After Esther left, Sion stood by the window with Arcadia.

Darkness had already begun to fall outside.

Arcadia spoke.

“Sion, put aside your feelings for me and think of me only as the Grand Duke of the North. Despite my appearance, I’ve fought evenly with that sword master Esther. I don’t want to die, and I’m confident I won’t. I’m too strong, even if I do say so myself.”

“Arcadia.”

“I’ve prepared a lot too.”

“What preparations?”

“I received a magic potion from Adrian that changes my outer appearance.”

Arcadia grinned.

“It changes my appearance.”

“With this handsome face, there’s no way I could infiltrate. Anyone could see I’m the former Deputy Commander of the Northern Knights, too beautiful.”

“He makes such potions? Adrian?”

“I asked him to. Gave him some things he wanted to eat.”

Even at Arcadia’s joke, Sion didn’t laugh. He just stared out the window and opened his mouth.

“Since when have you been preparing this.”

“Well… at first I was just thinking about what I could do for Esther and asked for it. But now that the black magic is gone and it’s not needed anymore, I’m going to use it. We can’t win against the South with just conventional methods. They don’t only fight us head-on. Even if it seems cowardly, side attacks, foul play, backstabbing, tripping while blocking vision – we need to do those things too now.”

“……”

“You wouldn’t like it, Your Highness, since you’ve never done it before. But conventional methods aren’t the only tactics.”

Sion was silent.

He knew Arcadia was right. But…

“Arcadia, I don’t want to send you.”

“I’m not the nine-year-old Arcadia Nugent anymore, Your Highness.”

Sion looked at Arcadia.

“I thought about it since I put Julia in the underground prison with my own hands. No, I thought about it even before that, but that’s when I made up my mind, I guess.”

“You really… do as you please.”

“It’s the only thing we have in common, Your Highness – being stubborn. But no matter how I do as I please, I couldn’t give up on the Holy Sword. If I were you, I wouldn’t have been able to give it up.”

“!”

“So I was able to give it up. Now I only have you and the North left.”

Arcadia showed a refreshing smile as if he had shaken off something that had been completely blocked.

Giving up on Esther.

I was grateful for those words, but it also hurt. But that didn’t mean I had any intention of yielding from the beginning. It’s not a feeling that can be moved by will.

And I have no intention of making you… a shadow.

“Arcadia.”

“Yes.”

“Give me time to think, please.”

“… I understand.”

[Timeline Separator]

The next night.

Since arriving here, Arcadia had pitched his own tent near the inn’s green area, saying he enjoyed the freedom.

In the end, Moby, Ergo, Yora and I went to his tent to see him.

And sometime later, even the Grand Duke came to the tent and it became crowded inside.

When he entered and our eyes met, neither he nor I avoided each other’s gaze.

Just the fact that he didn’t avoid me made me feel a little more at ease.

We would be the only ones who knew Arcadia was alive.

The Grand Duke allowed Arcadia’s determination. And so that Arcadia could use it when catching evidence, it was decided to prepare an imager stone for him as well.

“There’s a blind old man in the fortune tellers’ street in the capital. The one who undid the hypnosis Cecilia was under during the fake princess incident, you know?”

“Ah, that old man.”

“If you go find that old man, it should work out.”

“Your Highness, that old man isn’t a magician by any chance, is he?”

Arcadia asked back.

“?”

“No, I was just reminded of our boy magician talking about black magic and whatnot. I thought maybe he went blind from using bad magic.”

No way.

“Are you joking, Arcadia?”

I admonished him.

“I’m not joking. Stupid master who can’t even tell a joke from a serious comment.”

“!”

“The onion is browning.”

“Deputy Commander, you’re a scal-lion!”

“What?”

“White hair, green eyes. Just tall. Just like a scallion root and stalk!”

‘I finally said it, scallion.’

I felt proud, as if I had landed a blow.

“… It’s platinum blonde. Calling it white hair. And I’m not the Deputy Commander anymore. How many times do I have to say it, stupid master.”

He calls me stupid again.

