Xiahou Yuan's Defection
Today seemed to be full of surprises. At Ye Gwan's words, I straightened my somewhat relaxed posture and demanded more details.
"Explain in more detail."
"According to the additional letter from Man Chong, it says Xiahou Yuan has joined Cao Cao's army, so be cautious of strategies like feigned surrender or internal collusion. Detailed matters weren't included, perhaps because they were hard to convey in a letter, but since no corrections have been made even after some time, it seems reasonable to assume Xiahou Yuan has betrayed us based on the circumstances."
"......."
I tapped the table nervously with my fingers, lost in thought. It was originally impossible for Xiahou Yuan to betray despite the familiar contract, but the current situation made it possible. It was because the contract had loosened due to temporarily losing my abilities. Therefore, it wasn't strange that one or two seals of fascination were coming undone as my power continued to decline.
But why Xiahou Yuan of all people? Xiahou Yuan was near Damseong, where it was difficult to contact Cao Cao's forces, and all the Cao Cao troops we knew of were engaged in battle with our allies. Moreover, even if she did betray, the timing was odd. It would have been much more devastating if she had turned her spear at the point when Lu Bu's army attacked us and surrendered along with the Emperor and others, but betraying at this point when the situation was almost resolved was strange.
Since there were parts that didn't make sense circumstantially, I wanted to think more about the motive, but both I and Ye Gwan had reasons like being too exhausted, and we had too little related information, making it difficult to grasp the situation.
"Well, we'll know the details when we get back."
In the end, I decided to set aside the matter of Xiahou Yuan for now and focus on resolving the immediate crisis. Xiahou Yuan's familiar contract being broken meant other familiars might have their contracts broken as well. Therefore, even if Xiahou Yuan's contract was broken, I needed to recover my abilities first to secure control so that the other familiars' contracts wouldn't break.
"There's something you need to do. First..."
I gave Ye Gwan several orders for the preparations. Ye Gwan replied that most were possible, but she had doubts about one matter.
"Wouldn't that be quite dangerous in the current situation?"
"It's almost winter. All those who wanted to fight me have already fought, and the rest don't have the strength to face me right now. Don't worry and just follow the orders."
"Well, that's true. Understood."
Ye Gwan nodded as if convinced by my words, and I looked at her with a calm gaze. Originally, Ye Gwan was among the most obedient of the familiars to me. But the fact that she questioned my orders... I had to conclude that my current thought that I needed to act quickly even if it meant taking some risks was correct.
"And make sure not to reveal my identity to those around you from now on. Also, refrain from looking for me as much as possible."
You don't have any talent for acting, after all. I was about to say that but swallowed it. Indeed, Ye Gwan had no talent for acting. I could clearly see that when she tried to probe me with that clumsy psychological warfare earlier. Therefore, to avoid unnecessarily revealing my true nature, the best course was not to show my face at all, and Ye Gwan seemed to agree with my thinking, agreeing without complaint.
"Understood."
With that, the conversation between Ye Gwan and me came to an end. Ye Gwan summoned messengers to quickly carry out my orders, and I left her tent to return to the designated residence as a prisoner again.
"Xiahou Yuan betrayed?"
As soon as I left the tent, confirming no one was around, I asked Ser, and after a moment of silence, she replied.
[It's hard to confirm since the connection isn't established yet, but considering the special relationship of the familiar, the fact that she disobeyed orders and left on her own gives considerable credibility to the news of her betrayal.]
"Is that so......"
It wasn't certain yet, but if Xiahou Yuan's departure was true, it would be a significant loss for our side. Generals you could entrust an army to weren't common, and because of this, the military reorganization plan to station Gi Ryeong in Yangzhou and Xiahou Yuan in Xuzhou for a group army system had to be completely revised.
"It feels like things aren't going smoothly in many ways."
As I stood blankly for a moment after leaving the tent, the soldiers who had been waiting in front of the door earlier appeared and linked arms with me on both sides. It seemed Ye Gwan had given instructions not to go easy on me, reflecting my earlier orders, as their handling was far from gentle. Thanks to that, instead of walking into the tent on my own two feet, I was practically thrown inside.
