A Change of Husband - Chapter 115

“The enemy is someone who, for his own ambition, insulted the royal family, spilled innocent blood, and swore loyalty to a devil.”

 

The soldiers looked at Esperad with serious faces.

 

After the new weapon was developed, Astel’s military power greatly increased, but even so, there hadn’t been a real “war” for a very long time.

 

Because of that, this war naturally made everyone nervous.

 

“That is why you now stand on the battlefield. For the loyalty you gave to your country, for the honor of your family that your ancestors protected, for the family you love, or for yourselves. But no matter what you fight for, Astel will never forget the glorious blood you shed today.”

 

Esperad also didn’t avoid the soldiers’ eyes. He looked at each of them, meeting their gaze, and spoke in a strong voice.

 

“Show them. Today, you will write a new history.”

 

“Long live the King!”

 

“Long live the King!”

 

News from the weapons factory spread through the royal army as if it had been planned.

 

Even before the war had truly started, the fact that the enemy was already in trouble lifted the soldiers’ spirits. They were already very encouraged.

 

Esperad had already heard about it from Edgar, but now that he saw it with his own eyes, he felt a bit more at ease.

 

“Your Majesty, he has arrived.”

 

At Benjamin’s words, Esperad nodded and walked into the tent, leaving the cheering soldiers behind.

 

Soon, a few nobles—including some from the progressive faction and others from the neutral faction who had expressed interest in joining the royal army—came in and sat in the prepared seats one by one.

 

Esperad decided to hear their opinions first.

 

“I want to see the picture you have in mind. Is there anyone who wants to speak first?”

 

Without waiting, the nobles began to share their thoughts, as if they had been waiting for the chance.

 

“I think we should attack from the rear.”

 

“From the rear?”

 

“They’re focused only on destroying the royal palace. I doubt they’ve thought much about being attacked. So hitting the nearby conservative noble territories to cut off their supply lines and push them into a corner would be a good strategy.”

 

“That’s a good idea, but since many conservatives have joined them, I don’t think setting up new supply lines will be too hard for them.”

 

Even while listening and organizing his thoughts, the nobles continued sharing ideas non-stop.

 

“I agree. Also, if we go after each noble’s territory one by one, we might be the ones to suffer instead.”

 

“But if we fight them head-on, the damage will be big. Usually, the defenders suffer more than the attackers. And when you’re the one protecting something, visible losses can shake the soldiers Asilie.”

 

Esperad had a few ideas of his own.

 

Luckily, what he had in mind could be adjusted depending on the plan they settled on, so what he needed now was to bring their thoughts together.

 

“Visible losses, you say. Like what?”

 

“We’re protecting the palace, but really, the whole capital is under our protection. If the villages where the soldiers lived are burned down, they’ll definitely feel shaken.”

 

“That makes sense. Even though the capital is already empty, we could still lead the enemy to fight somewhere else to avoid damage. That’s one way too.”

 

“The problem is how to lure them, right? Our intel says they’ll attack soon, so you need to make a decision quickly.”

 

Esperad nodded at Albert’s words.

 

“Benjamin, bring him in.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

A moment later, Benjamin brought someone in—Jonathan.

 

Having someone who wasn’t a noble join a strategy meeting like this meant he must be important. Still, none of the nobles had ever seen his face before.

 

“This young man I’m introducing to you now is the one who destroyed the weapons factory this morning.”

 

The nobles’ confused faces changed instantly.

 

They had heard something happened at the factory, but no one knew exactly what or how.

 

Since King Esperad hadn’t explained it before, they couldn’t just go ask, “Did he do it?” Their curiosity had only grown—so seeing a completely unfamiliar young man now was a shock.

 

“His name is Jonathan. He’s going to be our hero.”

 

“How could this young man destroy the weapons factory all at once?”

 

“Will you explain it yourself?”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

Jonathan bowed politely, then began to speak.

 

“I used a new weapon I made, called a ‘bomb,’ to destroy the weapons factory.”

 

He explained what a bomb was and how it worked in simple terms.

