Do Flowers Bloom in the Fallen Land?

At that moment, Baron got up and their eyes met. To his surprise, Seira flung her jacket to his face – quite violently too. By the time that he had removed the cloth that blocked his view, her entire body was already covered with her own cloak.

Baron stared blankly as Seira shoved her shirt, pants and underwear into her bag. So what is she wearing underneath now? He already knew the answer to his question, but he still ended up guessing in his head that she didn’t have anything put on under the cloak.

“Be quiet,” Seira told Baron.

Shortly afterwards, they heard a voice call out, “Oh, commander-in-chief!”

Baron and Seira froze at the voice calling out. Heavy footsteps and armors clinking soon rushed over to their superiors. It was quite an unexpected scene as well. Baron managed to take his eyes off of Seira’s dripping hair, and slowly turned around.

“You must have been working on the search so hard to come this far off,” Baron noted.

The knights were immediately recognized as Imperial Knights of Templar.

One of the knights replied to Baron, “Yes, but we haven’t achieved anything yet.”

“I see…” Baron mumbled under his voice.

He quickly noticed that they were glancing behind him. For a short moment, his mood dropped rock bottom when he recalled Seira’s clearly engraved image in his head.

“From here to the edge of the forest, we checked as we walked by. Go the other way,” he ordered the knights.

“Ah…… As you wish, commander-in-chief. We will do that.”

The knights felt that Baron’s voice was unusually apprehensive. They quickly turned around and went the other way that Baron ordered them to go. The commander-in-chief watched them march fast.

‘It’s going to reach His Majesty’s ears…’ he thought.

As soon as they returned to camp, one of the knights would deliver a report in detail. How Baron Jeff and Duchess Seira Askan stood at the forest springs. What the atmosphere was like between them – what could be perceived as a scandalous atmosphere that was between them at that.

But aside from that, there was something else that truly bothered Baron at the moment. He turned to face her and Seira equally stared back at him.

She had a blank face. Seira had her arms crossed just below her chest. It was quite confusing to Baron if she was angry or just confused by the situation.

“I am sorry for earlier. I didn’t mean to peek,” Baron spoke first after a long awkward silence.

“Yeah, well, it was an accident. I’ll let this one slide,” she quickly dismissed it.

Baron took a step closer to her, picking up her bag to help her finish dressing.

“But what are those scars on your body?” he suddenly asked her.

Seira’s brows furrowed, creating a wrinkle on her forehead.

“……I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she curtly responded to him.

“Is it the scar left by Alpha who was with you last night?” he asked in a low voice. “Aven Helford. Did he do this to you?”

A great misunderstanding led Seira to straighten her back. She turned around and faced him square on. At first glance her purplish eyes and Baron’s bright yellows glared fiercely at each other.

* * *

Aven checked the barracks one more time. The heat cycle does not end in a day, although he understood that Seira’s condition has stabilized and improved much after last night. But then again, perhaps she will still need him tonight.

He prepared extra sheets and blankets, and then made the bed. After checking every nook and cranny to see any damages, he slowly got up and decided all seemed to be clear. After preparing the clothes she can change to when she comes back and the uniform for tomorrow, Aven left Seira’s barracks.

“Uh… Helford vassal!”

As soon as he came out, a man approached him. Aven’s eyes turned to slits as he looked at him.

“Sir Glad,” he greeted the man.

It was Damon Glad, the second son of the Marquis of Glad.

“Is the Duchess inside?” the man asked, peeking over Aven’s shoulder as if already distrustful even before Aven answered his question.

“Why do you ask that?” Aven asked him instead.

He was a well-known writer despite his sloppy appearance. He had a promiscuous relationship with women despite them being lower than him. Even though Viseltium was very sexually open and has a wide range of tolerance, Damon’s ways were considered quite unusual especially with the rumors. He also somewhat had an arrogant disposition that didn’t respect other people’s tastes.

“I have something to discuss. Is she inside or not?” Damon insisted.

Aven casually slipped a gaze downward. In the man’s hand, there looked like a bottle he must have planned to offer as a gift.

“If you need anything, you can tell me first,” Aven did not budge even a tiny bit.

“What?” Damon scoffed in disbelief. “Are you implying that you deny me access to the Duchess?”

Aven merely replied, “The Knights of Glad and Askan have no overlap in duties. I have not been told by Duchess Askan about your visit. We cannot let anyone into her barracks for no reason.”

“Oh, that’s a load of bullshit,” Damon laughed dumbfounded. “The Helford vassal better watch what he says. Maybe I could be your new owner.”

Aven was taken aback for a second, and then asked seriously, “What do you mean by that?” He didn’t like where this was going.

“Oh, I don’t think this is the appropriate place to discuss it.”

Damon leaned close to Aven and softly whispered beside him, “I’m thinking of proposing a marriage with Askan.”

Aven instantly frowned at the topic mentioned.

“Marriage? Who is getting married?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Damon snorted and then added, “I mean, I, Damon Glad, am thinking of joining the Askans!”

“…”

When Aven did not respond, Damon clicked his tongue with dissatisfaction and began to make a fuss.

“It’s been seven years since she broke off the engagement with His Majesty. To be honest, who would propose to a woman who has nothing but a dead land and a divorced woman? But we cannot wait until the noble Askan bloodline is completely dead. So, I’d like to be her husband.”

Aven stood shocked with Damon’s audacity.

He was talking as if Seira would gladly accept his proposal.