One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 109

“We, the Sel Knights, will handle the monsters. Even if Santinu shares the list of expected types in advance, the summoners might still recklessly bring in others we haven’t prepared for.”

“Damn those monsters… I was hoping this would be a battle between people for once.”

“Would you rather switch with me, Your Majesty?” Edys snapped, clearly exasperated. “This time, I’ll make sure we’re not ambushed by unknown creatures again.”

Aireen stepped in with a slight smile, gently supporting Edys’ frustrated words. She didn’t forget to glance toward the Duke of Revart in the process, carefully gauging his reaction.

The Duke’s gaze narrowed slightly at the mention of monsters—but only for a moment.

“Anyway. They’re planning to launch a surprise attack on Castle Renzhi. Make sure your strategies are solid. Unfortunately, this isn’t my area of expertise, so I won’t be of much help,” Edys said, without a hint of regret.

It was irritating, but she was the emperor. And with the Duke of Revart present, Aireen simply continued the discussion, focusing on the overall battle plan.

“That concludes the strategy meeting. Thank you all for your work. I hope this battle will finally bring an end to this long-standing hostility.”

“It will, Your Majesty,” the Duke of Revart replied with a small bow.

Edys gave him a brief glance, then pressed her lips together—tightening, releasing, tightening again. After a long hesitation, she finally spoke, unusually uncertain.

“Well then, now that we’ve finished discussing official matters… Since we’ve all gathered here with great effort, how about we take some time to speak more personally? Of course, anyone may decline—no strings attached. Even if I am the emperor, this is purely a private family matter.”

An awkward, uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

It lingered long enough to feel suffocating. Just as the stillness threatened to drag on endlessly, the Duke of Revart’s stern voice broke through.

“I’ve only heard about the incident from Your Majesty. I’d like to hear everything from Count Avergue himself.”

His dark eyes, filled with a faint glimmer of burning emotion, fixed directly on Carlisle.

Carlisle felt sweat pool in his palms. He swallowed hard. He was unbearably tense. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears.

Before speaking, he instinctively looked to Aireen.

She was looking at him too—but her gaze revealed nothing. Cold dread swept over his mind.

Gathering all the remorse in his heart, Carlisle finally parted his lips. Slowly, he began to recount everything that had happened.

He tried to speak steadily, but at times, his voice trembled at the edges. Standing before Aireen and her father, recounting it all, was far more painful than he’d imagined.

“…I’m truly sorry. I am.”

He ended his long confession with an earnest apology.

For a while, only the uneven sound of four people breathing filled the wide room. Once again, it was the Duke of Revart who broke the heavy silence.

“I heard you. You’ve endured a lot.”

Carlisle had expected harsh words. But instead, warmth filled the Duke’s voice—and Carlisle’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He lifted his head, startled. For the first time, the shadow that had clung to his face began to fade, even if just a little.

“But I still can’t forgive you,” the Duke continued coldly. “I understand the unfortunate circumstances, and I know you made the best choice you could at the time. But I can never forget the pain Aireen had to endure because of it.”

His voice turned sharp again, merciless in its precision.

Carlisle’s gaze dropped. His cheeks burned, his heart weighed down with guilt and shame.

“You dragged that girl from House Hessiden into this and humiliated my daughter. Do you have any idea how hard my wife and I worked to keep our family from becoming gossip for the filthy mouths of noble busybodies?”

Carlisle’s head sank lower.

Aireen glanced nervously between the two men, her hands fidgeting ever so slightly.

“This operation may change the course of what lies ahead,” the Duke added. “But even if it succeeds, my feelings won’t change. Don’t hold on to false hopes.”

“…”

“You could say forgiveness is not mine to give, so I won’t say I refuse to forgive you outright.”

A bitter chill crept into the air.

Edys shut her eyes tightly. Carlisle remained silent. So did Aireen.

“May I take my leave now, Your Majesty?”

“…Go ahead. Thank you for being here today.”

“You flatter me. Come, Aireen. Let’s go.”

Aireen gave Edys a polite bow before following her father out.

As soon as the two of them disappeared, Edys let out a long breath she had been holding in.

“Karma. It’s your karma, Sir Carlisle.”

“…”

Edys spoke solemnly, her eyes fixed on Carlisle’s bowed head.

