Chapter 127

There were four families who supported the Payne family.

Our army didn’t even need to set foot in their territories.

As we advanced, the heads of the families who had supported Payne were waiting for us.

They no longer had the strength to oppose us, and one by one, they surrendered.

Now, only the last family remained.

It had only been two days since we departed from Payne’s territory.

Breathing in the refreshing dawn air, the army marched forward.

In this situation where war was unlikely, the atmosphere within the army was surprisingly light.

It felt almost like taking a stroll.

Being too careless wasn’t an issue... there was such a disparity in strength that even a surprise attack wouldn’t be a problem. Besides, if war were imminent, our scouts would report it to us.

Marching across the plains, we had no reason to fear an ambush.

I yawned widely and patted Storm.

At that moment, Lawrence caught up to me, walking leisurely by my side.

“She’s dead.”

He said it casually, as if offering a morning greeting. I turned to look at Lawrence, who was yawning alongside me.

“Huh?”

He waved a small note.

“Sharon Payne. She died in prison.”

“........”

I took a moment to digest the information and then slowly nodded.

“.....I see.”

“The Payne family has been exterminated.”

“The Payne family’s influence will still linger. The families that surrendered to us... and the criminal organizations...”

“We just need to uproot them all. We’ve already subdued four families, and as the prestige of the Pryster spreads, it’ll only be for the better.”

I nodded. Thanks to Lawrence’s conversation, my drowsiness was gradually fading.

Silence settled between us for a while.

In the distance, we saw a small group of people waiting for us. It was the last family we needed to force into surrender.

At last, the end of this war was in sight.

Lawrence asked.

“.......Who will govern?”

“What?”

“Payne’s territory. Who will manage it?”

“..........”

I did not answer his question.

*****

Asena, Keirsey, and Daisy sat around the table, waiting for the last person to arrive.

When the door finally opened, Asena thought it would be Judy... but it was Helen who appeared.

Helen reported cheerfully.

“Lord Cayden has received the final surrender! It seems everyone has capitulated without a war!”

Keirsey and Daisy let out long sighs of relief.

Asena closed her eyes quietly, controlling her inner joy.

“Will Oppa arrive tomorrow then?”

Keirsey asked Helen.

Helen rolled her eyes thoughtfully.

“....Hmm.... He’ll probably arrive either tomorrow or the day after.”

At that moment, Judy appeared through the open door.

She hesitated, looking at the gathered women before slowly entering the room.

Asena found herself gazing at Judy with envious eyes.

She couldn’t accept that Judy was Cayden’s favorite... though that might not be the case.

But Judy was the one Cayden felt most comfortable with, and Asena envied that.

Moreover, Judy was capable of being with Cayden no matter the situation.

That’s why she had ridden beside him even in this war.

“I heard you called for me...”

Asena never thought she’d feel such emotions for the knight who once guarded her.

Judy still maintained her manners and cautiously stood beside the table.

Sensing the atmosphere, Helen bowed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

-Thud.

Even Judy had changed. In the past, she would have stood there with a blank expression like a knight in a Painting... but everyone in the room knew their circumstances were complicated, and Judy’s eyes darted around nervously.

“....Sit down, Judy.”

It was clear that Judy felt uncomfortable in this atmosphere.

Even so, knowing why Asena had called her, Judy sat down without a word.

In terms of hierarchy, Asena should now speak respectfully to both Daisy and Judy.

Yet, she didn’t, for two reasons:

First, she still didn’t want to yield to her rival.

Second, she no longer wanted to remain just Cayden’s sister.

With the Pryster name no longer attached to Cayden, Asena acted accordingly.

The eyes of the three women were fixed on Judy.

Judy’s eyes darted around anxiously... then she took a deep breath and steeled her expression.

Like a knight gathering courage before a battle, Judy seemed determined not to be underestimated.

“Judy. We’re planning to create a new family for Oppa.”

But Judy’s resolute expression crumbled at the shocking announcement.

“......What?”

Asena handed something across the table to Judy.

It was an emblem embroidered with a chimera.

Judy’s eyes took in the mixed creatures, then she looked up with understanding.

