The Golden Lion of the North, Delphine Yuridina.
She was the legitimate successor of the Yuridina Marquis family, one of the five great noble families of the Empire and the powerful aristocracy of the North.
This family had a glorious military history since the foundation of the Empire, having successfully defended against the northern races.
They not only managed the border region, which frequently faced conflicts with these ethnic groups, but also demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the Imperial Court over a long period.
Considering this, the Imperial Court lifted restrictions on private soldiers for the Yuridina family. Thus, the Yuridina family’s private army reached as high as ten thousand.
Moreover, due to their military family background, many from the Yuridina clan were in key positions within the central military.
If the Alphenhausen family symbolized wealth in the Empire, the Yuridina family undoubtedly symbolized military power.
The education in the Yuridina household, which commanded a military force ranging from thousands to tens of thousands, was notoriously rigorous.
It was a life burdened with countless lives. They had to dedicate themselves to harsh training from a young age and become proficient in tactics and strategy.
Naturally, Delphine also had to be educated from childhood as the sole heir of the Yuridina family.
Thanks to this, she was well-versed not only in swordsmanship but also in various fields of study, including the history of the Empire and military science. Additionally, her proud and confident demeanor was fitting to captivate the talents of the Academy.
Thus, the honorable title of “Golden Lion” was bestowed upon her.
The symbol of the Yuridina family, which protects the North, was a lion. With her brilliant golden hair, striking appearance, and innate charm, Delphine finally earned the name of a beast.
This also meant that the world recognized her as the heir of the Yuridina family.
She was a woman of iron who proved her qualifications to rise to the position of a powerful warlord commanding thousands of soldiers, from the family’s private army to several legions in the central military.
That Delphine Yuridina was now bowing her head before me with great delight.
It was a cause for great concern.
My head was spinning. I couldn’t figure out where it had gone wrong.
If this scene were to be discovered by the retainers of the Yuridina family, what would happen?
Séria might faint and collapse right then and there. It would be fortunate if it ended there; the Yuridina Marquis, who was clearly in poor health, might have a spike in blood pressure and die on the spot.
This was why I needed to quickly redefine my relationship with Senior Delphine.
I was flustered and tried my best to lift Senior Delphine.
“No, Senior Delphine… you don’t need to do this, please get up quickly.”
“But how…?”
However, no matter how much I pleaded, Senior Delphine showed no signs of lifting her head. I finally understood what she desired.
A sigh escaped my lips.
After all, there was no need to waste time. Every second was precious in this situation.
“…Delphine Yuridina, stand up.”
It was a cold command. Only then did Senior Delphine, seeming satisfied, rise with a polite demeanor.
“Yes, Master.”
She was ready to comply with whatever I said. I placed my hand on my forehead to soothe my throbbing head, but the headache did not go away.
It seemed almost impossible to improve our relationship at that moment.
Then there was only one answer. I had to prevent this relationship from being revealed outwardly.
“Senior Delphine, please do not act like that from now on. What would others think if they saw us?”
“They would see exactly what it is, a master and a slave.”
Senior Delphine’s response was refreshingly candid to the point of being shameless. This only weighed heavier on my chest.
Do slaves nowadays choose their masters?
Every time I saw Senior Delphine, who identified as a slave regardless of my will, my heart grew heavy. So, I decided to resort to some rough methods.
“Please don’t.”
“But…”
“It’s an order.”
At the single word “order,” Senior Delphine’s mouth shut tightly. She shot me an unhappy glance, but my attitude was resolute.
Finally, Senior Delphine loosened her hands that were neatly gathered and let out a deep sigh.
“…If it’s an order, I suppose.”
With that, she slumped back into her chair. In that posture, a sense of ease began to emerge.
She was the Delphine I had known from before.
In a languid voice, she asked me, “So, Master, what are you thinking?”
I contemplated whether to say something about the title “Master” that bothered me, but I held back.
I worried that if I demanded more than this, she might stubbornly resist. Most high-ranking nobles were proud, and as a result, they tended to become quite stubborn.
It was quite surprising that her obstinacy took the form of identifying as a slave.
I leaned back against the wall of the study with a wry smile.
What I thought about, asking her wouldn’t yield any returned answers. It wasn’t I who provoked the Imperial Princess but the future ‘me’.
“For a week, I didn’t come to see you, wondering, ‘Is she testing my loyalty?’ and was on edge for a long time…”
“No, why would I do such a thing?”
“Sometimes, to manage people, you have to intentionally let their loyalty waver. It’s fine for me, Master. Such things won’t shake my loyalty.”
I shook my head at the smooth continuation of Senior Delphine’s explanation. Seeing her smile mischievously, it seemed she was genuinely serious.
She was still a woman whose mental world was unfathomable.
I felt relieved that I hadn’t encountered the ‘me’ from the future. I couldn’t imagine how he would react upon seeing the current Senior Delphine.
While I was letting out another sigh, Senior Delphine continued speaking calmly.
“Even so, touching the Imperial Court is overdoing it, Master. Even the Yuridina family cannot act when the Imperial Court intervenes.”
“Have the five noble families started moving already?”
“From what I hear, Alphenhausen seems likely to intervene.”
It was an easygoing response. Senior Delphine appeared entirely relaxed. She seemed to have cast off all worries.
However, that content was not ordinary, and my head only became more complicated.
Alphenhausen, the treasury family of the Empire.
They managed a significant company and controlled the Empire’s finances. Their intervention would mean that they’d likely thoroughly shake down everything regarding income, expenditure, and the financial situation of Perkus Manor.
