The Elder Sister Who Ran Away After Being Cheated by Her Fiancé and Younger Sister - Chapter 19:

Days passed without Estelle reaching any conclusion, leaving her utterly exhausted.

Then one day, Kautny called for her.

“Estelle. A moment.”

Summoned by Kautny’s gesture, Estelle entered his office.

Kautny handed her a document she’d never seen before.

She took it and skimmed through it.

What could this be? A reservation?

“Lord Fretes is currently at headquarters. We had lunch plans, but I’ve suddenly been assigned urgent business from above. Could you please inform him for me?”

“Understood.”

Estelle hid her surprise. She looked at the document again.

It was a usage permit for one of the private rooms in the cafeteria – the kind senior officers used for meetings.

Leaving the office and heading toward the cafeteria, Estelle felt warmth spread through her chest.

This was fundamentally Estelle’s private matter that she should handle herself, yet here he was offering subtle consideration.

While maintaining subordinates was part of the job, being assigned under a superior officer who actually practiced this made Estelle feel truly fortunate.

Fretes was visibly surprised when he saw it was Estelle waiting in the cafeteria.

This wasn’t an act.

So, it seemed to be Kautny’s own decision.

“Oh, is that so? Well, actually it was just a small discussion, so we thought we might as well talk over lunch. This is perfectly fine.”

Fretes quickly recovered and pulled out a chair for Estelle.

These situations always made Estelle uncomfortable.

Though she’d never been told (and never asked), Fretes was probably of much higher rank than her. It was likely deliberately kept quiet so she wouldn’t feel intimidated.

Even the way they addressed him suggested as much. Properly, it should be something more formal. Yet they casually called him “Mr. Fretes.”

If anything, Estelle felt she should be the one pulling out his chair.

But arguing about it now would get them nowhere.

So, Estelle simply expressed her thanks and sat down, though she couldn’t shake her discomfort.

After all the dishes were served, the door closed.

The room had glass-paneled windows, so even with the door closed, the interior remained visible from the cafeteria. Realizing Kautny had chosen this room specifically to make things easier for her from the start made Estelle feel both grateful and embarrassed.

“Is something troubling you?”

Noticing Estelle couldn’t properly enjoy the high-quality meal, Fretes asked directly.

Estelle hesitated, but decided to accept both Kautny’s consideration and Fretes’s offer.

If she transferred to the royal capital, she wouldn’t see him again anyway. She hoped he’d forgive her for treating this as their final meeting.

Estelle spoke openly about her mother’s visit and everything her mother had told her about the current situation.

There was no point hiding it – it would likely come out anyway. Moreover, she had the feeling Fretes already knew.

“I see. That must be truly difficult from your position, Miss Estelle…”

Fretes nodded with a solemn expression that conveyed understanding. People are vulnerable to such small gestures of empathy. Estelle felt both comforted in her distress and impressed by his skill. She made a mental note to remember this.

“Putting Petrak Company aside for now, what about the option of making a contract with Heinny Company?”

Fretes suggested this so casually that Estelle’s eyes widened.

Wasn’t that corruption?

“Of course, not without proper basis. But if you shared your ideas with your brother, had him create proper plans submitted through Heinny Company, and obtained approval through proper channels – wouldn’t that work?”

Would it really?

They did accept consultations from companies at any time. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to contract with them, and the top priority was ensuring supplies were delivered completely and without issues.

Was it really the same thing?

“Or, you could take the bold step of returning to Heinny Company and managing everything yourself. That wouldn’t be a bad option either.”

“What! But…”

That would mean leaving the military.

Estelle looked back at Fretes in surprise that he would suggest such an option.

“Certainly, you’ve worked hard as the pioneering female volunteer soldier. But you don’t need to shoulder everything unnecessarily. Remember why you volunteered in the first place.”

That time.

Betrayed by Theo and Clara, with both her parents and Theo’s parents saying whatever they pleased.

The sadness and pain.

Wanting to disappear from that town.

Wanting to go somewhere without those people.

But being unable to do anything alone.

“You chose the military as your refuge, Miss Estelle. What about now? Haven’t you gained the strength to face things? If so, I think the option of returning fully prepared to your ‘battlefield’ is also available.”

Fretes said this gently while refilling her wine glass.

Estelle stared at her glass as she thought.

She’d never regretted joining the military. She thought she would continue working hard here, and that had been her intention.

But abandoning her family for that purpose weighed heavily on her.

She didn’t think anything would dramatically change if she returned, but at least she could escape the guilt.

So that’s what it came down to, Estelle realized.

Choose the military or choose her family.

Estelle couldn’t bring herself to abandon her family.

And if she wanted to save her family while remaining in the military, she could follow Fretes’s first suggestion – provide her ideas to help them secure a contract.

Even calling it a contract didn’t mean everything would be decided by Estelle’s personal discretion. If necessary, they could approach other officers.

Estelle would merely offer advice, while the project itself would be submitted through proper channels.

She could maintain her current life, help her family, and avoid feeling guilty.

Estelle looked at Fretes’s face.

His well-proportioned features wore a gentle smile that could reassure and empower anyone.

His signature expression.

Suddenly, like being struck by lightning, Estelle understood.

Her heart began pounding. Her body temperature rose all at once.

She knew.

This was…

A “test.”