The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Household Wants A Divorce-Chapter 109: Taste

Even the tents belonging to the direct line of Helmut were red.

At this point, someone might complain that they must have some kind of obsession with the color red.

But, unexpectedly, having their own “personal color” was quite important.

Especially on a battlefield like this, a bright red tent stood out unmistakably.

In tense situations, in moments of crisis—

it let people see Helmut at a glance.

All they had to do was turn their heads and find them, placing their hopes there.

That was the purpose of the red color.

Even after entering the large tent, the bickering between the two direct descendants did not cease.

“Ugh, this is annoying! Hey, Unnie, you’re sure Lohengrin is sleeping in another tent, right? We’re not all bunking together just because we’re family, right?”

“Shut it! This battlefield isn’t your playground! You probably showed up with a bunch of snacks packed, thinking this was some kind of picnic, didn’t you?”

“I know more about the North than you do, okay?! Unnie, please. I really don’t want to share a tent with that guy. He grinds his teeth like crazy—!”

“Both of you, knock it off.”

Rihanna, who had dropped the imposing demeanor she showed outside, let out a sigh.

There was no need to be as stern here inside the Helmut space.

“Sharen, how have you been? It’s been almost half a year since I last saw you. Looks like you’ve grown a bit taller?”

“Hehe, Unnie, you look like you’ve grown taller too?!”

“Really?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Both women turned to look at Lohengrin, who stood between them. The eldest son pursed his lips and clenched his fist, shouting:

“Instead of catching up on strange things, pass on the message that we need to prepare for our march north immediately! Damn it—I’m about to lose my mind—!”

“Eisenwolf-nim just warned you to watch your behavior.”

“…!”

“Straighten up. Helmut is no longer in the absolute position it once held. To be precise, it’s collapsing.”

Even calling it “collapsing” felt insufficiently grim.

Those eager for gossip openly declared that Helmut had already fallen.

Starting with Galenia Helmut, then Alois Helmut betraying humanity,

Finally the death of Arandel Helmut, and the thorough devastation of their territory—

It was only natural Helmut’s influence was no longer what it used to be.

Silence hung heavy inside the tent.

In a matter of mere months, Helmut, once a fortress of steel, had been toppled—truly a lamentable state of affairs.

“We just have to do what needs to be done.”

Rihanna declared calmly:

“We can rebuild. That’s our job. So be mindful of how you act. Especially—”

“Especially what?”

“Don’t go around challenging everyone to duels so carelessly. We’re in a state of war right now. We need to conserve every bit of strength.”

“…”

Lohengrin’s face was filled with dissatisfaction.

“We’re about to advance further north. Before long, you won’t even have the energy for sparring.”

“That’s exactly why I want to do it now, since there won’t be a chance for a match later.”

“Still not happening. Helmut can’t afford to show any sign of losing.”

“W-Who says I’d lose?!”

Lohengrin yelled in outrage, but every knight of Helmut already knew he had lost several times to Isaac during the Blackthorn suppression.

He had been defeated rather spectacularly at the Sword Festival as well.

“This conversation is over. Lohengrin, if you have too much energy to spare, go stand guard or something. Give the soldiers a break.”

“Damn it!”

Muttering curses, Lohengrin stormed out.

Clearly, he was looking forward more to a sparring match with Isaac than to clearing out the North.

“He really is an idiot.”

Sharen, who had been listening quietly, chimed in.

As much as she didn’t want to agree, it was hard to deny.

“Sharen, have you been well?”

“Yup, Unnie! I learned a lot of different things out there!”

“I see…”

Of course, Rihanna had heard all about Isaac and Sharen.

The massacre at Bolten had been shocking, she was furious at the assassination of Princess Adeline, and the broken engagement of Princess Clarice had been utterly absurd.

“Hey, Sharen.”

“Yeah?”

Rihanna hesitated for a moment—something she rarely did—and carefully watched her younger sister before asking:

“You and Isaac…you’ve been doing well together, right?”

