Yes, he had once believed their romance would last forever—so sweet, so passionate. Back then, he had been so full of himself, moving out of the tiny student dormitory at the academy and moving in with Wina.
At
When had the relationship between them started to change? Was it the first argument, caused by his combat force stalling at the peak of
Then there had been their last night of intimacy last year. After the height of their pleasure, she had leaned languidly in his arms and spoken of her plans for their future. She hoped he could break through to the Silver rank as soon as possible and become a Family Knight of the Windsor Family. That way, the family could dispatch him to their old territories to lead the rebel forces.
The situation there was excellent now. The new lords were overwhelmed by the rebellions erupting across their territories, desperately putting out fires everywhere with little effect. The military expenses for suppressing the uprisings had long surpassed the territories' revenues, so the new lords had no choice but to increase their taxation and squeeze the populace dry. The suffering commoners began flocking to the rebel army, further compounding the new lords' difficulties.
The latest news from Sir Som had indicated that the rebels had now turned their attention to the new lords' original territories, planning to set fires in their backyards—the final weight on a war scale already heavily tilted in their favor.
Miss Windsor had hoped Lorist could become a Family Silver Knight, establishing military merit in the war to reclaim the family's territories. That way, she could legitimately marry him without anyone mocking the man she loved as merely a Black Iron swordsman. In the future, Wina could entrust the family's territories to Lorist's governance, handing them over properly when her younger brother came of age. As for herself, she only needed to manage the Windsor Trading Company and the boutique, providing a steady stream of logistical support to the family. She was confident that before long, the Windsor Family would flourish once more.
The request from the beauty in his arms made Lorist want desperately to agree in that moment, but a thread of pride and principle deep in his heart held his tongue. Before his eyes seemed to appear a sturdy nobleman, leaning on a two-handed sword, proudly declaring: "The
This was the conviction of the body's original owner, young Lorist—the pride of the Norton Family, carved into the very soul. Lorist hesitated. Becoming a Family Knight of the Windsor Family would mean shouldering the responsibility for the Windsor Family's rise and fall, and it also meant bending his knee before the Mermaid emblem.
When the girl saw her lover wavering, she reached out to stroke his face and spoke in tender tones: "Lorist, won't you think about our future together? Once your combat force breaks through Black Iron, you could become a Family Silver Knight, and then no one would be able to stop us from being together..."
Right—there was also the matter of his combat force. Lorist smiled bitterly. He couldn't tell the lover nestled in his arms, coquettish and sweet, that what he was currently cultivating was the Gold-Water Art passed down from his previous life's family, which had already stalled at the peak of Open Force. This was the deepest secret in his heart, one he could share with no one—not even the woman closest to him. As for the Six-Pointed Star Blood Circulation technique used to cultivate combat force, his had already become a sieve, unable to retain even a wisp of combat force. Most likely, he would never break through Black Iron in this lifetime.
He could tell the girl that he was a Dual Gold Instructor at Dawn Academy, that he was invincible among Silver-rank fighters at the academy, that he could single-handedly complete mercenary missions that even three peak Silver-rank fighters couldn't handle. But would it matter? The girl didn't understand combat force. She only knew the traditions of noble families—only someone who became a Silver Swordsman or a Silver Knight would be seen as worthy of the family's investment, as someone with potential who could hold their own.
Unless it was a noble family with few heirs, no noble would allow a child who couldn't awaken their combat force, or whose combat force was pathetically weak, to inherit the family title. So Miss Windsor had naturally assumed that what made her lover outstanding was his intellect and talent, while his combat force was simply weak. She would rather her Lorist had never awakened combat force at all than have Lorist constantly parading around with a Black Iron badge on his chest. Whenever Lorist wasn't at the academy or the Mercenary Guild, she insisted he remove the Black Iron combat force badge from his chest, so as not to make a spectacle of himself.
Lorist hoped the girl he loved most could understand him—that there was no need to fixate on his Black Iron combat force. As long as the two of them were happy together, why care about what others thought? But he couldn't convince the girl. In her world, having money meant you should flaunt it all the more grandly. The more you showed off, the more prestige the family gained—because she was the head of the Windsor Family, and only this way would people not forget them. So she could not tolerate the family's reputation being tarnished. She wanted Lorist to become a Silver Knight so he could stand beside her proudly in public, instead of being a Black Iron swordsman people laughed at.
