News that the battle had ended after five days was delivered to Lycenford.

Kaella, who hadn’t slept properly for the past five days while frantically gathering supplies to send to Fort Pueten, unconsciously sighed in relief. It ended quickly. That was truly fortunate.

Of course, Lycenford would continue to face large and small attacks in difficult circumstances going forward, and there wasn’t much she could do about it.

Kaella turned away from Lycenford Castle, which no matter how she looked at it, needed a lot of expansion and reconstruction. With foreign tribes now even joining forces to launch full-scale invasions, preparations and defenses needed to be strengthened on this side as well.

“I heard the battle has ended.”

“Yes. Thankfully.”

Isidore, who had been secretly polishing his sword at night despite knowing he had to maintain his duties, sighed.

“To think you’d play the role of a Grand Duchess so properly. I knew you’d do well, but you’re doing much better than I expected.”

Well, that’s because I have 4 years of experience. Kaella responded only in her mind.

“But the conditions here are too harsh for you to be in, Kaella.”

For a pampered southern noble lady to check how much oil was loaded on the carts, and to discuss nutritious military rations that could be eaten immediately with the chef – it was unbelievable.

He couldn’t even blame Peon for making Kaella suffer, as this was thoroughly a political marriage orchestrated by the emperor. That made it even more unbelievable.

“If they’re going to attack like this from spring, we should at least expand the castle. If Pueten falls, we’ll have to hold out right here.”

Lycenford was a natural fortress bestowed by nature, but relying solely on the natural environment for defense was risky, as parts of the hastily built castle were shoddy.

Anyone with common sense would feel the need for expansion. But Kaella had no intention of officially bringing up the word “expansion.”

“That’s right.”

She muttered with a face that had now experienced enough. Before she died, Kaella had also tried to expand Lycenford somehow. She said survival was important, even if it meant scraping together non-existent funds.

How could such words be effective? To the northerners, the Grand Duchess who spoke with a Klein accent mixed with an Ostein accent was someone who angered people by saying naive things without knowing the ways of the world.

“Looking at the ledgers the steward was managing, it seems we can afford to make at least some repairs.”

“Really?”

With no money to begin with, the idea of expansion led to accusations of only thinking about spending money. She became an annoying woman who dared to meddle in architecture and military affairs without knowing anything.

Moreover, for touching on the fortress related to military secrets, she was additionally suspected of intending to hand over all of Lycenford’s important secrets when the emperor invaded later.

Kaella vividly remembered that horrifying situation from back then, which spiraled out of her control at a speed she could do nothing about. Along with a terrible sense of helplessness, Kaella felt as if she had become nothing but trash.

“Doesn’t elder brother have plans as well?”

When such rumors first circulated, Peon angrily silenced her, saying not to say strange things, but it was already too late.

It was none other than the Grand Duke who first disregarded the Grand Duchess, providing fertile ground for baseless hatred and feelings of inferiority towards the vulnerable Grand Duchess to flourish.

The people of Lycenford sowed and nurtured seeds of doubt in that soil.

Of course, all sorts of slander began pouring out against Kaella in earnest, and the moment even Peon turned his back, she was confined just like that. The decisive start had been about improving and expanding facilities within the castle.

“Who knows. What do I know?”

It’s only surprising that she now has much better chambers, a chef, and a head maid than back then.

She was dumbfounded that she had much better results now than when she woke up early and worked through the night, struggled to find out information that wasn’t shared, and walked around the cold castle until her feet were on fire looking for Peon who wouldn’t meet her.

So Kaella was even more determined to do nothing. As Beatrice said, she was stupid, and the more she worked, the more she seemed to ruin things.

Originally, she had only planned to not change anything, just go along like the tongue in one’s mouth, and only try to get her maids out, but given the situation, she lost any desire to do more. Yes. It was better for her to do nothing at all.

“I haven’t been married long, so I don’t know much, elder brother.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Even so, Kaella guessed that Peon would stay in Pueten for a few more days to monitor the situation.

“When are you going back, elder brother?”

“I can’t stay longer in this situation. I’ve already had all the meetings I needed to, so I’m trying to wrap things up quietly. I’ll finish up as soon as elder brother returns. Don’t worry, Kaella. It’s clear that you were wrongly treated.”

“Will you go back quickly when you leave as well?”

“Yes. I need to return to Klein as quickly as possible to report.”

