285. Lion, Rose, and Wings (3)
285. Lion, Rose, and Wings (3)
- 1 -
A pair of platinum rings resting on blue velvet gleamed radiantly beneath the soft glow of the candlelight.
The faces of the two sisters gazing at the rings inside the jewel box were already flushed crimson.
"Th-this is..."
Adelaide couldn't finish her sentence.
Her eyes were locked on the rings, unable to look away.
At first glance, they appeared to be ordinary platinum rings.
But upon closer inspection, one could quickly realize they held a deeper significance.
One ring bore a lion intricately carved from a ruby that blazed like a flame, while the other was carved from sapphire dust that resembled the sky.
A black rose had also been engraved upon the ruby ring's lion, and black wings on the sapphire ring, clearly indicating who its owner was.
Libertas smiled, savoring the two women's reactions.
"I trust you understand their meaning without my having to explain."
She spoke softly.
True to her words, the two women grasped the intent with vivid clarity.
One was a token bestowed upon a loyal retainer. And the other was...
"Someday, when I find the time... I would very much like to officiate."
A token blessing the love between the two of them.
"Now, I shall leave you to yourselves. It seems you will need some time alone."
Libertas rose from her seat, a satisfied smile on her face.
"Thank you, Master."
"May you rest comfortably."
She disappeared from the room at a leisurely yet elegant, though slightly hastened, pace.
With the sound of the door closing, a heavy silence descended upon the room.
"It's beautiful... as if carved by a god."
Elena carefully lifted the ring set with the ruby.
The lion crafted from the scattered red jewel dust flickered as if it were living flame.
"Sister Adel."
Elena whispered.
Still unable to find her voice, Adelaide stared at the ring depicting the lion in sapphire.
The blue jewel possessed a deep, tranquil hue, and the lion's eyes seemed to be looking back at Adelaide.
"El."
Adelaide finally spoke in a small voice.
Her gaze met her younger sister's, which had been watching her reflection.
The two sisters remained that way, simply looking at each other for a long time. Neither could bring herself to speak first.
However, the silence did not last long.
"Sister..."
When it came to breaking such a silence, the one whose desire burned stronger naturally held the advantage.
It was surely no illusion that honey seemed to drip from Elena's eyes as she looked at Adelaide.
"Will you accept this ring?"
Adelaide, however, still wore a look of confusion.
"El... we are sisters. This is... not right."
"Then what do you call all the physical intimacy we've shared until now?"
"That was..."
That was, to the very end, 'physical intimacy as sisters.'
Until now, Adelaide had acted under the self-rationalization that, 'Wouldn't it be fine to grow a little closer to my younger sister, as her elder one?'
"No..."
Faced with the situation becoming so blatant, her fluster was unavoidable.
Elena slowly approached Adelaide.
Adelaide stepped back, but Elena did not stop.
"If you do not wish for it, Sister, then please simply accept this ring as a token of our political alliance. That alone will be enough."
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were filled with earnest pleading.
Adelaide gazed at Elena's face for a long moment.
That face resembled the younger sister she once knew, yet belonged to a completely different person.
More beautiful, stronger, a more dangerous presence.
"What is it that you truly desire, Elena?"
Elena's blue-gray eyes, which carried a stronger blue than Adelaide's, blazed as if they were on fire.
She drew closer and carefully cupped Adelaide's face.
The touch was tender but firm.
"Sister, I will be honest with you. This feeling is... not that old. However..."
Adelaide did not move. The sound of her heart pounding rapidly echoed in her ears.
"You tried your hardest to push me away, yet looking back, you were always at my side in the crucial moments. When I first achieved results in a knightly tournament, when I was sick in bed..."
Adelaide's eyes wavered. She, too, was vividly recalling those memories.
"And when I was cursed and became this figure, you approached me first, didn't you? Even when everyone else kept their distance."
Of course, back then, not knowing Adelaide's heart, Elena had thought, 'Why is this woman suddenly acting like this?'
But once she realized Adelaide's sincerity, all those memories were transformed into cherished moments and returned to her as affection for Adelaide.
As a rule, it is difficult to reject something offered all at once.
That was precisely why Elena's eyes now burned so brightly.
"I too tried to suppress my feelings. But I could not."
It was the truth. Elena had tried to let go of her feelings for Adelaide.
To her, family had been an object of revenge and conquest, not affection.
But her mind soon changed.
If she had to 'conquer' anyway, she thought, why not let it be in a more positive direction?
"Sister."
Elena carefully took Adelaide's hand.
Adelaide did not pull away. The dew forming in her eyes sparkled.
"I know too."
She whispered in a low voice.
"I wanted to suppress these feelings. After you changed, you kept drawing closer and closer... my heart fluttered. But it's wrong, isn't it?"
"It is all right, Sister."
Elena carefully slid the ruby ring onto Adelaide's finger.
"For you... I could abandon even my family name."
When the ruby ring settled perfectly onto Adelaide's finger, a thrill raced through her at Elena's words.
"That is..."
To Elena, her family was merely an object to possess, but if Adelaide became the head of the family and she possessed Adelaide, it would essentially fall into her hands anyway.
After all, she would reign over and dominate the family, remaining a 'Leophere.'
But to Adelaide, the family was everything.
Even the temporary discarding of the family name—such a dishonor was difficult for her to fathom.
The difference in perception between the two, ironically, gave Adelaide certainty.
"...Very well."
Adelaide's eyes wavered before hardening with a firm light. The scale that had been wavering between hesitation and desire finally tipped decisively to one side.
She took Elena's hand and the blue ring.
And then, she carefully slid the platinum ring onto Elena's finger.
The knuckles of Elena's hand, accustomed to holding weapons, were slightly thick.
