Char, the twins, and Thibault ran up the stairs to the men’s floor once they’d parted from Lam. They’d originally been walking, but the other knights had heckled them, yelling that they were being too slow, so they had no choice but to pick up the pace. As it had once been at the Mercure estate, it seemed there were a ton of incomprehensible rules in place too—they were just different.
Only three of them were currently heading to their assigned rooms. Thibault was taking advantage of the invisibility spell Lam had cast on him to trail behind the other knights and eavesdrop on their conversation.
Char couldn’t help but feel a sense of hatred toward the barracks. Though it was pure coincidence, it had the exact same construction as the schoolhouse: Each floor featured a storage room for household goods. The women resided on the third floor, while the men’s quarters were on the second. The first floor housed the communal facilities like the mess room, armory, infirmary, common room, conference room, and even a small prayer room. And Char found he harbored discontent not just toward the building itself but the people within it too. It all reminded him of his past.
And Lam is all alone in here... Is she really going to be fine?
Char knew that his wife wouldn’t be bothered by something like this. She was the witch of legends—the strongest in the world, and she didn’t need anyone to protect her.
But...
“The madam looked a little sad, didn’t she?” Fouet commented.
“She did. She always acts tough, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t like being alone,” Barre confirmed.
Their conversation only made Char’s urge to rush to his wife’s side stronger.
“She’s just putting on a brave face.”
“She should just be honest with her feelings. But then again, I bet Lord Char finds that side of her adorable.”
The twins had seen right through him.
“That’s none of your business,” Char replied sourly.
As they finished speaking, screams echoed from the women’s floor above, with an “ouch!” mixed in every now and then.
The spell I cast on Lam has triggered. I can feel it.
Someone must’ve tried laying a hand on her—and had suffered the backlash of it.
“I can’t believe they’re already trying to hurt her. Good thing I made the spell reflect the pain of their attack a hundredfold,” he muttered.
Meanwhile, the twins eyed him with sparkles in their eyes. “Ah, true love.”
These two always poked fun at Char whenever Lam was concerned.
“And just like that, Thibault’s plan had flown straight out the window. The madam has already caused a huge uproar,” Fouet said.
“The women’s floor seems like perilous territory. Good thing you’re so overprotective, Lord Char. Your spells turned out to be rather useful,” Barre added, amused.
Behind them, Thibault was clutching his head. “You’ve already made a scene, and we’ve just arrived!”
“If those women hadn’t tried attacking her, nothing would’ve happened. I was just protecting Lam.”
A year ago, Char never would’ve imagined he’d be this worried about his wife. He’d been so busy that there had been no time for him to feel anything, and he hadn’t been able to bring himself to care about her. Not to mention, his body and soul had been tainted by the previous generation of Mercures and their terrible practices.
In fact, he had had no time to worry about anyone else, so the question of whether he’d ever care for his wife hadn’t even crossed his mind. Only recently had he realized how immature and small-minded he’d been. It was no wonder Lam had wanted to divorce him back then; any woman in her position would have felt the same.
The knights here all reminded him of his past self, and he couldn’t stand it. If his wife had been anyone other than Lam, he would’ve still been just like them. She had changed House Mercure for the better and freed Char and the others from their shackles—all by herself. She’d even shown Char the kind of things he ought to do to follow in her footsteps.
I still can’t hold a candle to her.
Both his magic and his spirit still weren’t at her level, and he sometimes worried whether he had truly managed to escape the cage of the Mercures’ rules and prejudices.
Yet, Lam had accepted him as her husband despite his flaws.
Is there anything I can do to repay her?
Char never hesitated to lend her his powers when she needed them, but that didn’t come close to matching everything she’d done for him. She was the strongest, standing alone at the top, and always felt the need to protect others. Char wanted to continue being someone she could rely on. He’d admired her his entire life, and now, his goal was to be able to match her magical strength and prowess. If he could see the world she saw, if he could go where she was—she wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.
I’ve had enough of being protected.
They finally reached their rooms. Fortunately, they were bunked right next to each other.
“What was next, again? Dinner? I’ll go check on Lam until we have to go,” Char declared.
“Be careful not to let the other knights spot you, or they’ll say the two of you are in an illicit relationship,” Fouet warned him, amused.
How could they be in an illicit relationship? They were husband and wife.
After making sure only he and the twins were in the vicinity, Char teleported over to Lam.
As it turned out, his wife was just fine. She was sitting on the floor of a storage room, completely unperturbed, as she ate dinner with the other new recruits. Where had she even gotten the food from? Knowing Lam, she’d probably taken it from the mess room without asking.
“Do you want some, Char? It’s pretty good,” she offered.
“I’m fine. More importantly, what in the world was that commotion earlier?”
“Let’s just say there was a bit of an incident. Some annoying seniors tried to pick on me, but it’s all right now. And don’t worry—I didn’t do anything too conspicuous!”
“I can still hear screams coming from the other rooms,” Char pointed out.
Lam listened carefully and heard the squad leader shriek in horror. “Indeed... Who knows? Perhaps weeds fell from her ceiling or something.”
It seemed that she’d done something else, on top of the spells he’d cast on her.
But...oh well.
“As long as you’re fine, that’s what matters. If you ever need to use more heavy-handed methods during your investigation, don’t hesitate to do so.”
No matter where they went, Lam was still Lam—she’d proven to him once again that he needn’t worry about her. Of course, Char had been aware of that fact from the start.
Call him arrogant, but he still couldn’t help but harbor the wish to one day become her equal.