Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Lying in bed all the time probably wasn’t good for one’s health.
By the time the warm morning sunlight began to settle in, an elderly couple—more precisely, an old knight and a young elf—stepped out of their private room.
The Luchester couple, at first glance, looked like a grandfather and his granddaughter. But in truth, they were the same age, having shared the glorious era together. They had lived as life partners for over ninety years, and that alone was more than enough to prove the depth of their bond.
“Hehe, it’s been a while since we went out. I’m a little excited. You feel the same, don’t you?”
“…I suppose so.”
A faint smile appeared on the old knight’s face as he looked at his cheerful wife. Even after nearly a hundred years, she was still youthful and beautiful. It seemed as though time’s erosion had only ever touched him.
“By the way, dear,” she said.
The elf’s eyes narrowed slightly. She was wearing her usual simple dress, while her husband was dressed neatly in a pressed formal uniform.
It made her feel oddly self-conscious, like she was the only one underdressed.
“You’re being unusually meticulous this morning… and it’s not even a trip into the city. What’s with the outfit?”
The old knight didn’t seem bothered at all. He simply looked at his wife and replied calmly.
“If I’m going out with my young wife, I should at least maintain proper decorum so I don’t embarrass you.”
“…Pardon?”
“To others, we’ll look like a grandfather and his granddaughter. I’d like to at least look like a respectable old grandfather. And you, well… you’re beautiful no matter what you wear.”
“Oh my.”
The elf’s eyes sparkled with emotion and excitement. Whether she was touched by his sincerity or simply delighted by his words, she clung to his arm like a young girl.
“How about it, dear? Want to go somewhere fun and secluded with me?”
“C-Celine, perhaps you should refrain from such wording…”
The old knight, Rekun, glanced around nervously, worried about being overheard.
Just hearing her call him “older brother” with that playful tone made his skin crawl.
“You’re trying to embarrass your husband? I’m almost a hundred years old. If people hear that, I’ll be arrested for sure.”
When he was younger, he had enjoyed her following him around and calling him “big brother.” But now, with white hair and a wrinkled face, it only felt embarrassing.
“What’s wrong with it? It reminds you of old times, doesn’t it?”
“Even so… what if someone hears us?”
“It doesn’t matter. Everyone in Belarck already knows what kind of relationship we have.”
“…Celine.”
“Honestly, why are you so stiff on such a nice day?”
“Stiff? Me?”
“Yes. Nobody’s here to scold us anymore, and that annoying old man who always lectured us is gone too.”
The “annoying old man” she referred to was the previous head of Belarck, Lord Laden Kon Belarck.
Unlike his son, he had a light, easygoing personality and loved teasing his retainers whenever he had the chance.
And in truth, he was of an age she could call “old man” without exaggeration—he had lived for over two hundred years.
“Calling our former lord ‘old man’… when you were still a child, that would’ve been understandable, but still, some respect…”
“Ha! Why should we care about a dead man’s opinion? Besides, I’m not a knight like you. You’re far more important to me than even the emperor.”
“Good grief…”
Rekun scratched his cheek, flustered by his wife’s shameless affection. Just as he was about to let it go, softened by her carefree attitude—
“Eh, even so, that’s a bit much…!”
A voice interrupted them from the side.
The old knight’s face instantly turned red.
The owner of the voice was a brown-haired girl standing beside them—Serah.
She hadn’t been the only one accompanying the couple that day.
“Ugh…!”
The moment Serah heard her master being called “older brother,” her face twisted in discomfort, her limbs curling awkwardly.
She knew it was rude. She knew it was improper.
But her body reacted instinctively, overwhelmed by rejection.
“Eek!”
Feeling the murderous aura from her master’s gaze, the girl panicked.
And in the next moment—
Pat-pat-pat!
She ran off at full speed.
To avoid getting scolded again.
“Tch… she goes and does unnecessary things…”
Rekun watched his disciple’s fleeing figure and then examined what she had brought.
In her left hand was a large basket.
In her right, a woven picnic mat.
And strapped to her back like a pack was—
“That thing… she called it a frame carrier, didn’t she?”
Something Serah had suddenly invented one day.
It was made of wood, which was abundant in Belarck’s forests and cheap to obtain. It had turned out to be surprisingly useful for the territory’s economy, but…
“…It still looks unsettling no matter how many times I see it.”
For some reason, Rekun couldn’t stand looking at it. It was just a wooden tool, but whenever he saw it, he felt cold sweat, nausea, and a vague discomfort.
He tried to convince himself it was just a harmless wooden carrier.
But it always gave him an ominous feeling.
“Why am I the only one like this? It’s not like I suddenly developed a wood allergy at my age…”
That was what confused him even more. His wife Celine, his lord Iden, and the others had no issue with it at all.
Only he did.
“Guess I can’t tell her to leave it behind…”
Serah had explained she would gather firewood while the couple enjoyed their picnic.
And to be fair, it was the best tool for carrying logs.
So he couldn’t just make his disciple suffer unnecessarily.
“I must be imagining things.”
With that thought, the old knight decided to ignore his discomfort.
“Dear? Why are you walking so slowly?”
“…I’m just enjoying the scenery at my own pace.”
And so, he quietly increased the distance between himself and his disciple carrying that unsettling wooden frame.
Serah, meanwhile, had already found the perfect picnic spot for the couple—sunlight filtered gently through the trees, with enough shade to rest comfortably.
She moved quickly.
She laid out the mat neatly on her knees.
She unpacked sandwiches and tea sets from the basket.
She even lit medicinal herbs to keep insects away.
I hope… this suits their taste.
Seeing her like this, calling her overly serious about her companions might have been unfair.
She was simply too shy to express it directly. In truth, there was no doubt she respected Rekun more than anyone else.
After all, he was the champion who had burned his aging body to protect Belarck.
Even Serah, with her somewhat mature mindset, couldn’t help but feel admiration that bordered on reverence.
Let’s see… master likes the meat sandwich, Lady Celine prefers the vegetable one… what tea did she say she liked again?
Serah had prepared everything from early morning, waking up before anyone else.
She brewed herbs for tea, made sandwiches, and even selected the picnic location in advance.
She wanted them to have a peaceful, happy time together while Rekun regained some of his strength.
…He really is impressive.
Ah, but there was one correction to make.
Even injured like that… he’s still doing his duty.
Considering his age, that was practically impossible.
Serah’s eyes drifted toward Celine’s slightly rounded stomach.
When exactly did that happen again?
She recalled something she had read in a book titled Understanding the Races.
Elf women, when their husbands are of short-lived races and especially when life and death are uncertain, tend to become more emotionally and physically intense.
A survival instinct, the book had said, rooted in their culture of exclusivity and devotion.
Come to think of it… if you trace the timing of Lady Celine’s condition, it must have been shortly after his injury…
Serah suddenly understood.
Her “Recovery +50%” trait might have just saved a life.
…Well, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
With slightly more generous portions prepared for Lady Celine, Serah carefully plated the sandwiches with a small smile on her face.
“Serah, if it isn’t too much trouble, may we use your name for our new child?”
Her cheeks turned bright red.
“D-Did I really… do that much for them? I didn’t do anything special…”
Being considered that much by the people she respected most in the world felt embarrassing—but not unpleasant.
And the thought that Rekun would live even longer than expected made it feel even more unreal.
Then finally—
“We were thinking of naming our youngest Dodo… and combining it with your name, Serah… maybe Dora. My husband doesn’t seem to mind.”
Somehow…
It felt like she might be gaining a little sibling.