GMWB 91

chapter 91

It wasn’t as if Leto hadn’t realized that Noah was hiding something. He’d known for quite some time — and had also guessed that her secret was probably tied to the Empire.

Her obsession with the Pieta family’s twin swords, the words she’d spoken two days before their wedding, and that fleeting moment of loss of composure when Clara was mistaken for having been kidnapped by Albus — all of them had been clues.

“There’s one big thing, and one small thing.”
“Before I tell you, I should warn you first.”

Noah had always been so earnest and sincere.

So of course she’d dropped small hints here and there — little warnings to cushion the shock when the truth finally came out.

And today…

“For this mission, I’m bringing Mas.”
“That thing’s way too old—”
“I’ll show you the aura.”
“…….”

She really did warn him before revealing her secret.

The problem was that even the warning had been shocking enough to nearly make him lose focus during the mission.

And when he actually saw the aura with his own eyes, it was nothing like what was described in history books.

The aura that Leto witnessed looked like divine wrath itself.

Its mere presence made the forest and the ground tremble. It split a speeding car clean in half as though it were paper. Just looking at it made it hard to breathe.

He couldn’t speak for a while.

He had no idea how to even react to the awe-inspiring sight he’d just witnessed.

“……”

After a long silence, Leto absently rubbed his mouth and chin. His eyes weren’t on Noah; he was deep in thought.

“……”

Noah waited quietly for him to speak.

“…First of all.”

Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long.

“Well… so, here’s the thing.”

Leto’s voice was calm and even — like always. It made Noah relax a little, the shaky breath she’d been holding finally quivering out.

Leto was honest.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t shocked.”
“You’re not angry?”
“It’s not like you did anything wrong.”

It was clear — Leto wasn’t angry or feeling betrayed about Noah’s secret.

He was just… surprised.

And, in a way, amused.

Not at Noah, but at himself — for everything he’d ever done or said to her, completely unaware.

“Should I start using honorifics now and kiss the back of your hand?”

Leto extended a hand, bowing slightly with exaggerated politeness.

“Maybe you should start by reading the room first?”

Cracking jokes at a time like this — honestly.

Even as she grumbled, Noah quietly placed her hand over his. Leto pressed his lips gently to the back of her hand.

Then he chuckled again.

“My god…”

At this point, the astonishment gave way to laughter.

“All this time, I’ve been treating someone of noble blood with complete disrespect?”
“What does that matter?”
“Of course it matters.”
“If you start with that ‘I’m just an adopted daughter’ nonsense again, I swear I’ll hit you.”
“That wasn’t what I was going to say, my lady.”

The Pieta family had existed even longer than the history of the Kingdom of Adlabor.

Wherever the Sisto Empire stood, the Pieta family was beside it.

They were the sword of justice — the idol of all warriors, a name of honor praised across nations.

Without question, Pieta was a house so noble that even Adbelo and Oceanus would dare not compare.

And to such a lady of the Pieta family… Leto had committed countless insolent acts, any of which could have cost him his head.

“…Should I roll out a red carpet everywhere you walk from now on?”
“Cut it out.”

Noah flicked his forehead lightly — not enough to hurt.

And still, Leto just smiled foolishly.

Noah felt truly grateful for that.

For all his cowardice, he was a man with a deep heart and a lot of consideration. She’d known from the start that he was joking just to ease the tension for her.

“Was it hard for you?”

Leto asked quietly.

“……”

Noah didn’t answer. She simply rested her head against his chest. Leto gently wrapped an arm around her back.

No words were needed.

The Pieta family, which had stood alongside the thousand-year history of the Empire, had been wiped out.

The exact details were unclear, but the official story was that they’d refused to obey the Empire’s call to arms.

The end of the Pieta house had been heartbreakingly brief compared to its long, glorious history.

But Leto could at least imagine part of the truth behind that tragedy.

“My parents’ bodies are still in the Empire.”
“They tried to save as many people as they could. But they failed… and died.”
“When I was little, I thought they’d died for nothing.”
“Clara was barely a month old back then.”
“We were lucky to be adopted together — but before that, we suffered a lot. You know how war orphans are.”

He remembered the time before their wedding, when Noah had poured drinks for her parents, buried beyond the sea, and told him fragments of her past.

Even those small fragments — spoken in her calm, steady voice — had carried unbearable pain.

“……”

Leto couldn’t bring himself to offer any words of comfort.

He couldn’t begin to imagine the suffering Noah had endured — the horror of a fourteen-year-old girl clutching her one-month-old baby sister, fighting to survive.

He couldn’t say, It’s okay.

