But on the battlefield where life hung by a thread, there was never a peaceful day.

If she tried to rest during a break, she would get swept up before she knew it. Enemy raids came at any time, and it wasn’t something you could relax about after it happened once a day.

As she grew older, different dangers emerged. There were beasts who wanted to violate her body as she became more womanly with each passing year.

In that place filled with the smell of blood, there were many who looked at the few women with lecherous eyes.

Low-ranking soldiers would lure the maids into the forest and take turns satisfying their filthy desires. It happened frequently, day or night.

Even when superiors learned of it and strictly disciplined them under military law, it was only temporary — for those who stood between life and death daily, ethics and morals did not exist.

Because of that environment, she picked up the sword to survive. In a way, learning swordsmanship from Ian, her only peer, was her greatest fortune.

‘I thought you’d be weak, but you’ve got quite a talent, huh? Have you handled a sword before?’

That was the first thing Ian said when he finally handed her a sword after she had persistently begged for months.

‘Look at your right hand. People who hold a sword for the first time don’t grip it like that.’

‘Is it wrong?’

‘The opposite. Using your thumb and index finger as stable support is the reaction of someone who has held a sword before. Even for a genius this is too…… impossible.’

Flora looked at her hand with bewildered eyes. In fact, as he said, her first impression when holding the sword was that it felt very familiar.

Perhaps she had trained in swordsmanship before losing her memories.

Since she had a dagger that seemed left by parents fleeing the chaos from the beginning, it was possible.

It was truly fortunate. Her skills developed day by day.

But it still wasn’t enough to feel safe, so Flora trained relentlessly, never missing a single day, as if her life depended on it.

After she became strong, no one dared try to overpower her by force, but even so, she never let her guard down for a day.

However, unexpected things happened everywhere, and that day was such a case.

‘Get her!’

Several men rushed her at once, targeting when she had briefly set aside her sword.

Flora was completely defenseless while bathing in the stream. To make matters worse, her only companion, Ian, was away.

No matter how skilled she was in swordsmanship, she would be overwhelmed by force when starved beasts attacked. Just dodging while trying to get dressed by kicking one’s stomach and crushing another’s jaw was challenging enough.

As Flora fought them alone like that, she eventually hit her physical limit. That’s exactly what the vile group who had always been watching for an opportunity had aimed for.

However, even if she died here, Flora had no intention of giving them what they wanted. Just as she steeled her resolve again—

‘Enemy attack!’

Ding ding ding!!!

Along with someone’s shout, the bell on the outer fortress wall rang urgently. It was an enemy invasion.

Thanks to the enemy’s surprise attack at that time, Flora was fortunately able to avoid a terrible fate. Though she miraculously protected her body, it was the day she realized she had no way to handle several men attacking as a group.

After that, she trained her stamina even more desperately and voluntarily joined the unit said to be the most brutal.

Even in a man’s world, strength is enough to keep most at bay—even for a woman.

The logic of power. To survive, she had to become stronger than anyone.

She didn’t hesitate to take enemy lives either. Because of that, she made the greatest contribution to the 12th Division’s notoriety. Flora was rather pleased when her reputation spread terribly.

“I learned about the sleep effects of Rahel flowers because I saw men using them to do bad things on the battlefield.”

She always carried herbs that could be used immediately as antidotes. In case she was drugged without knowing, so she could regain consciousness right away.

The duke, who had been silently listening, spoke heavily.

“……Did you kill all those trash?”

“I tried to…… but they all died by enemy hands not long after.”

They met their end beautifully, never to be seen again, which was rather satisfying.

The duke seemed at a loss for words again. Though his expression was emotionless as usual, his ashen eyes revealed a slight shock he couldn’t hide.

In the silence that followed after sharing her past, Flora felt somewhat self-conscious. She hadn’t responded when rumors spread or when other unit members badmouthed her.

It didn’t matter. She had never been hurt by anyone’s words or actions.

But now for the first time, this man’s gaze made her heart ache.

“Do you…… find me horrifying? Ah!”

As soon as she asked that question, Claude pulled Flora’s arm and kissed her.

Hot breaths tangled instantly. Through her widely parted lips, intense sensations rushed in without room to breathe.

Flora struggled slightly in surprise before relaxing and yielding. Claude, who had fully savored her lips, suddenly grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away.

She looked like such a weak woman that he had acted impulsively.

Claude sighed and ran a hand over his face at emotions he couldn’t understand himself. Then he grabbed her wrist again.

He looked directly at her face as she remained still with lips wet with saliva and asked.

“Then why did you accept me?”

“Because Your Grace…… was the first person to protect me……”

No one had ever stood up for her.

Though they acknowledged her skills, they didn’t elevate her to knighthood. With her unknown status and origins, she was naturally deployed to the most dangerous, life-risking battles.

Everyone just used her, but the duke was the first to stand up for her or save her.

When she was losing consciousness in the wardrobe that day, she thought about that as she buried her face in his warm embrace.

This person alone sees me as an equal human being.

The only man who looked at her as an equal person.

“You took my side, not the head maid who was like my nanny…… You helped me live well here, and everyone is kind to me…… I know it’s all thanks to Your Grace.”

After coming here, she finally learned what an ordinary life was like.

Opening up to others, having casual conversations, eating delicious food — those days that felt quite awkward at first had accumulated to now occupy a large part of her.

And at the center was Claude, her master.

The gentleness he showed her was unfamiliar to her. Almost unbelievably so at first.

However, Claude was caught by a subtle feeling as he heard that answer.

Though he had always known she held some affection for him, the reason she yielded to him despite her deep trauma could only be one thing—he was the only person she could rely on. Perhaps the only one.

Unable to find the right words, Claude fixed his gaze on Flora’s clear face, her eyes focused solely on him. 

As he saw his reflection in her aqua eyes, his own gaze slowly steadied.

His hand reached out with complex emotions and embraced her waist. Flora very quietly buried her face in his chest.

Fortunately, the chill in her body had faded, replaced by warmth. His long fingers lightly lifted her chin and pressed against her small lips.

Claude completely stole her sweet breath as if to erase his troubled thoughts. Only after breaths were exchanged a couple times did their lips separate with a soft sound.

He made her lie on the bed. When she tried to get up again, he pushed her slender shoulders down forcefully. Then he smoothly pulled the fallen sheet up to her neck.

“Sleep more.”

“Ah…… but this is Your Grace’s bed.”

“You were in the rain a lot.”

“……Then what about Your Grace?”

She blinked her eyes that peeked out over the blanket as she asked. She kept looking around, seemingly uncomfortable about taking someone else’s place.

“I’ll sleep beside you. You don’t need to guard me today, so sleep quietly.”

“I’m…… not sleepy though.”

“……You really don’t listen well.”

Finally, Claude laid down next to Flora, placing his large hand on her flat stomach as she kept trying to get up.

He propped his head up on his elbow, turned on his side, and completely trapped her in his embrace. Only then did her struggling completely cease.

“Just sleep. It’s safe here.”

“……”

Though she didn’t understand why he kept telling her to sleep, as she breathed in his uniquely cool scent, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Flora quickly fell asleep, perhaps from the effects of medicine. The area near his chest where her soft breathing made his collar flutter felt ticklish.

He mulled over the disconnect between her appearance last night and her current state, docilely nestled in his arms with such a gentle face.

Which version was real didn’t matter at all. None of it was horrifying.

Rather…….

Finally, he defined something that had been complicating his thoughts for a while into a single word.

Yes. It was just pity.