Love Letter From The Future

Senior Delphine’s voice was sweet.

Her fragrant scent made my head spin and, before I knew it, her sharp nose, eyes that resembled rubies and lips that traced a seductive curve were right before me.

I felt I might end up kissing her if I left things as they were.

After all, Senior Delphine was that captivating of a woman.

That’s why I, mustering superhuman patience, gritted my teeth.

“……No, I can’t.”

Even so, she  merely gazed at me intently.

She wanted me to give her a convincing reason.

She once called herself my ‘secret slave,’ yet her current attitude was insufferably presumptuous.

“There are many of your servants and vassals outside the door. What if someone sees us on the way to the bedroom?”

“Hmm, shall I introduce you as my fiancé?”

I couldn’t help but give a wry smile at her brazen reply.

“Unless you wish to have a life-or-death showdown with Senior Elsie…”

“Yes, I heard. That bitch confessed to you first, didn’t she? Ah, that makes me even more interested…”

With a soft chuckle, Senior Delphine flashed a captivating smile.

“I’ll restrain myself for now since I’m the one asking for help at the moment… But someday, I’d love to see it—the look on that pet dog’s face after losing someone precious.”

She was certainly a woman with a unique taste.

As I shook my head in surrender, Senior Delphine, seemingly satisfied, finally stepped back from my arms.

At that moment, I suddenly realised something: Senior Delphine was currently wearing armour.

I, of course, knew this from the first moment I saw her. However, as our bodies pressed close together, I felt it anew.

I couldn’t feel the touch of her supple body at all—only the firmness.

It must have been the cold metal encasing her figure.

Despite the faint sense of regret I felt, I couldn’t take my eyes off Senior Delphine.

At the Academy, she always wore her uniform. Perhaps that’s why seeing her in armour felt especially novel.

Was this the first time that I’d seen her in armour since the Hunting Festival?

It was so long ago that I couldn’t quite remember.

I was so engrossed back then that I ended up smashing her armour and all.

It was then that Senior Delphine’s hand reached for the reception table.

Though I’d been briefly lost in old memories, I wasn’t so distracted as to miss her intent.

I accepted her invitation and took a seat across from her. She seemed to have anticipated this development from the start.

The quiet sound of warm tea filling the cup before me was proof enough.

Didn’t this mean she had the tea prepared in advance?

In the end, it seemed I’d once again fallen for Senior Delphine’s tricks. Her gaze had seemed alluring, but it probably wasn’t sincere.

The feelings Senior Delphine had for me were not romantic.

They were closer to a dark, calculating sort of admiration.

Not that it bothered me; I had always known as much.

I naturally picked up the teacup. The fragrant aroma filled my nostrils.

It was of high quality.

I wouldn’t even have had a chance to glimpse these tea leaves if not for Senior Delphine. Even though my income had recently surged, I had no intention of spending a fortune on luxury items.

If anything, I’d rather get myself a fine hatchet.

Clearing away such idle thoughts, I asked Senior Delphine,

“Couldn’t you have a maid serve the tea?”

“Aren’t I your maid, Master? And your slave on top of that.”

Her tone was relaxed.

There wasn’t even a hint of mischief in her voice. Senior Delphine genuinely considered herself as my slave.

It was a statement so absurd that it didn’t even make me laugh.

To think that the master of this robust castle was serving the second son of a mere countryside viscount’s family.

It was a secret that must never be revealed to the world.

With a troubled expression, I said,

“Please don’t be like this, Senior Delphine…  As the heir to the Yurdina family, you have a reputation to uphold.”

It was a reasonable argument.

Even if, at the distant Academy, I gave in a hundred times to such behaviour, this was still a city under Yurdina’s rule. A noble should never so easily lower their head within their own territory.

Because it was a matter directly tied to the honour of the entire territory.

If it were the Senior Delphine I knew, she would have already made some reasonable compromise at this point.

She, after all, had a very strong sense of pride as a noble.

Perhaps she’d agree to only call me ‘master’ when we were alone, or revert to her usual teasing and act as if we were equals.

But the strategy Senior Delphine chose was neither of these.

