IRER 09

Chapter 09

  “You Must Wash Thoroughly After Returning from War”

“The sun rises and sets, the moon rises and sets” — thirty-four nights passed like that.

The Grand Duke of the Ice Wall and his soldiers triumphantly returned to camp after safely conquering the Ferdan Fortress.

The remaining soldiers guarding the camp welcomed them with cheers and dances, overjoyed. The female prisoners, including Brody, stood tall before them with abundant crops at their backs.

Though it was a victorious return, the soldiers looked absolutely terrible.

Covered in sweat and blood, bathing had clearly not been an option.

Even the Grand Duke of the Ice Wall looked gaunt, as though he’d lost weight, his cloak in tatters.

The chief aide, River, was in the best shape among them — but only by comparison. He was just as grimy as the rest.

Yet, all their faces shone with satisfaction and joy.

Mrs. Murphy, the gruff woman who managed the camp, was eager to get them all washed first thing, but to the soldiers, food and alcohol were more urgent.

They collapsed here and there around the camp, loudly proclaiming their hunger.

Having received advance notice of their victorious return, the people at the camp greeted them with knowing smiles as they carried out food.

Though meat was scarce, the main dish was a hearty soup filled with potatoes, accompanied by a pickled side dish made from kohlrabi.

The unfamiliar vegetables puzzled the soldiers at first, but one bite was enough to make them cheer in delight — they quickly polished off the entire pot.

“It goes down smooth with the booze!”

The alcohol had been among the spoils of war.

The food, even generously judged, wasn’t luxurious — but for men who had known starvation and hunger as daily norms, it was a feast fit for royalty.

Brody willingly provided the harvest to Mrs. Murphy, telling her the soldiers could eat to their heart’s content.

Though the harvest wasn’t vast, the short-term success proved that future cultivation could solve the issue. And if their military campaign continued to succeed, food could be supplied from unstricken regions.

After making his rounds to praise and encourage his men, Grand Duke Aidan finally entered his tent.

Mrs. Murphy, watching closely, handed Brody a basin filled with warm water and towels, urging her inside.

“She wants me to wait on him, huh… hmm.”

Though Brody was secretly glad he was back, she couldn’t help feeling a bit flustered.

“You must be exhausted.”

She huffed and puffed as she entered the tent, speaking without looking at him as she set down the basin.

“Brie!”

“Wha—?! Careful!”

Aidan rushed toward her suddenly, nearly making her spill the water.

Despite Brody’s scolding, Aidan wrapped her in a tight hug.

‘He doesn’t seem like the type to act like this…’

Caught off guard, Brody pushed him away.

His face was flushed, clearly tipsy from alcohol. The smell — not just of booze, but sweat and blood — was worse than she could’ve imagined, and she instinctively pinched her nose.

Aidan, noticing her reaction, backed off but didn’t look embarrassed — rather, he chuckled as if amused.

“Ugh… I see why Mrs. Murphy sent me in here so urgently.”

Brody tried to lead him to the bed, but changed her mind — she was genuinely concerned about the bedding.

So instead, she brought over a low stool and made him sit on it.

Aidan, eyes half-closed, smiled and let her take charge.

“I’ll take off your armor.”

How is this thing structured? she grumbled, eventually managing to find the fastening straps and undo them.

Neither as Do-yeon nor as the former Brody had she ever taken off someone’s armor before.

Grumbling about how disgustingly heavy the armor was, she dragged it off and tossed it into a corner.

“Hah… phew.”

The stench made her turn her head, exhaling sharply before trying to breathe through her mouth.

Beneath the armor was a filthy shirt.

Can this thing even be salvaged with a wash?

With that thought, she pulled off the shirt and threw it aside as well.

Aidan sat quietly, shirtless now, blinking and waiting.

Muttering some Korean curse (which Aidan, of course, didn’t understand), Brody wrung out a towel in the warm water and approached.

“Starting with your head!”

With a determined shout, she slapped the towel onto his head — and gasped.

There were so many scars on his body.

Old wounds, fresh wounds — countless reminders of battles fought.

“To come back alive from the battlefield… it’s truly something.”

The smell was still intense, but Brody’s complaints began to fade as her heart softened.

She carefully wiped his hair, his face, and his neck.

Soon, the towel was filthy.

“…Feels nice.”

His deep voice murmured as he closed his eyes, a content smile appearing on his lips.

“I bet it does.”

Brody busily wet and wrung out a fresh towel, scrubbing again. Finally, the stench started to lift.

“Not having enough water is such a sad thing.”

If only he could soak in a hot tub — it would wash away the dirt, the fatigue… the smell.

After wiping his head, face, and neck, it was time for his upper body.

Hmm…

Too embarrassed to start from the front, Brody moved behind him.

His back was so broad that she had to scrub like she was mopping the floor with both hands.

