Chapter 1 – Part 5

It was Joseph who nudged Evan, who was still working in the barracks, and he spoke with a troubled expression.

“What are you going to do?”

“About what?”

“Lieutenant Riley, about sending her away.”

“Oh.”

Evan turned to Joseph, who was still waiting for Lieutenant Ann Riley’s disposition.

“Just leave her alone.”

“What?”

“Lieutenant Riley, what kind of person do you think she is?”

“Well….”

Joseph furrowed his brow, remembering seeing Lieutenant Riley in the distance.

She was a young girl, barely out of her teens, fooling around with the medics. She certainly didn’t belong here.

“I can see where the commander is concerned. She’s still young, and she’ll see a lot of tough situations.”

“…If it’s too hard to endure, she’ll probably ask to be sent home. Let’s just wait and see. She seems useful for now.”

“You’re right.”

Joseph nodded, catching the commander’s eye, and Evan flipped through his operational papers.

“So, how are the preparations for the next battle coming along?”

“Oh, we’re calling in the soldiers from Mizan and Frozi right now. There are no significant movements yet, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

* * *

In recent days, the busiest week has passed. Forced to rest as usual, Anne reached a place with a forest stream, listening to the chirping of birds.

‘It’s the same sky as always….’

Life had changed so much in less than a year. Anne popped a strawberry lollipop from her pocket and lay down on the grass.

It was then.

“It’s been a long time.”

A shadow suddenly blocked the sunlight, and she tried to get up, but the owner of the shadow didn’t allow it.

Preventing her from getting up, the commander spoke.

“Rest.”

“I’m not slacking off; I was just taking a short break.”

Anne’s expression hardened as she remembered Evan’s comment that she’d have to do a lot of work for a thousand millan’s worth of pay. It was not good to look like this.

“Who said anything? Are you not allowed to take a break?”

“Not really, but….”

“Take a break when you can. Oh, and be careful. There’s a fish in that valley that sometimes eats human flesh.”

“Hic.”

At that, Anne bent her knees and wiggled her toes.

Then Evan let out a delightful laugh.

“You’re lying, Anne Riley.”

“What? What did you say?”

“You’re as timid as a peanut. Scared of fish.”

Really.

Seeing the man’s cool smile, Anne couldn’t contain her anger and slapped him on the shoulder.

And immediately regretted it.

“I-I mean, did I dare….”

Anne’s complexion paled. From the sound of it, he was a duke and a commander, and to slap a man like that.

Anne was about to stand up and apologise.

Evan plopped down on the grass and grabbed her arm, then laid her head on his lap.

“Huh? W-what are you doing?”

“Lie down; you’re going to need a pillow.”

Anne looked bewildered as he ran his hand through her dishevelled hair in a low voice.

‘It’s like something lovers would do.’

A tickle ran up Anne’s spine. Although he was a strict superior, at this moment, he felt like he was on Anne’s side.

“…Do you do this to anyone?”

Instead of answering the question, a gentle laugh echoed in Anne’s ear. Evan made a complex and subtle expression and stroked Anne’s face.

In fact, when Evan saw this little one here, he thought:

If he was a little nice to her and then firmly rejected her, she would pack her bags and leave immediately.

It wasn’t a big deal for Evan to sway this girl’s heart.

“Well, sometimes you might comfort a subordinate who lies down with a sad face.”

But part of him was bothered that, unlike last time, her face didn’t look good.

Evan stroked Anne’s cheek, trying to convince himself that his actions were meant to get rid of the brat later.

“Is this supposed to be comforting?”

“Yeah.”

Anne was still, accepting the touch. It had been a long time since she felt guilt and loss for not being able to save the patients.

Evan’s unusually cold touch didn’t hurt. On the contrary, it felt good, like it was cooling her fever.

“It’s good to be comforted by the commander.”

“Lieutenant Riley.”

Anne tried to keep her expression nonchalant, but her eyes widened like a rabbit’s. And then she faced reality.

“But, please, don’t do this again, because if this favour is cut off….”

‘I’ll feel like everything is falling apart.’

Anne pushed herself to her feet, away from Evan’s touch. He was no one else but a duke-turned-commander. She had to ignore the tickling in the back of her mind.

Otherwise, it would be she who would be abandoned.

“Are you running away?”

