“Trash! Worthless! You’re all utterly worthless! Driven back by a mere woman—what good are any of you!”
Meanwhile, things in England were going from bad to worse.
“And those rumors about Évigi’s treason—where’s the proof? You babble without a shred of evidence!”
“Your Grace, Duke Bedford,” a bishop said coolly, “whether Duke Évigi is a heretic or not ...
2025-10-28 13:47:41 +0000 UTC View PostAnother peaceful evening. After dinner, Jeanne slipped out of the hall first and stepped onto the lawn.
She knelt, knees together, and gazed up at the starry sky.
She wondered whether Laurent might be looking at the same beautiful night.
Are we almost there?
It won’t take much longer—just a few more battles, and it will be over.
A gentle smile creased her lips. 2025-10-28 13:47:37 +0000 UTC View Post
May 2nd.
Jeanne inspected the front lines and adjusted troop deployments for the coming battle.
...
May 4th.
The armies clashed.
The fighting continued over the following days.
...
Early morning, May 7th.
Jeanne rose before dawn, went to the church for confession and Mass, and emerged with unshakable resolve in her eyes. Nothing could sway her.<...
2025-10-28 13:47:34 +0000 UTC View Post“The Duke had been hiding a serious illness for fear of causing worry. Last night the suffering became too great and he could no longer hold on—he passed away.”
“Ha—what a pathetic thing. Even a Duke of England can’t escape the pestilence.”
...
The next day—
News of the Duke’s death reached a detachment of soldiers. They rushed to inspect his office but...
2025-10-28 13:47:30 +0000 UTC View PostTo Laurent:
Laurent, I’ve done it. It’s only the first step, but we’ve finally broken through the gates of Orléans. Once the city is liberated, everything will start moving toward a brighter future. Also… the clothes you sent were a little small, so I had someone make a few alterations—you're not upset, are you?
Thank you for the sword and the spear. They’ve...
2025-10-28 13:47:24 +0000 UTC View Post
“My countrymen, charge forward with me!”
Having crossed the Loire, Jeanne bypassed Saint-Loup and pressed upstream toward Orléans. Riding at the head of the column, she raised her banner high, her voice burning with resolve as she led the charge.
“Charge!”
Her spirit swept through the ranks like wildfire. The soldiers roared in unison and surged toward the main gate o...
2025-10-28 13:47:20 +0000 UTC View PostLaurent had long since noticed: under this system, only the king’s word truly mattered.
How did someone become king? Almost always by blood—heredity—or else replaced by a prince.
Yet there was another way.
Lately, Laurent had begun to consider its feasibility.
Kill the duke. Earn his trust, then assassinate him and take his place.
Honestly, Laurent almost wan...
2025-10-28 13:47:15 +0000 UTC View PostApril 26th—a special day.
Gilles de Rais had been ordered by the Dauphin to head to the front lines, tasked with overseeing and supporting all of Jeanne’s actions.
Naturally, he agreed without hesitation.
When he arrived in Blois, he found Jeanne already fully prepared for battle.
He wondered why she was so eager to attack but quickly went to meet her.
“The D...
2025-10-28 13:47:10 +0000 UTC View Post"It's about time to start preparations—especially for the coming battles. The siege of Orléans, above all."
Taking a deep breath, Laurent lowered his helmet into place. He didn’t want Jeanne to recognize him once the fighting began; with this disguise, even if she saw him, she wouldn’t know it was him.
“Sir Évigi, you seem unusually enthusiastic about this campaign,” one...
2025-10-28 13:47:06 +0000 UTC View Post“Good, what fine words—‘fearing no death’ and ‘all for France,’ indeed!”
The Dauphin burst out laughing again, the sound sharp with mockery.
“Then prove it! Prove your worth—your so-called divine guidance! Why should I believe a word you say? What nonsense is this about ‘the Lord’s voice’?”
He suddenly stood from his throne, shouting,
“Where are ...
“I—I’ll pass!”
