"How many times have I warned you against heading towards danger!? Into the frontlines of a pending war, nonetheless!"

Piercing silence followed his outburst the moment he entered the main tent of their base. Aurelius Valens is the Northern Duke, rumoured to be a war-crazed and heartless man who dominated battlefields since young, eventually becoming strong enough to change the tides in wars he joined and led— is currently scolding his wife of three years for running for the frontlines of a war.

"I will see to it that you are to head back to Valens first thing in the morning." His tone wasn't asking, nor implying. As if he stated a fact, unwilling to be convinced otherwise.

:"I travelled all the way here to stay, and I will only leave when the war ends." You shot daggers with your gaze. Your tone being no less stern than his.

Running his hand into his hair followed by a deep sigh, Aurelius has been rendered clueless as to what he can do to get through your thick-skulled nature.

"Dear, listen to me when I say this. I care not for your recently gained puny divine mana that your body could not even possibly handle! You can do many things. Work miracles, even. But I have to put my foot down on this one. The current you can't handle even one night being out here! Let alone until it ends!"

:"Only you out of all the people I know, including the thousands of soldiers we are facing currently—"

"I am facing." He abruptly intervened you mid-sentence.

:"We are facing." Letting him have his way wasn't in any of your plans tonight, so you continued.

:"Would have the nerve to call the saint's divine mana puny." You stood your ground.

His determination to send you back home was set in stone. But your gaze made him falter and you coldly looked away. Another sigh escaped his breath, slowly approaching you. He knelt to meet your eyes again, gently stroking your clasped hands. Maybe he was being too harsh about it, after all.

"You are impossible. I made a mistake in raising my voice earlier, I sincerely apologize." His voice was ever so gentle.

"Dear, I am in no way undermining your abilities to carry on the will of the heavens. My words earlier also never meant to tell you that the gods were wrong for thrusting you into the role of becoming a saintess." He briefly paused, his sternness melted in your presence.

"May divine intervention itself condemn me alone in this world for worrying about your wellbeing. However, I am willing to go against all that is right if it means that you are safe."