Thelma’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“It’s not difficult, but are you telling me to watch from outside the palace?”
“That would be great. Is there a way?”
After thinking for a moment, she slowly nodded.
“I have a suitable guy.”
“It has to be someone trustworthy. He has to be someone who can either die on the spot if his identity is revealed, or someone who has the guts to kill Atelgadis.”
“Your Majesty, don’t you remember? A guy named Esh Kirgel. The guy Your Majesty saved your life during the Battle of Ramel.”
Erdene’s eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to recall her memories. Esh Kirgel... A face appeared in her mind, barely visible.
“You mean that fierce-looking guy? With a scar next to his right ear?”
Thelma smiled as if to confirm that.
“Yes, that guy is staying at my house right now. Since Your Majesty left for Vetor, he’s been drinking heavily, so I thought I’d throw away a useful guy if I kept him here.”
“Did you just catch him and leave him there? I’ll soak him in a barrel for three days and nights so he’ll never think about drinking again. Tsk... What are you going to do with that kind of mindset?”
“Don’t worry. I soaked him for a day if not three. He’ll do whatever Your Majesty orders him to do, risking his life. Fortunately, he doesn’t have an official position, so Atelgadis won’t notice him.”
Erdene had to waste a lot of patience suppressing her greed and impatience, as she knew everything about the situation in the empire and couldn’t control it.
This wasn’t a war she could personally lead with her sword in hand.
With her eyes and ears covered, and her horn to give orders shattered, she had no choice but to advance step by step, relying solely on the loyalty and intelligence of his mounted horse. She had to move slowly and carefully so as not to miss even a single gust of wind or the sound of a single pin dropping.
“It doesn’t suit me, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now.”
Erdene said, making a decision.
“That’s the best selection I could ask for right now. Get ready as soon as you get back. There won’t be any problems.”
“I understand. But...”
“Stop asking questions now. It won’t do any good for the conversation to drag on. Everything you, Merton, and I need to know is in the letter. Don’t forget, Thelma. After you cross the border of the empire and arrive at the capital, share the contents of the letter between the three of you. If necessary, tell Esh Kirgel a brief summary, but don’t tell him too many details.”
“I understand.”
Thelma answered obediently, then suddenly let out a sigh of relief.
“Actually, I am the same, but there are many of the officers who fought alongside Your Majesty, such as Esh Kirgel and... and others, who wish to come here.”
Erdene raised one eyebrow and stared at Thelma.
Her expression was difficult to understand as if she had heard something.
Thelma continued.
“Of course, we all love the Empire, our Hirschsten, and are prepared to sacrifice our lives to be loyal. However... Your Majesty, because of that, many of you have turned away from the Empire. We were all prepared to end our lives as officers in the middle of the battlefield, and yet nothing is more ridiculous than what we are now. We will either be reduced to patrolling, or we will have to watch our comrades who crossed the line of life and death together bow down in a mean and petty manner, trying to lick Atelgadis’ heels.”
A faint sound of teeth gnashing was heard. Thelma’s face, which had always been lively and even frivolous, was now pale and frozen.
Those who had only seen her being teased by Erdene would surely not recognize the current Thelma.
Erdene sighed in distress and patted Thelma’s shoulder as if comforting her.
“I understand. But not now. Someday... there will come a time when I need you. For whatever reason. Wait for that time. If there is a conflict between the Empire and Vetor now, not only you but also me will be in trouble.”
Thelma stared at Erdene.
Her gaze was a mixture of loyal nod and inescapable disappointment.
Erdene continued.
“If you turn your loyalty to me, Erdene Badd, and not Hirschsten, the Empire will have no choice but to treat you as traitors. If you cross the border of Vetor, Tenek will use that as an excuse to pressure this place. What if war breaks out? You know the strength of the soldiers here, as you saw earlier.”
“But Your Majesty.”
“Listen quietly. If Tenek tells me to hand you over, I will have no choice but to do so. But remember, Thelma. I will never abandon you to humiliation. Even if I were to walk into the mud, I would not abandon my men and run away to fend for myself. That is not my way.”
A faint teardrop appeared in Thelma’s eyes, then disappeared. She rubbed her reddened nose and coughed awkwardly.
