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Chapter 33
The two, having promised to keep that secret between themselves, went back inside the mansion.
Clare, still nestled in As’s arms, yawned so wide it looked like her mouth would split.
“I’m sleepy…”
“Oh dear, spring drowsiness has arrived.”
“Spring drowsiness?”
“It’s a fairy that visits on warm spring days. It casts a spell of sleep on people who are full and happy.”
“I must be full and happy then…”
And just like that, Clare drifted off to sleep.
Just then, they ran into Leto, who had just finished his phone call. Naturally, Noah was with him.
“Did you finish your call?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Seeing Leto smile faintly, As figured things must have gone the way he wanted.
For a moment, As thought the wedding might really be soon.
“Is my sister-in-law asleep?”
Leto looked at sleeping Clare with a tender smile.
When he gently brushed away the hair stuck to her cheek, Clare scrunched her face, smacked her lips, then gave a faint giggle.
“…”
Leto clutched his shirt over his chest and collapsed to the floor.
“She’s too cute…”
“Alright, alright. Wait in the living room. I’ll put Clare to bed.”
“She’s already asleep, I can do it alone…”
“She needs to be changed too. It’ll be faster if the two of us do it.”
Noah and As went upstairs.
Clare’s room was filled with things she loved—
a stuffed “kitchen knife bunny,” albums of her favorite singer, neatly arranged textbooks, and the fluffy white charm her grandmother had given her.
Noah and As changed Clare’s clothes and tucked her into bed. She even began to snore softly.
“She really is the most carefree one in our family.”
Noah looked down at his little sister, his face filled with warmth.
“I wish she could live like this forever…”
“Without knowing the hardships of the world?”
“Life’s best blessing is to live simply and happily.”
“Don’t talk like some old man.”
You’re still young, why say things like that?
As was lightly chiding him as he stood from the bed when—
“…Did you see?”
Noah asked quietly.
“How could I not?”
It was only for an instant, but the raw emotion had been far too blatant to ignore.
At As’s candid reply, Noah rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Are you disappointed?”
“Why would I be?”
A dry laugh slipped out.
How could anyone be disappointed by something so unsurprising?
“…I think I get it now, a little.”
As was the one who had watched most closely as Noah suffered because of love.
At first, he couldn’t understand. Why cling so foolishly to that man if it hurt so much?
If it were him, he’d have found someone new long ago.
And not just because she was his sister—Noah really was beautiful, with a bright future ahead of her. She could surely have found someone better.
But only today did As finally understand.
Until now, he had thought Leto was just pouring his heavy, obsessive love onto Noah one-sidedly. But looking closely, it wasn’t a one-way street.
If they were ordinary people, they would’ve broken up long ago.
And yet, even after all that chaos, they were heading into marriage. That meant the two of them had grown so twisted that even such a suffocating love felt sweet.
“It’s a heavy kind of love.”
As said it honestly.
But because they were family, he still called that clingy, shadowy thing “love.”
“…Maybe it really isn’t normal.”
Even Noah’s words trailed off, as if she herself realized it.
“Was love ever really normal in the first place?”
As recalled the conversation he’d just had with Clare.
“As long as it’s not criminal, what’s wrong with two people sticking to each other because they like it? Yours is just one kind of love among many.”
“Sticking to each other…”
Noah flushed at the blunt choice of words.
“In any case, be careful.”
As gave only one piece of advice.
“Especially in front of the young lady.”
“…Got it.”
“And also, please restrain yourselves in front of me too.”
For the sake of his own mental health, As felt he needed to set that boundary.
The two of them left the room and returned to the living room. Leto, who had been waiting quietly, set aside the book he had been reading—it was a fairy tale Clare had left there.
“By the way, you two,” As suddenly asked.
“Aren’t you going to have a formal family meeting?”
He had meant to suggest they should introduce themselves properly to both families before the wedding, but his face gradually hardened.
“…”
“…”
The silence from both Noah and Leto told him everything.
“…I already feel a headache coming on.”
It seemed those two had thought of nothing beyond just getting married.
“I have something to say, but… I’ll let someone else say it.”
Because As knew there was someone who would scold them in his place.
“…What kind of idiots are you?”
When Ami heard about what happened over the weekend, she looked at her friend in exasperation.
“As expected, you and the Major are a once-in-a-lifetime pair of idiots.”
For people praised as once-in-a-lifetime geniuses and talents, such a title was laughably undeserved.
“…”
Noah didn’t bother to argue, quietly strapping on her personal combat gear instead.
Despite the suit weighing forty kilograms in total, she moved as though she were only putting on ordinary protective wear.
“I can hear As’s sighs of frustration all the way over here.”
Ami, also fastening on her combat gear, let out a deep sigh.
“So, did you contact your parents?”
“I did yesterday.”
“What’d they say?”
