"So it finally happened… huh."
His bitter voice broke the prolonged silence.
Neither Alice nor Lucia knew what to say.
To them, Lapis had been just as much a sister and family as she had been to Ashen. Of course, they could never come close to understanding what her blood brother felt for her, especially with a bond that ran that deep.
But what they lacked in that connection was replaced by guilt. Guilt for letting him down… and guilt for allowing this to happen.
Alice felt it especially, not only for Ashen, but for Lapis herself. Since childhood, she had seen her as someone to look after, someone she was responsible for. Now she realized she had failed in that responsibility.
As for Lucia… she had brought her here with her own hands. What more was there to say?
"Don't look like that. It isn't your fault." Ashen spoke again after noticing their downcast expressions. "Alice… all of your attention was on keeping the territory alive. You didn't have the energy for anything else, so don't blame yourself."
Alice gave a small nod, quietly accepting his words.
Then he turned to Lucia. "And you. I'm sure you were all confidence and nonchalance when you brought her here. So why are you acting like a kicked puppy, hm?"
"...Perhaps because I care about your anger and fear your disappointment more than you realize," Lucia replied evenly, though the meaning behind her words came through just as clearly.
Ashen answered with a helpless smile. "I'm not angry at you, nor am I disappointed. If you brought her here, then I know you believed it was the only path left for her. I trust your judgment, partner."
"Is that so… then what about Jenna?" Lucia pressed on. "With your personality, you'd never drag a friend's daughter into your mess. I know you."
She held his gaze. "But I did. Are you still not disappointed?"
"Haah…" His eyelids lowered as he considered how to answer.
"I definitely wouldn't drag Braun's daughter into this godforsaken place, even if it were for my benefit or Lapis'… but no, I'm still not disappointed that you did it, Lucia."
A gentle smile touched his lips. "When I accepted that willful kiss from you on the Ashbastion's wall, I also accepted you as my woman."
"And accepting you as such isn't a simple matter. It means accepting your flaws, your faults, and every one of your little quirks."
A lazy smirk followed. "What? You thought I'd just tap that sexy ass of yours and then be disappointed the first time you were simply being… you?"
"It doesn't work like that, partner. At least not for me. When I take you in, I take all of you. Your callousness, your intellect, your body."
"If you get sick, do you think I'll abandon you? If your face gets disfigured, do you think I'll despise you?"
"Just as I know you wouldn't do that to me, I'll stay by you just the same. I'll only be disappointed when you think otherwise."
He gave her a teasing smile. "So just as you accept my benevolence, I'll accept your cruelty too, and take responsibility for it."
"…Especially when that cruelty is for my benefit, and for the protection of our family."
"..."
'Ah… how magnificent~'
For most of her life, Lucia had believed that entrusting oneself to another was the ultimate form of vulnerability as well as the purest kind of weakness.
…How wrong she had been.
That only held true when one entrusted themselves to the wrong person.
Otherwise, it was the complete opposite.
With every word he spoke, she felt capable of things the previous 'free' version of herself would have considered impossible.
What vulnerability? What weakness?! …If it was for him, she felt invincible.
"You and that sweet mouth of yours, my dear partner~" Her lazy smile was the only thing she allowed outward, though inwardly she was drowning in blissful love. "Now I finally understand how you got the three of us wrapped around your fingers."
The other two, who had remained silent until now, also snapped out of their stupor and shot him mock glares.
"True. Our Ashen's such a playboy." Seraphine let out an exaggerated sigh and shook her head helplessly.
"We can only hope he keeps the flirting limited to the three of us, right, hun?" Alice, still seated between his legs, slid her hands around the back of his neck before gently combing her fingers through his hair.
"Aye aye…" Ashen surrendered with a tired sigh. "I was only explaining a simple concept… just making sure we were all on the same page."
"Pfft." Seraphine rolled her eyes. "Sure. Then keep those little 'explanations' restricted to the three of us, mister."
"That's right~" Alice hummed in agreement. "Don't go 'explaining' things to other women, you little womanizer~"
"Fine…" Ashen muttered, genuinely confused by their reactions. Of course he wouldn't say things like that to someone he didn't already consider his. Wasn't that obvious? "Haaaah... women…"
"Hey! What's wrong with women? You harem master!"
"Says the man hoarding three of us~"
"Yeah! One woman is clearly never enough for our dear Casanova, hmph."
Lucia merely watched the exchange with a quiet smile.
His words had affected her far more than she cared to admit.
For a woman who lived through lies; who wielded them as currency, as a weapon, as her ultimate shield; being met with that much honesty… that much trust… from the only man she considered worthy—
…was dangerously intoxicating. So intoxicating it almost felt orgasmic.
***
As the sun climbed toward midday, the small group of four finally began to disperse.
Seraphine returned to tending the wounded, while Alice and Lucia stayed behind to sort through the financial and human losses.
As for Ashen, he had his own rounds to make. First, his maid, whom he had admittedly neglected for far too long. Then the delegation of demi-humans who had supported him during the invasion, and whom he now owed a debt.
But after the bomb his women had dropped on him, his priority shifted, pushing his private meeting with Braun to the forefront.
Just as he had told Lucia, he would take responsibility for her actions. Which meant facing the man who had defended his territory with unwavering loyalty and blood, and telling him he had failed to protect his daughter… after allowing her to be dragged into this place.
'Fuck.'
His thoughts churned dully.
…Helplessness. That was his most dominant feeling right now; that, and the silent fear of never seeing his sister again if she met her end beneath the jaws of something even he could not reach.
Still, he was no stranger to helplessness.
His Sin had made sure of that during his Idle Chronicler step. Yet it had also taught him peace of mind and tranquility. And that was why he was not running headlong into paranoia or drowning in spiraling distress.
"Ash, over here."
A gruff voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
He lifted his gaze to find Braun waving from beneath a high bridge. The man sat on a thick branch, casually tapping the space beside him in invitation.
Ashen smiled faintly, relieved the spot was secluded. This conversation wouldn't be an easy one.
"Braun. How's it going?"
"Now that our dear lord's back, it's definitely good! Haha!"
"I'm honored by the trust," Ashen replied dryly as he settled beside him.
Braun only smiled. "Smoke?"
Ashen glanced at the cigarette offered to him, then shook his head and pulled out one of his own instead. "Try these instead. Seraphine's creation. Smells like the best thing you'd ever sniff."
"Really?" Braun raised an eyebrow. "Don't mind if I do."
Tst… tssst… sss—
puff—
"Oh god…"
Ashen's smirk widened. "You feel it?"
"Yeah… feels like I just inhaled seven cups of caffeine. I feel incredibly alive, but also equally relaxed. This stuff is dangerous, friend. How dare you keep it to yourself?"
"It's the perks of being in the Saintess's good graces. Of course I'm keeping it for myself, hehe…"
"Dang it."
"…I'll lend you a couple of packs, but don't tell Seraphine. Deal?"
"You got it!" Braun grinned and tapped his chest twice, then his expression shifted slightly.
"So…?" He tilted his head, catching onto the lingering tension on Ashen's face. "You look like you've got something to say. Is it a secret mission or something? I'll help however I can."
'…I wish it were that simple, old man. But this time, it isn't you on a secret mission. It's your daughter.'
Ashen took a slow breath.
'Alright… I'll rip it clean.'
"Jenna is in Seravelle."
Bang—!