The sensation of flesh touching my cheek.
Neither more nor less than that.
Lips brushed against mine in an instant, then pulled away.
It was so fleeting that I was confused about whether to define it as a kiss.
But. The lady who kept exclaiming, “Oh my!” and Meriel, who was grinning widely.
Seeing him, blushing with an awkward expression as if he were embarrassed, I recognized and became convinced.
He kissed me.
*****
A few hours later, in the Princess’s palace.
There was a brief commotion in the Princess’s palace due to the sudden visit from a shaman.
Moreover, the identity of the visitor was Merien’s younger sister, Meriel, which caused Merien to nearly faint from surprise.
Valtean, who was officially in charge of the palace’s attendants, took Ern aside to demand an explanation.
Currently, in the palace’s Imperial Guard room.
On the veranda of the room where Ern was staying, Valtean spoke in a hushed voice.
“Hey, you crazy b*stard. What were you thinking bringing my sister-in-law here?”
“I brought her because she wanted to come.”
“Is that even a valid excuse? If you were going to bring her, at least send a letter ahead! Not so suddenly…”
“It was only a day until departure; what could I have done? Any letter would have arrived later than us.”
“…”
Valtean swallowed his anger, his face complicated.
Although he was furious at the abrupt situation, it was something that was bound to happen sooner or later.
“Hah… How much did you hear?”
“That the commander smashed the first prince of Forest’s balls?”
“…You heard it all.”
Valtean had tried to keep many facts hidden, but now that it had come to this, he felt he needed to be open.
“If you heard it all, then there’s no need for excuses. Yes, I smashed the first prince of Forest’s balls, my wife left home because of it, and my sister-in-law almost died; being a mage is nearly impossible now.”
And Merien had not once returned to her hometown in the years since, burdened by that guilt.
“How could I face her? Even if it wasn’t her fault, because of that prince she liked, her family became half-disabled, and we almost went to full-scale war with the Empire.”
“Think positively; at least my wife is a national beauty. What a face to ruin a nation with. I still can’t believe I got such a beautiful wife…”
Tsk Tsk. Valtean let out a meaningless laugh.
“…I just wanted to vent a little. I was so shocked that I needed to spill it somewhere. Now that I think about it, I don’t even know why I called you. That was a really irrational decision.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. Isn’t this proof that we have become completely ordinary people?”
“…I suppose that’s true. Living in a place where people are, rubbing shoulders with them, and smelling like people… I guess I’ve become too emotional.”
Valtean pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and was about to light it, but then abruptly put the lighter away and pocketed it.
“Just smoke it. We’re indoors, but it’s not a no-smoking area.”
Valtean shook his head.
“That’s not it. I decided to quit smoking.”
“Commander? Really?”
Valtean had been a notorious heavy smoker for a long time.
He always claimed that cigarettes were his driving force in life, even carrying several packs during the war, so it was shocking to hear he was quitting.
“…Yeah. Well, I guess it’s a good opportunity. It’s time to move somewhere with good water and air.”
Valtean mumbled something incomprehensible before suddenly looking at me.
And then.
“Hey. My wife is pregnant.”
“……What?”
He said it calmly, then smiled broadly.
“Don’t make that face like you didn’t expect it. It’s actually late.”
“That’s true, but…”
Considering when Valtean got married, it was indeed a bit late for Merien to be pregnant.
Even though the chances of a child being born from a union between a shaman and a human are relatively low.
“Are you thinking of going to the Shaman nation?”
“Maybe. It depends on what my wife decides.”
If that happens, Merien might have to leave this place.
Valtean issued a warning that was not quite a warning.
*****
The chamberlain’s office.
If someone were to see them, they might say the pair of sisters resembled each other closely.
The two women spent several minutes facing each other in silence.
It wasn’t that they didn’t know what to say.
There were just so many thoughts that they were deep in thought about which words to choose.
There were countless things they wanted to say to each other.
How have you been?
Are you okay?
How is the family doing?
If you need anything…
Meriel bit her lip.
There were many questions and many things to say.
But when she finally looked at her sister’s face, her mind went blank.
She wondered if she was intruding on Merien’s life, which seemed to be going well.
But.
She had to say something.
