Athena's General Reincarnated in Another World

Nathan Evenhart:

A few hours had passed since we'd begun. Chloe was resting on my chest, her fingers lazily tracing shapes across my skin. The room was dim, sealed off from the outside world, the curtains drawn so that not even a sliver of light could reach us.

In that quiet, it felt like the rest of existence had vanished. Just her, and me—wrapped in a silence that was both peaceful and meaningful.

She looked up, her eyes searching mine.

Without a word, she leaned in and kissed me. Slow. Gentle. The kind of kiss that says more than any sentence ever could.

"Was it good for you?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper. "It's our first time… I don't know if I was any good."

I smiled and pinched her nose lightly. "You were amazing."

She let out a small embarrassed hum and buried her face into my shoulder.

I ran my fingers through her hair, feeling how fast her heart was still beating.

"Do you want to go again?" I asked.

She hesitated, just for a breath… then nodded.

"Yes," she said softly.

Her voice was shy—but her eyes were filled with certainty.

And I kissed her again.

***

Chloe was lying on top of me, her body still trembling slightly. We were holding each other tightly, chests rising and falling in sync as our heartbeats slowly calmed. She eventually rolled off to my side, one hand still gripping mine.

She glanced down and let out a breathless laugh as if only now realizing she was still holding my hand.

Without letting go, she turned her back to me—and I pulled her close, spooning her gently. Her body fit perfectly against mine, warm and soft, and I wrapped my arms around her protectively.

I kissed the back of her neck, then tightened the embrace. Her hand reached for mine and squeezed it softly.

"You… kinda got carried away," she said in a faint voice, teasing but not upset.

"I hurt you?" I asked, immediately worried. "I have a healing potion—"

"I'm okay," she whispered. "I think… it's good that I feel a little sore. It means it was real."

She curled into my arm. I rested one hand over her chest, feeling the slow, steady rhythm of her heartbeat beneath my palm. Our bodies, still tangled together, felt like they shared a single pulse.

My hand traced down her stomach, up along her waist, brushing over her chest, then gently touching her neck.

There was a faint red mark.

"You bit me," she said, giggling quietly.

"You bit me first," I replied. "More than once, actually."

She elbowed me lightly. "Idiot…"

Chloe turned to face me, still resting on my arm. One of her hands slid over my chest and stayed there, calm and quiet.

I stared at her in the dim light, watching the way her hair draped across her shoulders, the way her eyes glimmered even in the dark.

For a moment, I thought of telling her everything—about Icarus, about who I used to be, the truth buried beneath the name Nathan Evenhart. I didn't want secrets between us.

But then she looked at me.

"I love you, Nathan," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I really do. And it's like… the longer I'm with you, the more it grows. But the more I feel this, the more afraid I get. Like maybe it could all disappear."

Her voice cracked slightly, and she blinked rapidly, her eyes starting to glisten.

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"After what happened at the academy… and now with all the talk of war and the coming year…" She paused. "I just don't want to lose you. Or anyone."

I looked into her eyes, and for that moment, nothing else existed.

She was right to be afraid.

But I couldn't burden her with the weight of another life. Not yet. Not now.

So I held her closer, pressed my forehead gently to hers, and whispered:

"You won't lose me. I'll protect you. I'll protect everyone."

She let out a soft sigh.

"That's what worries me, Nathan. Who's going to protect you?"

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she looked into my eyes.

"Don't do anything reckless. I'm here by your side, and you need to trust me. We're husband and wife now… I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

I nodded, pulling her close again. Chloe rested her head on my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly so she could feel safe.

But deep down, I couldn't make that promise.

I'm sorry, Chloe… but I can't risk it. If anything happens, I have to handle it alone. I can't let anyone else get hurt because of me.

Frederick Wolves:

I was sitting in the visitor's room at the Evenhart estate in Apsalon. The mansion was massive, far more luxurious than anything I was used to. Even after a year, I still hadn't adjusted to being around this kind of wealth.

"Um... may I use the restroom?" I asked one of the maids.

"No," she replied coldly. "You won't die from holding it."

Yeah... I get it. They hate my family.

