Aira trembled with embarrassment in the couple’s bedroom, her head buried in a pillow. Jens lay on his side next to her, propped up on one arm.

“Am I really that useful? Especially my waist…”

“Be quiet.”

Aira mumbled with her face still buried in the pillow. Jens laughed and stroked her hair.

“It’s okay. It didn’t sound weird.”

Lying face down and quietly enjoying the touch of his hand, Aira lifted her eyes slightly at those words. But before she could, Jens showered kisses on her eyelids.

“Even your slip-ups are adorable.”

“See, you do think it was a mistake! What do you mean it’s okay!”

Aira pounded on Jens’s chest. Then, exhausted by her own efforts, she flopped down again. Swallowing her quickly labored breaths.

Jens chuckled and took it all, then lay flat and pulled her on top of him. And while gently fiddling with the ends of Aira’s hair with his fingers, he suddenly asked.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay. How am I supposed to face the captains?”

“Not that. You tried to use magic earlier, didn’t you?”

“Ah.”

Before, she could have easily jumped off a cliff, no different from stepping down a single stair.

But now there was no magic. She’d become as powerless as when hit with magic-suppressing handcuffs.

She’d even trained only technique when learning weapons without building any basic stamina, so she got winded from the smallest movements. Her physical condition was even worse than Jens, who had trouble walking.

Moreover, though she hadn’t realized it before, Aira, who’d suffered from the Emperor’s Disease her whole life, was fundamentally frail—her body already badly damaged by that illness. She kept catching colds or pneumonia at the drop of a hat, making Jens anxious.

Aira felt somewhat dejected and pressed her cheek against Jens’s chest. She’d thought she’d be fine even without magic power.

“How is it without magic?”

Like reading her mind, Jens’s question followed. Aira answered thoughtfully as things came to mind.

“Well… honestly, I’m scared. Magic is something I’ve used my whole life.”

It felt like being thrown into water without learning how to swim. Even though she could clearly see the water only came up to her waist, it might suddenly deepen if she walked a bit further.

“Plus, before I always had clear goals—leaving the Empire, revenge, and… fulfilling Jens’s wish. But honestly, right now I don’t really know what to do.”

A few months since returning. Meeting Schaefer and Yuvil in person after only exchanging news on paper really made it hit home that a new life had begun.

But she felt lost. She felt like she should move immediately but had no idea where to start.

Especially watching Jens, who was still busy despite his leg being in that condition and even quitting the navy, made that feeling stronger.

When she peeked at what he was doing, he’d explain each ongoing task one by one.

Recently he’d been working hard for the Gangria Archipelago’s promotion to autonomous territory status. Sending countless letters here and there outside Armeria Island with the document transmitter the airship faction developed, and placing articles in Le Pentagma.

In the midst of all that, he still took walks with her without fail and rode around in automatic carriages sightseeing all over the island. Though she smiled back at the islanders who greeted them with smiling faces, Aira couldn’t shake a strange feeling.

“And without magic, I feel clumsy at everything.”

Jens, who’d been slowly patting Aira, hugged her tightly and said.

“Me too.”

“…But you’re busy.”

“That’s all just cleaning up messes I made.”

At the unexpected words, Aira sat up and looked down at him.

The navy had sent this person and that person, finally even sending Schaefer and Yuvil.

Actually, not just the military but all kinds of politicians and businesspeople were constantly coming and going at this peaceful Armeria Island’s harbor. To make use of his numerous talents.

Come to think of it, Jens used his leg as an excuse not to leave the island.

So naturally Aira thought Jens was just resting briefly and would soon move for something. Not stopped by vague feelings like hers.

“Jens can do anything, can’t he? Ah, except cooking. Don’t do that.”

“Was it really that bad?”

Jens had turned the kitchen into something that looked bombed trying to make something for the returned Aira, but she’d simply commented on the result. Now that she could taste, don’t just serve her anything.

Making a disgruntled expression, Jens lightly bit Aira’s cheek with just his lips before releasing and saying.

“Not knowing what to do, feeling clumsy… actually, that’s everyone. Starting and learning something new is always hard. The more solid what you had before, the more so.”

Jens lowered his eyebrows making a pitiful expression.