If so, he would be pushing hard, changing horses without rest, so it would be difficult to ask him to take one of her maids along.

She had been forcing herself to do what needed to be done until now, hoping to send the youngest, Marie, when Isidore returned to Klein, but now she felt completely drained.

‘I’ll have to send her alone separately with all sorts of excuses.’

“Why do you ask that?”

“No, I just thought you’d have a hard time if you traveled like that on the way back, since that’s how you came…”

“You’re the only one here who worries about such things.”

“Are you taking elder sister Beatrice back with you too?”

“Am I crazy? Her trunks alone would fill two carts.”

Isidore grimaced as if the thought alone was dreadful. She couldn’t send a maid, and who knew when Beatrice would leave. As expected, once again, nothing had gone as Kaella had hoped.

However, her predictions, which had always been entirely accurate, missed the mark just once this time. Peon returned to Lycenford that very evening.

*

The Grand Duke returned with only a few knights, carrying the smell of gunpowder, putrid odors, and the pungent scent of blood.

For the army brought back by the victorious Grand Duke, they looked too shabby and worn out with fatigue. The people who had rushed out in surprise all felt their hearts sink, thinking the news of victory must have been wrong.

“What’s this? Did we lose?”

Beatrice, who had come running at the news of Peon’s arrival, was startled by the appearance of the returning knights and stepped back.

A fit of coughing followed. Still not recovered from her cold despite the doctor’s orders to stay in her room, she instinctively covered her nose and retreated back inside the doorway.

“Send stonemasons and carpenters to Pueten. Continue repairs.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

As he issued orders while dismounting, Peon’s eyes met Kaella’s at the bottom of the stairs.

Though he must be tired from five days of fighting without proper sleep or food, he recognized his wife first with clear eyes. His young wife, who seemed to have grown even larger eyes, stood there unable to approach him.

She had been standing in that same spot before he regressed.

He had thought that as a neat and proper lady, she didn’t want to come close due to his appearance covered in blood and ashes. But that was more like Beatrice, who had started to run towards him but stopped.

Now he could see. Kaella couldn’t approach even if she wanted to.

Just as it was very difficult for him to approach her, just as he barely managed to call her name once without permission after holding back again and again, Kaella found him too difficult to face.

Even with a strong family background, how miserable must she have been to come to Lycenford and suffer all sorts of humiliation?

Peon wanted to greet her warmly. He wanted to ask if she had been well, if Beatrice hadn’t given her a hard time, and if the steward hadn’t said mean things.

But he couldn’t approach her closely looking so filthy. He dared not. So he just smiled and nodded once.

I’m back. Were you well? I won the battle. You don’t need to worry anymore.

Though he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, filled with all the words he wanted to say.

It was a miracle when Kaella suddenly opened her eyes wide and walked towards him. As it was natural for the Grand Duchess to greet the Grand Duke, people stepped aside on their own.

“You’ve returned?”

“Yes, I have returned.”

Peon nodded.

“Are you injured anywhere?”

“I was not injured at all.”

The man who had kept his promise not to get hurt and returned instead thoroughly examined his wife. Having been told he wasn’t injured, the wife who immediately moved on maintained a businesslike attitude disguised as concern.

“We were able to endure thanks to Your Grace’s excellent rear support. It was all thanks to you.”

He was finally saying words that should have been said long ago.

“Not at all. What could I have done safely from the rear? I’m so glad you weren’t hurt. I’ve had bath water prepared. Please go inside and rest, Your Grace.”

Kaella, who greeted the Grand Duke but didn’t detain him for long and immediately tried to send him inside, was a very convenient wife. A capable and flawless ‘convenient’ existence that was neither bothersome nor annoying, even in her first battle.

It was natural to be clumsy at first, to learn through mistakes, and though not perfect, Peon only realized after losing her that the sincerity and devotion within were most precious. He dared to feel regretful despite having turned away. He would have to feel regretful, sorry, and pained forever.

“Yes. You should rest too. You must have been tired these past five days.”

The Grand Duke walked up the stairs alongside his wife. The steward, who had many misgivings and needed to somehow appear better to the Grand Duke, quickly followed.

“Your Grace.”

But before he could properly speak to the Grand Duke, the Grand Duke asked first:

“Rolf, where is the emperor’s investigator?”

