Chapter 394. Side Story 2. A Mad Dog Lives In the Imperial Palace (5)

Flaaash.

A soft glow flashed, and the healing spell faded.

"Phew, thank goodness. I finally feel alive again. Thank you, Seria," Caron said, rolling his shoulders.

"I told you to listen to me," Seria said, puffing her cheeks slightly. "If you'd contacted the Imperial Palace earlier—"

"I would've gotten hit earlier," Caron cut in.

"They say it's better to get it over with quickly," Seria added.

"Who says that? A beating should be taken as late as possible. The later it is, the more tired the person swinging the stick becomes. It's all strategic," Caron explained.

After a long, exhausting day, they'd returned to Azureocean Castle.

The prince's kidnapping incident had concluded... well, not terribly. Of course, they couldn't stop rumors about the prince from spreading. The royal family already enjoyed overwhelming public support, and naturally, so did the prince.

Halo was handsome in his previous life, and now he's become even more handsome. It's not fair,

Caron thought irritably.

Halo Karien's appearance was dazzling. To be honest, Caron was no slouch in looks himself, but Halo surpassed him. His features looked like sculpted marble, and he carried himself with a natural dignity.

He had the bloodlines of both the Imperial Family and the Ducal Family of Leston. It was an absurd pedigree. He had a brilliant mind and enough potential to challenge even the strongest.

It was like rolling a die six times and getting a six every single time.

"What do you think will happen to the prince from now on?" Seria asked.

"It'll get a bit annoying," Caron answered. "But his role won't change much. He's basically the palace's mascot."

"Mmm," Seria responded.

"But thanks to Halo, a lot will change. This will be the spark needed to cut out corruption and a good chance to suppress the recent spike in crime. Do you think it would've been easy to deploy the regular army without the pretext that the prince was kidnapped?" Caron asked.

Seria thought for a moment, stroking her chin, then said, "I think it could've been done."

"...True. Revelio is basically a god in this empire. But politics still has costs. There are rebellious nobles everywhere, and these days they're annoyingly clever. They're even trying to stir up public opinion against the emperor," Caron continued.

It was simply the nobles' method of survival. In an era where imperial authority was this strong, the only power they could rely on was that of the people.

This was an age where politics was open not only to nobles, but also to commoners. So nobles did everything they could to secure influence, and the most effective way was to ride on the people's sentiment.

"Everyone's scrambling because they don't want to lose power," Caron muttered.

"It's human instinct. Nothing strange," Seria replied.

"That's true," Caron admitted.

Flaaash.

Another glow flashed as Seria completed the last of the healing. She patted Caron's back gently, then asked, "Do you feel discomfort anywhere?"

"I feel great. Really. Thanks every time, Seria," Caron said.

"Whether I like you or not, you're still my Warrior," Seria said.

Caron thought Seria had grown a bit more forward with her words lately. He scratched his head awkwardly.

Seeing his reaction, Seria sighed softly and shifted the conversation. He asked, "By the way... What was that trip for? Did you buy an accessory earlier? Is it a gift for your mother? Or maybe Aqua?"

"My parents took Aqua on a trip," Caron said. "I give my parents gifts pretty often anyway, and Father gives even more, so I don't need to."

He glanced at Seria's face. She usually maintained perfect composure, but tonight her cheeks were slightly red, as if she was expecting something.

Sharp as always,

Caron thought, and wondered why he suddenly feel shy.

Quietly observing her face, he reached into his pocket and drew out a small box. It was a simple white box.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat and said, "Well... I realized I haven't really given our saintess many gifts."

"Why are you giving me something all of a sudden? They say people die when they do something out of character," Seria asked.

"I just wanted to, so accept it," Caron said.

Despite her teasing words, Seria accepted the box with extraordinary care and slowly opened it.

Inside lay a pale-green ring set with a deep blue gem. A faint aura of Azure Mana radiated from the jewel.

"I got that Azure Stone from the North Sea myself," Caron said. "Then I mixed mithril and Raelnium, half-and-half."

"...You got it yourself?" Seria asked softly.

"I thought it would mean a little more that way," Caron explained.

