https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1558-A-War-with-No-Victors-Part-Eight-/12528569/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1560-A-War-with-No-Victors-Part-X-/12528574/
Chapter 1559: A War Without Victors (Part 9)
Chapter 1559: A War Without Victors (Part 9)
On the night when Voldemort was utterly vanquished, the Anderson family hastily returned to their original residence.
Undeniably, living on a cruise ship could be romantic and novel, but as the novelty wore off, the allure of such a lifestyle faded as well. It was a relief to finally return to their normal lives, now that the Wizarding War that had driven them to seek refuge at sea was over, and the Dark Lord Voldemort had been defeated by Albert.
Isobel, who had been reading a book in the living room, closed it upon hearing the doorbell. She shot her sister a meaningful look before getting up to greet Albert.
"I'm home!" Albert's fatigue vanished as he saw his welcoming wife, replaced by a heartwarming smile.
"Welcome back," Isobel said, forgoing a hug and instead wrinkling her nose at the peculiar scent emanating from Albert. "You've been drinking."
"Just a bit of butterbeer at the victory celebration," Albert said, feigning a yawn and covering his nose to sniff at the smell on his body. "I should go take a shower first."
"You had a celebration?" Isobel raised an eyebrow, surprised. "So, Hogwarts isn't as bad off as the rumors suggest."
"Rumors?" Albert asked as he took off his shoes and slipped into more comfortable slippers.
"Mom went to St. Mungo's after returning to Britain," Isobel shared the news she'd heard from their house-elf. "Apparently, there were a lot of casualties from the Battle of Hogwarts."
"She just can't stay idle, can she?" Albert mused, recalling the casualty figures he'd seen. "The number of injured during the battle wasn't too high, maybe two or three dozen. And not many of them were severely wounded. Those with critical injuries were killed by the Death Eaters before help could arrive."
"Around a hundred people died in that final battle. To be honest, it was less than I expected."
"Less than you expected?" Isobel looked at her husband in surprise.
"It was a war," Albert countered. "Is a hundred casualties strange?"
"No, but..."
"My dear, casualties are to be expected in war," Albert said after a moment's thought. "More of Voldemort's Death Eaters died. Their bodies piled up like a mountain of corpses."
"Then how did you win?" Isobel asked, though she couldn't fathom how many bodies it would take to form a mountain. She could tell Albert wasn't lying.
Had they turned the tide despite the extreme disadvantage?
Isobel unconsciously covered her chest with her hand.
"Of course, it's thanks to this..." Albert tapped his head lightly and smiled at Tom, who was also keeping his distance. "But let's not talk about that now. I really need to wash off these strange smells. Even Tom is avoiding me."
Isobel gently pushed Albert and smiled. "Then go on, quickly."
"Don't forget to ask Kara to make me some lemon and honey water," Albert reminded her as he began filling the bathtub.
Then he noticed Isobel was still standing at the bathroom door.
"Do you want to join me?" Albert asked, a bit surprised, with a hint of a smile.
"I'm just keeping an eye on you!" Isobel winked.
"I'm not drunk, and I've never heard of a wizard getting drunk on butterbeer," Albert said, half amused and half exasperated as he pulled Isobel into the bathroom and closed the door.
However, they didn't refuse each other, as couples should share some intimate moments.
After a tiring bath, the couple soaked in the large bathtub filled with foam, relishing the afterglow of their pleasure.
"This feels nice," they agreed. They enjoyed bathing, but the large tub took forever to fill, and it was a waste of water.
"I feel so relaxed now," Albert said.
"I think you need someone to share this victory with," Isobel replied.
"It's good to celebrate after surviving a war," Albert agreed, shifting his position so he could comfortably lean against Isobel.
"I'm sorry for worrying you," Albert added, feeling a twinge of guilt. He had organized a victory celebration for the Society members to help ease their psychological burden, but he had neglected his own needs and ignored his family.
Ever since he was drawn into the Wizarding War, Isobel had been anxious, fearing that he might perish in the cruel conflict.
"You should also say that to Katrina," Isobel said as she turned and knelt on top of Albert.
"Hmm? Dear..." Albert was taken aback by Isobel's sudden mention of this matter. Sometimes he found it hard to understand a woman's heart.
"I don't mind," Isobel kissed him, silencing whatever he had been about to say.
Despite her words, Albert didn't think his wife was truly indifferent.
No one liked sharing their exclusive possessions, and both men and women had strong possessive instincts.
"Dear..." Albert hesitated, "Personally, I don't mind, as men usually have the advantage in this regard. But... you should know that some things only happen zero or countless times, and they are never within a person's control."
Undeniably, it was a huge temptation, and Albert was tempted, but he didn't want to open Pandora's box. Indulging his desires too much was never a good idea.
Even though the Granger sisters were indeed alluring.
"To be honest, I'm glad," Isobel said, seeing Albert's conflicted expression. She gently cupped his face and kissed him.
"But I hope you have a little more faith in me," Isobel whispered, her pink lips close to Albert's ear. "After all, I never thought you'd have the energy to mess around with other women."
"You're a generous sister," Albert said, feeling surreal. This felt even more magical than defeating Voldemort himself.
"I have no choice," Isobel said with a hint of resentment.
"What's going on?"
