The inside of the barracks was quiet.
Outside, the faint sounds of battle could still be heard. The dull thud of muskets, the shouts of soldiers, and the clash of iron from below the hill were carried by the wind and intermittently seeped into the barracks. However, inside the barracks, the sounds were heard only dullly, as if blocked by two layers of cloth.
Odelia was sitting on a makeshift bed. She had not taken off her armor. She had only removed her gloves and placed them beside her, with her hands resting on her knees.
Talamand's doctor was standing in front of her. He took Odelia's pulse while holding her wrist without saying a word for a moment.
The air inside the barracks fell into a long silence. After a moment, the doctor slowly let go of her hand.
And then he cautiously opened his mouth.
“My lord.”
His voice was lower than usual.
"It is true that you are pregnant."
"..."
Her gaze lingered briefly on her hand. It was the wrist where the doctor had been checking her pulse just moments ago.
"It is still early. So, it is possible that the symptoms appeared suddenly. Fatigue, nausea, and changes in appetite are likely all due to that."
He paused for a moment and added.
"Normally, stability is needed in a situation like this. A state of tension akin to combat is not good."
Even at those words, Odelia remained silent for a while before finally opening her mouth.
"...I understand.”
The doctor examined her face for a moment. However, he said nothing more. He quietly bowed his head and left the barracks.
Not long after, Philip entered. Silence fell between the two.
Philip didn't ask any more questions. There was no need. He already knew the answer just from Odelia's expression.
Philip's face slowly hardened. And he spoke quietly.
“My lord”
"..."
"Leave this to me."
That voice, ringing lower than usual, was likewise harder than usual.
"You must move to the rear immediately. It makes no sense to participate in the battle in this state."
Odelia's eyes slowly rose.
"...It doesn’t make sense?”
"Yes. My Lord is currently on a battlefield. It is a place where matchlock guns and cannonballs are flying. For My Lord to command a battle in such a situation—"
"You want me to run away alone, leaving the people of my territory behind?"
The air inside the barracks stopped for a moment. Odelia's angry gaze turned toward Philip.
"The Talamand soldiers are fighting out there, and you are telling me to back off?"
Philip was speechless for a moment. But he soon opened his mouth.
“My Lord-”
"Philip"
Odelia cut him off. Her voice did not waver.
"What you are worried about won't happen."
After pausing for a moment, she added.
"Therefore."
Odelia's gaze was fixed straight on Philip.
"Just don't tell me to leave this place."
***
The lamp in the imperial palace office was still lit.
Reports from all over the empire were spread out before his eyes, and on one side, a minister was continuing his explanation. The issues concerned the settlement of taxes in the border regions and the supply of military provisions. Under normal circumstances, he would have grasped the core of the matter and reached a conclusion immediately after hearing just a few sentences.
However, strangely enough, the words did not register well today. The minister continued speaking, but Calix's gaze did not rest on the report.
The pen in his hand stopped once.
And after a short while, it moved again.
However, almost no letters were written.
"...Your Majesty?"
“Go ahead.”
Calix briefly raised his head to reply, his voice no different than usual. The minister continued his explanation.
However, Calix's mind was still filled with completely different thoughts.
Talamand. And Odelia.
The sentence from the letter she sent came back to mind.
'Your Majesty, please do not come here.'
It was a day typical of her. A sentence that looked like a request but was practically a command. Calix closed his eyes for a moment as he recalled it.
He was not unaware of Odelia's personality.
She was an unusually stubborn person. She tended to try to solve things on her own to the very end if she could handle them.
And Talamand was her estate, and she was competent enough to defend it.
Calix knew that fact better than anyone.
So, if it were his usual self, he really wouldn't have done anything.
They would have sent the Imperial Cavalry, waited for a report on the situation, and let Talamand sort out the problem on their own.
That was the most reasonable decision.
However, strangely enough, today that thought stuck in her head and wouldn't go away at all.
Calix's hand stopped again. The very tip remained touching the paper. An inexplicable anxiety brushed against a corner of his heart. There was no reason.
No reports on the battle situation had come in yet. There was also no concrete news that Bernadia's forces had landed. Everything was still at the level of 'possibility'.
And yet.
Strangely, his mind wouldn't settle. I have to go to Talamand. That thought crossed his mind.
Calix frowned. Then he shook his head slightly.
It is as if someone is whispering the same words over and over again. The same thought keeps coming to mind.
I have to go.
Talamand.
Right now.
Calix slowly opened his eyes and stood up from his seat without saying a word.
The sound of a chair being pushed back echoed softly in the office. The minister giving the report was cut off.
Several pairs of eyes turned toward Calix at the same time.
"Your Majesty?"
Someone called carefully.
Calix was already holding the cloak.
Instead of watching that, they asked with a flustered look on their face.
"Where are you going?"
Calix did not hesitate.
“Talamand.”
“No.”
Instead, the eldest of the group hurriedly stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, that is absolutely unacceptable. Talamand is currently in a state of battle. There is no reason for the Emperor to move personally. You have already dispatched the cavalry, and the local forces are sufficient. The moment Your Majesty moves, it ceases to be mere military support and becomes a political event."
He chose his words for a moment, then added calmly.
"Various rumors are already circulating among the Imperial nobility. Although the House of Rubis has been reinstated, opposing factions still remain, and talk is quietly spreading that Your Majesty is interfering excessively in Talamand. If Your Majesty were to head to Talamand yourself, it would amount to giving them a pretext. The moment word spreads that the Emperor has vacated the Imperial Palace for the sake of a single territory, people will interpret it differently, no matter how militarily sound that decision may be."
Another minister continued the conversation.
"Furthermore, Your Majesty has not yet announced an official marriage. Various speculations are already circulating regarding the relationship between the Lord of Talamand and Your Majesty. Bernadia likely pressured Talamand because they calculated such political weaknesses. If Your Majesty acts personally, it would amount to proving that their calculations were correct. The moment word spreads that the Emperor has headed to the battlefield for personal reasons, it will not be a problem for Talamand alone, but will affect the authority of the entire Empire."
The office fell silent for a moment.
They did as they were in charge, but there was a different calculation on their faces.
Calix was not someone who didn't know that.
He also knew that the reason they were blocking him so desperately was not simply for the Emperor's safety.
The ministers continued speaking, but the content was ultimately the same story.
It is not politically sound for the Emperor to go to Talamand in person.
He needs to consider how an aristocratic society will accept this.
Such behavior could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings when the official marriage has not even been announced yet.
On the surface, they were all words of concern for the dignity of the imperial family and the political balance of the empire.
However, Calix knew that the true intention was not that simple.
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