Chapter 10
A cracked voice rang in Mia’s ears, as if the speaker had been greatly startled. Mia didn’t answer. In fact, it was closer to being unable to answer.
Unless she’d heard wrong…
There was definitely a faint tremble of tears in the man’s voice.
“I-I thought… something terrible had happened to Your Grace…”
“…”
“I was careless… and I feared that you… might have been harmed…”
His stammering voice sounded almost desperate, prompting Mia to raise her hesitant arm and gently pull him closer into her embrace. His shoulder, pressed against her forehead, was strangely warm.
Etienne, seemingly trying to confirm that she was truly safe, reached for her face with trembling hands. He looked like he desperately wanted her to say something—anything.
But Mia wasn’t someone worthy of his concern. She was the one who had once killed him. And now, having traveled back through time, she had the audacity to protect him. She didn’t deserve to stand at the end of his desperate gaze.
Maybe… Etienne had even shed a few tears. Mia thought she’d probably never find out if that guess was true.
That night, they went out on reconnaissance once more.
Considering what had happened earlier, it would’ve been nice to have time to calm down—but leisure was a luxury on the battlefield, and everyone knew it.
Since the commander-in-chief himself volunteered to scout, the operations officer followed him.
If she were to be honest, Mia just needed an excuse to speak to Etienne alone. Missions like scouting or investigation always served as excellent pretexts in such cases.
Tap, tap. The sound of their steps on the ruined dirt road felt oddly unfamiliar.
After a while of walking in silence with only the sounds of insects around them, Mia finally spoke.
“Sir.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Were you worried about me?”
Etienne didn’t answer right away. Mia hadn’t expected an immediate response, so it didn’t matter.
“It’s a waste of time.”
Without waiting for a reply, Mia continued speaking. Etienne looked like he wanted to protest but then decided to listen to her through to the end.
“I don’t mean to say it’s wrong to be kind to your subordinates. Surely, you…”
You’ve always been a compassionate person, whether you showed it openly or not. But that was something only someone from her past life would know. Saying that now, after having known him for less than a month, would be awkward. Mia barely swallowed down the words she almost said and resumed speaking after a long pause.
“That kind of kindness is a virtue in a leader. Especially in a place like the battlefield, where people easily become exhausted, someone like you is essential.”
Despite the rumors of being cold-blooded, Etienne Rochefort was a surprisingly beloved commander. Even in the past life, he had secretly helped struggling subordinates.
And that was exactly what Mia feared. A man who quietly wore himself down in unseen corners—she didn’t want him to perish early again from excessive kindness in this life.
Mia tried to rationalize it. Perhaps the reason Etienne had shown such vulnerability was only to draw her to his side.
That was the only explanation that made sense.
So, he didn’t need to be kind—at least not to her.
“You don’t need to treat me like that.”
“But Your Grace…”
“Isn’t that right? I’ve already chosen to stand on your side. You don’t need to win my favor anymore.”
Mia gave him a faint smile. Etienne found that smile strangely unsettling.
“Your Grace…”
Etienne touched the back of his neck for a while, then stammered,
“Um, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I didn’t mean to win your favor, I just…”
Unfortunately, he wasn’t given the chance to finish his sentence. Etienne yanked Mia behind him and unsheathed his sword in the blink of an eye, taking a defensive stance.
“…?”
Peering over Etienne’s shoulder, Mia finally saw four silhouettes hiding in the shadows.
If it hadn’t been for Rochefort, she would’ve been done for. To be protected again by the one she swore to protect—what grand cause could she possibly achieve when she was this weak? Mia suddenly felt a wave of doubt and self-loathing.
“Who are you?”
Etienne’s low voice cut through the night.
The sword imbued with divine power glinted faintly in the moonlight. It was a more effective warning than a hundred words.
Before Mia could even react, the sharp blade sliced through the air. As if the festivalgoers had sensed the presence of assassins, the surroundings instantly fell silent. Even the sound of flesh being cut felt chillingly clear.
It was an overwhelming fight. The assassins, now floundering in confusion, and Mia could only try to deduce Rochefort’s movements by following the trail of divine power he left behind.
It wasn’t as though the assassins were weak. Who would send a shabby killer to eliminate a war hero whose name was known even across empires?
In the heart of the imperial palace, surrounded by old men clutching to power, assassination attempts were practically party invitations. Unlike the occasional letter, assassins came back stronger before you even had time to forget them. Mia had grown used to the latter.
Even if she couldn’t match Rochefort’s training, Mia had developed enough martial skill to deal with assassins before going to war. It had been a necessity for survival. Most assassins nobles hired weren’t anything special anyway.
But these ones were different.
Mia couldn’t find a single opening in their movements. Yet Etienne discovered those invisible gaps with ease and struck through them.
Piercing, slashing, carving—his seamless movements were so graceful they looked like a dance. Even the blood that splattered in all directions looked like dark flower petals.
It was a sight one could never witness on the battlefield, where desperate soldiers swung swords aimlessly just to survive.
“Hoo…”
Etienne exhaled as he wiped sweat from his brow, standing before the four collapsed bodies. His refined features were twisted in serious strain.
If he’d been at full strength, a four-against-one fight wouldn’t have been a problem. But tonight, there was someone behind him he absolutely had to protect.
In the Holy Legion, where every soldier had strength beyond one person, there was rarely a need to fight while guarding someone else. Even if such cases arose, Etienne had never been the one responsible for defending others.
Those who could wield divine power most explosively always took the lead, and Etienne had taken great pride in playing that role.
But now, after this ordeal, he deeply regretted not having learned how to fight while protecting someone behind him.
It wasn’t an impossible battle from the start, but if he had trained with a partner, it would’ve ended far more easily.
Thinking of the countless battles he would face ahead, Etienne realized that even if it weren’t Mia Blanchard, there would be many people he’d need to protect in the future.
Even so, the reason he struggled more than expected was because he had trained only in flamboyant techniques and overwhelming offense. It was his arrogance.
Twitch. Out of the corner of his vision, Etienne saw one of the bodies move. Of course—it had only fallen, not died.
‘Recovered faster than expected.’
Thinking that, Etienne approached the fallen man.
“Etienne.”
“Yes?”
He answered without turning around. He was stepping on the man’s neck to restrict movement while contemplating what to do with him.
“Just kill him.”
“You believe there’s no need to interrogate?”
“He was highly skilled.”
“…”
The silence clearly indicated disagreement, but Mia continued without waiting for a reply.
“He may not have matched the generals you’ve fought, but in my experience, he was top-tier. He won’t give us information easily.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Besides, Veridian doesn’t know we’ve crossed the border yet, right? With this small force, we’re better off keeping the element of surprise. If dragging these men around causes suspicion…”
Etienne kept his blade at the assassin’s throat while listening intently to Mia’s reasoning—at least, until her voice cut off unnaturally.
“Mia!”
When he turned around, what he saw was—
