Empress Natsume ✓

LXXIII

At the break of dawn, the army prepared to move out from Zhuo and attack the Capital.

"Be careful on your way"

Natsume tiptoed, brushing her lips against his. Raiden held her waist with a grin. He doesn't remember if his wife is as sweet like this in the past but he's sure that he's enjoying this sweet treatment. Who wouldn't anyway?

"I should be the one saying that. Troubles finds you attractive"

"All right, enough with this nauseating scene, we need to move out of here as soon as possible"

Good moments doesn't last for long, that's for sure. Izumi is mounted on his red hare horse with a disgusted look on his face, Raiden returned the courtesy with a deathly glare.

"Learn when to shut up"

He reluctantly let go of her hands after spatting out those words to his general.

"I'll be fine, really. I won't attract trouble this time. Besides, I'am not staying in the Nagataka palace"

Raiden walked to his nearby war horse while she turned back to walked in the carriage. After a minute or two of hesitation, he called her out just as she was about to get in the carriage. Natsume turned back, a silver of hope can be seen in her eyes reflected by the sun's rays.

"Come here, I have an important thing to say to you"

With steps neither fast or slow, she reached him. Raiden leaned over to her ear, his breath brushing against her skin as he whispered.

"It's okay if you're planning to escape Ichiro out of the Northern border"

Taken by surprise with this sentence, Raiden smiled, kissed her rosy cheek before straightening his back.

"I don't mind him now. Perhaps time will tell if a disaster can be avoided or not. I heard that nature with a few people can help him calm down. Let him run in the mountains if that's what it takes, he'll come to you again for sure"

Happiness just poured on her like a heavy rain at this moment and Raiden stumbled back a little when she suddenly jumped to him, throwing herself at him.

"I really... "

Copying his actions, she also leaned over to his ear, whispering those words to him.

"Love you now"

Finishing those words, she left a kiss on his left cheek. Smiling from ear to ear.

Looking at these two love birds were the two bitter looking generals.

"I will definitely find a beautiful wife once I get back. Who said that I'm going to dedicate myself on the battlefield?"

"I'll get myself a wife who doesn't muddled my head"

Izumi muttered and Eiji slapped his friend's back.

"If you put it like that, your wife should be ugly"

Izumi glared at those two smiling fools.

"Good God. Didn't I tell them to cut this crap out? The soldiers are already waiting at the entrance of the gate"

In truth, Izumi was a little bit elated. Natsume is going home in the South only means one thing, it will increase the security there. Although the enemy have started to attack at their Eastern shore instead of south, with a little bit of defense, there's no guarantee that the enemy will not march to her homeland. She's clever, knowing that Raiden will not retreat to protect the latter parts of the Ryuu, she made a bold move of going home as an excuse.