One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 78

Thanks to the Emperor’s kind consideration perhaps to prevent Duke Revart from flying into a rage upon learning of his daughter’s deployment, Aileen had to endure a long string of laments from her parents once she returned home.

“I mean really, how could His Majesty keep something like this from me, the commander of the military!”

“I must admit, I’m a little disappointed as well,” the Duchess added, voicing her discontent with elegant composure, an unusual sight, given how busy she usually was trying to rein in her husband’s fiery temper.

Taking a long sip of ice-cold water, Aileen gave a playful smile, as if she’d become the Emperor’s personal spokesperson.

“Father, Revart must be righteous and impartial above all else, right? Even if I’m the daughter you treasure most, His Majesty has no choice but to remain fair.”

“…”

“And who am I, anyway? I’m the second strongest knight in the Diert Empire, am I not? I’ll return without a scratch. You don’t need to worry—Mother, you too.”

She wasn’t wrong. Duke and Duchess Revart, loyal to a fault, understood this perfectly well. But in front of their beloved daughter, those parental fears and frustrations simply refused to stay silent.

They had already suspected her assignment would be dangerous when the Emperor announced she’d be placed in the same unit as Carlisle. But to think it would be the Hanilom Mountains of all places…

Their ruler—steadfast, wise, and stern—never let personal feelings blur his judgment. A true sovereign.

“Should we say we’re lucky Ashite isn’t here for this?”

“If he were, things would’ve gotten much louder…”

Her older brother, Ashite—restless like a wild colt yet filled with deep loyalty to the crown—would’ve unleashed an unending stream of protests, all falling squarely on Aileen’s shoulders.

Ashite had been scheduled to return soon to oversee personnel left behind in the capital, but due to the distance, he likely wouldn’t make it back in time to see her off.

Shivering at the sudden chill in the air, Aileen straightened her expression. There was something important she needed to say to her parents—words she had long wanted to share.

“Thank you… for trusting me. If I ever received another field assignment, I promised myself I’d say this to you.”

She’d always feared they would oppose her, even to the bitter end.

Though the second act of her life had begun with betrayal from someone she loved, the strength and dignity she had now was thanks to them.

Because of the unwavering love, respect, and support her parents had shown her—always.

Hearing what sounded like a final farewell from their daughter, both the Duke and Duchess could only stare at her in silence for a long moment.

Morning arrived quickly on the day of departure.

Lined in perfect formation, the Imperial Knights stood tall and proud. The Emperor stood before them, declaring the official start of the first joint knight subjugation campaign.

“Return only after upholding the honor of the Diert Empire’s knights—and let no citizen shed innocent tears!”

With Edys’s firm voice ringing in their ears and the gleam of his clear green eyes in their memories, the knights set off. Their powerful figures, backs straight and armor gleaming, carved a bold image against the noonday sun.

From a distance, Duchess Revart quietly dabbed the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, while the Duke placed a steady arm around her shoulder, praying silently for his daughter’s safe return.

With her long hair tied high, Aileen rode boldly, the wind rushing past her face. Her shimmering pink hair fluttered like scattered petals under the sunlight.

It had been a long time since she’d ridden out beyond the capital. The rush of wind, the gallop of the horse beneath her—it awakened something deep in her chest, a thrill she had forgotten. Her heart beat wildly with anticipation.

Just ahead of her, Carlisle rode at a slight lead. Aileen glanced at his back.

Even as his horse raced forward, his posture remained perfectly upright—so like him. Everything else had changed since their last mission, but Carlisle remained the one unshakable piece of her past.

To think the one memory she most wanted to erase… was now the only one that remained.

Suppressing a bitter laugh, Aileen turned her focus back to riding.

After a long stretch across the open plains, they finally reached a place suitable for rest. Carlisle raised a hand and gave the order to stop.

“We’ll take a short break here. Eat your midday meal now.”

The knights moved quickly and efficiently to prepare.

Although the atmosphere was still somewhat awkward, many stuck close to their fellow order members. The knights from the Khan Order invited Aileen to eat with them, but she politely declined.

She needed to blend in quickly with this new unit. Sticking to her original group wouldn’t help with that.

Left alone, Aileen unwrapped a piece of jerky and took a quiet bite. Just then, a man approached—blue hair falling over his forehead, and eyes as clear as the sky.

“Dame Aileen, may I join you?”

