One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 77

Time passed quickly.

Those who had once stirred unrest in the capital with their hallucinations were no longer seen. Instead of announcing that poisonous herbs from the North had been involved, the Imperial Court released an official statement saying there had been a flaw in the manufacturing process.

Primère Perfume, the brand at the center of the chaos, was shut down. The Imperial Court stepped in to support the victims, offering compensation and medical treatment funded by the profits seized from Primère. Thanks to this, the anger of the victims was, at last, somewhat appeased.

With the perfume case closed, Edys issued an order to subjugate the northern tribes. The situation had deeply irritated him on many levels—he had no intention of sitting back quietly while their provocation chipped away at his patience.

To make things worse, the tribes seemed intent on provoking him even further, launching a premature invasion to hammer the message home.

“Of all times, they had to start this campaign while your brother is away on an external mission?”

Duke Revart grumbled, slicing into his steak with visible irritation. His wife, sipping her wine with practiced grace, replied softly.

“As the head of the military, that’s not really something you should complain about, dear.”

“Ahem.”

Feeling a bit sheepish, the Duke cleared his throat. Aileen gave a small laugh, smoothing over the moment.

“It’s fine, Father. There’s nothing we can do. Don’t worry—I won’t get hurt.”

“They just had to attack earlier than expected!”

“That’s why I need to go quickly—before more civilians are harmed.”

Though Aileen spoke gently to reassure her father, she couldn’t hide the burning hostility she felt toward the northern tribes.

It wasn’t unreasonable for her father to be upset.

For years, the northern tribes had followed a pattern with their invasions. Because they moved according to environmental factors like climate, it had always been possible to estimate when they might act. But this time, the pattern had broken.

A village was completely wiped out in a single early strike. Although the border had always been kept under constant surveillance, this had been the time of year when things typically quieted down—enough that vigilance naturally slipped.

As a result, the northern subjugation forces were formed earlier than expected. Edys ordered that all three imperial knight orders send an even number of knights to prove their training results.

And today was the day the teams would be announced.

After chatting with her parents all morning about the mission, Aileen fell silent the moment she arrived at the training grounds.

Even without her saying anything, the nervous chatter from fellow knights gathered in small groups was enough to make her head throb.

“Dame Aileen!”

“Sir Tanil.”

Tanil, arriving just in time, approached Aileen where she stood waiting.

“You’re late today, Sir Tanil.”

“I was so nervous I couldn’t fall asleep. Ended up actually oversleeping.”

“What’s there to be so nervous about?”

Aileen asked with a light smile. Tanil gasped dramatically in response.

“Do you not realize how important team assignments are? One wrong match and you’re in for hell. Literal hell. The whole squad could be wiped out in seconds!”

That was a fair point. Aileen nodded calmly in agreement.

“I was hoping I’d get assigned to your team. Honestly, I even prayed about it last night.”

“Sorry, but someone else already has dibs on me…”

Aileen trailed off with a glance in a certain direction. When Tanil followed her gaze and saw who she meant, he jumped back in alarm.

“Sir Sets? No way, not interested!”

Aileen chuckled at Tanil’s horrified reaction. As she laughed, Cylas and Siran arrived.

“Everyone, quiet down!”

At Siran’s shout, silence fell across the training grounds.

With all eyes fixed on him, Cylas stepped forward and began speaking in a calm, steady voice.

“Half of both the Khan and Lil Orders will participate in this mission. We’ve divided the knights into three main squads, each led by a knight commander. Since the deputy commanders of both the Khan and Lil Orders are staying in the capital, make sure you remember who your new commanding officer is. For your squad assignment and team list, check with Siran. That’s all.”

Having said only what was necessary, Cylas turned and left the grounds.

Siran clapped twice to draw everyone’s attention back to him. His half-tied blonde hair gleamed in the morning light, making him look unusually sharp.

“The commander had to step out early to finish preparations. Now I’ll be announcing your fates—so keep your heads straight and remember clearly.”

In a crisp, commanding voice, he walked over to a large board and gestured to two knights. They came forward and pinned up a sheet of paper.

“Check your names in order.”

A few minutes passed, and once the list was posted, knights rushed forward, crowding around and reacting to the results.

Aileen was no exception—she stared in stunned silence at the assignment list.

