"My lady, the reconnaissance team has returned!"
"…!"
The moment Kelsey, Sharen's maid, delivered the report, Liana rushed out in a hurry.
It was already late and dark.
Today's reconnaissance team was supposed to do a brief patrol around the base, but they were too late returning, and everyone was worried.
Especially because another reconnaissance team, which had left earlier, had also not returned. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Seeing the reconnaissance team enter the Wall, Liana let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately.
Isaac appeared to be safe.
His younger sister, Sharen, didn't look particularly cheerful, but her awkward smile suggested she wasn't injured either.
"We're one person short compared to when they left."
At Kelsey's remark, Liana nodded.
The group of six that had set out had returned as five.
If one were to hear the tale of what they endured today, they'd probably praise the fact that five of them managed to return alive.
Even so, there was no avoiding the bitter reality.
"Ah?"
Kelsey let out a sound of surprise, pointing at Isaac's hand.
To her astonishment, Isaac and Sharen were holding hands.
"It seems the two of them have grown closer."
"Indeed."
Liana found herself smiling gently without realizing it.
She was aware that her younger sister often looked down on Isaac, but she had no place to intervene.
"Not everything that happens is bad, after all."
Liana nodded at Kelsey's words.
If the two of them had grown closer…
Her expression stiffened.
'What would that mean at this point?'
After all, Isaac had already decided to leave Helmut.
Liana's face darkened.
Still, if Sharen could give Isaac a good memory before he left…
That would be nice, she thought.
But as she watched Sharen link her arm with Isaac's and lean against him,
'….'
Liana couldn't help but feel something strange stirring within her.
***
"Sir Isaac! Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere? If you're tired, please let me carry you!"
"I'm fine, so stop it."
"If you need anything, please call me! Ugh! I should've gone with you—"
"Even if you had been there, you wouldn't have been any help. So just go."
Isaac pushed Jonathan out of the room, preventing him from barging in any further.
"My apologies, Sir Isaac! Please rest well!"
With Jonathan finally gone, Isaac could at last have the room to himself.
"Hah."
With a long sigh, he slumped into a chair. He hadn't imagined that today would be such a long day when he left his room in the morning.
'I've heard that sometimes they camp outside on nights like this.'
He thought about how rough it must be to sleep outdoors in such conditions.
Would sleeping even relieve the exhaustion?
'Well, no point in complaining now.'
The fact that he could even grumble meant that he'd survived.
He had lived through a life-threatening battle.
For the sake of those who had died, he had to be grateful for his survival.
'Maybe I should wash up a bit.'
Thanks to the noble quarters having a separate bathing area, Isaac was able to clean himself in relative comfort.
The water was warm, and the soap was of high quality.
It was thanks to Uldren, who had used his personal funds to improve the soldiers' conditions, insisting that they deserved better treatment since they were stationed on the frontlines.
It was a fitting gesture from a descendant of Caldias, who had crafted countless spears for the soldiers.
All these seemingly small but significant efforts were what kept Malidan Fortress standing strong.
And so, after finishing his shower, Isaac returned to his room, only to find an unexpected guest waiting for him.
"Silverna?"
Sitting in a chair, Silverna was reading Isaac's Sword.
Even though she'd probably read it multiple times, she was carefully focusing on each passage.
"Oh, you're back."
Silverna, who looked fresh and clean as though she had just bathed, smiled as she stood up.
Her thin clothes clung to her body, making her chest visibly bounce, but Isaac was getting used to that sight.
"Uh, where's Anna?"
"Anna? She's taking a bath. She'll probably go to bed soon."
"Right."
Isaac nodded with a complicated expression. It wasn't exactly appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone in such light attire at this late hour.
After all, Anna and Uldren had warned him about this sort of situation.
Opening the door purposefully wide, Isaac stepped inside and asked, "So, what's the matter?"
But it didn't seem to be anything frivolous. Silverna, still holding the manual, spoke earnestly.
"I came to say thank you. Today, if it weren't for you, none of the reconnaissance team would have made it back."
"..."
"No, I'm certain of it. Without your knowledge and composure, we wouldn't have survived."
"You're overestimating me. You were the one who defeated the yeti."
Perhaps Isaac's attempt to console her lacked conviction, as a shadow crossed Silverna's face. To break the awkward atmosphere, she hurriedly held out the manual and said,
"That's why, Isaac, as not just the leader of the reconnaissance team but as the only daughter of Caldias, I want to express my gratitude to you."
"Gratitude? How?"
"A sword. I want to craft you a sword of your choice."
Isaac's eyes widened in surprise.
It was the first time he had reacted so openly, which Silverna found endearing, as her lips curled into a slight smile.
"You received Pearlsun from Father, but it doesn't seem to completely satisfy you, does it? The large-scale assault may not end anytime soon, but I'll talk to the blacksmith so you can have it before then."
"Really? You'd do that? But isn't it a weapon unknown to the kingdom? Would it even be possible?"
"Hmm? If you explain the design and structure well enough, it should be doable."
"I see. Ha, this will keep me busy again."
Though he said that, Isaac was as excited as a child meeting Santa Claus.
Watching him, Silverna smiled softly.
Even such a simple conversation was uplifting.
Seeing him so happy lifted her spirits even more.
This was the first time she felt an overwhelming urge to do something for someone else.
'Milady, is it not?'
For a moment, Silverna thought she heard Anna's voice in her mind.
Though she had denied having romantic feelings, Anna's words had made her seriously reconsider her feelings.
"...Sorry."
