G. Kitsune
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The Soul Reborn: From Silence to Sovereignty Chapter 25
🕑 Added 2025-06-04 08:23:42 +0000 UTCChapter 25: The Morning After, Bound for the North
The moment I tried to step out of bed, my legs just gave out completely. Like a marionette whose strings had been cut.
I let out a surprised yelp as I fell, only to be instantly caught by two strong arms. Noah had moved so fast in that moment. He was on the other side of the bed and somehow just appeared in front of me.
This man was now officially my husband and a very capable protector.
I laughed helplessly, blushing like an idiot.
“Well… I guess you’re going to have to be my hands and feet for today.” I said jokingly.
He looked way too pleased with himself.
“I happily accept this duty.” Because of course he would.
We got dressed… Well, he dressed me because I couldn’t bend without wincing, and the next thing I knew, I was being princess-carried all the way to the dining room.
Was I embarrassed? Only slightly; honestly, I kind of enjoyed it. Livia’s look when we left the room was, of course, entertaining, but she also got something to use against me later on, I’m sure.
Livia has become much bolder. I don’t really care that much; she can be annoying. But I know her words are always in my best interest, and plus she always plays along with my bullshit.
Noah, instead of placing me in a chair that was next to him, he never let me go and just sat down with me still in his arms.
It was ridiculous, embarrassing, and ok… I really enjoyed it as well because he was so adorable trying to cater to my every need.
The staff tried to act normally, knowing that Noah would probably blow up on them if they said anything out of line.
After he noticed my annoyance at so many people in the dining room, he said, “We’ll serve ourselves.”
He, of course, knew my apprehension of being too close to any of these servants; it was a much more comfortable meal. Who in their right mind would want people watching them eat?
Once they were gone, he plucked a strawberry off a silver plate and held it up to my lips. I tried to act like it wasn’t affecting me at all, but I’m sure he noticed the smile that couldn’t escape my face.
“You’re spoiling me,” I mumbled between bites.
“You deserve it,” he said simply.
I couldn’t help but blush at his actions; his face was a constant smirk throughout the whole experience.
Then he asked, voice casual, “So… where do you want to go for our honeymoon?”
That stunned me; I didn’t even think about a honeymoon. Honestly, I didn’t even comprehend what else was in this world outside my current bubble.
“Oh, um…” I tilted my head. “I have no idea.”
His brow arched. “You don’t have any dream destination?”
I pouted. “No, I barely know what exists outside this kingdom.”
“Well…” he began, gently adjusting me in his lap, …we could go back to my domain.”
That’s when it hit me. Most nobles had their own lands! We're probably just at his place in the capital; his domain must be enormous, being an archduke.
I couldn’t help but feel excited: “Your domain?”
He nodded. “The capital is only one of my residences. My actual lands are to the north, vast, heavily forested, and pretty much untouched by the nonsense here. I had only just arrived here a few days before we first met.”
I stared at him for a while, and then slowly began to grin, “No way!”
He looked puzzled at my sudden exclamation.
My hands clutched his shirt, and I started giggling like a little schoolgirl.
“You’re the Northern Archduke?”
“…Yes?”
I burst out laughing even harder.
“Noah,” I said, catching my breath, “do you know how cliché that is?”
He tilted his head, amused but probably not understanding my meaning. “Should I be concerned?”
So I started speaking, “In my old world there’s this extremely popular trope, the cold Duke of the North.”
I watched his expression for a while before he spoke. “Let me guess, he’s feared by all, emotionally dead, and traumatized by war…”
“…And only ever shows his emotions to the female lead,” I finished his words, grinning. “Yeah, that’s definitely you, or should I say us.”
Noah leaned in, resting his forehead on mine, smirking.
“Yet, I’m still letting you sit on my lap and steal my strawberries.”
I kissed his cheek and said, “Lucky me.”
He chuckled.
“You’re serious about going north?” I asked.
“I think you’d love it,” he replied. “It’s peaceful, beautiful, and there’s cold weather, so even more of a reason to warm each other up.
“That sounds perfect.” I said with a laugh. “Then you’ll have to keep me warm, your grace.”
The next few days were a whirlwind of preparations. Carriages were packed, supplies gathered, documents signed, and routes mapped.
We were heading to the north!
Everyone traveling was getting ready, including Livia, my sweet, sharp-eyed maid who was far too good at reading any of my intentions.
She was the one person I spent the most time with outside of my husband, and it honestly made me emotional just thinking about it.
The thought… I now have a husband.
I wasn’t part of the evil Durel family anymore, but Archduchess Seraphina Velmoure. That disgusting name of the past will forever be forgotten.
Just thinking about my new title made my cheeks flush with pride; it rolled off the tongue so nicely. It was powerful, elegant, and a name that would keep me safe, especially in the north.
I’m sure those three who used to call themselves my “family” were now rotting in a ditch somewhere, courtesy of Noah. There’s no way he would let someone live who was so impactful on my life in the worst way possible.
