All this time, I had been frantically busy trying to save Ascan.

Since it was obvious that if our survival became known, they would come after our lives again, we had to move while avoiding the eyes of the Calua Empire, and we absolutely had to obtain the Arhane flower as quickly as possible.

I asked Kevin, who runs the Cain Trading Company, to procure the Arhane flower from Suarunes Lake in the Athes Kingdom, but I couldn’t rely entirely on him alone.

I mapped out a route that would allow me to travel between the Athes Kingdom and the Lazent Empire in the shortest possible time, and personally hired divers to ensure we found the Arhane flower without a single failure.

Watching me work, Kevin even joked half-seriously:

“…Perhaps you should consider working for the trading company? If you ever decide to start your own, I might have to seriously think about switching jobs.”

Thanks to that near-death level of effort, I managed to secure the Arhane flower quickly and immediately fed it to Ascan.

But for days, Ascan didn’t open his eyes, and I was consumed with anxiety.

Fortunately, Ascan eventually woke up and had fully regained his former health.

Whoosh!

An undying flame flickered above Ascan’s hand as he lay in bed.

Until recently, such an act would have drained his life force, but now he handled his power effortlessly, without the slightest strain.

Still, my heart remained uneasy as I looked at him and said,

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Are you really ready to use your abilities already?”

“Don’t worry. I can feel the power inside me more clearly than ever before. If anything, I feel even stronger than I used to.”

In the past, human weapon test subjects in the Calua Empire had died because their bodies couldn’t withstand summoning the undying flame.

But if Ascan could now use his ability without any risk—even wielding his power more freely than before—it was impossible to guess just how much stronger he had become.

Ascan had originally been the strongest character in the world of the novel . But if he had become even more powerful than that, I didn’t even know what to call him anymore.

Hiding my relieved expression, I deliberately pouted and retorted,

“How can someone who claims to know their own condition so well hide being sick from me?”

Ascan looked embarrassed at my words. But no matter how I thought about it, my frustration wouldn’t fade—I truly believed he was going to die.

Ascan spoke apologetically,

“I have no excuse, even if I had ten mouths. If I’d known you were aware of the Arhane flower’s whereabouts, I should have told you sooner.”

“It doesn’t matter whether you knew I knew or not. From now on, if any problem arises, you must consult me immediately. Understood?”

Ascan nodded without the slightest hesitation. Somehow, his answer came too easily, making me doubt his sincerity.

“Are you seriously taking my words to heart?”

When I looked at him suspiciously, Ascan moved closer as if coaxing me and wrapped his arms around me. Caught off guard by the unexpected gesture, I was momentarily speechless.

“I’ll never hide anything from you again, my wife. Please believe me.”

Wife…

Realizing Ascan had changed how he addressed me, my face flushed hotly.

My mind flashed back to the humble chapel where we’d exchanged vows. Ascan was no longer merely my lover—he was my one and only husband, my lifelong companion.

Feeling shy, I subtly averted my gaze—but then raised my hands and embraced his waist in return.

“Hmph. I’ll forgive you… just this once.”

I tried to sound stern, but Ascan merely smiled, his eyes crinkling as if he found even that adorable.

He stared intently into my face and whispered softly,

“Do you like it when I call you this?”

“Well…”

Before I could answer, Ascan continued,

“Wife.”

“Th-that is…”

“Wife.”

“Stop it.”

When I finally lifted my crimson face, Ascan laughed with pure happiness. Then he kissed my forehead and murmured in a deeper voice,

“My wife, beautiful enough to drive me mad.”

Feeling inexplicably shy, I buried my face against his firm chest and mumbled,

“You don’t have to keep calling me that—I’m not going anywhere.”

“Then it’s a promise. You’ll stay by my side forever.”

“Hey, what are you, a con artist…?”

Though I’d already resolved during our vow ceremony to stay with Ascan until death, his playful way of twisting my words still left me momentarily speechless.

Ascan, looking delighted, said with a grin,

“Now it’s your turn to call me something new.”

“Huh?”

“You should change how you address me too, right?”

“Oh…”

Instantly, many words came to mind: husband, spouse, partner…

Technically, this was my second life, but my first marriage—I hesitated over what to call him. Carefully, I opened my mouth.

“Dar…ling?”

Ascan wrinkled his fine brows as if he couldn’t stand it anymore, then laughed and pulled me much more tightly against him, muttering,

“…I’m going crazy.”

When I looked at him questioningly, he added softly,

“Because I’m so happy.”

His confession-like words made me smile without realizing it.

I was happy. I remembered how terrified I’d been that I might never see Ascan again. This overwhelming joy was possible only because he was here.

“What’s the big deal? I’ll call you that thousands, tens of thousands of times from now on.”

Now that the threat to Ascan’s life was gone, if I were to count every time I called him until my last breath, the number would be uncountable—because we would be together for so very long.

Understanding the meaning behind my words, his face also brightened with joy.

At that moment—

Bang! The door suddenly flew open and Kevin rushed into the room.

“Miss, I have urgent news to… Ah! My apologies!”

Kevin spun around the instant he saw us embracing.

I stared at him in surprise—I hadn’t expected anyone to barge in without knocking.

The place where Ascan and I were staying was a small villa arranged by Kevin. We’d chosen it carefully to ensure the Calua Empire wouldn’t discover we were alive.

Though slightly flustered, I was curious what urgent matter had made Kevin forget to knock.

I turned to Kevin, who was facing the other direction, and asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, well… It seems the Calua Empire and the Arwen Empire are about to wage a massive war. Battles have been continuously erupting along the border, and so far, the Arwen Empire has lost every one.”

