45 - The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Family Wants A Divorce

The horses galloped across the snowy terrain, a troop of riders urging them onward despite their evident fatigue. Leading the charge were Rhianna Helmutt and Silverna Kaldias, even outpacing Commander Uldiran. Their disregard for formation was a clear indication of their urgency. "Why did we let that slip by!" Silverna grumbled, her voice rife with irritation. The retreat of the great clan's lord meant the battle was much shorter than planned, and they managed to slip through the encirclement. Boom! Boom! Thunder rumbled in the distance. As they neared the vicinity of the Malidan Barrier, the explosive mana of the enemy prickled against their skin like sparks. 'Isaac.' Rhianna tightened her grip on the reins, silently pleading, 'Please, just this once.' She hoped fervently that Isaac had escaped. The lord of the great clan was beyond what Isaac could handle. Even the forces remaining at the barrier were insufficient to hold them off. "Hah! Hah!" After a relentless ride, the Malidan Barrier finally came into view. The scene before them was far from ordinary. A hazy mist, like a swelling cloud, clung to the barrier, encrusted with large white frost. Uldiran explained the occurrence, "It's the protective magic of the barrier. It activates automatically in times of crisis." She didn't catch the latter part where Uldiran mentioned that it would dissipate on its own in a few hours. What mattered was the barrier's current state, a direct testament to the impending crisis. "Roarrrr!" A savage roar, saturated with fury, accompanied the deafening noise of lightning scattering like flames, erupted from above the barrier. From atop, Brakara unleashed a storm of electrical fury. The figures upon the barrier were indistinguishable from a distance, save for one. "Isaac!" Rhianna's eyes widened with dread. The monstrous lightning surged unflinchingly towards Isaac, poised to engulf and incinerate him in an instant. But then, a silver streak marred the skies above the Malidan Barrier. It was unwavering and delicate, reminiscent of a masterpiece painted by a skilled artisan, and as beautiful as an ice crystal. "Wow." Silverna exhaled in awe, momentarily forgetting the dire circumstances. Uldiran, too, watched intently, eyes wide with anticipation. It wasn't an aura, but a magnificent flash born from a sword. Those who witnessed it let out gasps of astonishment, all jaws agape. Closest to the action, Brikala, unaware of being struck, fell as its head hit the ground, its body collapsing immediately afterward. * * * "Aaaargh!" Isaac's return to consciousness was ushered in by a scream mingled with agony. It felt as though his arm was being twisted and wrenched. Checking desperately, his eyes fell upon his right arm, secured with a splint. "Hah! Hah!" Though his arm remained intact, the sensation of muscles and bones twisting in turmoil lingered. Only after clenching his teeth did he become aware of the thick fabric forced into his mouth, likely to prevent any tongue-biting during his fitful rest. "Ugh." Spitting out the cloth, Isaac observed his surroundings. An all-too-familiar place: the infirmary. "Is anyone... there?" His voice barely carried, yet hurried footsteps followed from outside. "Isaac?" Bursting through the door came Rhianna. Seeing her, Isaac felt a wave of relief wash over him. Her presence, unharmed and intact, hinted that the situation had mostly stabilized. "You alright? How are you feeling?" "I'm fi— nngh, fine. What about him?" Despite enduring the pain of his right arm, he inquired, wanting to confirm whether the vivid and stark memory was indeed reality. Nodding softly, Rhianna reassured him, "It's dead. You did it." "...I see." He hadn't thought he'd accomplished anything monumental. Yet hearing it from Rhianna, whose eyes glistened with unshed tears, something swelled within Isaac—a profound sense of emotion. "I did it." Relief and exhaustion coexisted within him. Since the regression, Isaac had faced formidable foes in the north, but never had he emerged victorious from such a dire and intense confrontation. "I really did it." Isaac buried his face in his hand, overwhelmed by emotions that defied easy explanation. Hundreds of hours spent turning the impossible into possible now whispered that he was finally deserving. "I saw your sword," Rhianna whispered. Her gaze fixated on him, a mixture of complex