Chapter 343
Chapter 343
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 343
Chapter Title: Reborn as the Plum Blossom Swordmaster in a Count's Family
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It was afternoon.
The loan shark I'd beaten up yesterday had come back, dragging a noble along with him. The ugly noble, his face slick with grease, tilted his head back arrogantly and demanded,
"Where is this woman named Tiel?"
I knew the noble would show up.
This virtual world had been created to teach nobles about peasant life. If it were just peacefully tilling fields, it'd be little more than a vacation. So, of course, a noble was bound to appear and start throwing his weight around—it was scripted from the start. Hell, the loan shark had shown up even though I never borrowed a dime.
"...Tiel is my wife, my lord. But what brings you here?"
I prostrated myself on the ground. The loan shark standing beside the noble smirked at me.
"Oh ho."
The noble looked down at me. I was pissed, but for the sake of my plan, I had to hold it in.
And surrounding the noble were ten soldiers armed with spears and swords, guarding him.
"I've heard this Tiel has exceptional beauty."
From who? Obviously the loan shark and his cronies.
"My wife Tiel is a peasant. How could a peasant have such outstanding looks? I don't know where you heard that, my lord... but it's all exaggeration and baseless rumor!"
"Whether it's rumor or not, I'll confirm it with my own eyes. And if her beauty truly pleases me, I'll take her as my concubine. Bring Tiel before me right now. That's an order."
Of course, I didn't budge.
Scared into selling my wife to appease a noble's authority? Any other peasant might, but I had zero intention of handing my woman over to anyone else.
"My lord! Please, just this once! I beg you! Leave my wife alone!"
I flung myself to the ground, bowing my head. Quietly, I glanced back at my house. There was a presence inside the rundown shack. Ellaine was probably hiding there, watching the whole scene.
'What's important is that I, of great noble blood, am bowing my head for Ellaine's sake.'
She'd feel anger mixed with pity. The more intense her emotions, the higher the success rate of my plan.
"Peasant scum, you talk too much. Didn't you hear my order? Go fetch your wife."
"My lord! Mercy, please!"
"You ignorant peasant! How many times do I have to repeat myself?!"
Thwack!
The noble kicked me.
It was like a cotton swab, but I flew back with exaggerated flair and prostrated myself again before him.
"Just once...! Please, show mercy just once! If it's money you want, I'll pay it back somehow...!"
"You lowly wretch, still?!"
Furious at my defiance, the noble started beating me. I deftly avoided his vital spots.
"Huff... huff... This is your last chance. Bring Tiel now!"
"My lord! Please, have mercy!"
"...You damned peasant. My patience is spent! You live in my territory yet defy my command and insult my authority. You'll pay dearly for that."
Two soldiers grabbed my shoulders and arms, hauling me to my feet.
The noble glared at my face like he wanted to chew it up, then whipped his head around and pointed at one of the onlooking peasants—Panres.
"You there! Come here!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
Startled, Panres sprinted over and dropped to the ground.
"You look like a local peasant, so you must know who Tiel is. Bring her to me at once. That's an order."
Panres's eyes darted wildly. To him, I was a friend he'd grown up with since childhood. The noble, on the other hand, was a total stranger with power.
"Don't tell me you're defying me too."
The soldiers took a step forward. Panres flinched and shouted,
"N-no, of course not, my lord! I'll bring Tiel right away!"
Betrayal. Well, not really—I'd never trusted Panres to begin with.
Over time, I'd realized he was jealous of me. I was good at farming, and I had a beautiful wife like Tiel.
Panres started toward my house but froze. Ellaine, known here as Tiel, was striding confidently toward us. Her clothes were ragged peasant garb, but her posture and aura screamed high nobility.
"Lord Hotain Galgalmar. I am Tiel."
"O-oh. Truly a peasant? That beauty and grace rival my own wife's!"
The noble, seeing Ellaine face-on, grew excited.
"Mother...!"
Ellaine didn't glance my way. She stared straight at the noble.
"I'll do as Lord Hotain wishes. If you want me as your concubine, I'll be your concubine... so please spare my husband Told."
"...I was tempted to execute him on the spot and hang his head in the square... but if you obey without complaint, things might be different. Come closer."
"Yes."
Ellaine stepped forward. Resignation and surrender flickered in her eyes.
"O-oh..."
The noble reached out toward her, entranced.
My patience snapped.
I shoved the soldiers restraining my arms, sending them tumbling. Snatching a sword from one soldier's belt as he lost balance, I gripped it tight.
"Aaagh!"
"Gaaah!"
Without hesitation, I slashed the sides and shoulders of the two soldiers and charged the noble. He stumbled back in shock, instinctively putting distance between us.
