novelraw Chapter 153
Chapter 153
Ch.153 Finally, Peace Has Arrived
The next morning,
I woke up to a hand creeping under my pajamas.
“Mmm…”
“Ugh… disgusting.”
Leah, drooling onto my chest, fumbling around.
I shoved her arm away and stretched.
“Ugh!”
“Mmm…”
She was dreaming—tasting something delicious.
But… Cecilia and Leah… made an alliance?
They swore mutual recognition.
I realized: if I so much as glance at either of them, I’ll die.
This isn’t 1 + 1.
It’s -1 + -1.
How did two worst-case women end up paired together?
Watching Leah sleep peacefully, I felt wronged.
Leah… did I ever do anything to you?
Why do you keep dragging me into this?
It’s not just disappointing—it’s heartbreaking.
“Haa… How did it come to this?”
A sigh escaped involuntarily.
“Mmm… Are you awake?”
She stirred at my voice, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.
“Come….”
She opened her arms wide.
“Why?”
I squinted through sleepy eyes.
“Hug me.”
“Why are we like this?”
I truly didn’t understand.
“Our relationship… is… haaah…”
She yawned loudly, then continued.
“What kind of relationship is it?”
“Family?”
I wasn’t joking.
Leah and I were closer than siblings.
But why hug? As long as she doesn’t curse me, I’m fine.
“Pfft… Family… right? We’re family, aren’t we?”
Leah chuckled, then snuggled in.
“But… I still want a wedding. It’s my dream.”
I stared.
“Marriage? Between family members?”
She pouted.
“Tch… Am I just a fish you’ve already caught?”
“N-no… siblings don’t marry—”
Her hand gripped my head.
The chill of her touch froze me mid-sentence.
“Why? Keep going?”
She whispered into my ear.
One wrong word, and I’d lose every strand of hair.
I shook my head.
“Hehe… a fish you’ve already caught? Marriage’s nice, isn’t it? We should throw a huge one! Yes, absolutely!”
“Pfft…”
She laughed, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“It’s been so long… just the two of us like this.”
Her face rubbed against my back.
A habit—always has been.
“But… Master?”
“Hm? What?”
“Do you still only see me as your little sister?”
Her voice turned serious.
I paused.
“Honestly?”
“Yeah. I won’t get mad.”
Years ago—before she left the Hero Party—Leah confessed to me.
I was about sixteen or seventeen then.
I told her I didn’t see her as a woman.
She was devastated.
Left in tears.
Didn’t speak to me for weeks.
Later, when Scarlet was chosen as the Hero, I tried to recruit Leah into the party.
-“Why me?”
-“You have to kill the Demon King! Or everyone dies!”
-“Is that my problem?”
Cold. Brutal.
She wouldn’t listen.
So I made a promise:
“If you come with me, and I catch the Demon King… then you’ll date me.”
Result?
-“If you say you didn’t see me as a woman after I joined Scarlet’s party, I’ll kill you.”
Now… what do I say?
Tell her I still don’t see her as a woman?
She said she wanted honesty.
But if I say it… will my testicles survive?
I didn’t know.
If I lied?
More misunderstandings would pile up.
Then—
Poke.
A finger jabbed my cheek.
“Why are you thinking so hard? I said be honest.”
Her sharp eyes forced me to sigh.
“I don’t see you as a woman. Not after all these years.”
I’d raised her since she was fourteen.
To suddenly see her as a woman now?
Impossible.
The weight against my back.
“You tried so hard… and yet… you’re still the same.”
“Can’t help it. I watched you grow up.”
“Pfft… Fourteen isn’t that young.”
“Compared to then? You haven’t changed a bit. Still the same height.”
“Why… why do you always poke my sore spots?”
Thud!
A dull pain hit my back.
I screamed without thinking.
“Eek!”
“Overreacting?”
I turned. She scowled.
“If a man gets punched by a woman, what’s he supposed to do?”
“You’re not an ordinary woman.”
“Eek!”
She frowned…
“Haa… I should endure.”
“Oh? You can endure now? You’ve grown.”
Her face flushed as she mumbled,
“Fine. Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
“Alright. Let’s go eat.”
We headed to the kitchen.
“Master?”
“Why call me?”
“I… I want to eat food cooked by you again.”
Unexpected.
“Huh? Too much trouble.”
