Chapter 6
“I have a solution!”
In response to the audacious answer, the chief of staff looked at Brody with incredulous eyes.
“What method do you have? What nonsense are you babbling about again?”
It was a gaze full of contempt for her.
However, Brody had a different expression than the chief of staff expected.
Instead of the defiant expression he anticipated, Brody seemed to be lost in thought, trembling.
It was a distressed expression, like that of a child… suffering.
Whether it was due to tension or hesitation, Brody finally managed to open her mouth, clasping her trembling hands together.
“I… I’ll try to supply food. Please don’t kill the prisoners.”
In response to her words, River looked at Brody with cold eyes, while Aidan stared at her in surprise.
“You? How?”
River asked with a snicker.
If there had been an option to supply food in the first place, River wouldn’t have had any reason to hesitate. But was that even a feasible option?
With a shaky voice but determined eyes, Brody answered, “They can become valuable labor if you ensure their safety.”
“You’re a prisoner. Why should we trust you with them?”
Even with River’s sharp remark, Brody did not back down.
“You can keep an eye on them, and aren’t you supposed to be on guard to ensure their safety anyway?”
Her bold response momentarily left River, who was usually unwavering, hesitating, and unable to respond.
Duke Aidan, with a frowning expression, asked Brody, “Are you suggesting using prisoners to cultivate crops? That’s impossible. You can’t farm in this cold and barren land anymore.”
Brody shook her head.
“I’m from the central capital. I know more about agriculture.”
Both the Duke and the chief of staff seemed perplexed by Brody’s words.
Aidan asked again, “Can crops be grown on this land?”
Brody nodded.
Although she hadn’t tried it yet, her knowledge suggested it was possible. Even if it turned out to be impossible, Brody’s abilities could probably endure for some time.
“If the prisoners work, they can produce food for the soldiers. It might be worth a try.”
The Chief of Staff, River, stroked his thin, angular chin.
‘That makes sense. If we solve the food problem, there’s nothing to worry about. Moreover, if that woman can really pull it off…’
It might be a more critical issue than the outcome of the war.
As River pondered, Aidan asked, “How long will it take?”
“Crops need time to grow, so at least a month or two.”
“That’s too long.”
“Then even if the Emperor himself would do it, it wouldn’t help. It’s impossible anywhere, even in the fertile central lands.”
‘Emperor’…… Aidan and River were surprised by the expression.
It was a disrespectful expression towards the imperial family.
Brody, who grew up in the modern era, was not familiar with reverence for the nobility, so she didn’t think about how her words might sound.
But it was also a valid point. Even if the Emperor or anyone else came, it was impossible to magically solve farming overnight.
Moreover, they were rebels. But it was amusing to think about them being concerned about the Emperor and whatnot.
“River, how long do you think it will take to conquer Fort Pardan?”
“It will take about a week to prepare and at least a month after the campaign starts.”
“I see. So, Bree, or whatever your name is.”
“Yes? Yes, Your Grace.”
Brody, who was confused by the name Bree, remembered that he was referring to her and responded diligently.
“I’ll give you a month and a half. During that time, make the prisoners self-sufficient and ensure a 30% food supply for the soldiers.”
“I don’t know the number of prisoners or the amount of food needed for the soldiers, so it’s difficult for me to make such a promise.”
River nodded at Brody’s words. It was a valid point.
“Give me the information, if you can, or.”
Looking at the chief of staff, Brody continued, “The chief of staff can figure it out and then give me orders.”
“What if I give unreasonable orders?”
“Are you going to? From what I saw earlier, you want it to work.”
River fell silent again. It seemed she had quickly grasped his thoughts in a short amount of time. It was surprisingly perceptive.
‘Feeling bad doesn’t change the fact that I have to do the chief of staff’s job.’
“I’ll figure it out, and then I’ll give you the orders.”
Saying that River quickly left the room after a brief farewell to Aidan.
It meant, “Handle the rest on your own.”
“By the way, River seems excited.”
“Excited?”
Such an attitude? Brody looked at the door through which River had left with an incredulous expression.
“Yeah, because we’d only last a month and a half before we ran out of food, and then we had no plan. That’s the worst of it, but if what you say is possible, we can endure until then.”
“Uh…… that…… um, is it okay for you to tell me that far in advance?”
“Well, we all know the truth about why the North started the war, and I don’t see why it’s so dangerous to tell you that we didn’t have food.”
Saying that, the Duke lowered his head, pressing his temple with one hand.
He spoke with a deeply furrowed brow.
“You are truly… peculiar. To bravely step forward and do what no one dared, especially as someone who came as a war prisoner… It’s truly courageous.”
“My lord…?”
His breathing slowed. But he didn’t stop speaking.
“I am truly grateful for your courage to step forward and save them. I will not forget this.”
“My lord, your complexion is not good. Please, have a seat somewhere… Oh!”
While Brody expressed her concern, Aidan suddenly collapsed.
On his knees, he clutched his head in pain, his hands trembling in agony.
“My lord, are you alright?”
“Bring me… Bring me some tea.”
Surprised, Brody was about to sit next to him.
‘Tea? Not medicine? Why tea now? ‘
At that moment, the answer to the long-contemplated’reason’ suddenly dawned on Brody.
‘Tea and headaches.’
