As soon as Harry placed the two barrels used for cleaning the slaughterhouse in the warehouse, he came rushing back.

He spoke while exaggeratedly shrugging his shoulders.

“Wow, doesn’t it already feel like winter? My fingertips are so cold, just like…”

“…”

“Miss Bailey?”

Eloise, who had been lost in thought the whole time, finally lifted her head at the call right next to her.

“Oh, I’m sorry. What did you say?”

At those words, Harry’s eyes, which looked gentle with drooping corners, narrowed silently.

‘She had talked about her concerns regarding work not long ago. Are there still lingering worries?’

However, the atmosphere was quite different from that time to think that way.

On that day, she looked perplexed and seemed to need advice. But today, she just…

‘She looks lonely and sad.’

Does she need comfort? Is it true that she wants to talk?

Harry couldn’t be sure of anything. He merely opened his mouth out of affection and concern for the woman before his eyes.

“Did something sad happen?”

“…”

“You look sad. Is it because Mr. Osborne is leaving?”

Eloise quietly nodded. However, he knew, and of course she herself knew, that it wasn’t the whole story.

Harry’s clear eyes held a kind light.

It was a serene light that seemed to wait right there at any time.

“There’s still plenty of time. Before people come.”

“…”

After hesitating for a while at that gentle urging, Eloise slowly opened her mouth. It was half on impulse.

“You said Mr. Clayburn has an elder brother, right?”

“Yes. Two years apart. Just like the Bailey sisters.”

Harry answered readily as if he had been waiting, and sat down on the wooden chair next to the warehouse, following Eloise.

He had no idea what she was trying to say, but he was just happy that she had opened up to him once again.

“This might be a bit of a strange question.”

“I like strange questions.”

“Ha, what does that even mean?”

Eloise, who burst into laughter without resistance, continued speaking after withdrawing her laughter. She had a somewhat pensive expression.

“What if Mr. Clayburn fell in love with someone.”

“…Yes. Let’s say that’s the case, and then what?”

“But Mr. Clayburn’s elder brother was also in love with the same person. What would you do then?”

“Well…”

As if it was a completely unexpected question, Harry rubbed his short brown hair and asked back.

“You don’t know who fell in love first?”

“I don’t know that. Oh, does the answer differ depending on who fell in love first?”

“Come to think of it, that doesn’t seem to be such an important issue either. Hmm…”

That’s a really strange question. After muttering like that, he smiled blandly and, after some contemplation, gave a serious answer.

“My elder brother is an amazing person. He’s someone who would do anything for his family. Even though he’s only two years older, sometimes I feel like he’s not just a brother but a father. I’ve sincerely admired my elder brother since I was young, and I’ve always felt sorry for him sacrificing for the family. It’s still the same now.”

“…”

Although she had always thought they got along well, Eloise was surprised as if her own heart had been read upon hearing his story.

There were aspects of Harry’s story that reminded her of herself and Sarah to that extent.

She felt like she knew what conclusion his words would lead to even without listening further.

After all, it was a foolish question from the start. She knew from the beginning what kind of answer he would give.

“I see. So for your elder brother, Mr. Clayburn-”

“No, Miss Bailey.”

At that moment, Harry stopped Eloise’s words with a rather determined face.

“I think love is a different matter. It’s a completely separate issue from respect or apology towards my elder brother. I’ll repay my elder brother in my own way. For a lifetime. But I will never give up my love as that repayment.”

“…”

“Perhaps I can answer like this because I know my elder brother will support me no matter what choice I make. If I seem like a shameless younger brother, I have nothing to say, but…”

At that moment, Eloise inevitably thought of Sarah again.

Sally, her one and only precious sister.

If asked to name just one person who would support her no matter what choice she made, Eloise would name her elder sister, not her mother or father.

She also wanted to be that kind of person to her elder sister. For a lifetime.

So Eloise absolutely couldn’t fall for Ansel Blaine any further.

Because she knew Sarah would silently embrace her even if she confessed to having fallen in love with the person who deeply hurt her elder sister.

Harry, who had been waiting for Eloise to say something as she remained silent for a while, finally couldn’t stand the awkwardness and spoke again.

“I’m not sure if you were expecting a specific answer from me, but I was taught that it’s polite to answer questions honestly…”

“It was a great help, Mr. Clayburn.”

“…Huh? Was it really?”

