Laila lay still in the darkness of night, enduring the bitter cold. Judging by the steadily dropping temperature, they must be nearing the Northern Territory.

Despite having marched for several days, Laila remained remarkably calm. Gazing up at the starry sky, she savored the peace and quiet which might be her last.

“Are you all right?”

Someone disturbed Laila’s rest with the rustle of approaching footsteps.

“Sir Houston.”

It was Jay Houston, Princess Lenoa’s escort knight.

“We should reach the Northern Territory by tomorrow.”

“I see.”

At first, she had been wary of him.

The way he silently stared at her with an impassive expression and deep-set eyes had made her quite uncomfortable. But as time passed, she realized that was simply Sir Houston’s nature, and they had since become comfortable enough to converse with each other.

“Here.”

A thick blanket rested in his rough hands. Such kindness offered with such an indifferent expression was so incongruous that Laila did not even think to take it.

“The temperature will drop toward dawn. Keep yourself covered.”

“Ah, thank you.”

When she hurriedly accepted it, he dropped down a short distance away and began gazing into the distance. Seeing Sir Houston sit down instead of leaving, Laila found herself wondering why.

‘Does he have something he wants to say? Or perhaps he needs someone to talk to.’

She wrapped the blanket he had given her around her shoulders and stole a glance at him, but he didn’t seem interested in her at all.

‘What a strange man.’

The Imperial Army’s almost overwhelming consideration toward her had begun even before their departure.

The soldiers kept bringing her this and that, saying she was their most important secret weapon and needed to take proper care of herself, which only increased the pressure Laila felt.

And the most burdensome of them all was Sir Houston, who was sitting beside her now.

‘It’s most uncomfortable when he keeps sitting beside me without saying a word.’

He had hovered around her ever since they departed and, at some point, had begun remaining by her side. At first, she assumed he had some business with her, but he would merely stay beside her in silence before eventually leaving.

“Um, Sir Houston.”

“Yes.”

She might have let it pass if it had happened only once or twice, but Laila was curious.

“Is there something you wish to say to me?”

“…Ah.”

Did he truly have something to say?

Seeing his unexpected fluster, Laila became certain. It had only been a flat, monosyllabic exclamation, but considering his usual demeanor, he was clearly quite flustered.

“Please, go ahead.”

“Was it that obvious?”

‘What is with this man?’

“You’ve been hovering around me ever since we set out.”

“Ah….”

His guileless reaction made Laila worry about Princess Lenoa. He was supposedly one of the princess’s closest escort knights, yet he was so innocent.

‘I suppose it’s fortunate that he’s at least an exceptional swordsman.’

“Please, feel free to tell me.”

Rather than allow this uncomfortable situation to continue, she thought it would be better to simply grant whatever favor he wished to ask.

“If you would not mind….”

“….”

Seeing him hesitate, she briefly wondered if she should not have asked. It was unlikely, but she hoped he wasn’t about to say he was interested in her as a woman.

“I fell for you the moment I first saw you.”

“…!”

D*mn it. She should never have asked.

“…Pardon?”

Startled, Laila edged slightly away from him. Sir Houston then continued.

“I fell for your swordsmanship. So, would you be willing to duel me someday?”

‘So when he said he fell for me, he meant my swordsmanship, right?’

Relieved, Laila placed a hand over her chest. A moment later, embarrassment washed over her. Of all the conclusions she could have leaped to, why had she assumed that?

“Ever since you won the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament a few years ago, I have wanted to duel you. However, Lord Carlo refused to allow it, so I have been waiting for an opportunity ever since. Even when you were facing dozens of knights, you didn’t move a single step. You were truly remarkable.”

She had thought him a quiet man, but it turned out that he could be remarkably eloquent. Feeling both embarrassed and grateful for the sudden praise, Laila smiled faintly.

“Very well.”

Laila readily agreed to his request because of the sincerity in his eyes. Unlike those who had sought to exploit her swordsmanship until now, his gaze held nothing but genuine admiration.

“Thank you. I will never forget this for as long as I live.”

“No, there’s really no need to go that far.”

“I mean it.”

He was needlessly serious. Laila averted her gaze and nodded, sensing that he would continue insisting on his sincerity until she acknowledged it.

“You should go and rest now. Before we can duel, we must first survive the war.”

The war would likely begin tomorrow, so she was telling him to rest if he did not want to die. Dueling her might be his wish, but that would mean nothing if he died on the battlefield first.

“Yes. You should rest well too.”

After giving her a crisp farewell, Sir Houston headed toward the barracks, leaving Laila alone once more.

“Whew. It’s tomorrow.”

Once she was alone, the weight of the war bore down on Laila again. It had not felt this overwhelming while she was talking to Sir Houston. As the pressure tightened around her to the point where she could barely breathe, she regretted sending him away.

