The day after the tournament ended.
Becoming part of the kingdom changed many aspects of my life.
First of all, since I was no longer a prisoner, I didn’t have to deal with the dreaded iron bars anymore.
I could freely leave my room without needing a key, and no one monitored me.
And—
“Hiss… Hiss…”
Of course, it wasn’t just my life that changed.
Although we hadn’t had our wedding yet, Letia openly shared my bed.
Perhaps that’s why, every time I woke up, the first thing I saw was her lying there with her hair tousled.
She was usually more diligent than me, but it seemed she had fallen into a deep sleep after drinking heavily at the closing ceremony.
“You didn’t handle your alcohol too well, huh?”
Using aura to purge toxins would instantly sober her up, but Letia had insisted that drinking was about enjoying the feeling of being tipsy.
So, she drank until she was completely plastered.
I found it amusing that someone younger than me was already so fond of alcohol.
I pinched her soft, springy cheeks and stretched them slightly.
“Mm…!”
Although her brow furrowed from the pain, it wasn’t enough to wake her.
I felt tempted to tease her more but held back, thinking it might wake her up.
As I carefully tried to climb over her and get out of bed, her arms suddenly shot out and wrapped around my neck.
“Hehe! Gotcha, cheek-pincher!”
“Whoa! If you were awake, you should’ve said something.”
“I was curious to see what Siyoon would do next!”
“By the way, now that we’re officially a couple, shouldn’t we stop using formal speech with each other?”
“Hmm… I’m more comfortable with formal speech, so I’d like to keep it for now.”
“Do what feels right for you.”
I suppose there must be couples somewhere in the world who speak formally to each other.
There’s no need to force changes in speech if it’s uncomfortable.
Besides, if Letia suddenly told me to call her ‘honey’ or something, it would feel awkward for me too.
Mutual respect and understanding are key to maintaining a harmonious relationship.
“Oh! But if you’d like me to call you ‘husband’ or ‘my lord,’ I’d be happy to oblige…”
“Not necessary.”
“What a shame. I’d gladly call you that a hundred or even a thousand times if you wanted.”
“Anyway, when are you going to let go of my neck?”
At the moment, Letia was still holding my neck tightly with both arms.
The current situation had me in an odd position, as if I was the one pinning her down.
Until Letia released her hold, I had no choice but to look her in the eyes.
Feeling a little embarrassed, I glanced away, and Letia flashed a mischievous smile.
“What do you think is the reason I’m holding you down like this?”
“Isn’t it because I pinched your cheeks without your permission?”
“If I didn’t like it, I would’ve woken up right away and told you to stop.”
“Then why are you keeping me tied down? We ended the whole prisoner scenario yesterday.”
“A newlywed couple’s day must, of course, start with a good morning kiss!”
Even though I’m not a child, just hearing the word ‘kiss’ made my body react involuntarily.
Was it because of the oath-bound kiss Letia surprised me with in the arena yesterday?
“Can’t we just skip it for today?”
“No way! I won’t let you go until our lips meet properly!”
“Ugh…”
Letia smiled brightly, clearly enjoying my reaction.
We could compete to see whose patience would run out first, but I was at a clear disadvantage.
Since I was the one on top, if anyone walked into the bedroom, rumors about us being a passionate couple would spread instantly.
Letia probably wouldn’t care, but I’d be so embarrassed I wouldn’t be able to show my face for a while.
Just as I resolved to close my eyes and get it over with—
Chuu!
Letia pulled me down by the neck and raised her head to kiss me.
Come to think of it, she never said I had to go first.
She completely had me wrapped around her finger.
“Good morning!”
“G-Good morning…”
It’s hard on my heart.
If this happens every morning, I don’t think my heart will last.
Since we had stuffed ourselves with alcohol and meat at the banquet last night, we kept breakfast light and simple.
Bread spread with jam, scrambled eggs, and a refreshing glass of fresh fruit juice made for a hearty yet clean meal.
As I sipped the juice, I could feel the toxins from the previous day leaving my body, which was incredibly refreshing.
While digesting the meal in good spirits, Letia nudged my side with her elbow.
“Siyoon, how about a morning sparring session later?”
“You want to spar with me?”
