Although people say that "absence makes the heart grow fonder," and the long-separated couple indeed had much to talk about, after the initial touching reunion, Wei Wei's obsession with cleanliness resurfaced. She immediately pushed Felix—who had rushed back day and night—to wash up.
The knights headed into the house's large bathhouse, while Felix was directed into a smaller adjacent bath. Even through the wall, the lively chatter and laughter of the knights next door could be heard.
They had been quite fortunate in this battle. Because it was an emergency conscription, the common citizens of Sardinson County were not called up; only Felix's knight order, which had accompanied him to the capital, took part in the fighting. As a fully-fledged knight regiment under Felix's command, they performed exceptionally well on the battlefield, earning considerable merit under his leadership—and, most importantly, without losing a single life.
Injuries were unavoidable, but no one had died. Only then did Wei Wei learn that the severely wounded, who were unable to travel, had been left behind to recover before being brought home.
Many wounded owed their survival to the medicine Wei Wei had prepared. Normally, battlefield infections would often lead to deaths or amputations, but this time, thanks to the medicine and additional antiseptics she sent to the frontlines, most soldiers made it through. Even those who might have required amputations in the past due to worsening infections were able to fully recover and return home whole, rather than facing a life of hardship as cripples.
Thanks to her preparations, Felix's reputation soared among the common soldiers. Even knights from other noble families respected him and willingly obeyed his commands without causing any trouble.
The Sardinson Knights were especially lucky—not one of them had been wounded severely enough to be left behind. Though they all returned intact, this didn't mean they were unscathed.
Wei Wei arranged for male servants to attend to the knights. Those unable to enter the baths could be washed down, and Kama, along with a few maids she had quickly trained in dressing wounds, were on standby to help with changing bandages after their baths. Everything was meticulously organized.
As for Felix, Wei Wei personally attended to him.
Knight armor was sturdy, especially the high-quality equipment used by nobles like Felix. Still, injuries were inevitable. Even full-body armor had vulnerable spots. And if the enemy's weapon was sharp enough to cut through steel, the danger increased exponentially.
Felix had returned in full armor, showing no visible wounds. But Wei Wei didn't miss the faint scent of blood clinging to him. That was why she insisted on entering the bath with him—Felix had hoped to hide his injuries a bit longer, but he was quickly found out upon his return.
Wei Wei personally helped him remove the heavy outer plate armor, revealing the padded cotton undergarment known as the arming doublet underneath. The smell of blood grew stronger.
The servant waiting to collect the armor was dumbfounded—not because of the faint traces of bandages under the cotton padding but because Wei Wei had managed to single-handedly remove the thirty-kilogram armor with ease, handing it off like it was no heavier than a fan. The servant nearly fumbled it from the unexpected weight.
The maids, however, had long grown used to their seemingly delicate mistress being a hidden powerhouse. They had watched her dress and undress Felix in his armor countless times and were no longer surprised.
The arming doublet was essentially a thick, padded garment, easy to remove. Felix watched helplessly as Wei Wei stripped it off too, revealing the bandages underneath.
From the faint bloodstains seeping through, it was clear his main injury was on his back. Though the wound itself wasn't fully visible, just seeing the fresh blood was enough to make Wei Wei's eyes redden.
It wasn't just this fresh wound that pained her. She knew every scar on Felix's body, and now she could see several new ones—some healed, others still raw. It was clear the battles he described so lightly in his letters had been far more dangerous than he'd let on.
Seeing her expression darken, Felix quickly tried to reassure her. "It's just a small wound—it'll heal quickly."
The wound on his back was from an enemy axe. Though his armor absorbed most of the impact, the axe still cut through and left a long gash. Fortunately, it wasn't deep or life-threatening. But since he sustained it in the final battle and immediately took up the task of leading his men home, the wound reopened from the constant travel.
Without a word, Wei Wei carefully unwrapped the bandages. The wound itself had not split open, and the stitches held firm, though the swollen, reddened edges showed early signs of inflammation.
After thoroughly checking him over and confirming no other injuries, she waved the servants away.
The servants quietly left, carrying away the armor and weapons, while the maids left clean clothes, medicine, and bandages behind before retreating.
The atmosphere in the bath grew heavy. Felix carefully studied Wei Wei's expression, worried she might be seething with anger.
He lowered his voice, sounding like a husky trying to please its angry master. "Don't be mad. I'm perfectly fine, see?"
Was she mad? Of course! She was furious.