“Your Majesty. Who doesn’t know that? At least not in my unit.”
“Tenek will definitely go to war with the interior. It’s my job to figure out exactly when that will be and prepare for it, so forget about it.”
Erdene’s lips turned up.
Thelma had seen that expression many times. It was an expression that she had seen briefly, usually on the battlefield, when victory was certain.
“I won’t miss it. Do you think I’ll just watch you come in to die, following the orders of a weakling like Tenek? If the Empire declares war on the interior, Tenek will put you, the ones he had expelled, in the vanguard. So who do you think will be in the vanguard here?”
There was no need to ask or answer.
Thelma felt a chill as she looked at Erdene, who was not taking her eyes off her.
“It’s better to just surrender than to confront Your Majesty .”
Erdene kicked Thelma’s ankle hard.
“Ouch! Ouch! What if you really kick me! Aah, my ankle is broken!”
“Don’t joke around when I kicked you with my shoe, not my combat boots. Where does the First Knight Commander of the Empire talk about surrendering? This is a torn mouth, oh no.”
Thelma, who was rubbing her ankle with an exaggeratedly sad expression, grumbled.
“Is it really just me? Even if I brought thousands of people, the moment Your Majesty draws her sword, I’ll just bow down. Honestly, I don’t want to tell you, but if I see Your Majesty on the battlefield...”
“It’s not difficult, but are you telling me to watch from outside the palace?”
“That would be great. Is there a way?”
After thinking for a moment, she slowly nodded.
“I have a suitable guy.”
“It has to be someone trustworthy. He has to be someone who can either die on the spot if his identity is revealed, or someone who has the guts to kill Atelgadis.”
“Your Majesty, don’t you remember? A guy named Esh Kirgel. The guy Your Majesty saved your life during the Battle of Ramel.”
Erdene’s eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to recall her memories. Esh Kirgel... A face appeared in her mind, barely visible.
“You mean that fierce-looking guy? With a scar next to his right ear?”
Thelma smiled as if to confirm that.
“Yes, that guy is staying at my house right now. Since Your Majesty left for Vetor, he’s been drinking heavily, so I thought I’d throw away a useful guy if I kept him here.”
“Did you just catch him and leave him there? I’ll soak him in a barrel for three days and nights so he’ll never think about drinking again. Tsk... What are you going to do with that kind of mindset?”
“Don’t worry. I soaked him for a day if not three. He’ll do whatever Your Majesty orders him to do, risking his life. Fortunately, he doesn’t have an official position, so Atelgadis won’t notice him.”
Erdene had to waste a lot of patience suppressing her greed and impatience, as she knew everything about the situation in the empire and couldn’t control it.
This wasn’t a war she could personally lead with her sword in hand.
With her eyes and ears covered, and her horn to give orders shattered, she had no choice but to advance step by step, relying solely on the loyalty and intelligence of his mounted horse. She had to move slowly and carefully so as not to miss even a single gust of wind or the sound of a single pin dropping.
“It doesn’t suit me, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now.”
Erdene said, making a decision.
“That’s the best selection I could ask for right now. Get ready as soon as you get back. There won’t be any problems.”
“I understand. But...”
“Stop asking questions now. It won’t do any good for the conversation to drag on. Everything you, Merton, and I need to know is in the letter. Don’t forget, Thelma. After you cross the border of the empire and arrive at the capital, share the contents of the letter between the three of you. If necessary, tell Esh Kirgel a brief summary, but don’t tell him too many details.”
“I understand.”
Thelma answered obediently, then suddenly let out a sigh of relief.
“Actually, I am the same, but there are many of the officers who fought alongside Your Majesty, such as Esh Kirgel and... and others, who wish to come here.”
Erdene raised one eyebrow and stared at Thelma.
Her expression was difficult to understand as if she had heard something.
Thelma continued.
“Of course, we all love the Empire, our Hirschsten, and are prepared to sacrifice our lives to be loyal. However... Your Majesty, because of that, many of you have turned away from the Empire. We were all prepared to end our lives as officers in the middle of the battlefield, and yet nothing is more ridiculous than what we are now. We will either be reduced to patrolling, or we will have to watch our comrades who crossed the line of life and death together bow down in a mean and petty manner, trying to lick Atelgadis’ heels.”
