“Ugh. Ahem. What am I supposed to do?”
After Madame Cronach lightly kissed my cheek and disappeared out of the room, I went to sit at the desk.
The desk, made of solid wood with a nice grain, was not something I had chosen or something newly prepared for me. It was probably something that had been passed down from generation to generation by the previous Duchesses, and it seemed to fit well in this room.
Suddenly, I remembered the day I had first sat at this desk and racked my brain to send a telegram to the Duke of Vermont.
“He said Herzol was better. He said I was getting along well with Kaian.”
Kaian had misunderstood me as a spy when he saw her.
“It was so easy to hate your enemy.”
And yet, I had come this long and winding road to stay by his side.
After all the difficult and arduous tasks, I and Kaian had finally become friends.
A baby was born between us, and I wondered if it was a hope or a miracle.
The fact that Kaian had to leave for a dangerous battlefield tormented my mind.
The basic principle of war was to aim for the enemy commander's head.
Even if they lost some soldiers, if they escaped and the leader's life was preserved, the war was not decided until the very end. This was because I thought that if the enemy commander was alive, I could plan for the future.
I carefully chose my words and wrote them in the letter.
I reread them several times and tried to make a copy by copying the exact same thing as Madame Cronach had said.
"I wonder where the extra letter paper is."
I tried to open the drawer, but it made a rattling noise as if something was caught inside and wouldn't open properly. When I pulled hard with both hands, something was forcibly pulled out.
"Ah. This is it."
I was delighted to see the palm-sized box.
However, something was waiting for me to do in a hurry.
I placed the box on the desk, took out a new piece of paper from below, and began to work diligently with my hands.
The war had already begun.
The days in the capital were monotonous.
“The first snowfall in Valmonde has passed.”
Irena, who had barely stayed in the capital for a blind date after the last social season, had become accustomed to the mild early winter weather. It was only by her standards.
“Young lady. A telegram has arrived.”
“To me?”
“Yes.”
When she held out her hand, the maid politely handed her a telegram.
The sender was a name she had never seen before.
“Who sent it? I have no one to contact you.”
Telegrams were quite expensive to send. They were rarely used unless they were very close or very urgent.
Moreover, she had no one else to contact her.
The King had ordered that telegrams not be sent to Rowen, where Claudel was staying. The Duchess of Vermont was currently resting in the drawing room below her room, not in the Castle de Valmonde.
“It was from Claudel. She’s very talented.”
Irena opened the envelope and read what Claudel had sent with delight.
However, after reading the rather long telegram, she couldn’t laugh.
“Does everyone who becomes the head of a household become a monster?”
He quickly added.
“A grandchild was born, and I didn’t even get to give him a proper congratulatory gift.”
Evan walked to the treasure chest, expertly holding Julien in his arms, and swept the numerous jewels with his hands.
“Yes. Should I take this?”
He smiled happily as he picked out an amethyst that was as long as two fingers that could fit in the center of any royal crown and gave it to Julien.
“It’s too heavy.”
Madame Cronach tried to stop him, but he was stubborn.
Evan listened to Madame Cronach’s criticism with one ear and soothed the baby, then made a short tongue-twitching sound.
“Oh my. He’s so strong. Why not? Ujjujjujju. That’s right.”
“A grandchild was born, and I didn’t even get to give him a proper congratulatory gift.”
Evan walked to the treasure chest, expertly holding Julien in his arms, and swept the numerous jewels with his hands.
“Yes. Should I take this?”
He smiled happily as he picked out an amethyst that was as long as two fingers that could fit in the center of any royal crown and gave it to Julien.
“It’s too heavy.”
Madame Cronach tried to stop him, but he was stubborn.
Evan listened to Madame Cronach’s criticism with one ear and soothed the baby, then made a short tongue-twitching sound.
“Oh my. He’s so strong. Why not? Ujjujjujju. That’s right.”
At that moment, the butler wondered, ‘Is that guy who looks weak really the admiral of the Sol Continent Mercenary Corps?’
“Keum. Where did I leave off?”
Evan, who seemed to have suddenly traveled to another world without context, finally came to his senses.
Madame Cronach sighed and said,
“We go to the capital right now.”