emotions in her eyes. Tentatively, she placed a hand over the miraculous arm that wielded that transcendent sword. "To be honest, up until yesterday, I wished you'd stop wielding a sword." "......" "Because it seemed you were clinging to it out of a scar left by swordsmanship. Particularly when you wielded a blade opposite to Helmut’s and tried to encapsulate Helmut’s ethos." While living among the Helmuts, Isaac had certainly strived to adapt to their swordsmanship. He had accepted harsh sparring with direct relatives less out of a taste for violence and more to learn, aiming to fit in within the Helmut family and to become a suitable husband for Rhianna. "Do you remember being bedridden for a week after your duel with Roenngrin?" "Unforgettable." Isaac managed a bitter smile. Following his defeat, Roenngrin had called him out for an intentional duel the next day, resulting in a brutal outcome. Rhianna had visited him, her expression impassive, remarking only once, "You should give up the sword." "Right." Taking a deep breath, Rhianna, though somewhat tormented, continued to speak, knowing it was not she who should be anguished now. "I hoped you would stop trying so hard. Seeing you endlessly clash against the rock that was Helmut seemed as if you might shatter at any moment." Realizing now that she was wrong, Rhianna reflected that her words should have been different. "I should have told you the opposite." Tears welled up in Rhianna’s eyes but they did not fall, as if she felt unworthy of such a display. "I should have told you… you can do it." In truth, on the day Rhianna told Isaac to give up, she cried more than she could remember. It was as if the person whose acknowledgment she craved the most had also given up on him. The fiery resolve within him flickered out, leaving a haunting emptiness. "I wanted to keep you from breaking—" She covered her eyes with her hand to hide the tears flowing from them. "But in the end, I broke you." Hardships are merely part of the journey, but when the purpose of moving forward is lost, there's little to do but collapse. Rhianna was Isaac's purpose, and all other challenges were merely obstacles to overcome. "Now, I understand." She straightened, offering a tentative smile, and apologized for her misunderstanding, sniffling slightly. "You've really overcome everything. Before we even realized the wounds we inflicted." Already. "You've surpassed it all." It hit Rhianna deeply that there was nothing she could do, no boon she could offer at this point. "It wasn't easy..." The misunderstandings that accumulated following his return had seemed like they were brushed aside easily but in truth, "It was a dreadful time." In a past life, he couldn't overcome it so effortlessly. He was bedridden for a year due to Alois's schemes, shutting himself in. The reason was singular: he didn't want Rhianna to see him in such a dire state, completely devoid of potential. But now, "I admired your sword, Rhianna." All those trials had merely become adversities conquered in hindsight. Isaac, now unfurled, wasn't longing to rejoin Helmut who cast him aside; he sought to hear the opinion of the swordswoman who led him onto the path of the sword. "What did you think of it?" He wanted to know the impression left on the swordswoman who first lit this path. "It was truly—" Rhianna couldn't find any florid words, her cheeks wet with tears as she smiled brightly. Remembering the stunning, magnificent slash she witnessed, "It was extraordinary." Though Rhianna struggled with eloquence, her brief answer sufficed. Isaac's face broke into a gentle smile. "Finally." "I've been recognized by you, Ria." * * * "Truly, it was extraordinary." Outside the door, Silverna was at a loss for breath, hearing Rhianna's emotional confession for the first time. "Finally." Though she only listened from the infirmary's hall, she could imagine his expression as if she viewed it firsthand. "I've been recognized by you, Ria." His response was laden with genuine transparency. "..." Silverna bowed her head, allowing her hair to fall and obscure her view while clutching a silver earring gifted by Antonio in her hand, her tear-filled eyes straining to hold back the tears. Firmly gripping the earring as if to hide her intentions, she proceeded down the corridor purposefully, determined not to intrude on their moment. There was so much she wanted to say, but for now, she swallowed her words along with her tears.