GMWB 41

Chapter 41

“You probably guessed already, but… my real parents died seven years ago in the Battle of Adlabor.”

“They weren’t soldiers, were they?”

“No, they weren’t.”

“Civilian aides then?” Leto asked.

Back during the war, not only soldiers but also many civilians volunteered to aid the Empire.
Doctors and nurses who treated the wounded, social workers who looked after war orphans or helped ordinary commoners—such people were typical examples.

They were people worthy of respect.

But from Leto’s perspective as someone who fought in that war, they were a little irritating. His narrow, honest thought was simply: If they had that much time to spare, they should’ve taken better care of their own people first.

And truthfully, he still thought the same even now.

“Were they doctors?”

“Well, something like that,” Noah answered evasively.

“They tried to save as many people as they could. But in the end, they failed and died…”

Her words trailed off. Noah wasn’t crying; she was just struggling with how to finish what she wanted to say.

“…When I was young, I thought that was just a pointless death.”

Noah recalled that time seven years ago—when grief and resentment toward her parents had turned into hatred for the world, leaving her sensitive to everything.

“Clare had barely just turned one month old back then.”

Fourteen-year-old Noah, still an immature girl herself, had desperately clung to her baby sister.

“By sheer luck, we weren’t separated and got adopted together. But before that, it was tough. War orphans all go through the same, don’t they?”

“Makes me embarrassed that I once whined about being scared of dirt,” Leto muttered bitterly, shoulders slumped.

Noah gave a helpless smile and stroked his hair.

“I didn’t say this to compare hardships with you.”

His neatly pomaded bangs had already half-fallen forward, slightly covering his red eyes, making him look younger.

“…My parents’ bodies are buried somewhere in the Empire.”

“I remember they hastily buried the bodies of fallen kingdom soldiers and civilians there.”

Noah shook her head.

“My parents are different,” she said with certainty.

“I can’t explain the details, but someone secretly hid their bodies away.”

She only had a few guesses about the possible locations—nothing certain.

“Mas and Femina are clues to finding my parents’ remains.”

“And how exactly are you supposed to find them?”

“If I take the two swords into the Empire, I’ll find out.”

“…”

“I can’t tell you more than that right now.”

For the first time, Noah drew a line with Leto.

But he wasn’t hurt by it.

“I understand.”

Everyone has at least one story that’s hard to talk about. He was one of those people himself.

And Noah had been honest—she said it was hard to speak of and asked for time. Leto was willing to wait.

“That’s why I kept searching for the swords…”

Suddenly Noah stopped speaking. Then she glared at him.

“But what happened instead!”

In a flash of anger, she grabbed Leto by the collar and shook him back and forth.

“Leto Oceanus! You bastard!”

“W–Wait, Noah!”

Leto tried to block her hands, but the arms of a battle-hardened naval officer held nothing back.

“I thought if I got promoted, I could finally find them! But instead, you snatched one right in front of me! And then you even used it to blackmail me into marriage!”

“Guh—!”

“The more I think about it, the more unfair it feels! You wrung me dry of tears and snot—don’t you think you should shed something too? How about blood!”

“W–Wait! Noah! L–Let’s—ack!”

So under the moonlight, Leto had to endure quite a long assault on his life.

“Phew. Now I finally feel better.”

After letting out her pent-up anger, Noah’s hands felt refreshed and her skin seemed to glow more radiantly. Indeed, bottling up rage was never good.

“Colonel, shouldn’t we head back now?”

“Our captain’s got quite the spirit…”

Leto fumbled with his shirt, now stretched and with a button barely hanging on. He had definitely felt killing intent in her grip earlier.

“Now I know who your sister takes after.”

She was a spitting image of her older sister.

“You should be grateful I decided to let this one go.”

“Let go? I almost saw heaven just now.”

“I’ll drive instead.”

Noah’s steps grew lighter as she picked up the basket. Leto followed behind, brushing sand and grass off the back of her trousers.

At his uncalculated touch, Noah’s lips parted slightly.

“…I thought you were going to touch me.”

“I know how to read the mood.”

If he touched her now, he really would be sent straight to heaven.

“So you’ve just been ignoring the mood all this time?”

Recalling their exasperating early courtship, Noah tugged playfully at his hair. Leto exaggerated his cries of pain.

“But Colonel,” she asked once seated in the driver’s seat, “which pedal’s the accelerator? The left one?”

“Get out.”

Leto shuddered at how close heaven suddenly seemed.

Two days until the wedding.

