Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 266: Clashing Sincerity (2)

Airen, having listened to Serpina’s words, was momentarily unable to say anything. It took her a while to gather her thoughts before she finally managed to look at Serpina’s face.

There was a smile on her lips, but she was not joking.

The golden light in her eyes conveyed the sincerity of her words more clearly than any other means could.

"Th-that..."

"If my sudden words startled you, I apologize. But, I am being completely serious. And, of course—"

Serpina extended her hand, pointing directly at Airen as she spoke.

"Airen, I consider you my romantic rival."

"W-what? A r-rival...? That means...?"

A romantic rival?

Everything was already so confusing that Airen couldn't even form a proper response. Seeing her completely at a loss, Serpina watched her for a moment before—

"...Haha!"

She suddenly burst into laughter, as if she found it truly amusing.

It was the first time.

The first time Airen had ever seen Serpina, who was always so serious, laugh so freely, as if she had let go of everything.

"I was joking. Calling you a rival is an absurd thing to say. How could I possibly hope to compete with you, Airen?"

"O-oh... It was a joke. I-I see..."

"Of course, everything aside from that part was the absolute truth."

"..."

Then...

Does that mean my lord truly has feelings for Swen?

Airen, still unable to say anything, watched as Serpina slowly began to walk somewhere, speaking as she moved.

"Airen. If you have nothing urgent to do, would you spare me some of your time?"

"Huh? Ah... Yes, I don't mind."

"Come with me."

...She had no idea what was going on anymore, but for now, she decided to follow.

Airen slowly rose from her seat and trailed after Serpina.

***

As they walked toward a secluded area with the setting sun casting its golden glow, an old building gradually came into view.

"This place is...?"

"It is something akin to a detached residence. No one uses it anymore. You are only the second visitor."

Though it was supposedly abandoned, the garden was well-maintained.

However, there was a lingering sense of loneliness in the air, making the [N O V E L I G H T] place oddly endearing.

Airen had always been deeply familiar with loneliness, and because of that, she had a soft spot for anything that carried the same solitude.

Following Serpina inside, Airen found herself in a spacious yet antiquated interior.

The building was more aged than where she currently resided, but despite the worn-out furniture, there was an undeniable elegance that set it apart.

"Sit here."

The small room they arrived at had a cozy atmosphere.

After Airen took a seat as instructed, Serpina, with practiced ease, kindled a fire in the hearth.

Then, rummaging through a nearby box, she retrieved a bottle of liquor and two glasses before walking over to the table.

"Do you drink, Airen?"

"I'm not particularly fond of it... but I can drink."

"Come to think of it, I heard you are well-versed in tea."

"You knew about that?"

"I heard it from Swen."

The moment his name was mentioned, Airen’s body tensed involuntarily.

But she chose not to comment on it.

"Tea would be fine as well... but for now, I’d like you to share a drink with me."

"As you wish, my lord."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

With a soft gurgle, the empty glasses were filled with deep red wine.

Airen and Serpina instinctively raised their glasses slightly toward each other before downing the contents in one go.

A rough bitterness struck Airen’s tongue first, followed by a wave of rich sweetness that enveloped it completely.

Just as the flavors settled, Serpina’s voice reached her ears.

"What do you think?"

"About what, exactly?"

"About Swen."

"..." ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Was it because of the alcohol?

Or was it because she had somewhat sorted out her thoughts on the way here?

Compared to when she first heard Serpina's words, she felt much more at ease responding now.

"Swen... to me, he is the most precious person of all. Someone I would lay down my life to protect."

"In other words—"

"Yes. As I said earlier, I am in love with Swen."

This wasn’t the first time she had acknowledged her feelings.

But even so, voicing them aloud made them even clearer.

I love Swen.

To her, he was the most precious existence in the entire world, more than anyone else.

"You intend to marry him, then?"

"...If possible, yes, that’s what I wish for."

"Marriage is already a settled matter, is it not?"

"But... the future is unpredictable."

"Being cautious isn't bad, but if you saw the expression Swen makes when he talks about you, you'd understand why I'm saying this."

"The way he talks about me...?"

"The brightest smile he ever wears... is when he's speaking about you, Airen."

"Ah..."

Lowering her head, Airen’s face flushed red.

Along with her embarrassment, a sudden longing for Swen swelled within her, so intense it felt as if it might burst out of her chest.

Serpina, watching her quietly, took another sip of wine.

Then, with her face slightly flushed, she spoke.

"You are truly lovely."

"E-excuse me...?"

"I feel like I finally understand why Swen is so deeply captivated by you."

With that, she let out a quiet chuckle.

Captivating? That was absurd.

Airen found it hard to believe that anyone could smile more beautifully than the woman in front of her.

