3. Time of Awakening (3)

Perhaps due to becoming an Oathkeeper, Saena endured him much longer than before. Still, she was the first to fall asleep.

Constantine, who had been gazing at her face for a while after she drifted off to dreamland exhausted from long climaxes, carefully got up.

He left the room quietly and headed to his office.

A visitor was already waiting in the inner reception room.

“You’ve come, Your Grace.”

It was Commander Wesley.

“How’s the situation outside?”

“Still the same.”

“They haven’t dispersed yet?”

Currently, those gathering in Kramer territory to find the new Oathkeeper first were divided into two groups: those with political motives and those who came out of curiosity.

However, they had one thing in common—both groups were persistently seeking information.

“Shouldn’t those who gathered out of curiosity have dispersed by now?”

Thanks to Constantine’s multiple layers of information blockade, those who knew Saena was the Oathkeeper could be counted on one hand.

Since the awakening site was on a secret island above the lake, there weren’t any other clues either. With such a lack of information, those searching purely out of interest should have lost interest and dispersed by now.

Yet they were still searching?

“Well… there seems to be a reason for that.”

“What is it?”

“Someone has put up a bounty. They’re offering a reward to whoever discovers the Oathkeeper first.”

“…What?”

“And to those who bring related information too.”

“Ha.”

“It’s quite a substantial sum.”

“Which bastard…”

Constantine’s expression instantly twisted.

“We’ve been investigating quietly, and it seems there are some people moving in an organized manner.”

“Have you identified which faction?”

“Not… exactly yet, but it seems to be from the Imperial Capital.”

“Hmm.”

Constantine fell into thought.

For nearly 500 years, no new Oathkeeper had been born in the Macfeyden Empire.

Currently, the empire maintained a solid system with Guardian Spirits from five families—the four ducal houses and the imperial family. And this state had continued for quite a long time.

To the point where no one could demand changes to this structure.

‘But now a new Oathkeeper has appeared.’

This was an enormous variable.

Saena was essentially the eye of the storm that would sweep through the empire.

While the eye was calm, outside was literal chaos. Though Saena might not realize it yet, this meant there were quite a few families desperate with dreams of becoming the fifth ducal house if they could secure this Oathkeeper.

‘What to do about this…’

With so many people red-eyed with ambition, the situation was more likely to escalate than be resolved peacefully.

It could have been a serious problem if Saena had been a commoner or a noble from an insignificant family.

But fortunately, Saena was currently the Duchess of Kramer.

No one could discuss or interfere with her personal freedom.

Not even him.

“For now, try to disrupt the information as much as possible.”

The problem was that the imperial family was involved.

The prince would undoubtedly still harbor ill feelings, and that woman, the Hebeta, didn’t seem particularly friendly toward Saena either, so if they found out she was the Oathkeeper, there was a high chance of troublesome situations arising.

So it seemed better not to reveal it until they could draw out a clearer direction.

“We could use that bounty in reverse.”

“Ah, like spreading word that someone seems to be the Oathkeeper?”

“Yes.”

Eventually, they would have to reveal it as time passed. It couldn’t remain a secret forever. Still, until then, they needed to disrupt the information as much as possible.

“It might be good to leak several conflicting pieces of information. Like saying the Oathkeeper has already gone to the Imperial Capital or other ducal territories, or simultaneously spreading information that the Oathkeeper is female and male. Make it so cross-verification is needed.”

“Yes, understood.”

“It would also be good to spread information that the pillar of light wasn’t announcing the birth of an Oathkeeper but was for another reason.”

“Another reason being…”

“Say there’s an ancient ruin under the lake with a legend. A legend that says the ruin will open when the empire faces a crisis. And that ruin seems to have awakened.”

It wasn’t actually a lie.

Information disruption is usually harder to verify when it distorts truth rather than being completely false.

“Say it was a pillar of light warning that a crisis will come to this empire because the current imperial family’s next heir lacks qualification.”

This too wasn’t exactly a lie.

Though it could be considered insulting to the imperial family.

“Will that be alright? It’s about the imperial family…”

Insulting the imperial family was a crime that even a duke couldn’t escape. That’s why Commander Wesley asked once more.

“That’s why we need to proceed more carefully.”

“Understood.”

“Spread it simultaneously from our side and the Imperial Capital side so the source is hard to trace.”

“Ah, I understand what you mean.”

“Good. You may go.”

For a while, people would be busy verifying various pieces of information. Constantine dismissed Commander Wesley while thinking about what he needed to do during that time.

* * *

It was morning again.

Saena woke up feeling a solid body wrapped around her.

‘Ah…’

She had missed this.

Feeling this sensation anew made her realize more clearly. How much she had missed Constantine’s embrace.

Not just their physical intimacy, but the hugs he used to give her every day.

She had missed the gentle touch that would stroke her hair, the small skinship when he would hurriedly press his lips to her temples or forehead at every chance.

She had missed the nights of falling asleep trapped in his large embrace and the mornings waking up using his arm as a pillow.

Mornings just like this.

Waking up in his safe, reliable embrace, Saena felt warmth spreading satisfyingly through her chest. Pleased by that feeling, she turned to hug him tightly and snuggled deep into his broad embrace.

A smile naturally spread across her lips.

“…If you do that, we won’t be able to leave today either.”

“Constantine? You’re awake?”

