Reincarnating into a Beautiful Woman

Chapter 75

The fateful day was far more gloomy than Celine had anticipated. The sky was cloudy when the soldiers set off to war, elevating the sadness within each families. Crowds filled with civilians were tearfully sending off their loved ones while the nobles also wistfully stood in silence. Many families did not trust the new emperor, for the fire incident had taken a while to be resolved. The nobles were also skeptical and reluctant to go to war, yet his dragon seemed to soothe their worries. The people collectively agreed that the Krastian Empire was flourishing, and they were sure that Emperor Akihiko would return safely. The emperor proudly stood tall on his horse as Red was soaring through the sky and circling above the soldiers. Because of his mighty appearance, the emperor and his men were shining in effulgence. The crowd waved and cheered them on, masking their cries with encouraging screams.

Even Celine's family was there to catch a glimpse of Celine, who was riding a tall, silver horse, one of the numerous forms of Draco. She smiled cheerfully at the children, yet it was not enough to stop them from crying out for her. 

Sir Vigos also watched from the palace. He would be left alone to defend the city. The emperor stationed some of his men to protect the people, and Sir Vigos along with his familiar would be the strength to reassure the emperor that they would be kept safe.

The troops had a long journey ahead. They were to travel for a week in order to reach the border of the Zionitte empire, where the battle would take place. The plan was relatively simple. The troops were divided by men who specialized in horsemanship, archery, or swordsmanship. The first group of soldiers were a mix between swords and archers, while the cavalry flanked to the back and the sides. More experienced soldiers remained in the back along with healers and young boys who were still training to be soldiers. This was a tradition for the militia during this time period, where young boys between the age of 13-16 who showcased the highest amount of potential were also brought to war. They did not participate in the battles, yet they assisted the healers and learned more about the art of war and medicine. The system was a tradition passed down for many generations, although Celine felt slightly worried for the teenagers who would witness the brutality of war. However, Celine couldn't say a word against this tradition that seemed to be rooted deep within their culture.

The group was heavily armed with the sharpest steel swords and poisonous arrows as they marched onwards to meet their opponents. The war was expected to stretch out for many years, yet the first battle would determine where to station each envoy from Krastia's alliances.

They marched onwards and took little breaks in between. The emperor wanted to reach the campsite early and wanted to minimize the amount of resources on the journey to the campsite. When Celine wasn't on horseback, she was flying on Draco's back, overlooking the soldiers and ensuring that the path ahead would be safe. She was also tired and extremely bored on horseback. Her bottom also ached since she wasn't used to riding for an extended period of time. However, this often led to Akihiko and Celine's bickering because he felt it was dangerous to do so. Unknowingly, they had become comfortable again, and the awkward tension had been replaced with jokes and sarcastic remarks.

On the 5th day of their journey, Celine was exhausted to the point she regret joining. Riding on a horse all day and night was easier said than done. She absolutely abhorred camping. The only thing that made time pass by more quickly were the soldiers' gossip.  

She also noticed a group of young boys who were gawking at her appearance. It became quite bothersome as Celine realized she was the only woman in the group. It was obvious that men would lust after her like predators, yet they dared not to touch the Emperor's precious woman. 

As they stopped to rest after discovering a nearby stream, Celine jumped off of Draco and let him recover for a while. She helped assist the emperor and stuck by his side as the group hunted for food and ate. They worked efficiently, and the group seemingly bonded over the teamwork.

As night befell them, Celine decided to wait until all the men had gone to sleep. Then, she left the site to bathe in the nearby stream. Celine felt extremely dirty and wanted to take off her clothes, yet the Emperor stood hovering over her as she was about to strip. 

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"I'm covering for you so that nobody will see." He didn't move an inch even as she tried to push him away.

"Nobody is here right now! Everyone already bathed except me. I made sure I'd be the last one so I'd be alone." She rolled her eyes at his stubbornness. 

"Still, no."

Celine's cheeks burned. Usually she wouldn't care, but it was different now that he had confessed to her like that. Especially since she had begun to  grow feelings for him too.

"Then turn around. You can't look at me either." 

He smirked, his lips curving upwards as if he came to a pleasant realization. "You used to not care when we bathed together in the past, but I guess it's different now that you like me too, huh?" 

After that remark, Celine splashed water onto his face. "Get out." 

Akihiko laughed, the exhaustion disappearing from his expression as Celine struggled to push him away. 

"I'm serious though. Even though I already announced you as the Empress candidate, some of these men are instinctively animals at heart." He became serious, and turned around in respect. 

Celine held in her response, wanting to point out that the only man she should be careful of is him. Instead, she stared at his back continuously as she began to remove her clothes and wash herself. Sometimes he would pretend to turn around and nearly give Celine a heart attack. She'd jump into the water and curse him indefinitely. It seemed as if the two forgot that they were in the middle of a journey to war.

The next day, as Celine fed Draco some snacks, a small boy walked towards her. She turned around and smiled delightfully, finding the little boy to be adorable. He had messy black hair and a baby face with the roundest eyes. His cheeks were dyed red as he approached the prettiest woman he had ever seen. Both of his hands were behind his back, so Celine slightly narrowed her eyes.

"Hello, what's your name?"

"I-I'm called Aaron." He replied shyly, blushing even more.

"Hi Aaron, I'm Celine. What brings you here?" Celine smiled warmly. His high pitched voice that barely seemed to be going through puberty made her laugh. She found him too young to be traveling with them, yet he had shown incredible strength during the apprentice assessment system.

Suddenly, he extended his arm and revealed what he was hiding behind his back. It was a white flower in its full bloom. Surprised, Celine accepted the flower with widened eyes.

"Umm. . . My brothers and I were playing around. . . and the flower. . . reminded us of you. . . So here!" He immediately fled before Celine could respond and dashed away.

"Wait!" Celine wanted to run after him, yet she couldn't stop the smile forming on her face. 

"Thank you. . ." She murmured. 

Then, Celine felt a strong presence looming behind her. She was annoyed to find Akihiko again, watching Aaron run away with a blank expression. 

He only smirked, handing her a bouquet of white flowers without even watching her expression.

". . ." 

How am I supposed to hold onto these flowers? Celine wondered.