The lamp lit up, pushing back the darkness.

Aden’s gaze, silently observing the central army outside the castle walls that had boldly taken position far away, shifted downward to rest on the table before the window.

Ludmila’s letter, delivered by Salom, lay there.

The letter remained tightly sealed, its opening still intact – a piece of lingering attachment he had yet to sort out, contained within.

Aden had repeatedly tried to open the firmly closed letter, fingertips caressing its edge, but ultimately set it down each time.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, he felt that if he read that letter here, he might accept Neser’s proposal, making his anger towards him seem foolish.

He had no desire to desperately cling to life or live in a pitiful state.

However, the thought occurred to him that if it meant being with Ludmila, if he could see her again, even such a life might not be so bad.

So he tried to ignore the conflict within himself without opening the letter, but in the end his worries only deepened as night approached its final hours.

Turning around, Aden retrieved a bottle from the cabinet, poured a drink, and took a sip while looking out the window once more.

He wiped his lips, wet with red wine, with the back of his hand and rubbed his tired face with his palm.

One glass, two glasses.

He drank to forget his distracting thoughts, but the more the alcohol took effect, the harder it became to suppress his desires.

Finally, after emptying the fifth glass, Aden realized he could not overcome this desire and smiled self-mockingly.

After setting down the last empty glass, Aden slowly picked up the letter.

How long had it been since he’d seen Ludmila’s neat handwriting?

Silently gazing at the letter, Aden exhaled softly before grasping the edge of the envelope he had held so many times and slowly, this time completely, opening it.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

[I resent you, Aden.]

The first sentence that appeared as he unfolded the letter stabbed at Aden’s heart.

Though he felt he didn’t want to read any further, his gaze was drawn downward as if pulled.

[You always act as though you’re making the right choice. And you prove it with results. You never say anything to me, but in the end, when I see the outcome, I realize you were right.

If only you had told me a little sooner. Something might have changed. It would be a lie to say I’ve never harbored such resentment.

But that doesn’t mean I dislike those actions of yours. The reason you had to act that way.

Because it reveals a glimpse of how specially you thought of and regarded me.

I don’t want you to get hurt.

That carries its literal meaning, but it also contains the wish for you to be happy.

I hoped you would smile that beautiful smile you showed me while looking at another woman and be happy.

I’m sorry, Aden. I deceived and misled you.

Knowing full well that you could never do so, I pushed you away saying it would be possible once I left.

Though I knew how cowardly it was, I thought it was the right path.

It’s not something I should say, being the one who dragged you into this storm.

The guilt and regret I’ve always carried in my heart made me say those things. By the time I realized it belatedly, you were no longer by my side.

You are the wind. You came without a sound and left, leaving your lingering scent in the rain shower.

I thought it was a fragrance that would surely disappear someday, but when I finally discovered what you were trying to hide from me, it could no longer remain a faint scent.

Aden, I want you to be happy.

Today, tomorrow. Next month, next year… until the time when your hair turns white and the earth calls you, spanning across time.

So please, don’t die.

Please stay alive and return to my side.]

Aden’s hand trembled faintly as he read the long letter.

In contrast to his face, flushed from alcohol, his previously calm breathing gradually grew ragged and his eyes quivered slightly.

Just as the letter in his hand began to flutter along with his movements, Aden came to his senses and quickly raised his head.

The distant, brightly shining lights filled his eyes.

Please don’t die.

Those words tore Aden’s unwavering conviction to shreds.

[This is the timeline separator]

Speaker of the Lower House Bex passed through the entrance of the encampment with a tired face.

Having just returned from a meeting in the capital, his body was as limp as a wet rag. Bex barely acknowledged the salutes given to him and took a deep breath.

‘Damn it.’

He didn’t forget to curse inwardly. This damned war.

Despite the Crown Prince’s bold claim that the outcome would be decided before winter, even now as summer was ending, the direction remained uncertain.

They say victory is assured since they’re guarding outside the castle walls, starving those inside to death, but the key issue was how long they could hold out here.

He wanted to go back, but from next year’s Lower House Speaker election to the Upper House member elections, there were too many things at stake.

Moreover, if this war ends safely, the Crown Prince will become Emperor in name and reality.