“Yup! We get along great! It’s so fun being around Isaac! It’s like all sorts of crazy stuff keeps happening?”

“…”

“So there’s this maid at Isaac’s place whose name sounds kind of like mine? One time, I even pretended to be a maid—!”

“Ahem, Sharen?”

“Huh?”

The prickliness she had shown to Lohengrin earlier was already gone from Sharen.

Thanks to that, Rihanna felt more comfortable asking.

“You know, Isaac seems a little changed?”

“Changed? Really?”

Sharen tilted her head.

Perhaps because she was always by his side, she hadn’t really noticed any difference in him.

“Mm…from what I saw, he’s changed quite a bit.”

“Is that so? Hmm, I’m not really sure—”

She trailed off, recalling a certain memory.

As they marched north, they often set up tents at night to rest.

On those occasions, there would be sparring matches for interaction’s sake; Isaac particularly sparred frequently with Marlin Leivice.

[That guy has changed.]

She remembered what Grandmaster had muttered while watching those matches.

“Oh, come to think of it, someone did say he changed!”

“Right? I thought so, too—”

“They said he got a bit…perverted.”

“…What?”

Rihanna stared at Sharen with wide, round eyes.

Sharen, however, simply grinned brightly as she continued.

“Grandmaster said so! He said it’s perverted! He said it’s excessively persistent.”

“P-Perv… persistent…?”

“Yup! That’s exactly what she said!”

Rihanna’s red eyes began to tremble violently.

****

Having finished setting up his own tent, Isaac exhaled a visible breath in the cold afternoon air of the North.

Although it was still bright out, the chill wind of the North made itself known.

However, the cold had noticeably weakened from before.

He assumed it was because the Malidan Barrier, which artificially intensified the cold, was now gone.

‘Silverna…’

He couldn’t help worrying about her.

A woman who was just now truly blossoming.

Not a wildflower born of tragedy and sorrow as before, but a daphne of pure white petals, grown through passion and effort.

“What are you thinking about?”

“…”

Isaac slowly turned at the voice calling him from behind.

Standing there, with her striking blue-green hair, was Marlin of the Leivice family—the noblewoman who had been sparring with him daily.

‘As always, she hides her presence astonishingly well.’

Whether that was just her nature, he didn’t know, but her subtlety was so remarkable that even the Grandmaster had praised it.

It was the complete opposite of her older brother, who was always making a showy entrance.

“What brings you here?”

“Did you have plans to spar with Lohengrin Helmut?”

She certainly seemed to speak only about what mattered to her—something she might have in common with her brother.

Or maybe it was her own brand of social awkwardness.

“No. I don’t think there will be any sparring.”

“In that case, would you cross swords with me?”

“Right now? I don’t mind, but we’ve just arrived in the North, and there are preparations—”

“My older brother ordered me to do it.”

“…”

“He said he had to go see Rihanna Helmut, so he told me to keep Baron Logan busy.”

Her face remained expressionless as she spoke, and Isaac sensed a hint of guilt beneath her words.

“And sparring is the only thing I can do.”

“…You have it tough.”

-Nod.

To be honest, he might have felt a bit annoyed if they were still in the midst of marching, but after seeing Rihanna’s reaction earlier, he wasn’t particularly bothered by it.

‘He’s probably in for a world of pain.’

Rihanna would definitely draw a sharp line between personal matters and official duties.

He’d be lucky if she didn’t pummel him and boot him out after a rejection on the battlefield.

“…”

Isaac studied Marlin for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

She blinked up at him, looking simultaneously pure, emotionless, and as if she harbored something profoundly deep within.

“Are you okay with this?” he finally asked, unable to hold back.

Marlin tilted her head silently, then asked,

“What do you mean?”

“I’m referring to obeying Rayahn Leivice without question. If you don’t want to do it, you could say so. If you keep quiet, no one will ever know what you really want.”