Instead, she simply murmured in a rather dejected voice.

“Heh, reputation…”

She gave a weak chuckle and took a sip of tea.

It wasn’t like her at all. It had been a long time since she showed such a vulnerable side.

The last time I remembered her being like this was back when our relationship was at its worst. Back then, she would often nervously tremble while gauging my reaction.

Though she looked more composed than at that time, it was clear she  wasn’t being her usual self.

Otherwise, there was no way she’d appear so drained.

As I looked at her with concern, Senior Delphine gave me a gentle smile.

The seductive curve of her eyes was captivating, and my heart nearly skipped a beat for a moment before I managed to hold it back.

It was because her eyes looked somehow melancholic.

“……So, how’s Yurdina City? It’s the greatest metropolis in the North.”

It was an abrupt question.

I couldn’t tell whether she wanted to change the subject or had another motive.

For now, I decided to go along with her.

Even so, what slipped out of my mouth were  just the typical and bland observations.

“It’s impressive. I finally realised the might of Yurdina. I never knew so many people could live in such a cold place.”

“Is that so? To be honest, I can’t really tell… I’ve lived here since I was a child.”

As she spoke, Senior Delphine’s eyes naturally closed.

It seemed she was recalling memories from long ago. Even for a high-ranking noble, there had to be at least one or two pleasant memories.

The North was a cold and barren place, but it was also Senior Delphine’s hometown.

It was only natural she’d have a special attachment to it.

“Back then, I was quite the tomboy. I wouldn’t listen to anyone and would sneak around here and there every day…”

“I can clearly imagine the hardships your attendants must have gone through.”

“That’s right, Alex had quite a hard time looking for me back then… It was during the time when he held my father’s full trust. As you know, I’m the only legitimate heir of Yurdina. He went around all day shouting my name, searching for the family’s precious jewel.”

Did she mean that Sir Alex?

It might make for quite a scene.

That man with his sturdy physique, frantically searching for a little girl until his voice was hoarse.

Of course, Sir Alex might look back on it as an embarrassing memory.

Lost in her memories, Senior Delphine continued her dreamy confession.

“Thinking back, my family seemed to turn a blind eye to my wanderings. After all, I was destined to be the master of Yurdina City from birth, so to know its ins and outs was in my interest, right?”

“So, have you reaped the benefits of that?”

“Yes, I did… At least, that’s what I thought, until recently.”

It was a meaningful confession.

I instinctively sensed that she was about to get to the main point.

As I silently sipped my tea, the hot liquid warmed my throat.

Only then did Senior Delphine open her eyes again.

Her crimson eyes now harboured a chilly glint.

“There’s something strange happening on the front lines.”

The northern front lines.

The identities of the two opposing forces there were obvious.

A sigh-laden question escaped my lips.

“……Are you talking about the Elves?”

“Right, and it’s something that concerns Yurdina, too.”

With a clink, she set her teacup down on the table.

Her tone grew serious.

“We’re far too short on information… The Elves’ offensive has become too fierce. Their forces have increased significantly, and above all, there might be a traitor hidden within the Yurdina family.”

‘Traitor.’

The weight of that word was anything but light.

I could now understand why she wore such a gloomy expression.

She was at a point where she had to suspect the vassals who had been with her since her childhood.

Unless she was a woman forged of blood and steel, she couldn’t help but have a troubled heart. I looked at Senior Delphine with sympathetic eyes.

But a question still lingered.

“Isn’t that a bit of a stretch? The situation on the frontline could have changed simply due to internal affairs among the Elves.”

“Perhaps, but there’s a steady leak of information from somewhere. Or rather… information meant for me is being intercepted.”

Senior Delphine tapped the table with her index finger, her gaze tinged with irritation.

My doubts only deepened.

“Isn’t the Yurdina family a military faction? Naturally, the reporting system should be well-defined. If information is being intercepted, the source should be identified right away…”

“What if the people involved disappeared?”

I fell silent.

One or two cases could be brushed off as desertion. But if all those involved had vanished, it had to be considered intentional.

My voice sank.

“……Could it be an inside job?”

“Given the circumstances, that’s right. And right now, I can’t trust anyone.”