“Yes! Since you were locked up, you probably don’t even know what facilities we have in our estate, right? I thought I could show you around the mansion and have us break a sweat in the training grounds.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“Then our morning schedule is set!”
“By the way, are you sure this is okay? I feel like I might be taking up your valuable time.”
“It’s fine. I usually spend my mornings doing personal training and guiding the Heter family soldiers anyway.”
“What do you usually do in the afternoons?”
“It depends on the day. If I’m not busy, I handle estate management, have an audience with His Majesty, go on patrols, or, in urgent moments, head out on expeditions.”
There must be additional tasks beyond what Letia mentioned.
Moreover, even though we’re newlyweds, the wartime situation meant we couldn’t expect a vacation.
The Empire wouldn’t wait for Letia to rest as much as she wanted.
Still, seeing her go out of her way to spend time with me made me feel both proud and deeply affectionate.
It showed just how much she cared for me.
“What about this afternoon?”
“Oh, I was just about to tell you! I’m planning to have an audience with His Majesty. How about coming with me, Siyoon?”
“M-Me too?”
“Yes! Duke Ludebront mentioned that it would be good for you to make your presence known sooner rather than later.”
“But I haven’t achieved anything noteworthy yet.”
I had expected that, as a naturalized citizen of the kingdom, I would eventually meet His Majesty.
However, meeting him the day after becoming naturalized felt unusually quick.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to have an audience after achieving a small victory on the battlefield?
“You won the tournament, didn’t you?”
“But that wasn’t a battlefield achievement—it was just a festival spotlight. It feels wrong to meet His Majesty because of that.”
“…Do you think the Emperor of the Empire only grants audiences to those who achieve something?”
“Of course. The Emperor’s motto is, ‘Only those who bring glory to the Empire may see the sun.’”
“Our king is different from the Emperor. He always prioritizes the people and the kingdom and deeply cherishes his allies. He even says that a newborn is one of his subjects, and if they don’t know his face, how can they pledge their loyalty? He often steps out onto the palace terrace to show himself to everyone.”
“That’s incredibly open. The Emperor never shows himself outside the audience chamber for fear of assassination.”
“It’s a testament to how much he trusts his people. Even though it’s only been a day since you naturalized, His Majesty will surely welcome you with open arms.”
“I hope so.”
Warm kindness to allies and merciless judgment to enemies.
I was beginning to understand why the crowd’s anger had mostly dissipated after my decision to naturalize.
A benevolent ruler naturally shapes benevolent subjects.
If only I had started in the kingdom instead of the Empire…
My empty left arm began to ache.
It was an injury from my own mistake and had long since healed, but sometimes it hurt sharply, as if to remind me.
It seemed to happen whenever I felt bitter toward the Empire.
As I quietly massaged the aching area with my remaining arm, Letia suddenly clung to me.
“Siyoon! Do you know why I suggested a sparring session this morning?”
“Well, sparring is good exercise and helps both of us improve, right?”
“Wrong!”
“Is it because I beat you in the exhibition match, and you want a rematch?”
“I already told you then that I would have lost if it were a real fight, didn’t I? Besides, I don’t hold any grudge about losing to you.”
“Then why did you suggest it?”
“Hehe! That’s because…”
Clap clap!
As Letia clapped twice, someone came in through the window—Zenith, carrying something in both hands.
“Actually, when you said you’d compete in the tournament, I prepared a gift in advance to congratulate you on winning!”
“What if I had lost?”
“I know your skills better than anyone. There was no way you’d lose.”
“Ahem! So, what did you prepare?”
Embarrassed by her sudden praise, I cleared my throat and tried to maintain my composure as I asked about the gift.
Zenith untied the ribbon and revealed its contents.
Inside the wrapping was a prosthetic arm inlaid with a mana stone.
“It’s a special prosthetic arm created in collaboration with the Magic Tower! The embedded mana stone detects the wearer’s will, allowing it to move like your own arm!”
“Oh…”
“Now you can hug me tightly with both arms!”
Letia handed me the prosthetic arm, urging me to try it on.
But instead of taking it, I pulled her into an embrace.
Because I was so, so grateful.
“Hehe! Of course, I think being hugged with one arm is more than enough.”
Both Letia’s body and heart were warm.