“…I suppose so. It will be a lifetime of running away.”

Anne’s heart began to beat faster and faster. A life of running away. It was inevitable.

“You’d better get that thought out of your head.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Anne hurried out of the forest, her heart racing in her chest.

As expected, she had a bad feeling.

This curling feeling. She’d never experienced it before. But the fact that her heart was tickling in this man’s favour was surely not a good sign.

Anne pulled herself together and left the place.* * * *

In the middle of the summer, when the sun was beating down harder and harder, bad news arrived.

Medical supplies were running low. Anne hurried to the warehouse with a letter explaining that the war had cut off supply routes and delayed deliveries.

She had been lulled into a false sense of security that she had ordered in advance. The overflow of wounded had reached a point where even disinfectant was not readily available.

They were using the disinfectant sparingly, but the stock was already running low.

They couldn’t afford not to use it. If the wounds were left untreated in this hot weather, they could become necrotic.

At this point, they had no choice but to trade with those in the back streets.

But for the Empire, there was no reason to overpay for illegal medical supplies that would have been stolen from the army anyway.

Anne slipped into a black dress from her dresser and pulled on a hooded robe. Then she quietly summoned Kyle.

“I’ll be back. I need to go there to get disinfectant.”

“Anne, we agreed you’d never go there alone again. I’ll go with you.”

“I can’t. I’ll be less likely to be seen if I go alone and quietly.”

“Please! Anne!”

If rumors spread that Anne was involved in illegal dealings, those who didn’t like her before would rush in like a swarm of bees, and it wouldn’t end easily.

“Kyle, don’t be a nag; keep the hospital safe; and tell the medics to use the disinfectant sparingly.”

Kyle gave her a bitter look and shouted.

“Anne, do you realise you’re reckless sometimes? No, A lot of times.”

“…I suppose so. Bye.”

“…Okay.”

Kyle stared at Anne as she lugged the large bag around with a clumsy gesture.

It wasn’t the first time she’d done this. Each time, she’d spent hours investigating where all the medical supplies had come from.

And, as it turned out, it all started with the little girl’s assertive behaviour.

Anne even dipped into her own savings if there wasn’t enough money to buy medical supplies.

She boasted about making a lot of money and living a prosperous life, but Kyle knew it was a lie.

Kyle was always worried about Anne, who sometimes acted like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

The dimly lit alleyway reeked of cigarette smoke, which hung heavily in the air.

The illicit trade in medical supplies had become a lucrative source of income in the back alleys, as the war had made it difficult to obtain medicine or even simple first aid supplies.

Anne left her mark on the wall, looked around the alley for a moment, then pushed open a wooden door with no handle and stepped inside.

The gravelly voice of a man with a large scar over his eye rang in her ears.

“You’ve come again?”

Oddly, despite feeling somewhat intimidated by his demeanor, Anne replied without hesitation.

“Yeah. Will the price be the same as last time?”

“…Well, I don’t know. Why does a young woman like you keep buying enough medical supplies to sustain a household for years?”

“I thought we agreed not to ask each other questions.”

Anne’s voice grew shaky. She’d thought the scarred man was a tough-looking fellow, but she’d been mistaken.

The man behind the counter stood up and began to walk slowly toward her.

Anne’s eyes were shaking with fear.

She turned around, trying to look calm.

“I’m leaving.”

“Hey, I never said I was going to let you go?”

“What’s the problem?”

“Does it make sense for you to buy illegally obtained medical supplies with military funds?”

The words made Anne’s skin crawl.

Now that the man had discovered her identity, there was nowhere to turn.

If her identity was discovered, she would be summarily executed for embezzlement of public funds, either by the nobles who patronized the hospital or by the Imperial Army.

This man, on the other hand, would be richly rewarded, and he was not one to pass up the opportunity.

Anne fidgeted uneasily.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Why are you pretending you don’t?”

“Because if there’s this lack of trust, I won’t come back here again. We agreed not to ask about where it’s used. It was just a verbal agreement, but a contract is still a contract.”

“I didn’t dig it up.”

Ignoring the man’s words, Anne hurried to the door, but someone blocked her path. Her head bent down, and her vision caught sight of a man’s shoe.

Anne bit her lip tightly. She looked up to see the commander standing in front of her, dressed in a suit.

“Command….”