“What kind of logic puts the champion and runner-up of the swordsmanship tournament on the same team?! Huh?”

“Exactly! Sets, who are we even supposed to support now?”

“Dame Aileen… they’ve split us up…”

Sets, Tanil, and a few close companions began voicing their frustrations as they gathered around Aileen. But the one most dissatisfied with the arrangement was Aileen herself.

Aileen scowled openly and voiced her displeasure.

“I’m just as confused as everyone else. Why would they put the top two tournament winners in the same squad?”

“So, are you saying this is my fault, Dame Aileen?”

Aileen jumped in surprise when Siran suddenly leaned in and interrupted her complaint.

“Gosh, you scared me!”

“I’m the one who made the squad list. You’re cursing me out right now, aren’t you?”

His cheerful smile nearly left Aileen speechless—but she decided she at least deserved to hear the reasoning.

“You didn’t decide the list all by yourself, did you?”

“Well, no—but I still had the final say.”

“Then why put the two finalists in the same squad? Wouldn’t it be more strategic to distribute strength evenly?”

It wasn’t a personal complaint about being put in the same squad as her former fiancé—it was a purely practical question. One rooted in battlefield efficiency.

Other knights nearby, who had secretly been wondering the same thing, perked up their ears while pretending not to.

“That’s because the squad led by the Sel Order commander is being sent to the most dangerous region. It’s only fair to stack it with our strongest knights.”

Groans and sighs broke out across the grounds. Aileen barely stopped herself from doing the same.

The knights had only just learned which squad they’d been placed in. None of them had been told yet where they were being deployed or what the local situation was like. The uncertainty alone was enough to make their skin crawl.

A knight who had also been assigned to Carlisle’s squad raised his hand hesitantly.

“Just… how dangerous are we talking?”

Siran smiled.

“The Hanilom Mountains.”

“…I’m sorry, what?”

“Did you just say… the Hanilom Mountains, Vice Commander?”

“Vice Commander?!”

A chorus of stunned voices followed. And with good reason.

The so-called “mountain range” of Hanilom was infamous not for its forests, but for its lack of them—razor-sharp cliffs, treacherous terrain, and near-vertical slopes made it one of the most dangerous places on the map.

From afar, the mountains appeared majestic—vast canvases brushed with patches of green, painted by scattered trees. But for anyone who had ever set foot there, it was a place to be avoided at all costs.

Although the region was geographically difficult, it had always been a prime target for the northern tribes. And there was one reason for that:

The mines.

What came from those mines could be turned into weapons, traded for food, and even used in their shamanic rituals. To the northern tribes, it was far too valuable to ever abandon.

What made it worse was that the minerals from Hanilom were of exceptionally high quality. Without fail, the northern tribes sent their largest forces to that region every time.

The Diert Empire knew this well. They had long prioritized protecting the villages surrounding the Hanilom range, assigning experienced knights and making sure it was always at the top of the Sel Order’s deployment list.

This was all common knowledge among the knights.

The only part that wasn’t widely known—yet—was that the land, though currently under imperial control, had once been intended for Carlisle. Edys had tried to grant it to him as a barony, hoping to give him a small measure of freedom.

If only Carlisle hadn’t been marked for death by a cursed fate.

“If you’re all that disgusted by the idea—what about the imperial citizens who are already living there, working hard in that dangerous place?”

Siran clicked his tongue and instantly silenced the murmuring. His words struck true.

The people who lived in Hanilom, mining the precious ores, had done so for generations—risking death daily, just to survive.

As Aileen pictured the jagged terrain of the Hanilom Mountains, she wondered if this first mission after her return would be even more difficult than the one that nearly took her life.

“No more questions for me!” Siran called out, already beginning to retreat. “For the rest of the details, ask your squad leaders later.”

Though questions were still on everyone’s lips, Siran had at least revealed the other squads’ deployment zones before slipping away—so no one tried to chase him down.

“Aileen, be careful out there, all right?”

“Sets, you sound like she’s heading off to die or something.”

“Just ignore Sir Sets. It’s better for your mental health.”

Seeing Aileen separated from her usual group, several knights threw words of support her way, clearly feeling bad for her.

Aileen answered them with a light laugh.

She’d already stared death in the face once, what was there to fear now?

All she had to do was protect her people, and return.

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