Chapter 32: Worries

(TN: From now on the general name of the abilities in the story will be “Blessing”.)

After finishing a brief call with Ion, I stepped back into the party headquarters.

It felt like a funeral.

No way…

“Hwang Seonju of the Joseon Democratic Party has been elected. Cheers are erupting from the Democratic Party headquarters.”

Damn. We lost.

I offered a brief word of consolation to Chairman Kim Pyongjin and left the building.

He seemed utterly hollowed out by the loss, unable to let go of hope until the very end.

Well, what can you do? This is a democratic country now.

Back when the campaign was in full swing, I had the Military Security Bureau investigate the opposition candidates.

First, Lee Hoemin of the Joseon Social Democratic Party—who ultimately didn’t win. Honestly, he was a non-factor. His party lacked a solid regional base. Outside of South Pyongan, he didn’t have much support.

Next, Hwang Seonju of the Joseon Democratic Party—the one who actually won. She claims to be the most pro-South Korea among the candidates.

She’s been in politics for a long time, even before North Korea collapsed. Though she didn’t rise to prominence until after the fall.

Honestly, I didn’t care who became president. As long as they didn’t take what was mine.

Oh, and in the newly established Elven Autonomous Region, Grandpa Kim Chunshik was elected as the district head.

Pretty obvious result, really. He already served as a community leader among the elves.

Calling him a leader sounds too grand. He’s just well-connected and sociable. I voted for Chunshik too.

Since it’s an autonomous region, there’s also an autonomous council.

Chunshik wasn’t affiliated with a political party, but the group he heads—formerly called the Korean Elf Solidarity—dropped the “Korean” and registered as a political party. They ended up as the majority.

There’s also Elena’s so-called Elf Revolutionary Party, but that name’s a bit…

Well, they’ll figure it out.

Lost in thought, I soon found myself back home.

The fortress-like gate automatically opened as my car pulled up.

I stepped out and went inside.

“Y-You’re back…”

Greeted by a woman with light purple hair. As you might’ve guessed—

“Yes. Anything happen while I was out?”

“N-No…”

It was Lavrentiy.

Tortured by me. Humiliated by my subordinates. Her personality was half shattered.

How should I put it… Not entirely insane, but halfway there?

There seemed to be a hint of PTSD too, but only when she remembered that incident.

I spent a lot of time debating what to do with the broken Lavrentiy.

The easiest solution, of course, would’ve been to kill her and scatter her remains.

But… when she sobbed and cried out for her mother, and I realized it was because of me—

The tiny triangle deep in my heart, worn down to nearly a circle, stirred for the first time in a while.

Yes, I felt guilty.

After the effects of the Blessing faded, I could think clearly. I realized I had gone too far. Normally, I’d have stopped short of killing her and just thrown her in prison.

But under the Blessing’s emotional influence, I punished her far beyond her crimes.

The once bold, arrogant leader of a warlord faction—

“Um… Lady Fride?”

Now, timid, suffering from PTSD, always watching my reactions…

“I-I was wrong! Please forgive me!”

“No, no. It’s fine. Come in.”

“Yes!”

Such a pure smile. Maybe water really is the best cure.

Anyway, the current state of Lavrentiy—or rather, what she became—is all because of the Blessing. You could say it was the World Tree’s fault, too.

‘Isn’t that right?’

[You have no conscience, child.]

Heh.

“Gen!!!! Eral!!!!”

Ion rushed over and hugged me.

“You’re late! Hmph. You said you’d be back soon.”

“I stopped by the party headquarters. We lost, but there’s nothing to be done.”

Ion had initially been firmly against bringing Lavrentiy into the house. It took a lot of persuasion to change her mind.

***

The General brought another woman home.

Unbelievable. It feels like the world is collapsing.

In my world, there’s only the General. But I guess the General’s world isn’t the same.

Well, she is an extraordinary person. Maybe I’m not enough.

Maybe I’m misunderstanding.

Yeah, this must be a misunderstanding. There’s no way the General would cheat on me.

“General… who is that woman beside you…?”

“You know who she is. She’ll be living with us from today.”

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

I collapsed to the floor.

It felt like the sky was falling. The General is my entire world. But it felt like the world was abandoning me.

The woman the General brought in was the same warlord we captured.

“That… that can’t be true, right? Please say it’s not… I’m begging you…”

I kept denying it. Over and over.

It couldn’t be true. It must not be true.

But no matter how much my heart denied it, I couldn’t change the facts in front of me.

The General had brought home a new woman and said we would live together.

Was I being thrown away? Had she gotten tired of me?

That couldn’t be.

