What nonsensical talk is this?

Lucilia thought she couldn’t properly understand his meaning because she was still in an unstable state.

As she remained silent with round tears hanging at the corners of her eyes, Aaron caressed her cheek.

“Since that night, after I took your one night, I’ve been suffering from inexplicable pain.”

“Who? You’ve been in pain, Baron?”

“Yes. My heart would suddenly ache, tears would come without warning, and I would occasionally be startled by sudden sharp pains despite having no wounds. I suspect your emotions and pain are being transferred to me.”

Every word he spoke seemed strange.

In other words, all these symptoms had newly appeared after their wedding night.

In an instant, an intuitive realization flashed in her mind.

My beloved daughter.

Satisfy the hunger of the flesh. Do not hesitate to bloom fully.

You shall be eternally subordinate to the hero of radiance, drinking in joy from him and letting pain flow away.

I shall protect you with compassion, so you shall be completely freed from bondage.

Lucilia murmured part of the prophecy.

“It said to satisfy the hunger of the flesh. To be eternally bound to the hero and let pain flow… away.”

“Is this related to the prophecy?”

She had been hiding the truth with the altered prophecy all this time, but now seemed like the time to speak.

After all, she wasn’t a saint anymore, so there was no need to hide it from Aaron.

As she tried to sit up, Aaron placed his hand under her back to help her rise.

Lucilia looked solemnly at Aaron as he wiped away her tears.

She found it difficult to speak the truth.

What if he called her a liar?

But this was something she would have to face eventually, so with the mindset of making a confession, she maintained her conscience.

“I changed the content of the prophecy.”

“What?”

“I was young and didn’t know much, but it just felt wrong. I thought the prophecy might cause conflict. Because it said the saint would be subordinate to the hero. So I changed parts of it.”

Lucilia told Aaron the original content and then pieced the puzzle together one by one.

“Last time, you mentioned that the Pope brought down the Artnal family because of ‘The Birth of a Hero.’ After hearing your words, I roughly guessed. That you are the hero mentioned in the prophecy.”

“Then does that mean the prophecy applies to individuals?”

“I’m not sure.”

At this point, she wondered what use it all was.

Whether it applied to individuals or nations, the role of the saint had already ended.

What she needed to focus on was her relationship with Aaron.

If the prophecy was the medium binding Aaron and her together, it couldn’t be better.

It meant God had guaranteed it.

“The pain and tears you mentioned seem to correspond to the part that says ‘let pain flow away.'”

Despite having said they were bound by an invisible force, now that they were approaching the truth, Aaron seemed incredulous.

Lucilia, silently staring at the bewildered Aaron, emptied her mind of questions one by one.

“How did you find me? Did you hear the whistle?”

“As soon as I saw the smoke rising in the distance, I went to the camp, met Ension, and searched the mountain.”

He said that the whistle sound that should have been heard wasn’t audible, so they wandered for a long time using footprints as clues.

Then he stopped after smelling a peculiar scent, which he added seemed like incense.

“It felt as if a hazy veil had been placed over the air, stopping its flow. Sure enough, when I blew the whistle, the sound was blocked by something and couldn’t penetrate.”

“And then?”

Aaron pressed his index finger to his eyebrow area and frowned.

“While tracking just based on traces, I suddenly felt a sharp pain. I sensed that you were injured.”

So he frantically searched the area following the scent. A sigh escaped Lucilia’s lips as she recalled that terrifying moment.

“If you had been a little later, I would have lost my eye.”

She might never again have seen Aaron’s angry expression or this familiar space they shared.
He cupped Lucilia’s cheek and kissed her bloodshot eyes.

Had he accepted that their relationship was arranged by God? His attitude had changed significantly, as if he had decided to give his heart completely.

His gentle caressing hands and desperate searching lips were deliriously pleasing.

Lucilia grasped Aaron’s cheeks and pressed her lips to his.

