10 years later.

The army lined up on the vast grassland shouted in unison. The archers drew their bowstrings, and the infantry gripped their shields and swords.

The mounted cavalry holding spears were fierce, as if ready to charge at any moment.

Duke Nigel Bernac, the commander of the knights, was facing a decisive battle against the Heath army.

Nigel, who was standing at the forefront of the army, stroked the neck of his excited horse. He raised his chin and gazed at the enemy forces opposite.

Do these barbarians dare to underestimate me?

The Heath army, with monsters at the forefront, had invaded the northern territory of Bernac last winter.

Duke Philip Bernac had met his death during the great battle four years ago, and Nigel, who led the war to victory in place of his father, inherited the title of duke.

Nigel, who became the commander of the Lion Knights, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Grencia Imperial Army, just as his father had been, after achieving numerous military exploits.

“Commander! A message from His Majesty the Emperor has arrived. It states that while he regrets the belated request for war approval, the imperial family expresses neutrality for the sake of the empire’s peace.”

How considerate, you cunning old man.

The lips barely visible inside the helmet twisted.

Even before Nigel was born, the Kingdom of Heath had coveted the adjacent territory of Bernac.

However, the emperor showed no interest. Rather, he seemed to welcome it. The ducal family’s growing power was troublesome.

There were even rumors circulating that he was secretly allying with Heath to bring down Bernac.

Nigel was not unaware of the emperor’s hidden intentions.

As the battle dragged on into the new year, the Heath army gradually grew weary. Nigel’s patience, waiting for the right moment, was also about to snap.

Finally, a full-scale battle broke out, and he led his army out of the castle.

The sound of drums boosting morale grew louder and louder.

Nigel gripped the reins tightly. The blood coursing through his veins boiled in an instant.

The muscles contracting with tension became as hard as stone, and the rising excitement pressed on his lungs. The fingers inside the gauntlet twitched.

Under the fluttering lion banner, Nigel spurred his horse and shouted in a thunderous voice.

“Knights of Bernac, hear my words! If you are the honorable Lion Knights, face them bravely! Even unto death, I shall be with you!”

Thousands of knights raised their weapons and shouted in unison. The earth and sky shook.

Bwoo, the horn signaling the advance sounded long.

“Ha!”

As if he had been waiting for this moment, Nigel struck his horse’s flank and charged forward.

* * *

Aaron Ballock, his friend and aide, waited for his lord in the castle all day.

The battle that began at dawn had not ended even as the day was drawing to a close. Although he had taken medication to endure the possible pain of seizures, its effect was minimal.

Just as he was sighing deeply and wringing his fingers, the horn of the Lion Knights sounded.

“Victory at last!”

Aaron, who had rushed out hurriedly, supported his lord as he dismounted from his horse, nearly collapsing.

When battles occurred, his excitement would reach its peak, often leading to seizures.

Once inside the bedroom, Aaron began by removing his lord’s armor.

The pattern covering the back of Nigel’s left hand writhed as if alive.

“How did you manage to fight in this condition!”

Aaron, choking back tears, laid the large-framed Nigel on the bed. His lord’s body was burning like a fireball. Moreover, he seemed to be having chills, shivering while drenched in sweat and blood.

After covering him with a thick blanket, Aaron hurriedly stoked the fire in the fireplace.

“Please endure for a little longer.”

Moments later, the burning wood crackled and split.

Aaron continuously wiped Nigel’s face and body with a wet cloth.

“…Urgh, ugh!”

Painful groans escaped.

Knowing how his lord had endured all this time, Aaron felt his heart breaking.

“…Kuk!”

As though the pain had intensified, he suddenly tore at his clothes and thrashed about.

Then, as if unable to bear it any longer, he sprang from the bed, slamming his body against the wall and pounding it with his fists.

The groaning man clawed at his sweat-soaked skin. Blood seeped from every scratch his nails made.

After a long struggle, he collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath as if it might be his last.

Aaron took out a vial of painkiller from his chest pocket. Despite its many side effects and the fact that a large dose had already been taken before the battle, there was no other choice.

When he managed to pour it down his throat, his lord’s agonized body suddenly went limp. He had lost consciousness.

Aaron, as always, prayed that peace would descend upon this pitiful man.

The hellish night was passing.

The fierce flames in the fireplace had calmed, and silence had settled over the blood-stained battlefield.