Before the steward could answer, Isidore, who had rushed out, shouted loudly.

“You’ve returned! Thank goodness! Are you injured anywhere?”

He ran out, forgetting even his title as the emperor’s investigator, and expressed relief again and again. He didn’t know how uncomfortable and difficult it had been as a knight for the past five days.

“Let’s talk. Though I look like this.”

“Of course.”

There was no room for the steward or Beatrice to join the Grand Duke walking side by side with his wife and the investigator.

Of all people, the investigator! Knowing that the investigator who had taken all the ledgers had nothing to do for the past five days and had mobilized all his subordinate investigators to just look at ledgers and documents, the steward became even more anxious.

*

Peon used his time efficiently. As soon as he arrived, he met with Isidore alone. For a very long time, Isidore remained in the room Peon had entered, with Secretary Regen and Lord Wilberk coming and going in between.

It was natural for the person in overall charge to meet with various people immediately after the battle ended. But if there was a line anywhere, one could slip in between.

“He just finished bathing. He’s alone.”

Thanks to the steward’s tip, Beatrice was able to slip into the room secretly. Inside the room with a large bathtub brought in, steam was thick as if hot spring water had been drawn from nearby.

Beatrice entered further inside, her pink eyes twinkling lovingly, or perhaps greedily. She tended to become more vivacious the more mischievous she acted.

“You’re here? You’ve worked hard.”

She muttered languidly to the large man visible through the steam. Peon, who had barely caught his breath, stood wearing only a thin robe over his bare body, having roughly wiped off the moisture.

“How did you get in here again?”

He looked over Beatrice with an exasperated expression before glancing at the door. He was clearly thinking about who had just left.

“If you won’t meet me, I have to make an effort.”

Her luscious red lips smiled broadly.

“Get out.”

“You can’t do that, Peon. You can never shake me off. You know that. You, Her Majesty the Empress, and I are one body. Your life is mortgaged to me.”

Poison dripped from her tongue. The formless poison seeped into Peon’s ears and skin. Beatrice reached out her hand.

“I understand that you’ve momentarily turned your eyes elsewhere. You want to rest and escape too. That’s possible. But you have to come back to me.”

It had to be that way. She unconsciously swallowed as she looked at the splendid body revealed between the robe. That all belongs to Beatrice Lavalle.

“You have to maintain your honor for life. As a noble knight…”

Beatrice took one step, two steps closer to Peon, who was looking down at her expressionlessly. Her fingertips were about to touch him.

“Though the beginning may be sad, you must remain faithful to the end without betraying…”

She touched him. Beatrice looked up at him, running her hand over his body. Black poison seeped into him.

“That’s how you should go down in history. You can’t keep being called a bastard acting like a bastard. Remain as an excellent son and my precious friend, Peon.”

But Peon took a step forward. Beatrice unconsciously stepped back, pushed by him. Two steps, three steps, Peon drove her back relentlessly. Somehow she couldn’t take her eyes off his purple eyes.

“You’re in a hurry.”

“Mm, you’re the one who’s in a hurry.”

Beatrice, who had stuck out her tongue to lick her lips ostentatiously, felt her back touch the door. Though she shouldn’t be pushed back, she kept getting pushed by Peon with his cool eyes.

But even this was thrilling. Extremely excited, all the nerves in her body were jumping. She had clearly released the poison. Good and gentle Peon should have swallowed that poison well, as he had done for 28 years. How delightful.

“Lady Lavalle, if you’re in a hurry, just go quietly and die alone.”

Peon flung open the door without warning. Beatrice fell backwards with a whoosh, unable to even scream.

“Coming at me like this is like asking me to kill you.”

Having fallen hard, she drew in a breath. Black poison swirled in the eyes of the man who had seen blood for five days. As the killing intent was directed at her, her pretty face turned pale blue.

The man who had been brainwashed to be a noble knight kicked away Beatrice’s leg, which was caught in the door, with his slipper-clad foot.

“I guarantee dying alone would be better. If you still don’t like that, come one more time.”

Peon looked down at Beatrice as if viewing a lower life form, then turned his head and spoke to the servant who had stopped while coming this way.

“Call for Lord Renard.”

“Yes, yes, Your Grace!”

Peon closed the door again and took off his robe with a disgusted expression. He felt as if his entire body had become dirty again. He would need to bathe once more. His purple eyes were gradually turning black.