She wanted to tell her that what happened back then wasn’t her sister’s fault.
Meriel opened her heavy mouth.
“Sister… have you been well?”
“…Yes.”
“…”
This isn’t… right.
Just a little bait was enough for the conversation to flow naturally, but contrary to that intention, Merien responded with short answers, leaving no room for dialogue.
Could she be angry for coming here so suddenly?
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
“And you…?”
“…Me? I’m doing well.”
“How’s your health?”
“I’m healthy. So healthy that Mom and Dad worry about me.”
Merien let out a small sigh of relief, and at that reaction, Meriel felt reassured enough to continue speaking.
“Sister.”
“Yes?”
“How’s life with brother-in-law in the palace? Are you happy?”
“Yes. It seems good. The Princess is kind, it suits me well. And…”
Suddenly, with a happy expression, Merien rubbed her belly.
She felt the stirring of new life within her.
“No way…”
Meriel’s eyes slowly widened in shock.
“Is that really the case?”
It was a sentence without a subject.
But Merien immediately understood what she meant.
“Yes. That’s how it is.”
“Uh, um….”
This was completely unexpected.
She might have unconsciously imagined it at some point.
There were just so many overwhelming circumstances that there hadn’t been time to think about it, but
it was somewhat natural that Merien, married to Valtean, would have a child.
Still, Meriel couldn’t contain her emotions.
“Really? Really really?”
It was joy. It was surprise, and also a hint of sadness.
So many complex feelings swirled together, but in the end, only one thing came out of her mouth.
“Congratulations! So I’m going to have a niece or nephew?”
The birth of a new family member.
Meriel set aside her worries and celebrated with a pure heart.
Riding that momentum, she began to speak freely.
“Sister, let’s go tell Mom and Dad this news. They’ll surely be thrilled.”
Normally, she wouldn’t have continued like this.
She had prepared some words and content for her journey to the Empire.
“Don’t worry about the past. I came to tell you this.”
“As you can see, I’m really doing well now. Grandpa Achaz feels really sorry for you too. And most importantly, it’s all in the past now.”
But what did that matter now?
Meriel recalled the faces of her parents back home.
Faces that had become worn from not seeing their precious daughter for years.
She thought that if she could somehow turn back the clock, she would sacrifice anything.
Even if they couldn’t greet each other with laughter every morning for 365 days a year.
“I don’t care if we don’t live in our hometown. What does it matter if we live in the Empire? As long as we’re doing well!”
Imagining her niece or nephew being born filled her with a refreshing sense of joy that made everything else seem unimportant.
Merien smiled faintly.
“…Thank you.”
As Meriel said, her past injuries were just that—past.
Now she had recovered enough to enjoy her daily life.
Her family was just waiting for her to return.
If there was a problem, it was the guilt that still weighed heavily on her.
She had known him for a long time, but she hadn’t thought to return to her hometown easily.
Perhaps it was because there hadn’t been a dramatic catalyst.
She knew it was an excuse, but everyone was like that.
Even if they knew what to do, they lived in ignorance out of fear of consequences, and when the opportunity arose, they acted as if they had planned it from the beginning.
It might seem pathetic, but that’s life.
“Then… should I take a vacation for the first time in a while?”
She decided not to bring up the past any longer.
There was no need to start now, so Merien continued her conversation with her sister, smiling comfortably.
*****
Epherna lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling for a long time.
While Merien was catching up with her sister and Ern was starting to drink with Valtean, she was alone as night fell.
She sighed deeply within the hazy realm of her imagination.
[Just because I got kissed on the cheek…!]
Well, it could be because she had done it before, but it was the first time she had received it.
Well, she had done it herself before, but it was her first time receiving one, so it made sense to be shocked. Moreover, it had been unexpected due to Meriel’s impulsive action.
However.
Epherna’s frenzy didn’t stop at mere distraction.
“Ughhh…!!”
With her face buried in the pillow, she thrashed her legs and made strange sounds that weren’t quite groans.
Suddenly, she stared blankly at the ceiling, and when she thought she had calmed down, she began to beat the blanket with soft punches before burying her face back in the pillow.
After not just minutes but hours of witnessing the pitiful sight of a contractor in such a state, Shir felt an urge to scream out loud.