She silently counted. After this battle alone, Felix had gained seven or eight new scars on his upper body. The back wound wasn't even the most dangerous—there was one on his chest near his shoulder where an arrow had nearly struck his heart or nicked his carotid artery. Either would have been fatal.
And she had known nothing of this danger until now.
Angry—extremely angry—almost to the point of exploding on the spot.
But alongside her anger was deep heartache. She knew injuries were unavoidable in war, but seeing his body covered in fresh wounds made her eyes sting with unshed tears.
Red-eyed, she asked, "Are there any other injuries?"
Felix shook his head vigorously. Besides these few scars, all his other minor wounds had already healed.
Being married, Wei Wei wasn't shy. She made him strip fully and carefully checked him over. Once assured there were no other injuries, she finally allowed him to soak in the bath.
The bathwater was shallow enough that sitting in it wouldn't submerge the wound on his back. Wei Wei took a clean towel, carefully avoiding the injured area as she gently washed his back. Felix, however, couldn't resist getting a little frisky, reaching out to pull her into the bath with him.
Wei Wei didn't hesitate to slap his wandering hand away.
She scolded with a frown, "You're not even healed yet. Stop fooling around!"
Felix glanced down at his eager little brother, hesitating briefly between angering Wei Wei and temporarily restraining himself. In the end, he wisely chose restraint.
It's fine, he thought—once the bath was over, they could take their time.
After cleaning his back and washing his hair, she let Felix wash the rest of his body himself. When he was finished, she helped him out of the water, carefully dried him off, applied fresh medicine, and rewrapped the wound with new bandages, making sure no water touched it throughout the entire process.
Felix sat obediently as she worked on changing his bandages. Once done, Wei Wei ran her fingers through his now much longer hair, still damp and sticking up in places.
Over the years, Felix's hair had grown thick, soft, and healthy, with no sign of balding—a result of her meticulous care. He used to have a barber visit regularly, but ever since marrying Wei Wei, she had taken on that task herself. While her early attempts were a bit clumsy, she had since mastered the skill, giving him a clean, short hairstyle far more fashionable than the mushroom cuts or bowl cuts popular among men of this era.
This time was no exception. She fastened a cloth around his neck and began trimming his hair, even shaving him afterward, leaving him looking fresh and tidy.
While shaving him, Wei Wei casually warned, "Next time, stop poking Anthony with your stubble. His face was all red from it."
With a blade gliding over his skin, Felix wisely kept silent, only smiling faintly. Whether or not he planned to heed her advice was anyone's guess.
Teasing the child was far too amusing to give up easily—after all, once the child grew up, where would the fun be?
After shaving, Wei Wei applied some moisturizer to his face. Just as she put down the razor, Felix suddenly reached from behind and pulled her into his embrace.
Caught off guard, she let out a small yelp and stumbled into his arms.
His freshly shaven chin still had a slight roughness that pressed against her shoulder, his warm breath brushing past her ear, making her instinctively turn her head—only to be met with a kiss on her neck.
She tried to pry his hands off her waist, cheeks flushed. "Stop it! It's time for dinner!"
"There's no rush for dinner… Darling, I missed you so much." Felix tightened his hold, his lips seeking hers. "Didn't you miss me?"
Of course, she missed him—but not like this!
Wei Wei flushed even more, but the moment she struggled, Felix feigned injury. "My back wound isn't healed yet…"
That was pure blackmail!
And yet, Wei Wei couldn't bear to fight back too hard, afraid of hurting him. Though she was just as strong as Felix, she didn't dare exert herself. In the end, she had no choice but to surrender and let him have his way for a while in the bathhouse.
The result: not only did they miss out on the delicious dinner prepared for them, but Wei Wei had to redress Felix's wound all over again afterward.
When they finally left the bathhouse, everyone they encountered cast them knowing, ambiguous looks—as if they all knew exactly what had just gone on inside. Embarrassed beyond words, Wei Wei wished she could crawl into a hole, but instead took out her frustration by giving Felix another good beating.
Felix, on the other hand, remained thoroughly satisfied. Over the next three days of vacation, little Anthony mysteriously woke up every morning not in his crib next to his mother, but in the crib placed in the master bedroom next to his father.
The confused baby would frown while playing with his tiny feet, wondering how he ended up moving locations overnight. Fortunately, the maids always brought him back to his mother shortly after he woke up, so he didn't cry from waking alone anymore—a significant improvement from before.
