Chapter 4

“Seems pretty charming. So I bought all the materials I needed to give it a real try.”

Fortunately, Rox wasn’t the type to get discouraged by such nagging. As if he’d never been scolded, Rox, with a fresh face, enthusiastically gestured as he explained his new hobby.

Rox’s hobbies changed every time he woke up, so it was best for both of them to listen with just enough interest and respond just enough, rather than get too invested.

The hobby he picked this time was knitting. Winter was already over, so what wind had blown this idea his way?

Audrenette nodded absentmindedly, splitting a still-warm biscuit in half.

Her lost appetite hadn’t returned yet. Still, compared to when she didn’t even want to look at food, she was much better. If she gradually ate whenever she felt like it, she’d recover.

“Alright. Good luck.”

She already knew it was pointless to try and stop him. Rox’s lips curved into a pleasant smile at Audrenette’s encouragement.

“When I finish my first piece, I’ll give it to you as a gift.”

“…Alright. Thanks.”

Audrenette nodded with a reluctant expression. Of course, if he actually finished something, she’d accept it… but would he really finish? Sorry, but she doubted it. The room was already full of unfinished pieces he’d abandoned.

Still, she appreciated the thought. She handed Rox a biscuit generously spread with raspberry jam. Instead of taking it with his hand, he leaned over to eat it, then, chewing contentedly, snapped his fingers as if he’d just remembered something.

‘Ah, almost forgot.’

“Anyway, this is the most important news.”

The story Rox had wanted to tell her over the past few days certainly wasn’t about his new hobby. Audrenette hoped it would be a more useful topic and waited for him to continue.

“Earl Berkif will soon be returning to the capital.”

“Who?”

Audrenette, who had been calmly conversing, raised her voice for the first time. It was unexpected news. Rox looked composed, almost as if he didn’t understand why Audrenette was so surprised.

“Already? Didn’t they say it’d be at least ten years…?”

“Well, things worked out, apparently.”

When it came to topics he wanted to discuss, Rox would go on at length, but when it was something important, he’d gloss over it.

Where should she even begin asking? Audrenette thought to herself and recalled Earl Berkif, who was like a younger brother to her—Zekrion.

Winzard Ludun Berkif Zikreon.

Just as he had great power and background, there were countless titles and honorifics attached to his name, but to Audrenette, Zikreon was…

Well…

Just Zikreon.

Even when she learned that he was the heir to the Empire’s only Grand Duke, Winzard. Even when, before coming of age, he inherited his lands and became known as Earl Berkif. Even when he was later praised as the red-eyed guardian who protected the Empire—

To her, Zekrion was only Rox’s friend, a younger brother-like she held close to her heart.

To put it simply, Rox was Zikreon #2, and Zikreon was Rox #2. Thinking of either of them warmed her heart and made her feel a bit stifled.

She’d never thought one was better than the other. To Audrenette, they were just the same.

Exactly the same kind of people.

And yet, it had already been three years since she had last seen Zekrion, who had left for a conflict zone. She did wonder how he was doing. He had written often—far too often, in fact—but reading about his life was not the same as facing him directly.

There were times he’d visit the mansion almost daily, or even live there as if it were his own. But now, three years had passed without seeing his face.

Suddenly, she remembered Zikreon’s gloomy face when he visited the day before leaving for the capital.

“His face was really…”

So pale.

It was vivid, like it happened yesterday.

With a ghostly complexion, he arrived at Heden Mansion and immediately collapsed in the parlor, wiping at tears that wouldn’t fall. The carpet, crushed under his huge body, seemed to scream silently.

‘Rene, if a member of the Imperial Family must go, wouldn’t my older brother be better than me?’

The “older brother” he mentioned was the Empire’s Crown Prince. Ridiculous.

‘…Whatever, just find someone to go in my place.’

‘Oh, Zikreon.’

Audrenette patted his shoulder with a sympathetic look. In times like these, practical advice was more important than just comforting words.

