Aaron couldn’t take his eyes off her swollen, plump lips.

“Do you remember what happened while you were sleeping?”

At this direct question, Lucilia’s eyes opened wide.

“Did I… behave shamefully?”

“You certainly couldn’t handle the alcohol.”

Understanding that she had made a drunken scene, her face turned bright red like burning firewood.

Rolling her eyes as she searched through her memories, she muttered with a defeated expression.

“I can’t remember… If I made a mistake, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t know I would get drunk so quickly.”

‘D*mn it.’ She didn’t remember anything.

Despite being the one who attacked his lips first, she looked every bit the innocent angel.

She apologized, but she had no idea what mistake she had made.

“If you tell me, I’ll be careful not to let it happen again.”

“Some people become sentimental when drunk. You weren’t much different from them.”

“Sentimental?”

She tilted her head as if she didn’t understand, which annoyed him and made him spiteful.

Aaron took the glass from Lucilia’s hand, drank all the remaining water, and wiped his mouth.

“You were sobbing.”

“What? I was? Sobbing…”

“You pleaded tearfully not to abandon you, saying you would do better in the future. Then you repeated the same words over and over.”

It was awkward to say that she had attacked his lips, and equally awkward to say that he couldn’t control his desire and showered her with kisses.

Since her memory was gone anyway, framing her like this felt quite good. It somewhat erased his self-loathing for desiring her.

Should he push further?

“Why did you move the soldiers and knights?”

Lucilia covered her cheeks, which couldn’t possibly get any redder, with both hands. Her head, hit by consecutive blows, felt numb, and she could only open and close her mouth.

“Concentrating troops in one place requires taking a risk. It means gambling with life and death issues.”

“I… thought saving the villagers came first. There was a possibility they might create a diversion here while striking elsewhere, but I just felt they… wouldn’t do that.”

“You just felt they wouldn’t? Is that what you call an explanation?”

Lucilia was at a loss for what to do.

Having made such a poor excuse, she could imagine how exasperated Aaron must feel.

She wanted to say that she had actively responded because she had accurately perceived their intentions. That the Mrangel tribe’s purpose was simply to create ‘chaos.’

But since he must have heard that her sacred power had disappeared, she had to keep quiet.

“I’m sorry. For behaving disgracefully while drunk, for moving the troops on my own—I’m sorry for everything. I won’t overstep my bounds again.”

“Don’t get involved again. No matter what authority you claim as the lord’s proxy, I won’t stand for it.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Her inadequate explanation couldn’t make Aaron fully understand.

It seemed a long way off before she could candidly share her true thoughts.

To do that, she needed to stop doing things he disliked. Today’s disgraceful behavior must be the last.

Lucilia resolved to stay away from alcohol in the future.

Sobbing—even thinking about it again made her cringe.

“Still, thanks to your quick response, we were able to reduce casualties. In the end, I should express my gratitude. Thank you.”

Lucilia stared at him in bewilderment, thinking she had misheard.

Aaron lifted the blanket on the opposite side of the bed before their eyes could meet.

He intended to sleep, leaving her to deal with nightmares or sobbing on her own.

He laid down his body, which had grown especially tired since reuniting with her.

For a long time, there was no movement from the edge of the bed.

* * *

Sleep with Lucilia beside him? No way!

How could he sleep with his mind in such turmoil!

Aaron secretly left the bedroom when Lucilia went to the dining room for a late lunch.

Then he spent the entire day drilling the knights at the training ground.

He suddenly ordered the lined-up knights to do physical training, then invited anyone to challenge him, saying he would accept duels.

A sword duel with the knight commander, who was unquestionably the best in skill, was an honor but also a burden.

Most knights didn’t dare to face him, but a few with overflowing confidence stepped forward.

The result was predictable.

Despite facing opponents one after another, Aaron showed no signs of fatigue and overwhelmed each duelist with superior skill. “Overwhelmed” was a nice way of putting it—he pushed them to the brink of collapse.

When training ended and Aaron left the grounds, the exhausted knights slumped to the ground.

“Why is he like this today?”

“He must have marked this day… It seems like his goal wasn’t training but devouring us.”

Rombon, who had been examining his well-honed blade in the sunlight, clicked his tongue as he sheathed his sword.

“Tsk, tsk! How can you call yourselves family when you don’t understand the Commander’s feelings?”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“The guard captain dispatched to Demre was bribed with a few coins to let those Mrangel bastards cross the border. That ungrateful wretch endangered the people of Demre just to save himself. How could our Commander not be furious?”

In an instant, knights gathered around Rombon.

They seemed extremely curious about how Aaron’s cruelty had manifested.

Rombon looked around at the knights who were displaying remarkable concentration, their eyes sparkling with interest.

“Are you that curious?”

“Of course we are! We’re dying to know. Please tell us about the Commander’s exploits quickly.”

For a moment, he was tempted to collect money, but Rombon suppressed his greed and stroked his twisted beard.

Out of camaraderie, he would tell them for free.

With everyone’s eyes fixed on Rombon’s mouth, the process of his superior’s merciless purge finally came to light.

“The guard captain was summarily executed! The Commander carried it out as soon as he obtained evidence.”

“Wow… summary execution? You mean he didn’t even give him a chance to explain?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Hearing excuses would only dirty his ears, so he gagged him first. Then.”

With a clean motion, Rombon drew his sword and quickly slashed diagonally through the air.

“Like this! After taking his life. Whoa…”

He had been explaining well but suddenly burst into exclamation.

It was hard to tell what scene Rombon, a man without blood or tears, was recalling that made him stick out his tongue. The impatient knights all urged him at once.

“What happened next?”

“What did he do then?”

After sheathing his sword, Rombon tilted his head toward the sky and spoke with a sigh.

“Without blinking an eye, he threw that bastard into a fire pit. Phew… Even though I’m well aware of the Commander’s cold-hearted nature, it still sent chills down my spine.”

“He takes meticulous care of his people but shows not a shred of mercy to traitors. Once someone becomes worse than a stranger, why would he show compassion?”

“Exactly! Mercy? Compassion? Ha… Our Commander is more terrible than a demon. He even pulled the blackened, burnt man out of the fire and hung him on a pole!”

“Gasp! He went all the way.”

“They say it was to warn those Mrangel bastards, but still, when he’s cruel, he’s truly cruel. Ugh, it gives me goosebumps!”

Rombon shuddered his large frame in disgust.

The other knights also trembled at the thought that they could end up like the guard captain if they became lax.

At the same time, they exploded with indignation, wondering how a man of Tudra, bound by loyalty and fidelity, could betray his master.

They raised veins in their necks, saying that no matter how blinded by money, one shouldn’t commit such acts while wearing human skin.

Rombon recalled the secret instructions he had received from Aaron.

“Spread the guard captain’s story as exaggeratedly as possible. Can you do that?”

“What do you take me for… Don’t worry and just watch how I handle it.”

Though he felt guilty for spreading his master’s cruelty as exaggeratedly as possible, it seemed there was no better way to make the rumors spread.

The tale of valor that began from the mouth of the deputy commander, the young baron’s right-hand man, would circulate within the castle, then cross the gate to flow into the village.

After that, it would reach the temple, and eventually the Pope’s ears.

Having talked his fill, Rombon left the group and laughed refreshingly.

“That was perfect. This is why the Commander trusts and relies on me!”