There would be no one left to challenge his authority, so this was precisely the time to stick close to the Crown Prince and claim to be his loyal servant.

Due to these conflicting interests, Bex was full of irritation and dissatisfaction as he experienced military life and war, which he had never cared about before.

It would soon be two months.

The sweltering heat had subsided somewhat, but the problem was the chill coming from beyond.

Though the Habertz territory wasn’t colder than the Empire, spending time in tents dependent on what was essentially an empty field outside the city walls was still arduous.

For Bex, who spent every winter in warm resorts or in front of fireplaces that never went out, wearing thick fur coats, the leather uniform and barely functional stoves were not suitable for surviving winter.

‘Can’t we just cross those castle walls right away?’

They may not have cannons, but they had plenty of battering rams, catapults, and ladders.

If they sacrificed enough soldiers, they had the numerical advantage to scale the walls, yet the Crown Prince remained unmoved.

He wasn’t unaware that losing a large number of soldiers would make subduing Habertz meaningless right away, but Bex’s patience had already worn too thin to consider such things.

“You’re back?”

Jeffrey’s voice greeted him as Bex entered the tent, pulling aside the flap.

Jeffrey gave a small nod to Bex, who was saluting, and motioned with his eyes for the staff to leave.

Once the two were alone, Jeffrey gestured with his chin.

“The atmosphere in the parliament and the Upper House is not good.”

The reason Bex went to the capital.

It was to explain the prolonged war and the severe damage suffered by the central army.

Unlike their expectations of an easy subjugation, nearly 20,000 soldiers had been annihilated by Habertz’s raids and attacks.

These were not just numbers, but the lives of someone’s brothers, sons, and fathers among the Empire’s people.

The imperial citizens, who had been burning with resentment and anger towards Habertz, gradually became aware of the reality as cries of mourning echoed everywhere.

The fact that someone must die in war.

“There’s a lot of talk that the 20,000 casualties far exceed the initially expected losses. They’re saying supplementary budget is needed as the compensation for the deceased and consolation money for their families exceeds the budget.”

“It’s not 20,000, but 17,000.”

Jeffrey reacted sensitively to that number.

Seeing Jeffrey’s slightly furrowed brow, Bex quietly swallowed a sigh and nodded.

“Considering the war isn’t over, if the death toll increases further, more budget will be needed. Moreover, there’s talk among the imperial citizens that the charges against the Duke and the trial were not properly substantiated, and the war broke out in a haphazard manner. Though the voices aren’t loud yet, if their numbers grow, even the parliament will find it difficult to ignore.”

Though slightly exaggerated with his true feelings mixed in, the content itself was the unvarnished truth.

A prolonged war was an expected outcome, but the problem was the casualties.

20,000. Whether they broke through that castle or those inside came rushing out unable to endure, the number remained unchanged.

In any case, a full-scale war was anticipated, and it was clear that there would be more casualties in the process.

Could they really fend off those terrifying cavalry charging with the resolve to die with minimal losses? That was something he couldn’t guarantee.

“Your Highness. Though it may be presumptuous, it seems we should start considering it.”

“Consider what?”

“A ceasefire, I mean.”

Jeffrey’s face contorted unpleasantly.

A ceasefire was a nice way of putting it, but it also meant that Jeffrey would have to take responsibility for all these consequences.

What started as an attempt to gain a solid support base before becoming Emperor could instead embroil him in accountability and potentially lead to his deposition as Crown Prince.

“If the war drags on and the damage worsens further, even if we win, there will be no glory to gain. But while a ceasefire will immediately raise questions of responsibility, depending on how it’s handled, we might be able to avoid the worst.”

Though Jeffrey turned his head away, apparently displeased with Bex’s words, he couldn’t openly deny them.

After all, it was one of the possibilities he had already been considering.

As Jeffrey remained silent, Bex continued speaking, as if trying to persuade him.

“Your Highness, I think you should come out for a moment.”

It was then that an aide pulled back the tent flap and spoke with an urgent face and voice.

Jeffrey frowned and turned his head, and the aide bit his lip nervously with a troubled expression.

“…An envoy from Grand Duke Cellano has arrived.”