"Summarize the parts you felt were lacking and tell me tomorrow."
The sky had grown dark before they realized it.
As Isaac sheathed his sword and added those words, Sharen blinked, a bit dazed.
"Me?"
"Yeah, you did well earlier. The points you brought up were pretty helpful."
"Uh, right… I did say that."
It felt a bit awkward because what she had said earlier was actually something Liana had told her.
It felt strange to be asked to do the same again.
"Do I really have to?"
"It'd be great if you did. Why? Think it'll be hard?"
"No, no! I can do it! Totally! I'll analyze that sword from earlier like stripping a fish bone clean!"
Clenching her fists enthusiastically, she lifted them like a child showing off, prompting Isaac to chuckle softly.
In truth, he didn't expect much from Sharen. He was using her as a messenger to consult the woman behind her.
'It's awkward to talk to her face-to-face, especially after the divorce.'
While Sharen ended up as the go-between, Isaac decided to make use of her as long as he could.
"By the way, Isaac, are you going to dinner? Want to go together?"
"I've been invited for dinner tonight, so I can't."
"An invitation? Now? By who?"
"The Margrave."
"Uldren Caldias?! Why would he invite you?"
"That's what I'm wondering too."
Isaac responded casually, like explaining to a child.
But even he found it odd.
Normally, he wouldn't think much of it, but this was wartime, with a major horde of beasts advancing.
A dinner invitation in such circumstances?
It didn't seem like it would be a pleasant occasion.
"Hey, Isaac, do you have any thoughts about remarrying?"
"…"
Isaac froze at Sharen's sudden question, unsure of how to respond. He felt like blurting something out impulsively would only lead to trouble.
After taking a breath, Isaac answered calmly.
"No."
"Really?"
"No, I don't. But why are you asking? That's not really something you need to worry about."
"I-I'm just checking! I was worried you might become Caldias's son-in-law or something!"
"Haah, Sharen. Since you seem clueless, let me spell it out for you."
"Huh?"
This mischievous girl needed to realize that this wasn't her home.
"Don't go around saying weird stuff like that. Liana and I are still married."
Isaac held up his left hand, showing the ring on his finger.
"See this? And yet you're talking about divorce or marrying into the Caldias family. Saying things like that out loud is incredibly dangerous."
"…"
"What if someone overhears you? Do you have any idea how many nobles from different houses are here right now?"
"Uh, yeah, I do."
"How many, then?"
"…I don't know."
"Then you don't know."
Sharen stared blankly up at Isaac before nodding, almost involuntarily.
"Y-Yeah, true."
Feeling like she'd somehow been cornered in the conversation, Sharen tilted her head, confused. Before she could snap out of it, Isaac pressed on.
"So, be careful with what you say, day or night. I'm leaving Helmut in a month anyway. But you? You're staying here, aren't you?"
"Right."
Sharen nodded before suddenly perking up and looking at him curiously.
"Wait, are you worried about me?"
"What kind of—haah, fine. Think whatever you want."
Conversations with kids around this age really were unpredictable.
Isaac eventually gave up trying to reason with her and decided to head to his dinner appointment.
***
"..."
Isaac wasn't particularly moved by the invitation to dinner with the Caldias family; he had attended before, so it wasn't anything unusual. Given the time they'd already spent together, he didn't feel the need to be overly formal or burdened by the occasion.
"Please, have a seat."
However, Isaac found himself slightly flustered by the presence of an unexpected woman at the dinner table.
Her name was Selene Caldias—wife of Uldren and mother of Silverna.
Her long, flowing white hair, timeless beauty, and ample figure left an impression.
It seemed that Silverna had inherited much of her appearance from her mother.
"Thank you for inviting me."
The meal was modest.
Considering it was a dinner invitation, the simplicity was surprising.
It wasn't much different from what soldiers ate in the mess hall.
"Were you expecting a grand feast? Disappointed?"
Uldren, seated across from Isaac, casually asked the question while holding a fork.
"On the contrary, I'd have been disappointed if there had been a feast," Isaac replied with a gentle smile.
Uldren grinned broadly and nodded. Even as a margrave, indulging in luxurious meals during wartime was not in line with the Caldias he knew.
"..."
"Silverna, dear, is it polite to focus so intently on your food when we have a guest?"
Silverna, who had been silently devouring her meal with great enthusiasm, flinched at her mother's gentle scolding.
After quickly gulping down some water to clear her mouth, she stammered out a response.
"I-I was just really hungry."
"Still, he's one of your subordinates, isn't he?"
"..."
Avoiding eye contact with Isaac, Silverna glanced sideways, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment.
Attempting to say something, she awkwardly spoke up.
"Didn't I tell you to cut your hair?"
"Were you serious about that?"
"Of course, I was serious!"
"I'll cut it later. The northern barbers all seem eager to make me look like a barbarian warrior."
