Chapter 80

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: The Price of Victory
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“I want to burn it to ashes.”

Diello said as he brought the letter to me.

For a moment, mana flared from his fingertips before vanishing.

I flinched, but the letter was unharmed.

“But it’s yours, Croire, so I wouldn’t dare.”

He handed me the letter.

Then he quietly moved to my side.

“May I read it with you?”

I nodded at his words.

“Of course.”

What was there to keep secret? It was a letter from the enemy, after all.

At my words, Diello came around the desk to my side.

I unfolded the letter, angling it slightly so he could see it better.

[To my lovely daughter, Croire]

And from the very first line, my stomach turned.

I raised an eyebrow.

After a series of nauseating pleasantries, it got to the point.

[It has already been a month since we last met. Won’t you come and tell me what has happened since then?

I have heard and seen enough to know you are enjoying your newlywed life with Duke Argenta, but I wish to hear the stories from you as well.]

In other words, it was time for me to pay a visit.

I narrowed my eyes.

From Alloje’s perspective, the timing was perfect.

Since it wasn’t publicly known that Alloje was targeting Argenta, summoning me to the estate now meant…

“It seems they want to carve the name again, since it’s been a month, and gather information on Argenta….”

Diello frowned slightly at my words.

He was clearly thinking the same thing.

“...Croire.”

His fingertips touched the back of my neck.

His hand, which had traced up to behind my ear, returned to the back of my neck, spreading a gentle warmth.

Diello stopped his hand over the spot where his name was carved and spoke.

“Are you going?”

I looked up at him.

Of course, I had to go.

His gaze was filled with regret, as if he already knew my answer.

“I know the agreement is to go every month, but we’re preparing for war. What if Duke Alloje targets you, Croire?”

He seemed to genuinely want to stop me. But I shook my head.

“I won’t be taken hostage. If I were, there would be no one to destroy your lilies.”

Diello narrowed his eyes at my words. As he was about to say something, I shook my head again.

“Most importantly, not going would raise suspicion.”

Duke Alloje was surely confident he could attack before Argenta’s forces were fully prepared.

There was no benefit to revealing that we knew his plan.

Besides, Duke Alloje would try to carve Diello’s name on the back of my neck again.

I had been pretending to follow his plan until now; suddenly refusing to cooperate would also arouse suspicion.

Of course, I would undoubtedly suffer terrible pain.

But it couldn’t be helped.

“Duke Alloje will be curious about how many lilies have disappeared this time. It would be strange if there’s no change from last time, so I’ll tell him two have vanished.”

I said, as if to soothe him.

“Then…”

I took Diello’s hesitating hand and gently lowered it.

His hand felt a bit cold, so I held it tightly as I continued.

“He’ll be a little angry, but it can’t be helped.”

My gaze fell to where his lilies would be, then looked away.

“If I say all your lilies are gone, he’ll seize the opportunity and attack.”

Diello’s lips pressed into a thin line.

“If I say two, we can buy some time. We can finish our war preparations in the meantime.”

So that man could not achieve his goal.

I gently pressed my fingertips against Diello’s tightly closed lips.

Relax.

“Duke Alloje will think he has the upper hand by finding out the number of lilies,”

I continued, looking into his blue eyes.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t scared or afraid.

Especially the pain of being held down by those brutish hands, having the name forcibly carved—it was like having flames shoved under my skin, truly unbearable.

But if it meant getting the perfect chance for revenge…

I said, unknowingly clenching one of my fists.

“Think of it this way. In other words, this is a war where we get to decide the timing.”

“...Meaning Alloje will move his troops when you report that the lilies are gone.”

Diello’s low voice resonated.

I nodded.

“Yes. I can endure a little pain for the sake of victory. You can too, right, Diello?”

“…”

Diello closed his eyes.

“I’d rather it be me who’s in pain.”

After whispering that, he opened his eyes. Our gazes met, and he gently cradled the back of my neck.

“I’ll make sure this is the last time, Croire.”

*Please don’t be in pain.*

*It will hurt, but I hope it doesn’t hurt too much.*

“If only we had a real Pero, our war preparations would have been much easier. What a shame.”

I let out a short sigh.

I, too, wished that Diello, that Argenta, would not be hurt.

Of course, the current situation was very different from the episode in the original story where Argenta and Alloje clashed.

Argenta was united, Redius was alive, and I was here too, so things were much better than in the original.

But I couldn’t help feeling anxious.

“…I feel like I’m making things too hard for you, Croire.”

Diello kissed the back of my neck, his expression filled with sorrow.

He shared his warmth with me for a long time.

As if doing so could somehow keep me from feeling pain.

* * *

“Please have Argenta accelerate its war preparations as well.”

Croire urged before she left.

It was clear what she meant.

“…Travel safely, Croire.”

Diello watched the carriage heading for Alloje, his fists clenched tightly.

So tightly that they could have drawn blood.

“My lord.”

