The summer monsoon, which usually visited Brienne annually, was late this year.

Although the rainfall was far weaker than that of other regions on the continent, to the people of the Duchy of Brienne, who rarely experienced gloomy weather, it was still regarded as a proper monsoon.

Perhaps it was due to the delayed summer rains, or maybe the sea breeze saturated with moisture had been unusually still for a while. Whatever the reason, a fire broke out late one night at the shipyard.

“Your Grace, Duke Leonid!”

The urgent knocking on the bedroom door was accompanied by the butler’s voice. It wasn’t particularly loud, yet it somehow made Leonid spring to his feet.

“A message from the commander, sir. There’s been a fire at the shipyard.”

The fact that the butler disturbed him at such an hour signaled this was no ordinary incident. Even so, Leonid’s expression stiffened more than he anticipated.

“…The ship?”

If it had been an ordinary fire outside the fortress, neither Leonid, who ruled Brienne, nor his steward, Marco, would have reacted so gravely.

But the fire was at the shipyard, where the vessel meant for Olstein was being constructed and where the massive lumber shipments from Kut were stored.

“They say it’s been completely destroyed.”

“….”

“Some of the timber stored in the watchmen’s shed was salvaged, but it seems they couldn’t save the ship…”

The butler trailed off, his face growing somber as he spoke. The carpenters likely hadn’t considered that a fire might break out on a ship floating on water. Unless someone set it deliberately…

Surely not? Leonid, lost in thought, snapped his head up. Could it be retaliation from the imperial forces, holding a grudge over their fallen comrade?

“…I must go.”

***

When Leonid arrived at the shipyard, he was greeted by a harrowing sight.

“Injured personnel to this side!”

“They say the dock is still burning! Move quickly!”

“Help us move this timber!”

Amid plumes of gray smoke rising with a sharp stench, people shouted in chaos. The construction frames, once lively with workers assembling the ship, and the skeletal framework of a ship whose base had only recently been completed, were now nothing more than massive charcoal remains. Though the flames had largely been subdued, soot-covered workers were still struggling to manage the aftermath.

Leonid stood staring, momentarily dazed, until he was jolted back to his senses by the jittery movements of his horse, perhaps agitated by the frantic shouting.

“Ah! It’s the Duke!”

“Your Grace!”

Nearly falling off the horse, Leonid was assisted by nearby workers as he dismounted.

“Your Grace, are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Now is not the time to concern yourselves with me.”

Leonid scanned the faces of the workers who had run up to him. Each one, their noses and foreheads smeared with soot, looked relieved to see him but also bore an undercurrent of unease.

“Are all the workers safe? Was anyone trapped by the fire?”

“Yes, Your Grace. Aside from a few warehouse guards who were injured while evacuating, everyone is accounted for.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Leonid nodded, taking solace in the fact that there weren’t many casualties.

He understood their grim expressions. Though it was still under construction, losing the ship meant for Olstein was an immeasurable setback. Everything would need to start over from the beginning.

However, it seemed their worries lay elsewhere.

“…Your Grace, does this mean war will break out?”

One of the men hesitantly asked, his tone uncertain.

“What do you mean by that?”

Leonid asked, his expression bewildered.

“Your Grace!”

The commander of the knights rushed over in a hurry.

“Your Grace, we have a serious situation…”

The knight commander stopped short upon noticing the crowd surrounding Leonid. After the Duke reassured the workers and sent them away, the commander finally approached.

“Your Grace.”

“Marco, are you injured…”

“Your Grace, this is urgent.”

Cutting off Leonid, the knight spoke in a low voice.

“Kut has declared war.”

“…What?”

Without another word, the commander placed a telescope in Leonid’s hand. Following his gaze, Leonid raised the telescope and pointed it toward the outskirts of the shipyard.

“….”

Beyond the smoke rising from the harbor, in the distance, not far from the shore, flickered countless lights on the sea.

The lights, numbering at least several hundred, were torches held by soldiers aboard Kut’s warships, lined up and waiting in silence.

Leonid’s hand holding the telescope trembled slightly.

****

Summer in the Empire continued to pass, day by day. Amelia often realized this while watching the trees in the garden ripen into deep green hues.

The sun was stronger and drier here than in Brienne. In such a season, the shade was pleasantly cool, giving her more courage to step outside.

Amelia walked alongside Betty through the streets outside the castle. Betty had mentioned she was going to buy dried fruits, and Amelia had chosen to accompany her, as Helen, who was sensitive to heat, stayed behind. However, Amelia felt somewhat guilty since she wouldn’t be much help with the shopping.