"Well, that's because you look frail and skinny."
Surprisingly, the conversation between the two flowed smoothly. Even Silverna herself was somewhat taken aback.
Recognizing her own feelings and knowing she had to let go of her unrequited feelings, she'd been keeping her distance—but now, it seemed her reaction might have been overly dramatic.
"Want me to cut it for you?"
"You know how to cut hair?"
"Of course. I've chopped off the heads of enough beasts."
"..."
"Would it be okay if I used a spear instead of scissors?"
The one to interrupt their playful banter was Uldren.
"Isaac Helmut, Antonio came to see me out of the blue today."
"...Antonio, sir?"
This was precisely the most likely reason Isaac had thought he might have been invited to dinner.
"He said he wanted to forge a sword out of Frostsilver. For you, specifically."
While Isaac inwardly cursed Antonio's recklessness, he felt somewhat relieved that Uldren had broached the sensitive subject himself.
For Isaac, even mentioning Frostsilver came with considerable political weight.
"It seems I've unintentionally ignited his craftsmanship. If he spoke out of turn and offended you, I sincerely apologize on his behalf."
"Oh, he absolutely did offend me. The guy barged into my office and demanded it like a madman."
"Oh my, really?"
This mad blacksmith…
While cold sweat threatened to break out on Isaac's back, the Caldias family didn't seem particularly upset.
"As if it's the first time." Silverna remarked, implying it wasn't an only incident.
Uldren simply took a hearty swig of beer, laughed heartily, and nodded.
"But this time, it was a bit different. Normally, he's asked for materials for his own projects. This time, he wanted Frostsilver to craft a sword for you, Isaac."
"..."
"He said something strange. Claimed that until now, he believed the greatest sword ever forged by divine hands was Helmut. But now, he genuinely wants to surpass it."
Isaac clenched his hand into a fist under the table.
"He believes the thin sword he wants to forge for you will be able to surpass Helmut."
He neither denied nor affirmed it.
Isaac simply and silently accepted the expectations placed upon him.
"Isaac Helmut."
Uldren slowly removed his hand from the beer mug he had been holding.
His expression shifted, and the haze of intoxication that had lingered around his eyes disappeared.
"Let me be clear—Frostsilver cannot be given."
"…I understand. I apologize if I caused any trouble."
"There's no need to apologize. This isn't because you're Helmut. I hope there's no misunderstanding."
"Yes, sir."
Uldren didn't ask further or say more. He simply took another sip of beer, moistening his lips.
"Why does Isaac, who's a Helmut, need to surpass Helmut?"
Selene casually interjected.
It was a timely question that broke the strange silence in the air.
"Well, it's more of a personal resolution."
Isaac replied with an awkward smile, brushing it off lightly.
He couldn't openly bring up his reasons related to divorce, so he tried to shift the subject, but Uldren chimed in.
"It's because of the Sword Festival."
"The Sword Festival?"
The gazes of both mother and daughter turned toward Uldren.
He smiled calmly, as if narrating an old story.
"It's an event that takes place every four years in Helmut. Nobles from the kingdom are invited, and the Helmut lineage competes against each other in duels."
Uldren chuckled.
"While outside nobles can also participate, they usually don't. After all, going up against Helmut would only end in defeat."
"What about you?"
"Me?"
Uldren gave a sheepish laugh.
"I participated about 20 years ago. Lost to Arandel back then. Quite a shame."
"Then Isaac…"
Silverna's gaze fell on Isaac.
"Even if I'm just a son-in-law, I'm still her husband. It won't be Liana who participates — it'll be me."
Isaac replied with a slightly embarrassed smile, causing Silverna's eyes to widen.
"So that's why you've been sparring with Sharen lately?"
"Well, you could say that."
Of course, it wasn't just because of the Sword Festival.
For Isaac, the festival was just a step along the way.
He wanted to become a skilled swordsman, and the opportunity to spar against Helmut wasn't something to pass up.
Especially since, a month later, after the divorce, such duels would be out of the question.
'Might as well take advantage of it while I still can.'
Fortunately, they seemed to interpret his actions in a positive light.
"That's quite romantic, isn't it?"
Selene said with a soft smile.
"Pardon?"
Isaac couldn't help but let out a startled response, which Selene mistook as shyness.
"You're participating in the festival on behalf of your wife, aren't you? To avoid tarnishing her name. Isn't that why you're trying so hard?"
'That's not it, though.'
Isaac forced a strained smile and awkwardly nodded.
"Y-Yes, that's right."
"Ah, I like that. I wish my husband could be a bit more romantic. Being dependable is nice and all, but men need a bit of charm too. Romance is essential!"
"Ahem!"
Uldren let out an awkward cough.
"Perhaps I should step outside for some fresh air."
With that, he abruptly fled the scene.