 

Even after learning he was a commoner, no one interrupted or looked down on him.

 

“It takes some time to explode, and if you don’t get out of range in time, even the person who planted it could be hurt. So it’s a tricky weapon, but once used, it will do its job well.”

 

After Jonathan finished, the nobles looked surprised.

 

Since the invention of guns, there had been great interest in new weapons, but nothing had ever surpassed them—until now.

 

But the bomb sounded like a real war weapon—something that could deal with many enemies at once.

 

“Amazing…”

 

“But if it takes time to explode, won’t it be hard to use during urgent battles?”

 

“And since we’ve never seen this weapon before, I’m worried it might also hurt our own soldiers, Your Majesty.”

 

Those were opinions worth listening to.

 

Esperad nodded and agreed with them.

 

“I also don’t think suddenly using an unfamiliar weapon in battle is very wise. But it can still be useful in luring the enemy. Don’t you agree, Jonathan?”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty. Also, depending on the terrain, we can plant bombs in the lured area to gain the upper hand in battle. A weapon they’ve never seen before will surely confuse them.”

 

“It looks like we’re done talking about methods.”

 

Esperad tapped the map on the table with a stick and looked at them again.

 

“Now let’s begin discussing the real strategy.”

 

 

The news that the royal army had won their first battle—which went on until late at night—reached Asilie the next morning.

 

She had gone to bed only because of the maids’ insistence, especially Lady Marce’s, but had barely slept with her eyes open most of the night. So the news was even more welcome.

 

However, even though they had won the first battle, no one knew what would happen next, or how big the fight had been, or how many were injured or dead. So she couldn’t feel hopeful just yet.

 

Despite the good news, Asilie still couldn’t eat properly, so Lady Marce ended up canceling all of Asilie’s scheduled lessons.

 

“You should try to get some rest.”

 

“I’m okay, Madam. I only missed one night of sleep.”

 

“Even just one night can hurt your health if it keeps happening, My Lady.”

 

“I’ll be careful. And… thank you, Madam. If I had to take lessons today, I wouldn’t be able to focus at all.”

 

If Asilie had calmly taken her queen training lessons while battles were happening outside, that would’ve been strange too.

 

Lady Marce quickly shook her head.

 

“Not at all. It’s only natural for you to feel uneasy.”

 

“A little, yes. And I still haven’t fully gotten used to life in the palace.”

 

“You’ll feel better soon.”

 

“Are you okay, Madam?”

 

Lady Marce looked surprised at the sudden question.

 

Only then did Asilie realize she had left out too much in her question, so she quickly added more.

 

“I heard you spent a long time at the Medici mansion. Palace life must not be completely comfortable for you either. That’s why I asked.”

 

“Well…”

 

Lady Marce gave a faint smile.
“I’ll have to return soon.”

 

“Return?”

 

It was a truly unexpected answer.

 

Whenever she thought of Lady Marce, the phrase “a person of Esperad” always came to Asilie’s mind first. That’s why Asilie had assumed she would naturally stay at the palace to serve her.

 

Lady Marce had even said that the maids currently serving Asilie would continue to do so even after the royal wedding.

 

“I didn’t know that. I thought you would stay by my side, of course…”

 

“It would certainly be a happy thing, but once the wedding is over, I plan to return to the Medici Mansion. I belong to House Medici.”

 

Perhaps she had personally met each of the maids who volunteered to serve Asilie, thinking of her own absence.

 

Still, it wasn’t easy for Asilie to accept that Lady Marce—who had earned her trust even in the previous world—would return to the Medici Mansion.

 

“His Majesty will remain here from now on.”

 

Wanting to change her mind, Asilie purposely brought up Esperad.

 

But Lady Marce firmly shook her head.

 

“Even so, I cannot change my roots.”

 

“Roots…?”

 

Something about those words felt off. Asilie slightly frowned and asked Lady Marce again.

 

“The tea has gone cold. I’ll prepare a new one, my lady.”