“..........”

Judy’s gaze shifted between Asena and Keirsey.

“....Oppa hasn’t accepted us yet. But when he returns... he promised to give us an answer.”

“.........”

“.....The reason I called you isn’t because of that.....”

Asena asked Judy a question about the already decided answer.

“....Cayden’s family might change... will you still marry him?”

“Of course.”

Judy’s unwavering answer made Asena nod. She hadn’t expected a different response anyway.

“....Alright. Let the Duke of Ice know as well. He might already be aware of the possibility of a new family, but still.”

“.......”

“.....Actually, this is good for you too, isn’t it...? Instead of being tied to the rival family, Pryster, you’ll be bound to my Oppa’s family.”

Judy, who had once been forced to distance herself from Cayden due to family circumstances, knew this better than anyone.

“.....I suppose so.”

“It’s also good for my Oppa. Forming an alliance between Ice, Hexter... and even Pryster.”

“......”

As the brief conversation ended and the two women fell silent, a prickling tension hung in the air among the four women.

They couldn’t even pretend to get along, not even for the sake of appearances. They were only tied together by their connection to Cayden.

Despite moments of gratitude, compassion, sympathy, and even regret toward each other, they were ultimately all rivals.

This was no different between Asena and Keirsey.

While Daisy was ostensibly Cayden’s first wife, she was in a situation where she was mindful of Judy.

Judy, trying to enter as Cayden’s concubine, saw Daisy as a competitor even if she stood a step behind her.

And, oddly enough, whenever the twins were involved in this situation, Daisy and Judy seemed to form a subtle alliance... perhaps due to the deep, inscrutable love the twins had for Cayden, which instinctively made Daisy and Judy feel threatened.

The one thing Daisy and Judy could agree on was that the twins were madly in love with Cayden. That was the only point of consensus.

Although the twins begrudgingly acknowledged them due to circumstances, they couldn’t let their guard down.

It was Asena who spoke up.

Perhaps because of her role as the head of the family, she took control of the atmosphere.

“.........Oppa hasn’t said he will accept us.”

Daisy and Judy looked at her.

“..........But if he does accept us, we need rules among ourselves.”

Asena, who calmly stated this, seemed to have already dismissed the possibility of Cayden rejecting her.

Or rather, she seemed to refuse to entertain the thought. Even if he were to reject her, she appeared determined to keep trying until he accepted her.

Judy had no desire to probe into those deep feelings.

So she focused on what Asena said.

“Rules?”

“Yes, rules. For example.....”

Asena’s eyes sought out Daisy.

“Daisy. Can you tolerate it if Cayden kisses Judy in front of you?”

It wasn’t Daisy who reacted to this but Keirsey.

Keirsey’s fist on the table clenched tightly for a moment.

Daisy glanced at Judy, blinking nervously before speaking.

“.....I can handle it.”

“Really?”

“......”

Asena’s gaze then shifted to Judy.

“Judy, if I try to monopolize Oppa’s attention, will you just stand by and watch? You haven’t fully accepted me yet, have you?”

“.......”

Judy didn’t answer. But her silence spoke volumes.

Asena let out a long sigh and said,

“........I can’t tolerate it.”

Once again, the palpable tension enveloped the four women.

“.......Judy, I will forever be grateful to you for saving Oppa. And Daisy, I won’t forget that you helped me get closer to him.”

“........”

“But even so, I can’t stand it. I still can’t bear it if my Oppa’s love is directed towards someone else.........I hate it.”

Daisy and Judy gradually realized that Asena was speaking her honest feelings without malice.

She was preparing for possible future scenarios.

“......I don’t want to spend my life fighting with you all. So.....we need to make some rules.”

“....What kind?”

Keirsey, who had been silent, asked quietly. Her short question signaled her agreement with Asena’s plan.

“.........”

Asena thought for a moment before speaking.

“.....I’ve never shown affection with my Oppa in front of others.”

Daisy and Judy, and even Keirsey, could agree on that point.

Especially Daisy and Judy, who had thought Asena disliked Cayden.

“.....You should do the same.”

“....What?”

