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‘Lindsay…’

It was not considered a flaw for high-ranking nobles to have more than a few concubines. But Raven Valt wanted no such thing. No man would refuse a beautiful woman, but for Raven, Lindsay was enough.

He wanted to fulfill his responsibilities to her.

However, he also had a responsibility as the Duke of Pendragon that weighed on him as heavily as his responsibility to Lindsay. Right now, Raven had to fulfill the responsibilities he was tasked with.

“I will send a letter to the duchess and Lord Mandy.”

“Ah…!”

Iriya’s eyes widened. His eyes and voice were serious, which clearly showed that he had come to the heavy decision after much thought.

“However, I will marry you after the expedition is over.”

“…..”

Iriya nodded her head quietly without speaking. Perhaps it was due to her embarrassment or the unexpected emptiness she felt.

“Then, now that it’s settled, let’s call it a day.”

“…Yes, Your Excellency…”

Even though she was usually direct and active, she could not behave in such ways at this moment. She answered in a quiet voice before carefully leaving the tent.

“I will see you out all the way. Make sure to properly report the issue with the supplies and apologize to the commander-in-chief.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Iriya nodded a couple of times before moving away. Raven silently observed as she moved further away, then turned his head. His eyes met with the guard who had been stealing glances.

“Heup…”

The soldier recoiled, and Raven asked.

“What are you so surprised about?”

“Ah, I, it’s nothing, Your Excellency…”

The soldier blurted the end of his words, and Raven continued with a smirk.

“I am embarrassed too, so don’t go around spreading rumors.”

“Y, yes sir!”

It seemed that men of high status really were made of something different. If it were himself, the soldier would have strolled around the entire neighborhood while bragging.

“Your Excellency.”

Someone approached the tent.

“Hmm.”

Raven confirmed the identity of the soldier to be John Gale, then spoke in a quiet voice towards the guard.

“Tell the commander-in-chief that I will be there shortly to see him.”

“Yes.”

The soldier quickly realized the importance of the issue from Raven’s expression and voice, then quickly headed towards Viscount Moraine’s quarters.

***

“You can take a rest now, Sir Johnbolt.”

“Not at all, my lady.”

Leon answered Irene while straightening his back.

“Sir Leon must have also wanted to fight in the coalition. I apologize for that.”

“Please don’t say that. I am a squire of the Pendragon Duchy and an escort of the ladies and the baroness. I am only being faithful to my duties.”

Leon declared in a proud manner. He was no longer the awkward child he had been in the beginning.

“I am always grateful for your hard work. But there are many 7th regiment soldiers outside, so please, you should take a rest.”

“All right. I will be in the tent right next to you, so please call for me whenever you need.”

Leon finally gave in and left after giving a military salute at Irene’s insistence.

“You should go to bed now, little lady. We will be leaving early tomorrow morning, so it will be better to tuck in earlier as well.”

“…..”

Lindsay spoke with a gentle smile. Mia yawned quietly, then grabbed the hand of a maid before wriggling into her bed.

“It has only been a day, but I am tired as if several days have passed. Don’t you agree, Sister Lindsay?”

“Ah, yes. That seems to be the case, my lady.”

Lindsay replied to Irene’s words with the same gentle smile.

The ladies of the Pendragon Duchy had left El Pasa along with the coalition due to safety reasons. Raven had judged that it would be much safer to keep them by his side until they neared the Great Forest. Once they arrived, they would erect a base and have the ladies stay with the soldiers.

The ladies’ tent was constructed conjoined with a large carriage, and the tents of Raven and Leon were placed right by their side. Their safety was guaranteed with the two men, and with the Ancona Orcs’ tents surrounding the vicinity, there was nowhere safer in the South.

“By the way, what a luxurious tent… I feel apologetic to all the hardworking soldiers out there, my lady.”

Since their tent had to accommodate the three Pendragon ladies as well as the maids, their tent was set up in conjunction with the carriage. It was large enough to divide the interior into two.

“Right? I saw earlier that my brother was in the same tent as the regular knights. It will be hard for him to spend a good time with you…”

“L, lady Irene.”

Lindsay was startled that an unmarried, young maiden could speak so nonchalantly regarding the matter. On the contrary, Irene became bewildered at Lindsay’s shyness.

“What about it? My father fought a battle, and as soon as he came back, he took my mother into his embrace and saw me. The role of the wife is as important for a knight to fight bravely.”

“W, well that’s true, but…”

Lindsay blushed and lowered her head. Irene seemed to be a little frustrated at Lindsay’s timidity, and she soon spoke in a more subtle voice.

“But there hasn’t been any news yet?”

“W, what news are you talking about…?”

“What else could it be? It’s about my nephew.”

“M, my lady…”

Lindsay’s blush turned a deeper shade of red by the increasingly explicit topic.

“You need to have a baby as soon as possible, Sister Lindsay. As I have said countless times, the value of a woman in a noble family depends on whether she gives birth to a successor or not. No matter how much my brother cares for you, it will all be naught unless you have a child. Besides, don’t you see how many women are after brother? Even now, a black fox has attached herself to his side.”

A black fox. She must have been referring to Iriya.

“…..”

Lindsay bowed her head as she recalled Iriya’s beautiful appearance and her exotic charm. She had already realized that she could not monopolize her handsome husband, his status aside. It was not his fault.