Noah and Leto were still busy with preparations.

First, they delivered invitations personally to the unit members. When Major Ice received his, he suddenly burst into tears—a funny memory in hindsight.

As for As, he handed out invitations to the neighbors—mostly the families of Clare’s friends.

And Noah even sent one to the Oceanus Marquisate.

“I think it’s only proper courtesy.”

“True enough.”

“If you don’t want to, I can send it under my name.”

“No. I’ll send it myself.”

“You don’t have to force yourself.”

“I’m not forcing it.”

After a pause, Leto admitted honestly, “I just… don’t want to bother him unnecessarily.”

“If it bothers him, he won’t come.”

“…”

“And if that happens, I’ll comfort you.”

“Make sure to comfort me thoroughly. In bed.”

“So that downcast look earlier was all an act?”

Only after Noah scolded him did Leto finally send the invitation to the Marquis.
That one act left him more exhausted than piloting a ship. Noah hugged him tight and patted his back.

The last thing left was wedding photos.

“Should we take them after the ceremony?” Noah suggested.

“You know those recruiters I did the enlistment poster with? They offered to do wedding shots too.”

“Ah, those guys?”

Leto grimaced, already guessing who she meant.

“You don’t like them, huh?”

“Of course not.”

He pouted like a sulky child.

“They’re way too into you.”

So when he confessed his jealousy honestly, Noah simply pushed him back onto the bed.

A few days later, it was decided As would take the wedding photos.

“Are you really okay with me doing it?” As hesitated.

“My skills are just hobby-level, I only learned for Miss Clare…”

“You’re a great photographer, As!” Clare cheered with tiny fists raised. Overcome, As hugged her tight.

“I saw the ones you took before, they were fine,” Leto recalled.

“Then you can do it, Sister-in-law. We’ll pay you instead of a professional photographer. We had around 300,000 phira budgeted anyway…”

“I’ll take pictures till my fingerprints wear off!”

It was a perfect moment to showcase As’s selfless nature.

“As really loves money,” Clare said innocently. She was a child who could embrace every side of her family.

“It’s better to shoot after the ceremony anyway,” As added. “That way, everyone gets to see the dress first at the wedding.”

“My heart’s already racing. Noah in a wedding dress…” Leto murmured dreamily.

“Clare, do you think you’ll do a good job as flower girl?”

“I practiced with my friends! I won’t make any mistakes!”

Despite all the chaos, the preparations ended successfully.

“Now only the ceremony’s left,” Noah said one night, offering half her bed to Leto.

“I think I’m finally starting to feel nervous.”

“What, you weren’t nervous before? That kinda hurts, you know.”

Leto pulled her fully into his arms. His childish grumbling only tickled her ears pleasantly.

“Are you sulking?”

“Well… to be honest, it still doesn’t feel real.”

He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. Sweet floral notes mingled with the soft scent of powder—the children’s moisturizer Clare used after bathing.

“You smell like Clare.”

“And you smell the same,” Noah smiled faintly.

“From now on, this scent will remind me of you.”

Their laughter scattered like dandelion seeds as they clung tighter, bodies pressed close with no space left between them.

Normally, Leto’s instincts would’ve surged first—but this time, he felt something else entirely.

“You big coward,” Noah whispered, gently patting his back like a mother soothing a baby.

Tears welled up in him unexpectedly, so he buried his face in her golden hair.
Yet, despite the swell of emotion, he couldn’t stop grinning foolishly. He didn’t want her to see that pathetic face.

“…I’m glad I love you,” he confessed, voice trembling.

“I don’t think I’ll be very good at it, but I’ll always try.”

“You can’t even say you’ll do well, even as lip service?”

“My honesty is my only charm.”

“You really can’t keep your mouth shut…”

Annoyed, Noah pinched his back lightly. Leto chuckled, shoulders shaking.

Soon, sleep overtook them both, leaving only gentle breathing in the quiet room.

Entwined so perfectly, they looked like two halves of a whole.

On their blissful faces lay the eager anticipation of the wedding, now just one day away.

In the vast ocean between the Kingdom and the Empire lay countless islands—most uninhabited.

But on some, caves carved by waves over centuries provided natural shelters.

And pirates with bounties often seized such caves as their illegal hideouts.

In one such place—

“…That mad dog’s getting married?”

A voice, roughened by drink and smoke, echoed unpleasantly in the damp cavern.

As drops fell from the ceiling, the half-melted candle flame trembled, nearly dying out.

At that moment, a shadow suddenly rose.