 

But Lady Marce began clearing the table and stood up with the tray, cutting their conversation short.

 

Normally, Asilie would have thought of Esperad until Lady Marce returned.

 

Especially now, during a war, it was only natural for Asilie to worry most about his safety.

 

‘What is this?’

 

But for some reason, Asilie couldn’t stop thinking about Lady Marce’s words.

 

 

“He didn’t participate in the battle. Before the fighting began, he went near the capital with some knights to assess the situation, but he suddenly fell off his horse, and the knight following him trampled him accidentally. His entire body was crushed. Fortunately, emergency treatment was given right away, so his life isn’t in danger…”

 

“Stop.”

 

She didn’t need to hear any more.

 

Monica buried her face in her hands, covering her pale expression.

 

“That can’t be true…!”

 

There’s no way to fix crushed bones.

 

Unless there were gods, or a legendary magician existed, “crushed bones” meant Geoffrey would spend the rest of his life bedridden.

 

“Ahh…”

 

Her vision blurred.

 

He hadn’t always been a good man. Lately, he even upset her more often than not.

 

But still, Geoffrey was her husband and the father of her daughter. And at one time, he had been her passionate lover.

 

But now that he was disabled, Geoffrey could no longer protect her, nor was it clear if he could even protect himself.

 

‘They’ll definitely blame me.’

 

In Astel, when something unfortunate happened to a husband, the wife was blamed. People would say she lacked virtue or angered the gods, which brought misfortune.

 

And not long ago, hadn’t Monica been accused of having an affair with Joseph because of Asilie?

 

People would surely say everything happened because Monica’s behavior was improper.

 

Especially now, in this house, where no one would protect her.

 

‘…I should go back.’

 

Maybe it would be better to return to the Count Bellucci’s household.

 

She might not be welcomed warmly, but as the once-beloved daughter, they wouldn’t cast her out.

 

Besides, with Joseph having become impotent and Geoffrey now disabled, both heirs had fallen at the same time. The Bonaparte family wouldn’t be able to hold power for a while.

 

In that case, they’d have no choice but to be cautious of the Bellucci family. That wasn’t a bad thing for Monica.

 

“Would you like to see the young master?”

 

At the doctor’s question, Monica quickly shook her head.

 

Of course she felt uneasy, but she didn’t want to see his broken body with her own eyes.

 

Besides, she had a weak stomach. If she saw that, she might vomit.

 

“Later. I need time.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“And the Countess?”

 

“She hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”

 

“I see…”

 

If the Countess of Bonaparte was still unconscious, now was the perfect time.

 

Monica sent the doctor out, quickly shoved some clothes and a few cherished jewels into a bag, then threw on a black cloak to hide her striking red hair and headed straight to the stables.

 

She wasn’t great at horseback riding, but she could manage. It wasn’t too far to the Bellucci estate. Thinking that eased her anxiety a little.

 

She was untying her horse from the post when—

 

Creak

 

She heard the stable door open and felt a cold wind at her back.

 

“Knew it.”

 

A familiar voice.

 

Monica froze, then slowly turned around.

 

“I expected this, but it’s still shocking how predictable you are.”

 

His smiling face was dazzling, but his eyes were cruel.

 

His mocking tone alone was enough to remind Monica that she should be on guard.

 

“I don’t know what you mean, brother-in-law. I was just checking on my horse.”

 

“Then how do you explain the cloak and that bag? Heh.”

 

“…This is a private matter. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pry. Please respect a lady’s dignity, brother-in-law.”

 

“You look pressed for time, and I don’t want to drag out this useless conversation, so I’ll ask just one thing.”

 

Joseph smirked and took a step closer.

 

With each step he took forward, Monica took a step back, the threatening air between them growing heavier.

 

Until—

 

Thud

 

Her back hit a cold wall. She looked up at him, fear in her eyes.

 

Joseph was now so close, she could feel his breath.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?”

 

With eyes glinting like a predator spotting easy prey, Joseph sneered and said,

 

“Where do you think you’re running off to, like a little rat?”