The sun rose and set, the moon rose and set, for thirtyfour nights.
Bingbyeok the Great Duke and his soldiers triumphantly returned to camp after safely conquering Ferdan Fortress.
The remaining soldiers guarding the camp greeted them with cheers and dances of joy, and the female prisoners, including Brody, proudly welcomed them in front of abundant crops.
Though they had returned victorious, the appearance of the soldiers was nothing to be proud of.
They were soaked with sweat and blood, but washing was the last thing on their minds.
Even Bingbyeok the Great Duke was sporting a haggard face and a tattered cloak.
Chief of Staff River was in the best condition among them, but he was only better, still looking shriveled.
However, all their faces were overflowing with pride and joy.
The stern Mrs. Murphy, who took care of the camp’s livelihood, was the first to want to bathe them, but for the soldiers, food and drink were more urgent.
They plopped down anywhere in the camp, crying out in hunger.
The camp’s people, who had received advance notice that they were winning and returning, smiled knowingly and served food.
Meat was scarce, but the main dish was a soup full of potatoes, accompanied by a side dish of pickled kohlrabi.
They were bewildered by the unfamiliar crops, but after tasting them, they began to scrape the pot, shouting in joy.
“It goes down smoothly with alcohol!”
Alcohol was among the spoils of war.
The food might not have been luxurious, but to those who had been starving and were accustomed to hunger, it was a feast that made their knees buckle.
Brody allowed Mrs. Murphy to offer the crops and eat heartily.
The harvest was not that much, but it was a shortterm success, so it was a solvable problem if they continued to grow them.
If they continued to march successfully, it would be possible to airlift food from areas not affected by famine.
Bingbyeok the Great Duke Aidan, who praised and encouraged the returning soldiers, circled the feast a few times before entering the barracks.
Mrs. Murphy eyed him carefully and handed Brody a tray with warm water and towels and sent her inside.
‘He must want to be attended to… Hmmm.’
Brody was secretly pleased that the Great Duke had returned, but she couldn’t help but be startled.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Brody, who had entered the barracks creaking, spoke without looking at him as she put down the tray.
“Bri!”
“Whoa! Be careful!”
Brody almost spilled the water from the tray due to Aidan suddenly rushing at her.
Despite Brody’s scolding, Aidan hugged her tightly.
‘Why is he acting like this when he doesn’t seem to be that kind of person…’
Brody, taken aback, pushed him away.
His face was flushed as if he was slightly drunk with alcohol.
The smell of alcohol… no, not only that, but the stench of sweat and blood was more horrific than imaginable, and Brody unconsciously covered her nose.
Aidan looked at Brody like that and laughed as if it were amusing, even though he fell away from her.
“Ugh… Now I see why Mrs. Murphy sent this to me in a hurry.”
Brody changed her mind about seating him on the bed.
She was very worried about the bed’s cleanliness.
So she brought over a low chair and sat Aidan on it.
With halfclosed eyes and a smiling face, he passively let Brody do as she wished.
“Armor, I’ll take it off.”
Oh, how is this constructed? Brody barely found the strap and stripped it off.
Not only in her maiden days but even in the past, Brody had never taken off armor before.
Feeling the filthily heavy armor that fell from him, she threw it far into the corner.
“Ah, phew.”
Because of the smell, Brody turned her head, exhaled, inhaled again, and kept repeating the cycle of holding her breath.
After stripping off the armor, a grimy shirt appeared.
Can it be revived by washing it? she thought, stripping off the shirt and throwing it far into the corner.
Aidan waited, floundering with his upper body undressed.
Muttering something—a Korean curse, so Aiden didn’t understand—Brody approached, having wrung out the towel soaked in warm water.
“Starting from the head!”
After exclaiming a resolutionfilled cry, Brody, who quickly covered Aiden’s head with the towel, was taken aback.
His body had far too many wounds.
From old injuries to ones not long inflicted.
‘Surviving the battlefield is indeed something incredible.’
The smell was still strong, but Brody’s fretful heart had somewhat softened.
Carefully wiping the hair, the face, and the neck.
The towel became filthy in no time.
“……Feels good.”
With his eyes closed, he muttered in a low voice. A satisfied smile lingered slightly on his lips.
“It’s bound to feel good.”
Brody diligently soaked a new towel, wrung it out, and repeated the wiping. Only then did the smell seem to diminish a little.
‘Lack of water is a sad thing.’
If he were to fully immerse his body in a warm bath, fatigue would be washed away. Ah, the dust and the smell, of course.
After wiping the head, face, and neck, it was time to wipe the upper body.
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
