Honorable Knight: Life after Death

Warmth and Pressure

In the town square, there are three horse-drawn carriages neatly lined up that catch everyone's attention. There, several people seem to be waiting for something. A man whose face is still warm remembering a week ago visited the Alexander Residence was grumbling incoherently, annoyed that Alexander is late.

“That might be Third Brother!” cries a man beside George waving at the carriage they are waiting for. He is Thomas, Alexander's older brother, and George's younger brother.

“Tsk! You slug ..." George grumbles, staring intently at the horse-drawn carriage.

A middle-aged man standing next to a beautiful woman with a few wrinkles on her face starting to show, Baron Leville, he only glances at George who continues with a long sigh after that.

"Be patient, my dear. One day, they will definitely get along…” the woman beside him, Eliza who is the wife of Baron Leville, she held her husband's hand with her head resting on his shoulder before she says so in a voice so soft.

Yes, Eliza's voice always makes Leville regain his composure. All the problems faced Leville always gets encouragement from his wife to solve the problems calmly, so he feels lucky to have her. He can rule his territory well because he has a great wife on his back.

"Finally, I will meet Alex..." says a little girl who seems enthusiastic to see the arrival of the horse carriage in which Alexander and Azura ire in it, she is Alexander's younger sister and the other two eldest brothers's, Bertha.

Leville gently strokes Bertha's head, before saying to her "Yeah, Daddy misses him too..."

...

Azura is really nervous because soon she will face Baron Leville's family. She had felt used to Alexander's presence, because of Alexander's demeanor which made her feel closer to him. Whereas after seeing Baron Leville's family, the atmosphere she feels is completely different and she disn't expect it.

Seeing Azura who is staring tensely at Baron Leville's family who are Alexander's own family, he immediately grabbed both of her hands. "Azura, calm down! Everything will be fine..." Alexander says trying to calm Azura.

There, everyone seems to have their respective partners. It was clear to Leville who is the head of the family of Baron Leville's family, that he had a wife holding his hand. George and Thomas have a couple who look the same age, while Bertha doesn't yet.

This puts another pressure on Azura who is increasingly reluctant to go see Baron Leville's family as Alexander's partner, even if it is only as a dance partner at the party later.

“Hey, trust me! Okay?" Alexander touches Azura's face gently, he leads her to turn her head towards him.

Azura can only nod. She feels comfortable and the tension is replaced with calm after she was treated like that by Alexander. Really, Alexander is a strange young man huh, she thinks, subconsciously smiling a little with her eyes still fixed on Alexander.

The horse carriage stop, as a sign that it is time for Alexander and Azura to get off.

Everyone who sees who is with Alexander frowned in astonishment. As they are all convinced, she is a grown woman who had at least one child.

"Oh my son, Alexander. Long time no see, huh..." says Leville, who tries to put Azura aside and prioritizes greeting his son first.

Alexander is hugged warmly. Not by Leville, but the biological mother of his physical body, Eliza. His body's response is no stimulation that the opposite sex should have, he really becomes Eliza's child. Being hugged like that, he really feels comfortable. Comfortable in a sense here, he feels protected by Eliza and that warmth soothed his heart.

"My dear, it seems you have changed a lot huh..." Eliza whispers next to Alexander's ear.

"Yes, my Beloved Mother. I'm no longer the cowardly Alexander. I've turned into a complete man…” Alexander is now playing like the real Alexander, pretending that the real Alexander has really changed. But, he is happy and sincerely said it.

“Ah… I was called Beloved Mother by you? It's really sweet... Mama's happy to hear that...” Eliza strokes Alexander's hair while looking at him lovingly and affectionately.

Leville smiles happily to see Alexander back to this family. He had previously highly doubted that Alexander would comply with Duke Kinston's invitation, as everyone knew how cowardly the real Alexander was. He didn't feel ashamed or anything about having a child like Alexander, instead he felt sorry for Alexander who was ostracized.

