“This has a very complicated manufacturing process that not just anyone can handle. Since I’m worried, I’ll go myself.”

“What?”

“Besides, how could I sit still after receiving so many gifts? That wouldn’t be proper human conduct. The Bickman family values propriety highly. Since the duke has shown courtesy, I must respond in kind. Let’s depart.”

“Ah, Miss……”

I climbed into the now-empty carriage after the luggage was unloaded, and the pale-faced messenger hurried over.

“This is a luggage carriage, not comfortable enough for you to ride in. If you explain about the medicine, I’ll do my best to memorize it……”

“I,” I began quietly, looking straight at him from the dim carriage interior, “have something I absolutely must ask him.”

The messenger’s mouth slowly opened at the suddenly changed atmosphere. My voice cut coldly through the air.

“And I’m willing to use any means necessary to do so.”

A heavy silence descended. He couldn’t dare to speak in the face of my tense expression. Not losing momentum, I spoke in a slightly lighter tone, as if pulling on reins:

“So give up and guide me. He probably thinks this is something he’ll have to face sooner or later anyway.”

That was unknown, of course, but there’s a technique in this world called bluffing. And the messenger, thoroughly caught up in this technique, finally stepped back, unable to handle me.

It was only natural. As a mere servant, he couldn’t force a noble lady like me out of the carriage.

“Even if you go, you might not be able to see him. He really is bedridden. He won’t come out.”

I smiled faintly at his voice, which already sounded half-resigned.

“I won’t ask you to open the door for me. I’ll get in by my own power.”

The messenger, whose face had reddened by now, mumbled “Well then” and awkwardly closed the door. I heard him climb onto the front and take the reins.

I waved to Maya, who stood at the door with her fists clenched in encouragement. I tried to maintain a calm expression, but it wasn’t easy to settle my churning emotions.

* * *

Duke Diconmeyer’s party, who had brought a peace maintenance request from Freemont III, received a warm welcome from Prince Pelowic. The prince, who had long supported peace, gladly offered one of the royal villas as accommodation. It was a castle with beautiful gardens and nearby forests and hunting grounds.

Yanken didn’t like this excessively luxurious place, but he couldn’t ignore Pelowic’s goodwill. Unaccustomed to being served by others, he clashed with the servants several times a day.

This time too, he had finished eating his afternoon snack while standing before the servant could even set down the plate, and waved his hand to chase the servant away. The servants here were diligent but all seemed to lack tact.

As he brushed bread crumbs from the corner of his mouth and turned his head, a sigh escaped at the sight before him. Lars, who had sent a servant to the Bickman mansion instead, had been standing by the window looking outside ever since.

Having gone through two wars together, they could be said to be closer than most families. They had watched each other’s backs and greeted the morning sun together every day.

When Lars, who had crossed over to Freemont after experiencing that incident in Edmus, said he would participate in the war, Yanken had tried to dissuade him. He knew the reason Lars was willing to take unnecessary risks was his guilt over Kirhin. Of course, that guilt extended to Lucienne as well.

‘You should return to Edmus instead. Go back and protect that little miss. She’s been left all alone in the Bickman family without knowing what happened—it would be nothing for the count to swallow her in one gulp.’

‘The count won’t touch Lucienne. Because Kirhin is dead.’

Though his face seemed expressionless, his low voice was heavy with pain. Yanken listened carefully to his continuing words.

‘But if she becomes involved with me and our work again, he won’t spare her then. Disappearing from her side is how we help her.’

‘……She’ll resent you greatly.’

Yanken wasn’t unaware of what feelings Lucienne harbored for Lars. And from what he could see, Lucienne had also become someone special to Lars.

This kind of parting would surely leave regrets. That’s why he wanted to stop him, but Lars just brushed it off with a bitter smile.

‘It may be hard now, but she’ll be fine as time passes. I want her to live a peaceful life as the lady of the Bickman family. I want to make that happen for her.’

Those words sounded more like a pledge. Yanken lacked both the eloquence and skill to change his mind, so he answered with a long sigh, though he wasn’t at ease.

Because that little miss didn’t seem likely to live the quiet, ordinary noble lady’s life that Lars wished for her.

‘It may not be as fierce as Askun, but war is war. You can’t guarantee that you’ll be alive tomorrow. Anyone who wants to leave, leave right now. I’ll provide enough travel money so you won’t struggle to live.’

Lars gathered the mercenary members who had been following him and said that. Afterward, silence fell. It wasn’t a silence of people watching each other’s reactions, but rather an awkward silence. Pushed by gazes that seemed to say “say something,” Yanken scratched the back of his neck and opened his mouth.