“Let’s not show affection with my Oppa in front of each other. If he initiates it, that’s different, but let’s not be the ones to start it.”

The four women pondered before one by one, they responded.

“.....Alright.”

Judy said,

“Okay.”

Daisy nodded.

“......”

Keirsey hesitated briefly. Her daily routine always involved being affectionate towards Cayden.

“.........”

But soon, she also nodded. Thinking about Cayden hugging and kissing another woman was something she couldn’t bear.

With Asena’s proposal agreed upon, Daisy spoke up this time.

“....Then let’s agree not to interfere with each other.”

“What?”

“If one of us is having a good moment with Cayden, let’s not interrupt. If we start interfering, it will never end.”

“.......”

Asena nodded, and so did the others.

Shortly after, Keirsey spoke.

“.....Let’s also do this. If Oppa...”

.

.

.

The meeting of the four women finally ended after a long time.

They had found a compromise to avoid fighting with each other.

****

As Cayden returned triumphantly, having subdued everyone, many subjects welcomed him.

In just a few days, remarkable changes had taken place, and the people accepted the new conqueror.

While Cayden led the army and completed his mission, Asena kept her promise to uproot the criminal organizations entrenched in Payne’s territory, gradually bringing happiness to the inhabitants.

With the war ending without any issues and the subjects welcoming him, a smile began to form on Cayden’s face.

Riding his horse, he reached the inner castle.

There, the four women were waiting for him.

During his absence, Cayden had organized his thoughts and was now able to face them with a calm heart, just like before.

As he dismounted, the twins approached him first.

And, like someone who couldn’t wait any longer, Asena whispered to him,

“.....Oppa.....have you made your decision...?”

She showed a cautious demeanor towards him, unlike with anyone else.

Cayden looked down at them and instead asked a question.

“.....Asena, Keirsey. Do you know what my favorite place is?”

“......What?”

“Guess.”

Asena began to get anxious but tried to calm herself as he asked. In fact, there was one place that came to mind.

“....It’s a place you both like too.”

Cayden subtly hinted.

Keirsey hesitated for a moment before quietly speaking.

“.....Mels Plains.”

The Mels Plains were where Keirsey had recently cured her muteness while being held by Cayden.

The open plains, the vibrant wildlife, and the cool breeze.

It was the place where the twins and Cayden most frequently went for walks.

There was no other answer. They all knew it.

“....That’s right.”

As expected, he nodded.

“.....Mels. How about that as our family name?”

Asena’s heart began to race at his words.

“...Wha...what?”

“Cayden Mels. What do you think?”

Keirsey’s legs wobbled slightly, and Cayden caught her.

“..Op...pa....uhuk..”

Held in his embrace, Keirsey began to cry, her entire body trembling with joy.

“....Hush.”

Cayden said with a small smile.

Asena could feel the sensation of her dreams coming true, the thrill of it.

She felt like she could cry like Keirsey in front of everyone, just by being gently nudged.

At times like this, Asena envied Keirsey. Just a few seconds’ difference allowed her to let go of many responsibilities.

“...........”

Asena decided to give up. She couldn’t contain this happiness.

Instead of feeling envious... just for now, she put aside the dignity of the head of the Pryster family.

She threw herself into his arms.

Cayden awkwardly chuckled as he caught the twins in his arms.

Asena hid her face in his chest, trembling and crying.

They were hot, overwhelming tears.

“......I know you still don’t fully see me as a woman... Oppa...”

Asena said.

“...But I’ll try my best... I’ll try so you won’t regret this choice...”

“....You too, Asena. Stop crying like your sister.”

Asena rubbed her head against him, wiping her tears. She tried to stop crying, as he said.

Then she looked up at Cayden.

She had never been this happy in her life.

“I love you, Oppa.”

Keirsey was still struggling to control her tears.

Asena continued.

“.......I love you.”

She almost kissed him but barely held back her desire.

“I’m fine with the name, Oppa.”

Keirsey chimed in. She was still crying, but she managed to speak through her tears.

“....Keirsey Mels. I’m fine with it.”

--- End Of The Chapter ---

 

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