“It doesn’t matter. You’re no longer the princess of Eorenti. I’ll issue a new identity, a new title.”

“I don’t need such a thing.”

“Marry me as soon as the war is over. Live as a Grand Duke.”

He must have gone insane.

In Aaron’s gaze, madness mixed with rational emotions.

Aaron captured everything about Delia with his gaze, and his cold voice froze her lungs.

Delia took a step back, gasping for breath.

“I’d rather die than survive like that.”

As Delia stepped back, the distance between Aaron grew.

Aaron didn’t seem to want to stop her in particular.

He just looked at her with cold, metallic eyes.

“I won’t let you die.”

“I’d rather die defending Eorenti than being dragged to the Empire.”

“I told you I wouldn’t let that happen.”

Delia clenched her teeth.

Though the distance from Aaron was clearly growing.

The eyes that bound her felt more vivid.

She had to escape.

She had to break free before she was drawn into his unfathomable gaze.

“Do you think it’ll go your way?”

Delia backed away toward the entrance of the tent.

Even as she pushed back the curtain at the entrance, Aaron’s gaze was unwaveringly fixed on Delia.

The distance grew, but his gaze became clearer.

His ironlike gaze pierced Delia’s body and mind.

As if he would never let go, no matter how much Delia floundered and resisted.

He looked at Delia with mad desire.

If she kept looking into his eyes, she felt like she would go insane too.

Her stomach churned and Delia, finding it hard to bear, turned and left the tent.

She couldn’t be pulled by him like this.

Rather than being dragged to the Empire, she would die right here.

As she pushed back the rough curtain and stepped out of the tent, the cool forest wind brushed against Delia.

She saw the sun of Eorenti shining a red sunset through the mountain ridges in the distance.

Delia was the princess of Eorenti.

It was impossible to abandon her parents and her country, Eorenti.

She had no intention of dancing to the mad commander’s tune.

Delia clenched her teeth and moved forward.

The rough dirt and stones hurt her bare feet, but she didn’t care and just kept moving forward.

“Hey.”

The busy movements of the soldiers preparing dinner stopped all at once at Delia’s appearance.

Startled, questioning, and astounded eyes gathered.

Delia cut through their pouring gaze and stepped forward.

“Stop.”

A soldier stood in front blocking Delia’s path.

Delia, who glanced at him, spat out coldly.

“Step aside.”

“You cannot leave the camp without permission.”

The soldier blocking Delia quickly scanned her from head to toe.

Her golden hair with a red tint, a shirt that went down to her thighs, was fluttering in the Tarence wind.

Wearing the commander’s shirt, receiving special care from the commander.

She was a prisoner of the supreme commander that absolutely could not be lost.

“Move.”

“I cannot.”

“Do you dare block my path knowing who I am?”

“Whoever you are, are you not a captive?”

Delia sneered and glared at the unyielding soldier.

“You guys are the ones who didn’t treat me as a normal prisoner in the first place. I should’ve been left to die in the prisoner camp.”

Delia, who spat out coldly, pushed the soldier and walked forward.

She took a few steps forward, and then she heard the sound of a gun being loaded behind her.

“Stop.”

Even without turning around, Delia knew.

A gun was pointed at her.

Ignoring the creepy feeling running down her back, Delia moved forward.

“Turn back.”

But Delia was blocked again before she could take a few steps.

Two soldiers blocked her way, aiming their guns at her.

“Give it a shot. Even if you’re a prisoner. You’re just going to stand by and watch a prisoner escape?”

Delia taunted them, shooting a glance their way.

“Is this the level of discipline in the Imperial Army? You just stand by and watch even when a prisoner runs away.”

She took a step closer to them in provocation, but they only stood silent in her way.

“Fools. The enemy is right in front of you, yet you can’t even shoot properly.”

Delia approached the pointed gun barrels even closer.

Her round forehead touched the end of the shining silverdecorated gun barrel.

“Shoot. Shoot. If you don’t, you’re the ones who will die.”

At Delia’s sharp words, the soldiers seemed tense, swallowing dryly.

They gripped their gun handles even tighter and looked at Delia.

But they didn’t shoot Delia.

They just stood in her way.

“If you can’t do it, let me help you.”

Delia strode forward, thrusting into the chest of the soldier who had aimed his gun at her.

He couldn’t stop Delia, who was digging downwards, because he was aiming his gun.

He stepped back in shock, but by then, the knife he had kept at his waist had already been taken.

Delia swung the knife sharply.

“Move away.”

The soldier standing next to her pushed his colleague aside and blocked her with his gun barrel.

Despite the quick defense, blood spurted out as if it had grazed his side.

“How about now? Feel like shooting a little now?”

Red blood splattered on Delia’s pale face.

When she wiped it off with her shirt sleeve, a long bloodstain remained on her face.

Delia looked down at them with a cold expression.

One person was on the ground, clutching his side, and another was blocking Delia.

Pained groans echoed around them.

“Do it properly. Either move aside, or shoot.”

Coldly spitting out her words, Delia pointed her knife at the soldier blocking her.

If she killed this guy, the others would rush at her.

Then she could fight as a princess of Iorenti and die in battle.

That was the logical and clean ending Delia had in mind.

She should have done this from the beginning.

Before he realized who I was.

Before I found out how hot his ashcolored eyes could get.

Before I got addicted to his tender fingertips.

She should have done this from the beginning.

Delia clenched the knife in her hand in regret that gnawed at her heart.

“It’s not too late yet.”