Episode 39: Her Concern
Late at night, Yohan finally finished his mission and returned to the Fervache mansion.
The small street festival held by the commoners had lasted longer than expected, and his mission had only ended after escorting Rudella to Topaz Palace.
Upon arriving at the mansion, he found the head butler and several servants lined up waiting for him, even at this late hour.
“Welcome back, Young Master Harsen.”
“What’s the reason for everyone gathering here like this?”
Yohan tilted his head in curiosity. It wasn’t unusual for the head butler to greet him, but it was rare for all the servants to be waiting as well.
“The young lady is waiting for you.”
“The young lady?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll go see her at once.”
With a nod, Yohan immediately ascended the stairs and entered the guest room that had now become his personal space in the mansion.
Click.
Francia was seated carefully at the edge of the bed. In the dim lamplight, her hair shimmered slightly, and her deep, even breaths filled the quiet room.
Though exhausted from waiting for so long, her hands were still neatly clasped together, her posture tense, as if unwilling to fully relax, even in her sleep, while waiting for Yohan.
“Francia?”
“Huh? Yes?”
Francia, who had been nodding off with her hair swaying slightly, opened her eyes. Her face showed signs of weariness, but the joy in her gaze was unmistakable.
“Oh, Yohan. You’re back.”
“I came as soon as I heard you were waiting.”
“That’s right. I was waiting for you.”
Francia gave an awkward smile and patted the seat beside her. Without hesitation, Yohan sat down next to her.
“Did you know there was a festival in the capital today to celebrate Harvest Day?”
“Yes, I knew.”
“I heard there were fireworks, so I waited to go together. But your mission ran late…”
Her expression was filled with disappointment. Staying up late to wait for him showed just how much she had wanted to attend the festival.
“…I’m sorry.”
Yohan offered a brief apology, but his emotions were complicated. Regardless of the mission, he couldn’t change the fact that he had left her feeling lonely.
“It’s not your fault, Yohan. It was your duty, after all.”
Francia pouted. Despite her words, her disappointment was still evident, prompting Yohan to gently stroke her hair.
“There will be many more festivals in the future. And it’s not like the time we have together is limited, right? We can go next time.”
Although they couldn’t go now, there were plenty of opportunities ahead to spend time together. Especially since the Duke of Fervache had permitted their relationship.
“Hehe, you’re right. We have plenty of time ahead of us.”
Francia smiled brightly, seemingly cheered by his words. She leaned closer, as if finding comfort in his gentle hand stroking her hair.
Yohan’s fingers pressed softly against her scalp. Francia’s shoulders slowly relaxed.
Her expression took on a serene calmness, a reflection of the trust and comfort she felt.
Yohan focused on giving her this small solace.
“Haa… Yohan, I think you’re really good at scalp massages.”
Perhaps it was because she was tired, but her half-lidded eyes and drowsy demeanor were striking.
“Maybe it’s because my touch is filled with love.”
Yohan chuckled lightly.
“Ugh, don’t say things like that when I’m this relaxed. I don’t know how to respond…”
Blushing, Francia pulled some of her hair forward to cover her cheeks. Yohan, finding her small-animal-like behavior adorable, began kneading the back of her neck with his other hand.
“Haa…”
Francia’s body gradually slumped as if melting under his touch.
“So, do you dislike me doing this?”
“Not at all…”
“Then I’ll keep going.”
“Alright.”
Francia let out her characteristic soft giggle, leaning the back of her head against Yohan’s chest and fully entrusting herself to him.
“You know, I actually figured it out.”
“Figured what out?”
“You went to the festival with Lady Bismarck, didn’t you?”
“…”
Yohan froze. How had she found out? It was unlikely Fedelian would have told her—Francia despised him too much to converse with him.
“How did you know?”
“I just had a feeling.”
“I’m sorry.”
Seeing Francia’s bittersweet smile, Yohan could only apologize. There was no room for excuses—not now.
“It’s fine. It was your mission. I’m not too upset about it.”
Her voice, as she said those words, was subdued. Yohan was certain—Francia was not okay at all.
“Actually, there’s a reason for it,” he said.
“What is it?”
“Lady Bismarck is someone I pity.”
“Pity? What do you mean?”
“Well…”
Yohan began explaining the life of Rudella Bismarck, as he had heard about it in the cave. Francia listened calmly, nodding as she took in his words.
“So, I told her to call me every now and then, especially when she needed an excuse to take a break. I said it’d be a good pretext.”
Despite how complicated his involvement with Rudella Bismarck might become, Yohan’s feelings for Francia remained unchanged. His only reason for helping Rudella was a sense of pity—nothing more.
“So, you’re saying that what you feel for Lady Bismarck isn’t anything special, just simple sympathy. In that case, I feel relieved.”
Francia seemed comforted by his words as she gently placed her hand on his thigh.
When her touch softly caressed his thigh, Yohan covered the back of her hand with his own.
Even with such a small touch, he felt they were sharing warmth.
“What you’re worried about won’t happen. I’m not easily swayed,” Yohan said.
“Fufu, thank you for saying that.”
Francia awkwardly smiled and closed her eyes.
Yohan continued to massage her scalp gently, lost in thought.
Honestly, even if Rudella Bismarck had some feelings for him, it wouldn’t matter.
