111 – Schedule postponed for a while
After Edgar and Ariel’s coming-of-age ceremony, there were two things that were scheduled.
One is the succession of Ariel’s family head.
Another is Edgar and Ariel’s contract of subordination.
Originally, I was going to play the former quickly first and the latter later, but a problem arose for a while in the process.
It’s not different, because of the conflict with the aliens that happened in Whitewood a while ago, Yulken was put in a situation where he had to leave his seat for a while.
“Honey, do you really want to go? Even if I leave this task to Sir Elfelt… … .”
Even Helene, who originally did not talk about Yulken’s work, showed a skeptical reaction to this issue.
It was her opinion that things hadn’t gotten bigger yet, and that there was no reason for him to step forward.
Elfelt was also a talented enough person, and the retainers in the castle expected that he could now be defeated with only the soldiers he could handle.
Above all, where in the world is there a wife who will not feel uncomfortable when her only husband wants to leave for the battlefield?
Until now, he hadn’t said anything because he thought it was a job he had to do, but this time, he thought there would be a reason to hold on to Ariel’s succession, so he stopped it.
“I was going to do that, but things got bigger… I’m sorry, but I’d like to ask for your last name.”
However, despite his wife’s disapproval, Yulken remained adamant.
His beloved vassals and soldiers are currently fighting on the battlefield.
Of course, it wasn’t that he didn’t believe in their victory, but it didn’t suit his temper to wait in the castle.
“Sigh… Do you really have to go? Now that Ariel will succeed the head of the household, it’s important enough to teach her her duties.”
“Even if I go, it won’t be too late. Besides, Ariel is second to none, and that friend is still not enough to take on official duties by Ariel’s side, so he’ll need some time.”
“Excuses are… … .”
It was a pity that Helene couldn’t refute it because it was a very fitting excuse rather than poor.
I think she is also quite stubborn, but my husband had three more drinks, let alone one, so I couldn’t stop him when he got to this state.
In the end, letting him go, Helen got up from the bed and kissed him lightly on the lips.
“Take good care of yourself. Don’t worry about sex. Are you thinking of leaving tomorrow?”
“I guess so. I’ll tell the two of you, so don’t worry about it.”
Yulken’s thoughtfulness in trying to alleviate his wife’s troubles as much as possible until right before he left stood out, but to Helene, it seemed like a superficial act to alleviate her mistakes.
“I know. Oh yeah… When the succession issue is over, I tried to be alone with you for a long time, but I heard that a woman doesn’t like me like this.”
Although work is important, it was her heart as a woman to sometimes want her to listen to her insistence.
I don’t want anything big, I just want you to stay by my side, but since he’s a man who has so many things on his back, even that is difficult.
“It was and is not like that now.”
“It’s a pity at times like this that there is no change.”
Recalling her first meeting with him when she was a virgin, Helen smiled lightly.
On the battlefield, he is a veteran of reverses who mercilessly slashes enemies, but in normal times, he was just a man who was busy parenting him when she approached even a little bit.
Thanks to that, I couldn’t say things that women would like, and I was honest like a bear, so to be honest, I didn’t like it very much at first.
However, when the meeting became more frequent and it was time to get to know him a little more, I fell in love with him, knowing his honesty, his hidden kindness and his deep heart for his family.
The fact that from a certain moment on, I was able to barely throw out words like she was pretty or the clothes looked good on her, also played a role.
However, since that honesty remained over time, I felt that it was ironic for a woman to prioritize work at times, even though her love for her was still the same.
“Sometimes they say I like the unchanging look like a pine tree. It must have been empty words.”
“Good, good. But sometimes it’s okay to bend a little bit, right?”
“How can I live like this? Something that can no longer be bitten.”
When Yulken smiled lightly with an uncharacteristic smirk, Helene let out a short sigh and nodded.
As he said, even if he hates it, he cannot be bitten.
It’s not just that I can’t break this relationship, it’s just that even though I feel this way sometimes, I can see in retrospect that I still love him.
When she realized once again that this was the nature of married life, Helen involuntarily burst into laughter.
“Rather than that, where did you learn to talk that way? Surely Ed, isn’t that the kid?”