"Although you're usually mindful of boundaries and can resist the temptation of other women, there's something I need to discuss with you..." Isobel gently caressed Albert's cheek and sighed softly. "You're too young and too exceptional, and you know so many beautiful women."
"Dear, you should have a little more faith in me," Albert said, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Of course, I have a lot of faith in you, but there are some people..." Isobel paused, "Did you know that Katherine already has a child?"
"She's married?" Albert asked, surprised.
"She's not married," Isobel said with a hint of resentment in her voice.
"Wait, you don't mean... How is that possible?"
Albert was stunned, his eyes wide with shock as he looked at Isobel. "I've only met Katherine a handful of times. How could this have happened...?"
"She admitted it to me the first time we met," Isobel said, recalling an incident that had left her quite unhappy.
To be honest, she had been completely caught off guard by it at the time.
"Oh my goodness, this world is crazy," Albert exclaimed, still in a daze.
"Things were a bit chaotic back then, so I didn't tell you about it. But now that the war is over, I think you have the right to know." Isobel scooped up a handful of foam and gently blew it toward Albert.
"Actually, even if I hadn't told you, given Katherine's personality, she probably would have confessed to you herself."
"I remember passing out at the time," Albert said, feeling incredulous. "How did she manage that?"
"She cast a love spell on you after you fell asleep, so you were probably in a daze and don't remember anything," Isobel explained with a slight pout.
"A love spell? Are you sure it wasn't the Imperius Curse? I really can't fathom what she was thinking."
Even though Westerners tend to mature earlier, Albert still found it utterly absurd.
He had been just a child back then! How could Katherine have done such a thing?
"That woman has a prerequisite for inheriting her family's fortune—she needs an outstanding heir. But since she couldn't find a suitable candidate, she set her sights on you, the genius who just happened to show up. That's what she told me herself," Isobel said, remembering the pleased expression on Katherine's face when she had shared this information. Suddenly, she felt a pang of inexplicable displeasure.
"How can you be sure she wasn't lying to you?" Albert asked.
"Maybe half-truths," Isobel conceded.
"Then why did you still..." Albert was truly baffled.
How could they still maintain a friendly relationship? If it had been two men, they might not have become mortal enemies, but they certainly wouldn't have remained friends.
Yet, Isobel and Katherine still kept in touch. Women were indeed mysterious creatures.
"You don't expect me to get rid of Katherine, do you?" Isobel's tone sounded resigned, but Albert detected a hint of deadly intent beneath her words.
"Even if I did get rid of her, there would be other women out there. It's better to keep her around."
"Dear, you really don't need to overthink this," Albert said, feeling a little suffocated by the weight of such intense love. He adjusted his position and leaned back.
"Love isn't a commodity that you can buy whenever you want it. Besides, we're already married," he said, trying to soothe her.
"Yes, we are married," Isobel acknowledged, looking into Albert's eyes. "But you're only twenty years old, in the prime of your youth and talent. And you've defeated Voldemort, accomplishing something that countless others couldn't.
"You're at the pinnacle of your life, an irresistible temptation for any woman. Rather than letting someone else lure you into a secret affair, why not let Katrina have the biggest slice of the cake?"
"Anyway, Mom doesn't object. I remember telling you about this, and we agreed that Katrina's child would inherit the McDougall family name."
Albert gazed at his beautiful wife and sighed heavily. "To be honest, I'd really like to know your true thoughts on this. It's important to me."
"Well, my thought process is something like this: instead of worrying about you sneaking around with other women behind my back, why not just let them have the biggest piece of the cake right from the start?" Isobel said, leaving Albert speechless with her bold statement.
"Even if others truly want to have something more than a friendship with you, they can only settle for the leftovers."
"Moreover, the easier something is to obtain, the less people tend to cherish it. Men have two basic needs from women, and you excel in both regards."
"So, I plan to let those self-proclaimed smart girls waste their lives pining after you. That will be their greatest punishment."
"So, I'm once again a sweet cake?" Albert's lips twitched at such audacious words, and he let out a soft sigh. "Maybe you should have a little more faith in me."
"I do have faith in you, but I also have faith in other women," Isobel replied, feeling quite annoyed at the prospect of having to share her man. However, she remained calm and collected, prepared for whatever the next few years might bring.
"Those girls will try their best to seduce you and take a slice of the cake that rightfully belongs to me. Of course, you won't let them succeed easily, but you can't be on guard forever. That's not the kind of life we want, so I've been mentally prepared for this a long time ago."
There was no other way around it.
As a Legilimens since childhood, Isobel had a deeper understanding of human nature than most. She didn't want to take the risk, even though she trusted Albert and believed in their marital bond.
But if you don't gamble, you can't lose.
As she had mentioned earlier, things that are hard to come by are the most precious. People rarely cherish what comes too easily.
Men, once they have experienced many beautiful women, tend to lose interest. And Albert was not the type to be promiscuous.
Without the bond of love, those other women could only end up as victims, never finding true love with another man.
That would be their greatest punishment.
The night's activities were always delightful, though Albert was left reeling from some of the shocking revelations.
As they stepped out of the bathroom, Albert subconsciously looked around.
"What are you looking for?" Isobel asked.
"I thought I might see Katrina," Albert replied.
"Dear, women like to have a sense of ceremony." Isobel winked at Albert. "And tonight, you're all mine."
(End of Chapter)
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