My life had only gotten more complicated in the past few days. I'd tried to protect Natty and Catty back in the tower, but one of those monsters caught me off guard. In the end, they were the ones who saved me—dragging me to safety while I was bleeding out. A high-ranking noble even used one of their own healing potions on me. Later, a healer told me that if that potion had taken even a few more minutes to kick in... I would've died.

I barely remembered what happened after that. I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a cell.

Apparently, every student involved in the expedition had to give testimony. The attack had uncovered a treasonous conspiracy against the Three Kingdoms, and no one was allowed to leave the shelter until their account was verified.

And as for me? Well, I was treated worse than anyone else.

The guards—loyalists of the royal families—recognized my surname immediately. Once they knew I was a Wolves, they went out of their way to make my life a nightmare. No surprise there. My uncle Nikolaus had done something unforgivable... and now, I was guilty by association.

With the Wolves name stripped of nobility, I held the same status as a criminal in the eyes of the realm. The only reason I wasn't executed was because of one thing: I still belonged to the Evenhart duchy.

Some of the guards even beat me during interrogation, convinced I was involved in the betrayal. I don't blame them. Not entirely. If I were in their place, I'd be suspicious too.

I was on the brink of despair when she came for me.

Lady Margaery.

She showed up out of nowhere and pulled me out of that mess. I didn't hear all of what was said, but when she made it clear I was a noble under the Evenhart banner, the guards backed off immediately.

She wasn't alone either. Lady Martha—Natty and Catty's mother—was there too.

That made me even more nervous. I could barely speak in the carriage. The woman I hoped might one day become my mother-in-law sat across from me, her expression unreadable.

They brought me to the mansion where Marquess Caelan and his daughter were staying. Marquess Eldric and his son were also there. Since the academy was shut down and I had nowhere to go, they allowed me to stay temporarily.

They brought me to a guest room and made it very clear: I was tolerated, barely. As one of them put it, "There's a spot on the wall reserved for your head if you dishonor the Evenhart name under this roof."

Yeah... no pressure.

Days passed. I stayed quiet, did as I was told, and kept my head down. One day, Lady Margaery held a private meeting with the marquesses. Even their children were invited.

Not me.

Later, one of the butlers came to my door.

"Pack your things," he said. "You'll be leaving for the duchy this week."

This afternoon, we were all set to depart for the Evenhart estate. The marquesses and Duchess Margaery had left earlier for a meeting with the royal family at a nearby estate, and I'd been waiting in one of the sitting rooms ever since—under the watchful eyes of the maids.

Hours passed.

The door creaked open, and a man stepped in. He wore the silver and black armor of House Evenhart, and the moment I recognized him, my heart skipped a beat.

Lord Hugo.

The father of Natty and Catty.

My legs went weak, and I sat up straight in an instant.

"We're leaving at dawn," he announced. "We'll travel with the king's procession to the capital. Sifu and the others already went ahead. The ship's ready at the underground docks. I had two more ships assigned for escort."

The maids nodded with military precision.

"We've already loaded most of the luggage into the carriages, my lord," one of them said.

Lord Hugo gave a short nod, then scanned the room. When his eyes locked with mine, my pulse skyrocketed.

He looked at me. He actually looked at me!

"I need to speak with Martha," he said, "Do you know where Katherine is?"

"Lady Katherine has been in the lab all morning," one of the maids replied.

"Of course she has. I'll have my wife go check on her. I don't like stepping into that place myself."

He began walking across the room—toward me.

With every step, my panic escalated.

How do I greet him? Do I shake his hand? Do I stand?

I instinctively started straightening my clothes. Then ran a hand through my hair to flatten it down.

Why am I sweating so much?

He was just a man. A very tall, very stern, very heavily armored man.

Then he stopped in front of me.

"Frederick... Wolves," he said.

My throat went dry.

"I'm heading to the academy to fetch Kinue," he continued. "You'll be coming along to collect your things."

I stood too fast, almost knocking over the chair. "O-of course, father-in-law!"

The room went dead silent.

Wait—what on earth did I just say?

All at once, I could feel the tension shift. The maids had wide, horrified eyes. Lord Hugo blinked.

Then grabbed me by the collar and yanked me up to his face.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?"

"I-I didn't mean—sir—I meant—!"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTERS!?"

I swallowed hard, realizing the magnitude of my mistake.

Lord Hugo thought I had defiled his daughters.