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Duke Mayhard was not someone he could hassle as he pleased. The duke had merely been complying with his demands.

There was nothing the crown prince could do if the duke decided to go against him. The duke was someone even the King couldn’t handle rashly.

Perhaps it was because he knew this that the crown prince grew angrier.

“Dammit!”

Crash!

The crown prince swept his arm across his desk. The things on his desk fell onto the floor with a commotion. Patrick watched quietly.

‘Damn that Triple U…’

Judging by his behavior, the crown prince had completely forgotten that his aide was in the room with him. But it wasn’t like this was the first time, so it was nothing new.

‘Eh, he did well this time even for a Triple U.’

Patrick swiftly shifted his attention to his documents.

He had heard about what the crown prince had done. the crown prince said that he’d be sending Duke Mayhard to the northern border.

‘This works out for the better.’

Though this was obviously something the crown prince had done with malicious intent, as a citizen who wanted the war to end, Patrick was delighted by the crown prince’s unforeseen action.

‘The capital is fine, but the north is already being impacted by the long war. Nothing would be better than Duke Mayhard bringing an end to the war.’

Puting the rumors about him being cursed by the devil and whatnot aside, Patrick acknowledged the duke’s military power. Although Count White, who was known as the White Knight, was ranked higher than the duke, Patrick thought differently. Based on military power alone, there was no one in this kingdom who could keep up with Duke Mayhard. This was Patrick’s judgment, as the crown prince’s competent aide, who had once dreamed of becoming a military officer.

‘Indeed, if it’s the duke, he’d be able to conquer the other nation with ease, even if it takes some time.’

Then, this damned, tiresome war on the frontier would finally come to an end.

“…”

So then, why was it that the quill pen that had been moving elegantly across a document suddenly stopped.

Patrick stared blankly at the document he had been reading.

‘…That’s strange.’

Was it because the contents of the document were giving him a headache? Or was he not quite used to his new quill pen yet?

He felt uneasy.

A mysterious apprehension filled his heart.

‘There’s no reason for me to be like this, so why am I being like this?’

Patrick furrowed his brow in confusion. Then he looked at the clock on the table.

He would be done with work in a bit. If he was to leave work right on the dot, he had to hurry and finish the work he was currently doing.

Indeed, nothing was more important to a worker who received stipends than leaving work. He had no time to get wrapped up in other thoughts.

The quill pen in Patrick’s hand moved quickly, as if it had never stopped.

***

Tick, tock.

Yelena went to the garden after dinner. Her shoulders, which had been slumped for several days already, had no energy.

A restless Kaywhin chased after her.

“Wife.”

Yelena turned around.

“…I said that I’d be taking a walk alone.”

“But.”

Kaywhin hesitated, and then opened his mouth.

“I’m worried.”

“About me? Why would you be worried about me? If you’re going to worry, you should worry about yourself.”

Then, Yelena sighed.

“I’m annoyed,” she whined.

Kaywhin froze up. Yelena stared at her husband, who looked like he had been struck by lightning. Then, she walked towards him.

Yelena rested her head against Kaywhin’s chest, hard as marble. She could hear his heartbeat, which brought her some solace.

‘I wish the crown prince would go missing,’ Yelena thought ridiculously. Then, she shook her head in her mind.

This had been the King’s decision. There had been a royal meeting, and the King had stamped his seal. Even if something happened to the crown prince now, it wouldn’t change the fact that Kaywhin was being sent off to war.

Kaywhin’s heartbeat was regular, but Yelena felt like it was beating faster than usual. She closed her eyes as she listened to it.

“How long will it take?”

“…I’ll be back before winter ends.”

“…”

“I promise I’ll come back.”

Winter.

Yelena felt the breeze brush past the back of her hand. The heat had subsided. Soon, the breeze would become a cold wind.

Winter. It was too far away.

‘I can’t throw a fit and make him stay.’