Raising the Princess to Overcome Death

Chapter 197: Engagement - By the Stream

197: Engagement - By the Stream

The stream flows.

Water trickles. Trickle, trickle...

Lena Ainar was by the stream near the allied camp. She stared blankly at the flowing water, occasionally tossing a stone. Splash! The stones sank, never to resurface.

Normally, a junior knight should not act alone. As a soldier, she was supposed to be under strict control, but Lena’s situation was different from other junior knights.

She wasn’t assigned to guard a general or a commander. Though she joined the battlefield as a member of the knight order, she wasn’t truly a knight.

A vague position.

In this loose control, Lena lost her direction. She had returned to the camp with Leo, but there seemed to be nothing she could or needed to do.

- Splash!

After throwing her last stone, Lena squatted down. Seeing her reflection in the stream, she took a hand mirror from her pocket.A scruffy me stared back. Her cheeks and eyes seemed sunken, perhaps she had lost some weight, and she didn’t like it. Not at all.

Lena lowered the mirror, feeling empty. She held her head for a moment, then looked back into the mirror and asked herself a question.

- What do I have left?

Lena squeezed her eyes shut. It felt like something inside was about to burst out. She swallowed, but the nausea pressing against her chest only worsened.

- Gulp.

In a hurry, she cupped her hand to scoop some water and drank. One sip wasn’t enough, so she drank two, then five, gulping down the water until she was kneeling. She put the mirror away, but the face reflected in the stream persistently asked her to admit it.

- What do you have left?

Her hair, loose, touched the surface of the water. Her hands submerged as she desperately drank, and drops of water fell from her chin. That wasn’t all that fell.

“I, I...”

Lena stayed like that for a moment. No, she stayed for quite a while. It was only after she had let more water flow back into the stream than she had drunk that she could move, and the first thing she did was wash her face.

Scrub, scrub. She washed her face and then stood up, her legs still wet. Without a towel, she walked back as she was.

“...Loyalty.”

Back at the camp, the soldiers’ curious eyes followed her. Their gazes lingered on her eyes before falling away.

Lena wandered instead of going straight back. The red sunset and the moans of the wounded in the infirmary were unending. With water and lingering feelings wiped from her face, Lena turned back.

Leo was still standing in front of the tent. He had waited so long that the grass around him was withering.

“...Lena.”

“Yeah. I’m okay now.”

Lena smiled faintly. She had shouted, “I don’t want to!” and run away, feeling sorry and forcing a smile.

- I believed in you.

His warm gaze was unbearable, so she turned her head. Leo’s relieved expression and the feel of the sword handle in her hand were hard to endure.

“Then... shall we try again? From the point where the swords meet...”

Lena let go of the handle. The sword fell with a clang, and she said to the stunned Leo,

“Let’s get married.”

Leo’s face twisted in despair. He looked up at the sky, then came closer and grabbed my hand.

“Lena. Please...”

But Lena didn’t take back her words. Instead, she buried her forehead in Leo’s chest and hugged him.

What do I have left?

I have only Leo left.

I wanted to become a knight and marry this man. Years ago, I struggled to become his equal, to catch up to the man who made me kneel. The sword and Leo, these two things were all I had. No, if I had to choose between the two, I would choose Leo without hesitation.

But this ungrateful man.

Lena buried her forehead in Leo’s chest. She grabbed the clothes of the youngest Swordmaster in history and wept. I should be congratulating him, but I just can’t, and I’m ashamed of myself.

“Lena. You can do it. You can become a knight. I’ll help you. Okay?”

So kind.

Leo had no idea what I was thinking. He had no clue why I kept postponing our marriage, so Lena made up an excuse.

“It’s okay. I never wanted to be a knight. I only practiced swordsmanship because you did. Now... I want to stop.”

Lies! It’s a lie!

Leo knew exactly what Lena was thinking. Gritting his teeth,

“Don’t lie. I know it’s not true.”

he wanted to say, but Lena’s dreadful expression stopped him. Tears streamed down her face, begging him to stop.

Where did it all go wrong?

Was it a mistake to meet Katrina ─ he thought, but he knew that wasn’t the issue. It had been wrong since the moment he defeated his father in a duel at the start of this scenario, and this was an inevitable result.

He should have noticed how Lena’s attitude changed toward him as he grew stronger with each repeat. Even Lena Ainar, no matter how confident, had limited willpower and ability to close the widening gap.

Lena sniffled and wiped her tears. She spoke a bit nervously.

“I’m quitting being a junior knight. So... come back after the war. I’ll be waiting. Let’s get married then.”

Was she worried that I wouldn’t return, or was she afraid this great Swordmaster would forget about her?

Her eyes pleaded for an answer, and Leo could only nod. ‘You fool. You can’t quit just because you want to.’ he thought but couldn’t say.

Lena, reassured, hugged Leo’s waist. Hesitantly, she asked for a kiss, and the sight of her seeking proof made her look so small.

“...Let’s go in.”

Lena led Leo into the tent.

Abandoning the sword dropped in front of the tent and discarding her leather armor, she was no longer the confident knight.

The only thing left indicating her identity was the hand mirror that slipped from her top as she climbed on.

  *

Lena and Leo were discharged.

