Chapter 85

This was clearly a gathering to voice complaints. Adam, who seemed to be experiencing such a situation for the first time, stood stiffly, unable to relax his shoulders. I gently pushed him aside by his shoulders.

I deliberately made a loud noise with my footsteps as I stepped in front of the soldiers, causing them to jump and gasp in surprise.

“Gasp!”

“Y-Your Grace, the Grand Duchess!“

“What were you talking about?”

The soldiers quickly waved their hands or hung their heads low. Expressing dissatisfaction in the military was never a good idea.

Once overall morale begins to decline, combat performance can also be affected. The soldiers, realizing the gravity of the situation, turned pale.

“It’s nothing, really. We weren’t complaining about the house…“

“That’s not what I meant. I just want to know the details.”

At that, the soldiers exchanged glances among themselves. Finally, one of them stepped forward to speak.

“It’s just that we’ve heard that the imperial army, staying in the main castle and the southern buildings, is receiving better treatment. They have sturdier blankets, and the meat they receive after the subjugation is better quality. They were even given alcohol.“

“Alcohol?”

While alcohol is essential in war, it’s not something that should be distributed at such a crucial time. Who knows when the beasts might regenerate and attack again, yet here they are, giving the soldiers something to drink?

There’s a time and place for hospitality, and there are rules to be followed. Discriminating against specific soldiers is just as dangerous. What good comes from demoralizing one side?

“They must have thought it was okay after confirming that the giant beast was dead.“

“That’s nonsense!”

Adam, standing beside me, exclaimed sternly. Though he was still young, having been raised by our upright father, Adam knew how to discern right from wrong.

“Even if the giant beast was dead, many were already injured. Besides, there’s no guarantee that the giant beast was the only one of its kind. Drinking alcohol at a time like this? It’s unthinkable for those who gave it and accepted it!“

Adam, having shouted without realizing it, turned away, embarrassed, his face flushed. However, the soldiers seemed impressed by this unexpected side of him. I, too, found Adam’s behavior admirable.

“You’re right. It’s unacceptable.”

I spoke to Adam, then turned to the soldiers. My stern gaze made them avert their eyes or bow their heads.

In the silence, I stepped toward the soldiers, my heels ringing sharply.

“Are you certain that it wasn’t the royal family but Count Melin who provided the alcohol to all the armies except for the Winsley troops?”

The soldier nodded firmly in response to my question.

“Yes, that’s correct. I worry that you might be upset, but if I may speak frankly, it’s not just the alcohol; even the slightest difference in treatment is causing dissatisfaction among the other soldiers.“

“I’ll look into it.”

The soldiers looked relieved at my words. I then addressed them sternly.

“But I don’t want to hear any more complaints about the military. There won’t be a next time. If there’s a problem, formally protest. The Count of Winsley is not one to retaliate for such reasons. Even if he did, we members of the Winsley family would not stand by.”

I was confident in my statement. Father had always been an upright man. He would undoubtedly listen to even the most lowly soldier if their argument was sound.

However, even if Father stumbles, he has Louis and Adam. I believed those two would handle things well.

Moreover, Father, Louis, and Adam had all earned the soldiers’ trust over time. That trust now cast a solemn atmosphere over the troops. They maintained silence before responding one by one with determined expressions.

“Yes, we’ll remember that!”

The soldiers soon dispersed in an orderly manner. I could only hope they would relay what had happened today to the others.

I stood with my arms crossed, staring sharply at where the soldiers had been whispering.

When considering all four armies combined, this issue wasn’t just about the distribution of alcohol.

Someone was deliberately isolating the Winsley troops and trying to lower their morale. Reflecting on what had happened in my past life, this was undoubtedly connected to the false accusation of rebellion against the Winsley family.

The Emperor would find it strange if nothing else happened, and the Winsley family was accused of rebellion. The people would also shake their heads, thinking it couldn’t be true, and public opinion would waver.

But if the Winsley family hadn’t received any rewards for their loyalty, if they had been treated coldly and ignored instead?

Morale might start to decline gradually, beginning with the lowest-ranking soldiers. While the Count of Winsley himself might not waver, the army’s overall loyalty might.

The Emperor would be afraid. If the Winsley family found themselves unable to do anything, unable to protect the borders, and the Crown Prince extended a helping hand?

And if the Winsley family began to pledge their loyalty not to the royal family but to the Crown Prince…

The Emperor, always suspicious, would undoubtedly think along these lines, and he would seek a new loyal servant rather than restore the Winsley family.

“I need to speak with Count Melin first.”

