Chapter 63: Subjugation Campaign (5)
Beneath the quiet stillness of the tent, a desk and chair stood on the grass. Seated there, Abel flipped through papers, deep in thought.
Scratch, scratch.
The soft sound of a pen gliding over paper broke the silence from time to time. Accompanied by the faint sound of ink being drawn into a fountain pen, a low murmur flowed from his lips.
I sat quietly, watching him from a sofa placed out on the meadow. It almost felt like I was watching one of those ASMR videos.
‘This is... oddly relaxing.’
Even in my previous life, there were videos like this. Those “study with me” streams featuring handsome or pretty people silently studying by your side.
If I closed my eyes right now, I could probably fall asleep in no time. That thought made me chuckle a little.
Maybe that chuckle was too much—because the scratch, scratch sound came to a sudden stop.
Abel set the paper down on the desk and narrowed his eyes slightly, looking my way.
The scar near his eye made him look more menacing than he actually was, but he didn’t seem angry.
Rather than furious, his expression leaned more toward mildly annoyed. After living together for months now, I could read that much at least.
Well, to be fair, I had barged into the tent, sprawled out on his sofa, and then laughed to myself like some weirdo. So maybe it was fair.
If I had to explain myself, it was just that I hadn’t seen a sofa in forever since my reincarnation. I threw myself onto it out of sheer nostalgia.
And maybe because it was way more comfortable than I expected, I hadn’t been able to get up since.
That judgmental look he gave me—like I was pitiful—had to be my imagination... right?
“What brings you here?”
“Do I need a reason? We’re already engaged.”
I replied shamelessly, acting like it was the most obvious thing in the world. At my brazen response, Abel let out a dry laugh.
Not the least bit fazed by his reaction, I kept rolling around on the sofa.
The necklace around my neck started to feel a little annoying, so I took it off and tossed it aside. The moment I did, my snowy white hair began to fade back to its original black.
Even that small act gave me a sense of liberation. It always felt so stuffy when I had to keep up the disguise—like the mana was constantly clinging to my hair.
Abel, watching me, finally set his pen down and muttered in a scolding tone,
“You’ve grown very shameless, haven’t you?”
“A skill I picked up thanks to a certain someone~.”
Abel had embarrassed me plenty of times with that poker face of his. This was just returning the favor.
Maybe, just maybe, if I kept mirroring him like this, he’d ease up a bit. Isn’t that what they call “mirror therapy”?
Abel let out a soft chuckle at my reply.
“Hard to believe you were trembling like a scared rabbit not too long ago.”
True, in the beginning, I had been nervous around him. My friend wouldn’t shut up about how ruthless the character Abel was in the original work.
But after all this time, I’d realized that the Abel in front of me had a lot of differences. Still merciless and sharp as a blade, sure—but also quietly warm to those he trusted.
“Me? When was that?”
Not wanting to admit it, I played dumb and replied with a straight face. That made Abel smile again.
“Hm? So you don’t remember, huh? Right after our contract ended, your legs gave out and—”
“Aaaah! Don’t say it!”
I shot up from the sofa and clamped both hands over Abel’s mouth in a panic. He just smiled with his eyes, amused.
And just as I was starting to fall under the spell of that beautiful smile… he licked my hand with his tongue.
The slimy sensation hit my palm and I recoiled instantly.
“Aaaagh?!”
“That’s your punishment for interrupting a duke.”
I wiped the now slightly damp hand on my leather armor, freaking out. Who the hell licks someone’s hand just because it’s covering their mouth?!
I turned to complain, only to see Abel grinning smugly, clearly satisfied with himself.
Letting out a sigh, I gave up and flopped back onto the sofa. Watching me, Abel finally spoke again, voice quieter this time.
“I heard you used the Panacea Talisman.”
“The rumors spread that fast?”
“Word gets around.”
He replied indifferently, turning back to his papers. Even though his expression didn’t show much emotion, I found myself reading between the lines.
“Aren’t you going to say anything about it?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
His response was genuine confusion. He wasn’t challenging my decision—he simply didn’t get why I thought he would.
“You know, something like… ‘Why did you waste that on someone else?’”
At that, Abel let out an incredulous laugh. A low chuckle spilled out from him, and his gaze landed on me again.
“So that’s how you saw me, huh? Some petty man.”
I turned away, dodging his eyes. It wasn’t really about him, per se. I just… couldn’t imagine Abel using something as grand as a Panacea Talisman in that way.
He gently shook his head, as if denying my thoughts.