“As a price for accepting this alliance, I asked for your support. I’m sure you already suspected as much. If this operation succeeds and your curse is lifted… then beg for forgiveness until the day you die. That’s all you can ever do.”

“…I understand.”

“Then stop sulking and lift your head. You’re making me feel depressed too.”

“This is enough for me, Your Majesty.”

“What is?”

“I thought the Duke of Revart might yell at me. I even prepared for him to draw his sword.”

Edys let out a sigh.

“He has a fiery temper, sure, but with Aireen there, he’d never go that far.”

“But instead, he spoke calmly. He even said he understood me.”

“Well, yes.”

“That’s more than enough. I’m just grateful. I know very well I’m in no position to ask for forgiveness.”

For a moment, Edys hesitated, wondering if she should praise him for at least knowing his place.

“…Thank you for allowing me this meeting, Your Majesty.”

“I didn’t think I’d ever hear a thank-you from you. How unusual.”

“Then I’ll take my leave. I’ll report back once we’ve finalized the strategy.”

With those words, Carlisle turned and left.

Edys looked around the room, gazing one by one at the empty seats where the others had sat. Then, she returned to her desk.

Before the surprise attack Santinu had warned them of arrived, the knights of the Khan and Sel Orders quietly continued studying monsters during breaks in their physical training.

They had to act like they didn’t expect anything to happen. Edys had made sure to keep it a secret from most.

Instead, she discreetly instructed Carlisle to set aside a unit to intercept the initial attack. He was permitted to inform those knights about their collaboration with Santinu.

In response, Carlisle carefully selected knights he could trust. And among them, the one he trusted most was Piel.

“Is this… really true?”

Piel couldn’t hide his shock at the northern faction’s plans as Carlisle explained them.

“Our alliance with Santinu is top secret. I’m telling only you—handle it wisely.”

“Of course, Commander.”

“You’ll lead the initial defense force. Santinu warned us the first wave might be especially brutal. Be ready for it.”

“Understood.”

Piel felt deeply moved that Carlisle trusted him this much. Even though the vice-commander was away on a long-term mission across the empire, it was he, Piel, who had been chosen.

He clenched his fists in determination. He would not disappoint. He would prove worthy of that trust—no matter what.

“You’re dismissed.”

Carlisle’s tone was curt, but Piel quickly brought his excitement under control. Then, after a slight pause, he cautiously spoke again.

“Commander…”

Carlisle turned to him, curious.

Piel swallowed hard and hesitantly began.

“Sir Aireen… will she be participating in the battle this time as well?”

“…Why are you asking?”

Carlisle’s sharp response made Piel flinch.

“I just thought… if she does, maybe I could stay close and quietly protect her…”

“That won’t be necessary. Focus on killing the summoners. That’s your only task.”

“…Yes, sir. I overstepped. I apologize.”

“If you’ve seen, heard, or felt anything—keep it to yourself. For your own good.”

“I understand. And… I think only a few others in the Sel Order have noticed, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Good. Thank you.”

Piel gave a sharp, disciplined salute and left the commander’s office.

Carlisle leaned back and placed his hand over his eyes.

Even Piel… had noticed.

He recalled the moment he’d first heard of Aireen’s disappearance. His breath caught in his throat again. Even just remembering it made it hard to breathe.

This time, he knew—there would be an even crueler trap waiting for her.

Carlisle clenched his resolve.

He would never let Aireen be hurt again.

Meanwhile, the Marquis of Hessiden was frantically preparing for the battle in his own way.

He was constantly revising plans with the Tanil tribe’s summoners, aiming to make their strategy flawless. From what he’d gathered, the imperial knights didn’t seem to have any unusual strengths—meaning victory was almost guaranteed if things went as planned.

The target, Castle Renzhi, was easy to defend from but also conveniently suited for gathering northern tribal forces. It was so ideal for a final showdown that the marquis believed even the heavens were aligning in his favor.

Still, he knew better than to ignore the unexpected. He wanted to prepare for every possibility.

This time, he had to eliminate Aireen Revart.

If not, Judith would have to watch Aireen return alive and still go through with her engagement to Carlisle—her heart burning with resentment.

He had even suggested Judith go ahead and have a child first, then hold the wedding in one go. But she had been firm—she insisted on having the engagement ceremony properly.

“It’s probably because Aireen Revart already had one,” he muttered.

He couldn’t blame her. And he loved his daughter too dearly to deny her anything.

Knock, knock.

A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.

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