After a long period of contemplation, I finally spoke. However, when Adam didn’t respond, I looked up at him. He seemed somewhat dissatisfied as if something was still bothering him.

“Why the long face?“ I asked.

Adam kicked at the ground and spoke,

“Sometimes, I think you should have been the heir.”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I shut my mouth.

The decision for the Winsley family’s heir was made right after I got married. My father was both my father and the Count of Winsley, and he needed an heir who would live solely for the Winsley family.

If I had taken a husband without claiming the title of ‘wife,‘ perhaps my father would have given me the position of heir.

But in my past life, I gave up that position for my love for Kazak, and in this life, I gave it up out of love for my family.

“Don’t say that. That position is only for someone determined to live for the Winsley family and protect the borders for a lifetime. I ran away like a coward.“

“That’s not true!”

Adam unconsciously raised his voice, then bowed his head in apology.

“Sorry for shouting. But everyone in our family knows that you didn’t run away. And this latest incident confirms it. Look, even though we came to help the East, we’re being treated like this. How did you figure out that our family was being threatened?”

I looked at Adam with a heart whole of affection.

“Adam, you’ve grown up.“

“What are you talking about? I’ve been grown up for a long time!”

I ruffled Adam’s hair, messing up his fine blonde locks.

“Thank you for thinking of me. But giving up the position of heir was my choice. I’ll live for the Winsley family in my own way. I hope you can understand and support Louis.”

Adam still looked troubled, his brow furrowed, but he nodded in agreement.

“…Alright. I’ll do as you say.”

I patted Adam’s back and spoke.

“Then I’ll go meet Count Melin. You keep an eye on the soldiers and make sure they aren’t grumbling or harboring any complaints. Tell them I’m handling it, so everything will be fine.“

“Okay, I will.”

Adam nodded, looking quite reliable. I couldn’t help but smile, feeling a sense of pride.

Just as the two of us were smiling at each other, someone came rushing into the building. From the armor and insignia, it was a low-ranking soldier from the Imperial Palace.

“The beasts have reached the lakefront!”

At those words, we immediately began preparing for battle. The situation was so urgent that there wasn’t much time for elaborate preparations. But still…

“Is this really all the soldiers we have prepared?”

Father looked around and spoke in a rare tone of anger. Adam glanced at me, but I held my head high and looked straight ahead as I said.

“The soldiers are still drunk. Of course, they’re not moving quickly.“

“What did you say? Drunk?“

“I was going to look into it further and report, but from what I’ve heard, the soldiers of the imperial army, Lord Eriant, and the Count of Sasha were given alcohol.“

“What! The war isn’t even over yet!”

Father shouted angrily, causing the knights standing close behind him to pale. However, knowing it was before a battle, Father suppressed his anger and regained his composure.

“We’ve always fought alone at the borders. We can manage without the other armies. Do you understand?“

“Yes, My Lord!”

With that, we set out earlier than the other armies. If we delayed any longer, the villages near the lake could suffer, so we had to act quickly before the other forces arrived.

Fortunately, the beasts that had approached the lake were fewer in number than during the first subjugation, so it didn’t take long to deal with them.

However, deaths and injuries were significantly higher than in the first subjugation. With their seasoned skills, the Winsley soldiers suffered only minor scratches, but the soldiers from the other camps weren’t so fortunate.

Those who had joined the battle before sobering up were helpless against even a few beasts.

When dealing with beasts, even a single mistake could not be tolerated. Even in a sober state, a lapse in concentration could be fatal.

The second subjugation ended in victory, but it was a victory drenched in the scent of blood. The result was nothing more or less than reclaiming the lake. The soldiers did not cheer, and the stretchers moved in and out of the battlefield countless times.

***

After the second subjugation battle ended, a small memorial service was held in one corner of the northern building. As expected, there was no drinking this time.

However, after the memorial service, there was a commotion in the training grounds where two soldiers got into a fight.

Under normal circumstances, it would have been considered just a fight caused by the heightened tension. However, since one of the soldiers belonged to the Winsley Count’s army and the other to the Sasha Count’s army, the situation escalated somewhat.

“Did they choose not to drink? They couldn’t drink.”

A soldier from the Sasha army said this, and the Winsley soldier was angered by it, leading to the altercation.

After being called to the scene, the Sasha army’s commander and I shook hands and decided to take our respective soldiers away. Before I turned away from the commander, I spoke up.

“If it were up to me, regardless of whether alcohol was distributed or not, I would have sent any soldiers who drank back home. I’m not so inexperienced as to think that just filling numbers is enough.”

And what I said to the commander reached my father’s ears quickly.

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.