"Hwanin, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine... ouch."
I saw your faces. I'll remember this later.
Grumbling, I got up, and Sun Quan approached with concern to help me.
"Those Jin Hwan guys, their words are different. They clearly said they'd treat you well. Liars."
It felt strange listening to her worry about me while cursing me. After glaring for a moment, she suggested I sit down. There wasn't much furniture in the tent, just enough to keep out the rain, but there was a pile of straw prepared for sitting or lying down. It seemed like it was originally brought for horse feed but just stacked... Anyway, since there was nowhere else to sit, Sun Quan and I sat on it and started talking.
"Nothing happened over there?"
"No. They just asked a few questions. But I heard something strange from them."
Taking the opportunity, I asked Sun Quan directly to resolve the question I had earlier.
"Something strange?"
Sun Quan showed a slight agitation on her face as if something came to mind, and seeing that, I clicked my tongue inwardly and continued.
"Yes. The enemy commander said that Lord Sun Quan surrendered on the condition of my survival. I think it's nonsense, but just in case. Of course not, right?"
"That is..."
Sun Quan made a troubled expression at my question. This was as good as answering already, but perhaps her thoughts were different as she hesitated for a long time before finally sighing and answering.
"Lies will be found out eventually... Yes. I surrendered on that condition."
".....I see."
I didn't know what expression to make at times like this, but since my mood was indeed a bit bewildered, I maximized that feeling and showed it on my face. Bewilderment. Doubt. Shock.
Sun Quan gradually became calmer as she watched my changing expressions, and I earnestly questioned her with a loyal subject's feeling.
"Why... Lord Sun Quan, don't you really know what I was thinking when I went there risking so much? You could have escaped if you went a little further, so why...!"
"Then let me ask, Hwanin. Why did you save me?"
Thinking my acting had improved quite a bit and getting excited to launch into a passionate speech, Sun Quan calmly raised her hand to stop me and asked for the reason. It was something I did for a reason I couldn't say, so it was a bit awkward to answer when asked so directly, but fortunately, I could think of a suitable answer at that moment and manage to reply.
"Well, because I hoped Lord Sun Quan would return safely."
"I felt the same."
Sun Quan answered with a faint smile at my reply.
"Originally, it was something I did because I wanted to save even just one life I could take responsibility for... but after you collapsed trying to save me, I realized it wasn't just for that reason. How to put it? I think this expression is a bit embarrassing, but... it seems I've come to like you at some point."
"Eh...."
I've had relationships with quite a few women, even like this. But most of them started with coercive relationships, and after that, I subjugated them and took away their will, so when faced with such a direct confession, I couldn't think of how to respond. Thanks to that, even though my opponent was a girl younger than me, I was overwhelmed and could only stammer "Eh, eh," and Sun Quan seemed to interpret my silence as a kind of agreement. Before I knew it, she took my hand and came close, looking at me intently as she spoke.
"I realized it when you collapsed, and I could be sure when you confessed earlier. I think it's a bit strange to make such a confession now that we've already had a relationship, but I'll say it again."
Clearly, she was mistaken. And knowing that this stemmed from misunderstanding and false belief, if this were a normal relationship, there were many things I really wanted to say to her. At least that what she was doing now wasn't something she should do by betraying the expectations of her country, her sister, and her subordinates. But what benefit would such words bring me now? Moreover, from her position, since she couldn't do anything anyway, if she could save even one person, that would be enough, and it would be even better if it was someone she thought she liked. Though I wondered how much she had thought about the repercussions afterward... Anyway, from her position, this could also be seen as an inevitable outcome of salvation.
Looking at it that way, this misunderstanding isn't so bad, is it?
In the end, while I was thinking this and that and couldn't explain the truth, she seemed to have made up her mind, and accordingly, looking at me with slightly moist eyes, she moved her lips to express her feelings.
"I like you, Hwanin."