Captain! Where is the Battlefield?

 

  “I heard not long ago that the Duchess saved the Crown Prince from a trap, and that she received royal favor as a result!”

 

  “What are you trying to say? Are you accusing me of not distinguishing between public and private affairs, thereby subjecting Lady Amins to excessive punishment?”

 

  Count Amins was left speechless by Emperor Patrick’s fierce demeanor, as if he would jump up and rush forward at any moment. However, he could hardly hide the suspicion in his eyes.

 

  “It seems Count Amins can’t distinguish between public and private matters. If you say another word, I will cut off the tongues of the Count, Lady Amins, and all your supporters for insulting the Imperial court.”

 

  At Emperor Patrick’s words, the Imperial knights stirred, their swords ready at their sides. The same held true for the Derivis. At the sound of their scabbards moving, everyone in the Count’s entourage swallowed hard.

 

  In the end, Count Amins couldn’t say another word and hung his head. And so, the trial came to an end.

 

  After Emperor Patrick left the courtroom with the judges, all the nobles gathered around Rosalie. With a bored expression, she asked Bianca, who was standing next to her, to draw the attention.

 

  “Oh, by the way, Morel sent a new catalog to our mansion today. Does anyone want to go with me? He said he’d design for only three people on a first-come, first-served basis~.”

 

  Bianca’s words drew the attention of the people for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Rosalie quietly and quickly headed out of the courtroom.

 

  “Erudit, go back first with the verdict.”

 

  “Yes, understood.”

 

  As Erudit responded, a person in a deep green robe walked past her. Rosalie instinctively turned her gaze toward them, whose robes were tied tightly as if trying to cover the person’s face. 

 

  Most of those observing the trial were nobles, but this person didn’t look like a noble.

 

  ‘Who is he?’

 

  For some reason, Rosalie had the feeling that she had made eye contact with the man under the turned-up robe.

 

  “Your Grace?”

 

  “No, we’ll meet at the mansion.”

 

  Brushing it off as a simple misconception, Rosalie left Erudit behind and walked down the corridor. That’s when she noticed Sonia and Count Amins, who hadn’t left yet. Count Amins stood with a pained expression, and Sonia couldn’t even meet his gaze.

 

  “Do you feel better now?”

 

  Rosalie hid in a corner as Count Amins began talking to someone. When she peeked her head out slightly, she saw Derivis.

 

  “Not at all.”

 

  Count Amins glared at Derivis. His emotions were beyond words. He felt betrayed by his daughter, and his family name had been tarnished. Yet, it was also heartbreaking that his beloved daughter would be forced into banishment, almost no different from exile.

 

  “Then why did you come and apologize to me now? You stole my maid and made her testify against me!”

 

  Sonia shouted in a quivering voice. However, Derivis responded dryly.

 

  “I have nothing to apologize for.”

 

  “Then why did you come here?!”

 

  “Sonia, was this the outcome you wanted?”

 

  Sonia bit her lower lip tightly, unable to answer Derivis’s question.

 

  “I’ve been telling you this since we were young. That true monsters are those who gave themselves to their own greed and selfishness.”

 

  Sonia’s body trembled. When they were young and after his mother had been murdered by poisoning, she read a fairy tale about monsters. Derivis had told her then that true monsters were those who sacrificed themselves to their own greed and selfishness.

 

  ‘What did I say back then…?’

 

  After crying for a while about being scared of monsters, Sonia said she wouldn’t be one of those people. She had promised Derivis, and Derivis had promised that he would defeat those monsters in a cool way.

 

  ‘And I asked him to defeat all the monsters in the world for me.’

 

  With trembling eyes, Sonia looked at her own reflection in the window behind Derivis. It was her own reflection, and yet it felt so foreign. It had become so strange.

 

  “…Are you saying that I’m like those monsters now?”

 

  Sonia’s voice trembled with anguish, her gaze still fixed on the stranger in the window.

 

  “…Yes. So don’t be a monster anymore, Sonia.”

 

  In the end, Sonia burst into tears. Derivis turned away without a word. Sonia was frozen in place, unable to move until he was gone.

 

  Derivis walked slowly toward Rosalie, who was hiding in a corner. Feeling like she had seen something she shouldn’t have, she turned away and tried to leave.

 

  ‘I should pretend I didn’t see anything.’

 

  However, he had already noticed Rosalie’s presence and immediately turned toward the corner where she was hiding.

 

  “Derivis.”

 

  “…Hello, Duchess.”

 

  Derivis smiled faintly. It was the same smile as usual, but it somehow felt weak. Rosalie studied his face, then held out her hand and asked in a soft voice.

 

  “Would you like to go see the… sunset?”

 

  A faint smile tugged at his lips, and Derivis took her small hand in his without hesitation. With that, they headed to the tower where they had spent time together before.

 

    ⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰ 

 

  Rosalie and Derivis didn’t let go of each other’s hands until they reached the top of the tower. By the time they reached the top of the stairs, the sun was setting.

