Her Lips

Oh~, welcome back~

She had a tired expression, but her eyes were sparkling. She had been staying up every knight to fiddle with her golems, Ria also heard it from the court ladies.

No way. When doing your favorite thing, fatigue is something that gets tossed out the window.

Ria was something that trained her swordplay to the point of vomiting blood in her previous life. Then there were things such as maintaining law that tired her out.

Right, I also wanted to take a little break shall we take a bath together?

Although these two looked like this, they both had hobbies that resembled the others. Loving baths were one of them.

The two entered into a huge bathtub filled with hot water.

Although Shizuna might feel danger to her body here, Guinevere knew that she wasnt Rias preference.

So, what did you want to talk about?

Ria spoke about Carla at Mardass Fortress.

It didnt seem to be anything new for Guinevere.

With her huge breasts floating in the hot water, she said a strong sentence.

Do you desire her?

Guinevere correctly guessed what Ria was thinking. Did she have on such a lustful face?

With her finger, the queen held up some of Rias hair.

That girl will respond.

I am a woman.

So what?

With the queen silently urging her to continue, Ria spat out a dreary thought.

Even if shes called her wife, it would be necessary to part if another person came up. Ria always held this resolution.

The queen smiled mysteriously. Ria didnt like the attitude from this person that knew Carla the best.

Ria unintentionally raised her voice.

She envied this woman.

This was a woman that knew Carla much better than herself.

To be that angry, you must really like her

However, the smile that followed that up was gentle, yet somewhat lonesome. Her next words caused Ria to become speechless.

The queen looked at Ria as though piercing through her. It was a forceful glance. If she looked away, she would surely be scorned.

That girl cannot bear a child.

Ria wasnt certain of what happened after that.

This was the first time that shed been shocked to this extent about a person other than herself.

Something like that was said, but it already didnt matter.

Carla couldnt bear children.

Why was it painful? Her not being able to give birth to a child was accepted to be natural. However, what about Carla?

Even without a child, a person can live. She had her own resolution. She even had a previous life.

She, after knowing that she couldnt have children, decided to live for people other than herself.

It was something that she could only tell her best friend. Ria herself hadnt known.

Those who held Dragons Bloodline, could they live in perpetuity? This was something that Ria didnt know, however

Ria?

Therefore, she didnt answer.

Naturally, Carla entered the room and placed the documents in her hands on the desk. She walked up to Ria, who was still in her bathrobe.

Carla took out a handkerchief to start wiping down Rias hair when he arm was suddenly grasped.

Ria?

As though she could accept anything, such was her strengthor perhaps her negligence.

I heard it from Guinevere She said that you cant have children.

Yes. Thats why I did not marry.

She was the ideal goddess for a crooked man.

Beautiful, never growing old, infinitely overflowing with love, and conducts herself fairly.

The water dripping from Rias hair wet Carlas face, who was still pinned down on the bed.

This time, without reservation.

Once, twice, three times. The tip of her tongue parted her lips.

Under her body, Carla quivered with a start.

With a trailing note, Ria separated her lips from Carlas.

Some day

Some day, your body and mind will be mine. I will make it so that you cannot live without me. So that you think of no one but me.

Carla remained lying in the bed for a while, but when she got up a moment later, she simply straightened her untidy hair.

Just barely, the tip of her finger came into contact with Rias skin.

I live for my country and my people.

And now, for you who lead them.

Some day, Ill allow you to captivate me.

Bowing to Ria with what seemed like a parting threat, Carla left the room.

Ria didnt know.

Ria didnt know.

Ria didnt know.

Ria didnt know.

A few days passed since then.

Ria, with just the ogre and Casalia armies that were at hand under her flag, set forth to rescue it.

The enemys strength is around five military corps. Because it valued speed, their siege weapons and supply convoys are likely at a minimum.

As they werent part of Cordova even around ten years ago and were being treated as a race entirely inferior to humans, they instantly offered their complete cooperation with Ogress.

Ria also responded to them by admitting each tribes head as a formal noble. As for how succession rights were handled among the tribes, Ria wasnt going to look into that.

When Cordovas army learned that troops that exceeded theirs were coming, they immediately retreated.

They should have already understood from their current fight that they wouldnt be able to win in a head-on collision.

Ria muttered that, but Fio sent out a lifeboat from an unexpected direction.

Interesting.

Cordova is causing systemic fatigue.[]

It seemed that Fio didnt understand what it meant that well, but Ria was able to sense it clearly.

War was literally a fight for blood, by blood. It was a mistake to assume complete order and human reasoning.

Ria felt that this war might end unexpectedly early.

In addition to the beastkin, increase the human reconnaissance units as well. Moreover, spread rumors as much as possible in towns where humans reside.

Because of their oppression, if the previous feudal lords that left for the army returned, she felt that there was a largepossibility of a rebellion occurring.

This time, Ria decided to end the fighting with Cordova quickly.