"Stop him!"
"Protect Lord Hotain!"
The soldiers blocked my path. But they couldn't stop me. I couldn't use mana here, but my physical abilities matched the outside world's. Plus, my Eternal Heaven Style swordsmanship and years of combat experience hadn't vanished.
I dodged their attacks effortlessly, slipping past to slit their throats.
A few soldiers, stunned by my skill, fled into the distance. My target, Hotain, kept retreating until he tripped and fell on his ass.
"D-do you know what you've done?!"
"I know exactly what you did."
Part of me wanted to start with his limbs and make him die slow, but I didn't have the luxury. And shocked Ellaine was watching me.
I raised the bloodied sword high.
"S-spare me! I was wrong... Gurk!"
I plunged the blade into the noble's heart. He convulsed, then went limp. Dead for sure.
I turned my gaze. My eyes met Panres's.
"Panres. I never thought you'd betray me."
"T-Told! No, listen to me!"
I yanked the sword from the noble's heart.
"Eek!"
Realizing there'd be no talk, Panres screamed and bolted. I hurled the sword at him with all my strength. It pierced the back of his neck perfectly. The onlookers scattered in panic, figuring I might kill them too.
I approached Ellaine, who stood dazed amid the corpses.
"Mother..."
"...Yu-jin. What have you done? You know full well how grave a crime killing a noble is..."
In the outside world, if a commoner killed a noble, not just him but his entire family would die horribly. Relatives could be massacred too, and in the worst case, the whole village.
"You, becoming that scum's concubine? Ridiculous!"
"If I'd gone along with it, we all could have lived."
"Living by selling you off? I'd rather die. And we're not from this world! We have a world to return to! Don't tell me you've... given up on going back?!"
Ellaine let out a deep sigh.
I knew death here or four days from now would eject us automatically, but Ellaine knew nothing about this world.
"There's no way back. No mana in this world means no magic. Without magic, how could we return?"
"We'll find one...! We just have to search!"
"Maybe. But Yu-jin, can you be certain there's a way?"
"...That's..."
"In the worst case, we live out our lives here. Wouldn't it be better if I became the noble's concubine then?"
"Don't say that!"
I shouted passionately and pulled Ellaine into a tight embrace with both arms. She seemed startled by the suddenness but didn't push me away.
I desperately fought back my erection from her scent and feel.
"I don't want to live comfortably at the cost of sacrificing you."
"...Same here. You think I don't know you're suffering because of me? I can't even dress properly, know nothing about fieldwork, peasant cooking, or handling livestock. I'm just dead weight. A mother who can't support her son but drags him down... I don't want to be that kind of woman."
"Mother!"
I pulled back slightly, gripping her shoulders and meeting her eyes.
"I love you, Mother! It was because you were by my side that I endured!"
She looked faintly surprised at my words, then nodded ever so slightly.
"...Yes. I love you too. Even without blood ties, you're my one and only son. Blood means nothing."
"That's not it, Mother! I love you not as a son, but as a man!"
Ellaine's russet eyes wavered.
"...You're mistaken. In this world, you're all I have to lean on, and vice versa. And you're extremely aroused right now. Calm down first. We killed a noble—we need to think about what comes next..."
"It's no mistake! Back in our original world, for years now, I've yearned for you! I know it's absurd! I know everyone would condemn me! It's defying the natural order, after all!"
"I'm glad you know that. Let's talk calmly..."
"But in this world, no one will condemn us! No one knows our relation, and we share not a drop of blood! I love you! Mother—no, Ellaine!"
Sensing the danger in my words, perhaps, Ellaine panicked and tried to pull away.
"N-no! You're my son... Mmph!?"
I forcibly pulled her back and kissed her. Our lips ground together. She pounded my arms and back with balled fists. Crucially, she could've hit my head but didn't.
Her resistance slowed, then stopped. Peeking through slitted eyes, I saw her close hers fully.
Ellaine had accepted me. Without this extreme situation, without her nearly abandoning hope of returning home, it would've been impossible.
'Once we cross the line, even back in the real world, it'll be easy to cross it again.'
I licked and sucked her lips. Preparation to slip in my tongue. Her lips trembled and parted slightly. I took the opening, pushing my tongue inside. She startled but responded to mine.
'A married woman who can barely kiss. Guess she and Ention didn't do it much. Makes sense.'
Their marriage was political. Ention's true love was his first wife. Not your typical couple.
Slowly, I parted our lips. A silver thread stretched between them, then snapped.
Ellaine opened her eyes, cheeks flushed red.
"......"
"......"
We gazed silently into each other's eyes.