“Of course.”

With a gentle, open smile, the man sat down. He was Piel—a knight of the Sel Order, serving as Carlisle’s aide and acting squad leader during this campaign.

The day before departure, Carlisle had gathered the knights for a brief meeting. It had been less of a discussion and more of an information dump.

The knights from the three orders had been distributed evenly, to prevent any one group from taking control and to keep competitive tensions in check.

Carlisle had reminded them that they’d been assigned the most dangerous region, and because of that, unity, communication, and trust between members would be crucial. He had urged everyone to at least learn each other’s faces.

It was then that he introduced Piel—the second-in-command for this subjugation unit, who would take over leadership if needed.

If the assignment had been based purely on combat strength, Aileen might have claimed that spot herself. But this mission wasn’t just about strength—it was about experience. And Piel had far more of it when it came to fighting the northern tribes.

Still, he was a Sel knight. Though he hadn’t been able to compete in the last swordsmanship tournament due to personal reasons, the way other Sel knights reacted to him made it clear—he was strong.

“I heard you were incredible during the tournament. I really regret not being there to see it.”

“My skills still leave a lot to be desired. I’ll be relying on you during this mission, Sir Piel.”

“There’s no need to be so modest, Dame Aileen. Honestly, it might be better if you went ahead and showed off your skills as much as possible.”

Still smiling cheerfully, he tilted his head and subtly gestured in a direction with his eyes.

Aileen followed his gaze, then gave a slight smirk.

“Sounds like someone’s already forgotten how much the captain emphasized unity and cooperation.”

“Well, envy and jealousy are just part of being human, aren’t they? If you ever need help, just say the word, Dame Aileen.”

“As the acting captain, I wouldn’t hesitate to put myself on the line for the sake of our temporary joint squad’s safety and harmony.”

His sunny tone earned him a grateful nod from Aileen, who responded with a soft smile and took a sip of water.

“Ah, looks like the captain’s calling. I’ll be going now. Let’s eat together again sometime, Dame Aileen.”

“Thank you, Sir Piel.”

Once Piel had completely disappeared from sight, Aileen got up and headed to the stream to refill her half-empty canteen. Though she could clearly feel the thorny gazes directed her way, she walked on without acknowledging them.

It wasn’t hard to understand why she was drawing so much attention.

The only female knight in the Empire. The subject of all kinds of rumors—especially those involving Carlisle, who just so happened to be in her squad. Runner-up in the swordsmanship tournament. And daughter of the prestigious House Revart.

It wasn’t clear which of those facts intrigued the knights most. But one thing was for certain: just as it had been in the past, being the only female knight came with its own set of inconveniences.

Especially when it came to biological needs.

Not even a full day had passed, but it was obvious what lay ahead. Unlike the others, she couldn’t simply wander off into the bushes to relieve herself.

It was only natural for her to require different accommodations—yet every time, she had to endure comments about receiving special treatment or being overly fussy.

It was frustrating and exhausting, but in a unit of dozens, it was something she had no choice but to face.

Aileen made a mental note to once again ask Edys to increase the number of women in the knight orders.

She filled her canteen to the brim from the trickling stream and was just about to turn and leave when it happened.

Three knights from the Lil Order—ones who had been glaring at her with open hostility since earlier—suddenly approached, surrounding her in an intimidating formation.

She wasn’t afraid. Just… irritated. A wave of annoyance swept over her, and she let out a long sigh.

What good was it that her brother was the vice commander of the Lil Order? Their tight friendship with Haller, their petty rivalry with the Khan Order, or maybe just personal inferiority—whatever it was, it seemed to outweigh any fear they might have had of her brother’s nasty temper.

Sometimes, she wished she could benefit from Ashite’s name a little more—especially during moments like this.

Maintaining a blank expression, Aileen asked calmly, “What do you want?”

Her flat tone earned a sneer from the long-faced knight, who replied with a mocking grin.

“We came to get water. What kind of ‘want’ are you talking about?”

“Then why are all three of you standing right here?”

“You’ve been hogging the water for so long, a line started forming.”

What a joke.

There were dozens of perfectly good spots along this stream. Acting like this particular one was the only place to draw water? Ridiculous.

She could already see how tiring this petty confrontation would be. Deciding it wasn’t worth the energy, Aileen turned to walk away without responding.

And that’s when—

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