A faint sound of teeth gnashing was heard. Thelma’s face, which had always been lively and even frivolous, was now pale and frozen.
Those who had only seen her being teased by Erdene would surely not recognize the current Thelma.
Erdene sighed in distress and patted Thelma’s shoulder as if comforting her.
“I understand. But not now. Someday... there will come a time when I need you. For whatever reason. Wait for that time. If there is a conflict between the Empire and Vetor now, not only you but also me will be in trouble.”
Thelma stared at Erdene.
Her gaze was a mixture of loyal nod and inescapable disappointment.
Erdene continued.
“If you turn your loyalty to me, Erdene Badd, and not Hirschsten, the Empire will have no choice but to treat you as traitors. If you cross the border of Vetor, Tenek will use that as an excuse to pressure this place. What if war breaks out? You know the strength of the soldiers here, as you saw earlier.”
“But Your Majesty.”
“Listen quietly. If Tenek tells me to hand you over, I will have no choice but to do so. But remember, Thelma. I will never abandon you to humiliation. Even if I were to walk into the mud, I would not abandon my men and run away to fend for myself. That is not my way.”
A faint teardrop appeared in Thelma’s eyes, then disappeared. She rubbed her reddened nose and coughed awkwardly.
“Your Majesty. Who doesn’t know that? At least not in my unit.”
“Tenek will definitely go to war with the interior. It’s my job to figure out exactly when that will be and prepare for it, so forget about it.”
“If you miss it...”
Erdene’s lips turned up.
Thelma had seen that expression many times. It was an expression that she had seen briefly, usually on the battlefield, when victory was certain.
“I won’t miss it. Do you think I’ll just watch you come in to die, following the orders of a weakling like Tenek? If the Empire declares war on the interior, Tenek will put you, the ones he had expelled, in the vanguard. So who do you think will be in the vanguard here?”
There was no need to ask or answer.
Thelma felt a chill as she looked at Erdene, who was not taking her eyes off her.
“It’s better to just surrender than to confront Your Majesty .”
Erdene kicked Thelma’s ankle hard.
“Ouch! Ouch! What if you really kick me! Aah, my ankle is broken!”
“Don’t joke around when I kicked you with my shoe, not my combat boots. Where does the First Knight Commander of the Empire talk about surrendering? This is a torn mouth, oh no.”
Thelma, who was rubbing her ankle with an exaggeratedly sad expression, grumbled.
“Is it really just me? Even if I brought thousands of people, the moment Your Majesty draws her sword, I’ll just bow down. Honestly, I don’t want to tell you, but if I see Your Majesty on the battlefield...”
“When you see me, what?”
Thelma rolled her eyes for a moment and smiled bashfully.
“...I can’t take my eyes off you. You are so majestic and wonderful...”
The punishment was immediate. Thelma, who had her other ankle kicked as well, groaned and cried.
Erdene made a gesture of grabbing her head as if she were treating her pitiful younger brother. Erdene stopped short of telling Thelma to keep an eye on Roelica, who was pregnant since she had told her to keep a close eye on Atelgadis, the father of Empress Roelica.
You will find out when you read the letter anyway... The important thing was whether the three of them could persuade Roelica or not.
‘Merton will step forward. Of the three, only Merton is the one with the brains to do that.’
After a brief calculation and thought, Erdene tapped her forehead with her fist and said,
“I’m going now. Before you go, see me.”
“Understood.”
Erdene turned around. But before she could walk a few steps, Thelma followed her in a hurry and said,
“Your Majesty, I will always live for you. Whether you become the Queen of Vetor or the King of Vinotin, you are my Princess and Commander forever.”
Erdene, who had been watching her blankly, finally smiled.
It was a smile that she rarely showed in front of others, a smile that she made without realizing it because she was truly happy.
Erdene spread her arms and hugged Thelma’s shoulders as she always did in the empire. Then she patted her back once as encouragement.
“Yes, I know.”
