By the time they returned to the camp with Lucilia, most of the chaos had been cleaned up.

Ension had been guarding outside the mountain shelter the entire time, so he knew nothing about the holy power.

Consumed by guilt for failing to protect her, he ran frantically to the infirmary to be of some help.

Thanks to him, a military doctor immediately entered the tent.

Aaron stepped back as soon as he set Lucilia down.

Though he was concerned about not cleaning the dried blood that had flowed from the cut above her eyebrow, he had no choice.

What if her eye had been pierced?

Just thinking about it made anger rise to the top of his head.

“How deep is the wound?”

“Judging by the stopped bleeding, the damage doesn’t seem severe. Were there any other unusual symptoms? I mean… I’m asking about the possibility of poisoning.”

“She didn’t have stiffening limbs or unstable breathing.”

Even as he said this, Aaron placed his hand on the neck of the motionless Lucilia to check her pulse.

The pulsation he felt at his fingertips made his composure crumble.

Aaron quietly moved away.

He feared she might suddenly cry out in pain. He felt he couldn’t suppress his anger if he watched her being treated.

As he was about to go to the desk, he burst into laughter at the sight of the screen.
It seemed ridiculous that he had been avoiding Lucilia because of such a trivial thing.

She had been anxious not to fall out of favor, always careful not to cause trouble.

‘I should have treated her more warmly.’

So she could complain, whine when scared, laugh freely, and cry to her heart’s content.

As he massaged the bridge of his nose and moved toward the desk, he noticed a paper placed there.

It was unusual to see written reports, so he was curious. His heart stirred at the neat handwriting visible through the folded gap.

He unfolded the letter that she must have sat here and written with care.

[I heard that Mrangel has begun their attack.

To be honest, it doesn’t feel real that a battle is taking place not far from here.

I can’t tell you how worried I’ve been since hearing that you joined the battle right after going on reconnaissance. I should have seen your face in person and prayed for your safe return, but I regret not being able to do so.

I don’t know when the retreat signal will sound, but if an urgent situation arises, I’ll go to Tudra with Sir Willar.

I’ll escape safely, so please don’t get hurt either.

I miss you.

May God’s protection always be with you.

Your wife, Lucilia Artnal.]

There was one part he couldn’t take his eyes off:

[I miss you.]

“Haa… Lucilia.”

Aaron buried his face in the letter.

No matter how coldly he treated her or pushed her away, she steadfastly maintained her place.

From now on, he would never turn away.

Neither from her, nor from his feelings.

* * *

Aaron left her sleeping and went outside the tent. Ension had been waiting with a grim face for some time.

“Follow me.”

“Yes.”

The two went to the strategy meeting tent.

As soon as they entered, Ension bowed his head and requested punishment.

“I failed to fulfill my duty, so I’ll accept any punishment.”

“How could you have dealt with those who deliberately created a smokescreen?”

“Still, due to my lack of ability, I put your wife in danger.”

Aaron’s expression showed no cracks, making him appear paradoxically calm. He had maintained that face since the moment he rescued Lucilia.

He seemed to have received some kind of shock, or to be struggling with a difficult problem.

Ension spoke to Aaron in a monotone voice:

“Is there anything I should do?”

“Take my wife back to Tudra.”

“…I will obey your command.”

“I don’t intend to punish you. So when you get to Tudra…”

Ension’s brow furrowed slightly at the unfinished sentence. He had expected to be given another mission besides escorting Lucilia.

Sure enough, Aaron listed several words with a heavy sigh, as if something was bothering him:

“Holy water font, secret room, underground passage, red petals with black stamens, bathtub, mother-of-pearl wooden box.”

“…”

“These are all clues. Given the vessel containing holy water, there must be a secret room under the temple. Begin investigating as soon as you reach Tudra. Take Kite, who’s skilled at infiltration.”

“Yes, I’ll find a way to enter the temple.”