But the ring rippled like water and adjusted its size to fit her finger on its own.
"This is clearly not the right thing..."
"For us, this is right."
Adelaide still hesitated. But her eyes were gradually softening.
"Our relationship can never go back to what it was as ordinary sisters."
"That is exactly what I want."
Elena's hand wrapped firmly around Adelaide's waist.
Her touch was careful but filled with certainty. Adelaide trembled at the contact.
"Are you truly certain?"
"The most certain I have ever been."
Adelaide's eyes slowly closed.
A small sigh escaped her lips.
"...Very well."
It was permission. And at the same time, acknowledgment.
Elena hesitated no longer.
She pulled Adelaide closer.
Their breaths became one.
"Sister..."
Elena's exhilaration flowed out directly into her voice.
She slowly lowered her head.
Adelaide's eyelids fluttered slightly before closing softly.
Elena's lips touched Adelaide's.
At first lightly, as if a soft petal were settling down.
When Adelaide let out a small moan, Elena delved deeper.
Adelaide's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed. Her hands rose to Elena's shoulders.
The elder sister, too, went out to meet the younger.
"El..."
"Sister..."
Though cautious at first, as the moments passed, the contact grew bolder and deepened.
Elena's hand found the cord that fastened Adelaide's dress, and Adelaide's arms wrapped around Elena's neck.
The bed in Adelaide's office, after all this time, found its owner again...
- 2 -
I pulled my lips away. A transparent thread connected our two mouths before falling into the air.
I looked at her and smiled with satisfaction.
Yuran's golden eyes had clouded with desire, and her black fox ears trembled with joy.
Her excitement was vividly conveyed.
"My lord..."
Her whispering voice was as alluring as ever, but now it held more depth.
That voice echoing in my ear put me in a pleasant mood.
"More..."
The guest room that welcomed the most honored guest of the Leophere court.
Before we knew it, it had become a space for just the two of us.
Beyond the window, a night sky embroidered with countless stars unfolded, and the room filled with the warm, dim light of candles.
"You were quite thirsty, weren't you?"
"Indeed, I was. Has it not been a long while?"
Seated upon my thigh, Yuran smiled coquettishly.
Her long nails trailed slowly down my shoulder.
Her long, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, veiling us both, and her five tails swayed gently behind her, tinged with foxfire.
"For my lord, I can do anything. However... it is this kind of time that I need."
I placed my hand on the chin of her, as she spoke with certainty and devotion. Her cheek, rubbing against my hand, wore a seductive look at the corner of her eyes. I felt a couple of her tails sweep across the outside of my thighs.
"Don't overwork yourself too much."
"Hehe. This time with you replenishes a hundred years' worth of my stamina."
"You speak well."
These days, she had been traveling back and forth between Leophere and Orbis, aiding the internal affairs of the two nations.
It was true that Amelia's and Adelaide's abilities were excellent, but more than half the reason there were no major disturbances in the two duchies—which were navigating national transition and human-monster integration—was due to Ran's capabilities.
Of course, the power of the monster nobles following her orders played a part too.
"How are the matters in Kiza progressing?"
The voice of Ran, who was embracing me from behind as I sat before the table, echoed in my ear.
I nodded and handed her a single black-stained flower.
A flower named Asphodel, possessing useful efficacies in many fields.
The overall appearance of the plant, excluding the flower, was not particularly beautiful, but having been dyed in my color, it now possessed a more mysterious glow.
Yuran's eyes curved upon seeing it.
"It seems Evangeline has performed splendidly."
"So she has."
Caressing her cheek with one hand, I reviewed the documents Evangeline had sent with the other.
The post-war processing of the Kiza Kingdom was proceeding smoothly.
The ability of the chancellor who became prime minister, Aiden Cromwell, was remarkable. So much so that I did not regret leaving only that one head among the three.
"However... his age is a bit of a concern."
The average lifespan in this world was generally high. This was because there were many people who possessed mana.
However, Prime Minister Cromwell was already an old man well past seventy, and his magical prowess was not particularly high either.
Even though he regularly received blessings and checkups, given the nature of this world, where the study of pathology had not advanced as much as on Earth, it would not be surprising if he passed away suddenly at any time.
"Do you not intend to revive him?"
At Yuran's questioning words, I shook my head.
"Not if I lacked the leisure to do so. But in a situation where I have it, I have no intention of dragging back someone who wants to die and using them. ...I shall have to raise a successor for him or something."
I inscribed my decision onto the document and traced it with mana, and the paper was consumed by darkness from the edges, disappearing.
It had returned to Evangeline.
Yuran approached me again. This time, she offered her lips first, and I smiled and accepted her request.
A moment later, she pulled back and whispered.
"Aren't you curious about what the two of them are doing?"
"You rascal. You have bad taste."
It wasn't that I lacked curiosity, but I quickly shook my head and ruffled her hair.
"Don't torment the newlyweds."
Ran pouted her lips slightly.
When I gave that adorable sight a small kiss, she soon smiled a smile full of aegyo.
Looking at her like that, I became lost in thought for a moment.
'Now the Iron Lion of Leophere has become wholly mine. And it is only a matter of time before the black flowers bloom fully in Kiza.'
Stroking her tail, I thought of Evangeline.
My first summoned creature, my first hero.
Now, as a Countess of Haisen and the Knight Commander of Kiza, she was excellently seizing military control over Kiza.
Once she fully seized military control, it would be time to use them to rein in the adventurers.
Then, Kiza too would fall into my hands.
Like the stars faintly visible through the summer night clouds, my plans were lighting up one by one.
Soon, all these stars would become a single galaxy, shining under my will.
And the name of that galaxy was Grakheisen.