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After the war entered its final stages.
Count Philip decided to step down from his position in the Osiris Countdom.
Originally, he had planned to stay in the Osiris Countdom until the end of winter.
However, an unexpected attack came.
Though they managed to repel it, the Osiris Countdom suffered considerable damage.
There were not enough accommodations for the residents who had lost their homes, and a great deal of resources would be required for reconstruction.
In this situation, simply staying there doing nothing felt wrong.
Of course, with winter still not over, it wouldn’t be easy to take the residents back to Phillip’s County and reactivate the estate.
But after sending someone to check, it was found that Phillip’s County had been relatively well-preserved, easing some concerns.
The manor was safe, and there was no significant looting.
A few thieves had infiltrated the boundary and suffocated, but that was just a matter of clearing away the bodies.
Several days before leaving the Osiris Countdom, Count Philip was busy visiting various places to say goodbye.
He spent a long time in private discussions with the Osiris Count, promising long-term cooperation.
Since they were neighbors anyway, they needed to help each other.
Ray, on his part, also exchanged farewells with the acquaintances he had made in the Osiris Countdom.
Florya laughed while reminiscing about old times with Ray and then lamented that she really needed to find herself a husband.
Ray chuckled and said if she ever needed personal help, she could contact him.
As this chaotic time passed, Karen subtly kept her distance from Ray.
It wasn’t because she was upset, but rather because she felt awkward and embarrassed, making it difficult to look at Ray.
Seeing Karen’s behavior, Ray absentmindedly rubbed his cheek.
Originally, after consummating their relationship, some conversation had been necessary.
They could have talked casually, whispered words of love, resolved lingering emotions… There was a need for such a process.
But Alesya suddenly intruded.
As a result, that night’s affair ended in a state of incomplete combustion.
While Karen was hesitating about how to interact with Ray, Alesya…
“My knight!”
She was full of energy.
Satisfied that she was the first among the nobility to claim Ray, Alesya strutted around smugly.
No longer was she the wobbly Alesya; now she was the confident Alesya.
“…”
As the energetic Alesya approached, Ray wondered how exactly they had ended up together.
Certainly, Alesya possessed sufficient feminine charm.
With just a little makeup, Alesya became a radiant and beautiful noble young miss who caught everyone’s attention.
But to Ray, Alesya was more like a mischievous younger sister.
If sober, Ray would have found it hard to reach out to her.
However, Alesya had rushed in at the perfect moment when Ray was overwhelmed by desire.
Unable to handle her aggressive advance, Ray ended up consummating the act.
“…”
Ray pressed his eyelids as if trying to suppress a fleeting thought.
Alesya approached him with a victorious smile, chattered a bit, subtly leaned against him, and then went off to do her own thing.
Watching Alesya walk away, Ray burst into laughter.
Regardless, Alesya had indeed been a great support to Ray.
Shaking off these stray thoughts, Ray went to see the residents of Phillip’s County preparing to return to their estate.
Everyone was bustling about packing their belongings since they were set to depart the next day.
As Ray watched the residents, an elf approached. It was Raphaela.
“Byproduct.”
Since their last encounter, Raphaela had taken to calling Ray “byproduct.”
Of course, Ray called her “ear monster” in return.
“Why, ear monster.”
“When do you plan to head to ‘Mother’s Embrace’?”
“I’ll return to Phillip’s County, visit the Imperial Capital, and then drop by once I have some free time.”
“There isn’t much time.”
“Isn’t time something you ear monsters have in abundance, living for hundreds of years?”
“Foolish byproduct, distinguish between priorities properly.”
“Ear monsters are smart, sure, but how smart can they really be?”
Ray said this while rummaging through his pocket.
Among the gifts he’d received recently, there was a box of fruits preserved by magic. He had just pulled out an apple to put in his pocket.
Holding the apple, Ray called out to an elf wobbling far away.
“Hey!! Mineher!!”
“?”
“Take it!!”
Ray hurled the apple.
Mineher saw the apple flying overhead, instinctively leaped using her arms and legs, caught it with her mouth as usual, and landed gracefully.
Crunch crunch
Upon biting into the apple, Mineher realized it was fresher than expected for mid-winter, smiled brightly, and continued on her way.
Ray chuckled warmly.
“Good training.”
“…”
A short while later.
Knights patrolling nearby gathered to scold Ray and Raphaela.
*
The return to Phillip’s County was completed without any major incidents.
All the residents bustled about to reactivate the estate.
Ray stood at the entrance of his home, watching the familiar scenery with a smile.
Deciding to wrap up the hectic period of his life after finishing a few more tasks made him look forward to retirement.
Still, Ray quickly regained his composure. It was too early to let his guard down.
‘To the Imperial Capital with Luna and my aunt…’
Before leaving, he needed to inspect Phillip’s County’s safety one more time.
Fortunately, the Rubia Kingdom’s Ranger unit was cooperating smoothly with the Empire, retaining most of its strength without significant friction.
Arundel was still being tracked, but it seemed he kept moving farther away.
Although there didn’t seem to be an immediate issue, Ray couldn’t predict when forces targeting his weaknesses might strike again.
Now that most of Phillip’s County’s capabilities were exposed, he couldn’t afford to relax completely.
‘I’ll need some help eventually.’
Since Luna would also be absent, it seemed prudent to request additional troops from the Emperor or Ernst for Phillip’s County.
“They’ll probably agree. No need to overthink it.”
