“Eloise!”

Mrs. Surberton hurried to her daughter’s side and touched her shoulder.

She knew her daughter’s temperament better than anyone.

Because Eloise was frail as a child, she was raised indulgently, growing into a fearless and reckless young woman.

By the time Mrs. Surberton realized the consequences, she had tried tirelessly to instill the virtues of a proper lady. Still, Eloise’s strong personality was already firmly set—it was impossible to tame her completely.

Still, as she grew older, she seemed to understand her mother’s concerns and maintained enough public propriety to avoid criticism.

However, whenever someone held an opposing view on something she believed to be right, she would insert herself into the conversation and debate it fervently.

Mrs. Surberton had told her countless times to leave such matters to the gentlemen.

“This is a discussion for the gentlemen, dear. What could you possibly know about war to speak so freely?”

Turning back to the guests, Mrs. Surberton shot Eloise a sharp glare.

“Eloise, can’t you restrain yourself?”

Her gaze was so pointed that it was almost as if she had spoken aloud.

Usually, out of respect for her mother, Eloise would pout but hold her tongue.

However, Mrs. Surberton had overlooked one crucial fact.

Her daughter admired Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave enough to have purchased a portrait of him to hang in her room.

“Why am I not allowed to speak? Father and Reverend Harrison have only read about the war in the newspapers in Feltham, just like I have.”

Mr. Surberton pressed a hand to his forehead as Eloise, silent until now, suddenly joined the conversation with a sharp retort.

So that was why she hadn’t reacted earlier when Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave was mentioned. Now that something unfavorable had been said about him, she had jumped in immediately.

Even though Mrs. Harrison had been the first to express disapproval of Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave, she now closed her mouth. She turned her head away, signaling she no longer wished to participate in the discussion.

An awkward silence followed. The first to break it was Sergeant Thornton.

“I have observed Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave from much closer than Miss Surberton has. Wouldn’t that mean I am better positioned to assess him than someone who has only read about him from afar?”

It was a polite but pointed rebuke—what could she possibly know compared to someone who had seen him firsthand?

Yet Eloise did not back down.

“If physical proximity were the only measure for evaluating a person, then the very concept of strategy would not exist, Sergeant.”

“…”

Ryan was momentarily at a loss for words. She wasn’t wrong.

“However,” he countered, “that does not justify ignoring firsthand knowledge. Surely, you would not deny that the first step in understanding an opponent is to observe them closely.”

“Of course not. But—”

Eloise stepped forward and met his gaze directly.

“At least when it comes to the Battle of Ingon, I can confidently say that I understand Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave’s reasoning better than you do, Sergeant.”

Ryan swallowed a sigh as he looked at Miss Surberton, who refused to yield.

What could she possibly know?

The Battle of Ingon was the incident that the disciplinary committee still hounded him over.

It was the battle in which an incompetent commander pushed four infantry battalions to the brink of annihilation. As the enemy forces closed in, he had to make a choice.

Would he stand his ground and fight to the death as a proud soldier of Albion, or would he acknowledge the impending defeat and retreat to save lives?

A soldier’s duty was to choose the former. But he had chosen the latter.

From the outset, the tactics had been fatally flawed. No matter how many times he analyzed the situation, charging ahead would have meant nothing but senseless death.

Had he been alone, he might have chosen the former. At twenty-nine, he had never felt particularly attached to his own life. A noble death in battle would not have been a terrible end.

But he had not been alone.

There was Charles, who had spoken eagerly of returning home to finally get married this year.

There was Henry, the lieutenant who had trusted Wilgrave’s leadership and believed he would survive to see his daughter again.

There was Rob, who had already lost two fingers but had to remain in the army to support his family.

Unlike his desolate life, these men had given him a reason to feel alive. And they were all part of the 57th Infantry Battalion.

So, in the end, he had disobeyed orders. Taking the place of the previous commander—who had foolishly charged ahead only to be killed—he swiftly led the battalion’s retreat.

Naturally, the battle was lost. The devastation was so complete that his battalion was the only one left with survivors.

In the aftermath, many pointed fingers at him. Even soldiers from his battalion accused him of bringing them disgrace.