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Just as they spread malicious rumors to shake public sentiment, let’s use rumors too. Now is the perfect time, while the priest is away from the temple.”

“I’ll start by mobilizing influential merchants in Tudra, using the fact that he fled and abandoned the wounded.”

By preventing him from slinking back into the temple and sending a request to the Papal Office to replace the priest of the Tudra diocese, they could buy time.

“Focus on the possibility that it might be related to how the whistle sound couldn’t penetrate the air when tracking Sister Mannea.”

“Understood.”

Aaron patted Ension’s back, who still looked guilty.

“Find an opportunity to redeem yourself.”

He knew better than anyone that this was how Ension could recover his damaged sense of duty and responsibility.

No matter how much he tried to comfort himself, he couldn’t erase the bitter memory of the disaster that had already occurred.

* * *

Only a dim lamp light flickered in the dusky tent.

While the acrid smell from the sporadic fires had taken over the entire garrison, this place was an exception.

The fragrant scent coming from Lucilia covered the wretched shame of defeat.

“Hoo…”

It had been a long time since he felt such powerlessness.

Shortly after his knighthood, he had once despaired when allied forces were pushed back in battle, but even that feeling had diminished over time as he became hardened.

This was because he developed confidence that he could always turn the tide with skill and tactics.

But this time, he was considerably shocked, anxious, and afraid.

Not because of the flow of battle.

He had been out of his mind with worry for Lucilia.

He had to endure fear during the time he rushed from the battlefield to the camp.

Because of the fire?

No. Someone would have suppressed it.

Because of the provisions? Or the wounded?

Though these concerns were appropriate for a commander, they had all been blown away by the howling winter wind.

All that remained in his mind was Lucilia alone.

Despite riding without rest, he had the strange experience of his vision flickering when he heard she wasn’t in the camp.

Even now, he wasn’t sure if it was because of his pathetic self, drenched in bewilderment, or because of her disappearance.

“But one thing I do know.”

Only after wandering through the mountains for a long time did he catch a faint scent. The sweet fragrance, mixed with the forest’s moisture, emitted a nauseating smell.

It had even corrupted the air, making it murky enough to repel the whistle sound.

While following the scent in pursuit, he had flinched from a sudden, sharp pain and covered his eyes.

And then the tears that flowed for no reason afterward.

The series of symptoms was unusual.

These strange occurrences had been happening since he spent the wedding night with Lucilia.

He didn’t know how to get rid of the unpleasantly persistent dull pain.

If it were a sword wound, he could at least bandage it. But this remained deeply embedded no matter how much he rubbed or shook it off.

“It seems that we…”

Just as he was about to continue, Lucilia’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and her orange eyes were revealed.

“Aaron… is that you?”

“Are you conscious?”

Lucilia opened her eyes with difficulty and surveyed her surroundings.

The blood-splattered floor and the piercing smell of blood were gone.

The last thing she remembered seeing was Mannea’s eyes, drained of life.

She couldn’t remember anything after fainting.

“We’re back at the tent.”

“Fortunately, the wound isn’t deep. It’s been treated, so the pain should subside in a day or two.”

“What about Sister Mannea?”

“Her body has been brought here for investigation.”

A heavy silence descended.

During this time, Lucilia blinked vacantly, and Aaron, thinking she hadn’t yet recovered from the shock, carefully observed her condition.

Then their gazes intertwined.

‘I wish I had been injured instead. I know you’re not a witch. If I were to define you as evil, there wouldn’t be a single good person in this world.’

Lucilia, withdrawing her gaze, began to sob, overwhelmed with emotion.

“Sob, you believe in me. Hic, hic… Thank you so much for believing me.”

Aaron, momentarily surprised that she had read his true thoughts, gently took Lucilia’s hand.

Not knowing how to comfort a crying woman, he tried to console her with the new truth he had discovered.

The effect was immediate.

As soon as he spoke, she stopped crying.

“It seems we are bound by an invisible force.”