IRER 11

Chapter 11 

 What Was Left Behind

When he returned from the battlefield, he clung to her as if seeking absolution.

She, too, was relieved that he had come back alive and unharmed, and her heart softened.

It wasn’t as if Brody had wished for Aidan’s death just because she wanted her freedom.

The decision to relocate the Grand Duke’s main forces to the south was made swiftly, and Aidan asked Brody to come with him.

Brody silently nodded.

“Are you alright?”

“Sorry?”

“I mean… physically.”

Aidan asked cautiously, perhaps concerned about the previous night.

“Do I look alright to you?”

Brody replied with a hint of sarcasm, and Aidan flushed red. Seeing that, Brody gave a knowing smile.

His reaction was amusing, but she decided not to tease him too much.

She changed the subject.

“Your Highness, the potatoes were developed by me, so please try not to let them spread too widely. Oh, and the kohlrabi too. I modified it to grow faster.”

“I see. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Thanks. Eventually, it’ll spread across the land anyway, but if you use it for business in the meantime, it’ll benefit the North greatly.”

“Hm, how about this? Why don’t you lead that project yourself?”

Brody smiled and paused for a moment before replying.

“How could I manage something so difficult? The chief of staff would have a fit.”

“River grumbles a lot, but I think he’s already acknowledged you.”

“No way.”

Brody declined with a shake of her head.

Still, Aidan believed she would end up taking the lead and succeeding.

Not long after, the Grand Duke’s party packed up.

A few soldiers and some prisoners were left behind to tend the fields. Those who remained were mostly injured soldiers or those who had formed bonds with the prisoners.

They would settle here and lay the foundation for a new beginning.

The biggest battle—the one against the Imperial Army—was not far off, yet Aidan felt oddly untroubled.

He had the sense that they would win.

As if sensing his thoughts, Brody smiled at him when their eyes met.

“Don’t know how to ride a horse?”

River asked with a smirk.

Brody looked uncomfortable admitting she couldn’t ride, and River seemed oddly pleased by it.

‘Wow, this guy is consistently petty.’

Brody confidently walked over and perched herself on the back of the supply wagon. The soldier driving the wagon smiled at her in welcome.

Returning his smile, Brody casually replied to River,

“So what if I can’t ride? Being inhuman is a bigger issue.”

At her words, River’s brow twitched.

Even the soldiers who had initially disliked her had come around after seeing her contributions—though Brody herself wasn’t too thrilled about that. But River never once said thanks or even apologized.

‘Why’s he always picking fights with me?’

Brody shot back at him, pointing out his attitude.

Catching the veiled jab in her words, River retorted coldly.

“Didn’t realize you were so desperate for recognition.”

“And I didn’t realize you were so jealous.”

That made River raise his voice without thinking.

“What? Jealous? Of you?”

“You’re not unaware that you’re especially emotional toward me, right?”

Her disinterested tone versus his flustered reaction—it was obvious who had won that round.

When Brody looked at him with a lazy expression, River scoffed and turned his horse away.

“This journey’s going to be tough. It’s a long road.”

Aidan spoke with concern, glancing at Brody sitting on the back of the supply wagon.

He rode a tall, well-built black horse with a sleek coat named Kais.

“It’s fine. I’ll alternate between here and the seat next to the driver.”

Sit next to a strange man?

Aidan frowned slightly, and the driver broke out in nervous sweat.

But Brody had no concept of what constituted an “inappropriate man,” so she didn’t see any issue.

Brody lightly tapped the side of the wagon and called out,

“Let’s go!”

The driver glanced at the Grand Duke, then, catching Brody’s questioning look, finally set the wagon in motion.

The journey was rougher than expected.

The wagon jolted violently, making it feel like her butt would shatter.

‘Ugh, my hips…’

Even when she sat next to the driver, it wasn’t any better.

Every time the wagon shook, Brody grabbed onto the driver for balance, and he was overwhelmed trying to manage both the wagon and the Grand Duke’s potential reaction.

Eventually, when the wagon hit a large rock and Brody, who had been sitting at the back, was flung off and hit the ground with a splat, they finally decided on a different method.

Smirking inwardly, Aidan lifted Brody up and seated her in front of him.

At first, being up so high was frightening, but as her energy waned, she began suffering from motion sickness.

Aidan was visibly worried, but there wasn’t much he could do for someone else’s nausea.

“I’ll just knock myself out and wake up later. That okay?”

Brody took some meshue and fell asleep.

Curled up like a squirrel, she nestled into Aidan’s chest and dozed off.

Aidan wrapped his cloak around them like a cave and held her securely with strong arms.

Even for someone as sturdy as him, holding her like that on horseback must’ve been tiring.

But Aidan looked down at the sleeping Brody in his arms with satisfaction.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Bri? …Bri?”

She opened her eyes in the darkness at the sound of someone calling her name, returning to reality.

Still groggy from the medicine, Brody lifted her head, almost headbutting Aidan’s chin.

He dodged her drowsy movement effortlessly and looked down at her blinking eyes.

