The words were completely unexpected and Raphael’s eyes widened. His startled gaze darted back and forth.

“Why?”

“Now that the border disputes have been completely resolved, I would like to spend more time with my family.”

Raphael frowned, as if he could hardly believe the answer. After all, the reason Johannes had risen to this position was clearly due to his remarkable achievements in the war. For someone like him to leave the battlefield for nothing more than the embrace of his family seemed a rather dull choice compared to the honour he could gain from the war.

Or should he simply send him back? There was no guarantee that the border would not erupt into conflict again.

As he looked at Johannes suspiciously, Johannes spoke again.

“Of course, if war breaks out again, I will answer the call at any time.”

It was as if he had read the Emperor’s mind.

“Is that all?”

“That will be enough.”

Although the answer came immediately, the Emperor still seemed doubtful. But since he had said that he would grant whatever Johannes wished, there was no reason to refuse.

There was no need to hesitate. The war was over, and the Empire had safely passed its most difficult test.

“Do as the general wishes.”

The private meeting was over.

As Johannes left the Emperor’s office, he walked quickly. His heart raced as he thought of the person waiting for him.

As he passed through the corridor, people recognised him and greeted him respectfully. When he reached a certain point, he stopped.

It was the terrace where Rosalyn used to hang out when there was a Christmas ball.

The pale pink petals of the lilac swayed gently in the breeze. A scent long forgotten brought a deep sense of longing to him. Turning his head, Rosalyn stood at the end of his gaze.

He didn’t know when she’d arrived, but she was holding Alex and staring at him intently. Even though their eyes met, she didn’t approach him, but bent down to carefully set Alex down on the floor. She whispered something to the child, pointing in Johannes’ direction, and Alex turned to look at him.

Johannes couldn’t help but smile. The child’s eyes, staring at him in confusion, were the same colour as Rosalyn’s.

“Go on, Alex.”

Rosalyn urged and the child began to walk. Johannes stood still as he watched the little baby approach.

The blue shoes the child was struggling to wear had been bought by Johannes before Alex was born. After a few steps, Alex suddenly sat down in front of Johannes. He smiled weakly and hugged the child.

“Alex.”

As he gently patted the child’s cheek, Alex gave him a bright, innocent smile. The child seemed to have no shyness and a gentle nature. The child’s rapid growth was enough to make Johannes aware of the gap between then and now. The time he had spent on the battlefield, which he had seen as a duty, now felt like an immense regret.

After watching the child for a while, he turned to find Rosalyn approaching. As soon as their eyes met, she gave him an unexpected embrace.

Caught off guard by the sudden action, Johannes froze. It wasn’t long before he felt the fabric of his clothes becoming damp. Only then did he notice her shoulders trembling in his line of sight.

Johannes moved his hand, which had been frozen in mid-air, and patted her back awkwardly.

“Were you worried a lot?”

Rosalyn didn’t answer, just nodded her head. The sight made his heart ache. The pain was not unpleasant, but rather a feeling of joy.

Holding Alex in one arm, Johannes hugged Rosalyn tightly with the other.

He felt a strange sensation. He didn’t find it entirely unpleasant to see her crying in his arms. The idea of someone crying for him was unfamiliar, but the fact that Rosalyn cared for him made him feel unexpectedly happy.

He pulled her deeper into his embrace. He silently promised himself that he would never leave her side again. That the rest of his life would be hers, forever.

And if that life were to repeat itself forever, he would want nothing more. Considering that he had spent ten years on the battlefield just for this moment, he had no regrets about the hardships he had endured. The presence of a family he had never known before was warmer than anything else.

***

Arriving at the mansion, the celebrations and toasts continued. The once austere and solemn mansion was filled with loud laughter and merry sounds. As the merriment continued, Johannes had little time alone with Rosalyn. After dinner, Rosalyn decided to return to her quarters and told Johannes to join the knights.

Johannes went to join her, but was pulled back to his seat by the Knights, who grabbed him. Rosalyn also joined the Knights and gently placed her hand on her husband’s shoulder, subtly stopping him from following her.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been together, so it’s better to enjoy it a little longer. After such a long war, you’re here in the mansion, it would be a shame to go to bed right away.”

“You’re right, madam. We really do understand each other. Sir, please don’t rush, join us tonight.”

The already drunk retainers laughed out loud. Seeing this, Johannes quickly gave them a sharp look, worried that Rosalyn might find it uncomfortable. But Rosalyn seemed unaffected, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly and leaving quietly. It seemed that she had grown closer to the retainers and wasn’t bothered by their presence.