‘It’s all right. Everything will be all right.’

Closing her eyes, Laila repeated those words to herself over and over. This would be the last time. The first and the last. So everything had to be all right.

***

Meanwhile, Jay Houston returned to the barracks looking far too happy for someone who was just a day away from going to war. This was because Laila had accepted his proposal.

He admired her far more than she could ever know. As a knight, of course.

That was why he had joined the campaign.

He recalled when he had first heard that Laila would be joining the war and asked Princess Lenoa for permission to participate as well.

“I think I know exactly why you want to join the campaign. You want to see Dame Laila up close, don’t you?”

“You knew?”

Just as he had with Laila, he expressed his surprise with an impassive face. For him, that meant he was extremely flustered.

“Of course. You sent her several requests for a duel even though Lord Carlo kept refusing them, didn’t you? I also know that you questioned the knights in Sir Laila’s order about her.”

“Ah. I did not realize it was that obvious.”

“Jay. You’re wonderful in every other respect, but you’re so… innocent. Yes, exceedingly innocent.”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“Let’s say it is.”

Lenoa merely smiled and nodded.

“I’ll allow you to join the campaign. Go and fulfill your dream. But don’t pester Sir Laila too much.”

“Thank you.”

“You look as fierce and powerful as a wild beast, but your personality is more like a bear’s. An earnest bear who knows nothing but swordsmanship.”

Jay had spent his entire life obsessed with swordsmanship, so his interest in Laila was solely based on her extraordinary skill with a sword.

Whenever he witnessed a new technique or encountered a more skilled opponent, he became excited and eager to learn. When it came to swordsmanship, he could be relentless.

“Perhaps you’ll also have the chance to learn more about what kind of person Laila is. She is a remarkably mysterious figure, after all.”

“Yes.”

Carlo had concealed Laila’s existence far more than necessary, and almost nothing was known about her. When Jay answered with gleaming eyes, Lenoa offered him a sincere warning.

“But I’m warning you: do not bother Dame Laila. Don’t hover around her for no reason or make her uncomfortable.”

“Yes.”

Although he had always obeyed Lenoa’s commands, this time he failed to do so. Just as she had feared, Jay lingered around Laila, making her feel uneasy. Nevertheless, this earned him her agreement to a duel. Either way, it was practically a happy ending.

Jay turned his head toward the part of the camp where Laila’s barracks stood and thought,

‘She is not someone suited for war.’

He wondered whether she would truly be all right in tomorrow’s battle.

***

The next day, Laila gripped her trembling hand as she stared at the enemy forces visible in the distance.

‘It’s going to be hell.’

Hell was unleashed, the battlefield dyed crimson by the flashing blades of thousands of soldiers.

Both the enemy and their own forces had a single objective: to kill their opponents and claim victory.

Their sense of duty, which drove them to fight for their revered emperor and the empire’s countless citizens, sounded noble and heroic. However, the reality was brutal and merciless.

Laila firmly believed that taking another person’s life could never be justified, no matter the reason.

Yet the moment was approaching when she would have to betray this belief and brand herself with an indelible scarlet letter.

“Whew….”

Laila struggled to release a trembling breath and closed her eyes. Then the commander’s booming voice rang out nearby.

“It begins now. The battle will be fierce from beginning to end, and the enemy will risk their lives to tear the breath from your throats.”

The soldiers gazing at the commander had determination burning in their eyes. Among them stood the unfamiliar reinforcements from the Adelina Empire.

“Fight with your lives for His Imperial Majesty and for the empire. And… survive. For those who love you.”

Astride her horse, Laila surveyed the soldiers, brimming with fighting spirit.

Some placed their hands over their hearts, while others clutched handkerchiefs that had seemingly been given to them by someone dear to them.

Like her, they all had someone they needed and wanted to protect. Holding the handkerchief embroidered by her subordinates, Laila prayed.

‘Please, let no one die…’

Although it was a wish that could never come true, Laila prayed desperately as she charged toward the enemy lines.

Thousands—tens of thousands—of soldiers raced toward one another, and the clash of blades began.

“Hyaaaah!”

The war was far more brutal than Laila had imagined.

Deafening cries erupted from all sides. It was impossible to tell whether they were the battle cries of knights or the agonized screams of the wounded, but one thing was certain: everyone had prepared themselves to die.

“Ugh!”

Aiming from atop her horse, Laila began cutting down the enemies around her. She would usually have aimed for their hearts, but this time she focused her attacks on their arms and legs, rendering them unable to wield their swords.

She did not know how long she could continue fighting so passively, but it was the best she could manage.

Confronted with the horrors of war for the first time, she began to waver.