“Do you have a moment, Hugo, my boy?”
Around a month after my duel with Silas, the archduke approached me after our regular sword practice. His manner was unusually formal.
“Of course. Whatever you need,” I replied.
“Then let’s go to my study. Oh, yes…and let’s keep this between ourselves, all right? No need to tell Mel…”
“S-sure…,” I replied vaguely as I followed him.
Melza had been busy since that morning, and she was still holed up in her room.
“So… What did you want to discuss…?” I asked.
“Well, hmm…”
For some reason, the archduke hesitated. Had something happened…?
“You see… In three days’ time, I’ll be embarking on an expedition to subdue a group of bandits that have been plaguing the town of Sailbridge, near the border with the Kingdom of Orléans…”
“I see…”
“…Hugo, my boy—I’d like you to join me this time.”
“Huh?!” I gasped in astonishment.
S-seriously…? He wants me to join him in battle…?
“U-um, is there a reason you’re asking this now…?”
“Mmm, yes…”
At this, the archduke outlined his reasoning.
First, he wanted me to gain real-world combat experience so that I would be fully prepared for the day when I succeeded him as the next Archduke Woodstock.
Second, he wanted to give me a chance to impress his soldiers and gain their trust by suppressing the bandits in a brilliant first showing on the battlefield.
“Ha-ha! You were an assassin in a past life, my boy, so I know you won’t lag behind. Why, at this point, your skills surpass even my own. I have full confidence in your success.”
“Th-thank you…”
As the archduke said, I already had a good deal of combat experience, and on top of that, I had read extensively on tactics at the library during my stint filling in for Louis at the Imperial Academy.
So long as I was able to work well with those on the ground, I would be more than capable of handling this task. And yet—
“…You said it’s near the border with Orléans,” I pointed out. “That concerns me.”
“Oh…?” The archduke raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. “Why is that?”
“Well. I’ve only read books on the matter, but I believe Sailbridge is an important strategic point linking our two countries. If there’s trouble nearby, we can’t rule out the possibility the Kingdom of Orléans is involved.”
“Hmm. You’re quite sharp.” The archduke smiled and nodded. “That’s precisely why I’m going in person. And why it would be an ideal opportunity for your dramatic debut, my boy.”
“Aha…”
In other words, the archduke has set the stage for me.
“Your Grace… I swear on this saber you gifted to me that I will vanquish those bandits and that the name Hugo Grenville will be known throughout the empire.”
“Ha-ha! I’m looking forward to it!”
With that, the archduke rose to his feet and patted me on the head with his large, calloused hand. The gesture was kind and instilled in me both confidence and warmth. But there still remained one issue.
“Um… What about Melza…?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s the problem…”
All at once, a cold air filled the room. Both the archduke and I held our heads in despair.
Even though the mission in question amounted to suppressing a few bandits, so long as another nation was involved, it was technically a war. Under no circumstances could I bring Melza to such a place.
Yet she could see through lies and ill intentions, so if I tried to hide the truth of our mission, I would be instantly exposed… And besides, I didn’t want to deceive her. I had resolved to show her only sincerity and love.
“I guess I’ll just have to convince her…”
“Indeed…”
Both the archduke and I sighed deeply.
“…Hugh? What’s wrong with you and Grandfather?” Melza asked at dinner.
Neither the archduke nor I had been able to conceal our restlessness. We exchanged nervous glances…and he gave me an almost imperceptible nod.
“Melza… There’s something I need to talk to you about,” I said.
“Oh…?” She must have sensed that she wouldn’t like this conversation, and her lips tightened in a pout.
“Let me go first, my son,” said the archduke.
“Of course,” I replied.
“Hugo and I will be departing on an expedition early next week to eliminate a group of bandits near the border with Orléans.”
“…?!” Melza’s eyes instantly shot open, and she audibly gasped. “Th-then I’m going, too!” she exclaimed, jumping to her feet.
“No.” The archduke shot her down at once.
“Melza,” I began, taking over. “There’s going to be a battle. I can’t take you with me, not when there’s a possibility I could be putting you in danger… And I don’t want you to have to witness any gruesome developments…”
…In my first life as an assassin, I had watched a great many people die. In war, human life was even more expendable. I had to protect Melza from that.
“Please! …Please understand, and wait here until your grandfather and I return!” I implored, pressing my hands and forehead down on the table in supplication.
Perhaps there was a better way of getting her to accept my request… But if there was, I couldn’t see it. All I could do was lay bare my sincerest feelings and hope she would acquiesce.
“Hugh, you’re so…underhanded!”