I never asked what he did with them because, honestly, I didn’t want to know, and I knew he would handle it well. Out of sight, out of mind, karma handled things in the end.
The morning of our departure, I tried to get Livia into our personal carriage.
“She’s fun,” I argued. “Also, her stories are quite entertaining for such a long journey.”
Noah raised an eyebrow. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
But he still refused…
“She rides with the staff,” he said. “This is our honeymoon.”
I groaned dramatically but gave in eventually; of course I did pout for awhile.
“Fine, but when I get bored of looking at your beautiful face, you’ll regret this.”
He leaned down and kissed me softly.
“I’ll keep you entertained.”
I blushed. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
Our caravan was massive, with dozens of carriages, guards on horseback, supply wagons, and flag bearers all carrying the Velmoure sigil.
We were a moving kingdom.
As the road curved north and the weather grew colder, I pulled my cloak tighter and leaned closer to Noah.
After a while, curiosity got the best of me.
“So…” I began, “whatever happened to that bastard Sevric?”
Noah’s jaw tensed slightly, though his voice remained calm.
“He never showed up to our wedding.”
“I noticed.”
“He’s smart,” Noah said, smirking faintly. “Staying away is the only thing keeping him alive.”
I raised an eyebrow, “That bad?”
“We’ve already dismantled most of his support. The ones we couldn’t find are in hiding.”
My face couldn’t help but frown at that. “What if he tried to rebuild while we’re gone?”
Noah just smiled.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Even if he becomes king, it wouldn’t change anything. The archduchy is large enough to stand on its own. We could even secede and become a sovereign kingdom if needed.”
I blinked in surprise at some very welcome news.
“Wait… really?”
He nodded, looking out the window calmly. “Our population is larger than the one in the south, and our economy is self-sustaining. Our military…”
His smile widened just a little. “…You remember that mountain of a man, as you said, who helped us deal with your family?”
“That literal ogre,” I blurted out, intrigued by the size of most knights in Noah’s army.
He chuckled. “There are many more like him in the north. They make up a good part of our elite forces.”
I stared at him, stunned.
“My husband is so bad ass.”
He looked over at me, confused. “What does that even mean?”
I laughed.
“It’s a phrase from my world. It means you’re cool, strong, and commanding all in one. Like a walking, talking legend.
His eyes wandered for a bit as I watched him contemplate my words.
“I think I like that.”
I leaned over and kissed him. “You should; you’ve earned it.”
What should have taken us a month… ended up lasting almost two because I’m apparently high maintenance?
What can I say?
Riding in a carriage for that long period of time made my body ache in places that hadn’t recovered from the wedding night. I complained more than I probably should’ve, but every time I grumbled even a little bit, Noah just smiled and ordered a stop so I could stretch my body.
Noah always acted like it was his idea, no matter the excuse, and honestly… I adored him even more for it.
He never minded the delays as long as I was happy; it was a perk of being a man’s wife who has so much power and authority.
I even joked about it once, “I’m sure the horses enjoy all these excess breaks.”
Noah didn’t argue. They were definitely well rested.
Livia, bless her observant soul, made every stop feel like a spa break. She always found me immediately, brushing out my hair, straightening my dress, and telling me in her ever-neutral voice how I looked “half-sane one again” after being trapped in a carriage all day.
I loved talking to Livia so much because of her occasional rants about the other maids.
“Those damn maids are all so phony.” She exclaimed one night as she helped me into my travel nightdress, “Always smiling at the nobles, then stabbing each other in the back when no one’s looking.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that just nobility in general?”
She gave me a sharp look. “I now understand fully what you were talking about before. Maids are evil and a plague on this world. Too easy to manipulate, and also none of them have any honor. They will backstab each other for just a little favor or coin.”
My stomach hurt from all the laughing I had done during her long venting of what she had to deal with that day on the carriage ride.
If anything ever goes wrong within a noble estate, nine times out of ten a maid was probably behind it. Of course, not always by their own will, but that’s why a maid is a scary existence. So easily bought off or convinced to do other people’s bidding.
Now, with Livia having to spend so much more time with them now because of this long journey, she finally sees the light.
“You see it now, huh?” I smirked.
She nodded, face grim.
When Livia first came to me, I would rant about maids all the time, and Livia would listen but not take me seriously. She was only recently brought to the Velmoure estate and hadn’t interacted with them too often.
Livia was pretty much the only one currently whom he could trust to be around me. I wonder if I will meet any new interesting friends up north. If they were noble, it would probably be hard to find common ground between us.
As we crossed into the colder regions, I saw snow peaks in the distance, forcing me to wrap myself tighter in heavy fur coats. Noah had purchased a few of them before our departure, saying I would need them.
My cheeks stung with cold, but my heart was warm.
I was on a journey to my new home, a kingdom of ice and power.
Comments
Evelynn Miner
I'm currently working on Chapter 26 shouldn't be to long.
Brian Smith
want more plz