As dawn light crossed the window, Aaron’s sleeping eyelids twitched. Startled awake, he immediately searched for his lord.

“Your Grace! Your Grace!”

He ran down the corridor leading to the bathroom, following the trail of blood.

His lord was sitting against a wall untouched by sunlight. His pale face was devoid of any color.

“Were you here?”

Wounds from where he had clawed himself in unbearable pain were scattered across his lord’s neck, arms, and chest.

His unfocused eyes were hazy, and a dagger lay in his limp hand.

Did you have those terrible thoughts again?

Aaron sat on his knees before him, holding his breath.

Years ago, he had told his lord to flee far away, but he had stubbornly returned. And after rescuing him from torture, he had accepted the cruel healing methods of the previous Duke.

“…Are you alright?”

Nigel blankly stared at the darkness being driven away by light. Aaron felt as if he might suffocate under the weight of despair in those red eyes.

Then suddenly, he remembered a story he had heard recently. At the time, he thought it was absurd, but who knows? It might be the salvation to end this long suffering.

“Your Grace, I recently heard a rumor about a hidden healer in Louer.”

Nigel showed no reaction.

But Aaron didn’t give up and continued speaking.

“They say she secretly treats people, and that she’s a woman. And apparently, this woman has red curly hair.”

Nigel’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

“It’s surprising, isn’t it? How much did we search for that healer, including the late Duke? But we never thought it could be a woman. Perhaps we’ve been looking far and wide when she was right under our noses. But…”

Aaron hesitated, frowning.

“She’s notorious for performing healing arts and taking bribes. I don’t understand why she’s been hiding all this time if that’s the case. She could have made a fortune if she had come to the House of Bernac.”

Nigel twisted his lips in disgust.

“She must have heard about healers dying. She would have realized her healing wasn’t effective. Or perhaps she was afraid of having saved a monster.”

“A monster? Please don’t say such things!”

“Aaron, that person threw me into a miserable abyss. Every moment since that day has been terrible. Father placed the yoke of the family on me and passed away, and without me, Mother would be torn apart by the dogs of the empire.”

Aaron listened silently to Nigel’s deep thoughts.

“That night when I could innocently throw away my life, when I didn’t know the weight of responsibility and duty, was the only chance to be saved by death. That person stole that from me.”

“Your Grace.”

“If I find that person…”

Nigel’s jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth.

“I will punish them for the sin of recklessly plunging another’s life into misery, for the sin of shaking another’s fate with laughable skills. I will make them pay the price by offering every drop of blood and every bone to me until the day they die. Find them and bring them to me.”

Faced with such cold hatred, Aaron was left speechless as he received the order.

* * *

The streets of Louer were bustling with crowds gathered to welcome the lord.

Adults and children alike had left their homes to see the Duke of Bernac, befitting his reputation as a war-crazed man with an iron heart.

Cunning merchants sold locket pendants with the Duke’s face engraved on them, which were snatched up by women as soon as they were placed on the stalls.

“Don’t push! Mister, here’s the money! Give me a pendant! Ma’am, you stepped on my foot!”

Marienne barely managed to get her hands on a pendant in the commotion.

Although the Duke had forbidden the buying and selling of his face, it only served to drive up the trading prices.

Marienne’s eyes naturally curved downwards at the handsome face in the locket. She kissed the thumbnail-sized picture, making smooching sounds. Even that was enough to make her stomach flutter.

“Hello, seventh Duke.”

Marienne hung the seventh pendant she had bought with money from selling herbs around her neck. Then she ran towards the central road where the Duke’s carriage was entering.

In the distance, a four-wheeled carriage led by escort knights entered.

The cheers grew so loud that it was deafening. People followed the carriage, waving flags and handkerchiefs with lion emblems.

Flower petals flew over Marienne’s head as she was pushed along by the crowd.

The people in the territory were showing their fervent loyalty to the guardian who protected Louer’s peace.

This time, I’ll definitely see the Duke!

Marienne, who had made it to the front of the crowd, stared intently at the approaching carriage.

At last, the carriage passed right in front of her.

Marienne’s eyes met with the Duke’s inside the carriage. She clutched the aqua-colored scarf around her neck.

Although it was just for a moment, Marienne could see him clearly.

“Duke…”

The carriage that had been moving away suddenly stopped.