He wondered why it was suddenly so hard to look into Seria's eyes. Perhaps it was because it was nighttime. Or perhaps it was because the moon hanging outside the window was so beautiful.

"Making the ring myself was a bit much," Caron admitted. "My hands are good at breaking things, not crafting them... Anyway, accept it; it's a gift. Oh, do you want to try it on? I ordered it to fit your ring finger."

Seria smiled. This clumsy man had done his very best—that alone was precious.

She slid the lovely ring onto the ring finger of her left hand. She curled her fingers, then opened them again.

"It fits perfectly," she said.

"Thank goodness," Caron replied.

"Even if it didn't, it wouldn't matter. I could've shrunk it with magic. But... Shouldn't something like this be given in a more romantic mood?" Seria asked with a smile.

Her playful tone made Caron let out another long sigh. He said, "I thought I prepared it as discreetly as possible."

"Well... Suddenly visiting a bunch of jewelry shops was a bit suspicious," Seria pointed out.

"You thought so too, right? Ha... I wanted the moment to be a little cooler," Caron said.

"Then why not do it properly now?" Seria suggested with a light smile. "Azureocean Castle is elegant enough for the mood. And the moon looks beautiful."

At those words, Caron scooped Seria up without warning and jumped out through the open window.

Thud.

He landed smoothly and set her gently on her feet, suggesting, "How about the pond?"

"It must look lovely in the moonlight. Let's go," Seria replied.

They walked slowly toward the garden pond.

Seria glanced at Caron. This man had lived through three different lives, and had spent almost all three in loneliness.

She still remembered vividly the moment she first met him. If not for Caron, she was certain she would no longer exist. She would have died in that barren desert, leaving not even a corpse behind.

She closed her eyes briefly, recalling everything they'd endured together. They had skirted death countless times, and done plenty of reckless things side by side. Compared to the sheltered childhood she'd experienced as a saintess—studying nothing but the Words of Light—the experiences she'd gained with Caron were unimaginable.

Caron had saved her life. He'd shared uncountable days with her. And he had always tried to burn himself brightly to light the world for others. Seria didn't know how she couldn't have fallen in love with someone like that.

Caron broke the silence.

"Even after being reincarnated twice, I still don't know what to do with women," he said. "No matter how much I search my memories, I've got nothing."

"Hmm... Really? Didn't you have something going on with the Demon Queen of Lust?" Seria teased. "That woman was definitely eyeing you."

"That was Rael Leston's business, not mine," Caron replied flatly.

"Starting a family means you married someone and had children," Seria pointed out.

"That's also Rael Leston's business. I'm Caron Leston, so it has nothing to do with me. And besides—didn't I tell you? My memory is patchy. I never fully absorbed Rael Leston's memories," Caron said.

"Wow, such a coward," Seria said, smirking.

They continued walking, matching each other's pace.

In the moonlight, even Caron's cheeks had taken on a faint red tint.

"Wait," Seria said suddenly. "You're not acting like this because a Warrior is supposed to protect the Saintess—some kind of duty nonsense—right?"

"If that were the case, you'd probably beat me to death," Caron said.

"To be honest," Seria said quietly, "I wondered a lot whether you felt anything romantic toward me at all."

As always, she was brutally honest.

Caron let out an awkward laugh and shook his head, then said, "I just... didn't have room to think about it. I never had the luxury to worry about romance or love."

His whole life had been driven by revenge, a pursuit he had continued across two reincarnations, finally accomplished only in his third. During that long, single-minded journey, he'd had no room to look around him. But once everything ended, something changed. It was hard to describe, but Caron had started noticing the people near him.

"And in the end... the one always beside me was you," he eventually said.

"What?" Seria said, narrowing her eyes. "You're giving me a ring just because I happened to be beside you?"

"...You know exactly what I meant," Caron said.

"I don't. So tell me properly," Seria replied, her tone mischievous.

She figured she'd earned the right to tease him. For seven long years without promise or certainty, she'd stayed by him. She'd shown affection constantly, but never forced love from him.

Caron inhaled deeply.

