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chapter 64
“Oh my, our grandson-in-law.”
When they went down to the dining hall on the first floor, Gloria—wearing a silk gown embroidered with flashy patterns—winked with one eye.
“Are you feeling any better?”
“Noah, I think I’m pregnant.”
Reto suddenly placed a hand over his stomach, claiming he felt queasy.
“My coward is saying something ridiculous again…”
“Brother-in-law, are you really sick? If it’s hard, you can rest your hand on my head and lean on me!”
“Little husband, have this. It should help your stomach feel better.”
The granddaughters swarmed around the large but feeble-looking Reto.
“…”
Gloria, watching this in fascination, took a sip of lightly steeped black tea.
“Our grandson-in-law sure is popular, isn’t he?”
“It’s not like he’s a rude brat.”
Vis, who was spreading butter and jam over a golden-brown piece of toast, answered with a smile.
He placed the toast on Gloria’s empty plate.
“Hm…”
Gloria bit into it thoughtfully, her cheeks moving as she chewed.
“Good morning.”
At that moment, Reto greeted Gloria and Vis politely.
“Did you rest well last night? Was there anything uncomfortable? The breeze was cool, so I do hope it didn’t—”
“Ugh…”
Gloria immediately grimaced at the overly florid morning greeting.
“Are you insane?”
“Grandma! You can’t say bad words!”
Clare, who had been chewing on her sausage, jumped in alarm and scolded her.
“Grandson-in-law, I think you’ve suffered some sort of mental lapse. Your words and behavior seem different from that of normal people.”
Gloria rephrased her disgust into more formal vocabulary, then gulped down the rest of her tea and let out a boisterous sigh.
“…Did you spike this with alcohol?”
Noah sniffed at the empty cup.
Thankfully, it was just normal tea.
“Grandson-in-law.”
Gloria’s voice suddenly softened, her expression becoming somewhat gentler.
“Just act normally. I absolutely despise pretentious formalities and empty rituals.”
“Considering yesterday’s welcoming ceremony, you seemed to enjoy formality and boosting your own prestige,” Reto said, recalling the surreal moment when he had danced with the commander he admired so deeply.
“That’s one of the most common misconceptions.”
Gloria glanced at her empty teacup. As As moved to pour her another, she waved it off.
“I only like power. My happiness and joy come from watching you all squirm beneath my feet.”
“…”
“…”
So you tormented us all just for that?
Not only Reto, but Noah also stiffened at her words.
“Don’t misunderstand and think I go out of my way to torment you, though.”
Gloria added quickly, as if worried Reto might get the wrong idea.
“I actually like you quite a bit.”
“…”
Reto stared at her with deep skepticism. Based on his past experiences, those words were hard to take at face value.
It seemed far more reasonable to trust the honeyed words of a bank employee trying to sell him some financial product.
“Judging by your face, you’d rather trust a con artist.”
Gloria clicked her tongue in exasperation.
“Don’t you remember when I encouraged you to meet my granddaughter on a blind date?”
“…Ah.”
At that, Reto’s face lit up.
“Ah…”
Then just as quickly, he lamented.
“…I should’ve gone on that date.”
“You idiot, that ship’s sailed.”
“Is it too late to try now? I’ll keep it secret from my wife…”
“Hey.”
Finally, Noah grabbed him by the collar and shook him.
“Darling, I’m sorry. But if it’s the commander’s granddaughter, she must be so beautiful and lovely…”
“Even so, it’s too late now!”
Clare, who had been watching the noisy breakfast table, shook her head.
“Sweetie, are you all done eating?”
Vis offered her more food.
“Not really…”
Sigh.
Clare let out a weary sigh like an old soul, propped her chin on one hand, and looked troubled.
“I just don’t understand how someone could be so immature.”
“The burden on Clare’s shoulders must be heavy.”
“You know it, Grandpa? Grandma didn’t just hand me the role of family head for nothing… I’m the only one in this house with my head screwed on straight.”
Looking tired and burdened, Clare subtly pushed her picked-out carrots onto Noah’s plate.
She even carefully hid them under the salad so no one would notice.
“…It feels peaceful.”
Vis finally felt like he was truly home.
“Shall I escort you, Grandmother?”
“Cut it out.”
“I only worry something might happen on your way. If your precious body were to suffer even the slightest scratch, the wound in my heart would be even greater…”
“Before I make a much bigger wound myself, get going already!”
Gloria rejected her overly devoted grandson-in-law’s attentions and sent them off ahead, saying she would follow later.
Because of that, Noah was already exhausted by morning.
“I’m so tired…”
“Close your eyes until we arrive.”
“This is all your fault…!”
Noah pressed his temples and grumbled.
All he had done was overhear his husband and grandmother talking at breakfast.
Yet somehow, that alone had drained all his energy for the day.