Nakano Nino blurted out the words before Kojima Kana could even finish her question. Relief washed over her—thank goodness Kana hadn’t pressed further about what had happened in the bedroom.
But go out together right now? No way. Even if Kojima Kana didn’t care, Nino’s pride absolutely wouldn’t allow it.
She made her excuses in a hurry and left...
2025-10-28 13:46:38 +0000 UTC View PostThe bedroom was quiet, the drawn curtains swaying softly in the breeze, their shadows gliding lazily across the walls.
Two young figures held each other close, warmth mingling until even their breaths and heartbeats blended into one steady rhythm.
Nakano Nino’s cheeks glowed pink, that shy, honeyed blush deepening as her body melted against his.
When they finally parted, she...
2025-10-28 13:46:34 +0000 UTC View PostThis once again proved an eternal truth—never provoke a woman who holds grudges.
Especially not one with brains to match.
After Yukinoshita Yukino hung up, Shirase stood frozen for a good ten seconds before it clicked: the reason he’d failed to get any info about the script’s characters… was probably because she’d already guessed what he was up to and cut him off before he...
2025-10-28 13:46:30 +0000 UTC View PostThe job of gathering intel on their next opponents ultimately landed on Shirase and Isshiki Iroha.
But Shirase decided to go solo.
It wasn’t that he disliked Isshiki—far from it. She worked hard, did her job well, and got along with everyone in the soccer club. He had no complaints about her at all.
It was just that… his “research methods” were a little unorthodox. 2025-10-28 13:46:26 +0000 UTC View Post
By the time Shirase and the others reached this point in their conversation, it had naturally run its course.
Everyone had agreed to go to the seaside amusement park on Sunday.
Now came the next issue—how to invite Yukinoshita Yukino.
Among the seven of them, only Nakano Ichika—half out of mischief, half out of genuine curiosity—actually wanted Yukinoshita to come along....
2025-10-28 13:46:22 +0000 UTC View PostMonday noon.
Shirase had managed to claim a good spot in the cafeteria.
It was tucked away in a quiet corner, far from the chatter and clatter of the lunch rush. Unless someone deliberately looked, no one would even notice him sitting there.
He wasn’t quite as extreme as Yukinoshita Yukino—who actively sought solitude—but he naturally drifted toward quiet places...
2025-10-28 13:46:18 +0000 UTC View PostHayama Hayato had left too.
When he’d asked about the “short film project,” it had clearly just been a timely assist.
As soon as he was gone, Yukinoshita Yukino let her smile fall and leveled a complicated look at Shirase. “You shouldn’t have said so much to my mother.”
“About that.” Shirase frowned, genuinely puzzled. “I don’t really get why she was so int...
2025-10-28 13:46:14 +0000 UTC View PostJudging by the route the three Yukinoshitas were taking, Shirase realized Ichika was right—they were clearly heading straight toward him.
Well, to be precise, it was Mrs. Yukinoshita and a cheerfully smiling Haruno who had decided to come over.
As for Yukino trailing behind them, her expression couldn’t have been more sour.
“Shirase Haruto? And this young lady is…?”<...
2025-10-28 13:46:10 +0000 UTC View PostShirase and Nakano Ichika chatted for a bit. He’d planned to wait until the dance floor thinned out before taking this eager girl for a spin.
But as they talked, Ichika’s gaze grew hazy. Her eyes, already moist, now sparkled under the lights with an unfamiliar, alluring sheen.
Shirase glanced at the table behind her. On the edge sat a half-empty glass of alcohol.
“You’...
2025-10-28 13:46:07 +0000 UTC View PostUpon hearing Sawamura Sayuri’s words, Shirase tilted his head and glanced at Nakano Ichika, whose face had already turned pink. The girl quickly gave an embarrassed smile.
“I’ll grab something to eat first, so I won’t get in your way.”
Ichika didn’t dare meet Shirase’s eyes—especially with a woman present who could see straight through her thoughts.
Seriously s...
2025-10-28 13:46:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe gentle waltz melody drifted through the ballroom, elegant yet easy, like it could carry a secret.