"Good, son! I'm really sorry because I was only able to keep you away from the crowd so you wouldn't be hurt by the environment any further. But thank goodness, you've become a real man now…” Leville pats Alexander on the shoulder.

Someone chuckles as he walked closer to Alexander, it's Thomas. “Third Brother, welcome back huh. Your brother is happy, you are no longer confined in that remote village…” he says while embracing Alexander's neck.

Alexander smiles to find his family actually loved him, or the real Alexander. His physical body gives a response as if it has its own consciousness, its physical body may burst out in joy. However, in the body, the memory of each nerve and the memory of his family give the Honorable Knight a feeling of emotion.

“Honey, come here! You said you're missing Alex..." Eliza waves at Bertha who looked shyly peeking at Alexander from behind Leville's back.

Seeing Bertha who is still hesitant to approach him, Alexander takes the initiative to walk toward her. Then, he crouches down to level her height. “Why are you so shy, my Sweet Little Sister?” he teases as he gently strokes Bertha's head.

"Hehe... It's..." Bertha doesn't continue to say, she prefers to hug Alexander's neck cheerfully.

All of Baron Leville's family members welcome Alexander warmly, except for George. Somehow he even looks disgusted just to approach him. So far, Alexander does not know the reason.

“Oh yeah, I'll introduce her…” Alexander paused as he walked over to Azura to take her hand which took everyone by surprise before he continues to introduce Azura to his family.

Eliza looks intently at Azura, looking for anything suspicious like an amulet capable of luring the targeted opposite sex or something.

“Alex, are you sure about your choice?” asks Leville to confirm.

Before Alexander can answer, George preceded “All of you, don't you understand the situation? Father too, take a good look! She's definitely a widow, and that's certainly an answer I'm sure, everyone knows what it is…”

Leville frowns at George's words. He himself also knew that and understood what he meant. However, too harsh to say from anyone else. Should be, Alexander is the one who says the exact reason.

"Brother..." Thomas is surprised by George's attitude that had not changed in treating Alexander, still like someone who hated him.

Alexander himself also understands the flow of this conversation. Hearing Azura being despised by his own brother, he couldn't help but think. Angry, of course, the rage is about to explode as he clenches his fists tightly. However, his emotions stabilize when he feels a touch on his fist.

Her heart ached to hear George's words, moreover Eliza looks at him probingly. Azura really couldn't stand all of this, if she doesn't remember Alexander's kindness about how she was treated so well by him. I must be strong! she thinks. Unknowingly, she holds Alexander's hand which is clenched into fists to brace herself so as not to run away from the current situation.

“A-ah… I'm sorry, Azura.” Alexander smiles implying regret. He feels too selfish, to the point that he forgot to protect Azura. Not protecting her physically, but her heart.

Ever since he woke up in Alexander's body, or even before he died on the battlefield, he had never hugged a woman. He was hugged by women often, and he was very popular in his past life. But now, he feels the time has come to let his broad chest be used as a backrest for a woman, especially since he had fascinated her.

Gently, Alexander hugs Azura who is clearly trying to hold back tears in the face of this pressure that the Baron Leville family is putting on her, especially after hearing George's words that made her heart ache.

Azura gasped in surprise to find herself being hugged by Alexander. She doesn't reject it, nor does she return the hug. Comfortable... she thinks. Like the pressure exerted by a waterfall on the head and shoulders when it is running, then suddenly something blocks the running of the waterfall or the waterfall is dammed at the mouth of the waterfall. All the pressure just goes away, but still leaves a mark. Memories are water that moistens and has not evaporated.

"Sorry for my selfishness, Azura..." Alexander whispers.

"Stop apologizing, I'm fine..."

Eliza flinches at how Alexander treats Azura so sweetly, even though they are now in public. Her own husband, Leville, is still shy about treating her sweetly, apart from behind the scenes.

Witnessing how sincere and dexterous Alexander treated Azura, Eliza feels her suspicions towards Azura slowly diminish.

'Does my Alex really love this woman named Azura?'