“…Today,”

Leto finally spoke again, his tone casual, like they were simply talking about daily life.

“I want to eat your sister’s tomato pasta.”
“…Yeah.”

Thankfully, Noah went along with the flow.

“Ast makes everything taste good.”
“Oh, maybe we’ll end up eating here, actually.”

He remembered Albus and Aitra earlier — looking for the head chef.

It seemed they wanted to treat the two who’d captured the spies to a meal.

“Is that okay with you?”
“What wouldn’t be?”
“I heard on a radio show once that in-laws suddenly inviting you to dinner is a huge faux pas—”
“This isn’t the same situation.”

Wait, you listen to that stuff too?

Noah burst out laughing — she couldn’t help it. She used to hate when Clara listened to those radio couples’ programs, and now here she was quoting them.

“Brother!”

A voice echoed down the hall — Karina’s.

The moment she saw Leto, she lit up with joy and ran toward them in little steps.

“Oh! I heard you were here, so I came to say hello!”
“I just stopped by for a bit of work.”
“Have you been well, Young Master?”
“Hello, Sister-in-law!”

Karina bowed politely.

“Oh, goodness…”

How could someone be so kind and well-mannered?

Noah couldn’t help but clutch her chest, touched.

Just as Leto had once said — Karina was the kind of child everyone loved.

“Um, Brother…”

Karina fiddled with her fingers nervously.

“Are you staying for dinner?”
“Can I?”
“Of course! Sister-in-law, you’ll stay too, right?”

She looked at Noah with pleading eyes, afraid Leto might refuse.

Of course Noah had no reason to decline.

“You’re inviting me too? Thank you so much.”
“Then I’ll go tell Mother and Grandfather right away!”
“No, let’s go together.”

Leto extended his hand.

Karina blinked in surprise at first, but then quickly reached out her own.

“W-wow…!”

She stared in disbelief at their joined hands.

“It feels like it’s been forever since I last held your hand, Brother.”

The innocent words — spoken with such joy — made Leto’s conscience sting like a knife.

Noah gave him a look full of unspoken commentary.

Still, the sight of the two siblings walking hand in hand was undeniably heartwarming.

“Noah.”

Then Leto suddenly remembered something — a question he hadn’t asked before.

Back then, he’d been too caught up in the moment to think about it.

“Why did your sister join this operation in the first place?”

***

“Huff— Huff!”
“Cough! Ack!”

The two spies sprinted madly through the forest. The metallic taste of blood filled their mouths, and their hearts pounded so violently it felt like they could burst.

The woods off the roadside were no place for running.

Branches lashed their faces like whips, tearing their clothes, scratching their exposed skin.

Blood trickled down from cuts left by razor-sharp leaves.

Their exhaustion grew with every step.

But they couldn’t stop. They didn’t have a second to rest.

[Tracking the targets.]
[Transmitting movement path.]
[Minor injuries permitted.]

Because the mysterious white rabbit doll was still chasing them.

At first glance, it looked like a child’s toy — adorable, harmless.

But the butcher knives in both of its tiny hands, and the flat mechanical voice that came out at intervals, filled them with dread.

Where did it all go wrong…?

They should have been suspicious the moment the White Lion came south.

Now, it was too late for hindsight.

It wasn’t just Tenebre who had been hunting them. No — maybe they’d been deliberately lured south from the start.

That was why the White Lion had come here with his family.

To catch them.

Here was his territory — where the navy was based, where that mad inventor, Adbelo, could build such monstrous weapons.

The briefcase full of cash was long gone.

They hadn’t even had time to secure funds to cross into the Empire. All that mattered now was survival — so they could report this nightmare back home.

If they can mass-produce that thing… it’s over.
That monster can’t be allowed to exist!

They had to warn the Empire about the rabbit weapon.

And then—

[…Tracking terminated.]

The knife-wielding rabbit that had been bounding after them suddenly stopped.

[Ending route transmission.]
[Ending attack mode.]

The knives disappeared back inside its plush body.

[Entering standby mode.]

Then it sat down — plop.

“Huff… Huff…”
“W-what the hell…?”

Now that the chase had stopped, the spies were even more confused.

Panting hard, they didn’t lower their guard.

They stepped back cautiously — but the rabbit only sat there, perfectly still, like a cute little forest creature.

The bizarre sight made them hesitate—

And in that instant—

A cold, cutting sensation brushed their spines.

They spun around— but there was nothing there.

“……”

But for As, that brief moment was enough.

A figure appeared above their heads — As, her long black hair whipping through the air, her eyes glinting with deadly light.