He was more tired than after finishing a day at work.
In contrast, Reto looked disgustingly lively, to the point it was irritating.
“…Weren’t you sick yesterday?”
Noah was dumbfounded.
Just last night, Reto had thrown up everything he ate and broken into a cold sweat. Yet now, he was cheerfully humming, driving with an excited expression like a child on a picnic.
“Yesterday’s pain was one step back for two steps forward.”
Reto pressed a black button as he spoke.
The roof of the magi-car slowly folded back, revealing the blue sky.
“What nonsense is that?”
Noah, his ears stung by the rushing wind, pressed the button again to close it.
“Noah, my bride.”
Reto began explaining patiently.
“I know Grandmother’s personality better than anyone.”
“She’s my grandmother.”
“And before that, she was my commander.”
Reto prided himself on knowing Commander Adverlo’s personality better than anyone else—he was, after all, one of the people she tormented the most.
“Maybe the reason she pestered me to go on blind dates with her granddaughter was because she’d already acknowledged me to some extent.”
Gloria, infamous for her foul temper, would never introduce just any man to her beloved granddaughter.
“It means that in her eyes, I looked like a decent, respectable grandson-in-law.”
“…”
Noah was struck speechless, his lips opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.
Then, with a resigned smile, he chuckled.
“Honestly…”
He reached out and gently rubbed Reto’s forehead.
The smooth, round shape felt nice against his palm.
“Not only are you handsome, but even your personality is this positive.”
“Why do you have to exaggerate like that…”
Reto’s ears flushed red with embarrassment.
‘You actually take that as praise?’
Noah thought, but only for a moment.
“…Fine, I’ll accept it.”
Eventually, Noah laughed too. After all, seeing Reto so genuinely happy was enough.
And deep down, there was something he was grateful for.
“You’re not very surprised that I’m an Adverlo?”
“I was surprised, but I had suspected you might be a noble a few times.”
Their crimson car slowed as it entered the naval zone.
Soon the gate to the headquarters base came into view. After giving the password to the guards, Reto drove into the parking lot.
“The location of your mansion, and even its appearance and layout—it was just like a downsized noble estate.”
“Just from that?”
“And also…”
Parking perfectly within the white lines, Reto shut off the engine and relaxed his lips into a smile.
“…I don’t know if you realize this.”
Leaning slightly on the steering wheel, he turned toward Noah.
“But sometimes, your mannerisms really are like those of a well-trained noble lady.”
“…”
Noah’s eyes widened in surprise.
Reto found the expression so adorably rabbit-like that his shoulders shook with laughter.
Then he reached out and tapped Noah between the shoulder blades.
“Especially your posture.”
His hand slowly trailed downward.
“No matter the situation, your back is always straight.”
When his hand stopped at the small of Noah’s back, Noah flinched and glared at him with a flushed face.
Reto’s red eyes, filled with love, captured that sight.
“And I don’t care whether you’re an Adverlo or not.”
“…”
“Did you like me just because I was an Okeanos?”
“No.”
“Same here.”
So it doesn’t matter who you are.
“I don’t need anything else. I just love you.”
“Even if I were a spy?”
For a moment, silence fell between them.
Reto had intended to answer lightly, but Noah’s gaze was deadly serious.
“…I’d still love you.”
Reto answered honestly.
“Even if I were branded a traitor, I’d still love you.”
Not long after Noah and Reto left for work, Commander Adverlo and the chief secretary also arrived.
“I f***ing hate meetings.”
The commander grumbled the moment she entered the conference room.
“We were just thinking it’s about time you showed up, Commander.”
Benedicto, head of the chaplain corps, chuckled.
Commander Adverlo, attending the headquarters general assembly for the first time in a while, acknowledged the effort of those who had kept things running in her absence.
“As long as you lot keep breathing without messing around, the military can keep functioning.”
Then came her words of encouragement.
“But seriously, what the hell did you all do to make things this bad? Don’t you feel ashamed taking your salaries? Thinking about the pensions you’ll get one day, it drives me crazy that our family pays taxes for this crap!”
Finally, she rallied their spirits with a call to do better.
“If you screw up again…”
Should I just rewind time?
“I’ll make you bawl like newborn babies again.”
Ending the meeting swiftly, Commander Adverlo moved on immediately.
Behind her, officers and NCOs wiped their eyes, overcome with emotion at her harsh words. Reto, however, was the only one grinning from ear to ear.
“She really is amazing, isn’t she?”
“…Are you out of your mind?”
Benedicto stared at him in shock.
Meanwhile, Commander Adverlo headed somewhere else—
The basement of a building whose access was restricted even within headquarters.
Its real name wasn’t widely known, but soldiers usually called it the “Black Building.”
“It’s been a while.”
Commander Adverlo greeted the guest waiting for her.
“How have you been, Major General Flancy?”