Instead of answering, he lowered his head to capture her lips.

“Mmm…”

After tasting her lips briefly but deeply, he pulled away and smiled broadly as he said,

“Good morning, Saya.”

“Yes. Good morning.”

Saya.

At her complaint, he had started calling her by her nickname again.

‘Actually, I felt I didn’t deserve it. That’s why…’

He had explained his reason for not calling her Saya like this.

‘I thought I didn’t deserve to act familiar with you, or claim any rights over you.’

Though slightly different in nature, she could understand how he felt since she too would call him ‘Duke’ instead of his name when he felt distant.

‘I understand. But you’ll call me Saya from now on, right?’

‘Of course. As long as you don’t dislike it.’

‘How could I dislike it? You’re my beloved husband.’

‘Love… husband…’

His face had turned bright red.

And then they had spent passionate time together as he once again climbed over her body and she embraced him in return.

‘…But we need to get up today.’

Saena tried to sit up but had to swallow a groan as she grabbed her aching waist.

“Ugh.”

As if trying to make up for all their abstinent days at once, yesterday too, she had to spend quite a long night with him charging at her like an unbridled horse.

Even though she had been the one to stimulate him…

Her eyes closed slightly as she could still feel the foreign sensation inside her body, when she felt firm hands on her waist.

“…Does your waist hurt much?”

He asked in an apologetic voice while pressing her waist muscles and spine as if massaging them.

“Where was this concern when you were so aggressive earlier?”

With slightly reddened ears, he massaged her waist while keeping his eyes lowered.

“But well, it was good.”

His hands paused.

“Hah… Don’t you understand that those kind of words from you are the problem?”

“What?”

“Stop stimulating me.”

“What else should I say when something good was good?”

Saena insisted proudly.

“……”

There was nothing wrong with her words.

They were right… they were correct…

The problem was that every time Saena acted like this, his heart would pound as if it would give out, and his lower body would escape control and make excessive demands.

“When I realized my feelings for you, I thought I was dying. And I regretted.”

Saena continued speaking.

“You mean when you were being pulled into the water?”

“Yes. So I don’t want to have regrets anymore. Loving you, my feelings of liking you. These overwhelming emotions… I want to express them all. I want to express everything.”

Saena cupped both his ears with her hands and gave him a quick kiss.

“I love you.”

As soon as her confession ended, he hugged her tightly. So forcefully as if he might crush her.

“You… you really…”

Drive me crazy.

His slightly trembling voice couldn’t continue.

He poured out the emotions he couldn’t quite express in words through his breath.

He explored and swallowed her breath persistently and thoroughly.

“Mm… mmmh…”

Once again, he sweated as he worked to leave his mark deep inside her, and she opened herself fully to receive him as he pressed in.

And so another morning slipped away.

That afternoon—

Finally, they left the bedroom.

“Elizabeth, was it?”

After leaving the bedroom where they had covered each other’s bare skin, they had lunch together and then settled in the reception room attached to his office.

Like the nights that had piled up, there were many daytime conversations to catch up on.

“Yes?”

“Your acquaintance from before.”

“Ah, yes, Elizabeth. But why?”

“She’s become the Hebeta, it seems.”

“Ah…”

So the confirmation had been announced.

“You don’t seem very surprised, did you already know?”

“Yes. Actually, there was something in the letter I received from the capital last time suggesting that might happen.”

“Hmm. Your friends are quite well-informed.”

“It seems so.”

“I hadn’t been particularly collecting information from the Imperial Capital, but now I should pay more attention.”

“…Why?”

“I don’t want to appear incompetent to you.”

Whether it was a joke that held truth or truth disguised as a joke, Saena smiled slightly.

Who didn’t know that dukes primarily operated from their territories?

“You’re plenty competent, and since I know you’re busy enough, don’t add more work and just give that time to me instead.”

He swallowed hard and covered his eyes with his large palm.

“I can’t get used to this…”

I’m going crazy, he muttered.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“You…”

Being so sweet.

He swallowed the rest of his words, and Saena thought it must be because she was acting differently than before.

“You’ll get used to it soon.”

Her face held a gentle, beautiful smile full of love.

Would he really get used to this? Every time he started to feel somewhat okay, she would deliver another stimulating statement that made both his body and heart jump. His heart started pounding as if it would burst, and his lower body’s uncontrollable reactions stirred him up.

And separate from his body’s response, this feeling of being too happy…

‘Happiness… happiness…’

A word he had only known by its dictionary definition now entered his heart and reminded him of its real existence. Yet he kept doubting its presence as he tried to gauge reality.

Because it was too sweet and surreal.

“What’s this?”

Constantine snapped back to reality from his daze at her question.

Saena asked about the stack of papers lying face-down on the table.

“Ah, investigation results.”

“What investigation?”

“I had ordered some investigations before, finding it strange how Yolly was acting particularly aggressive.”

“What… Are you talking about Elizabeth?”

“Yes. And I also ordered additional investigation into the circumstances and background of her becoming Hebeta.”

“Ah…”

“Would you like to read it?”

“……”

Saena stared at the stack of papers, lost in thought.

‘Right. Why did Yolly, Yuri, guard against her so much?’

Would the answer be in here?

Could there be something more ugly than approaching with calculated financial motives?

Saena slowly reached for the stack of papers.

* * *