It wasn’t that he wanted to drink tea because it tasted good.
‘It must have some effect on him that I’m not aware of. And that effect is related to headaches.’
On days when there was no effect, he would insist it wasn’t the right solution with a frightening expression.
‘Was it not because he looked sick but because it was a pained expression due to a headache?’
Brody pondered, watching him in agony without any clue about what to do.
‘But solving it with tea is not the answer. It’s still daytime; should I use the Meshu to put him to sleep?’
While Brody was lost in thought, Aidan, in pain, pleaded for tea.
Worried, Brody ran to the stove to prepare hot water for tea.
The current pain seemed different from any previous instance. It was almost unbearable to witness someone suffering so much from pain.
There were no sharp objects, like knives, inside the tent for security reasons.
Brody considered putting blood into the tea. However, that seemed a bit…
‘A drop wouldn’t affect the color of the tea significantly. Would someone in such agony care about the color of the tea anyway?’
While contemplating, Brody bit her finger. It hurt more than she expected.
For a moment, she regretted it, but thinking that it was already done, she quickly mixed a drop of blood into the tea and brought it to Aidan.
“My lord, here.”
However, the Duke, struggling, was in no condition to drink tea and even almost spilled it.
‘Well, who cares? He’s not in his right mind anyway.’
Brody drank the tea herself, clutching the Duke’s collar, and kissed him.
“Ugh…”
The first attempt wasn’t successful. As expected, a large amount of tea spilled onto his chin.
However, perhaps due to Brody’s sudden action or the tea that went in, the Duke’s struggles diminished.
So Brody tried again.
This time, she successfully delivered the tea.
“Hah… haa…”
Aidan’s eyes opened, and Brody, relieved, handed him the teacup.
“Please finish drinking, my lord.”
In truth, a kiss alone would have been sufficient. However, since Brody didn’t want to reveal that, he continued to use tea as a medium.
He accepted the teacup with both hands, feeling sorry that Brody had pulled away from him. Brody grabbed his hand, afraid he might lose it, and helped him to drink it safely.
“Huh…….”
Brody breathed a sigh of relief. The Duke’s condition had visibly improved.
“Is this a common occurrence for you?”
“It rarely gets this severe.”
Indeed, it seemed so.
Thinking that his guess was correct, Brody nodded.
“I’ve gotten a lot better since you made me that tea.”
Surprisingly, the Duke confessed on his own. Brody looked at him in astonishment.
“Is it okay for you to say that to me? I am a prisoner… What reason do you have to trust me?”
“Yes, it was the work of prisoners. But I don’t think you were doing it for the Emperor.”
“…”
Brody was at a loss for words. It was a valid point. The Duke had seen right through her.
Breaking the silence that ensued for a while, Aidan observed Brody’s hand.
“Why is your hand like that?”
He noticed the blood on Brody’s fingers.
Flustered, Brody wrapped her injured hand with the opposite one.
“Oh, I must have scratched it while being restless just now. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Oh, no.”
Frowning worriedly, Aidan got up and grabbed a clean linen cloth.
Brody snatched the cloth away from him and tried to wrap it up herself, wondering if she was caught biting her hand.
It wasn’t easy, though, since it was her fingers that were injured.
“Let me do it.”
“No, my lord! How dare I do such a thing to you…”
Brody’s words gave Aidan a wistful look.
The words that came out with a sigh proved it was no mistake.
“We don’t seem to have the kind of relationship where we can share this much.”
“……!”
While Brody panicked, he was already pulling Brody’s hand in front of him and starting to work on it. Luckily, after a few wraps, the wound itself was invisible.
The silence fell again, and the large, gnarled hands applied the bandage with care and precision.
This time, it was Aidan who broke the silence.
“If I make it back alive, if I make it back to the North alive…….”
Aidan paused, unsure of what to say.
Brody, who had been awkwardly holding her hand, waited patiently for him to speak.
“If I live, I will make you my wife.”
“…”
Brody’s eyes widened at the suddenness of the words.
The Duke blushed and continued.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while, and I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner. I’ve been making you anxious.”
‘Oh, no, what are you talking about? I wasn’t unsettled. You’re talking about it like it’s some kind of prize. That’s not it!’
Brody exclaimed to herself.
She couldn’t bring herself to say it in front of the Duke
“We spent the night together; hence, I’m responsible for you. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you no matter what.”
‘What, you’re going to take her as your wife because you spent the night with me? You’re the purest man of the century.’
“Once we win the war, it should be possible. I’m saying this now because it would be awkward to say it later.”
“I… I can’t become your wife, my lord. It’s too much… No, I can’t bear it. Please don’t.”
‘No, please don’t say that. Why would I want to be a duchess when I can make a good living on my own?’
“It would make me irresponsible. I promise you that I’m not going to have an affair, I’m not going to have a concubine, I’m going to be faithful to our family, and I’m not going to be a burden to you.”
‘Man, he means it.’
He has such good values. It’s something to applaud… But no, really, it’s not me.
Brody wanted to cry.
And deep inside, she made a firm resolution.
‘I must escape at all costs.’
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Poxiebitt
Once I met this guy who was really sweet and everything. I wasn’t looking for anything but a friend, but HE PROPOSED TO ME TWICE!! I can understand her frustration and feelings 😂😂