The Martial Unity

The entire room shifted towards Julian, who found himself dumbfounded at Rui’s words.

“…Me?” He gazed at Rui with a troubled expression. “You shouldn’t make such jokes, Rui. I’m just an old man well past his prime, working his entire life in research and development. Look, you’re insulting the minister by—”

He paused as her scrutinizing gaze fell on him. Her narrowing eyes sized him up with a hint of fascination before nodding. “This could work, perhaps.”

“Wha—” Julian stared at her with a flabbergasted expression. “Your Highness, I—”

“Stop, do not address me in that manner. I’ve lost my status as a princess. The only Highness here is Her Highness Princess Ria.” She raised a hand before folding her arms, nodding at him as she continued to size him up. “This could actually work.”

“Hehehe, looks like our little sister has taken a liking to you, brother.” Rui smiled with a hint of amusement. He had made the suggestion as a joke, but he hadn’t expected his little sister to actually become drawn by the idea.

Julian looked flummoxed, completely confused by these strange turns of events. “Minister Ru, I’m—”

“I’m not here in an official capacity; you do not need to address me in such a formal manner.”

“…Lady Ru, I’m an old man, no matter how I look. You should find somebody who belongs in your age range who has a similar amount of life experience as you do.”

“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes. “Men in my age range are big children. They’re insufferable and obnoxious. I would much rather prefer somebody who possesses the composure and wisdom that comes with age.”

“I was old when you were born, Lady Ru.”

“It’s no different from a Martial Sage that I very well would likely have married who has been around for much longer than you have.” She shrugged. “…I think you could do better, Lady Ru.”

“Perhaps,” she admitted. “But if I constantly wait trying to find the most picture-perfect match, then I’ll never find a partner.”

Julian heaved a sigh at the surprisingly staunch determination of the former princess. He had come here to see Ria and wish Rui and Amare, but he hadn’t expected his younger brother to play matchmaker and find him a spouse.

It wasn’t even that he particularly disliked Ru; she possessed beauty that would move any man’s heart, was highly intelligent and competent, and had displayed courage and wisdom far beyond her years when she stood up to Rui in the famous royal funeral ceremony.

He just felt like his life had all but drowned in his research with no hope of ever coming back up. He was satisfied with his now-feeble connections with the Quarrier Orphanage, along with people from his early life like Mana and Max, and their adoptive daughter, Arastia. As well as Rui, of course, and his new family.

He found it difficult to imagine building a family with anybody, let alone someone as perfect and powerful as the Minister of Harmony.

“I will not force you. If you truly despise the idea, then I will withdraw,” Ru smiled at him. “But what is the harm in exploring the thoughtful suggestion that our brother has offered?”

“We made the suggestion half-jokingly, but we see that you are not the kind to pass up any opportunities, huh? No wonder you accumulated so much power and influence in such a short span of time.” Rui raised an eyebrow. “Still, it’s not bad. We are a brother to both of you.”

Julian heaved a sigh with a hint of uncertainty before shaking his head. “…I won’t shun you for a mere conversation, but you will very quickly learn spending time with me that I’m neither partner nor family material.”

“I will be the judge of that, Dr. Julian.” She smiled at him.

And just like that, they made plans for a simple date.

“Well then, brother, I should take my leave.” She smiled at him harmoniously. “I still have work to do, and need I remind you, that so do you. Attending to your newborn is important, but so is running the nation.”

“We know. We won’t abandon our duties,” Rui heaved a deep breath. “Thankfully, Claris is able to substitute for us in most cases, having understood our thought patterns when it comes to these policies quite well.”

“You mustn’t dump too much responsibility on her. You are the Emperor, not her.”

“We get it, jeez.” He waved her off.

Eventually, all of their visitors bid their farewell, leaving Rui and Amare alone with Ria in the medical bed. They both affectionately gazed at her dozing away peacefully in her cradle, enjoying the silence that hung in the air. The comforting, sterile odor of rubbing alcohol of the medical wing had grown on them a little, even if the drab ceiling lights made them feel exhausted.

The darkness of dusk had begun settling over Vargard as the first twenty-four hours since Ria’s birth had passed.

A single day since they both became parents had gone by in the blink of an eye. Rui’s eyes remained fixed on Ria as he watched her doze peacefully, her little, puffy arms and legs were messily spread, while she drooled blissfully on her pillow.

“She sleeps as chaotically as you do.”

BANG

Rui winced with a smile as he felt Amare’s elbow bury into his ribs, before feeling Amare draw closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. “…We actually did it. We actually started a family.”

Rui wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his body as he enjoyed her warmth. “Yeah, we did it.”

His finger gently traced down his daughter’s head, all the way across her little, puffy arms and to her tiny fingers, which reflexively gripped his finger like it was a stick.

The gesture made Amare crumble with cute aggression, requiring genuine self-restraint to stop her from gobbling up her adorable daughter. Soon enough, they were discharged from the medical wing and allowed to take Ria back home. Of course, the royal palace was her home, along with the medical wing, so she hadn’t left home. They nonetheless enjoyed taking her back to their royal quarters for the first time as parents and as a family.