“…Melza?!”
The next moment, she took off from the dining room, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Melza…,” I murmured, watching as the door swung shut behind her.
What should I do…?
“Best to let her be for a while, my boy…” The archduke placed a burly hand on my shoulder.
“Your Grace… I’ll try talking to her again.”
“I understand how you feel, but it might be wiser to wait and see for now…”
This time, I couldn’t bring myself to agree. I simply couldn’t stand the thought of letting something like this fester between us—not for one second…
“…I need to speak with her,” I said firmly.
“…Well, well. You’re surprisingly stubborn, my boy…” The archduke grinned wryly.
And so I left the dining room and followed Melza.
“Phew…” Outside her room, I paused to take a deep breath.
…All right.
Knock-knock.
“Melza…? Can I come in…?”
“……”
I waited for a short while, but there was no response. Taking that as approval, I opened the door and peered inside.
“Melza…”
I found her slumped over her bed in the unlit room, face pressed against the blankets.
“I’ll sit here,” I murmured, positioning myself next to her.
Where was I supposed to begin? If I said the wrong thing, I would only end up hurting her even more…
“……”
“……”
For a long, drawn-out moment, silence enveloped the room. And then—
“…I do understand,” she whispered, breaking the silence. “I know it’s selfish of me to want to accompany you. And I know that you and Grandfather are only trying to do what’s best for me…” She spoke haltingly, tears spilling onto the bed.
“Melza…”
“But… But…! I can’t stop worrying! What if something happens to you, Hugh…?!”
She sobbed and clung to my legs. All I could do was gently pat her back and try to console her.
“Ngh…”
I woke up to sunlight peeking in through a gap between the curtains. I got out of bed and went to close them fully—I didn’t want Melza’s skin to burn.
In the end, I’d decided to spend the previous night with her in the hopes of healing her wounded heart. While I held her in bed, she continued to bawl her eyes out until she fell asleep from exhaustion.
“Melza…,” I murmured, gently stroking her black hair. It glistened like polished onyx.
After a few moments, she stirred.
“Ngh… Ah… Hugh…,” she muttered, groggily opening her eyes.
“Good morning, Melza,” I greeted her with a warm smile.
“Hugh… Hugh…”
“Yes… I’m here.”
She reached out and embraced me.
“Melza, I have a proposal.”
“A…proposal…?”
“Yes.”
She lifted her face and stared back at me with glistening crimson eyes as I explained my plan.
“While I’m in Sailbridge on this expedition, I’ll return to you at the end of every day.”
“…?!” The moment she heard these words, her eyes shot open. “Y-you can really do that?!”
“I still have to make sure, but Sailbridge is one of the empire’s most important strategic points, so it stands to reason there should be a portal for urgent travel back to the capital. If I can use that, I should be able to get back to the mansion in no time.”
While she was asleep, I had spent the night thinking of how to set her mind at ease. There had to be some way to reassure her of my safety without taking her directly to the battlefield…
At first, I thought about using a magical tool of some sort to communicate with her on a daily basis. But that, I realized, might only remind her of the distance. Then it dawned on me…since the archduke’s mansion was equipped with a portal, all I needed was another one near the expedition site.
“But if I’m the only one going home every day and the soldiers fighting alongside me aren’t allowed such a luxury, it could have a bad effect on morale…”
“Ah… I—I see…”
“So I was thinking of asking your grandfather’s permission first, then checking to see if it’s okay with each of the soldiers.”
The archduke would no doubt respond with a hearty laugh and readily grant me permission to use the portal. But no matter how good our odds, the soldiers would be entrusting me with their lives, which meant I had to earn their respect.
“Hugh…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be honest and forthright with them—I’m sure I’ll win their support. There’s no need for concern. Try to put on a brave face. I can’t tell you how happy that would make me.” I smiled and caressed her cheek.
“Hugh…!” she cried, embracing me as tightly as she could. Unlike the previous night, she was wearing the brightest of smiles. “Now that everything’s decided, we need to go find Grandfather!”
“Ha-ha… Yes!”
Finally regaining her energy, Melza rushed to get changed… Huh?!
“M-Melza?!”
“Hmm…? O-oh…!”
Only when I stopped her from taking off her nightdress did she realize I was watching. She spun around to conceal her chest in embarrassment.
“I-I’ll go back to my room!” I said.
“R-right!” she answered, her face bright red.
With that, I scurried back to my own quarters.
B-but wow…
“You really are beautiful, Melza…”
I could feel my cheeks burning as I shook my head in an effort to stop thinking of her gorgeous, pale skin.