“The Panacea Talisman was yours. It’s up to you how you use it.”
“...I see.”
He signed the last of the papers with a flourish and stuck his quill back into the inkwell. Then he walked over and sat on the sofa across from me.
His expression had turned serious, and he looked me directly in the eyes.
“Do you regret it?”
“No… I don’t regret it, but...”
My voice trailed off. Abel crossed his arms, his gaze probing—like he was silently asking if I was sure I didn’t regret it.
His eyes were so steady and sincere, it almost made me want to look away.
“...Honestly, I don’t know.”
I mumbled quietly. At that, Abel closed his eyes for a moment.
“I think it was a good decision.”
“Huh?”
“The Pope’s a sneaky bastard. Just look at how he’s clung to that seat for over a hundred years.”
If he really cared about the younger generation, he should’ve stepped down a long time ago.
There was a hint of bitterness in Abel’s voice, and I realized I’d never seen him speak like this before.
He didn’t seem to hate the Pope, but he definitely wasn’t fond of him either.
Pointing to the folded paper in my pocket, Abel continued,
“You really think someone like him would hand you something like a Panacea Talisman out of the goodness of his heart?”
“So you’re saying…”
“Yeah. In the end, saving that priest of the Holy Nation was the right thing to do.”
I didn’t owe the Holy Nation a debt—in fact, it was quite the opposite. I had done them a favor. That alone would make it much more difficult for the Pope’s faction to interfere with us.
Bestowing a favor without making it obvious, then using that unspoken debt to gain the upper hand—that had always been the Pope’s style.
“And Yuruf, was it? How much do you know about her?”
“Almost nothing. We only met two days ago.”
He tapped his arm with a finger for a moment before lowering his voice.
“Not surprising. She’s one of the Holy Nation’s candidates for Saintess.”
Saintess candidate? That Yuruf?
I looked at Abel, confused, and he gave a calm nod in return. Thinking back, the divine power she had shown on the battlefield had definitely been worthy of someone called a Saintess.
Still, I never expected she’d actually be one of the candidates.
“So, do you understand now why I said it was a good decision?”
“...Ah.”
A knight of the Arie Empire used a Panacea Talisman—gifted by the Pope—to save one of the Holy Nation’s Saintess candidates. Even at a glance, it painted a politically favorable picture.
“Politics really is complicated.”
As I listened to Abel explain it all, my head started to spin a little. These kinds of transactions, passed around among high-ranking officials, still felt foreign to me.
He offered a wry smile, as if agreeing with my sentiment.
“Yes, it is complicated. It’s not like I was good at it from the start.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Not that I expect you to believe it.”
I shook my head slightly at his words. After spending months with him, I had come to understand Abel’s personality a bit.
“You’ve worked so hard to get where you are, haven’t you?”
He hated showing weakness—even when things were hard, he kept it all inside.
According to Laura, the head maid, he didn’t even show his vulnerable side to the servants.
For someone like that to let down his guard in front of me... it could only mean he trusted me deeply.
“I actually really respect you, you know.”
“...”
Abel went speechless, like a mute with honey on his tongue. His reaction was so out of character, I couldn’t help but giggle.
“Oh? Did I just make your heart flutter a little?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He sighed and rose from his seat. Clearly, that last line had backfired a little.
“You should get going now.”
“Are you kicking me out?”
“Yes. It’s time for me to sleep.”
It was still a bit early to be calling it a night, but just as I thought that, I noticed Abel’s ears had turned a faint shade of red.
I smiled and got up from the sofa. Well, seeing this side of him was rare enough—this much was good for today.
I put the necklace back on and reactivated the disguise spell. My hair turned white again, all the way to the tips, and I stepped out of the tent.
The chilly night breeze felt oddly pleasant tonight.
***
“Haa...”
To be respected, huh…
It had been a long time since he’d heard that from someone. Maybe once or twice from Arin or Evan back when they were young.
But hearing it now stirred something in my chest. Whether it was excitement or the joy of being acknowledged—I wasn’t quite sure.
One thing was certain:I did hold some level of affection toward her. Whether that affection was romantic… that was still unclear.
“Mother and you seem to be getting along quite well, huh?”
“...Arin.”
Arin’s playful smile greeted mr. She stood leaning against one of the tent’s pillars, arms crossed casually.
“Who are you calling your mother?”
“Well, she’s going to be Father’s wife, so that makes her my mother, doesn’t it?”
Was she being bold because this was a personal matter? Seriously, where had she learned to tease like this?
– – The End of The Chapter––
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