Side Story 54. [After Story] Lucas & Evangeline
Imperial Year 702.
50 years since the final battle against the beasts.
Everblack Empire. Southern Crossroad.
Southern outskirts. Orchard.
Snip!
With a cheerful sound, a bunch of grapes was snipped clean from the vine.
“Oh my, what a fine little fellow~”
Evangeline, wearing a straw hat snugly over her head, let out a whistle.
Holding the plump bunch of grapes in her hand, she weighed its heft for a moment, then plucked one grape and popped it into her mouth.“Mm… sweet. This is it!”
Evangeline beamed and glanced to the side.
“Another great harvest this year~”
The orchard stretched far and wide, seemingly without end. Each tree shimmered under the sunlight, laden with various fruits.
Countless workers were busy tending the orchard, sweating under the sun.
The fruits they harvested would be packed and shipped all over the world. Some would become wine, others preserved in sugar…
And some of them—
“Grandma!”
—would end up in the mouths of the people of Crossroad.
And in the mouth of a beloved granddaughter.
“Grandmaaa~!”
From the bottom of the hill, a girl came running up, waving both arms energetically.
Evangeline smiled brightly and waved back.
“There’s my granddaughter!”
The girl was Flos, now fifteen years old.
Just ten years ago, she’d been tiny. Now her arms and legs had grown long. She’d sprouted up faster than the fruit trees.
Evangeline wiped a grape and popped it into Flos’s mouth as she arrived, grinning broadly.
“Whose looks did you inherit to grow up so dazzling, huh?”
Flos gulped the grape down and smiled wide.
“Well, obviously! From Miss Crossroad herself—my grandma!”
“Aigoo, even your words are sweet. My lovely granddaughter.”
As her granddaughter giggled and laughed without a care, Evangeline saw a reflection of her own childhood in that face.
When she was sixteen, just returned to Crossroad, still naive and carefree.
“…”
A memory from so long ago.
She had lived long enough now to see a granddaughter who looked just like that younger self.
“Egh, my back… That’s enough for today.”
Evangeline patted her lower back and groaned. Flos quickly clung to her side, supporting her.
“Grandma, don’t push yourself anymore. Leave the farmwork to the others.”
“I was just about to. I’m treating this as my last season.”
She had already passed down the title of Lord of Crossroad to Sapphire.
Now it was time to step away from the orchard too. Evangeline had decided this would be her final year overseeing it.
They sat together in the shade beneath a nearby vine canopy. Flos pumped water and brought a cup of cool water.
After drinking deeply, Evangeline slowly removed her straw hat.
“Ha…”
A cool breeze stirred her graying hair.
From the hilltop orchard, Evangeline gazed down at the distant view of Crossroad.
Fifty years had passed since the war.
In that half-century, Crossroad had changed dramatically.
Now the continent’s top resort city, the entire area bloomed with flowers and greenery, vibrant and fresh.
But that wasn’t all.
It still served as a fortress city guarding the southern border of the Empire, with beautifully maintained walls and a well-trained military force.
These two faces of the city blended together seamlessly.
The soldiers of Crossroad, clad in fine uniforms and equipped with excellent gear, were admired by youth throughout the region. The twice-daily guard change in front of the barracks had become the city’s most popular tourist attraction.
From the old frontline base to the war memorial museum, places commemorating the old war hosted seasonal events. These were organized by the World Federation, the Everblack Empire, and Crossroad itself—reminding everyone of the war, and honoring its participants with gratitude and respect.
So that, if the world were to face crisis again one day,
people would be willing to rise once more.
The war that saved the world. The city that saved the world. The people who saved the world.
They were never forgotten.
“…”
A fortress city and a tourist city.
It sounded contradictory, but here, they existed in harmony. Evangeline blinked her green eyes as she took in the view.
‘…If Father could see the city now, what would he say?’
It felt like just yesterday she had stubbornly refused to inherit the city and walked away.
So much time had passed. The world had changed so much.
“Hehe… Before I knew it, I’ve grown older than he ever was.”
Evangeline murmured, and Flos chimed in from beside her.
“But you’re still the most beautiful woman in all of Crossroad!”
“Hahaha! You little rascal, flattery won’t get you anything.”
“And I’m sure Great-Grandfather would love the Crossroad of today.”
Flos smiled bashfully.
“Because his great-granddaughter loves this city so, so much!”
Evangeline looked at her sweet granddaughter and tilted her head. Flos did the same, mirroring her.
With their foreheads pressed together, Evangeline spoke softly.
“Your mother will continue developing this city beautifully… But Flos, dear. You need to do your part to care for it too, okay?”
“Of course, Grandma!”
Flos placed a hand over her chest and declared boldly.
“I’m the next Margrave of Crossroad, after all!”
And so, the path continues.
Evangeline smiled gently.
She didn’t know why.
Even though the warmth she felt was from her granddaughter, it felt as though she were somehow connected to her long-passed father.
“Well, I should be going.”
Evangeline slowly rose to her feet.
Flos supported her and tilted her head curiously.
“Where are you going?”
“Today’s a special guest day. I have to greet him myself.”
“A guest important enough for Grandma to go in person?”
“That’s right.”
Evangeline shrugged as if it couldn’t be helped.