Hah, Senior Delphine let out a self-mocking laugh, as if finding her situation absurd.

Her body sank into the soft backrest of the chair.

“Am I an idiot? To have allowed my control over the family to weaken while I was away at the academy… Ah, if only I had won the Hunting Festival.”

Those words suddenly pierced deep into my heart.

Yes, that’s right.

Winning the hunting festival was an achievement that the heirs of Yurdina had always accomplished. It was a trophy that would have further solidified her shining legitimacy.

But Senior Delphine failed.

Technically, one could say it was due to her shortcomings, but I couldn’t deny that I was largely to blame.

In the end, I let out a faint groan.

She clearly said that intentionally. There was no way Senior Delphine didn’t know how I felt.

“……So you want me to help?”

“Because there’s no way Master would betray me, right? And as for the others, none of them would betray you either.”

In conclusion, it was a perfect chain where no one could betray Senior Delphine.

There was no way out, no matter how much I agonised over it.

Since a letter from the future arrived anyway, for me to back out of this incident was impossible. And above all, I was worried about Senior Delphine.

No matter how much she pretended to be fine, the mental anguish she had been through was obvious.

As I observed her complexion, I raised both hands in surrender.

“Alright. I’ll help you. But…”

Senior Delphine’s crimson eyes glanced at me.

As if waiting to see what I’d say next.

I gave a wry smile and said to her,

“Cheer up a bit. A confident demeanour suits you better, Senior Delphine.”

And then silence followed.

She blankly stared at me without a word. For a moment, she seemed not to grasp my meaning.

And after some time, she finally reacted.

“……Pfft.”

She covered her mouth as she burst out laughing.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I cleared my throat. Perhaps because I’d uncharacteristically offered her comfort, her laughter sounded like mockery.

However, the gaze she directed at me now held a hint of amusement.

“That might be difficult, hmm? It seems our master here still lacks the skills to woo a woman. Don’t you have a more tempting offer…?”

“Should I spank your butt?”

It was a suggestion I blurted out without thinking.

The bluntness of my words made my face grow hot. Perhaps not expecting me to respond that way, Senior Delphine looked at me with a blank expression.

The longer the silence stretched, the more uncomfortable I became.

In the end, I covered my flushed face with my hands and said,

“No, forget it if you don’t want to…”

“…Only on the bottom?”

At that single phrase, I couldn’t help but hold my breath.

Now it was my turn to stare dumbfounded.

Senior Delphine’s eyes were now flickering with a certain desire.

Clatter—the sound of armour falling from her body echoed.

To put on and take off armour usually required assistance. That’s why expensive armour was often enchanted to allow for easy removal.

Her  armour was such an example.

With a clatter, the armour fell to the side. As she slowly stood up, a thin undergarment was  the only clothing she wore .

She tugged at the collar of her tight-fitting garment to let in some air.

At first glance, it seemed like she was simply trying to cool off, but her alluring smile and the way she supported her breasts to accentuate her cleavage made her intentions clear.

Senior Delphine subtly shifted her hips back, emphasising her prominent bust.

With a smile in her eyes, she softly spoke,

“Master, my stupidly large breasts also desire punishment… I’ve taken good care of them for today, so they’ll be satisfying to spank. Please, would you grant this secret slave’s wish?”

I couldn’t tell whether she was pleading or flirting.

Her excited breaths released sweet sounds. Senior Delphine’s eyes had long been heated, holding a desperate light.

In the end, I took a deep breath to steady myself.

There was no helping it. I had decided to comfort Senior Delphine.

Yes, it was certainly not my own will.

Perhaps.

And so I promised to visit Senior Delphine’s bedroom later.

There was no special meaning; it was to hear the detailed circumstances.

After all, a midnight rendezvous in her bedroom was more suitable for a secret meeting than the office.

That night.

“Good evening, Master.”

Late at night in the bedroom, Senior Delphine stood before me, dressed in only her underwear.

I couldn’t help but cover my face with both hands.

Seeing her playful smile, I once again realised that Senior Delphine was still the same.

It seemed tonight was going to be a long one.