“What?”
“The ship you came on is from Vermont, so there should be no problem getting to the capital quickly.”
“How did I get here? I barely met you, and now you’re telling me to go to the capital. How can that be...?”
“Keum. Where did I leave off?”
Evan, who seemed to have suddenly traveled to another world without context, finally came to his senses.
Madame Cronach sighed and said,
“We go to the capital right now.”
“What?”
“The ship you came on is from Vermont, so there should be no problem getting to the capital quickly.”
“How did I get here? I barely met you, and now you’re telling me to go to the capital. How can that be...?”
“We have to hurry. I already had a lot of worries, so if you could step forward, it would be a great help.”
She looked at Julien, who was in Evan’s arms.
“For Claudel and Julien.”
“...For Julien.”
Evan really didn’t seem to want to go to the capital. It seemed like he was determined to be a pacifist and grandson-centered, to the point where it made you wonder if that person was really the one who had bombed Rowen Harbor yesterday and landed murderers with a couple of knives on their belts.
“Yeah. What should I do?”
“There is a way to put your troops in the middle of the enemy’s camp.”
Kaian opened his mouth to hear him say this.
“There is a tactic called the wooden horse tactic in the wisdom left by the sages.”
Evan had originally been very diligent in raising his children.
After all, his position in the village of Plogne was that of living off the woman who would become the next village chief after becoming the fruit of Arbor in the village.
The place that the Duke of Vermont had chased him away from was originally the closest gateway city to the village of Plogne.
The place with the short stone walls at the foot of the mountain was the farthest place that could be reached by foot from the castle of Valmonde, so it was chosen as Evan’s residence.
The Duke of Vermont probably could not have predicted that he would fall in love with Leonie, who had come down from the village of Plogne to sell herbs and would follow her to the hidden village and live there forever.
So for a while, he was grateful to his brother for chasing him away.
That was until the time when his life with Leonie was full and happy.
Since his wife was busy with work, Evan often had to take full responsibility for housework and childcare.
The muscular man, who was strong and sturdy, never got tired and was very good at playing with Claudel.
Unlike Kaian, who was still awkward when holding and patting the baby, Evan was very bold.
“You’re wrapped up in this stuffy hot weather. You’re out of your mind, aren’t you? Julian?”
After taking off the swaddle that had been wrapped around Julien, he rubbed his legs, and Julien showed his satisfaction with a relaxed expression.
Finally, when he confirmed that his legs were quite strong, he held the baby’s two feet with one hand and raised them as if they were standing in the air.
Julien, who had been standing with his chubby legs strong, let out a squeak as he swayed in the air and found it fun and enjoyable to balance.
“...This can’t be happening.”
Kaian, who had been acting old-fashioned and carefully supporting Julien’s neck as he had learned from Madame Repel, couldn’t hide his surprise. On the other hand, he was watching Evan closely and seemed to be planning to do the same later.
I, who was happily watching the two men, completely absorbed in Julien, sit next to each other and look at the baby, gesturing to Madame Cronach.
They left the living room and moved to my bedroom.
“You must have something to say.”
“Yes.”
I said with a serious face.
“Is there a way to contact the capital?”
Although Valquiterre had cut off the telegrams to the south, Kaian was gathering information about the capital through other routes.
In that case, there must be a way to send it from here.
“Yes. It’s difficult, but it’s not impossible.”
“I want to write a letter to my sister.”
“To Irena?”
I nodded.
“If you want to write to Irena, Evan might be the fastest way.”
If they took Vermont’s ship to the capital, they could arrive in four days at the earliest.
“If Dad goes to the capital, would it be possible to delay Kaian’s departure date a little?”
“It won’t make much of a difference. The royal army has already come down to Pagos. If they advance from there, they can enter the land of Rowen in four days.”
“I want to protect Kaian.”
I brought up something I had been pondering all along.
“Because I can’t go with him. Instead, I want to do whatever I can.”
How great it would be if I had the power to hold a sword and ride a horse.
Kaian said he would protect me, but every time I heard that, instead of feeling happy, I became more and more helpless.
It felt like I had become a burden to him.
Without any will, I felt like I had been reduced to an object that Kaian had left in the castle and would be there when he returned.