Madame Sha had been grief-stricken for a long time after giving birth, nearly driven to madness. It wasn't until Lorist learned of it and, out of sympathy for a mother, had someone locate the infant and arranged for Madame Windsor to visit, that her mind gradually returned to normal.
Lorist slowly shook his head. He told his beloved that he could go through fire and water for her, and could set out immediately for the Windsor Family's old territories—not to lead, but to assist Sir Som and Sir Herd in commanding the rebel army's war against the new lords. However, the combat force he cultivated was his family's technique, and he couldn't switch to another. Now that he'd lost contact with his family, all he could do was wait. He was afraid he would disappoint her in the short term—he couldn't break through Black Iron.
Moreover, he couldn't agree to become a Family Knight of the Windsor Family. Even if he was an exile from his own family, he had to wait for the Norton Family's summons. He could not serve another family. Of course, this was merely Lorist's excuse. As a reincarnator, his nature was to cherish freedom. Deep down, he resented the rigidly hierarchical noble system and couldn't accept the constraints of so-called family rules and precepts. Just as he had once told
The girl listened to Lorist's answer without a word. She rose, dressed, and only at the door did she turn her head and say coldly: "Lorist, you know perfectly well in your heart that you don't truly love me. You're just like those other men—all sweet words, but in the end, they're just words. The one you truly love is yourself. You've never once thought about what I need..."
Lorist collapsed limply onto the bed. Did he love her? Of course he did—it was the first time in two lifetimes that he had truly fallen in love with someone. In his previous life, he had been pressured by his parents into blind dates because of his age, and after barely two months of courtship, they married. A year later they had a son. The couple treated each other with courtesy but lacked passion, and life had always been flat and uneventful. It wasn't until after his reincarnation that he finally understood the love described in books wasn't fiction. Love was a fierce, passionate fire that made one willing to throw oneself in and burn to ashes. A single whispered word could move one's heart; a fleeting glance could forge a silent understanding. Love meant that in your eyes there was only me, and in mine there was only you.
When had this love become a one-sided effort that asked for nothing in return? Should his principles and convictions deep in his heart be abandoned for love? Wasn't love supposed to be about two people understanding and supporting each other? Was it his own selfishness, or had her heart changed? Lorist couldn't figure it out, and couldn't be bothered to try. Perhaps it would be best to let both of them cool down first, and then have a proper talk.
But what Lorist hadn't expected was that after that day, he never saw her at home again. Even when new designs were needed, it was Suzy who came. When he went to the Windsor Trading Company's headquarters, she would either claim she was too busy to see him or give him a perfunctory, formulaic greeting before disappearing. Lorist had assumed she was just throwing a spoiled lady's tantrum. Until that evening—in the garden of the Windsor Trading Company's headquarters, when he saw her nestled together with that middle-aged nobleman, smiling brilliantly, her beautiful eyes sparkling, radiant with joy.
And it was on that night that she formally asked him for a breakup. That night, his heart truly hurt—indescribably so. A suffocating sensation, as if his heart had split in two. The searing pain was seared deep into his soul.
Lorist only remembered that night, stumbling before them. Her smile froze, and her face turned deathly pale in an instant. It was the middle-aged nobleman who, with impeccable composure, stepped in front of her and asked with mild confusion: "Sir, what's wrong?"
He turned to glance at the girl hiding behind him, then looked back at Lorist, his expression growing serious: "Who are you? What do you want?"
Lorist couldn't speak. He simply pointed at the girl.
The girl's expression shifted. After a moment's hesitation, she finally stepped out from behind the middle-aged nobleman: "Lorist, I truly am disappointed in you. You have your convictions, and you never bend yourself to accommodate me. Though you gave me the greatest help and saved me and the Windsor Family, I've thought about it for a long time, and we're simply not suited for each other. For the future of the Windsor Family, I can only choose to break up with you. You're a good man—please understand."
Was this what betrayal felt like? Heart-rending, soul-tearing...