Rick approached with a surprised look and offered a handkerchief.

But Diello gestured instead of taking it.

“How are the preparations for the battlefield?”

“They are nearly complete. We’ve calculated the possible routes Alloje might take and have prepared plenty of oil-soaked materials nearby for supply.”

Diello narrowed his eyes at Rick’s report.

He had originally intended to send Rick with Croire to Alloje.

Just in case, just in case something bad happened.

But his resolute bride had immediately objected.

‘The intelligence division has its duties.’

Diello couldn’t defy her when she smiled so gently.

Even when he was furious enough to want to burn everything down, one smile from her was enough to calm him, as if by magic.

‘It’s for our sake.’

Croire had said, as if to soothe him.

*Do you know what I’m thinking?*

*Do you know what dark thoughts I have when I look at you?*

‘…!’

Sometimes, when he saw Croire with her wide, startled eyes like a rabbit’s, he wanted to ask.

If she knew his true self.

If someone like him was still okay.

But he still didn’t have the courage to ask a question he couldn’t take back.

Surprisingly, the Argenta, the flame that consumed all without hesitation, was hesitating.

Afraid that one wrong touch might break her, twist her, or make her leave.

A dry laugh escaped him.

The man who had been so confident he could seduce her was gone, leaving behind a coward second to none.

‘I’ll just take Pielle. Like last time.’

Diello let out a short breath, thinking of Croire smiling and insisting she would be fine.

“One last check.”

Returning to his office, he spread out a map.

This was an opportunity and time bought with his bride’s pain; he had no intention of wasting it.

Absolutely not.

* * *

With a jolt, the fast-moving carriage arrived at Alloje in no time.

“Lady Croire has arrived.”

On the surface, the people of Alloje treated me with great courtesy.

Anyone watching would think I was truly a beloved daughter of Alloje.

I struggled to suppress a scoff.

“His Grace the Duke is waiting for you.”

As we neared the Alloje mansion, a knight from the estate approached and spoke.

They then naturally surrounded the carriage.

It was likely an escort for a guest, but for me, who had no fond memories of Alloje, it was nothing short of unpleasant.

“…?”

But it would be strange to dismiss them.

As I was thinking this and waiting to arrive at the mansion, I felt something strange.

“My lady?”

Pielle, who was in the carriage with me, asked cautiously.

She seemed to have noticed my change in demeanor.

“Is there something making you uncomfortable?”

“No.”

It wasn’t that I was uncomfortable, but…

I closed my eyes.

Then I could feel it more clearly.

The aura of water from those surrounding the carriage.

It was something I hadn’t sensed on my previous visit to Alloje.

Clearly, my control over water had grown more refined and powerful.

To the point where I could even sense the level of power held by those surrounding the carriage.

They possessed a power far weaker than my own.

In other words, near water, just as I felt pressure from the water that obeyed Duke Alloje, they could feel pressure from the water that obeyed me.

That would mean they’d discover I had abilities different from before.

“Hoo.”

I exhaled shortly. And I suppressed my water aura as much as possible.

So that my aura would feel weak to them.

“My lady. Are you all right?”

Pielle asked again. I nodded.

I composed my features into a relaxed expression and spoke.

“You’ll do well, but…”

I looked into Pielle’s sharp eyes.

Her eyes hadn’t been like that the last time we came here together.

She was clearly hostile toward Alloje. More so than before.

The reason was obvious. It must be because she knew what was about to happen to me.

And because she had grown much closer to me since then.

A small smile appeared on my lips without me realizing.

“Listen carefully. Right now, I am Alloje’s beloved daughter.”

Disgustingly so.

The thought inevitably wiped the smile from my face.

My voice was very low, but Pielle was focused on me, hearing every word.

“So, when they take me, you can’t get angry. Understood?”

Pielle was good at composing herself and wouldn’t make a mistake, but I said it just in case.

Pielle hesitated for a moment, then gave a short bow of her head.

“I will keep that in mind.”

She relaxed her expression. The change was unbelievable.

But for a brief moment, as she gazed outside, her eyes turned cold.

“Don’t worry too much.”

I patted her shoulder.

The people around me were angrier than I, the one who was actually going through it.

…I felt sorry, but also grateful.

It made me realize anew that I was loved by them.

“This is the last time.”

Come to think of it, Diello, Pielle, and of course, everyone else in our party was worried about me.

They all wore grim expressions, as if they were the ones in pain, not me.

“Thank you all for worrying about me.”

As I said it, feeling a little shy, Pielle bowed her head.

As she did, the maid riding with us quietly draped a soft blanket over me.

“?”

And Pielle started massaging my shoulders.

“If you face them while your body is tense, you could injure your muscles.”

Her gaze fell on my arm.

She was likely referring to the bruises I got on my arm from being restrained last time.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

I couldn’t refuse their kindness, so I willingly let them take care of me.

With a final lurch, we at last entered the Alloje ducal estate.