Yet, amid all this, he had managed to capture a spy and save the prince’s life. The queen had awarded him a medal and granted his battalion special status.

From then on, his achievements continued, and he came to be hailed as a war hero.

The Battle of Ingon was gradually forgotten—people preferred to celebrate victories rather than dwell on defeats.

But those who resented him clung to it, refusing to let it fade.

At first, he tried to explain that the strategy had been doomed from the start, that the state of the battalion left him with no better choice than to retreat.

However, those with ill intent refused to listen to him.

No matter how he explained, they always found faults and stubbornly insisted that their opinion was correct.

Talking to such people continuously left him utterly exhausted.

It was unbearably draining to prove his innocence to everyone he met every single time as if his actions had always been under scrutiny.

As a result, Ryan developed a habit. Whenever someone mentioned the Battle of Ingon, he simply said, “You’re right. I retreated because I was cowardly, and if there are any consequences, I’ll accept them.”

Surprisingly, this response often left the other party speechless.

Months passed like this, and before he knew it, the matter of Ingon had become his greatest sin.

Not only did others believe so, but even Ryan himself had unconsciously begun to accept that he was a coward.

And yet, here and now, a woman who didn’t even know who he was was defending him in a place where no one else could hear.

Moreover, she was genuinely outraged, as if it were her battle.

“Eloise, I understand how much you care about Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave, but…”

Mr. Surberton, aware of his daughter’s feelings, quickly stepped in to mediate.

They had just finished an enjoyable dinner.

Besides, Sergeant Thornton had proven to be far more knowledgeable and cultured than expected, making it all the more desirable to maintain a good relationship with him.

“Do you think I’m claiming this because I blindly revere the lieutenant colonel?”

With that, Eloise strode over to the bookshelf in the living room and pulled out a stack of papers.

Among them were folded maps and newspaper clippings, all, of course, related to Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave.

She placed the marked troop deployment maps from the newspapers over the larger map and began her explanation.

She detailed how flawed the strategy for the Battle of Ingon had been from the start, the battlefield terrain at the time, and the state of the battalion’s advance.

Eloise’s explanation was so clear that even Mrs. Harrison, a complete layperson in military affairs, could easily understand.

At the same time, she made it comprehensible to everyone why he had to make that choice—and what would have happened had he not.

After finishing her explanation, Eloise, still unable to completely suppress her agitation, turned to Sergeant Thornton and declared,

“Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave saved soldiers who were doomed to be sacrificed due to flawed orders. Even if it meant being put on trial, he chose to walk the path of a coward to save others. So—”

With a sharp snap, Eloise folded the map and stepped closer to Sergeant Thornton, meeting his gaze directly.

“I hope not only you but also the battalion’s soldiers and their families can feel a little more gratitude toward the lieutenant colonel, who ensured their safety!”

When Eloise finished speaking, Reverend Harrison, who had been listening in a daze, almost clapped before catching himself just in time.

“……”

On the other hand, Ryan merely ran a hand over his freshly shaved jaw, saying nothing.

“Well then, I’ll be heading up now. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your conversation.”

Eloise bent her knees slightly in an impeccably polite and graceful bow before turning and heading upstairs.

As those who remained exchanged awkward glances, Ryan briefly looked toward the staircase where Eloise had disappeared before turning away.

***

The conversation soon came to an end.

Given their age, Mrs. Harrison struggled to keep her eyes open as the night deepened, nodding off repeatedly.

Realizing it would be impolite to stay longer, the guests rose from their seats and prepared to leave Mr. Surberton’s house.

“How do you plan to return?”

“I left my horse at the inn. It’s a nighttime journey, but the moon is bright, so I should be able to make it back safely.”

After hearing Sergeant Thornton’s response, Mr. Surberton hesitated momentarily before speaking.

“I apologize for tonight. My daughter becomes quite sensitive when it comes to Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave. She even has his portrait pinned up on her wall!”

“Oh… So that’s why she recognized his face.”

“Recognized his face?”

“No, it’s nothing. More importantly, please pass this message to Miss Eloise.”

Glancing up at the lit window on the second floor, he said,

“Thank you for understanding Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave.”