Felix, having feasted for three days straight, was full of vigor and completely refreshed, while Wei Wei was so exhausted she could barely get out of bed every morning, looking more like the patient herself.
Three days later, the king's celebration banquet was scheduled to be held. During the banquet, the king would also announce the rewards for those who had contributed to the war effort. Felix would officially be granted the title of Duke, while many others would receive promotions as well.
For instance, three of Felix's knights, including Kingsley, were awarded baron titles for their outstanding performance.
The list of promotions had been finalized beforehand, with all recipients notified in advance so they could prepare.
Becoming nobility had always been the knights' ultimate dream. Yet, this promotion brought them mixed feelings.
Normally, Felix himself should have granted them these titles, since traditionally, those who grant a title become the liege lord of the recipient. As Felix had the authority to confer baronies, his knights expected to receive their ranks directly from him. The king's intervention, however, altered their status—making them vassals directly under the king rather than under Felix.
Worse, if the king assigned them territories far from Sardinson, it would effectively sever their ability to continue serving Felix.
But with the king's deliberate arrangement, Felix had no grounds to refuse. After all, being a vassal to the king was a more prestigious status than being a vassal to a duke, and legally, the king had every right to do so.
The three knights were thus both joyful and worried. On one hand, they had finally achieved noble status; on the other, they feared losing their bond with the Williams household.
Privately, however, they had already discussed a solution: even if their new territories were far away, they could appoint others to manage their lands while they remained by Felix's side in service—much like other nobles who resided in the capital while their estates were managed by stewards.
Thankfully, their worries proved unnecessary.
The king sincerely valued Felix and wanted to reward both him and his men. His arrangements perfectly aligned with Felix's interests.
During the ennoblement ceremony, the king conferred the title of Duke upon Felix and granted him administrative authority over several neighboring counties surrounding Sardinson. Although these territories technically still belonged to their original noble lords, Felix now had the right to tax and govern them.
In essence, almost all of eastern Pradion now fell under Felix's sphere of influence. The king, however, was generous with land he technically didn't control to begin with. These local lords had sworn allegiance to the first Emperor of Pradion when the empire was founded and thus were not directly subordinate to the current king. Aside from a share of the land tax collected from the peasants, the king received nothing from these nobles.
In this era, most of the king's land tax revenue came indirectly from the peasantry. Peasants paid over half their crop yields in taxes, which were collected by their lords, who then forwarded a portion to the royal treasury. Nobles themselves, however, were exempt from these taxes, as their lands were considered payment for their military service to the crown.
The hierarchy was strictly observed: knights served their lords, minor nobles served higher nobles, and higher nobles served the king. The king couldn't bypass this chain of command, even with his own vassals' vassals.
Naturally, most military obligations were fulfilled not through actual service but through monetary or material contributions—far easier for all involved.
Now that Felix held administrative authority over these counties, the king could collect commercial taxes from him—a much more lucrative revenue stream. Felix had proven himself extraordinarily capable of generating wealth, and unlike some nobles who evaded taxes, he was scrupulously honest. His thriving commercial ventures had substantially enriched the royal treasury, much to the king's delight.
With this arrangement, the local nobles readily accepted Felix's new role. Those counties had long benefited from Sardinson's economic influence, and most local lords already collaborated closely with Felix's administration. The few who had once sought stronger noble patrons found themselves better off aligning with Felix.
Moreover, the truly coveted prize for the kingdom's other great lords lay not in these minor counties, but in the recently reclaimed Romanov Duchy to the northwest. The Romanov lands bordered several foreign kingdoms and were both strategically vital and rich in trade opportunities. That was the real power struggle—everyone vying for a piece of that lucrative territory.
The king, fully aware of everyone's ambitions, ensured that he kept the lion's share for himself while still rewarding those who had earned his favor.
Thus, after Felix's promotion, two barons who had earned significant merit were elevated to counts and given estates carved from the former Romanov Duchy. Newly created baronies for other knights were also established there. This not only repopulated the formerly leaderless duchy but also filled it with nobles personally loyal to the king.
However, Felix's three knights were treated differently. Their baronies were all located within the counties now under Felix's governance, ensuring they remained his direct vassals.
Some less-informed nobles might have seen this as a loss compared to the more lucrative Romanov lands, but Kingsley and his companions were delighted. Even though their new territories were scattered across neighboring counties rather than within Sardinson proper, with Felix now in charge of all these lands, it hardly made a difference. Sooner or later, under Felix's capable management, these regions would flourish just as Sardinson had.