As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

The black eyes turned to Lensia’s hair.

“Just because your silver hair is beautiful.” 

“…”

“That’s all. Do you need another reason?” 

“No. It’s free, right?” 

“I provide both the sword and the place.” 

Lensia thought nobles were truly incomprehensible. From the prince’s entourage, who were the epitome of carelessness—the aide who revealed Edin’s identity would probably be hard to see for a while due to disciplinary action—to the noble children who avoided the prince out of fear of harming him (Lensia saw other nobles as cowards, unaware of the emperor’s overprotection), and now someone offering to teach her swordsmanship in exchange for killing a dragon. 

“Becoming a dragon slayer would indeed make me famous in the empire. I’ll do it.” 

Since the lessons were free, Lensia had no reason to refuse. However, she was uneasy about where these overlapping coincidences and luck might lead her. 

* * *

A semester had passed since Edin and Lensia became partners in swordsmanship classes.  Lensia could now take various classes, including the theory of swordsmanship, history, and the definition of a knight. This was likely due to Edin’s influence rather than her breaking through the sparring class alone.

As Edin had told Lensia, whenever he got injured during sparring, he would secretly get treated somewhere and come back.

“Your Highness is not going to some shady back-alley healer, are you?” 

“Of course not. There’s a competent healer studying at a nearby school. He will become an imperial healer in the future, so I can rest assured and get help from him.”

“That’s a relief. Now that I think about it, Your Highness doesn’t even show any signs of injuries despite getting hurt. You looked like you had a bad bruise.” 

“People have come and gone, so I’ve become used to hiding my pain.” 

“…Even greenhouses have their hardships,

.”

“

?”

“It’s nothing. Anyway, it’s one thing during private practice, but please don’t get hurt in front of everyone. I’ll be careful too. If I injure Your Highness in front of everyone, it will be a death sentence for me. Commoners without connections have lives as fragile as flies.” 

Lensia made a gesture of cutting her throat with her thumb. Edin laughed as if he found it amusing.

“

, okay. Lensia, what if I become your ally to prevent you from being a fly’s life?” 

“What?” 

“I’m saying let’s be friends. Let’s speak comfortably with each other in private.”

“…Wouldn’t I disappear without a trace if that happened?”

“

, Lensia, you’re really funny. That won’t happen. I’ll back you up.” 

“Okay, then. But really, is it okay?” 

“It’s fine.” 

Edin laughed joyfully as Lensia looked at him skeptically. 

“Then, as a token of our new friendship, there’s something I’d like to consult with you about. Lensia.” 

“What is it?”

“Speak casually.” 

“

. What?” 

“I’ve developed feelings for someone. How should I approach her?” Edin shyly broached the topic.

Lensia spoke with a resigned expression. “The moment you asked me that, it was already over.”

“…Why?” 

“How would I know about that?” 

“But you’re a woman… right?” Edin hesitated as he spoke, realizing she was biologically female but far different from the women he knew. 

“Obviously, the person you’re interested in is a noble lady at the academy, so how would I know?” Lensia plopped down next to Edin. “

, but there’s one thing that might work universally.”

“What is it?” 

Edin looked at her with hopeful eyes, and Lensia made a ring with her thumb and forefinger, smiling slyly. 

“Gold.” 

Edin responded with a knowing look. “I see! But I can’t give cash…”

“How about the most expensive necklace in the empire or something like that?”

“Is it okay to give something like that without even confessing?” 

“Why not?” 

“Thanks, Lensia. I’ll give it a try.” Edin smiled brightly. 

Not long after… 

“

…” 

“Edin, don’t cry.” 

“

…” 

“I said I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.” 

“Why,

are you,

apologizing?”

“I think I might have given you bad advice…” Lensia sighed deeply and patted Edin’s back. 

The noble lady who received an expensive ruby necklace from Edin returned it, saying it was too burdensome. 

Edin wiped his tears and spoke. “It’s over for me now… She told me to send flowers instead of such an expensive necklace.” 

“…What? How is that the end?” 

“Flowers wilt… Does that mean our relationship is over before it even starts?” Edin looked at Lensia with teary eyes. 

Lensia opened her mouth in disbelief. “What kind of nonsense, I mean ridiculous talk is that! It just means she wants flowers instead of a necklace!” 