‘Well, sometimes you really disappoint me. Here, there’s no one but fools who would blow a fortune on gambling in a day and end up penniless even if you gave them unnecessary money.’

‘The bear is talking about himself.’

‘At least I’d drink my fill of alcohol before blowing it. That much would make it less regrettable.’

When Hardy and Rafkin chimed in, Yanken glared at them, but they just snorted and turned away. After barely suppressing his growl, Yanken shouted loudly:

‘Anyway, what I’m saying is, we’re all men with nothing better to do unless the commander employs us, so let’s live and die together! Let’s quickly clean up Freemont and come back to sweep away Beitram Balshwin too! We can think about living comfortably after that!’

‘Right!’

‘Even a brainless bear who only knows how to use his body knows this, so it makes no sense for the commander not to know! Let’s go quickly and get rid of them! Woof woof!’

‘You bastard, war or not, I should beat your mouth first……’

‘Hardy, I have a different request for you.’

Lars’s voice cut in between Yanken and Hardy, who were about to grab each other’s collars.

It was none other than a request to stay by Lucienne’s side and protect her.

Hardy deliberated until the very last moment but couldn’t refuse the commander’s request. After all, someone needed to remain in Edmus to monitor the count’s movements.

‘That’s right, leave the war to us, and you keep a good eye on Count Balshwin to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. That way we can settle in quickly when we return.’

‘Bear, if you die there, you die by my hand. If you think you can’t survive, die by my hand beforehand.’

At Hardy’s words as he showed his sturdy fist, Yanken sighed “oh my” and pressed down on his small head as if to crush it. It was their own way of saying a friendly goodbye.

Hardy, who entered as Lucienne’s maid, sent news about once a month by letter. In fact, most of the letters weren’t read on time but were read in batches after returning to the castle from intense battles.

The letters mainly contained Lucienne’s daily life, the situation of the Nix merchant group, and the count’s movements. Although Yanken couldn’t read all the letters, he could tell how fiercely Lucienne was growing the merchant group. He had thought she was just a little girl who liked to meddle everywhere without being able to take care of herself, but it seemed his thoughts were wrong.

Lars seemed to try not to show it, but he eagerly awaited the letters.

Even on the day when they had finally succeeded in a surprise attack after staying awake for a week and breaking the enemy’s forces, when everyone else was resting in the barracks, he alone rode back to the castle. Alone on a dark forest path while the rest of them were passed out.

Everyone else thought there were other reasons, but Yanken knew it was because of the letters. And this wasn’t just a one-time occurrence.

That’s why Lucienne’s meeting was what Yanken was most concerned about when returning to Edmus this time.

With Freemont III’s cooperation, Lars had gained status in Freemont and no longer needed to hide himself or cover his face. If so, there was a high possibility that Lucienne would find him and they would meet in some way.

But he never dreamed they would encounter each other at Fatura’s secret banquet hall, where all sorts of rumors gathered.

Along with a completely changed Hardy.

“Why didn’t you just go see her?”

Yanken abruptly spoke, shaking off his thoughts. Lars, who had been staring out the window where clouds were gathering as if rain was coming, glanced at him. Swallowing a sigh, Yanken awkwardly placed his hands on his waist and stood.

“You don’t actually think she’ll give up just like this, do you? If she were the type to accept things so readily, would she have proposed and put her honor on the line?”

Yanken knew well what people were saying about Lucienne. That miss was truly no ordinary person.

If Lars rejected this proposal, Lucienne would become a laughingstock remembered throughout Edmus history. Future women would learn from her example never to propose to a man in front of people.

Lucienne must have known this.Part of her intention was to pressure Lars, while the other part demonstrated her resolve to face potential humiliation and disgrace.

“To be honest, I never particularly liked that little miss, but I think it would be courteous to face her seriously at least once, given how far she’s gone.”

“……Lady Bickman.”

“What?”

Yanken looked up at the voice that sounded like a murmur. Lars spoke in an indifferent tone:

“Calling a twenty-two-year-old noble lady a ‘little miss’ is what’s truly discourteous. Don’t you think?”

Watching Yanken awkwardly smack his lips, Lars let out a faint sigh. His neck and shoulders were stiff.

“Why does she always have to drive situations to such extremes? She’s had a tendency to recklessly throw herself into things since before. Committing acts without thinking about what might happen to her if things go wrong—that hasn’t changed with time.”