Love Letter From The Future
Chapter 407: Interlude: Gold and Silver (12)

Chapter 407: Interlude: Gold and Silver (12)

0% “Yurdina Family already has a history of safeguarding elves. And one of those elves also greatly contributed in the last battle.”

“Yes, even going so far as to sacrifice his own life.”

She remarked as she gently poured wine into the glass in front of her.

That blunt truth briefly choked me up.

Because that ‘elf’ was none other than Elder Poff.

Yet, I quickly regained my composure, knowing his sacrifice had paved the way towards the future.

.

“And the Imperial Family wishes to fully integrate the elves into the Empire. To achieve that, we’ll first have to resolve the long-standing grudges between elves and humans. For that, wouldn’t we need some symbolic figure?”

“An elf who sacrificed himself for humanity, huh...”

Senior Delphine closed her eyes, gently tapping the table with her index finger.

Only after her gentle tapping subsided did she resume speaking.

“Not bad... no, it’s actually even better than I expected.”

“And it just so happens that the family that safeguarded that elf was none other than Yurdina Family.”

“But the Imperial Family surely won’t leave it at that.”

She sharply countered.

Settling the elves in the North was an issue directly tied not only to interests of the Imperial Family, but also to those of the Yurdina Family.

After all, no matter how you looked at it, the North was Yurdina’s territory.

It was a punishment was far too lenient for a family that collaborated with the Dark Order—

Even taking into consideration that the heiress herself personally apprehended the traitor.

The Imperial family would, at minimum, want to impose some form of punishment, if only to save face.

Leto, who conveyed this plan to me, knew this all too well.

“All you would need to do is provide full support for the elves’ resettlement.”

“Ah, I see... I suppose that’s one way to handle it.”

It was a clever move in its own right, but Senior Delphine’s reaction was somewhat lukewarm.

Understandably so.

The Yurdina Family’s current situation could hardly be called favorable, even when speaking generously.

Their Family Head had suddenly been branded a traitor.

Preparations for the battle against that flesh monster had heavily depleted their military forces, exhausting a huge amount of supplies and provisions. They hadn’t even had sufficient time to adequately handle the sudden shift in authority.

And now they were supposed to take responsibility for and fully support the elves’ resettlement as well?

“In the end, you’d have no choice but to rely on the Imperial support in order to stabilize the region. It’s ideal for the Empire—they’d get to tighten their leash on the Yurdina Family and, if the elves’ resettlement goes smoothly, it couldn’t be more beneficial. They’d gain new subjects, reduce unclaimed territories and would even get to strengthen their military in preparation for future battles against the Dark Order.”

“And to control the elves, who still hold deep grudges, Yurdina Family’s private troops would also need to be reorganized. Of course, since they’d be occupied managing the elves, they wouldn’t actually be able to move freely.”

“But still they could be mobilized in case of an emergency—for instance, a war that might decide the Empire’s future?”

Hah, Senior Delphine let out a bitter laugh.

“It’s irritatingly perfect.”

“It was only possible because the Imperial Family didn’t want this issue going public. If they’d announced that the Yurdina family colluded with the Dark Order...”

“I know.”

Senior Delphine interrupted, raising her hand to silence me, as if to say no further explanation was needed.

After all, that scenario’s conclusion was obvious.

Complete annihilation.

Or a disaster equivalent to that would have befallen the Yurdina Family at the very least.

Of course, there were still negotiations to conduct with the Holy Nation and various other alliances, but that was something the Imperial Family could smooth over without too much trouble.

In other words, we successfully navigated the crisis.

The Imperial Family could be pleased, having both preserved a loyal family and secured tangible benefits.

And the Yurdina Family could breathe easy, having escaped the worst-case scenario.

Finally receiving Senior Delphine’s agreement, I let out a long sigh of relief.

It is  \truly over now.

As if confirming this fact, Senior Delphine slowly rose, glass of wine still in hand.

