Chapter 27 : Undiminished Affection

“Haap!”

“Put more spirit into it!”

“Yes! Understood!”

The sounds of training from the mansion’s drill yard brought me back to consciousness.

Turning my head toward the window, I saw the sun high in the sky.

Even though sunlight was streaming into the room, I felt so exhausted that my eyes wanted to close again.

“Did I overdo it?”

After finishing my schedule in the Empire, I had rushed back to the mansion late at night without a moment’s rest.

The fatigue from travel weighed down my entire body, making me want to dive into bed as soon as possible.

However, in the bedroom, Retia had been waiting for me, eager to seduce me.

And I had no choice but to respond to our time as husband and wife.

Since it was our first experience and our physical compatibility was beyond my imagination, we ended up engaging in passionate exchanges until dawn.

‘Like a beast…’

Fortunately, a soundproofing spell had been cast.

Otherwise, the entire mansion might have woken up, and I wouldn’t have been able to show my face for a while.

Recalling the events of the previous night made my face heat up instantly.

It was embarrassing, but at the same time, looking at Retia, who was sleeping soundly beside me, made me happy.

To have married such an unbelievably beautiful woman and shared an intimate night with her—it was almost too much for me.

That must be why I pushed myself too hard.

‘I think I finally understand why Retia liked watching me sleep.’

Just staring at her made me feel content.

Yes, this was the dream I had wished for.

I wanted to keep watching over Retia until she woke up, but my hunger wouldn’t allow it.

After all, I had exhausted myself and spent so much protein last night—it was only natural to be starving.

Carefully pulling the blanket over Retia, I quietly slipped out of bed.

As I changed into casual clothes and opened the door, I noticed a sign hanging on it.

It was one I had never seen before.

[Do Not Disturb! Making a Baby♡]

Retia had been tangled up with me all night, so she wouldn’t have been the one to put up the sign.

That meant there was only one possible culprit.

“Zenith.”

“You called for me?”

As soon as I said the name of the culprit, the person in question appeared from behind me.

She had planned to surprise me, but I had already sensed her presence.

“Stop with these pranks. Retia would be angry if she saw this.”

“I put it up because the two of you were passionately making love until morning. If any servants happened to visit with an errand and saw… well, that would be quite the disaster, wouldn’t it?”

“I guess… but did you really have to write something like this? ‘Sleeping, do not disturb’ would have been fine. The room already has a soundproofing spell anyway.”

When I gave her a logical argument, Zenith clicked her tongue lightly and wagged her index finger from side to side.

“Sir Siyoon, you understand one thing, but not the other.”

“What do you mean?”

“The words on that sign have a hidden meaning. It’s proof that your stamina is so incredible you lasted until morning. Any man who hears this rumor will come to admire you. A true man, if you will!”

“H-huh…? Is that… really how it works?”

“Don’t be fooled. Zenith often uses tricks like this to get out of trouble.”

At that moment, the bedroom door opened, and Retia emerged in her nightgown.

It seemed she had heard my conversation with Zenith.

Even though a soundproofing spell had been cast, Retia still heard it.

That showed just how sensitive her hearing was.

“Did you just cough?”

“Because of a certain someone.”

“…Sorry.”

“Ah! I wasn’t blaming you, Siyoon, I meant to scold Zenith!”

The corner of my lips twitched.

I knew from the beginning that Retia was planning to sarcastically scold Zenith.

I deliberately put her in a difficult position because I wanted to see her flustered reaction.

Realizing this a little too late, Retia pouted her lips.

“Ugh…! The person I trusted has betrayed me!”

“Sorry, I just wanted to see my wife’s adorable reaction, so I played a little prank.”

I quickly apologized and gently pressed my lips onto Retia’s protruding ones.

Her body trembled so much from the surprise kiss that I could feel the vibrations.

As our lips parted, I saw Retia’s flushed cheeks.

It seemed that her prickly mood melted away in an instant.

The sulky expression had vanished, replaced by a soft, giggling smile.

“How about now? Is your anger gone?”

“Hmm…! It’s not fully gone yet. But if you do what you just did one more time, maybe it’ll completely disappear?”

“If that’s your wish, I’ll gladly oblige!”

Pulling Retia’s waist in close, I kissed her deeply.

Behind us, Zenith clicked her tongue loud and clear.

“Good grief, how is a lifelong single woman like me supposed to survive watching this? Well, at least I’ve confirmed that there won’t be any issues regarding an heir, so I’ll take my leave now. Not that I expect you to even be listening.”

For once, Zenith, who always teased others with a composed demeanor, grumbled as she walked away.

Feeling accomplished that I had finally gotten one over on Zenith, I let go of Retia’s waist.

With my goal achieved, I thought I could finally enjoy a late breakfast—or rather, brunch—with Retia.

However, Retia held onto me tightly, refusing to let go.