Leo went to see Jensen Byley, the commander of the 3rd Knight Order, to announce his intention to retire. It was a ridiculous demand since he hadn’t been formally knighted yet, but it was also an absurd request.

“Retire during a war! Don’t say such nonsense!”

Naturally, Jensen was furious. However, as Leo pulled out the badges of knights from the Bellita Kingdom, his voice gradually softened. When a total of 14 badges, including Katrina’s, formed a tower, he was at a loss for words.

The Knight Commander, pacing back and forth, finally said,

“The prince will be arriving with the reinforcements soon. You can receive a great reward, so wait a bit longer.” Then, “If you retire now, you’ll never become a knight! Never!”

He tried to persuade Leo with a mixture of sweet talk and threats. Yet, despite all the persuasion, Leo didn’t blink, and Jensen, finally worn out, said with a tired face,

“You’re really different from your father. Or maybe similar, considering you’re retiring like this... Fine. Do as you please. But, as I said, forget about joining the knight order. The same goes for your squire... that fiancée of yours. I hope you both live well.”

He wasn’t spewing curses out of anger, just stating facts. Jensen extended his hand, saying he would visit Leo’s parents someday.

The next day, Lena and Leo left the camp. Jensen had given them some travel expenses as a reward, and they still had their initial funds, so they didn’t have to worry about money.

However, Leo’s chosen destination was not Castle Avril. He told Lena they were going to the Holy Kingdom of Jerome.

“Why?”

Lena asked, but Leo gave a vague answer. He couldn’t tell her it was to prepare for the next rounds, so he used travel as an excuse. Lena didn’t ‘resist’ Leo’s decision. She replied somewhat gloomily, “Okay.”

Her reaction broke his heart, but fortunately, Lena gradually regained her spirits. It was thanks to a reason he couldn’t mention and Lena’s new interest in cooking.

Of course, her cooking skills were terrible. Even when they reached the capital of the Holy Kingdom, Lutetia, they hadn’t improved, and it didn’t seem like they would. Still, Leo persistently ate her food with a smile.

By the time Leo presented his badge and applied to visit the cathedral, summer had passed and autumn had arrived.

Though exhausted from their four-month journey, Lena Ainar gasped in awe at the grand cathedral.

“Oh my! It’s full of priests. Leo, look over there. That person looks like a paladin. What kind of swordsmanship do paladins use...”

Lena’s expression hardened.

She quickly shifted her interest elsewhere, and Leo pretended not to notice, guiding her through the cathedral. He had only been there a couple of times, so he didn’t know the place well, but wandering around aimlessly didn’t hinder their exploration.

Not that they were entirely without purpose. Following {Tracking Skill}, Leo found Lena reading a book on the lawn in front of the library.

“Do you know her?”

“...No.”

“Then why are you staring?”

Lena’s eyes narrowed.

The girl in white, whether a priestess or something else, sat motionless, holding her book against the gentle autumn breeze. She was quite pretty. Her hair gently fluttered, and Lena Ainar couldn’t imitate her calmness.

“I just found it curious. Ah, that must be the library. Shall we go in?”

“Don’t change the subject. Do you like that type?”

“Hmm... Lena, shall I honestly tell you what type I like?”

Feeling uneasy and regretting her question, Lena anxiously replied, “Y-Yes, tell me.”

“I like people with drooping eyes. It’s nice if they’re a bit quirky so I don’t get bored, and it would be great if they were from the North. It’s okay if they can’t cook. I can do it. And...”

“Hey! Are you insulting me?”

“Huh? I didn’t say who... Ow, ow, ow!”

Lena pinched Leo’s side hard. The two of them left, bickering, and Lena, lifting her head, watched them.

“Sigh, so noisy.”

She grumbled, packing her draft and books to visit Veronion since it was lunchtime.

Nothing special happened.

  *

A few months later, after thoroughly touring Lutetia and the cathedral, Lena and Leo returned to Castle Avril.

Leo had delayed their return, not knowing when Rev would come. When winter arrived, he decided they had waited long enough.

He had hoped for Rev to appear suddenly, but he knew it wouldn’t happen in ‘this’ round. Leo suggested they head home, and Lena was delighted.

It was fortunate.

Almost upon arriving at Castle Avril, Lena became pregnant. Her morning sickness was so severe that she couldn’t eat and constantly retched, forcing Leo to urgently rent a carriage. He sold one of his swords to cover the additional cost.

By the time they arrived home, Lena’s belly had noticeably swollen.

Perhaps because of this, no one questioned their return before the war ended. Only Leo’s father, Noel Dexter, knew the reason and kept silent.

The wedding was hastily arranged. Although they couldn’t skip the customs of the Ainar tribe, Leo Dexter and Lena Ainar’s names fluttered on a long pole for three days as part of the ceremony.

On the wedding day, amidst a crowd of Ainar tribespeople, the priest solemnly declared,

“...I present this new couple to the gods.”

Lena smiled brightly.

A smile that said she wanted nothing more. Leo Dexter felt an odd pain in his chest but returned the bright smile.

Were they happy after that?

I don’t know.

[ Lena is married! Congratulations! ]

I just hope so, waiting for the end... as darkness enveloped, the world faded from Lena’s view.