“Really?” 

“Yes, you fool, idiot, prince!” 

Edin’s tears stopped immediately.

The next day, Edin sent a bouquet of light pink peonies to the lady. She happily accepted the gift. Not long after, the two, who were destined to become the emperor and empress, became lovers.

* * *

For three years, Lensia learned swordsmanship in the academy during the day and in a corner of the academy’s garden at night. She learned that the woman with black hair and eyes was named Luna. They quickly grew close, and Lensia came to trust and follow her.

During that time, the Black Dragon Run continued to destroy buildings and fields, causing numerous casualties. Every three years, the imperial family sent elite troops to Perils, but the squads never even reached Run, dying on the outskirts.

“Luna, even in our final year, you’re much better with a sword than the swordsmanship instructor. Why don’t you work as a teacher? And why haven’t you joined the subjugation team? Don’t just say it’s a personal reason again. Give me a hint; I’m curious.” 

“The first is because my goal is to train dragon slayers, not teachers. The second is because I’m cursed and can’t kill dragons.” 

“Cursed?” 

“Yes, cursed.” 

Curses, unlike black magic, were mostly natural occurrences and were seen as a kind of natural phenomenon. 

“I see. Bad luck,

? Don’t worry, I’ll take down the dragon for you.” 

“…Thank you. By the way, we’re about to graduate from the academy. With your current skills, you’ll have no trouble reaching the dragon.” 

“It’s not just about reaching it; I have to kill it, right?”

“Once you deal with its territory, it will fall easily, so don’t worry.”

“…Excuse me, Master. You speak so lightly as if it’s someone else’s problem. You do know how strong dragons are, right?”

“Of course.” Luna chuckled softly.

After spending time with her every day, Lensia knew that such a laugh meant Luna was confident in her opinion. 

“Alright. If I can’t trust you, who else can I trust?” 

“

, by the way, I have a graduation gift for you.”

Luna handed Lensia a beautiful sword with a silvery-white blade, almost as white as her hair. The hilt and scabbard had snowflake engravings. 

“It’s light and pretty. Is it a decorative sword?” 

“It’s made from dragon bones.” 

“…A dragon’s body returns to nature after death, so there shouldn’t be any remains.” 

“But bones that are taken while they’re alive stay intact even after they die. Anyway, dragons can quickly recover as long as they’re still breathing, even if you take out their bones.”

“

, that’s brutal. How did you get something so precious?” 

“From my former lover.” 

“What kind of lover did you have to get something like this?” 

Luna laughed softly. “Anyway, remember this well. Dragon’s heart is close to its back. Stabbing the belly is useless. Also, if you stab the nape, the base of the legs, and the start of the tail, it will slowly die without being able to move.”

“Even one stab is hard enough, but that’s a lot,” Lensia grumbled as she accepted the sword. Despite her complaints, she loved the sword. “If it’s made of dragon bones, it should sell for a lot, right?” 

“To humans, it looks like an ordinary steel sword.” 

“Why?!” 

“I anticipated you’d think that way and took precautions. You can’t just sell a gift. Besides, dragon scales aren’t easily pierced, so be careful not to lose it.”

“

, got it.”

“You can join the subjugation party from the age of twenty, right?”

“Yes. I’ll wait and train until then. I don’t want to go back to the orphanage, so I’ll find a job in the capital.” 

“Good.” 

Thus, at seventeen, Lensia graduated from Eldran Academy. The girl who was the weakest with a sword at admission graduated as the top swordsman in the academy. On graduation day, Edin spoke to Lensia. 

“Lensia, how about joining the imperial knights?” 

“It’s only for nobles.” 

“I’ll arrange it. Isn’t that what friends are for?” 

“…In my next life, I’ll be born into power. This world is too unfair.”

“That’s why I need to create a world where commoners like you have opportunities.” 

Lensia looked at Edin with surprised eyes. “Since when did you start talking like an imperial family?”

“I’m the crown prince now. I have to do well.” 

“True. Honestly, wearing the same uniform at the academy didn’t make it feel real.” 

“Just because your position and clothes have changed doesn’t mean you should treat me any differently when we leave this place.”

“If someone in the imperial palace heard that, won’t they think it’s a crime against the imperial family and sentence me to death?”

“

, right.”