Yukinoshita Yukino stood quietly beside Shirase, her posture composed as ever. But after watching him stare at the dance floor for far too long, curiosity finally won out.
“You’ve been staring at them for quite a while,” she said coolly. “What exactly are you looking at?”<...
2025-10-28 13:45:58 +0000 UTC View PostNaturally, the speaker was Shirase—and Yukinoshita Yukino stood right beside him.
Still reeling from Haruno’s sharp teasing, Nakano Ichika turned in surprise. Seeing Shirase there, she instinctively opened her mouth, but he spoke first.
“If Haruno-san really wants someone to toy with, she can pick on me instead,” he said evenly. Then, putting on a tired, world-weary expressi...
2025-10-28 13:45:55 +0000 UTC View PostWhile things between Shirase and Yukinoshita Yukino were calm and easy, the same couldn’t be said for Nakano Ichika and Yukinoshita Haruno.
As they chatted, Haruno quickly noticed the younger girl’s gaze drifting around the hall again and again.
After watching her do it a couple of times, Haruno subtly followed her line of sight—and immediately saw what she was looking at. The...
2025-10-28 13:45:51 +0000 UTC View PostAfter the Yukinoshita sisters came over to greet Shirase and Ichika, the air finally loosened.
That was mostly thanks to Yukinoshita Haruno.
She was the kind of woman who could command a room without even trying—graceful, sharp, effortlessly charming. Even though she’d never spoken to Nakano Ichika before, it took her only a few lines to draw the girl into an easy, cheerful conv...
2025-10-28 13:45:47 +0000 UTC View PostThe grand hall was already filling up, crystal chandeliers glittering overhead—every facet catching the light, every glint flaunting the wealth behind the event.
Shirase and Nakano Ichika slipped inside quietly and chose a corner seat where they wouldn’t stand out.
Ichika, still thinking of herself as a small-time actress, murmured, “No one here’s going to notice me anyway....
2025-10-28 13:45:43 +0000 UTC View PostShirase got home first, left a note on the table for Kana—Not eating in tonight—then headed straight to the Nakano residence.
When the door opened, he was surprised to see Nakano Nino standing there.
Compared to his mild surprise, she looked completely unfazed, a faintly smug smile tugging at her lips. “You’re here for Ichika, right?”
“Yeah,” Shirase adm...
2025-10-28 13:45:38 +0000 UTC View PostHearing that, Nakano Nino gave a wry smile. “Since Shirase didn’t bring it up himself, I figured my friend must’ve asked him to keep it secret.”
“Oh… so you didn’t want to put Shirase in an awkward spot,” Kana realized.
Nino’s cheeks reddened, and she didn’t answer.
Kana rubbed her temples thoughtfully. “I get it. If I were in your place, I’d probably d...
2025-10-28 13:45:34 +0000 UTC View PostEven though Shirase didn’t have any more scenes, he stuck around the set for a while.
To Nakano Ichika and the rest of the crew, he looked completely absorbed in observing the cameramen and lighting crew. Every now and then, he’d nod slightly, as if struck by some profound revelation.
The agency manager, still hoping to sign him, watched from nearby.
But the longer she loo...
2025-10-28 13:45:31 +0000 UTC View Post“Cut!”
The director’s voice rang out, and the cameras stopped rolling.
The male lead was about to confront Shirase for going off-script, but the director got there first. “Shirase-kun, why didn’t you shoot just now?”
Unhurried, Shirase pointed at the dazed goalkeeper. “Because passing was the better choice.”
The male lead jumped in. “But that wasn’t i...
2025-10-28 13:45:27 +0000 UTC View PostWhile Shirase’s attention drifted elsewhere, he didn’t notice Nakano Ichika quietly sighing in relief.
She was definitely hiding something from him. Or rather, she’d only told him half the reason she’d asked him to come.
On their way to the filming location, Shirase had asked, deliberately casual, “So what role are you playing this time? That high school girl who finds the...
2025-10-28 13:45:23 +0000 UTC View Post