‘No one will volunteer to go in your place. Who’d want to go there? Even if someone did, they couldn’t. That position was created specifically for you, so you have to go. Just do your best. …There’s no other way.’

‘…You’re really cold, Rene.’

With those words, the knight from the Imperial Palace came and dragged him off. Standing side by side at the entrance, the Heden siblings watched Zikreon being taken away, and his cry to go together still echoed in Audrenette’s mind.

“……”

Yes. That was already three years ago.

Even after going there, Zikreon managed to send letters, squeezing in time from his busy schedule. At first, she replied diligently, worried he’d be lonely, but eventually the letters became too frequent. Days piled up where she read but didn’t reply.

If she answered every single letter, her wrist would give out. And, sorry to say, the contents were mostly the same.

Anyway.

That wasn’t the important part. What mattered was that Zikreon had gone there as the one in charge. She’d heard he’d have to guard the border for at least ten years…

Had something happened? This wasn’t something to gloss over. Audrenette pushed the biscuit-crumbed plate away with her finger and asked.

“They said he couldn’t leave even for a moment. If Zikreon comes, does someone else go in his place? Who? I doubt there’s anyone suitable. Rox, don’t gloss over it—tell me in detail.”

Rox, who had intended to gloss over it, opened his mouth, his eyes now dull with lost interest.

“They signed a treaty.”

“A treaty?”

She repeated, and Rox nodded.

The Janti Kingdom, neighboring the Dalukana Empire, was a place where fragmented lands and minor powers constantly waged civil wars, each trying to claim the throne.

In recent years, the throne had finally been claimed, but after years of war, the land was devastated and the people starving, their discontent at its peak. Under the pretense of quelling public anger, they began encroaching on neglected border territories of neighboring countries—one of which was Atia, bordering the Empire.

Atia was technically imperial territory, but it wasn’t regularly managed. It was far from the Empire’s center, lacked resources, and was so dry and barren it couldn’t even be cultivated.

In short, it was vast but useless land.

Still, some imperial citizens lived there.

Just because it was remote, the kingdom’s people sneaked over the border and threatened the safety of imperial citizens. Truly infuriating.

The Emperor of Dalukana couldn’t just stand by while the kingdom invaded for no reason, seeking only to satisfy their own greed.

War brings pain to many, no matter how small. So the Emperor decided, instead of declaring war, to send a member of the Imperial Family to assert their will.

The Emperor’s nephew, the talented knight Zikreon, was perfect for the role.

He’d just declared he’d spend the next five years relaxing after graduating from the academy, but was dragged there overnight. It was heartbreaking, but unavoidable.

With imperial troops stationed in Atia and neighboring countries following suit, the Janti Kingdom had to focus all its efforts on defending its own borders.

As military spending grew, the kingdom’s treasury and granaries emptied quickly, and the rainless days continued. The kingdom, desperate, revived the treaty the Empire had once offered before sending troops.

The treaty had many unfavorable terms for the kingdom, but if they didn’t feed their starving people, the next civil war would surely start from the bottom.

“Since it’s called a peace treaty, it’s symbolic for the big guy guarding the place to come back first.”

By “big guy,” he obviously meant Zikreon. Audrenette was about to point out Rox’s poor word choice but kept quiet—it would never end if she started.

“They’re a troublesome bunch, so I’m worried, but things should be fine for a while.”

Wrapping up elegantly, Rox scooped a spoonful of sugar into his teacup. The grains melted quickly in the lukewarm liquid.

“…Huh?”

His face turned serious, apparently not tasting what he expected. He glanced at Audrenette and quietly picked up his spoon.

“Rox.”

“Ah, maybe I steeped the tea leaves too long… it’s bitter.”

“Just drink it. It won’t kill you.”

Audrenette shot Rox a look and closed the lid on the small sugar jar, placing it beside her teacup. She didn’t understand what more he needed after eating the sweet biscuit she’d just given him.

Rox gazed at the little jar with longing, then sighed deeply with a serious face.