Chapter 4
For Arzen to maintain his position, Ludger had to disappear. That’s why the emperor continuously sent his nephew to the battlefield. Though the official reason was to fulfill the duties of a duke protecting the empire, sending a mere ten-year-old to war was essentially a death sentence.
Contrary to Arzen’s expectations, Ludger kept returning alive. Surviving the battlefield meant victory, and with a string of successes, Ludger was now being hailed as the empire’s hero. Meanwhile, Cesar, aside from being Arzen’s son, had nothing noteworthy to his name.
‘The emperor must be troubled as well.’
To solidify the throne, it was essential to choose a successor by blood. However, with more than half of the people supporting Ludger, a rash move could cause the emperor to lose public favor. Already facing questions about his legitimacy, losing the people’s support could make it even harder for him to hold his position.
That’s why I needed Ludger—to suppress Cesar.
But first, I had to stop him from leaving. This upcoming battlefield would be Ludger’s grave. First, I needed to confirm his plans.
“It’s been a while since Duke visited the capital, hasn’t it? And since it’s the social season, will you be staying for a while?”
“No, I’ll be leaving as soon as I wrap things up.”
“Heading back to your estate, I presume?”
“No, my next destination is the battlefield.”
Ah, of course. It’s exactly the same as before.
I looked at Ludger. My childhood friend had grown so much since I last saw him, looking entirely different from the boy I remembered. He had become a stranger, but the memories of us laughing and rolling in the grass together remained vivid. The thought of a familiar face jumping into the jaws of death made me uneasy. Though I had approached him for revenge, at that moment, my desire to save a friend was stronger.
‘His funeral was awful.’
Ludger’s funeral had been a simple family affair with no public mourning. His only family was the imperial family, and every one of them had rejoiced at his death. As the crown princess, I was the only one who mourned him, but I couldn’t even cry because the emperor was present. Without shedding a tear, he had been buried in the cold ground.
The memory made my chest ache. I didn’t want to witness such a tragic scene again. Even if this was a fleeting, soon-to-disappear world, I wanted to do everything I could.
Screech.
The chair scraped against the floor as Ludger stood and walked toward me, extending his hand. His large, strong hand drew my gaze. Before I knew it, his hand was covering half of my face.
‘What is he doing…?’
His warmth startled me, and my eyes widened.
“Why have you gone so pale all of a sudden? You’re soaked, but you don’t seem to have a fever.”
“…”
“Hm.”
He tilted his head, gazing intently at me. He was too close. If I turned my head slightly, our faces would touch.
“Now that I look closely, your face is flushed. I’ll call for the physician.”
“There’s no need. It’s not a fever, just the hot tea.”
Ludger, who had been quietly observing me, finally withdrew his hand and returned to his seat.
“If it’s not a fever, then it must be the talk of the battlefield that’s gotten you worked up. But it’s not as bad as you think.”
Right, we were talking about the battlefield. I couldn’t forget why I had followed him all the way to his estate.
“If it’s nothing, then so many people wouldn’t be dying.”
“It’s dangerous, but not somewhere you can’t survive.”
He had returned victorious each time, but this war would be different. The war with the Kingdom of Baltara wasn’t just about gaining political advantage. The cause of the war was his parents’ death, which occurred after they visited Baltara. They had died near Baltara’s border.
The empire used this as an excuse to demand hefty reparations, while Baltara claimed innocence and actively cooperated in the investigation. Although the conclusion was that it had been an accident due to inspection negligence, the empire continued to find fault and threatened Baltara. In truth, they had been planning to go to war all along—to send Ludger to the battlefield.
Baltara, aware of the empire’s intentions, stationed knights at the border. The situation was on the verge of exploding.
‘But for a while, they’ll just watch each other cautiously.’
Baltara didn’t want war. Unless the empire attacked, they would only continue to stare down the empire. However, the empire had profited greatly from Ludger’s victories, and everyone grew greedy. The emperor would be pleased if this opportunity led to his death.
Thus, with Ludger’s participation, a senseless massacre of a war began. The empire gave orders not only to kill Baltara’s people but to burn every blade of grass that grew on their land. It was as if a great evil had been unleashed.
I had only read about it, but…
‘It was truly a terrible war.’
Innocent people. They even hunted down and killed the hidden children, and as the slaughter continued, even those who were still sane began to suffer from emotional and mental illness. Ludger, leading knights who were rotting from within, eventually fell to the sword of a parent who had lost their child.
The knights who had been by his side said, “The young duke didn’t resist.”
Perhaps Ludger, too, had grown weary of the meaningless slaughter. I couldn’t allow him to be sacrificed in such a pointless war.
‘No.’
This war should never have happened in the first place.
“What do you mean, the next battlefield? I thought the recent battle you participated in had stabilized the continent.”
“Well, contrary to your thoughts, there are still embers smoldering here and there.”
“What kind of embers?”
“That’s enough curiosity. Let’s get to the main point.”
He drew a firm line, clearly indicating he wasn’t going to reveal any information about the upcoming war with Baltara. Even though this war had begun as an effort to avenge his parents…
‘But the real culprit is Cesar.’
I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood.
‘It’s fine. As long as he doesn’t go to the battlefield.’
If Ludger didn’t participate, Baltara and the empire would just continue staring at each other across the border. Even if war did break out, it would be limited to small skirmishes.
I needed a valid reason to keep him from going to the battlefield.
‘Luckily, I’ve already thought of a way.’
When planning the rebellion, I had hit many walls. Each time, I realized how much I needed Ludger, with his legitimate claim to the throne. Even though I knew I couldn’t do anything because he was already dead, I imagined countless scenarios. I thought again and again, if Ludger were alive, if he hadn’t gone to the battlefield, how could I have held on to him? I devised many plans that would never come to pass.
Even though those meticulous plans were meaningless in the end, just imagining him being alive gave me a small sense of escape. The most realistic plan among them was:
“I’ll be attending this social season. I can’t leave the head position of my family vacant forever.”
Noble titles in the empire were only inherited by the eldest son. Since I was a daughter, I couldn’t inherit the title.
Fortunately, my parents were also only children, so there are no collateral relatives. However, there are many who covet the Eckhart fortune, so I needed to find a husband as soon as possible.
“I’m not sure what you’re asking of me. Are you asking me to help you find potential suitors?”
“No. I want you to be my partner for this season, young duke.”
Ludger’s eyes fixed on me. If he were angry or flustered, it would have been easier to read, but he just stared, trying to assess me.
‘This is different from what I imagined.’
Until I came to the Northern Light estate, the Ludger I had known was the one from our childhood. The Ludger I knew would have blushed and been flustered at my proposal, but the adult Ludger showed no emotion at all.
Trust is important in any deal. So, I decided to reveal a few truths.
“There’s someone who is interested in me. I really dislike him, but he’s of high status, so I can’t easily turn him away.”
“…”
“If you agree to be my partner just for this season, he’ll give up on me.”
Someone of high status. A few candidates must have naturally come to his mind. There aren’t many people higher in status than Ludger, who has a claim to the throne.
He let out a small laugh, curling one side of his mouth.
“You’re asking me to become a guard dog, aren’t you?”
“Think of it as being a bodyguard, not a dog.”
The one acting like a lust-driven mutt is Cesar. He’s even been infatuated with me since childhood.
“Whether it’s a dog or a bodyguard, there’s no benefit for me. I don’t feel inclined to play along.”
Every time I ran into obstacles, I imagined what would have happened if Ludger had been alive, imagining countless scenarios.
Naturally, I had anticipated this possibility too.