As he left, Selene seemed to settle more comfortably into her seat, her eyes gleaming with interest.
"Isaac, if it's not too much trouble, could you share some romantic stories about you and your wife? Everyone here is just so rigid."
"Mother?!"
"Haha…"
Silverna tried to intervene, but Selene rested her chin on her hand, effectively silencing her daughter.
"You should listen to these things too. You're too much like your father—completely uninterested in this kind of stuff."
Unable to stop her overly talkative mother, Silverna buried her face in her hands, covering it with both palms as her head hung low.
"Tell me about your first meeting."
"Our first meeting…"
Was it the pressure?
Isaac found himself murmuring without realizing it.
They had been married for four years.
They got married a year after meeting, so it had been five years in total.
If he included his past life…
It spanned roughly 15 years.
Even so—
"It was on a day when…"
Surprisingly.
"The sun shone warmly, and the river shimmered golden."
The memory of that day was crystal clear.
"Beautiful, but thorny — the name 'rose' truly suits her."
Before he realized it,
The image of Liana from their first meeting vividly surfaced in Isaac's mind.
["I want to cross the river."]
There weren't even greetings.
She simply stated her demand in a dry tone.
"One silver coin is enough."
["I don't have one right now."]
"That's unfortunate. I need a silver coin to row the boat."
["…I'll pay you later."]
"And why should I trust you? Will you leave something as collateral?"
["All I have is this sword."]
"That looks too heavy for me."
[…]
Her expressionless stare seemed to prompt him to tease her a little.
"How about a smile? I'll accept that as collateral."
That day, Isaac had won quite a bit from card games.
So much so that he didn't mind taking something as absurd as payment.
["Are you kidding me?"]
"If you're unwilling, then it can't be helped. I'll go take a nap instead."
["…Wait."]
With a sigh, the rose-like woman awkwardly lifted the corners of her lips.
"Is that supposed to be a smile?"
["If this isn't enough, then there's nothing I can do."]
"Then how about making me laugh instead?"
At that time, Isaac had been intrigued by her clumsiness.
In reality, she could've ended it by drawing her greatsword and holding it to his neck.
["Once upon a time…"]
She racked her brain to tell a story.
'That was dreadfully boring.'
It was so dull that the atmosphere grew awkwardly silent.
[…]
Liana clamped her mouth shut,
Biting her lip as if out of frustration.
Whether it was the sunlight or her sense of shame, Isaac didn't know.
But her pale skin, flushed red,
Was irresistibly charming.
"Hahaha!"
Before he knew it, he lost the bet.
["You just laughed."]
"Ah, so I did."
Even though he had technically lost their little wager, he didn't mind. He picked up the oars and rowed her across the river.
On that small rowboat,
As she sat on the small boat, resting her chin on her hand and savoring the river breeze, her expression softened.
And at that moment, Isaac realized—
I want to make this person smile.
"Now that I think about it, I think I fell for her from the very first meeting."
Unknowingly smiling himself, Isaac awkwardly concluded his story.
"Well, whatever it may be now…"
Back then, He had surely been in love.
***
After Isaac left, Selene came to visit Silverna in her room.
"Mother?"
Silverna was preparing for bed, but her expression remained troubled.
Although Isaac's story at dinner had been unexpectedly heartwarming, it had also hit her harder than she'd expected.
"I heard you're in love with someone you shouldn't be."
"Anna told you, didn't she?"
"I just wanted to help you regain your senses… but I think I ended up hurting you deeply instead, so I came to check on you."
Selene smiled gently in consolation.
Silverna, her eyes wide open, quietly shook her head.
"No, I think I'll be able to sort out my feelings."
"I was a bit surprised by how passionate his story was… but at the same time, I found myself envious."
Selene murmured, thinking it was quite romantic.
Silverna shared the sentiment.
She had wondered how someone like Isaac could marry a woman like Liana,
But after hearing his story, she felt it was only natural that they had ended up together.
Selene slowly approached and embraced Silverna.
"Silverna, everyone experiences the pain of love at some point. This will surely help you find an even greater love in the future."
"Mother…"
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's me who should apologize."
As her daughter confessed to loving a man she could never have,
Selene held her even tighter.
"Silverna."
"It's okay. I've learned something. Next time, if I meet a right man, I won't miss my chance. This time, I was too late."
Hearing Silverna's words, Selene smiled softly.
She herself had once been the same.
She remembered her own past — how she had boldly pursued Uldren Caldias and won his heart.
"That's right. You're my daughter, after all. I'm sure you'll do well."
Holding her daughter tightly, Selene reassured her.
She thought once again how strong her daughter was.
Even as she felt that way, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
'…'
[Well.]
Isaac's final words lingered oddly in Selene's mind.
[Whatever it may be now.]
They left her feeling strangely unsettled.