“Since you took a stupid person like me as your disciple, then aren’t you the king of fools, Mr. Nugent?”

Arcadia looked shocked.

“You really… have a knack for being hurtful. Isn’t that right, Your Highness?”

“……”

The Grand Duke laughed bitterly.

I was flustered. Why would he say such a thing to His Highness.

“I’m sorry. Let’s stop now, Mr. Nugent.”

My voice dropped low without me realizing it. Arcadia scratched his head, looking a little flustered.

“What, I was just trying to make you laugh. I won’t call you onion anymore. I’m sorry, Teacher.”

“Teacher?”

“You said it yesterday. To teach me how to move stealthily like assassins.”

What should I say in response?

Then, Commanding Officer Moby, who had been sipping alcohol since the beginning, spoke.

“Sir Nugent. Are you having a hard time?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s hard, of course it’s hard. When you’re having a hard time since childhood, you tend to laugh more and say silly things. Even though you’re usually cold and aloof.”

A brief silence flowed.

Arcadia showed a sorrowful expression.

“As expected… I can’t fool our Commanding Officer.”

“You have to come back safely, without any incidents.”

The Commanding Officer patted Arcadia’s back.

The night deepens.

After everyone left… only the Grand Duke, Arcadia and I remained in the tent.

I asked Arcadia.

“Were you really going to keep it a secret from me?”

“That… I was going to tell you once everything was decided. It’s embarrassing to say heavy things like being a shadow or a secret knight.”

Arcadia shrugged and laughed. Then he said,

“By the way, you should tell me now, right?”

It was time to have the most secret conversation.

I told Arcadia the highest level of information I knew, the areas where I guessed the Grand Duke’s armies would be.

“Lahert doesn’t share all information even with his subordinates. He’s the only one who knows everything. The rest only hear limited information and follow his orders. So they can’t see the whole picture.”

“Whew, he’s a really bad guy.”

“That’s right.”

I held back my sadness and laughed at Arcadia’s interjection.

“Lady Medeia’s closest maid is Lady Berk, the Earl’s daughter. Her father, Earl Berk, is also one of Lahert’s confidants and currently-”

“He’s the Minister of Defense Lahert’s chief of staff.”

The Grand Duke said.

It was the first conversation I had with him since coming to the tent. I raised my head to look at him.

Our eyes met.

Suddenly, a memory that came to mind made me quickly lower my head. It wasn’t just because I was sorry, but more because I was embarrassed.

Why did the memory of your lips becoming one with mine suddenly come to mind?

I carefully lifted my head.

But he was discussing future plans with Arcadia with an unperturbed face.

Perhaps I am continuing to confuse and distress you, Grand Duke.

I remember when you requested a swordsmanship match with me at the training grounds of the capital’s mansion.

Me, who wanted to hide who I was.

You, who wanted to know the truth I was hiding.

So I ran away from you.

You, who reached out your hand to me again, saying you wouldn’t force me to tell.

‘I keep… just receiving your warm heart, I keep doing it.’

“Alright! Enough talk about work! Being like this really reminds me of when we were in the Iberian Plains.”

Arcadia said.

Iberian. The place where I, after leaving the South, first met the Northern Knights. How could I ever forget that place?

The Grand Duke who saved me from the South, and Arcadia who didn’t trust me.

In order to gain their trust, I had shared a lot of information with the two of them late at night inside the tent.

There were also times when I had long conversations alone with the Grand Duke in his tent, asking him to trust me.

“Ah…”

I let out a small sigh without realizing it.

“Why?”

“Just… because I miss it.”

At my words, Arcadia quietly recited.

“Right. Those days have already become the past.”

I looked at the Grand Duke.

His eyes too were quietly lowered, as if groping for something he missed. Then he looks at me.

Meeting his blue eyes, I spoke.

“I haven’t forgotten that you saved me.”

“!”

The Grand Duke didn’t say anything. He just stared at me.

“Come now, let’s not be like this. The short night is too precious to waste. How about we have a drink too, Your Highness?”

Arcadia pulled out a bottle of wine he said he always carried with him.