It did not make sense for a man like him to only have one woman by his side. He was a great noble, a center of the tumultuous storm that was sweeping through the empire, while she used to be a mere maid. It was only right for him to have a few good ladies by his side for the future of the duchy.

“If you are talking about Lady Mandy… I think it is out of my place to do anything, my lady.”

Lindsay spoke in a cautious voice. Even though he had refused the courting of the emperor’s daughter, she knew very well that things were a little different this time.

Besides, he did not share an awkward past of a broken engagement with Iriya Mandy like he did with Princess Ingrid. Lady Mandy was, in a way, the first lady of a good descent to be formally associated with Duke Pendragon after his reawakening.

“Huh? What are you talking about? It is only natural for that black fox to become brother’s concubine.”

“W, what…?”

Lindsay answered helplessly, then looked up with a flushed expression at Irene’s response.

“Sir Mandy has proudly stood on the side of our family even though we have no connections in the South. There is no way he would have made the decision without thinking things through.”

Irene was as pretty and cute as a fairy, and she was a prankster at times, but she never lost her sense of responsibility and vision as the eldest daughter of the Pendragon Duchy.

Lindsay looked at her with admiration.

“It bothers me that I can’t figure out what’s going on inside her head, but Iriya Mandy is not lacking to become brother’s concubine. It will be very difficult to find another girl like her in the South.”

“Then what you were saying earlier…”

“Lady Mandy is Lady Mandy, and you are you. Whether we like it or not, she is going to become my brother’s woman, so what can we do about it?”

“Then…”

“I like you, Sister Lindsay. Mother likes you and Mia follows you. So I hope you quickly conceive and get more love from brother than Lady Mandy.”

“Lady Irene…”

Lindsay’s voice trembled. She felt touched, just as much as when her husband showed her love. Even when she was a maid, Irene had never harassed or bothered her or anyone else. She could be a little fierce and uptight, but Lindsay knew how considerate she was towards those of lower status.

But now that they were family, the consideration had transformed into familial love. Irene Pendragon truly stood on the side of Lindsay Conrad.

Lindsay tightly held Irene’s hands with a face filled with emotions and a firm determination.

“I will try my best. For the sake of you, my lady. C, c, conception…”

However, even after she made a firm determination, the embarrassment did not disappear. She stuttered the last word bashfully.

“No! Not for me, but for you and brother. Please!”

Irene’s beautiful voice finally erupted.

***

“…is what they said.”

John Gale finished his long report.

“Hmm…”

Raven and Moraine shared a glance while contemplating.

“Good work. You may leave now.”

“Yes.”

The soldier left after saluting to the two men.

“We will need to change the formation starting tomorrow. What are your thoughts, commander-in-chief?”

“We should do that. However, people might think it a little suspicious that we are changing formations a day after we set off…”

“Hm.”

Raven stroked his chin for a moment, then spoke while shrugging his shoulders.

“There’s no other choice. I will take the lead.”

“Your Excellency will take the lead?”

Moraine asked with a surprised expression, and Raven nodded in response.

“That is the only way, isn’t it? Those rats will only believe it if I initiate it. That is what they want as well.”

“But to stand at the front with them without any other troops…”

“I will be accompanied by the Ancona Orcs. Out of all our forces, they are the most unknown.”

“Hm…”

Viscount Moraine nodded with subdued eyes. As Raven said, the Ancona Orcs were relatively unknown in the South. Of course, they defeated the island orcs in succession, but it was a matter between orcs. Their contributions in the naval battle wasn’t as renowned compared to the 7th regiment and the Pendragon Duchy’s griffons.

“Karuta likes to step up, so I think I will take him along.”

“What? Don’t tell me that you will be going along with just him…”

“Naturally. Do you think anyone would be crazy enough to attack us if we station all the orcs at the forefront?”

“Huh…!”

Even though Raven’s words were true, Viscount Moraine could not wrap his head around it. They were not completely certain of what was to come, but he was planning to shove his head up the lion’s mouth with just two people…

Viscount Moraine vigorously shook his head and spoke in a serious tone.

“Your Excellency, please reconsider. If anything happens to you, the entire coalition will be shaken. How could I ever face His Imperial Majesty if anything were to happen to you?”

Duke Pendragon stood at the center of the plan. He had swept through the inland sea, and now they would punish those who damaged the dignity of the imperial family and regain hegemony in the south.

If anything were to happen to him, it was likely that the entire plan would be scrapped. The risk was just too high.

“I understand where you are coming from. But please trust me.”

“Your Excellency, this is no longer a matter of trust…”

“I do not die.”

“…What?”

Viscount Moraine frowned at the nonsensical words.

“I will not die. That will never happen, so there is nothing for you to worry about.”

He spoke in a confident voice with a confident expression.

Viscount Moraine was at a loss for words.

If anyone else had spoken the same words, he would have thought them to be crazy, but strangely, the young duke’s words did not come off as absurdity.

“I will advance without dying, with you, and with everyone else in the coalition. So please… follow my words.”

At that moment, Viscount Moraine saw it. He had spent more than half of his life in the sea, but the light fluttering in the eyes of Duke Pendragon was more violent and frantic than any deep, ferocious waters he had encountered.