After a few hours, and having emptied several casks of wine, Johannes returned to the guesthouse, where he was greeted by warm light. The warm scene of the guesthouse was definitely the place he knew, but it felt strangely different from before.

What he had always found when he returned to the guesthouse after the war was the emptiness of silence.

Rosalyn was already asleep in her bedroom, perhaps waiting for him to return as she hadn’t turned off the light. When Johannes lay down next to her, Rosalyn, sensing his presence, immediately opened her eyes.

Their eyes met in the dark. Rosalyn, who had been staring at him in silence, spoke softly.

“How does it feel to be home?”

Her voice was heavy from waking, but there was a playfulness to it.

Johannes couldn’t help smiling.

“I don’t feel anything yet.”

At his somewhat awkward answer, Rosalyn let out a small laugh.

But really, everything felt strange to him. The sense of stability, affection, warmth. They were all sensations Johannes had never experienced before in his life, so it felt unreal to him.

He was even afraid that he would wake up from the dream at any moment and find that everything before him had vanished like soap bubbles.

The effects of too much wine were beginning to take their toll. Despite this, Johannes forced himself to keep his eyes open, as if determined not to fall asleep.

Rosalyn reached out and gently covered his eyes with her hand.

“Go to sleep.”

In his hazy mind he heard her soft voice and gradually his consciousness began to fade.

How much time had passed? Still half asleep, Johannes turned over and stretched out his hand. He could feel the cold leaves on his fingertips. He moved his hand around, but couldn’t grasp anything.

Not long after, Johannes’ eyelids slowly lifted. The day had already come to full light. Staring blankly into the empty space beside him, he slowly turned his head.

“…Rosalyn?”

There was no answer. Only the still air flowed, and outside the window it was unnecessarily bright. The harsh sunlight beat down on him.

When he got up from the bed and went downstairs, the scene was as silent as upstairs. For a long moment Johannes stood frozen at the foot of the stairs. An ominous feeling began to rise in him. Then he heard muffled voices from inside.

“Alex, you can’t touch the food…”

At the sound Johannes turned his head. As he slowly walked towards the source of the noise, he saw Alex sitting in the high chair and Rosalyn with her back to him. As his eyes landed on the kitchen, he saw the chaos around them.

It was a part of the house that Johannes hadn’t visited often. She must have been preparing breakfast, because everything around her was in disarray. Chopped vegetables were strewn about and some unidentified sauce had splashed all over the table.

In the middle of it all, Alex began to sulk and whine. He seemed uncomfortable with his food-covered hands and reached for Rosalyn.

Rosalyn sighed deeply and picked up the child.

The whole scene felt like a typical morning in an ordinary household, not the home of nobility.

As he stood there watching them, Rosalyn, who had turned to look for a towel, noticed him at the door and her eyes widened.

“Why are you up so early?”

But when she saw Johannes standing frozen, Rosalyn seemed to have misunderstood and her expression changed.

“You’re not going to the office, are you? There’s no urgent work, is there? I’ve taken care of most of it, so even if you did go there’d be nothing for you to do.”

Watching his reaction, it was clear that she wanted him to stay at the guesthouse. After standing like a stone for a while, Johannes slowly moved. He grabbed the towel hanging beside him and walked towards Rosalyn.

“Well, that’s good. I think I’ll just relax here in the guesthouse for a while.”

He muttered as he took Alex from Rosalyn. Rosalyn’s face lit up with a smile. Johannes, seeing her expression, smiled as well.

What had he feared? There was nothing to fear now.

The only thing that was real was this moment, right now. She was at his side and from now on every day would be like this. He felt as if he could suffocate with happiness.

“Are you as happy as I am?”

“Of course I am. Maybe even more than you think.”

The answer came without hesitation, as if whispered. Johannes’ lips formed a clear smile.

It was a feeling he couldn’t be sure of before, but not anymore. Their feelings for each other were clear and there was not a trace of doubt in his heart.

He tilted his head and kissed her cheek briefly.

“I love you.”

Rosalyn flushed and smiled softly. In her smile, Johannes saw the image of her face from long ago, when she had smiled at him by the lake. But now Johannes was sure that the future they would share together would be filled with happiness, unlike the past.

Johannes kissed her once more.

As if blessing their eternal love, the sunlight warmed them gently, casting its rays on the couple.

***The End***