When Helene asked in case he had heard the tone and the expression he had seen somewhere, Yulken widened his eyes and burst out laughing.
“How did you know? A few days ago, the three of us were talking and the friend said this to Ariel. I remembered it because I was wondering if there was a time to use it… I don’t think it’s bad.”
“Ugh.”
Helene said, ‘Somehow.’ After spitting out the words, I shook my head slightly because it was absurd.
I wondered what was going on with the tone and expression that wasn’t like him, but I never thought there would be such a hidden inside story.
Unlike Yulken, Edgar isn’t smoky, and thanks to his long relationship with Ariel, he’s good at dealing with women, so he’s the type to say these lines well.
As Yulken grew closer to him and saw his behavior and tone of voice, he must have learned it naturally.
‘Should I be happy about this?’
As a woman, it is better than anything else for her husband to know her heart.
The problem was because of this, I was afraid that if I got used to dealing with and comforting her, she would end up like Ariel.
‘She’s my daughter, but she’s held on too tightly.’
On the surface, it might feel like Ariel was wielding Edgar, but to someone like Helene, who had been married for a long time, it wasn’t at all.
As far as Edgar goes, Ariel always responds smirkingly without getting angry, and treats her as if she is dealing with him.
Rather than teasing her, it could be seen as a very skillful way to uplift her mood and not lose her rights.
And what if Yulken fully acquires it?
If so, Helene assured me that she would never be able to take the initiative.
As a celestial woman whose cheeks would still turn red when he occasionally told her that he loved her, she didn’t have the confidence to handle such a smirking Yulken.
“… After all, I want you to stay the same.”
“Suddenly, something special happened. Any reason?”
“Mo, I don’t know!”
At such a time, he asked without notice again, as usual, and Helene eventually raised her voice and twisted her body.
Afterwards, Yulken hugged her from behind, saying that he would have a good trip, and her anger quickly subsided.
In case someone said it wasn’t a mother and daughter, the way they relieved their anger was a very simple two women.
* * * * * * *
The next day, Ariel and Edgar’s expressions became quite serious after hearing the whole story.
However, this was not because of the succession issue and the contract of subordination between the two, but because of concerns about the extent of the conflict in Whitewood.
“To what extent does His Highness have to go?”
At Edgar’s worried voice, Yulken shook his head with a wry smile.
“It’s not something you have to worry about. However, since he has been on the battlefield for half his life, if he doesn’t step out at times like this, thorns will sprout.”
“But my mother also stopped me. And according to what Julius said a while ago, there is no need to go, isn’t it?”
Ariel recently participated in a meeting with her vassals and Yulken, and has heard most of the big and small stories related to them.
This also meant that he knew that the Whitewood case was not such a big problem that Yulken had to step in.
Why are you trying to do something you don’t need? For her, that’s just a question.
“Daughter, you and Julius are right, but sometimes things don’t go so rationally.”
“But it is a battlefield. It’s not that I don’t trust my father, it’s just that I see the battlefield as dangerous.”
Ariel might have rather welcomed and respected Yulken’s efforts to fulfill his duties, if it were something other trivial.
However, this was a different story.
Of course, this is also part of his responsibility, but while it is not a must, the price for it may be harsh enough.
It means that it is not just an official duty without any burden, such as inspecting a city, but a dangerous job that may cost you your life.
As Ariel, I wanted to dissuade my father from going, saying it was just a responsibility as the family head.
“Don’t worry, just wait. The reason I want to go this time is because there are things I want to see with my own eyes.”
“Is it something you need to check yourself?”
“yes. If that’s right, I think I’ll come back and have something to tell you.”
Uncharacteristically, Yulken gets up from his seat after giving only vague words without clarifying what he is.
The wagons and personnel to leave for Whitewood were already ready, so we had to leave the castle as soon as possible.
“Please take care of my daughter and wife while I am away. It won’t take long, so don’t worry.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thank you. Still, it’s reassuring to have you by my daughter’s side.”
Yulken turned to the drawing room door with a faint smile and quickly changed his gaze to that of a warrior.
Saying that there was no need to see him off, he quickly left the room and moved to the carriage prepared outside the castle.
The ruler of the north, who had not been defeated even once, had to go on a journey with a heavy heart for his duty today.