After all, they were treating Ray as someone with a short shelf-life, handling things leniently, and occasionally granting minor requests.
And Ray had been crossing boundaries here and there based on that trust.
Taking a deep breath of the cold air, Ray entered his house.
Karen, sitting on Ray’s bed, asked somewhat awkwardly,
“Are you leaving again?”
“I need to stop by the Imperial Capital.”
“Hmm… I see. The Imperial Capital…”
Karen trailed off, looking dejected.
Then Ray sat beside her and gently pulled her face toward him.
After a kiss, Ray looked into Karen’s eyes and asked,
“Will you wait for me again? Here, in this place?”
“…”
For a moment, Karen appeared flustered but soon smiled with reddened eyes.
“Yes. I will keep waiting.”
Whispering that the waiting wouldn’t feel so painful anymore, Karen climbed onto Ray as if embracing him and kissed him again.
As the kiss continued, Ray naturally began to undress Karen.
When the moment came to show Ray her skin again, Karen’s face flushed despite having experienced it before under the heat of passion.
Even so, Karen pushed aside her embarrassment and boldly reached for Ray’s waist.
The atmosphere grew hotter.
Even without fully disrobing, the heat emanating from their close contact was intense.
At that moment, footsteps were heard outside.
Thinking Alecia must have come again, Ray resigned himself and pulled Karen closer.
As the steps drew nearer, Ray focused on exploring Karen’s skin.
Then the door abruptly opened, and Ray met Saria’s gaze over Karen’s shoulder.
“…”
“…”
Ray froze.
Saria, clearly shocked, half-opened her mouth and blinked rapidly.
Ray hoped she would quietly close the door and leave.
But Saria stepped inside and feigned a stern expression.
“Nephew.”
“Yes, Aunt.”
“No. Not now. You’re still too young for this.”
“But Aunt, I’m already twenty.”
“You’re still a child.”
“…”
Listening to their exchange, Karen tried to pull away, her face beet red.
But Ray firmly held onto her.
If Karen moved, Ray would have to expose himself entirely to Saria.
Using Karen as a shield, Ray pleaded with Saria.
“Aunt, please step out for a moment.”
“Alright.”
Thankfully, Saria agreed to Ray’s request.
Once Saria closed the door and left, Ray buried his face in Karen’s chest and groaned.
*
Time continued to pass.
Ray quickly prepared to depart for the Imperial Capital.
Given the limited time remaining, Ray couldn’t afford to relax.
Luna and Saria would accompany him, and Raphaela, assigned a mission, had no choice but to follow.
Before leaving, Ray spoke with Jimmy in his office.
“While I’m gone, I’ll leave everything in your capable hands.”
“Hmm… But do I really need to go to the Imperial Capital?”
Jimmy’s abilities had been revealed during the previous incident.
Ordinarily, Jimmy should have headed straight to the Imperial Capital like Mohamed did.
Of course, that was assuming he lacked sufficient background.
“Don’t worry. I can handle it within my limits.”
“Well, that’s fortunate…”
“After this is done, I’ll personally escort you to your estate. For now, one more favor.”
“Alright. Take care of yourself.”
“Yes, Jimmy. Thank you always. Truly.”
After concluding his conversation with Jimmy, Ray sought out Lea.
Lea seemed to have developed trauma from her experiences in the Osiris Countdom and refused to wander alone lately.
She occasionally had nightmares and cried loudly.
Still, her trauma wasn’t severe enough to hinder her gradual recovery.
Recently, Lea had started seeking out Karen often.
Apparently, she felt deeply grateful and apologetic toward Karen.
Today, Ray brought Lea, who was clinging to Karen’s bosom, and tapped a chair.
“Sit here.”
“…”
As Lea attempted to sit down, Ray pulled the chair away.
Of course, Lea, who had been on guard, managed to stop herself from falling mid-crouch.
Lea smirked triumphantly, but Ray promptly spanked her.
Smack!
“Ack!”
Lea fell on her bottom with a thud and burst into tears.
Ray examined her body using his powers.
Lea had been running a slight fever recently.
The concentration of dragon blood in her system was increasing.
Fortunately, it hadn’t yet reached levels harmful to her body.
After checking Lea’s condition, Ray asked her, still crying, what gift she wanted this time.
“Gift!”
Lea immediately stopped crying and happily began pondering aloud what gift to ask for from her brother.
Ray fondly stroked the head of the cheerful Lea.
*
Ray departed from Phillip’s County.
Everyone was now accustomed to Ray’s absences.
Ray bid farewell warmly and left, while those remaining in Phillip’s County resumed their daily lives.
Traces of snow still lingered on the Sigini Mountain Range.
Dressed warmly against the chilly weather, Alesya began her usual meal with Count Philip.
Midway through the meal, Alesya, seemingly remembering something, put down her knife and covered her mouth.
“Ugh!”
It was an obviously fake gagging sound.
After pretending to gag a few times, Alesya claimed she didn’t feel well and got up from her seat.
Despite saying she didn’t feel well, Alesya’s expression was unusually cheerful as she left the dining hall.
Clearly, her claim of feeling unwell was a lie.
“…”
Left alone in the dining room, Count Philip put down his fork.
How old was his daughter, and why did she still behave so immaturely?
Count Philip shook his head briefly, feeling inexplicably irritated.
However, thanks to his daughter, Count Philip was destined to experience even more frustration in the future.
This irritation resembled the feelings of an investor who failed to sell at the peak.
Transaction (2)