Seeing him sketching plans with a bright smile, the words slipped out of her mouth.
"Hmm? Sorry for what?"
"Nothing. Just sleep well. I'll talk to the blacksmith. He's quite skilled."
"You're not coming with me?"
Given Silverna's usual personality, Isaac expected her to accompany him to ensure everything was done properly, so he found it strange.
"Yeah, I'll handle it separately."
With a bittersweet smile, Silverna stepped out.
"Goodnight."
Thunk.
The door closed.
Isaac stared at the spot where Silverna had been moments before.
At that moment, the door creaked open again, and another woman entered the room.
"What's this? Why was Silverna here again? Isaac, you're not seriously setting up a second household, are you?"
"…"
It was Sharen Helmut, her twin pigtails now neatly tied again.
She was wearing cute pajamas and had a blanket draped over her shoulders. Since her lodging wasn't here, it must have been quite cold on her way over.
"What do you want?"
Isaac pushed aside the blueprint he had been drawing and asked curtly. Sharen pouted her lips before answering.
"I just… had something I wanted to say to you."
"Something you wanted to say?"
"Yeah, like…"
She hesitated, shifting her weight awkwardly and intertwining her fingers while nervously tucking them between her legs.
"Thank you. For today."
It was surprising that Sharen was expressing her gratitude so directly, especially to Isaac. It was a clear sign of her emotional growth and a shift in her demeanor.
"Sure." Isaac replied coldly.
"You didn't think I'd respond with something warm and fuzzy, did you? I only protected you because I wanted to survive."
"…I know."
Sharen lowered her head.
"But, still… when you held me earlier, it felt so warm. I… I just wanted to say thank you for that."
"I did it because I had to survive."
"I've never been held like that before," Sharen said, her voice trembling. "Even my older brothers and sisters were always so cold to me."
"Haah, Sharen?"
Isaac frowned and slammed his pen down onto the table, startling Sharen, who flinched and began to watch him nervously.
"You know how I was treated in Helmut, right? What, do you want me to join you in badmouthing Helmut? You're part of Helmut too, aren't you?"
"I know…"
"You might not have beaten me up like the other siblings under the pretense of training, but you did treat me like a servant, didn't you?"
"Y-yeah."
Sharen shrank further and further, lowering her head until tears began to glisten in her eyes.
"I get it, you're only seventeen, and maybe you're still immature. But even if you say you've changed and came here to thank me, it's not easy for me to accept."
"Sniff."
Sharen looked like she was about to cry, but Isaac found it hard to say anything more.
Maybe I was too harsh.
He felt a little guilty about saying so much to a seventeen-year-old. Then again, when he thought about the past, his veins practically popped in frustration.
Perhaps that was why he decided to ask a more fundamental question.
"Sharen, why do you even want my forgiveness? After all, in a month, I'll be divorced from Liana, and we won't see each other again."
Even though he acknowledged that she had changed after this incident, Isaac didn't believe her core nature had disappeared. She could easily shrug this off and move on. It wasn't as if Isaac was in a position to demand anything from her, either.
"…"
Sharen pressed her lips together tightly.
The moment Isaac saw her reaction, something clicked in his mind. His eyes widened as he opened his mouth in disbelief.
"No, no way! You know I'm your brother-in-law! This isn't okay!"
"But you won't be next month!"
"Hey! Do you even realize what you're saying? Just because I held you when it was cold doesn't mean you can—!"
"But it was just so! So incredibly warm!"
"Of course it was—!"
Isaac smacked his forehead with a sigh.
Seventeen.
The age to dream of love and harbor romantic fantasies.
Holding hands, sharing a drink, or a warm smile.
At that age, it's easy to mistake such gestures for love.
"I-I'll make you happy! I'll do better than my sister!"
"What nonsense is this? You're just a kid! Get out of here right now!"
"Ugh!"
Isaac pushed the teary-eyed Sharen out the door. But Sharen, incredibly strong, braced herself against the doorway, refusing to budge. It felt like trying to move a boulder.
'Damn it.'
'Helmut.'
'That cursed family.'
Isaac decided to take another approach.
"Sharen, you're misunderstanding. What you're feeling is just a fleeting moment of excitement, not love."
"I… don't think so."
"It is. Trust me, it is."
"Is it… really?"
"Yes, it is. Think about it. It's not normal to have feelings like that for your brother-in-law—"
'Ah.'
'Damn Helmut.'
Isaac remembered there was even a lunatic in Helmut who obsessively loved his own sister.
As Sharen blinked her wide eyes up at him, Isaac let out a deep sigh and declared:
"I just hate everything about your Helmut family."
***
Sharen returned to her lodging, grumbling to herself.
She had no choice but to leave after being coldly turned away, but it wasn't a total loss.
At least he listened to me!
For Sharen, that was enough to give her a glimmer of hope.
The warmth she had felt for the first time in her life.
The sense of relief.
She hadn't expected to feel it from Isaac, but she decided to label her fluttering feelings as love.
"Hehe."
Feeling like the heroine of a romance novel, Sharen entered her room.
But inside her room stood Kelsey, pale-faced and trembling.
"Huh? Kelsey, you're still awake?"
"L-Lady Sharen…"
Kelsey's gaze awkwardly shifted to the bed.
Sitting on Sharen's bed was a woman.
Her legs crossed, chin resting on her hand, staring icily at Sharen.
"b-b- big sis?"
At the sight of Liana, Sharen didn't even have time to wonder how she had gotten there.
Her teeth began to chatter violently, worse than when she had been out in the cold.