The commander's tent was large enough to function almost like a small chamber itself. Military maps remained spread across the central table.
Reports, sealed letters, and marked island sketches still rested beside stacks of documents which Xu Mun had left behind earlier.
A faint scent of incense and heated wine lingered in the air. Luo He calmly sealed the tent flaps behind him before checking the securing hooks twice out of habit.
Only afterward did he finally relax slightly.
He walked toward the commander's chair slowly before dropping into it with a quiet exhale.
Then he waited. Not for guards. Not for reports. Not for soldiers. For Su Kim.
The camp outside remained noisy, but inside the tent the atmosphere felt strangely intimate.
Luo He leaned back lazily in the large chair afterward, one arm resting against the armrest while the other tapped lightly against the wood beside him.
A faint amused smile slowly appeared on his face. Earlier before she left, he had whispered directly into her ear, "how enjoyable tonight becomes depends entirely on how well our son sleeps."
The reaction afterward had nearly made him laugh. Su Kim had practically fled from the seen in excitement while trying to maintain dignity in front of the guards escorting her.
Now he waited patiently for the results of her "hard work." Outside, distant cheering erupted from somewhere deeper within the camp.
Drunken soldiers loudly argued over whose homeland brewed stronger alcohol. Luo He ignored all of it.
His black eyes simply remained fixed toward the back of the tent where he expected her to walk out any minute now.
"She better not have exhausted herself putting him to sleep," he muttered softly to himself.
A moment later he loosened part of his outer robes slightly before leaning deeper into the chair.
It felt strangely calm under the quiet night beneath the northern skies. And Luo He fully intended to enjoy at least a few peaceful hours before throwing himself back into war again.
Su Kim finally came to attend to him sometime later. She looked genuinely exhausted.
"Your son held onto my sleeve like I belonged only to him." She complained softly while checking the tent flaps behind her.
"Even half asleep he refused to let go of my sleeve. I thought he would collapse immediately after everything he went through today, but no he stayed stubborn until the very end."
Luo He looked up from the chair with faint amusement in his eyes. "That sounds familiar somehow." He added warmly.
Su Kim narrowed her eyes slightly before walking closer. "Don't act innocent. He inherited that personality from you." She said jokingly.
"Your son is as stubborn as you are." She said in a firm voice. "It is our son dear." Luo He corrected while laughing. "You can't blame only me." He added lightly.
"His proud mother once gathered sixty thousand peasants and tried rebelling against the Great Yang Empire." He added casually.
"Even emperors fear the Flame Kingdom's armies, yet somehow you believed you could win." He said immediately. "Stupid girl !" Luo He added afterwards in a playful voice.
Su Kim folded her arms. "I nearly did." She added proudly. "You were either unbelievably stubborn or completely insane." Luo He replied calmly.
"Personally, I still haven't decided which one interests me more." He added proudly.
"You made me yours anyway." She added turning fifty shades of red. Her face had more red spots now than her jade white skin.
"That may have been my own mental illness." Luo He laughed proudly. Even Su Kim laughed quietly at that.
The exhaustion on her face slowly softened as she stepped closer to him beneath the warm lantern light.
The noise of distant soldiers celebrating outside echoed faintly through the camp while the tent itself remained calm and private.
"You talk too much tonight." She murmured lightly. "And yet you still came here finding me anyway." Luo He added.
"Because," she admitted softly. "After weeks of war this is the first time anything has felt peaceful again."
For once, Luo He did not answer immediately. He simply looked at her quietly while their son slept safely elsewhere.
The chaos of the Northern Isles temporarily faded into the background. Su Kim eventually settled herself on top of his lap.
She rested her head lightly near his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around her waist almost instinctively.
Outside, thousands of soldiers celebrated not knowing whether they'd survive another campaign. Atmosphere inside the commanders tent gradually softened after the earlier teasing.
Now Luo He was seated near the edge of the bed while Su Kim settled herself comfortably onto his lap once again, her arms loosely around his shoulders.
Outside, the distant sounds of soldiers celebrating echoed faintly through the night camp, but inside the tent the world felt strangely quiet.
For a while neither of them spoke. They had spent too many weeks apart. Now that they were finally alone again, even simple closeness felt slightly unfamiliar.
Su Kim eventually leaned her forehead lightly against his. "You really are terrible at relaxing," she murmured softly. Luo He exhaled quietly.
"I've been busy lately." He said calmely.
"That is not a proper excuse." She added. "It suppose to be a fact not an excuse." He laughed saying it.
That finally earned a laugh from her as well. The awkwardness between them slowly faded afterward.
Layers of clothing were set aside, not with urgency, but with relief. Every discarded piece of clothing felt less like seduction and more like setting down the burdens of the past few weeks.
Su Kim's expression softened once she finally looked at him properly again without all the barriers between them.
"You've been carrying everything alone again," she said quietly.
"You've noticed?" Luo He added coldly. "I always notice." She added with concern.
Luo He looked at her silently for a moment before lightly pulling her closer.
The warmth between them finally began replacing the tension both had carried since arriving at the Northern Isles. Su Kim rested against him comfortably afterward.
One of her hands rested against his chest while he held her close almost absentmindedly. "You know," she whispered teasingly.
"For someone with so many wives and admirers, you looked strangely nervous earlier." She added calmly. "One, I only have one wife."
"Two, someone kept staring at me like she planned to devour me alive." Luo He said in quick succession. "I still might." Su Kim added bitting his ear lightly.
"See? Exactly why my concern." Luo He added with a care free expression. She laughed quietly again before leaning against him more fully.
The teasing slowly turned gentler after that. Less playful. More affectionate.
For the first time in many days, Luo He allowed himself to stop thinking about armies, politics, and war.
Tonight, inside the softly lit commanders tent, he was simply a tired man resting beside someone who genuinely cared for him. And for Su Kim, his presence alone was enough.
The tent gradually fell into silence after nearly two hours of relentless, vigorous activity, leaving behind only the faint sound of unsteady breathing and rustling fabric.
Outside, the distant sounds of soldiers laughing, drinking, and celebrating still drifted through the camp beneath the cold island night.
Inside though, only the faint lantern glow remained between them. Su Kim rested beside him breathing somewhat controlled now, exhaustion finally overtaking the earlier energy she carried.
For a long while neither spoke. Then Luo He finally broke the silence quietly. "Last time we were together," he said softly while staring toward the tent above.
"You were still recovering after giving birth. I could excuse you then." He added coldly. "But now, I would be disappointed if you were slow." He added calmly.
Su Kim immediately laughed tiredly beside him. "So demanding." She said chivalry. "I have standards." Luo He added carefree as ever.
"You are impossible." She said under her breath. "That is why you like me." Luo He added proudly. She rolled her eyes faintly before shifting closer beneath the blanket.
The teasing slowly faded after that. What remained afterward felt heavier. More real. Luo He eventually turned slightly toward her.
"When I first took you into my household," he admitted calmly. "I stripped your army away from you." He added cautiously.
"It was because I couldn't allow a newly arrived woman to possess that much military power." He said weakly. Su Kim listened silently.
"At the time," he continued. "I thought breaking your influence was necessary." He added softly. "And now?" she asked quietly. "Now," Luo He said softly. "I'm giving it back." He added honestly.
That finally made her look toward him properly. Luo He's expression remained calm as ever, but his voice carried unusual seriousness.
"I'm leaving ten thousand men behind under your command." He said casually.
Her eyes widened slightly. "You'll hold the Northern Isles for me." He added calmly.