But what would soon begin was war. This was their first battle against the Federation of St. Gallen since the Kingdom’s defeat fifty years ago. Many of those who knew of the terrible defeats of the past have already long passed away. Regardless of whether they were civilians, nobles, or soldiers, many of them were unaware of the horrors of war and the tragedy of defeat. However, what the Kingdom was taking on now was undoubtedly a battle to avenge their bitter past. It was a challenge against an opponent that had defeated them before.
The bustling activity in the streets could be a form of mass hysteria, from the mixture of anxiety of their historical defeat and unfounded optimism of their victory.
There was a pair of eyes looking down from the second floor of a building facing the street at the restless city.
"This level of congestion is within expectations...... hmm, can we leave within the week with this?"
His face is etched with deep wrinkles and lines. His bare chest was covered with ribs, and his skinny stomach was also wrinkled. However, the level of eagerness that could be seen from his lit eyes would astound even the grandest of men. His pale coloured veins gave him an eerie, ghostly impression.
Marquis George Henry Lavallee. He was the one who created today's situation by returning to the royal capital as soon as the news of the war broke out.
"That cannot do, Marquis. The autumn wind is hazardous to your health."
A coquettish woman’s voice came from behind the old man standing by the open window. A sheet was wrapped around her bare breasts, modestly concealing them. The combination of her and the man, who was exposing his old, thin body, was enough to deduce that the two of them, whose ages were as far apart as grandfather and granddaughter, had been indulging in confidential activities since the early hours of the day.
She climbed down from the bed and gently draped a sheet of silk over his shoulders.
"Oops, that's not good. I'm too old to be out in the wind like this...... Or maybe it's because I was feeling young again just now."
The woman's face lit up with a hint of red when he jokingly said as he draped on the robe.
"Well......."
She put her hand on her cheek to cool down her flushed cheeks. Her gesture of embarrassment was girlish and unbecoming of a woman of almost thirty. If one were to look at her, one might think that a naive and ascetic lady had fallen victim to the poisonous fangs of this old man.
But that guess was only half right. The woman's status was not that of a noblewoman.
"I always get excited when I see you. Hoho. Your beauty is naturally a given but perhaps the immorality adds to it?"
Lavallee looked behind the woman with deep emotion. There, carefully hung from the wall on a hanger, was a long piece of women's clothing. It was a navy blue dress with a seamless top and bottom. The wide white collar gave the impression of neatness — a nun's robe.
The woman was a priest. She was also an ordained minister who believed in asceticism and in seeking the way of the God. It was outrageous for her to fall in love with a man half a century older than her.
She pouted her lips sulkily at the old man's opinion.
"Please don't say that. Oh how sinful......"
She shook her head. She said it as if she was reluctant, but her moist eyes and warm sighs were almost inviting, even if she wasn't aware of it. If Lavallee had been twenty years younger, or even ten years younger, he would have been so excited that he would have challenged her to a second fight.
He chuckled and took out an item he had prepared in a corner of the room.
"So you're going to purify your sins with God's blood?"
He held up a bottle of wine as if to show it off. It was a mischievous gesture, not unlike an old man who has been described as a fox and a schemer. The woman smiled back at him with a hint of dismay.
"We can’t drink… it’s only noon."
"Huh. Don't be so hard on me. Just a moment ago, I was unravelling your body like that."
"Aww...hehe."
As he uncorked the wine bottle while joking coarsely, she seemed to have surrendered to his whims.
"Well, it would be impolite so I'll take you up on it."
"Mm. Good — Then I shall be the one pouring it today. C’mon now."
He slowly poured the red liquid into the two glasses on the small table by the bed. The couple used the bed as their chair, as they sat side by side.
As can be seen from guards outside, this is not just a cheap inn. It was not a noble's residence either, as it was built on the street where many commoners used to stay. It was one of the hideaways that Lavallee had secretly built while the capital was being restored.
Normally, those who work behind the scenes for the Marquis family would use it as a base for espionage, but occasionally the head of the family himself, feeling mischievous, would use it for a daring rendezvous. In the case of today's visit, the purpose was to have a secret meeting with her and also to inspect the royal capital ahead of his departure for war.
The glasses filled with wine clinked lightly against each other. The cool sound of the clink echoed comfortably.
"Now, what would this be a toast to, I wonder?"
"That, of course, is for the Holy King who resides in heaven. May he chide me for my inexperience."
At the woman's answer, Lavallee let out a small chuckle. It's hard to believe that these words are coming from a person whose God advocates for asceticism, but has reached the point of no return in a man and woman relationship. But for this man, a woman who has an inviolable sanctuary in her heart, no matter how many times he sleeps with her, was also a good thing. A desire for conquest, similar to the desire of wanting to carve footprints in fresh snow, and a desire to protect her purity. Being caught in these conflicting desires was a fresh stimulus even for the old man who should be very experienced in this field by now.
As he sipped his wine, he abruptly changed the subject.
"By the way, how will the Omnian Empire act in this war?"
Located on a peninsula jutting out to the south of the continent, the Omnian Empire has a long history as the only nation on the continent until seven hundred years ago. It was also a deeply religious nation and was the headquarters of the Holy King religion. It has long been an ally of the Kingdom of Arquell, where most of the people are also Holy King believers.
"According to the letter from my home country, the Council of Cardinals are still in discussion...... but we are unanimous in our policy of siding with the Kingdom of Arquell."
"Of course. Otherwise, we'd be questioning the meaning of our long-standing friendship."
"Sigh...... So, here's the dominant view—"
The woman answered Lavallee's question without hesitation. She was a nun who had been dispatched from the Omnian Empire to the cathedral in Broussonne about five years ago. She had heard that one of the men in her family was an influential priest, so she got closer to him to get information from him. In the beginning, she was very strict with her beliefs and so didn’t make much inroads, but now she has become like this, a cute little bird that happily chirps in exchange for Lavallee’s favour.
However, if he wanted to seduce a woman to do espionage for him, there was no need for the old head of the family to do it himself. He could simply leave it to the men under his command. He claimed that he was doing it as both a hobby and because it was more practical, but it was obvious that it was to a larger extent, a hobby.
(Hehe, how sweet......)
With a chuckle, he reached out with a playful hand just as she finished her report. The arousal that had once been quenched had resurfaced, stimulated by a mouthful of liquor and their shady conversation. The woman rolled her eyes a bit, but didn't brush away the knobby fingers crawling up her body.
"Hmm, again?"
"What's the matter? I can stop if you don't want me to."
"It's not that, oh, the Marquis' condition is......."
From the words she was giving, it seemed that she was worried about Lavallee's health. Many men, even those half his age, would be exhausted after the first. She wondered how much of a burden it would be for an old man who was about to turn eighty. It was only natural that such worries had crossed her mind.
