23 Past Life's Confrontation

Walter then took the goblin king's head and rode back to the forest.

When he arrived near the thick number of goblins, he threw the head on the floor.

The head rolled and rolled until it bumped to the foot of the goblin, the head turned towards it, and the goblins seeing the face of their king went wild and tried to run away.

Without their king they were only a mob.

However, no matter how much they ran the cavalrymen already blocked their way. What awaited the remaining goblins was complete obliteration.

We couldn't let anyone of them escape and come for us later, it's better to bury down all of the enemy than let one escape and work all its life to get back on us one time.

…

After the fierce battle, Tiffania and I returned with blood splashed all over our clothes.

Tiffania particularly wanted to go home more than everyone so she could take a bath immediately

Seriously, I got my ass saved again by her.

On the outside she only looks like a frail and average-looking noble girl, but just earlier she wielded a rapier and went to battle with me, and what's more remarkable is she didn't wear any armor.

Well… on the inside she's that Yurigorilla after all.

Before, I told myself before that if we are together, nothing can defeat us, but at when I tried to fulfill my duties as a king — that is to protect our lands from the monsters, I panicked with the huge responsibility I suddenly have to carry on my shoulders.

And because of my useless pride was about to get hurt, realizing that Tiffania was working hard for me since day one, I hesitated to ask for help. This young, cool boy inside of me just wanted to show off to her.

Recently I haven't also gotten the chance to tease her because she was always busy with the paperworks.

Maybe I should give her a "reward" later on or something?

I stared and her leaking my devilish grin. Maybe I'll pretend to give her a reward, but it's totally a reward I want for myself — this is what you call win-win ladies and gentleman.

"So… aren't you going to say something?"

She asked as she smelled her clothes and immediately move her head away from it, from the looks of it it really smells bad.

"Thank you… and stop smelling it if you know already that it smells bad! You will make me want to sniff it too!"

"What will you sniff? Your clothes? Your clothes doesn't have much blood than I have though?"

"I didn't say anything yet right?"

"Okay, sorry then what?"

"You… I want to sniff you."

Hearing this, she stopped for a bit and stared at me with her eyebrows raised.

"Walter… Have you heard the custom of this world that puts chilis at the nose of a sexual harasser?"

"I haven't really — wait! There isn't any custom like that! Why the hell are you making things up!"

"There WILL be, if you try to sniff me, I'm serious."

When I looked her she's deeply annoyed, maybe I went too far again?

"Hey are you mad at me?"

I leaned towards her face, blocking her vision with my face as we walked together.

"Well… that's because you did something AGAIN-WITHOUT-ME!"

Oh, she's starting to yell again, here it comes... Walter, brace yourself.

"Who do you think you are, huh? Are you ironman?! Are you Hannibal?!"

Seriously Tiffania, what the hell are those examples? And why the hell are you comparing those two unrelated people.

With no remorse, I listened to all her sermons as we went back to the mansion, I can feel the knights laughing behind me. Pierce, Elliot, Wymer and Missa, Owain is missing as he is still gathering information for me at my brother's lands as they fight for who's the best idiot of Stizriven is.

All of my five knights proved that no matter how much they desired peace as they used their intelligence to serve me with the duties in these countries not only as knights, they could still fight and protect the people when it counts, not forgetting the years of training they put into their profession.

…

The next day those that have passed away due to my miscalculation, they were later collected and was offered a proper funeral.

To honor them, I stood by the funeral a priest of the Holy land of Adrar led.

I don't believe in this religion, after all I have heard the voice of god before, and he isn't that kind of god written on their scriptures, but I have to be here, to help the family of these people move on.

I have to be there for them.

"Rest in peace, my brave warriors. But rest easy, your bravery will be forever remembered, and your family will be well taken care of."

Although I felt emotional as these men followed me towards battle and died because of my mistake my face didn't show any indications of sadness. It was like this since I was a child, the only time when I cried was when I lost my mother, and when Yuri left me.

Maybe most people are just like that, although we may feel sympathy for people that have died, the only time when we truly cry is when we get hurt after the people we cherish leaves us.

The treasury would provide the dead volunteers family for their monthly needs, and surprisngly, the merchants also sponsored it together with me.

However, these merchants cares about their profits, they want to see me lead this country to have an economical boom, otherwise their citizenship here would be a waste.

Speaking of citizenship I haven't really thought of a proper name aside from the Country of Stizriven, in order to avoid my brothers fury, Heinrich would be angry if I called myself a king and Zack would most likely try to kill me as the enemy of the country.

In other words, formally this is still a pseudo-country and I'm a pseudo-leader waiting for the winner of the war to take over this land.

However, I still want to improve this country so it can stand up on its own, just in case the one who wins is an asshole who doesn't care about the people and their rights, or lose himself in that war.

…

After the funeral, my maids who were also in the battle greeted me, back then they showed me how scary they are as they crushed those goblins ruthlessly.

