There was nothing she could do if that was Aaron’s wish.

Lucilia responded agreeably.

“I understand.”

Her activity range, as defined by Aaron, was limited to the restricted area including the tent and the stream.

It would be good to get an opportunity to contact Sister Mannea, but Aaron had probably considered this as well.

Perhaps seeing her looking pitiful like a caged bird, Aaron brought a tray.

“Eat before it gets cold.”

It seemed he had personally fetched a meal for her.

The small gesture somewhat alleviated her feeling of confinement.

While she chewed on pieces of dry bread, Aaron filled her cup with water and naturally opened a conversation.

“The troops led by Lord Teneri are stationed near the capital.”

Her throat suddenly closed at this unexpected news.

As she tried to appear calm, he offered her the cup with warm consolation.

“I looked into it, thinking you might be concerned. Their station won’t change, so rest assured and endure well as you have been doing.”

He was right.

She had been wondering which region her father and brother had been dispatched to. She had also resolved to wear a thick mask and act composed if she encountered them again.

Sometimes, thanks to Aaron, her mind—often filled with worries—would become simply organized.

He encouraged her by saying that what appeared to be a massive mountain was merely a gentle hill once you set foot on it.

But her neatly arranged thoughts became tangled again before even half a day had passed.

* * *

Aaron stopped by the tent during a strategy meeting. He wanted to have lunch with her.

After glancing at the tent where Lucilia was staying, Aaron headed toward the pile of firewood.

A soldier stirring a boiling stew in a large pot quickly put down the ladle when he recognized Aaron.

“Commander, you’re here! If you’re resting, I’ll bring it to you right away!”

The young soldier called out with a voice full of military discipline.

At that moment, Rombon, who had been walking behind Aaron, peeked forward. Then he suddenly smacked the tactless soldier’s head.

“You need to get more worldly.”

“Ouch! Why, why are you hitting me?”

“Stop being so naive!”

“What?”

“Did you sell your sense of tact? Or did you stir it into the stew?”

Rombon pinched the cheek of the soldier, who was rolling his eyes in confusion, and launched into a lengthy explanation of what tact meant.

“…so tact is a skill on par with survival. The conclusion is! Don’t disturb the commander.”

The soldier looked even more confused.

Tact and survival? Survival and the commander?

The soldier scratched his head as if facing an unsolvable puzzle. Afraid that his head might be crushed by the deputy-commander’s thick hand if he stuttered, he didn’t dare ask for clarification.

“The air is different between this side and that side. Do you understand what I mean?”

As Rombon’s facial muscles danced, Aaron’s demeanor grew increasingly fierce.

While Rombon could be extremely respectful when needed, once he started joking, he knew no bounds.

Rombon himself had surely traded survival for tact.

Unaware that Aaron was grinding the inside of his cheek, Rombon cheerfully prattled on.

“Do you really not know what happens if you step into that tent? Your head will be cleanly cut off by the commander’s sword before you even open the door!”

“I had no intention of entering the tent. Who doesn’t know it’s a restricted area?”

The soldier waved his hands in alarm.

Aaron watched Rombon sharply with narrowed eyes. He was waiting to see how far he would go.

“You idiot! I’m saying don’t even go near the tent at all! Are you going to shout ‘Meal is ready!’ outside the tent? Or just leave it in front like feeding a dog? What I’m saying is, don’t even try to bring meals in the first place, you blockhead!”

“Rombon Penia.”

Aaron, who couldn’t bear it anymore, uttered coldly.

“Would you please shut your mouth.”

“Yes, sir.”

After chattering away as if today were his last day, he immediately closed his mouth, which wasn’t even meant to tease anyone.

This irritated Aaron even more, so he grabbed Rombon’s bushy beard and shook it. Rombon endured the pain silently without making a sound.

After releasing the rough hair, Aaron dusted off both hands and asked the soldier.

“Is there anything else besides stew?”

“We have bread, preserved meat, and cheese. Would you like them now?”