This is definitely the body of someone hardened by real combat…

His chiseled muscles cast intricate, deep shadows — textbook anatomy from a gym manual. The towel kept getting caught in the ridges between muscles.

I can’t do this…

Her face turned bright red. She was thankful she was behind him.

I’ve been held by that body…

How could she be thinking that about someone who just came back from the brink of death? Get it together, Brody!

Scolding herself, she soaked a fresh towel and handed it to Aidan.

“Hmm?”

He opened his eyes blearily, confused.

“Wipe the rest yourself. I’ll go get more hot water.”

“Ah…”

Before Aidan could say anything, Brody darted out.

With the warmth of her towel gone, he snapped back to his senses.

Realizing what just happened, his face turned red.

He’d just been washed like a child — and had even admitted how good it felt out loud.

Jumping to his feet, he began scrubbing his upper body with the towel.

Then he took off his boots and pants, scrubbing his lower body as well.

His legs and feet were filthier than expected.

No wonder she was so shocked…

It was normal on the battlefield, but still… he was embarrassed to have shown that side to Brody.

By the time she returned, Aidan had changed into a clean pair of pants.

Brody noticed right away that his usual demeanor had returned.

So he sobered up already.

Aidan easily took the heavy basin from her struggling hands.

Brody gave him a suspicious once-over.

“You already cleaned everything?”

“…Yeah.”

“Hmm. That was pretty quick, wasn’t it?”

“It’s… it’s done. I’ll finish the rest later.”

Ignoring his excuse, Brody soaked a fresh towel and shoved it into his hand.

“Keep wiping your upper body.”

She then sat him back down on the stool.

“I’m not going to tell you to take off your pants.”

As she spoke, she efficiently rolled up the cuffs of his trousers.

“Give me your feet.”

“W-Why…?”

Ignoring his flustered reaction, Brody placed the basin at his feet, dunked a towel in it, then lifted his foot into the water. Wrapping the foot in the towel, she began scrubbing.

Aidan frowned as the water and towel became murky.

“I—”

“Just wipe your upper body, Your Grace. Or do you want me to do that too?”

Without looking up, Brody spoke flatly. Aidan shut his mouth and began obediently wiping himself.

But with Brody handling his feet, it was hard to focus. Not that wiping his upper body really required focus, but still…

Her firm, skilled hands were surprisingly refreshing, and it felt good.

“Brie.”

“…”

Ah right, Brie — that fake name. Brody paused before responding.

“I brought back some spoils. They say there are lots of beautiful clothes. I don’t have an eye for such things, so go look for yourself and pick what you like.”

Aidan watched her expression carefully.

But since she was looking down at his feet, he couldn’t see her face clearly. What little he could see didn’t seem particularly excited.

Spoils of war… such a foreign term. If the Grand Duke won, someone else must have lost.

This world treated such things as natural, but it didn’t sit right with Brody.

Maybe such thoughts were a luxury in this world.

Still, she was thankful for Aidan’s sentiment, so she smiled and picked up the basin.

“I’ll go dump this out.”

As Brody showed little interest in the beautiful clothes, Aidan stared blankly at her retreating figure.

I thought women liked clothes as gifts. Did I do something wrong? Was I too filthy…?

He wanted to see her smiling face again — the way she had smiled back in the fields.

Soon, Brody returned.

Aidan, unsure of what to do, sat there awkwardly watching her.

Brody stood quietly for a moment, then finally broke the silence.

“Are your wounds okay?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t badly hurt.”

“Should I apply some medicine? Bruises may be fine, but punctures need proper treatment.”

“You know how to handle medicine?”

“When it comes to plants, I’m decent.”

“Ah, so you’re good with plants.”

“Yes! Did you see our field?”

Brody beamed proudly.

Aidan smiled back and answered.

“Yes, it was excellent.”

“Of course it was! We even hit our target yield. You won’t have to worry about food for a while.”

“Yes, your efforts were invaluable. Honestly, I’m happier about that than the war victory.”

His praise made Brody blush. Aidan found that endearing and smiled with his eyes as he looked at her.

Still flushed from the drink, his glistening gaze met hers, and Brody’s heart began to race.

Now. Say it now. While he’s in a good mood.

Clenching her hands before her chest, Brody took a deep breath.

“Your Grace, do you remember the vow you made before leaving? You said you’d grant me a wish if I completed my task.”

“Of course.”

Aidan nodded. How could he forget? He still remembered the expression on her face then.

“May I make that wish now?”

“Go ahead.”

He felt a sense of anticipation. He hoped that by granting her wish, she would smile like that again.

Brody swallowed hard and spoke.

“My wish is this, Your Grace.”

She hesitated — so much so that Aidan wondered what could possibly be taking so long. It didn’t feel like her to hesitate.

Finally, she spoke.

“Please… give me my freedom.”