“Ugh…”

Brody slowly stretched out her legs, which had been curled up tightly and were now tingling.

Aidan supported her so she wouldn’t fall, helping her get into a more stable position by holding her ankles.

The soldiers, who had only recently gotten used to seeing their fierce and imposing Duke carry Brody around, were once again shocked by his tenderness.

They had only known him as the man who spoke little, exuded authority, and cut down enemies without mercy.

As she stretched her legs, Brody rubbed her eyes and asked,

“Are we there yet?”

“Almost.”

“Almost…?”

Brody sounded like she was scolding him for waking her up too early.

Aidan grinned and gestured forward with a nod.

Brody turned her head to see what he was pointing at.

“Wow…”

There stood a massive fortress.

Nestled between two rugged mountains, the fortress was naturally protected on both sides, truly deserving the title “natural fortress.”

Its walls were pure white—apparently, the local soil turned white when baked into stone.

As they headed south, the setting sun to their right bathed the fortress in a stunning display of pink and orange hues, creating a breathtaking scene.

“Woooow…”

Brody couldn’t find the words, simply letting out breathless awe.

“It’s amazing.”

“Yes, it is. I timed our arrival to catch the sunset.”

“What? Oh, well… That’s great, but I meant you, Your Grace.”

“Hm?”

“How did you manage to conquer this place?”

She now understood why the southern forces hadn’t bothered to reinforce it. Who would’ve thought it could fall?

Now that they had occupied it, the enemy must be feeling the same disbelief.

Aidan chuckled softly at her unexpected line of questioning.

‘You really never react the way I expect.’

Though she claimed to be impressed by the fortress itself, she was clearly awestruck by the scenery too, judging by the way she craned her neck in every direction.

Feeling proud, Aidan rode forward confidently. His horse seemed to share the mood, stepping with flair.

❖ ❖ ❖

After entering the fortress, they spent a few days regrouping and planning their next move—toward the capital.

The final battle would take place in the Gori Plains, right before the capital’s outer wall.

As they moved farther south, the climate grew warmer. The terrain and vegetation changed rapidly, making it feel like a whole different world from the North.

In the villages they occupied, they were greeted by lush crops growing in fertile soil.

Those who had struggled to survive in the harsh northern wastelands didn’t cheer—they wept.

They could finally feel how horribly the Empire had treated the North.

On the bright side, the supply lines to the front were now shorter. They could gather provisions directly from the region.

Aidan’s forces swept southward with unstoppable momentum.

Eventually, the Grand Duke’s army positioned themselves on a hill overlooking the Gori Plains.

Below them stretched the wide plains, ending in the capital’s walls surrounded by a moat.

Though the city looked peaceful, the walls didn’t seem well-fortified for battle.

At Aidan’s invitation, Brody rode with him to the hilltop overlooking the enemy.

There, she saw the banners of the Imperial Army—and of Duke Nicholson.

‘Jax is here.’

Jax was the original male lead of the story.

Frowning, Brody studied the emblems.

More than the opposing army, Aidan was concerned with Brody’s reaction to facing her homeland.

She was about to attack her birthplace—he doubted that could feel good.

“Is there anything or anyone you want me to protect in your hometown? Family, maybe…?”

He was prepared to shield whatever she asked for.

“No.”

Brody answered plainly.

‘I really don’t know much about her, do I?’

Her cold, clean-cut response surprised Aidan, but he didn’t push her. With the battle looming, it wasn’t the time.

‘I’ll ask her after the war.’

❖ ❖ ❖

“Come back safely.”

Perhaps because it was the eve of the final battle, Brody came all the way to the front of the camp to see the Grand Duke off.

Aidan nodded and turned his horse.

Soon, the battle began.

The first to appear wasn’t the imperial army—it was Duke Jax McCarthy’s troops.

With golden hair flowing behind him, Duke Jax stood tall behind a tight formation.

His army gleamed with top-tier armor and weapons, moving in grand, polished unison.

They were elite knights, graduates from the Empire’s top academy, often backed by the nobility.

But in a fight for their lives, those polished elites were no match for the seasoned veterans of the Grand Duke’s forces.

Initially intimidated by McCarthy’s overwhelming display, Aidan’s troops quickly realized—they were stronger than they thought.

The tide turned.

When McCarthy’s army was on the verge of being surrounded and annihilated, Duke Jax screamed across the field, challenging Aidan to a duel.

Though Chief of Staff River tried to stop him, Aidan accepted without hesitation—and defeated Jax in less than ten strikes.

Thus, the golden-haired Duke Jax McCarthy became Aidan’s prisoner.

That’s how the first day of battle ended.

With the capital’s strongest army crushed, the rest was only a matter of time.

Aidan returned to camp, victorious and proud.

He looked toward the encampment, wondering—hoping—that Brody might come out to greet him.

But she was nowhere to be seen.

Inside the Grand Duke’s tent—

There was no trace of her presence. Only a small vial of medicine and a short note awaited him on the table.