“Didn’t you say you can’t handle alcohol?”

“Today is an exception.”

“Then let’s do it.”

“Your Highness?”

[Timeline Separator]

That night, Arcadia collapsed in a drunken stupor.

Unable to endure the dizziness because I was weak to alcohol, I slumped over the table.

Someone… I felt like I was being carried in their arms.

“Your Highness…”

I called out to him.

But he didn’t answer.

I’m being carried on the Grand Duke’s back over the green grass where the sound of crickets can be heard.

The whole way, I buried my face in his back and cried softly.

He laid me on the bed in my room and covered me with a blanket so I wouldn’t be cold. And then… he left.

The sound of the door closing.

During the long walk, the Grand Duke said only one thing to me.

“Esther, when this war is over… you can live as you wish. I will do my best to fight for the day when I can guarantee your safety.”

I hope this war ends quickly.

I hope for ordinary days to come soon where you don’t have to do your best, Grand Duke.

And…

‘I don’t want to leave you, Grand Duke.’

I regretted not being able to say these words to him, and even in my dreams I cried. It was a dream where I was being carried on his back, walking endlessly.

[Timeline Separator]

Early morning.

I woke up feeling like I had slept well for the first time in a long time. But there were familiar voices coming from outside the window.

“Is she still sleeping?”

“Hmm… if she was awake, she would have come out by now.”

“Should we knock?”

“What if we wake her up doing that?”

It’s the Grand Duke and Arcadia.

I sat up, then poked my head out over the windowsill right next to the bed.

“Oh my gosh!”

Arcadia cried out.

“I’m the one who’s more surprised…”

I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. Then my eyes met the Grand Duke’s, who was standing behind Arcadia.

‘Last night…’

The warmth of that tender back.

I quickly lowered my body to hide myself. Only then did I come to my senses. I didn’t want to show my disheveled appearance right after waking up.

“Esther! No, Teacher! Come out quickly!”

Arcadia called for me.

Ah… how annoying.

[Timeline Separator]

After washing up neatly and changing clothes, I went to Arcadia’s tent.

There, two men who looked perfectly fine for the day after drinking were having a swordsmanship match.

It was the first time I saw it. Arcadia and the Grand Duke crossing swords.

If it weren’t for me, the man who would be called the Empire’s strongest swordsman and the Northern Grand Duke who overwhelms that swordsman with his sword.

It was a sight of a black wolf and a white wolf playing a joyful game, as if fighting.

It was beautiful.

As I was blankly watching, the Grand Duke noticed me first and stopped his sword.

“You’re here, Esther.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Looks like you shouldn’t drink.”

“You’re one to talk, Mr. Nugent.”

Arcadia approached me.

“Now, I’ve warmed up in advance. Hurry up and teach me. The way to hide your presence and move stealthily.”

“……”

“What? Did you already forget? Those steps… or body movements?”

“Of course not.”

I smiled quietly.

“But.”

“It’s not something that can be learned easily.”

When Arcadia made a mischievous grin.

“What? Now that you’ve become a Sword Master, you’re looking down on me.”

“That’s not it.”

“Then.”

“… It’s an extremely difficult and painful training.”

I looked up at the sky, which was even bluer today, without a single cloud.

“I practiced running without making a sound since I was six. If I made a sound, they would tie sandbags to my legs and throw me into the river.”

“Who?”

“Me, of course.”

“…!”

“Naturally, my leg strength was built up, the soles of my feet hardened, and then at some point, I was able to run in a way that didn’t make a big sound when soil touched soil or leaf touched leaf. When I was about ten years old.”

“……”

“I think I was able to learn how to move the sword quickly because I wielded a very heavy and blunt sword. I fought other ‘bugs’ with it every day. And if I died doing that, they would tie stones to my body and throw me in the same river. So… I practiced like crazy because I didn’t want to go in there. There were times when I let them hit me only to the point of not dying, because I didn’t want to kill anyone.”

I brought up stories of the past in a calm manner.

Then, when it got too quiet, I raised my head to see both men staring at me.

The Grand Duke’s face was distorted in a grim expression.