In Albheim’s distant past, there practiced polygamy. Concubines, they called them.

Apparently, there was a similar tradition here too. And the General used to be from this world, right?

Tears streaming down my face, I asked:

“I… I’m still the main wife, right…?”

If the General had to have another woman, I wanted to be the first.

Still on my knees, I looked up at her.

“…?”

“Huwaaaaaah!”

She didn’t answer. So that meant no. In the end, I… I…

“What are you talking about? Main wife? What are you talking about? I’m not in that kind of relationship with Lavrentiy.”

“But you said she’d live with us… sniff…”

“Ah… well, that’s…”

The General looked truly troubled as she explained.

“…That’s just how it ended up. It’s complicated.”

“Really…?”

“Of course. You’re the only one I consider my partner.”

“Then why is she here…?”

“Honestly, I was going to lock her up in the basement. But she has these panic attacks when she’s left alone. And I did feel a little guilty.”

That was a relief.

I was still the General’s one and only lover. Yes, the only one…

“So for now, she’s staying here. But I’m not sure what to do with her.”

“Hmm, maybe we could make her do housework? Neither of us are very good cooks…”

“That’s not a bad idea. We already have someone who handles chores, but having one more won’t hurt.”

“Lavrentiy.”

“Y-Yes?”

“No… I can’t keep calling you that. Let’s see… Your hair’s the color of lavender. I’ll call you Lavera.”

Terrible naming sense. But I love that about the General too.

“Have you ever done housework? Cleaning? Cooking?”

“Uh—I… I haven’t…”

Well, just from her behavior and tone, you could tell she came from a privileged background.

“Really?”

“N-No! I’ll learn! Please don’t kill me or throw me out!”

Terrified, Lavren—no, Lavera—bowed her head and repeated herself.

I wondered if she’d really be okay.

***

Surprisingly, Lavera adapted quickly.

Maybe it was her survival instinct. She made a lot of mistakes at first, but improved rapidly.

“Let me take your coat.”

See?

She naturally took my coat the moment I walked in.

“Bathwater and snacks are ready. Just let me know.”

So polite.

Some might say—

How could you keep someone half-broken like that around you? What if she turns on you?

I’d considered that too. I’m not stupid.

But—

“Really? Thank you. I’ll start with a bath.”

“Yes! Hehe…”

If she’s acting, she deserves an award.

It’s not like she has any outstanding abilities either. She’s just slightly tougher than average, that’s all—
I could easily take her down.

So there’s no real danger.

***

I sank into the warm bath.

A night full of thoughts.

What should I do from now on?

In my past life, in Albheim, I lived for my homeland and my people. At first, it was just to avoid conscription.

But after fighting, killing, almost dying— your perspective changes.

Thus, I—no, we—our soldiers followed orders and moved forward.

We crushed the beastkin kingdom. Burned the human empire. Toppled the dwarven republic.

In the end, it was Albheim that was crushed, burned, and toppled.

Albheim is gone now. Maybe it still exists somewhere out there. But not here.

In its place stands the country of my previous life—a peaceful Korea.

I don’t remember much, but I wasn’t exactly patriotic back then. Not a traitor, just…

I paid taxes. Served my military duty. Some might say that’s enough to be considered a patriot.

Maybe they’re right.

But the point is… I feel directionless now.

I’ve got centuries left—at least five or six more. What path should I walk for the rest of my life?

I kept thinking as I soaked in the bath.

I didn’t take this position out of greed or ambition.

When I returned to my homeland, I even thought about doing nothing and just resting.

But people are creatures of habit.

Before I knew it, I’d ended up in a similar role as before.

I don’t plan to hold this position forever. But if someone tries to take it from me—

I will find that offensive.

Wouldn’t you? No one just sits and watches as something of theirs is stolen. Especially not an elf.

…It’s been a while since I’ve wanted to go home.

You’ll say—aren’t you already home?

Well…

“Home” can mean many things.

It can be where you live. But it can also mean your hometown—your true home.

Your family home.

It’s not like it’s far. I could drive there anytime.

And I’ve visited recently.

Still a bit awkward, but my parents were so happy to see me. I was their only child. Now their only daughter.

This world is truly strange. Their son came back as a daughter, claiming to be over 300 years old. Heh.

Anyway, I visit my Korean family home often.

But I also have another home—

In Albheim.

And I can’t visit that one.

We still haven’t figured out the basic mechanics of gate formation. All humanity knows is, “when mana concentration in the atmosphere of a certain area increases, the chance of a gate opening rises.”

What a shame.

If I could open a gate… I’d go back. Just once.

To see if Albheim is still standing. To see if my elf parents are okay. But that’s just a dream now.