Don’t worry and go back to sleep.”

“But…”

The bulge in the bed moved slightly. It seemed Iren was trying to get up. But Lahart could be just as stubborn as her.

Having discarded his armor, Lahart gently pushed Iren back onto the bed. Though he didn’t exert much force, his grip, honed from wielding a sword for so long, firmly restrained her.

“I guess I’ll have to stay like this until you fall asleep.”

“Alright. I’ll sleep, so please let go.”

“You said that last time too, but you stayed awake. I won’t be fooled this time.”

“It’s true. If you stay like this, it’ll be too stifling for me to sleep.”

“Got it. Sleep well.”

Lahart relented, not forgetting to kiss her forehead. Leaving behind Iren’s small laugh, he entered the bathroom attached to the marital bedroom.

Whenever he returned, regardless of the time, Iren was there waiting for him.

During the day, she was often busier than Lahart, so it was common for them not to see each other properly. But not at night. After learning that she stayed up waiting for him when he was away, Lahart had summoned the empire’s mages to develop a return spell.

The thought of Iren left alone in a dark, cold room made his heart clench and his breath catch.

Of course, he knew. Iren was not the same as before. She had the lovable Rian by her side and people who trusted, liked, and believed in her. Her reality was no longer as harsh as it once was. Like spring following a harsh winter, it was warm and cozy. She had made it so with her own hands. Lahart knew she would be spending her time well even without him.

Still, Lahart’s desire not to leave her alone in the dark again, his constant wish to be by her side, was his selfishness and anxiety. Because he had lost her multiple times.

But Iren was just as stubborn as Lahart. When he emerged from his bath and changed clothes, the bedroom was brightly lit. Iren was sitting on the bed with a small box on her lap. It was a familiar box where she kept the medicines and ointments she made herself.