Chapter 45

Chapter 45. The Touching Scars (5)

Rosalyn drew up her knees to match his gaze, then wrapped her arms around the back of Sionne’s head.

Her chin tilted upward naturally, their noses brushing as Rosalyn’s tongue slipped between his lips.

It was like a mother bird feeding her chick.

“Haa, why are you—”

There was no room for words. The only thing passed from mouth to mouth was breath and saliva.

‘What is this…?’

Sionne couldn’t understand why Rosalyn was kissing him.

But as the wet sound of their tongues brushing filled his ears, all other thoughts vanished. It took all his effort not to let his body react.

“Haa.”

Neither of them was skilled in biting or sucking, and their breathing quickly grew short.

His head spun.

It felt unreal.

And yet it felt good, as if all the words and grief from earlier had been erased.

“Haa…”

When at last their lips parted, both let out sighs that sounded like gasps of relief.

“Haa, Sion—mmph!”

Rosalyn tried to call his name once she had steadied her breath.

But Sionne, still panting, pressed his lips back onto hers, desperate as though quenching a thirst.

He pulled Rosalyn close into his arms, entwining tongues.

As if in retaliation, he bit down firmly on her tongue.

Rosalyn flinched at the sharp sensation.

“Mmh.”

Her breath was already too short, and it grew harder to breathe.

“Hhhhm.”

She let out a muffled sound to signal him, but he ignored it.

No—he was pretending not to notice.

He knew her face was flushed from lack of air, but he didn’t stop. He swallowed even her faint moans as though savoring them.

Tap, tap, tap.

Unable to endure it any longer, Rosalyn beat on his shoulder. She felt as if she were surrendering, but she couldn’t hold on any more.

Only then did Sionne release her lips.

“…”

Rosalyn glanced at his dangerously lowered eyes and his glistening lower lip, then turned her head away.

‘What was that? Why was I so reckless?’

Now that it was over, her senses returned as though doused with cold water.

‘Was it the wine I drank at dinner? Or is it because my memories came back?’

Even if she had wanted him to stop speaking that way, kissing him was not the rational answer.

“…”

Sionne now loomed over her, quietly watching her as she tried to look away. It was as if he could read the thoughts painting themselves above her head.

He found it absurd, yet oddly endearing. After all, as her consort in name, something like this was bound to happen eventually.

“Some comfort.”

He lifted his hand and brushed away the traces of tears left on her cheek.

“You make it embarrassing for me.”

Rosalyn raised her head and met his eyes.

“Did it feel like comfort?”

“Didn’t it?”

“…Yes. It was comfort.”

Rosalyn clung to the excuse he had offered.

“Yes, it was comfort.”

She repeated his words, because otherwise she would have to admit just how much her heart had already changed.

Rosalyn. And Sionne.

“Yes, comfort…”

Sionne frowned faintly at her repeated words.

He had given her a way to retreat, but the fact that she took it without hesitation irked him.

“Enough. Sleep.”

Rosalyn suddenly became aware of how she was practically clinging to him. Flustered, she scrambled to her feet.

But the moment her foot touched the ground—

“Ah!”

She pitched forward again, her head bumping into Sionne’s shoulder.

“What are you—ah!”

Sionne remembered that her ankle had been injured.

“Put your foot forward.”

He slipped off her shoe and held her foot, examining the sole.

‘A sprain.’

The swelling and bruising around her ankle left no doubt.

“Ugh.”

Rosalyn grimaced from the pain.

“How could you not notice this?”

Sionne scolded her with disbelief.

“Didn’t it hurt?”

“…”

But the truly absurd one was Rosalyn herself—because for a moment, she had actually forgotten her ankle was injured.

“I’ll fetch a physician.”

Sionne sighed softly and quickly stepped out.

“It’s a sprain.”

The doctor, summoned late at night, gave his diagnosis of Rosalyn’s ankle.

“You’ll need to keep it splinted until it heals, and apply cold compresses regularly.”

“Until it heals completely?”

“Yes.”

Rosalyn’s expression shifted to dissatisfaction.

‘This is bad.’

After seeing the doctor off, Sionne looked at Rosalyn sitting sulkily on the bed. Her lips jutted out in a pout, showing her discontent.

‘…!’

At the same time, he remembered how they had just been tangled together moments earlier.

‘Madman, Sionne Feitan.’

His throat bobbed once, then fell.

There was no need to think too deeply about the kiss she had initiated.

‘It must mean her heart has opened a little.’

Yes, no need to overthink it. It was the result of his effort to open her heart.

Nothing more.

But then—when he had pulled her waist toward him and kissed her first…

He had no idea how to explain that.

If her kiss had been comfort, then what had his kiss been?

‘Lust?’

Disgusting. Both the upper half of him that had failed to resist kissing her, and the lower half of him that stirred at the sight of the enemy princess.

‘Like a mutt in heat.’

Sionne rubbed his eyes, forcing his expression under control. If he faced her like this, she would surely read everything he was thinking.

“What is it that displeases you?”

“…Ah.”

Rosalyn lifted her head at his gentle question.

“It’s nothing.”

She shook her head.

“Then you should sleep. It’s late.”

When Rosalyn nodded her agreement, Sionne extinguished the candle by the bed. Their routine was so natural now it proved how accustomed they had grown to sharing a room.

But Rosalyn did not fall asleep right away. No matter how she tried, her worries kept her awake.

“Sionne.”

Tossing restlessly, she called his name.

“Yes, Rosalyn.”

Though she thought he was asleep, he answered clearly, without a trace of drowsiness.

“In this state, I won’t be able to fight, will I?”

She finally voiced the worry that had been circling her mind since earlier.

“No.”

The answer came without a second’s hesitation.

“…Haa.”

Rosalyn sighed, overwhelmed.

She had just founded the Anata Order of Knights, and now it was time to strike Valak. To bring prosperity to Anata, the first step was to eliminate Valak.

But in this condition, she wouldn’t even be able to sit a horse’s saddle.

It felt as though her plans were falling apart from the start.

“Is this unease you’ve felt since earlier… because of the battle with Valak?”

“Mhm.”

Rosalyn gave an ambiguous reply. She wasn’t sure how much she could tell him.

“So you were planning to join the battle yourself. But must you really?”

“What?”

“In ancient times, rulers had the duty to fight for their people. But that is no longer the case.”

“….”

“Wouldn’t it be enough to send only the Anata Knights? Why must you fight as well?”

“…I can’t send my men into danger while keeping myself safe.”

At last, Rosalyn confessed the fear that had weighed on her.

“The knights of the conquest unit are already exhausted from countless battles. And the newly appointed knights lack experience.”

When Jacob had expressed the same concerns earlier, she had insisted the Valak campaign could not be delayed, that there was no other choice.

But deep down, she worried about her knights.

“To send only them…”

Sionne cut in.

“Then you don’t trust the Anata Knights.”

“What are you implying?”

Rosalyn frowned at her consort’s distortion of her intent.

“That’s not it. It’s not like that—”

“Then why don’t you expect them to succeed in the campaign?”

“….”

Rosalyn bit her lip, feeling as if he had seen straight through her.

“Think of it the other way. The conquest knights, though weary, are seasoned in war. And the newly appointed ones, given the times, will have high morale.”

“This isn’t something you can solve with a change of perspective.”

Rosalyn pushed back against his reasoning. Yet at the same time, she felt her thoughts becoming clearer.

“Exactly. Which means we need to devise a strategy where victory is certain.”

Sionne agreed with her, then asked,

“In the end, isn’t what Your Grace wants simply the recovery of the food Valak has plundered?”