For a fleeting moment, she felt as though she might be bewitched by Serpina's overwhelming beauty, even though they were both women.

"...How strange."

"...Pardon?"

Serpina, as if she were a girl confessing in a sanctuary, began to voice her inner thoughts.

"Though we haven’t known each other for long, I feel a strong sense of kinship with you, Airen. Did you know that?"

She did not wait for an answer, nor did she seem to expect one.

"To be honest... I do not even trust those who have served the imperial family for over a decade. No, rather, I cannot trust them. No matter how long they have been by my side, no matter how many merits they have earned... in the end, they could betray me."

When had it started?

Serpina had long since lost the ability to trust others.

The tutor who had once taught her betrayed her. The loyal general who had always taken on dangerous missions cursed her in the end. Even the knight she had entrusted with her life had nearly assassinated her.

And beyond that... over and over again, the ghosts of her brothers had tormented her.

At times, it felt as if the entire world was conspiring to take her life.

Airen could understand, even if only vaguely.

After all, she too had witnessed a knight—one who should have protected her—raise a blade against her.

"...Yes. I trust no one. Not even Jenna, my closest advisor."

"My lord..."

"But, Airen, for some reason, I feel as though I can trust you."

Serpina fixed her gaze on Airen’s unwavering violet eyes.

"Perhaps it's simply that I want to trust someone. But when I look into your eyes... I feel a sense of certainty. That even if you were abandoned, you would never be the one to abandon someone else."

"..."

Airen did not carelessly respond with something like, Thank you for trusting me.

She had no intention of betraying Serpina, but... her duty was to remain by Swen’s side.

If Swen were to join Lunarian’s Army in the future, then naturally, she would follow him.

So she could not answer recklessly. She did not want to say something irresponsible in response to Serpina’s genuine sincerity.

Serpina seemed to sense Airen’s hesitation, and instead of pressing her, she simply smiled and nodded.

"Of course, I have no intention of burdening you with this. You can simply forget I ever said anything. You have already saved my life, have you not? I truly believe you have done more than enough."

"That is not true, my lord. If anything, it is thanks to you that I was able to survive. And I mean that sincerely."

"Then let’s call it even. One life saved in return for another."

Serpina spoke as she took another sip of wine.

Airen followed suit, drinking a few more mouthfuls, only to immediately regret it.

My head feels hot...

Airen had always been incredibly weak to alcohol.

She had no choice but to acknowledge that she was born with a body that simply could not handle liquor.

Serpina seemed to notice, her tone turning slightly more serious.

"Your face is already flushed. You should stop for today—don’t push yourself."

"No, I’m fine."

"No, you are not. If I make you suffer, Swen will undoubtedly resent me for it. If you have even the slightest concern for me, then please, stop drinking."

"..."

Swen...

Was Serpina simply testing her? Or did she truly have feelings for him?

"My lord..."

"My feelings are genuine, Airen."

Before she could even ask, Serpina answered as if she had read her mind.

Airen couldn’t help but be startled.

Swen had told her once before—lying in front of Serpina was nearly impossible.

And now, she was beginning to understand why.

"That is why I want to get along with you. I don’t know what our relationship will be in the future, but... I hope to become Swen’s wife. Whether I am the first or the second, that doesn’t matter to me in the slightest. If anything, you are the person most likely to become my family."

"..."

"So, just for tonight... rather than thinking of this as a conversation between a ruler and her subordinate, I’d like to think of it as two women bonding over the man we both wish to serve as our husband. I know it’s a shameless thing to say, but still."

Airen silently observed Serpina’s face.

She knew.

Men could have up to four wives.

When Reika had once said, If I were to marry, wouldn’t I naturally be the second wife? she had been startled by the mention of marriage, but she had never questioned the idea of two women sharing the same husband.

If it came to that, she simply thought they should get along.

Serpina, at least for now, was also Swen’s ruler.

Their statuses were vastly different, yet if Swen declared his intent to marry Serpina, Airen would have no reason to oppose it.

What mattered most to Airen was that she could stay by Swen’s side—no matter the circumstances.

That being the case, there was no reason for her to stand in opposition to Serpina, who had just opened up to her.

Not that she had any desire to, anyway.

After all, Serpina was the one who had saved her life—the first ruler to ever recognize her worth.

"...My lord."

Airen smiled softly.

And just this once, she spoke to Serpina not as her ruler, but as a friend.

"If there is an opportunity in the future, I would like to prepare tea for you."

"That is something I will very much look forward to. I shall await that day with joy."

Neither Serpina nor Airen could put into words what had just transpired between them.

And yet, both of them knew, without a doubt—

At this moment, the two of them were connected.

***

From their respective places—

Even at this very moment, time flowed forward for all.