“Don’t worry too much. I told you not to worry.”
Madame Cronach comforted me, stroking my arms up and down.
However, in the late autumn weather of Rowen, which could not possibly be cold, I often felt a chill and shrank.
“What are you going to tell Irena?”
“I want to tell my sister too.”
“What?”
“Thoughts I had while growing up at the Castle de Valmonde.”
I had always thought that Irena had lived a different life than I did.
But now I was finally able to realize the truth.
We had been living together under the shadow of the Duke of Vermont.
If the head of the family decided to marry his daughters under his absolute influence, we would inevitably be dragged into that marriage, whether it was a second or third marriage.
When Valquiterre suggested that we hold a state wedding, I was dumbfounded, but I realized it later. I worried that my indifference had hurt Irena.
“I hope it won’t be too long. Write me two copies of the same letter. I’ll send one to Evan and one to the ferry.”
“Please.”
“Would you like me to stay with you?”
“I’ll sort it out by myself.”
“Yes. I’ll go see Julien.”
Judging from the fact that there was no sound of the baby crying, the three men seemed to be having a nice time.
She looked at Julien, who was in Evan’s arms.
“For Claudel and Julien.”
“...For Julien.”
Evan really didn’t seem to want to go to the capital. It seemed like he was determined to be a pacifist and grandson-centered, to the point where it made you wonder if that person was really the one who had bombed Rowen Harbor yesterday and landed murderers with a couple of knives on their belts.
“Yeah. What should I do?”
“There is a way to put your troops in the middle of the enemy’s camp.”
Kaian opened his mouth to hear him say this.
“There is a tactic called the wooden horse tactic in the wisdom left by the sages.”
***
Evan had originally been very diligent in raising his children.
After all, his position in the village of Plogne was that of living off the woman who would become the next village chief after becoming the fruit of Arbor in the village.
The place that the Duke of Vermont had chased him away from was originally the closest gateway city to the village of Plogne.
The place with the short stone walls at the foot of the mountain was the farthest place that could be reached by foot from the castle of Valmonde, so it was chosen as Evan’s residence.
The Duke of Vermont probably could not have predicted that he would fall in love with Leonie, who had come down from the village of Plogne to sell herbs and would follow her to the hidden village and live there forever.
So for a while, he was grateful to his brother for chasing him away.
That was until the time when his life with Leonie was full and happy.
Since his wife was busy with work, Evan often had to take full responsibility for housework and childcare.
The muscular man, who was strong and sturdy, never got tired and was very good at playing with Claudel.
Unlike Kaian, who was still awkward when holding and patting the baby, Evan was very bold.
“You’re wrapped up in this stuffy hot weather. You’re out of your mind, aren’t you? Julian?”
After taking off the swaddle that had been wrapped around Julien, he rubbed his legs, and Julien showed his satisfaction with a relaxed expression.
Finally, when he confirmed that his legs were quite strong, he held the baby’s two feet with one hand and raised them as if they were standing in the air.
Julien, who had been standing with his chubby legs strong, let out a squeak as he swayed in the air and found it fun and enjoyable to balance.
“...This can’t be happening.”
Kaian, who had been acting old-fashioned and carefully supporting Julien’s neck as he had learned from Madame Repel, couldn’t hide his surprise. On the other hand, he was watching Evan closely and seemed to be planning to do the same later.
I, who was happily watching the two men, completely absorbed in Julien, sit next to each other and look at the baby, gesturing to Madame Cronach.
They left the living room and moved to my bedroom.
“You must have something to say.”
“Yes.”
I said with a serious face.
“Is there a way to contact the capital?”
Although Valquiterre had cut off the telegrams to the south, Kaian was gathering information about the capital through other routes.
In that case, there must be a way to send it from here.
“Yes. It’s difficult, but it’s not impossible.”
“I want to write a letter to my sister.”
“To Irena?”
I nodded.
“If you want to write to Irena, Evan might be the fastest way.”
If they took Vermont’s ship to the capital, they could arrive in four days at the earliest.
“If Dad goes to the capital, would it be possible to delay Kaian’s departure date a little?”
