A TALE OF FIRE AND ICE

The Captain's Resignation

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TO SAY that Irene was surprised when Lisa said that he was going to resign as a captain would be an understatement.

She was shocked!

"You worked hard to be a captain, Lisa," Irene reminded him. Well, she wanted him to resign because she didn't want her husband to be close to the royal family any more than he already was. But still, she didn't want him to regret his decision later. That was why she was helping him decide if that was what he really wanted to do. "And you're not just any captain. You're one of the leaders of the Four Orders that represent the Four Ancient Beasts. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that you, Captain Denver, Captain Ainsworth, and Captain Sherwood are the new guardians of the Great Moonchester Empire."

It wasn't easy to reach that position, especially since Lisa was a commoner.

If only the royal family wasn't a threat to her and her family, she wouldn't want her husband to leave his position. She knew that he'd be a great duke. But she also wanted Lisa to follow his passion. If being a captain was the job he really wanted to do, then she wouldn't take that away from him even though she would be put in jeopardy.

[I just want to be considerate of his feelings.]

"I take pride in my position of the captain of the Black Serpent Knights because it means I'm being useful to the empire," Lisa said carefully. "But I've always wanted to quit the assassination jobs that come along with my position. I don't enjoy killing people."

Oh. That made sense.

[Lisa isn't a killing machine after all.]

"When I married you, the thought of quitting had already crossed my mind," the captain continued. "And now that you're pregnant, I've become more resolved to resign. I want to be a more decent human being for our son." He fell silent before he continued talking in a sad voice. "Well, I know that my hands would remain tainted with blood from all the people that I've killed. But now that I have a family, I want to atone for my sins and be kind for the remaining years of my life." He smiled but it was a sad one. "Do I really deserve to be this happy after I've taken so many lives with my very own hands?"

"We can't change our past mistakes but we can atone for it by living decently in the present," Irene gently said while caressing his cheek. Of course, she was speaking from experience. " Lisa, from now on and until the day we die, let's be kind to ourselves and kinder to other people."

He nodded, then he kissed her palm. " Irene, I'm going to accept Duke Prescott's offer. Once I quit being a captain, I'll do my best to be a good Duke of Oakes. I will work hard to not tarnish your father's legacy."

She smiled at that, but she was still worried. "But do you think Emperor Taeyeon would let you quit your job? You're known as his "shadow beast." I don't think anyone in the empire would want to take your position."

"I have a way to make His Majesty agree," he said confidently. "Trust me, honey."

"I trust you, hon," she said, then her forehead knotted in worry. "But what will happen to the Black Knights if you resign? Will the emperor appoint a new captain? Will they continue doing assassination jobs for the empire?"

"His Majesty only gives assassination jobs to the Black Serpent Knights because I'm the captain," he explained. "If I quit, he wouldn't use the squad for his dirty tasks. The emperor knows I'm the only one capable of executing his plans."