 

  The warm orange sunset enveloped Rosalie and Derivis, and they leaned against the railing, facing the sunset.

 

  “Today has been a tough day for both of us.”

 

  Rosalie gazed at the sun, which was gradually hiding behind the horizon, then turned to Derivis.

 

  “To be honest, it wasn’t really that tough for me.”

 

  While others might think she was cold and distant, Sonia had meant nothing to her, so it wasn’t difficult at all. If anything, he looked a little more subdued than usual.

 

  “Well, that’s good to hear.”

 

  “You’ve helped me again.”

 

  She hadn’t expected Derivis to bring Sonia’s maid with him. Yet, his actions had played a decisive role in determining the outcome of the trial.

 

  “I’m glad I could help.”

 

  “Derivis, if you ever need a shoulder to lean on… I’m here for you.”

 

  To her, Sonia might mean nothing, but to Derivis, she was a childhood friend and a close companion. The weight of Sonia’s words would be different from the weight of her own.

 

  “Sure, just for a little while.”

 

  With a faint smile, Derivis leaned his head against Rosalie’s shoulder. Due to the height difference, he had to bend his waist slightly, but he did so without any discomfort. Instead, he buried his head deeply on her shoulder.

 

  After a moment of stiffening at the strong, pleasant scent of his body, Rosalie fumbled with her free hand and patted his broad back. The clumsy touch made Derivis chuckle.

 

  Where the sunset had been, the moon now took its place, and the cold night air filled the space. Rosalie, leaning on the railing again, gazed at the bright moon. They were still holding hands.

 

  “When I was a kid, I used to watch other children make wishes when a star appeared or a shooting star fell.”

 

  “Oh, yes, everyone did that sometimes. How about you?”

 

  “I honestly don’t remember much. I guess I just wasn’t moved by the whole whimsical stuff when I was a kid.”

 

  Derivis let out a small laugh, thinking that it was probably true for Rosalie. When he laughed, Rosalie gave a small laugh of her own.

 

  “Derivis, did you ever make a wish?”

 

  “Only once. I asked to not end up like the people in the palace.”

 

  “That won’t happen.”

 

  Rosalie’s reassurance prompted Derivis to raise their joined hands and shake them.

 

  “Because I have a reason to leave the palace now.”

 

  In a playful manner, he continued to shake their hands, and Rosalie laughed. Derivis then stopped shaking and raised their joined hands to his cheek. 

 

  Rosalie felt the softness of his cheek against the back of her hand, and the warmth of his body sent her nerves into overdrive.

 

  “Rosalie, I want you.”

 

  His voice was as calm and warm as the sunset. Rosalie’s eyes widened. For a moment, she wondered if she’d heard right.

 

  “I like you. A lot.”

 

  At that moment, Rosalie felt her cheeks flush. Derivis smiled faintly and rubbed his cheeks with the back of her hand. 

 

  Rosalie felt the back of her hand grow hotter and hotter as he rubbed it.

 

  ‘But until I can tell him my secret…’

 

  It felt like someone was pouring cold water over her, along with a lingering feeling in her chest. Rosalie couldn’t begin a relationship with Derivis while harboring a secret she couldn’t tell him.

 

  It was a compromise she couldn’t break.

 

  “I have… a secret.”

 

  “A secret?”

 

  ‘But I can’t tell him today.’

 

  Today, she had cut his ties with a friend with her own hands. She didn’t want to shock him any more than she had to for today. And although she was using this cowardly excuse, above all, she wasn’t emotionally prepared yet.

 

  “Will you allow me to answer your confession when I have confessed my secret to you?”

 

  Due to Rosalie’s heavy expression and voice, Derivis nodded slowly.

 

  “I’ll wait. I hope the wait won’t be too long.”

 

  Derivis tried to suppress his complex feelings. It seemed like it would be a very long and arduous wait.

 

    ⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰ 

 

  Several days passed like that. Count Amins, along with not only Sonia but also the entire family, had left for their territory with no plans to return for a while.

 

  The newspapers delivered to the mansion were filled with such stories. Rosalie released a newspaper full of similar content from her hand today. And right after that, Nathan, who had come down for personal training, waved his hand.

 

  “Rosalie~.”

 

  “Nathan. What are you doing out here so early in the morning?”

 

  “I just happened to wake up a bit earlier today.”

 

  Nathan yawned as she stretched. Rosalie looked at Nathan, who had a sleepy face.

 

  “Are you feeling groggy?”

 

  At the unexpected question, Nathan stopped stretching and asked why.

 

  “How about a friendly match with me?”

 

  “Hmm~ But I’m strong.”

 

  “Well, that’s why. I want to test my skills after a long time.”

 

  Rosalie shrugged her shoulders. After a brief hesitation, Nathan agreed, stretching his wrists and ankles. They exchanged meaningful smiles and then headed to the training ground together.

   

  

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