When she took the initiative, a slippery flesh pushed into her mouth. As if pouring out his pent-up possessiveness, he relentlessly added his body heat before wrapping his tongue around hers obsessively.

He took her breath away, capturing even her slightest movements, but soon created distance, considering her health condition.

“Luci…”

She never expected to hear her childhood nickname from Aaron’s lips.

A thrill ran through her when he called her by the name that even her parents hadn’t used since she became a saint.

Completely immersed, Lucilia was overwhelmed with emotion before finally conveying her feelings.

“Thank you for staying by my side, for finding me.”

Aaron didn’t answer but only released a languid breath.

Sensing what seemed like anguish, she gave him small comforting kisses, which elicited another sigh.

“Haah…”

“Is there something else you want to say?”

“Return to Tudra now.”

When her pupils trembled slightly, Aaron traced his thumb near her eyebrow as if tracing over a wound.

“If you stay here, I can’t focus on the battle. If you were to get hurt…”

“Then promise me you’ll return safely.”

Though she realized he had completely opened his heart to her, it still felt like a dream, and she needed confirmation.

During their time apart, they might return to harsh reality.

An unwelcome presence, a husband’s coldness, people’s pointing fingers.

Fear overwhelmed her that all of that might be repeated.

Lucilia waited for his answer, hoping Aaron would promise.

“It seems the part about being eternally bound to the hero of radiance is wrong.”

“What… do you mean?”

“No matter how I think about it, I seem to be the one bound to you. So I’m the only one suffering.”

What had been anxiety now erupted into laughter.

She didn’t mind the feeling of reigning over Aaron. Having the knight known as the “Black Fog,” who ruthlessly annihilated enemies, as her husband was already more than she deserved, yet he had lowered himself.

Lucilia tightly pressed her quivering lips and narrowed her eyes.

“So, will you promise or not?”

“I have to do as you say; what power do I have?”

Aaron kissed the bridge of her nose and pressed his forehead against hers.

Their breaths mingled as he clung to her smooth skin. Even without kissing, it felt like they were sharing breath.

Without moving her forehead away, Lucilia pleaded:

“The longer your return date stretches, the more I’ll lose my sense of reality.”

“Sense of reality?”

“Whether you truly cherish me, whether we really shared marital affection, whether this tender moment with our faces close, whispering—isn’t just a dream. I’ll become increasingly confused until it becomes as if it never happened. So please promise me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, he abruptly got up, went to the table, and scribbled something.

While writing, he glanced at Lucilia with a grin, looking as if he were writing some kind of guarantee.

And it really was a guarantee.

“Read it.”

“What is this?”

“I’ve written it down so you can claim ownership.”

“What ownership?”

“Read it and you’ll understand.”

Lucilia took the piece of paper with a puzzled expression.

Its content was so strange yet playful that her mouth fell open involuntarily.

[Aaron Artnal acknowledges Lucilia Artnal as his wife and grants her the qualification of lord’s representative.

This authority shall take effect immediately, and furthermore, permission is granted to claim ownership of Aaron Artnal.]

Though it was clearly hastily made, that very fact conveyed its sincerity.

Lucilia slightly frowned one eyebrow and scratched the corner of her eye.

“What is this? So… you’re saying you belong to me?”

“That’s right. One more thing.”

His face flushed red, seemingly embarrassed by what he had written. Yet his expression remained as stern as if issuing a military command.

“Change how you address me. My name would be good.”

Aaron’s action was immediate.

Their relationship had changed so rapidly that she could barely remember ever feeling intimidated by him.

This was clearly a battlefield, yet a fluffy love bloomed in her heart.

It hadn’t even been a full day since she had survived a life-threatening situation. Far from peace, the shadow of death still loomed.

Thinking of the soldiers, she felt guilty about whether this was appropriate, but she couldn’t give up this happy moment.

“Aaron.”

“That sounds nice. Call me that from now on.”

Like an announcement that spring was not far off, winter buds sprouted on every snow-covered branch.