“…!”

I’d heard rumors that the Calua Empire’s movements had been suspicious since their attack on me, but I hadn’t expected them to start a war this quickly.

It felt especially sudden because it had happened while I was distracted trying to save Ascan.

My gaze met Ascan’s in midair, as if by silent agreement.

No matter what, we couldn’t allow the Calua Empire to run rampant.

We left the sweet atmosphere behind and sat seriously at the table.

I turned to Kevin and said,

“Come here and explain in detail.”

“Ah, yes! And again, I’m truly sorry for barging in without knocking.”

“It’s fine. Just be more careful next time.”

With my permission, Kevin hurriedly came around and sat across from us. He placed a letter on the table and began,

“This is a letter from His Majesty addressed to you. Due to the crisis in the Arwen Empire, the Lazent Empire—our ally—is also in turmoil, making it difficult for him to leave his post, so he’s sending this letter instead.”

I nodded. By chance, I’d ended up back in the Lazent Empire, but I still hadn’t met Dekain.

It had been difficult to enter the imperial palace since I needed to keep my survival a secret, but Dekain’s immobility as Emperor also contributed.

The letter read:

To be honest about the current situation, many ministers in the Lazent Empire oppose aiding the Arwen Empire.

Since our alliance is still new, and the odds of victory seem low, they’re eager to withdraw.

I’m struggling to persuade them, but rest assured—I will not break the alliance between our empires, as promised to you.

If you need anything, tell Kevin. I’ll instruct him to assist you in any way possible.

If the Calua Empire learns you’re alive, they won’t stay idle.

Always take care of yourself.]

Just from this letter, it was clear the alliance between the Lazent and Arwen Empires was stronger than expected—after all, that had been my condition for making Dekain Emperor.

Helsion may have underestimated the bond between two empires that had only recently allied, but this relationship wasn’t based solely on mutual benefit.

I sank into deep thought.

Though the Lazent Empire’s loyalty was undoubtedly a great help, it alone wouldn’t be enough to ensure victory for the Arwen Empire.

What troubled me most was that the magical engineering weapons I’d created on the island weren’t functioning—specifically, mana wasn’t accumulating in the magic stones.

I looked at Kevin with a hopeful expression and asked,

“Has there been any news about my magical engineering weapons?”

“No. Nothing of that sort has been mentioned. Is there a problem?”

“No… nothing.”

Since Kevin didn’t know, it seemed this information hadn’t yet reached the public. The Calua Empire was probably keeping it hidden as a trump card.

Tap tap tap—I unconsciously tapped the table with my fingers, a habit whenever I was lost in thought.

To properly investigate why the magical engineering weapons weren’t working, I needed to go to the Arwen Empire myself—because that’s where my laboratory was.

Until now, I hadn’t been particularly restricted by location as long as I had the magical engineering machines, but this time, only the Arwen Empire’s laboratory would suffice.

The magic stones were my own invention. If they weren’t functioning, something was seriously wrong.

To identify the problem, I needed to personally examine the weapons I’d created—which meant going to the laboratory where most of them were stored.

But if I wasn’t careful, the Calua Empire might discover I was alive, which made me hesitate.

‘What should I do?’

Suddenly, an idea flashed into my mind.

Without realizing it, my expression brightened as I turned to Ascan and said,

“I have a way to return to the Arwen Empire without anyone knowing.”

Ascan looked at me curiously. Kevin, who’d overheard me, wore the same expression.

The Calua Empire, having declared war, would be more vigilant than ever about gathering intelligence on the Arwen Empire. If I appeared in the laboratory, I’d inevitably be discovered.

But there was one method—just one—that could fool everyone.

I pointed at my own face and said,

“Look. Don’t I resemble someone?”

Kevin, confused, replied,

“I’m not sure… Whom do you mean?”

“I look exactly like Noxia Brellof. We’re twins.”

“Oh!”

Kevin’s eyes widened. Ascan, seated beside me, also looked astonished.

Noxia had silver hair; I had black hair.

Aside from hair color, we looked so alike that no one could tell us apart.

If I disguised myself as Noxia and returned to the Arwen Empire, no one would recognize me.

Ascan smiled admiringly and said,

“Brilliant idea. With just a wig, you could walk boldly down the street, and no one would suspect you’re not her.”

Kevin, unaware we were married, visibly startled at the word “wife.” He stared at me and Ascan alternately, shocked, and stammered,

“D-did you two… get married?!”

I nodded and answered, gazing at Ascan with affection,

“Not long ago. We did it at the chapel where you found us.”

“R-really?!”

Kevin repeated incredulously. Not only had we married in a shabby chapel, but at that time, Ascan’s life had still been in grave danger.

There was much to explain, but with the Calua Empire declaring war, we had no time to spare.

I hurriedly told Kevin,

“I need to write a letter to Noxia Brellof immediately.”

I had to inform her I was alive and explain my current plan.

If Noxia and I arranged a time and place to switch places, I could seamlessly enter the Arwen Empire posing as her.

Once I reached the laboratory, I could investigate why mana wasn’t accumulating in the magic stones.

Kevin didn’t know why I needed to go to the Arwen Empire, but he understood the urgency and immediately stood up.

“Understood. Once you write the letter, I’ll deliver it to the Crown Princess as quickly as possible.”

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

I’d already hated the Calua Empire with every fiber of my being, but after this, my resolve to never forgive them only hardened.

For Ascan, for myself, and for everyone.

I would ensure the Calua Empire did not win this war.