“Your Majesty, please take care of yourself. I worry about you all the time, whether I’m awake or asleep.”
“Take care of yourself. Don’t break anything again while being petty. Got it?”
Erdene turned her back and waved, slowly walking away.
Thelma couldn’t take her eyes off her back, and only after Erdene had completely disappeared from her sight did she raise her head.
The shadow that had been lingering by the window quickly disappeared, avoiding her gaze.
It would have been impossible to avoid Thelma’s gaze, but the other person was also quite perceptive.
After a while, Thelma looked away and smiled, tilting her head.
“You looked so confused, but you’re not.”
The moment Erdene hugged Thelma tightly with both arms, Arkan was so shocked that he almost threw open the window.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”
He suddenly came to his senses when he heard Plat’s voice following him.
Seeing Arkan’s pale face for a moment, Plat sensed that something unusual had happened.
However, before he could even approach the window, Arkan’s arm blocked his way.
“Your Majesty.”
“Don’t make a fuss over nothing. I was startled when a shadow suddenly passed by outside the window, but it was just a bird.”
“A shadow? I didn’t see anything..."
“It’s because you have presbyopia.”
Plat, who had suddenly been diagnosed with presbyopia, opened his lips with a look of bewilderment.
Arkan waved his hand at him, who was standing there blankly as if he was annoyed.
“You go first.”
“Your Majesty?”
“I was curious to see what kind of bird it was, so I was watching to see if it would return.”
Thelma rolled her eyes for a moment and smiled bashfully.
“...I can’t take my eyes off you. You are so majestic and wonderful...”
The punishment was immediate. Thelma, who had her other ankle kicked as well, groaned and cried.
Erdene made a gesture of grabbing her head as if she were treating her pitiful younger brother. Erdene stopped short of telling Thelma to keep an eye on Roelica, who was pregnant since she had told her to keep a close eye on Atelgadis, the father of Empress Roelica.
You will find out when you read the letter anyway... The important thing was whether the three of them could persuade Roelica or not.
‘Merton will step forward. Of the three, only Merton is the one with the brains to do that.’
After a brief calculation and thought, Erdene tapped her forehead with her fist and said,
“I’m going now. Before you go, see me.”
“Understood.”
Erdene turned around. But before she could walk a few steps, Thelma followed her in a hurry and said,
“Your Majesty, I will always live for you. Whether you become the Queen of Vetor or the King of Vinotin, you are my Princess and Commander forever.”
Erdene, who had been watching her blankly, finally smiled.
It was a smile that she rarely showed in front of others, a smile that she made without realizing it because she was truly happy.
Erdene spread her arms and hugged Thelma’s shoulders as she always did in the empire. Then she patted her back once as encouragement.
“Yes, I know.”
“Your Majesty, please take care of yourself. I worry about you all the time, whether I’m awake or asleep.”
“Take care of yourself. Don’t break anything again while being petty. Got it?”
Erdene turned her back and waved, slowly walking away.
Thelma couldn’t take her eyes off her back, and only after Erdene had completely disappeared from her sight did she raise her head.
The shadow that had been lingering by the window quickly disappeared, avoiding her gaze.
It would have been impossible to avoid Thelma’s gaze, but the other person was also quite perceptive.
After a while, Thelma looked away and smiled, tilting her head.
“You looked so confused, but you’re not.”
***
The moment Erdene hugged Thelma tightly with both arms, Arkan was so shocked that he almost threw open the window.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”
He suddenly came to his senses when he heard Plat’s voice following him.
Seeing Arkan’s pale face for a moment, Plat sensed that something unusual had happened.
However, before he could even approach the window, Arkan’s arm blocked his way.
“Your Majesty.”
“Don’t make a fuss over nothing. I was startled when a shadow suddenly passed by outside the window, but it was just a bird.”
“A shadow? I didn’t see anything..."
“It’s because you have presbyopia.”
Plat, who had suddenly been diagnosed with presbyopia, opened his lips with a look of bewilderment.
Arkan waved his hand at him, who was standing there blankly as if he was annoyed.
“You go first.”
“Your Majesty?”
“I was curious to see what kind of bird it was, so I was watching to see if it would return.”
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