Even the graceful steps she took were utterly captivating.

The atmosphere instantly shifted; even I could now guess what she had in mind.

Yes, it’s that same routine again.

Senior Delphine gently leaned her head against my chest and softly whispered.

“You’ve worked hard, my dear husband. You must have quite the capable strategist by your side, hmm?”

“Yes, well... I suppose you’re right.”

I replied with an awkward smile.

In truth, as Senior Delphine drew close, many memories began surfacing in my mind.

For instance, memories involving Seria, Emma or the others.

Unaware of my complicated feelings, Senior Delphine simply offered me a smile filled with affection.

Her breath grazing my neck was warm and I knew it wasn’t just from the wine.

“You’ve done well. After all, being able to manage one’s subordinates is also the mark of a capable leader... You’ve done me such a huge favor, my dear husband. Now, how should I repay you?”

I had the feeling she already had an answer in her mind.

Still, I purposely didn’t address it directly.

Instead, I casually changed the subject, trying to appear as natural as possible.

“Actually, there’s another problem we need to discuss.”

“...?”

And so our conversation continued.

As she listened to my explanation about Seria’s sudden outburst and the incident involving Emma, Senior Delphine’s expression grew complicated.

Eventually, she let out a heavy sigh and abruptly sat back down.

Then, with a sullen expression, she filled her glass and emptied it a few times.

I could feel myself starting to sweat nervously.

It was obvious to anyone watching that Senior Delphine wasn’t in a pleasant mood at all.

In fact, it was clear she was thoroughly annoyed.

That was part of the reason why I hadn’t been able to immediately accept her absurd solution.

Spend a night with Seria?

Did she honestly think it’s as easy as just suggesting it?

I carefully studied Senior Delphine’s expression before speaking again.

“Um, Senior Delphine?”

“What?”

Her voice came out grumpy and sullen.

I was surprised to hear Senior Delphine, who was always confident and proud, use such a tone.

She was like any ordinary woman who was clearly upset.

Unconsciously, I let out a faint smile.

“Are you perhaps upset?”

It was a question that wasn’t just obvious, but possibly even rude.

We already had a deep physical relationship.

If her partner in such a relationship were openly meeting other women, naturally, she wouldn’t feel good about it.

But Senior Delphine was a woman who frequently exceeded my expectations.

“Me? Upset? Hmm... Why would I be?”

Her tone suggested genuine confusion.

Yet, her eyes clearly revealed an annoyance she couldn’t fully conceal, so I deliberately responded with a tactless remark.

“Are you perhaps jealous?”

“Me, jealous? Of others? Pfft, impossible...”

Initially, Delphine tried to laugh off my remark.

However, as if something suddenly occurred to her, her laughter gradually faded away.

It didn’t take long for her expression to harden completely.

Eventually, Senior Delphine let out a heavy sigh.

It was a sign of surrender.

“Jealousy, jealousy... Yes, I suppose that’s what it is.”

Her voice was filled with a sense of resignation.

As if she couldn’t believe she’d ended up like this, Senior Delphine swept her face with both hands.

“...I must’ve gone crazy.”

Of course, that was an absurd lament.

If anyone were to be considered crazy, wouldn’t it be me—fooling around with others when I had someone as appealing as Senior Delphine by my side?

Trying my best to sound comforting, I attempted to reassure her.

“No, Senior Delphine, you haven’t done anything wrong. It’s entirely my fault. If you feel uncomfortable at all, then I—”

“No.”

Her refusal was firm enough that I immediately fell silent.

Senior Delphine took another sip of her wine, muttering in a dazed voice.

“I won’t be able to marry anytime soon anyway. Besides, you’re already surrounded by plenty of promising young women... There’s no reason for you to be tied down to me. I don’t want to hinder your future.”

“But still, Senior Delphine—”

“Just do as I say.”

With that, she abruptly rose to her feet.

It took only an instant for her to close the distance between us.