"Maybe I'm too old on the inside," he said. "I can't express things like young people do. My heart doesn't race or jump like that."

"Keep going," Seria urged gently.

"But... Being beside you is when I feel the most at ease, and the happiest. So... From now on, would you stay by my side?" Caron asked.

It was a confession with absolutely no finesse. He hadn't even said "I love you."

Yet Seria let out a soft laugh and said warmly, "It seems you still had to gather a lot of courage to say this."

Hearing "I love you" could come later. For a clumsy man like Caron, this much had already required tremendous bravery.

"Well... I guess that's what I get," Seria continued.

"Are you rejecting me?" Caron asked.

"If I'd been planning to refuse, I wouldn't have worn the ring in the first place," Seria said. "Honestly, you're talented at fighting and doing crazy things, but that's about it."

Laughing, she took his hand and walked ahead, pulling him along.

"For today, this is enough," she said. "But I'd appreciate it if you worked a bit harder from now on. Also, your line was truly awful. You should've at least tried something new."

"New? Like what?" Caron asked.

"Something like... 'Could you be Aqua's mother?'" Seria suggested.

"...Doesn't that sound like a divorced man with a kid? Is that your type?" Caron asked incredulously.

"Having Aqua around is definitely a plus," Seria said.

"Still, that's a relief. It means you do want to be Aqua's mom, right?" Caron asked.

"That position was surprisingly popular," Seria replied.

"What does that mean?" Caron asked.

"You don't need to know," Seria answered smugly.

They walked on, exchanging idle chatter.

Behind them, soft moonlight spilled over their silhouettes, wrapping the two in a gentle silver glow.

***

Four eyes secretly watched the man and woman walking toward the pond.

"If it weren't for you, Lady Gratia, I would have totally missed this moment! Thank you, Lady Gratia!"

A young girl beamed as she offered her gratitude to the woman beside her.

The woman merely waved her hand lightly and replied, "This much is nothing. Besides, the atmosphere felt unusually good today."

"Hehe," the girl responded.

"You seem happier about this than the two of them," the woman added with a teasing smile.

The girl in the blue dress, Aqua, took off her straw hat as she said, "Well, I am finally getting a mom too. Honestly, I always hoped Seria would become my mom."

Aqua had been traveling with her grandparents when Gratia contacted her, so she'd stopped by Azureocean Castle for a short while.

Fortunately, she wasn't too late. Aqua really hadn't wanted to miss this historic moment.

"Do they not look perfect together?" she asked eagerly.

"May I be honest with you?" Gratia asked.

"Yes," Aqua answered.

"Seria is far too good for him," Gratia said.

"...Lady Gratia, you really do dislike my dad, don't you? But he's actually very nice once you get to know him!" Aqua defended Caron.

She gazed at the couple with a blissful expression, then clenched her little fist with determination and said, "I always wanted a little sibling."

"...They only just began their serious relationship. Are you not thinking a bit too far ahead?" Gratia asked.

"A dragon's imagination becomes reality. You were the one who taught me that, Lady Gratia," Aqua replied.

"That only applies to draconic incantations," Gratia corrected her.

"But look! It became reality today, didn't it? That is enough for me. I hope I get a lot of siblings. Maybe... five?" Aqua said excitedly.

"Why don't you go and ask them yourself?" Gratia suggested dryly.

"No way! The mood is perfect right now! I can't ruin it by showing up," Aqua said.

She brought her hands together as she gazed at the distant couple walking under the moonlight.

It was such a beautiful night.

"It makes me so happy when the people I love love each other too," Aqua whispered.

"How adorable," Gratia muttered, unable to hide her smile.

Far above them, a drifting cloud crept slowly toward the moon.

Aqua raised her hand gently toward it and said, "Stop."

She'd learned how to use draconic incantation from Gratia. The cloud halted at her command, and the moonlight continued to shine down on Caron and Seria without interruption.

Aqua watched them with a bright, angelic smile. She said, "Please make lots of siblings for me!"

Gratia could only let out a soft laugh at Aqua's pure sincerity.

The moonlight remained untouched by clouds.

It truly was a beautiful night.