Never had he expected to receive his first "good man" card in this other world. Lorist wanted to collapse on the spot and gasp for air—the suffocating sensation had already stolen his breath. But a faint thread of pride deep in his heart held him upright. He nodded stiffly, turned, and staggered away.
How he made it home, Lorist could no longer remember. All he knew was that Lina, who opened the door, was badly frightened by his zombie-like appearance.
The next day, Lorist was still lying in bed in a daze when Lina came in to say he had a visitor. And then the middle-aged nobleman who had been with Wina the previous night appeared before him.
The middle-aged nobleman spoke in a gentle tone. He told Lorist that he already knew the full story. While he felt sympathy for Lorist, love was selfish—he loved Wina deeply and couldn't blame her for it, so he could only offer Lorist his apologies. Now that Wina had proposed a breakup, even though Lorist hadn't given a verbal response, at least he hadn't objected. Under the circumstances, he personally felt it was highly inappropriate for Lorist to continue living in Wina's home. So he had come to see what compensation Lorist might need—anything within his power, he would certainly agree to.
His attributes... Who would have thought this impeccably mannered middle-aged nobleman was actually a formidable expert.
Lorist shook his head, his voice hoarse, and said he needed no compensation. He thanked him for his kindness, and as for moving out, he didn't need reminding—he would be doing that today. After a courteous exchange of pleasantries, the middle-aged nobleman politely took his leave.
Lorist packed a few changes of clothes and left the place where he had spent three years. There were the laughter he and she had shared, the sweet words, the solemn vows, the quarrels, the awkwardness, and the pain carved into his soul—and finally, that good man card.
Lorist moved into the Red Crow Tavern, renting a room on the third floor, and then asked his friend El to investigate the background of that middle-aged nobleman.
Before long, the intelligence on the middle-aged nobleman was laid before Lorist. The nobleman's name was Rofi Fosta, thirty-eight years old, a one-star Gold-rank fighter. He was a Marquis of the Qigeda Kingdom and highly valued by the royal family. Notably, his father was a cousin of the King of Qigeda and commanded the kingdom's Imperial Guard Corps—a powerful military noble who was also a Prince of the Qigeda Kingdom.
This Marquis Rofi had been dispatched by royal decree the previous year to Morant City with a shipment of gold and silver to negotiate minting arrangements with the Commercial Alliance. He had heard of the boutique's reputation and brought his wife to purchase attire, which led to his meeting with Miss Windsor. Since they both belonged to the same kingdom, they got along well. After completing his official business, this Lord Rofi had made excuses to linger in Morant City for half a year, pursuing Miss Windsor with ardent devotion.
"His wife didn't know?" Lorist asked.
"She knew," El replied. "Not only did she know, she was very supportive. Moreover, Miss Windsor and his wife had become very close friends—they spoke about everything."
Damn it, that woman's insane, Lorist thought.
El shook his head: "Forget it, brother. I've seen plenty of affairs between men and women. When a man's heart changes, the woman is pitiable, but the man still has a chance to come back. But when a woman's heart changes, she's detestable—she's basically set on a single path and won't turn back even if she hits a wall. Besides, what do you have to compare with that Marquis? Family background? Wealth? Strength? You're no match on any front. That lord is extraordinarily knowledgeable and impeccably refined—everyone speaks highly of him. And he's only thirty-eight, already a one-star Gold-rank, with limitless potential ahead. That's why your lover's heart was moved."
"I'll say something blunt—this lord isn't like the foolish young nobles of the past who lusted after beauty and tried to win both the woman and her fortune, the type who'd have you ambushed or challenge you to a duel once they learned you were the lady's lover. He won't even bother putting you on his radar. In his eyes, you're not on the same level as an opponent. Even if you wanted to challenge him to a duel, don't forget he's a one-star Gold-rank, and you're just a Black Iron swordsman who can only bully us Silver-ranks. You can't beat him." El spoke with heartfelt earnestness.
Lorist said nothing. Three days later, he registered at Dawn Academy for an expedition team to the Ruins Archipelago. Perhaps, at the time, he still harbored some hope that after half a year, when he returned, things might have changed. But when he did return, what awaited him was only disappointment.