Like Martha who used a mace as she effortlessly swung it at the face of the enemy, it was a gruesome scene seeing such a mature beauty sadistically killing in such a manner.

Since then I, Prince Walter Wiedenfeld, decided to stop flirting and messing up with them, with a big smile on my face.

"Are you really reflecting Walter?"

Just when I thought Tiffania was done with her lecture, she springs up another one again, as I returned at the study, where she sat and read books.

This girl always complains about her demon mother who always scolds her, but doesn't she realize that she's also becoming the same with her? I guess it still runs in the blood even though she had memories of Yuri.

"Yeah, really but that was a close one, if you haven't gathered the people, they would have reached the nearest town"

I walked and thought as she sat at my seat… well for the past few days I've been working her hard, so she has all the right to sit there. I stood up and walked around not wanting to listen to her lecture again, that way I can go out when she starts her bla bla bla once again…

"Now that you learned your lesson that's why from now on you must rely on me okay? Stop leaving me to hold the fort!

No matter what happens, I want to be there for you. I want to be of help to you!"

She slammed the book at the table and stared at me.

I stopped walking around and faced her.

"But… you have been doing so much work for me lately right, that's why… I tried acting on my own… because…"

"See! You haven't reflected at all!"

"Then what should I do?"

"I can understand that you might be ashamed to involve me in it when I'm doing your work for you but, you have to at least talk about it with me before you do anything.

Isn't what you are doing is the opposite? If you wanted to be grateful to me, shouldn't you avoid doing this to me?

After you got the news, you just left me like that, telling me all selfish reasons so you can go by yourself.

It's unfair, Walter…"

As if time has stopped for us, she hugged me tightly and burried her head on my chest.

"In the old world and in this unfamiliar world we have been reincarnated to, how much more are you going to get me worried?

We may have broken up to each other, but you told me you still love me right?

Is it this the right thing to do to the woman you love?

We broke up in the other world because I wasn't honest of myself, and it the same with you too.

If you really still love me then does that mean that you really didn't want us to break up back then?

Is that right? Tell me…"

"That's right bu—"

"Then we are both guilty for that, we already broke up in the past life, and had a happy life with Yui, and I don't have qualms about that anymore.

But, even if it's just like a dream, a dream that I might have been searching for when I left you, but we have just been reincarnated right?

And what happened in the past life is all in our past life, shouldn't we avoid the same mistake from happening now?

Can't we…

Can't we just… communicate with each other now and be honest with our feelings this time?"

"Then… If we're talking about feelings, then how about you? Why are you so worried—"

"BECAUSE I ALSO STILL LOVE YOU YOU IDIOT!"

"Huh?"

"YES! THAT'S RIGHT! YOU WIN! AFTER WE BROKE UP WHEN I SAW YOU GETTING CLOSE WITH YUI I GOT HURT SO MUCH THAT I HIRED A GOODLOOKING GAY FRIEND TO ACT AS MY BOYFRIEND TO PISS YOU OFF! AND WHAT'S MORE IRRITATING THAT BOTH OF YOU WERE STEADY FOR A LONG TIME!"

"After all this ti—"

"YES! AFTER ALL THIS TIME! IS THAT BAD??? IS IT BAD WAITING FOR YOU FOR A YEAR TO MAYBE REALIZE THAT YOU STILL LOVE ME?"

"It's not that—"

"YES IT'S THAT! I AM A BAD WOMAN! YUI ISN'T AT FAULT! I WAS A BAD WOMAN! THAT'S WHY IN THIS LIFE I'M ATONING FOR IT BY WORKING OUT THINGS FOR YOU BUT IT WOULDN'T WORK OUT!

WE ARE DOING THINGS THE SAME WAY AGAIN!

IF YOU STILL LOVED ME WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER?

AND WHY?

I MYSELF DIDN'T I TELL YOU BEFOREHAND THAT THE DEAL WE MADE WAS JUST TO ACT AS A STRONG WOMAN!

AND THAT DEEP INSIDE I WAS REALLY REALLY HURT THAT YOU BROUGHT THE TOPIC AGAIN AFTER GRADUATION!

AHH!!! BOTH YOU AND I ARE SO ANNOYING!"

Before letting her spew everything, I pulled him again closer to me and hugged her back titghtly.

"Then, let me continue, idiot… "

I lifted her face gently towards me and we stared at each other in an odd way, as if it were a silent argument. Our glances battled each other, until tears arose, and we found ourselves crying, maybe due to the fact that this time both ourselves have faced our past life's mistakes in this new life that we have here, with a decision to not let it happen once again, ever.

As I looked at her grey irises that trembled as I looked deeper into them, felt like it was pulling me towards it, I felt an urge to do something, to comfort her, but also myself from the pain that we have endured when we broke up.

In a moment I pressed my lips against her.