“Mother scolded me for only now reaching out. Father cried.”
“You should count yourself lucky they didn’t curse you out.”
Once ready, the two headed to the deck where the rest of the unit was assembled.
Today, every member of the Special Fleet was in full combat suits.
“And the Major? Did he contact Marquis Oceanus…?”
“Hey!”
A thunderous voice cut through, telling them to stop chatting.
The squad, including Noah and Ami, fell silent and snapped into attention, eyes forward.
After scanning the neat rows of soldiers, Lieutenant Colonel Ice, apparently satisfied, stepped aside.
Standing behind him was Leto.
Dressed in a dark blue uniform and combat gear, his imposing figure looked like a giant stone island that no raging wave could topple.
“Whoever marries that guy sure picked a reliable one.”
Noah nudged her friend’s leg in warning. Ami bit her lip, stifling a yelp.
“Today’s training will be a group maneuver.”
Leto explained the exercise.
“From this vessel to the designated point—20 nautical miles—at a steady speed of 10 knots.”
Then he glanced past the deck, out to sea. He didn’t really need to look to know.
“The waves are damn nasty.”
The coarse remark perfectly echoed the soldiers’ inner thoughts.
In fact, it was putting it mildly.
“Damn, these f**ing waves…”*
“The sky’s clear, so why the hell are the waves like this?!”
“Can’t the military ever cancel a drill for weather once in a while?”
“Damn it, damn it, damn it…”
The Special Fleet soldiers, their faces twisted in nausea, stood bravely armed against seasickness.
“Uugh, I’m gonna—”
One brave soul failed to hold it in.
“Sergeant Logan Mitas. If you’re feeling sick, why don’t you rest?”
In the ocean, that is.
At Leto’s “kind” suggestion, Logan Mitas paled and immediately apologized.
“Sorry, sir! I’ll correct myself!”
Leto continued.
“A wave warning was just issued for a nearby coast. The swells here will only get worse. Perfect conditions for training, wouldn’t you say?”
As if on cue, the lead line staggered.
Even the ones who’d been gritting their teeth began to show cracks in their expressions.
Only Noah calmly concealed her discomfort.
Leto, noticing, quickly pushed away his worry. From here on, he had to act only as their commander.
“Company, forward!”
The soldiers marched to the front of the deck at his command.
“Don’t you dare die to a measly wave.”
His threat—that if they did, their pension and death benefits would all be redirected to the Navy’s development fund—worked wonders.
The seasick soldiers’ faces twisted from despair into malice.
And malice was a powerful motivator.
“Set sail!” Leto bellowed.
And not a single soldier hesitated as they hurled themselves into the towering waves.
“I think I’m traumatized…”
“Ugh, just hearing about it makes me seasick, don’t talk about it…!”
“Heehee…! I never knew waves could get that high…”
“…”
“Sergeant isn’t breathing!”
“Leave him. That’s comradeship.”
“I refuse! I won’t let him escape to heaven alone!”
“Private Hones Mera, you’ve finally become a true soldier.”
You’ve finally learned: if I go down, you’re coming with me.
Moved, Ami wiped her nose with a finger—then quickly stuck her head out the window and released what was rising in her throat.
Screams rose from below, but unfortunately, there was no one to stop her.
“The waves really are rough today.”
Even Leto, in the navigation room discussing with the captain, looked pale.
“Will it keep up?”
“The wind will be strong for a while. Spring is always like this in the South.”
“Come to think of it, I saw a fairy tale about that.”
Just last weekend, in Clare’s storybook, there had been a tale just like this—
The sea goddess gifted spring to the southern people.
The jealous wind tried to steal it away, but crashed into the waves—swollen huge because of it—and failed.
Thus spring safely reached the South.
“My daughter loves that story too.”
The lieutenant colonel’s stern face softened a little.
“But the waves should calm before the scheduled date. Hasn’t the sea always been kind whenever the General sails out each year?”
“In the end, all we can do is trust him again this time.”
No matter how advanced technology became, reading the sea ahead of time was still beyond human power.
Leto nodded, reminded of that fact.
After discussing a few more matters, he and Lieutenant Colonel Ice left the navigation room.
“I heard Ardbello and Oceanus chartered a passenger ship for this event.”
“And they invited the children from Marei Academy?”
Standing by a magical heater, warming his hands, Leto said,
“The Marquis himself contacted me.”
“Then the school will probably tell the children today.”
Imagining his daughter Sensha bursting with excitement and bragging about it once he got home, the lieutenant colonel already longed for the end of his shift.
Leto was no different.
“My sister-in-law will love it too.”
“By the way, how are your wedding preparations going?”
“…”
Leto instinctively wanted to retort, ‘Even if you care, it won’t spare you from paying the congratulatory gift,’ but he bit down hard and swallowed the words.