As long as she didn’t sever ties with her family and give up all the privileges she enjoyed, she and Yohan were destined to remain apart.
Rudella Bismarck was someone who had to become the crown princess.
Thus, his relationship with Rudella was one of simply extending a hand when necessary—nothing more, nothing less.
“Shall we sleep now?”
“…”
Francia, who had been receiving a scalp massage, was breathing shallowly. She had fallen asleep, exhausted.
Yohan slowly laid her down and kissed her forehead.
***
The next day, Yohan went to work as usual.
He greeted the female knights who showed him favor and chatted with the male knights who held him in high regard.
Work mostly consisted of preparing military-related documents for the potential war with Sanburk. This left Yohan with time to study other magic.
“You’re studying hard, I see.”
Francia said with a bright smile as she approached him. She had just finished her own tasks, judging by the neatly arranged papers she carried.
“I told the Duke that I would become a transcendental mage,” Yohan replied.
Though he’d been unable to focus recently due to various events, it was time to start the journey toward reaching the realm of a transcendental mage.
To confront future foes like the Tower Masters or other minor villains, the power of an Special-Class mage would not suffice.
“Ah, I’m sorry if I’m disturbing your studies,” Francia said.
“Not at all. Have you just finished your work, Francia?”
“Yes. There’s so much paperwork to handle with all the international unrest.”
Francia, though a non-combat mage, was still a special-class mage and had to deal with military-related documents.
“You work hard.” Yohan said.
“Hehe, this much is nothing.”
she replied, placing her hands on her hips with a proud look.
Finding her adorable, Yohan chuckled softly.
“Special-Class Mage Harsen, are you busy right now?”
Just then, a knight approached and called out to Yohan. Turning his gaze away from Francia, Yohan looked straight ahead.
“No, I’m not. What is it?”
“The commander is asking for you.”
“…Again?”
Surely Rudella hadn’t arranged another mission, had she?
“I’ll be there right away.”
“Understood.”
Yohan stood up, told Francia he’d be back, and headed toward Fedelian’s office.
Click.
Opening the door, he stepped inside. Fedelian was seated at his desk, processing paperwork with a bored expression.
“You’re here.” Fedelian said.
“Is it another designated mission?”
Yohan asked.
“It’s not that.”
Fedelian replied.
Lowering the documents he was holding, Fedelian met Yohan’s gaze.
Though his face was still grim, he, who played the role of a perfect crown prince in public, knew how to separate work from personal matters.
“A special mission has come up. There’s been a report of a demon Lair appearing in a village on the western border of the empire.”
Demonic lair appear without any warning. There’s a hypothesis that they are formed from corrupted mana concentrated with negative energy, but no clear explanation has been established.
“Demonic lair…”
“That’s right.”
Yohan’s expression hardened as he frowned slightly. As a Special-Class Mage, avoiding a special mission was not an option for him.
“They’ll probably try something weird again.”
Although he had tied down Fedelian and Cassis for the time being, he couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t attempt anything. After all, both of them had tendencies that bordered on madness.
Surely, they would try something shady that wouldn’t catch the attention of the Duke or the Emperor.
“Am I going alone?”
“You’ll be going with the Imperial Bureau’s knights.”
Fedelian scanned the cluttered corner of his desk and pulled out a document, handing it to Yohan.
“Read this.”
Yohan accepted the paper and began to skim through it.
Yohan took the document and skimmed through it. It explained that in a territory under Count Ekarsi in the western part of the empire, a suspected Demonic lair had been discovered near a village.
Naturally, the villagers who discovered it reported it to the Count, and Count Ekarsi had requested an investigation and confirmation from the administration.
“It’s just a simple investigation, so it should be straightforward.”
“When is it scheduled?”
“As soon as possible. Leave immediately.”
“Understood.”
After offering a polite bow, Yohan exited the office. Returning to his desk, he found Francia looking puzzled.
“What was that about?”
“I’ve been assigned a special mission.”
“A special mission?”
“A Demonic lair was discovered in Ekarsi Territory in the west. The mission is to confirm its presence.”
“…A Demonic lair?”
At the mention of the word Demonic lair, Francia’s face visibly darkened. She, too, knew what could happen in such a place.
“Don’t worry too much. The things you’re concerned about won’t happen.”
“Even so…”
Francia bit her lip, her face filled with worry. She knew how Cassis and Fedelian might act, yet there was nothing she could do.
Even though she had knowledge of the future, unless she could procure an artifact or something similar, she couldn’t do anything immediate or practical.
“It’ll be fine.”
Noticing Francia’s unease, Yohan gave her a warm smile and gently patted her head. Francia seemed to enjoy the gesture, quietly leaning into his hand so he could continue.
“When are you leaving?”
“Right now.”
“That soon…?”
“Demonic Lair need to be discovered quickly to be dealt with easily.”
Demonic lairs were like tumors. If left unchecked, the number of Demonic Beasts inside would grow uncontrollably.
Francia’s expression stiffened as she spoke.
“Make sure you carry the pendant and gemstone I gave you.”
“Of course.”
Yohan smiled again, reassuring her. His kind smile eased the tension on Francia’s face.
“Then, I’ll be off.”
Even though Cassis and Fedelian might try something underhanded, Yohan was confident.
No matter what they planned, he was certain he could overcome it perfectly.
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