I’ll Be The Warrior’s Mother

“Pardon?”

“I want to hold you.”

…All of a sudden? At this very moment?

Yelena was flustered by the unexpected situation, but this was promptly suppressed by her instincts that said “don’t let this opportunity slip away.”

“Okay,” Yelena immediately replied. She wiggled towards Kaywhin, narrowing the space between them. She did so in a hurry, lest Kaywhin cancel his request.

“…”

Then, Kaywhin wrapped both arms around Yelena. His strong arms moved gingerly around her body, but still pulled her closer, leaving no empty space.

Yelena was holding her breath without realizing it as she was held in Kaywhin’s broad and firm embrace.

‘Come to think of it, this is my first time having both hands free while my husband is holding me.’

She had always been restrained(?).

Kaywhin’s neck and shirt collar were right in front of her. She looked slightly downward at his solid chest. He was clothed, but it was almost as if his hidden muscles were in plain sight.

‘…Should I stroke it?’

Yelena’s fingers twitched at her impertinent impulse.

‘Just a bit.’

In the end, Yelena won the fight against her greed, in fear that if she acted on it, her husband may never hold her like this again.

‘That’s right, I can’t break his trust.’

Yelena blinked as she stayed still in her husband’s arms. As she focused, she could hear the sound of a racing heart. Ba-dump, ba-dump. She couldn’t tell if it was her heart or her husband’s.

Yelena forced her eyes shut.

The unusually long night passed.

***

“He’s become so handsome, don’t you think?” Merry asked.

Yelena paused as she was about to take a bite of her cookie to think.

‘Well, she’s not wrong.’

The ‘handsome’ person in question was none other than Aendydn.

Yelena recalled being around the same height as him just before he had left the kingdom. Now, she had to look up a long distance to make eye contact with him. This was part of the reason she occasionally felt awkward with him.

“He’s changed too much,” Yelena replied, meaning several things.

Merry, who was sitting across from Yelena at the table, propped her chin on both hands and chuckled. She had attended to Yelena since the latter was a child. Naturally, she had watched over Yelena’s childhood friend Aendydn for a long time as well. Merry spoke of Aendydn with friendly affection, like he was family.

“He was like a little fairy when he was younger…”

“Blech, a fairy?”

“Now he’s like a prince of the forest.”

“…”

Yelena rubbed the goosebumps that formed on her arms.

“Merry…”

“Well, I am happiest about his good health.”

“…”

“Don’t you feel the same, Madam?”

“…Sure do.”

When they were kids, Yelena had always prepared a handkerchief whenever she was going to meet Aendydn. This was because she had estimated that her feeble friend, who was always staggering and to whom even walking was a difficult task, might end up throwing up blood while they were outside.

‘And since I’m his friend, of course I have to wipe away his blood,’ was what the young Yelena had thought.

Thus, she had always kept a handkerchief on her. Yelena remembered thinking that it’d be a waste if she ended up discarding an expensive handkerchief, so she would secretly pick less expensive ones to take with her.

After reminiscing on past memories, Yelena spoke.

“Next time you see that healthy prince of the forest, try asking him.”

“Asking him what?”

“What the heck he plans on doing here.”

Yelena hadn’t had the chance to properly see Aendydn all day because the latter had been busy.

As soon as day broke, Aendydn went around the castle as if he was searching every nook and cranny. The training arena, the library, the central hall, the garden, and so on… It was as if he meant to explore each and every location that was open to outsiders.

On top of that, according to eyewitnesses, he wasn’t just simply looking around, he was closely observing and examining everything. Yelena had no idea what he was up to.

‘Is he keeping watch or something?’

For what purpose was he searching every nook and cranny of what wasn’t even his own home, nor where he was going to live?

‘Well, I just need to mind my own business, no matter what his business is.’

Yelena ceased paying any mind to Aendydn’s actions. She couldn’t let her childhood friend’s strange actions get in the way of her plan.

Yelena looked at Merry.

“Merry. I’m going to get married soon.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

Yelena smiled cheerfully and got up to ring her call bell. Abbie arrived. Then, Yelena shared her decision and plan with the two competent and trustworthy maids. At first, they had looks of surprise on their faces, but they soon nodded their heads.

“Very well. If that’s what Madam wants…”

“We will do our best.”

***