The Collapse of the Harem, Twelve Years Later - Chapter 2

“Yolan, you absolutely must not fail at today’s meeting with the Duke of Stavik. Understood?”

“Yes, my dear.”

As the maids dressed me in attire befitting the House of Georgil,
my husband, wearing his usual strict expression, gave me his orders.
I had no choice but to comply.

“Apparently, they want to hear tales of your past exploits. It doesn’t have to be true—just tell them something that will amuse them.
In the meantime, I’ll be assessing potential fiancées for our sons.”

“Yes, my dear.”

Tales of my past exploits… would stories from my time in the Royal Knights suffice?
More than likely, they would want to hear about the years between nineteen and twenty-three,
the years when I fought as a warrior in the hero’s party.

Twelve years had passed since then.
I had married into the Marquis’ family and bore four sons.

(Yes… I had resolved to surrender myself to this life completely.)

Back then, grief had left me shattered.
I did nothing but follow the expectations of those around me.
There was nothing left for me but to continue accepting my fate.

(I must fulfill the role I was given as the Marchioness.)

“My lord.”

“What is it?”

“There is a messenger from the royal palace…”

The butler whispered something to my husband.
A royal messenger coming all the way to this remote western region…?
Surely, it had nothing to do with me.
And even if it did, I would simply accept whatever it was.

(The only request I had ever made… was to abandon the sword.)

The past me, the so-called strongest female swordsman, no longer existed.
I had vowed never to touch a blade again, and I had made my husband promise the same.
Even when my eldest son once begged me to teach him swordsmanship, I had firmly refused.

“For Mother to refuse… it must be something of great significance.”

I had chosen to be a good wife, an obedient wife.
That was the role given to me,
and there was nothing else left for me to do.

“Very well, I will speak with them directly. Yolan, you don’t need to come.”

“Yes, my dear.”

My husband left the room.
I finished dressing and waited for him to return,
but even as our departure time approached, he was nowhere to be seen.

(…Did something happen?)

Curious, I stepped into the hallway, only to find a commotion at the entrance.
The royal messenger and my husband were engaged in a heated exchange.
I listened closely.

“It’s unnecessary. I’ll inform my wife myself—now leave.”

“No, His Majesty has ordered us to deliver this message directly to Lady Yolan.”

“I have already heard it. That should be sufficient.”

His Majesty…?

What business could the king possibly have with me after all this time?

“Lady Yolan! There you are.”

“I told you not to come.”

“Yes, my dear.”

I was about to step back—

“Lady Yolan, Hero Laslo has returned to the palace!”

“……What?”

“Ridiculous. Yolan, return to your chambers.”

I… I couldn’t obey.

“Are you saying… they recovered his remains?”

His body should have been incinerated to nothing in the lava!

“No, he has returned after twelve years of fighting alone in the demon realm! He defeated every last Demon King!”

“Then… then that means he’s alive?!”

“Yes! Though battered, he was alive and well when he arrived before His Majesty!”

A storm of memories flooded my mind—twelve years ago, that fateful day.

“Enough. My wife has heard it. We are leaving now—go back to the palace.”

“B-But—”

“Ugh… Uuuuuhhh…!”

Tears spilled down my cheeks, unstoppable.

“Yolan, get in the carriage. Gather yourself before we leave.”

“…Give me a moment. I need to prepare myself.”

“Fine. You have an hour.”

“Fifteen minutes is enough.”

I rushed to my personal armory.
When I returned, I was carrying two swords.

My husband—no, the man who had been my husband, Morris Georgil—looked shocked.

“What… What are you doing?”

“Let’s settle this outside. A duel, one-on-one. If I lose, I will obey you.
But if I win… Morris, pick up the sword.”

Morris scoffed.

“I don’t have time for this. Now, come along.”

“Then I take that as your defeat?”

“There’s no winning or losing here.”

“I see… In that case, excuse me.”

I turned away and stepped toward the royal messenger still waiting outside.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“Don’t touch me!”

Morris recoiled, startled by my outburst.
He had never seen nor heard me speak with such force before.

“Take me to the royal palace.”

“In that dress?”

“…You’re right. This isn’t mine anymore.”

(Ah… at last, I can finally… be happy…!!)

△▼△

“Your Majesty, allow me to confirm once again—my fiancées…”

“None of them waited for you.”

“…I see.”

“However, I have prepared a second wife for you.”

A woman dressed in the uniform of the Royal Knights stepped forward.

“I am Roslie, nineteen years old. After reading of your legend, I joined the Knights.”

“…You’re quite young.”

“Indeed! And I expect you to father many children!”

She was certainly more delicate than Yolan had been in her prime…

No, no. I had to forget about my former fiancées.
They had already found happiness in their own way.

“Now then, Laslo, there is something I must ask of you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty? What is it?”