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

“…”

“I mean it.”

It was sincere advice, and it seemed to pierce right to the core.

Marlin hesitated for a moment, then fiddled with the sword at her waist.

“In that case—”

“Yes… in that case?”

“Could you keep our sparring a bit more… straightforward?”

“…”

It was an unexpected response.

Marlin continued as though she had been waiting for this moment.

“I know that whenever we spar, you keep drawing out the match because you’re trying to see more of the Leivice style of swordsmanship.”

“It sometimes feels like I’m being violated. It’s sticky and persistent, like you’re dissecting me.”

“I feel like I’m being laid bare in front of everyone.”

“To be honest… I kind of thought you were a pervert.”

“Ha-Haha-em!”

Isaac let out an awkward cough and quickly turned his head away.

“Well, it’s just that the Leivice mystic sword reveals more the deeper you probe—”

Because there were so many elements he could integrate into his own demonic energy techniques, he’d gotten excited and ended up dragging out the sparring.

“Ahem. I apologize if it made you uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine.”

Marlin calmly accepted the apology, absentmindedly touching the tip of her sword.

Even so, she wasn’t leaving—likely because of her brother Rayahn’s order.

Isaac had always thought Rihanna and Marlin were quite similar.

They rarely expressed their emotions. They were both beautiful. They both served their families faithfully.

But after seeing Rihanna again for the first time in a while, he had to revise that thought.

‘Now that I look at it—’

They were different.

Most definitely different.

He couldn’t explain it in words, but there was a clear distinction.

Probably because Rihanna Helmut held a special place in his mind.

“Are we going to spar, then?”

Prompted by Marlin’s question, Isaac stood there, rubbing the back of his neck before nodding.

“Sure, let’s do it.”

After all, a task given is a task to be done.

* * *

“Ah, don’t get the wrong idea!”

“There’s someone named Marlin who has a really similar vibe to you, Unnie.”

“The sparring he does with her is what’s considered perverted.”

“…”

At Sharen’s words, Rihanna gave a calm nod. She already knew about Isaac’s habit of analyzing swords.

It didn’t take her long to realize it must’ve become a bit more “perverse” than before.

“Someone who’s similar to Rihanna?”

“When did you get back?”

Before anyone noticed, Lohengrin had returned to the tent. He sat down on his bedding and gave a small smirk.

“Guess the guy can’t kick his habits. Acting all noble, but he’s still just a man in the end.”

“Shut up! Isaac isn’t like you!”

“…”

Sharen screeched back, while Rihanna looked at him as if to ask what he meant.

Lohengrin clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Think about why Isaac married Rihanna.”

“Huh? Because he likes Unnie?”

“…”

“Right, so in the end, it’s about his ‘taste.’”

It wasn’t entirely incorrect.

After all, one could say Isaac fell for Rihanna at first sight.

“Just now, I saw him sparring outside with that woman from the Leivice family. Ha! They say men are honest when it comes to swords and… certain other parts, and it seems he’s no exception.”

“…”

Rihanna grew increasingly puzzled. She stared at him, trying to understand his meaning. Lohengrin merely snorted and shrugged.

“Don’t you think he’s got a peculiar taste in women? He only picks those who are tight-lipped and expressionless. Keeps ’em around like trophies.”

“…!”

“Well, what a champ, huh? First it’s Helmut’s daughter, now a Leivice girl. Watch—once this mess ends, we’ll probably hear wedding bells—ghaaack?!”

Bangggg!

A fierce burst of red energy from Rihanna sent Lohengrin bouncing along the ground and rolling right out of the tent.

“Oooh… I couldn’t manage that myself,”

Sharen said, clapping her hands without meaning to.

Thud!

“Guhk?! What are you doing, Lohengrin?!”

“Damn it—!”

The sounds of chaos echoed from outside. It seemed Lohengrin and Rayahn had somehow crashed into each other while he was tumbling away.

– – The End of The Chapter ––

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