Even though I thought every day was uncomfortable and hard, it seemed I had somewhat adapted to life with Reus. I stared blankly at his empty spot beside me.

‘…I’m worried.’

He said he’d be back in a week at the latest, but it was hard to shake off my concerns, especially since he wasn’t just going out but to a battlefield…

Of course, Reus, seemingly not wanting any farewell, had left at dawn without any ceremony.

When I was feeling a bit down about this the next morning, Dewin tried to offer consolation, though it didn’t quite feel like it.

There was no exaggeration in Dewin’s words of absolute belief.

Reus Rocheter was a living legend of the Asilite Empire.

A statement any citizen of the empire would nod in agreement to.

Reus first went to war in the winter of his 15th to 16th year, during the outbreak of the war with the Kingdom of Hellarion.

It was a major conflict, with even the children of nobles in the capital being conscripted.

Back then, everyone said that Reus Rocheter would surely follow in his parents’ footsteps on the battlefield.

It wasn’t a conclusion based on evidence, but because the previous Grand Duke, Licasen Rocheter, was known more for his intellect than physical prowess.

Besides, the Rocheter family had been struck by misfortune. It was pity.

Though people claimed to be concerned, in reality, they were enjoying the series of misfortunes that befell the Grand Duchy in their own way.

However, Reus returned alive, defying everyone’s predictions of his death.

Not just preserving his life but also gaining significant achievements in his very first war at the tender age of 16.

After that, no lengthy explanations were needed. Sometimes at the Emperor’s call, sometimes of his own will, Reus went to war and each time accomplished remarkable feats.

The battlefield was a place where even seasoned knights unexpectedly died and returned as corpses.
However, Reus was always busy demonstrating his prowess wherever he went, so people began to predict outcomes whenever the Grand Duke Rocheter was dispatched.

Not whether he would live or die, but how quickly he would secure victory for the empire.

When I used to hear nobles discussing this, it was just someone else’s business.

I had no good feelings towards Reus back then. In fact, I considered our relationship worse than strangers.

So, why would it matter to me if a man I resented died or lived?

But now, it’s different.

The vague prejudices I had held were long shattered. He wasn’t as bad as I thought, nor entirely good… not just a character in print, but a real person.

A person whose life I had saved, and with whom I had, for better or worse, joined fates.

Even if Reus didn’t want it, the words filling the space between us had grown so much.

Yet, Reus was the one most affected by the storyline I had disrupted, and in a very negative way.

A guilt that no one would acknowledge weighed heavily on me. I consciously pictured Reus in my mind, as he was when we had no relationship, from a distance.

The sun, more scorching than ever, as the hero of the empire led the returning imperial army at the forefront.

His silver hair shone as if adorned with brilliance, his armor dripping with nobility. The loud cheers and applause.

Images of him advancing forward, focused only ahead amidst the fluttering flower petals…

‘He will return safely…’

As always, Reus would grasp victory and return unharmed.

Repeating this as if it would make it true, I continually envisioned Reus as he was that day.