“R-Retia? Isn’t that enough kisses for now?”

“Haa… Haa…! Sorry, but that last kiss made my body heat up again♡.”

“Would you mind… bestowing your love upon me once more?”

Retia let out a hot breath, rubbing her lower body against me.

It seemed her arousal switch had been flipped back on—completely.

In the end, instead of heading to the dining room, we returned to the bedroom.

I had teased both Retia and Zenith earlier, and now, karma had come back to bite me.

Next time, I should be more careful.

It wasn’t until well past noon, when the sun had already started to set, that we finally emerged from the bedroom.

My stomach was screaming for food, but dinner was still being prepared, meaning there was no way to eat just yet.

With no other choice, Retia and I went out into town and stopped by a nearby café for a light snack.

“Phew! I feel alive again!”

I had expected coffee and sweet desserts to upset my empty stomach, but surprisingly, they settled it just right.

It gave me enough fullness to hold out until dinner.

“I’m sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize. I agreed because I wanted to. If I hadn’t wanted to, I would’ve refused outright.”

“So… does that mean Siyoon also enjoys mating with m—”

“Let’s not talk about that in public.”

Since we had spent the entire day tangled in bed, it seemed that topic would keep coming up.

To steer the conversation away from any more dangerous territory, I picked up a newspaper from the café’s reading section.

Because of the civil war and succession ceremony, the kingdom’s newspaper was mostly filled with news about the Empire.

‘Sigh… The next time I visit my master, I should bow my head in apology first.’

After Princess Ariel ascended to the throne as Empress, she appointed my master to fill the vacant position of Imperial Knight Commander.

He had already retired and was enjoying a peaceful life, but she forced him back into duty.

I could easily picture my master grumbling and throwing a fit.

But since he hadn’t outright refused, he must have accepted it begrudgingly.

Leaving the position empty would have meant the collapse of the Empire’s military strength, so rejecting the offer must have been difficult.

Besides, the Empire had been left incredibly vulnerable after the civil war.

If the Allied Nations decided to invade at such a time, the consequences could be severe.

However, with my master—who had once led the Empire’s golden age—returning, no one would dare attack so easily.

“Are you that concerned about the Empire?”

“I was just there recently. Of course, I’d want to know how things are progressing.”

“…Do you, by any chance, want to return to the Empire?”

“I don’t. If I did, I would’ve stayed there longer. Right now, I consider this place my home.”

“Really?”

Retia let out a relieved sigh, smiling warmly.

She must have been worried after seeing me reading the Empire-related news so intently.

I was glad I had made my feelings clear.

“Siyoon.”

“Hm?”

“Is there anything in particular you want to do?”

“Something I want to do…”

As long as Retia was right in front of me like this, I was content.

But that was only my own selfish wish.

Retia would have to continue going to the battlefield in the future, and no one could predict what dangers she might face there.

If, by any chance, she were to disappear from this world, my happiness would vanish along with her.

In the end, my goal was to protect Retia and live a happy life with her.

“I don’t have any grand ambitions or anything like that. Whether at home or on the battlefield, I’m satisfied as long as I’m by your side.”

“Haa…!”

With just a table between us, Retia’s face inched closer to mine.

I hadn’t intended to move her heart so deeply, but my words seemed to have struck her directly.

I hesitated because of all the people around us, but then I remembered my master’s advice: Love should be stoked before it cools down.

I had resolved never to reject my wife’s affection, so just as I was about to stand up to reciprocate—

Ahem!

I heard Zenith’s deliberate cough from the side, making me step back.

“I came to inform you that dinner is ready.”

“O-oh, really?”

“A word of advice: Please refrain from public displays of affection in open places. Both you and the mistress are well-known figures in the kingdom. If rumors spread about how openly affectionate you are in public, it could become a problem.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Zenith’s stern warning was devoid of her usual humor.

Since I couldn’t argue against it, my face grew hot with embarrassment.

Retia, feeling the same way, lowered her head.

“If you really can’t hold back, please do so in the carriage on the way home. It’s equipped with soundproofing and visual barriers, so you can bite and suck all you want without issue.”

“…We’ll just return home quietly.”

“Understood.”

Leaving the café, Retia and I boarded the carriage with our heads down like guilty criminals.

Zenith, after instructing the coachman to depart, climbed in as well.

As soon as she closed the carriage door, the atmosphere shifted dramatically, carrying a serious weight.

“Zenith, what’s the real reason you came looking for us in such a hurry?”

“As expected, my mistress sees through everything. Yes, an urgent matter has arisen.”

“What is it?”

Before speaking, Zenith double-checked that the soundproofing spell was working properly.

Once she was certain there were no issues, she finally spoke.

“The Empress of the Empire has secretly reached out to the leadership of the Allied Nations to propose a ceasefire.”

The news was nothing short of shocking.