“Yes.”

While the two conversed, Rombon couldn’t keep his lower lip still, gnawing it with his teeth.

He was excited by his master’s delicate love play.

The laughter he forcibly suppressed burst out freely only after Aaron entered the tent.

Rombon put his arm around the soldier’s shoulder and boasted.

“See that? That’s what tact is. Stopping right before the commander cuts my throat—that’s skill!”

Rombon giggled, tilting his head back.

As if showing off his neck that remained intact rather than cleanly cut off.

Then he hugged the soldier’s face and playfully rubbed his cheek.

“Leave them be, so they can share warmth like this. Do you now understand the profound meaning I conveyed?”

“Ah… I sort of get it now.”

The frost melted under the sunlight shining through the dense branches.

* * *

“Oh? You’re back already?”

Lucilia put down her book and scurried over to Aaron.

Her white face brimming with joy, the bright smile on her red lips, her affectionate voice.

There wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t lovable.

His heart, which had remained steady even when seeing mutilated enemy corpses, was now being randomly dissected by every aspect of this small woman.

Aaron exhaled sharply, bewildered by the unfamiliar physical changes he was experiencing.

“Are you going to eat here?”

Lucilia beamed brightly when she saw the food in Aaron’s hands.

Though he tried to appear indifferent, it seemed a corner of his heart had been hollowed out for her, as he couldn’t hide his joy.

“Yes, I have… some time.”

“Really? That’s wonderful.”

Lucilia took the dishes of food and placed them on the makeshift table while sharing how her morning had gone.

Her activities inside the tent consisted only of reading, praying, or strategizing in her own way.

“So I was thinking, what if I disguise myself as a soldier and get as close as possible to the Mrangel tribe? Of course, I shouldn’t go to the point of conflict, but I need to be close enough to see the enemy commander’s eyes.”

This is maddening. Isn’t the conclusion drawn by that small head too adorable?
And all she could think of was…

He had no intention of taking her to the center of a bloody battlefield.

All she needed to do was sneak in and look at the man’s eyes.

There was a reason he was called the “Black Fog.”

Since Tudra, she had asked for his opinion on what method would be best. He had replied that it wouldn’t be too late to consider after checking the enemy’s situation and terrain.

Now that they had arrived, she seemed to be growing impatient, and her childlike aspect almost made him laugh.

Watching her chattering lips made him feel impatient instead.

Suppressing the urge to kiss her, his breathing became unstable. His hands were on the verge of sweating.

“The problem is that you’ll be leading from the front and won’t be able to look after me. I think it might be good to climb up a tall tree when things get chaotic—mmph!”

Her babbling lips were suddenly pressed against by his hot breath.

Lucilia froze as if forgetting how to breathe, then grabbed Aaron’s arms to keep from falling backward.

Though she desired intimacy with him, she considered it merely a selfish wish.

Aaron’s precious life was held hostage, trapped in the empty shell of marriage. Because of this, she had told herself he couldn’t possibly love her and that she shouldn’t expect too much.

But this…

It was so intense and passionate that she felt loved by this man.

Her heart crumpled at the heat transmitted to her, enough to make it seem like a momentary illusion.

He delved deeply, showing such urgency that it was hard to believe he had ever been cold toward her.

His tongue, advancing without restraint, explored every corner as if it were his own flesh.

Could there be anything more intimate than this?

Lucilia carefully embraced Aaron’s waist. His large, solid body, like a log, pressed against her, giving incomparable satisfaction.

As she voluntarily clung to him, Aaron embraced her, supporting her small back and waist.

Goodness! To think that a day would come when she would press her body against Aaron’s and express affection…

This was a place where human lives were taken, and desperate struggles were waged to protect them.

The overwhelming sensations were so intense that her awareness of being at the front lines receded distantly.

It felt as if she were standing on ground where heat haze rose, burning up in the passion he emitted.

It was a moment when reason disappeared, to the point where she wouldn’t mind crumbling away like this.