“Having lived my whole life in the navy, I’m also at a loss about what to do now.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

Aira stared at him. Jens smiled and said.

“So I’m a bit scared to do it alone. Want to try together? Whatever it is.”

Contrary to his words, Jens’s face showed it wasn’t difficult at all.

Watching him, Aira suddenly realized.

With magic gone, the work she’d been struggling with finished, and even Larabi whom she’d relied on in a corner of her heart lost, Jens was waiting for her as she felt empty.

Aira buried her face in Jens’s chest again and hugged him tight. Like guessing her feelings, Jens carefully smoothed her hair.

A little later, Aira didn’t bother hiding her stinging eyes and lifted her head to say.

“It’s pure exaggeration but… can’t be helped. Let’s try together.”

And she lowered her face and kissed Jens’s lips with a smack.

Like he’d been waiting for it, Jens buried his fingers in her hair. Aira lightly pressed her lips to his as he led. It was happiness like daily life.

Fully enjoying it, Aira suddenly propped her chin and looked at him. Jens was watching her with solid eyes that seemed like they wouldn’t shake in any waves.

Eyes that said he’d protect her no matter what she did, that he’d support whatever path she took.

When Aira raised her hand to smooth Jens’s hair, he closed his eyes comfortably. At that face, Aira felt a bit mischievous.

“Do you know my ideal type?”

“Huh? What, what?”

To him opening his eyes with a bewildered expression, Aira said in a voice that seemed completely teasing.

“A handsome, humorous older man in power. After experiencing it, power is the best. You can even eat figs on a ship. In that sense, Jens who’s currently unemployed seems a bit underqualified.”

Jens opened his mouth slightly.

“My goodness. I thought my pretty face was enough but power was needed too. Got it. I’ll go out and do something right away. I’ll beat up all the bad guys and become the boss.”

He received her joke with a straight face.

Aira smiled. Though she always thought this, he wasn’t someone she could keep to herself alone. He was someone who should be shared with many people in the wide world.

And Aira laid out things she’d been thinking about moderately until now.

“First, I want to start by learning. I feel like I knew too little about the world. I’m also considering going to university.”

“University, nice.”

Bringing down the imperial family was based on her personal experience, not because she deeply understood republicanism. She wanted to study that calmly.

“And I want to go see if the Empire is doing well at least once. It’s my homeland after all. Also… I want to meet the Archipelago’s princess or prince.”

She’d heard Jens could rush over immediately because Aira received a prophecy from the Archipelago’s princess that she’d bloom flowers in the Arctic.

She’d already known about Elina in the past. But she’d treated her like she didn’t exist to protect her own heart.

Yet to receive her help. You really never knew how the world would turn.

At Aira’s words, Jens nodded.

“That’s a good idea.”

“Ah, I need to ride the aircraft too. I’m curious about the Gangria Archipelago.”

“I have lots of friends there. I’ll introduce you.”

“Also I want to go to Antarctica. Since it’s where magic’s origin was, maybe I can learn about magic or the world’s providence. For that, should I properly search the imperial library first…? Should I ask Ms. Melissa?”

To her picking up words as they came to mind, Jens nodded and sent a generous gaze telling her to try everything. To him, Aira grinned.

How long could he act so relaxed?

“But no matter how busy I get, I’m having the baby I mentioned then.”

“Huh?”

To Jens making a blank expression at the surprise attack, Aira said.

“I don’t really know what parents are like. But Grandfather raised me, and though there were mistakes, Jens who was with kind parents could raise a child well.”

Aira made a mischievous smile.

“So Jens, please raise them while working.”

At the natural passing of responsibility, Jens laughed quietly.

“Okay, got it. I’ll raise the baby too. So shall we try?”

At his permission, Aira wrapped her arms around Jens’s neck. Who cares if the sun’s still up or whatever, at least it’s not outdoors.

Leaning briefly on Jens’s solid shoulder as he hugged back, Aira brought out the remaining words.

“Actually, even though I haven’t decided what to do, I’m not scared at all.”

“Oh. Brave.”

Aira said while tracing his cheek.

“Know why?”

“Well…?”

Jens tilted his head with his hand on Aira’s back.

After kissing him deeply, Aira whispered softly.

“Because Jens will always be with me.”

With just that love that kept her alive, Aira could do anything.

fin.