A deep sense of gloom that couldn’t be overcome by flowers filled her chest.

Delia, who had been staring far away to avoid Aaron, slightly opened her lips.

“I will be happy for sure.”

“What will?”

“The language of flowers. Isn’t it great?”

“It’s more banal than I thought.”

“Commander, what are you thinking about?”

“Victory, end, freedom, decadence, boredom, war, pleasure.”

Delia turned her head to look at Aaron, who was making a lot of words.

“Commander. Just because you attach anything to it doesn’t mean it becomes the language of flowers.”

“So what if I attach anything? Whether it’s the language of this flower or that flower.”

“So, you really don’t care about flowers?”

“It’s strange to attach meaning to something that will wither and disappear soon.”

Aaron’s dazzling silver hair, which he spat out darkly, fluttered in the wind.

Delia, who had been blankly looking at his eyes resembling the ashy sky, opened her mouth.

“Lift me up. I want to go back now.”

At her expression that looked worn out as if she had lived a hundred years in a day, Aaron silently offered his back again.

Delia leaned on his broad back.

It seemed that his steps back to the barracks had slowed down even more.

Listening to the quietly echoing sound of his heartbeat, Delia softly spoke.

“Because the commander picked it, it smells sweeter and tastes better. I think I will never forget it.”

“I can pick more.”

“I don’t think I will feel this moment again.”

“I will fill it with moments more beautiful than this one.”

“I think it’s impossible.”

“I’ll make it possible. If you want, I will fill the whole territory with this flower. So, tell me. What’s the name of the flower?”

Between Aaron’s questions, the wind of the forest lightly passed by.

After a moment of hesitation, Delia, who buried her head on Aaron’s back, quietly answered.

“It’s silver bell. Silver bell flower.”

Aaron fell silent and carried Delia directly.

Her touch on his back felt so good that his steps naturally slowed down.

The slender arm tightly wrapped around his neck, the warm breath brushing his nape.

Even her golden hair fluttering in the wind.

He didn’t want to miss a single thing.

She would spend the night, and tomorrow, Delia would set off with the escort headed for the Empire.

And he would occupy the capital of Iorent as quickly as possible.

He had to hurry to send her parents into exile in another country.

Although they would be cut off from the outside and live under surveillance, it was better than dying.

If he visited them with Delia from time to time, she would feel more at ease and adapt much faster to the life of the Empress.

“We’re here.”

He woke the quiet and silent Delia.

At the soft call of Aaron, the bouquet of flowers that Delia had been holding fell.

Did she fall asleep again?

Was she usually sleepy, or was it because she was captured?

Delia was particularly sleepy when she was with him.

But the situation that he felt behind his back was strange to just pass it over.

“Prisoner?”

Aaron called out, but there was no answer.

“Princess.”

She was definitely touching his back, but there was no reaction.

With a bad feeling, Aaron stopped and put down Delia he was carrying.

As Aaron was turning to check the situation, Delia, who couldn’t control her body, collapsed.

“What’s wrong?”

As he hurriedly lifted and supported her, he could feel Delia’s body trembling.

Her whole body was wet with cold sweat.

Aaron, who sensed an abnormal situation, woke Delia up.

“What’s wrong?”

Delia clenched Aaron’s shirt as if her joints were going to pop out.

Even while writhing in pain, she buried herself in Aaron’s arms.

“It hurts.”

Delia, who was mumbling with a voice about to disappear, buried her head in Aaron’s shoulder and vomited violently.

“Where, where does it hurt?”

Tears welled up and flowed down the corners of Delia’s eyes, who had barely stopped vomiting.

“Commander. It hurts so much.”

The panting and uttered words clawed at Aaron.

What the hell did he do?

He never took his eyes off for a moment because he didn’t know what would happen.

Delia was particularly sleepy when she was with him.

Was it because she was usually sleepy, or was it because

But why all of a sudden?

Aaron clenched his teeth and lifted Delia up.

“Immediately. Call the military doctor now.”

Aaron, who ordered the following Dyke, moved quickly with large strides.

He had never felt the distance from the camp entrance to the barracks this long before.

He barely controlled his pounding heart and laid Delia on his bed.

The face that was brightly smiling was nowhere to be found, distorted by pain, she couldn’t even open her eyes.

“Hiccup.”

The golden thread swayed along with Delia’s violent movements.

Her retching intensified.

While continuously stroking her small back, Aaron asked Dyke,

“When is the military doctor arriving?”

“We’ve already sent someone, he should be arriving soon.”

What on earth happened?

Delia was writhing all over her body.

The pain Delia was going through was evident from her crouching and shivering figure, clutching her stomach.

“Com, commander. It hurts so much.”

“The military doctor will be here soon. Just hang in there until then.”

As Delia’s pained moan seeped out, Aaron hastily washed his face.

His head turned white, making it impossible to judge what went wrong rationally.

“What exactly hurts?”

“It hurts so much. Hiccup…”

“Please. Tell me what hurts.”

But it seemed she could no longer hear any words.

She was only searching and groping for something with her trembling hands.

Aaron was as choked as Delia’s eyes were gradually losing focus.

“Huh.”

At the groan mixed with a thin voice, Aaron reached out and held the lost Delia’s hand.

Only then did Delia close her eyes as if relieved.

But closing her eyes only made the pain in her body assault Delia more vividly.

“Huh. It hurts. So much. Hiccup.”

The suppressed moan turned into a sob.

“Just a little bit more, try to endure just a bit more.”