“We just need to fight and win.”

“Don’t say it so easily.”

“It’s never been easy. I’m simply saying we’ll fight the war that’s been delayed for so long because it’s difficult.”

The hand that had been covering her mouth completely withdrew. Words thrown in the midst of confusion struck her mind one by one. Even though she understood it in her head, words she shouldn’t have said slipped from her mouth.

“We can’t go to war.”

His deep black eyes stared intensely at hers. Even though she knew it was absurd, words burst out of her mouth in frustration.

“What did you say?”

“We’re at too much of a disadvantage. The Arin race outnumbers us twenty to one. Even with the power of magic, it’s impossible, no matter how we look at it, whether it’s the army or anything else.”

It’s in the original story. Surprisingly, the military situation hasn’t changed much.

“You know it too, don’t you? That we can’t fight the Empire. That’s why you’ve been staying quiet.”

His whisper was calm and cold, unlike her painful, trembling heart.

“If we fight, we’ll lose. I’m telling you, we’ll lose.”

As Rohana mumbled, Kaiden moved one step closer. His low whisper now came from their bodies, pressed completely together.

“Interesting.”

A sudden wave of killing intent caused goosebumps to rise all over her body. His deep voice, which she felt she shouldn’t oppose, continued.

“Why do you think that?”

Rohana was at a loss for words and bit her lip hard.

“You never asked what happened to me.”

With narrowed brows and eyes slightly squinting, he looked down at her as if he would devour her. The question she had avoided asking for fear of getting too close was now pointedly brought up, and her heart sank again.

“I spent a year in that underground prison wishing for death rather than living. You must have already guessed from seeing my body.”

He wasn’t breaking down, nor did he seem okay as he revealed the past she hadn’t dared to ask about.

She hadn’t wanted the emotional distance she maintained to be closed in this way.

But Kaiden didn’t seem to mind much.

“Do you think I ran away back then to survive?”

His deep, pain-filled eyes looked down at her, as if he would devour her.

“I just didn’t want to die there. It didn’t matter where I died, as long as it wasn’t there.”

The grip on her, which had been holding her firmly, tightened further. The harsh glint in his eyes softened slightly, and his low voice trembled a little.

“You’re like that now.”

His deep emotions spilled through his eyes. It was as if he was trying to make a meaningless last stand to preserve the last bit of his pride.

“That’s why I can’t let you go.”

Her breath caught. Rohana turned her head away, as if trying to escape.

“I’ll be fine, I won’t die.”

“No.”

Kaiden gently grabbed her chin, making her look at him.

“No one can live like that.”

At the closeness of his breath, Rohana swallowed her tears.

“I’ve delayed the fight too. It was enough to just protect myself. Ridiculously, I didn’t even want to destroy the peaceful life you were living.”

Rohana furrowed her brows. She had thought it was enough to protect Nopthal. Regret flashed through Kaiden’s dark eyes.

He didn’t want to go back, didn’t want to face it again. The unresolved truths that he hadn’t revealed to Heath or anyone else—much less to himself—stabbed deeply into his heart.

“I’m not going to back down any further, and you’re not going there either, not as long as I’m alive.”

Kaiden’s long fingers wiped away the tears that had fallen along her jaw and neck. She could feel the beat of his heart through their pressed bodies.

Thump, thump.

“Trust me.”

Thump, thump.

His heartbeat and gaze were surprisingly steady.

At that moment, Kaiden’s black horse broke through the commotion and rushed in. The horse, which gracefully entered the palace, looked down at the two from its high position. Kaiden immediately mounted the horse.

“This time, I will win.”

His whispering voice. He released the hand that had been holding Rohana and shouted toward the banquet hall.

“Heath!”

Heath emerged from the banquet hall. The two men’s gazes locked.

After confirming Heath, Kaiden leaned down close to her and whispered in her ear, followed by a light, brief kiss.

By the time Rohana looked up at him again, his horse was already galloping away.

As Heath approached, Rohana hurriedly wiped away her tear stains.

“What about Her Majesty the Queen?”

“She’s moving to the command room now that we’re in a state of semi-alert.”

Rohana slowly nodded.

‘Get a grip. Don’t waver anymore.’

At that moment, Heath placed a reassuring hand on Rohana’s shoulder.

“My Lady, calm yourself first.”

“You should go to the Queen, not me…”

All the tension from being with Kaiden combined, and her body couldn’t stop trembling.

“I’m not going anywhere. Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble, so don’t concern yourself with me.”

‘How pathetic. Despite all that training, when faced with a real crisis, there’s little I can actually do.’