“My lady, where do you think His Highness the Crown Prince has been?”

Betty asked casually.

“He hasn’t been around for a few days, but it seems he returned yesterday. The servants at his residence suddenly became busy again.”

Betty brought up the topic of Josef’s whereabouts because she had been enduring complaints from the crown prince’s chamberlain for nearly two weeks.

The chamberlain, following royal protocol, never directly mentioned that the crown prince was absent. However, every time he encountered Betty in the castle, he would grumble about how “tasks were piling up with no one to sign off on them” or how he had “more than a few responsibilities to handle on behalf of His Highness.” It seemed he assumed Betty, being discreet, wouldn’t gossip about his frustrations.

Betty, clearly annoyed by the chamberlain’s persistence, now wore a slightly indifferent expression.

“Is that so? Could he have been on a vacation?”

When Amelia tilted her head in curiosity, the parasol she was holding swayed gently in front of her.

She, more than anyone, was content to enjoy the days of peace and quiet that Josef’s absence afforded. Occasionally, she took leisurely walks near the lake or the secondary palace, accompanied by the deer, venturing as far as she could without it protesting. Realizing the deer wouldn’t wander too far made the outings all the more relaxing.

“Perhaps,” Betty replied with a nod, then shifted the conversation to where they might find the best dried fruits. As Amelia wasn’t particularly interested in the prior subject, the two naturally resumed their usual casual chatter as they headed toward the marketplace.

****

The people of Olstein seemed more sensitive to heat than cold. The marketplace, bustling with activity even during the frigid winters when the river froze, now appeared subdued under the searing summer sun. Every shop had its awnings fully extended, as though to express their disdain for the relentless heat.

As they passed a bakery, its owner fanning himself with his sleeves rolled up, Betty tilted her head in puzzlement.

“…That’s odd.”

“What is?”

A carriage was approaching from the opposite direction, so Betty gently guided Amelia under the shade of a pristine white awning before answering.

“All the shops seem to be receiving deliveries today. But it’s not the usual day for that.”

While delivery days varied slightly between shops, most followed a similar schedule, as the goods were typically transported via carriages from the harbor at Olstein. By Betty’s calculations, deliveries should have arrived yesterday, meaning today, goods like the fruits from Sarnica would already have been polished and displayed. Flour sacks certainly shouldn’t still be piled high in front of the bakery.

Yet, curiously, every shop looked as though they had just received shipments.

“Perhaps the carriages were delayed,” Betty said as they stopped in front of a general store. Wooden crates were stacked high outside its entrance.

“Welcome…”

As they entered, a voice greeted them, but no one was in sight. Judging by the open inner door behind the counter, the staff seemed to be sorting inventory.

Inside the shaded store, glass jars on the shelves held neatly arranged dried oranges and apricots preserved in sugar. As Amelia admired them curiously, the store clerk emerged from the back.

“Apologies—goods just arrived today.”

“Were the carriages delayed?” Betty asked from the counter.

“Yes, that’s right. I heard there were issues at the harbor. Apparently, a cargo ship was delayed.”

“What sort of issues?”

“The clerk scratched his head. “Something about the route through Brienne being disrupted because of a war. I don’t know the details.”

“What?”

Before the man could finish, Betty exclaimed loudly and quickly turned to Amelia, her expression alarmed.

“L-Lady Amelia…”

Standing near the wall in her pale blue dress, Amelia seemed out of place among the store’s vibrant colors. She appeared so delicate and frozen that she resembled a life-sized doll.

“…”

A faint snapping sound finally brought Amelia back to her senses. She realized she had broken part of the parasol she was holding.

“Oh.”

The damaged parasol slipped from her hand, the motion strangely slow and surreal. Amelia bent down to pick it up, but Betty was quicker, moving to support her as she crouched.

“My lady, are you all right?”

“…Y-yes.”

Her legs felt weak, as if she might collapse at any moment. Leaning heavily on Betty for support, Amelia managed to speak.

“…A war, you said?”

“Ah, well…”

“Wh-when? A war? In Brienne? Why?”

“My lady…”

The store clerk, who had only just noticed Amelia, looked flustered and scratched his head again.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know much. I only overheard it from the carriage drivers.”

“That… That can’t be true. A war… There must be some mistake.”

Amelia vehemently denied it. There was no way. A war in Brienne? That was impossible.

However, unaware of Amelia’s identity as Brienne’s princess, the man awkwardly added, “But the drivers were certain. They said the Kut army was stationed in Brienne’s waters, blocking routes. It’s been about a week now.”