“It won’t make much of a difference. The royal army has already come down to Pagos. If they advance from there, they can enter the land of Rowen in four days.”
“I want to protect Kaian.”
I brought up something I had been pondering all along.
“Because I can’t go with him. Instead, I want to do whatever I can.”
How great it would be if I had the power to hold a sword and ride a horse.
Kaian said he would protect me, but every time I heard that, instead of feeling happy, I became more and more helpless.
It felt like I had become a burden to him.
Without any will, I felt like I had been reduced to an object that Kaian had left in the castle and would be there when he returned.
“Don’t worry too much. I told you not to worry.”
Madame Cronach comforted me, stroking my arms up and down.
However, in the late autumn weather of Rowen, which could not possibly be cold, I often felt a chill and shrank.
“What are you going to tell Irena?”
“I want to tell my sister too.”
“What?”
“Thoughts I had while growing up at the Castle de Valmonde.”
I had always thought that Irena had lived a different life than I did.
But now I was finally able to realize the truth.
We had been living together under the shadow of the Duke of Vermont.
If the head of the family decided to marry his daughters under his absolute influence, we would inevitably be dragged into that marriage, whether it was a second or third marriage.
When Valquiterre suggested that we hold a state wedding, I was dumbfounded, but I realized it later. I worried that my indifference had hurt Irena.
“I hope it won’t be too long. Write me two copies of the same letter. I’ll send one to Evan and one to the ferry.”
“Please.”
“Would you like me to stay with you?”
“I’ll sort it out by myself.”
“Yes. I’ll go see Julien.”
Judging from the fact that there was no sound of the baby crying, the three men seemed to be having a nice time.
After Madame Cronach lightly kissed my cheek and disappeared out of the room, I went to sit at the desk.
The desk, made of solid wood with a nice grain, was not something I had chosen or something newly prepared for me. It was probably something that had been passed down from generation to generation by the previous Duchesses, and it seemed to fit well in this room.
Suddenly, I remembered the day I had first sat at this desk and racked my brain to send a telegram to the Duke of Vermont.
“He said Herzol was better. He said I was getting along well with Kaian.”
Kaian had misunderstood me as a spy when he saw her.
“It was so easy to hate your enemy.”
And yet, I had come this long and winding road to stay by his side.
After all the difficult and arduous tasks, I and Kaian had finally become friends.
A baby was born between us, and I wondered if it was a hope or a miracle.
The fact that Kaian had to leave for a dangerous battlefield tormented my mind.
The basic principle of war was to aim for the enemy commander's head.
Even if they lost some soldiers, if they escaped and the leader's life was preserved, the war was not decided until the very end. This was because I thought that if the enemy commander was alive, I could plan for the future.
I carefully chose my words and wrote them in the letter.
I reread them several times and tried to make a copy by copying the exact same thing as Madame Cronach had said.
"I wonder where the extra letter paper is."
I tried to open the drawer, but it made a rattling noise as if something was caught inside and wouldn't open properly. When I pulled hard with both hands, something was forcibly pulled out.
"Ah. This is it."
I was delighted to see the palm-sized box.
However, something was waiting for me to do in a hurry.
I placed the box on the desk, took out a new piece of paper from below, and began to work diligently with my hands.
The war had already begun.
***
The days in the capital were monotonous.
“The first snowfall in Valmonde has passed.”
Irena, who had barely stayed in the capital for a blind date after the last social season, had become accustomed to the mild early winter weather. It was only by her standards.
“Young lady. A telegram has arrived.”
“To me?”
“Yes.”
When she held out her hand, the maid politely handed her a telegram.
The sender was a name she had never seen before.
“Who sent it? I have no one to contact you.”
Telegrams were quite expensive to send. They were rarely used unless they were very close or very urgent.
Moreover, she had no one else to contact her.
The King had ordered that telegrams not be sent to Rowen, where Claudel was staying. The Duchess of Vermont was currently resting in the drawing room below her room, not in the Castle de Valmonde.
“It was from Claudel. She’s very talented.”
Irena opened the envelope and read what Claudel had sent with delight.
However, after reading the rather long telegram, she couldn’t laugh.
“Does everyone who becomes the head of a household become a monster?”
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