Then came her pleading voice.

“I knew from the start. You—I mean, my dear husband—were never someone I could have all to myself.... I was fully aware, yet I still chose this. Besides, Seria is such a pitiful girl too... So please, don’t concern yourself too much about me.”

What was I supposed to say to that?

As I sighed in frustration, Senior Delphine gently reached out and held my hands.

Then, gazing at me with eyes full of sincerity, she spoke once more,

“This is my way of loving you.”

In the end, I could only give her a bitter smile before gently pressing my lips against hers.

For a while afterward, we simply stood there, feeling each other’s warmth.

It was strange.

Just being together like this was enough.

A languid sense of fulfillment, something nothing else could ever satisfy, filled my chest.

That peaceful moment continued quietly—

Until Delphine finally let out a faint laugh.

“This has turned into quite the spectacle... The Yurdina sisters both serving one man, along with a commoner, too? Had someone told me this a few months ago, they wouldn’t have lived to see tomorrow.”

She spoke as if she’d just heard an amusing joke.

Because of that, it became even harder for me to tell her the truth—

That there were even more women involved.

Of course, it wasn’t something I could hide forever.

While I hesitatingly stood there, Senior Delphine shot me a suspicious glance. I eventually squeezed my eyes shut and confessed everything.

Even about Senior Elsie and the Saintess.

And once again, Senior Delphine’s eyes began losing their warmth.

Fighting the urge to drop to my knees, I hesitantly stammered,

“Um, are... are you really alright with this?”

“Alright? Oh, I’m perfectly fine. Why don’t you just switch bedrooms every night? Or if that’s too much trouble, just sleep with two women at the same time.”

Even if I had ten mouths, there was no possible way to justify myself.

As I firmly shut my mouth and began my silent penance, Senior Delphine scoffed bitterly in disbelief.

I guess I have to somehow sort this out.

Just as I made that decision and was about to speak—

Senior Delphine’s lips suddenly captured mine. Our tongues intertwined, and through the small gap between us, the taste of sweet wine flowed in.

After the unexpected exchange of saliva and wine, I stared at her in shock.

Yes—at the woman smiling at me with such irresistible allure.

“In return, you’ll have to report back to me each time... and let me know who gave you the most satisfying night.”

Isn’t this just another question with a predetermined answer?

I wanted to object like that—but chose not to.

Now, all that was left was to show her.

Once again, Senior Delphine and I found ourselves entwined on the bed.

**

The next day, I let out a yawn as I walked through the corridors of Yurdina Castle.

Most of the pressing issues had been resolved.

All that remained now were minor loose ends. Aside from that, my only tasks were things like visiting Senior Elsie, getting nagged by the Saintess or checking in on Aviang.

But my peaceful routine was suddenly disrupted by an unexpected visitor.

At that moment, I was walking alone with Aviang, engaged in conversation.

“...Oppa!”

Just as I registered the familiar voice calling from a distance—

A tremendous impact sent me sprawling to the ground. The girl who had hurled herself at me like a cannonball was now sitting atop of me like a conqueror, with a face on the verge of tears.

She had black hair and golden eyes.

“O-Oh no... You’ve been through so much, haven’t you? You can’t even keep yourself steady...”

I coughed dryly, wanting to refute her words.

There was a completely different reason I couldn’t keep myself upright right now.

But before I could say anything, she reacted first.

Not to me—but to Aviang, who stood beside me.

“What the—who is this filthy elf...?! Hey, what’s your relationship with my Oppa?”

Watching the scene unfold, I finally gave up and let my body go limp in defeat.

She didn’t even bother with formal speech despite meeting Aviang for the first time. Worse yet, her tone was outright rude.

A clear sign that she was clearly worked up. So there was no point in saying anything—she wouldn’t listen anyway.

But my younger sister’s arrival made something else clear as well.

That it was time to return.

To the academy.

My days in the North were coming to an end.