“That’s not true.”

“Pardon?”

“You were just thinking that you’re pathetic, weren’t you?”

Heath’s voice was quick but gentle.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s natural to feel shaken.”

Rohana shook her head vigorously. This wasn’t the time to show such weakness.

“Kaiden must’ve been too harsh. It seems he said some cruel things to you.”

Heath, as if he knew everything, kept a calm gaze and even managed to smile, not losing his sense of humor.

“Isla is a strong person. She doesn’t break easily. And we will definitely win.”

Heath lowered himself a bit to meet Rohana’s eyes. His soft eyes now brimmed with a fierceness she had never seen before.

“Don’t shed tears, my lady.”

His gentle smile now carried a sharp edge that felt both familiar and foreign.

“Honestly, now that we’re finally fighting, I feel quite relieved.”

Even though his words were only subtly sharper, they felt unfamiliar.

“For now, we follow Kaiden’s orders and defend this position.”

Rohana nodded and took a deep breath.

It was then.

“May I call you Rohana?”

The Queen’s voice came from behind.

Despite her pale face, her posture and voice were surprisingly calm.

“Your Majesty.”

Rohana bowed her head. She bit her molars hard, as if they might break, to stop the tears that threatened to fall.

‘Do not dare to cry.’

“Rohana, I have something to ask you.”

Rohana slowly nodded.

“Isla.”

Heath’s voice, full of concern, was cut off by the Queen’s raised hand. Her arm, adorned with elaborate patterns and colors of tattoos, trembled slightly.

“In this war…”

Isla’s green eyes flashed with the Queen’s intensity.

“What stance do you plan to take?”

Rohana bit her lip.

“I…”

The countless thoughts that had drifted, broken, and reassembled in her mind for so long began to slowly come together again.

The many vows, shouts, and tears before she met Kaiden finally settled, as if reaching an end.

A clear picture formed. The body that had been trembling slowly calmed.

It was the same determination as when she had aimed her bow at Lazar.

This time too, there would be something she could do.

“I will save Serin. No matter the cost.”

The war from the original story is beginning.

“Trust me.”

That whispered moment lingered in her ear. Rohana’s once-trembling body became strangely peaceful. Seeing her newfound calm, Isla slowly began to speak.

“You said you hear the Caladrius’ song, didn’t you?”

Even Heath’s eyebrows twitched at that.

“Follow me.”

Isla turned and began to walk.

“I have something to show you.”

Rohana and Heath exchanged glances and followed her.

***

The Shatonwell army was moving according to military regulations.

They released the dogs and searched every road thoroughly. With so many who could use magic, they wouldn’t be lacking in experts who could trace signs and tracks.

But it didn’t seem easy.

There seemed to be skilled Kark warriors among their ranks. What kind of Kark warriors would side with them in times like these?

Where could Serin be?

‘Think’

Kaiden furrowed his brow and increased his speed.

‘Where is she?’

In Shatonwell, where the land was smooth sand and low fields, he could pick up even more speed like the wind.

‘Straight to the capital? It’s easy enough to later claim that she was rescued by R.D., after all.’

Bardi is expecting Rohana to come. So Bardi must be in the capital.

Kaiden’s dark eyes narrowed. His short hair blew in the fierce wind.

‘But would they really bring Serin there?’

They would expect that, if Kaiden made up his mind, he could reclaim Serin by force in the capital. Kaiden abruptly stopped his black horse, which had been running wildly.

Bardi wasn’t the type to take that risk.

He wasn’t the kind of person who would exchange a hostage fairly.

‘Serin must be hidden elsewhere.’

Kaiden quietly considered where Bardi would feel most comfortable.

He had used Brandt to apply mental pressure on Rohana.

In that case, Gregory was likely leading the actions.

Kaiden looked westward.

The capital to the west.

Nopthal and the Kark warriors allied with them to the east and north.

And the peaceful, neutral South.

The South.

Even Kaiden had headed south when he escaped. Though the weather was good, the land was barren, sparsely populated, and desolate.

Kaiden thought of the southern Marquis of Soyez, Franz. A blond, handsome man who had always been strangely kind to him and curious about many things.

His domain was Kelly, the de facto capital of the South.

To Kelly. Considering when Serin was abducted, they couldn’t have gone far. Even with a child princess, they would’ve moved at most at the speed of a carriage.

Kaiden sent another carrier pigeon.

[Full search requested on all roads from Shatonwell to Kelly for any passing carriages.]

While the pigeon flew through the sky to its destination, Kaiden would chase from the ground.

Kaiden spurred the horse’s side, increasing its speed once more.