“Today, someone ve~ry stubborn is coming back.”
After returning to the manor, Evangeline washed up thoroughly and took out a new outfit she’d bought for the first time in a while.
She neatly combed her hair, tied it back, and applied light makeup.
Flos, who had helped her get ready, gave a thumbs-up.
“Grandma, you’re the best! The most beautiful in the world!”
Evangeline covered her mouth and laughed, then stepped outside alone. Flos waved her off with both hands.
Evangeline walked through the city at a slow pace, taking in her surroundings.
“Good afternoon, Lady Evangeline!”
“Wow, you look fantastic today!”
“On your way to a date? Whoever it is, they’ve hit the jackpot!”
Everyone she passed smiled and greeted the former Lord warmly. Evangeline smiled back at the people she had grown old with in this city.
After a leisurely walk, she arrived at the northern part of the city.
Ten years ago, a new facility had been built—Crossroad’s train station.
‘Fifty years ago, this was just an abandoned village with no one living here.’
Evangeline slowly looked over the rows of shops and stalls that now surrounded the station.
‘Now it’s the most bustling area in the city.’
She passed by the crowds waiting for arriving trains, workers moving cargo back and forth, and entered the station’s main hall.
‘Let’s see… The train from New Terra… still a while before arrival.’
Even by steam train, it was a journey of several days. Delays were common.
The stationmaster and staff rushed out to offer her a comfortable seat in the office, but Evangeline waved them off. She chose to wait right there.
“…”
As she leaned back into the waiting room chair, her eyelids began to droop.
Perhaps from working in the orchard all morning, she felt a bit sleepy.
‘Still a long time before the train arrives… just a little nap…’
Sitting quietly in her seat, Evangeline slowly drifted into sleep.
She dreamed of a distant memory.
She was being carried on a man’s back.
Covered in dust and sand, with a sprained ankle.
Unable to walk properly, she had been lifted onto his back.
She had buried her chin against his solid, muscular shoulder, inhaling the scent of his sweat, and felt the strong grip of his hands supporting her legs.
Gently swaying with each step, she had dozed off, thinking—
Ah.
This man… is so comfortable to be with…
“…Mm.”
Evangeline blinked awake, and the sky had already dimmed.
“Oh dear, I must’ve dozed off. What time is it…”
She panicked and began to rise, but then noticed something.
There was a light coat draped over her shoulders.
‘Huh? Did I bring this…?’
As she puzzled over the unfamiliar coat, she slowly turned her head.
“…”
Sitting beside her was an older man with neatly combed, silver-tinged blond hair, his legs crossed, reading a book.
He was dressed in a fine, tailored suit. Because he had wrapped the coat around her, he was now in just a vest and shirt.
“Well, well.”
Evangeline chuckled behind her hand and leaned her shoulder against his.
“What sort of charming gentleman wraps his coat around a sleeping lady~?”
The man glanced at her with blue eyes and snapped his book shut.
“The kind of man who came all the way from New Terra just to ask that lovely lady on a date.”
Lucas rose from his seat, tapping his polished shoes against the floor. Stroking his beard with a smile, he held out his hand.
“If you have time, would you join me for a cup of tea, my lady?”
Evangeline placed a finger under her lips and pretended to think.
“Hm… I only drink very good tea, you know.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
Lucas put on his fedora with confident flair.
“Tea shared with a handsome man like me could never taste bad.”
“Oh, really now.”
“Come on. Don’t tell me you’re planning to pass up such a fine opportunity?”
Evangeline let out a snort and reached out to take Lucas’s hand.
“Oh, by the way. I had a dream just now.”
“Hm?”
“Could you give me a piggyback ride?”
“My back would give out, woman… just take my hand.”
“Fufu.”
Hand in hand, the two walked out of the station and into the evening streets of the city.
They strolled in silence for a while, until Evangeline asked softly.
“Now that you’re retired… will you stay by my side all day?”
“No.”
Lucas answered without hesitation.
Evangeline turned her head in surprise, and Lucas continued calmly.
“For the rest of my life. I’ll be by your side.”
“…”
Evangeline laughed in disbelief and nudged his side with her elbow.
“What’s with the dramatics? How much life do you think we’ve got left to brag about?”
“Whatever’s left, it all belongs to you.”
“Tch. Took me fifty years to make this man mine. Unbelievable.”
As she grumbled, Lucas held her hand a little tighter.
Evangeline leaned in close, wrapping herself in his arm, and asked softly.
“Were you satisfied with your life as a knight?”
“I did my best.”
Lucas smiled gently and nodded toward her.
“And you? Were you satisfied with your life as a lord?”
Evangeline met his gaze with a smile of her own.
“I did my best.”
“Then that’s enough.”
They stepped into a quiet corner of the street, where the streetlights had just flickered on. Lucas gave a soft smile and slowly bent down.
“Let’s love each other fully now—just the two of us.”
Evangeline giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, rising slightly onto her toes.
“Honestly… so hopeless.”
The two shared a kiss.
…
When the long kiss ended, the old couple began walking home, chatting quietly together.
They spoke of the life they had lived.
And the life still ahead.
Their hands remained clasped, never letting go.
–TL Notes–
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