Back then, I cooked myself to hide my wealth and live a quiet second life.
She sensed my reluctance.
“Your disciple hasn’t seen you cook in ages. You won’t even make her a home-cooked meal?”
Home-cooked…
“Fine. I’ll show off my skills. For the first time in a long while.”
***
‘The Church of Death’s Secret Meeting’
“We’ll strike at the supply depot tomorrow evening, as planned.”
No one believed they’d succeed.
It was a suicide mission.
Everyone exchanged grim glances.
“This isn’t just suicide—it’s total death.”
One man dared to speak.
Alex’s eyes flared.
“Shut up! How dare you call the divine mission given by our god ‘total death’?!”
He pulled a dagger from his robe and stepped toward the doubter.
“W-what?! Alex, why are you—?!”
“Silence, heretic! Do you worship another god?!”
“I—I didn’t mean that! I just feared failing the mission!”
“Silence! You fear death—that’s heresy!”
“No! I’m not afraid of death!”
Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
Alex smiled bitterly.
“Then what is this sweat?”
“It’s… it’s because I fear dying… without completing the mission… Kkhh!”
Alex plunged the dagger into his heart.
“I won’t let you fear death. I’ll send you straight to paradise.”
“Khh—!”
The man clutched Alex’s shoulder, face twisted in agony.
Thud.
He collapsed.
“…To fear death while serving the god… Charles, I never thought you’d be this cowardly.”
Alex looked around, face heavy with sorrow.
“I trusted Charles. But I had to eliminate the risk of betrayal.”
“We all understand your heart,” the others murmured, patting his shoulder.
“Our god will bless you and Charles.”
Silence fell again.
Long. Heavy.
Finally, Alex spoke.
“Haa… I’m not afraid of death. But I fear we won’t even reach the depot.”
They’d surrounded the capital, but couldn’t breach the walls.
So they switched to starvation tactics.
But the depot held 1–2 years of grain and water.
And was resupplied daily via the nearby river.
‘It’s as if they knew our King would rise—and prepared accordingly.’
The depot was guarded 24/7 by soldiers and knights.
Success was impossible.
“We will triumph. The true god stands with us.”
“Alex, don’t worry.”
“We’ve done all we can. The rest is up to our god.”
They stockpiled scrolls and weapons for hours.
But…
“Huff… I learned: nothing is absolute. This time… maybe ‘impossible’ will be wrong.”
Alex prayed silently.
‘Please… see our struggle. Answer us, O God.’
***
In my study,
Leah sat on the sofa, eating sweets.
Aria, in hatchling form, lay sprawled on the floor.
Anyone would think this was her room.
I ignored them, reviewing reports from the estate—
glancing sideways.
Leah, crumbs falling from her mouth.
Crunch… crunch…
“Sis! Give me some!”
“Here.”
Aria opened her mouth wide.
But Leah, bored, turned to me.
“Master… anything fun? You went sightseeing with Cecilia, right?”
“A fun thing? Not really.”
Then—
Aria interrupted.
“Sis! Let’s play poker!”
Leah sighed.
“What’s fun about card matching?”
“No! We bet food! Isn’t that fun?”
For Aria, who loved chocolate cookies—yes.
But Leah owned the chocolate cookie chain.
This wasn’t a bet. It was a massacre.
“Hm… anything else?”
Aria scrambled up, tugging Leah’s arm.
“Poker! Poker’s fun! Please! I wanna play with you and the mage! Please! Poker!”
The usually quiet, adorable Aria was whining.
Leah looked exhausted.
“I hate gambling.”
“Poker isn’t gambling!”
Leah blinked.
“If poker isn’t gambling, then what is it?”
“It’s a magic duel.”
Leah froze.
“…What?”
“Yeah! We use magic to change each other’s cards while betting—and then reveal! It’s a magical duel!”
“That’s… cheating. Worse than cheating. Did… did Master teach you this?”
Her gaze was sharp.
“No way!”
Leah and I locked eyes.
Aria bounced wildly.
“No! It’s called Mage Poker! I invented it!”
She jumped, flailing with indignation.
I gave Leah a subtle look:
‘Play along. Just this once.’
“Haa…”
Leah sighed.
She took Aria’s hand.
“Fine. One round. That’s it.”
“Yesss!”
When the two troublemakers vanished…
“Now… I can finally nap on the sofa.”
Finally, peace had arrived.
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