While laughing along with her in relief, Harry became curious if this strange question stemmed from her actual experience.

However, he had no intention of asking further.

It was just yesterday that he had quietly approached Mrs. Digg after finishing work and poured out his feelings for Eloise, and finally got to hear her story.

‘She’s a child who is twenty-two years old but has never even kissed a man, let alone been in a relationship. She came from a small rural village.’

‘Well, ma’am. I… What should I do? I’m sincere, but how can I…’

‘Take it slow, take it slow.’

Take it slow. When Harry finally bowed his head deeply at those words that only made his anxious heart more earnest, Alicia added this.

‘Because sincerity always gets through.’

“Um, Miss Bailey. Is there anything else you’re curious about? Even if it’s an even stranger question, it’s fine.”

“An even stranger question?”

“Yes. Well…”

Then, wouldn’t it be enough to be satisfied with taking morning walks together like this, cleaning the slaughterhouse for her after finishing the hard work, and occasionally having lunch together if lucky? In fact, there was nothing that wasn’t enjoyable.

Even if she, an outstanding troublemaker and a fast runner, was very cautious and slow when it came to recognizing his feelings, Harry was confident that he could wait as long as needed.

“Aren’t you curious about what kind of strange sleeping habits the cat Molly has?”

If that was her way, he would gladly do so.

The Brightnum Military Office was quiet and busy as always.

No matter what happened beyond the walls, the unique atmosphere here seemed unlikely to change, and it actually didn’t.

So even these days when the capital was stirring with an ominous feeling, this place looked as if nothing had changed from before.

But there was a clear difference that only those working here could feel: an incomparably heavier air was flowing compared to ever before.

In any case, the military office was not the institution with the highest decision-making authority, and there was originally a lot of work to handle.

So, although everyone had tense faces, they tacitly refrained from speaking.

However, it was different for Arthur, who was an administrative clerk and a clumsy newcomer who had joined here less than half a year ago.

“Well…”

In the afternoon, with a little time left before lunch.

Taking advantage of the only brief leisure allowed during the day, Arthur, who was strolling in the garden near the main gate with several fellow soldiers, opened his mouth after much hesitation.

“What will really happen if a war breaks out in Bert?”

As the topic that had been deliberately ignored to avoid creating unnecessary anxiety suddenly surfaced, the group all expressed reluctance.

It was also because it wasn’t a problem that could be answered simply.

In the awkward silence, the one who spoke up was Lieutenant Whiteman from the personnel department.

“First, a request for support will come.”

“…We won’t be able to refuse, will we?”

“It won’t be easy, probably.”

It hadn’t even been half a century since the devastating Continental War ended.

Although it ended with the victory of the Allied Powers led by Wellington, the scars left by the war still remained deep.

It was a miraculous victory that couldn’t have been achieved without the support of Bert, a long-standing ally.

So Wellington had no choice but to accept the request for support.

Moreover, since the queen of the previous generation was a princess of Bert, the royal family might be more enthusiastic about recruiting than the obligations of an ally.

“But it’s true that Bert has done reprehensible things, isn’t it? Even if we’re allies, advocating such actions…”

“Abandoning them is the same as abandoning our own pledge.”

The lieutenant recited grandiose words that might come from parliament.

However, his eyes directed at the void, his wide-open palms, and his shrugging shoulders clearly showed that his thoughts were not much different from Arthur’s.

Arthur immediately continued.

“Moreover, the opponent is the Malabrian Empire. Turning our back on the imperial forces will not be good for the future of the kingdom, and if we dispatch support troops as an ally, we will have to send at least thousands to save face, so how can we…those innocent lives…”

Recalling his father’s story of not having a father from birth due to the last war, Arthur made a desperate face.

Then, Lieutenant Bruce, who was standing next to him, adjusted his hat and said.

“The moment the Empire declares war, the dispatch of our troops will also be confirmed. Still, you’re technically a civilian, so you won’t be conscripted. Unless you volunteer.”

“Aren’t you afraid, Lieutenant? Since you’re in the intelligence department, you’ll definitely receive orders to participate in the operation…”

Arthur added the rest of his words in a lowered voice.

It was a tone tinged with subtle revulsion towards the aristocratic gentleman who was appointed as a captain in the intelligence department almost simultaneously with his graduation from the military academy.

“Of course, the person you serve is of noble birth, so he will be excluded.”