By coincidence, the Perkus family had a trading company run by my younger sister.
If Alphenhausen intervened, the Perkus Manor would find itself in economic ruin in less than a month. By then, it would already be too late.
Senior Delphine continued speaking leisurely, unaware of my inner turmoil.
“Of course, Yuridina has been informed. But I could never attack your family, could I?”
That was quite a commendable statement.
The problem was that many families would move to destroy the Perkus family, even if it wasn’t necessarily the Yuridina family.
Of course, Alphenhausen would take action, and among the guardsmen of the Imperial Princess, there was a daughter of the Rupermion family who would likely be ready for revenge as well.
There was no solution in this state.
Perhaps high-ranking nobles could sustain it, but the Perkus family was only a minor family. When the five noble families moved, they couldn’t withstand for long.
Even if they did endure, in that brief period, many things would likely be destroyed.
Thus, there was only one answer.
I let out a sigh and asked Senior Delphine.
“…For now, can you take care of it for me?”
Senior Delphine’s crimson eyes stared blankly at me. With a thoughtful hum, she expressed her hesitation.
She then questioned me.
“Are you sure? If the Yuridina family intervenes, it means the army will move. They’ll keep provoking until you can’t withstand it anymore. And nothing will remain where Yuridina has passed.”
“Still, can’t you adjust the pace?”
At my words, Senior Delphine narrowed her eyes. Seemingly amused, she soon broke into a soft laugh.
This wasn’t such a simple problem. If it were that good of an idea, she would have already suggested it to me herself.
She was one of the women who understood better than anyone how politics and power move.
“Still, it would only be a slight delay. The Imperial Court is behind it, and I’m not yet the head of Yuridina. At best… a month?”
“That should be enough.”
At my immediate answer, Senior Delphine fell silent for a moment.
Then, she keenly observed my eyes. No matter how much she looked, my decision wouldn’t change.
After all, the future ‘me’ had already cut the three-month grace period given by the Imperial Princess down to one month.
That meant there would need to be an incident that could recover this within a month.
Thus, I should leverage Senior Delphine’s strength to minimize damage to the family as much as possible.
At least until the Yuridina army swept through, the Perkus Manor would sustain no harm.
In fact, this proposal would sound crazy to Senior Delphine.
No matter how far the Imperial Princess was from the succession line, royalty was still royalty. Once the Imperial Court moved, it would be impossible to turn the tables in a short time.
Yet, I was saying that a month would be enough.
It was a situation where I couldn’t argue against being deemed mad or arrogant.
Without saying a word, my gaze met with Senior Delphine’s in the void. After a while, she showed an unexpected reaction.
“…Alright, that’s how it should be, Master.”
She seemed satisfied with it. A vague thrill spread from her eyes. It seemed my proposal had resonated with her.
Only then did I let out a sigh of relief. I needed the strength of the Yuridina family in various ways.
If Senior Delphine were to act, the safety of the Perkus Manor would practically be guaranteed for a while.
Considering our relationship, the possibility of Senior Delphine helping me was high. Nevertheless, I thought it best to receive a firm confirmation, so I asked in a hopeful tone.
“…So, will you do it for me?”
A playful smile appeared on Senior Delphine’s face at that moment.
She looked at me with a peculiar gaze, then pretended to be indifferent, rising from her seat. Then she whispered to me.
“Well, I’m not sure.”
I looked at her with eyes filled with confusion over her antics. Senior Delphine, however, remained unyielding. She wore a provocative smile.
“Besides, there’s no benefit to the Yuridina family in this, right? I see no reason to grant such a request as the heir of the Yuridina family.”
There was no rebuttal to that.
When I cast her a sulking glare, Senior Delphine burst into laughter before turning away.
As if she meant to leave just like that, she gently waved her hand.
Now I understood why Senior Delphine behaved this way.
Today alone, I had lost count of how many times I sighed. Reluctantly, I straightened my posture against the wall.
Then, I walked over to grasp Senior Delphine’s shoulder as she was about to leave the study.
With a firm tug, our gazes met.
Her crimson eyes, slightly dazed, looked up at me. Yet, from those eyes flowed an unmistakable sense of anticipation.
Senior Delphine’s breath quickened under my strong grip on her shoulder.
“…Delphine Yuridina.”
Upon hearing my authoritative voice, Senior Delphine’s eyes turned dreamy. There was a sweet scent in her ragged breaths.
As she squeezed her thighs together, Senior Delphine fidgeted restlessly. Her crimson gaze was filled with longing.
I spoke in a firm tone.
“It’s an order.”
Senior Delphine’s reaction was immediate.
She knelt down and pressed her lips to my shoe. The quivering of her lower body was lewd. She looked exceedingly pleased.
Like a loyal slave serving her master, Senior Delphine spoke with a respectful tone.
“Yes, Master… I will gladly obey any command you give.”
In the end, I wore a sullen expression.
Did it really have to come to this?
But there was no other way. I had to think that if I could gain the support of the Yuridina family this way, it was a trade worth making.
At that moment of internal bitterness.
A heated breath escaped from Senior Delphine’s lips. Hah, hah, her breath grew ragged against my foot.
“Ma, Master…”
As my questioning gaze turned downward, Senior Delphine, still in her fallen position, pleaded with me.
“Please punish this slave who dared to rebel without knowing her place…”
Her voice, subtly rubbing her thighs as she spoke, carried an undeniable joy.
I had to rub my face with both hands.
I felt incredibly sorry for the Yuridina family.
