A Bard's Song and a White Lie

The Grand Duchy had failed to capture Huntington Fortress. Seizing the momentum, the anti-Grand Duchy forces fought valiantly, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠successfully taking three of the Grand Duchy's own fortresses.

"What to do..." the general muttered.

These fortresses hadn't fallen after a fierce, bloody siege. The moment they were surrounded, their commanders had surrendered, handing them over on a silver platter. Looking around the surrendered fortresses, the general realized it would have been impossible for the enemy to hold them for long with such meager troops and supplies anyway.

Trying to block our army with fewer than five hundred men was nothing short of suicide. They didn't even have a single mage to ward off magical attacks—how could they possibly defend a fortress?

In the battle of Huntington, the enemy had possessed quite capable commanders, troops, and mages. They had likely squeezed every drop of military strength from the surrounding regions to assemble that force. And the moment that army was routed, it was only natural for a massive void to open up in their defenses. Since they had stripped these fortresses of their garrisons and mages to launch their assault, it was no surprise they couldn't withstand our counteroffensive.

He had never expected the path to Wynn to open up so easily.

"Adjutant, what is the status of the Grand Duchy?" the general asked.

"We have reports that they are gathering troops from cities like Pomerania and Cherbourg to reinforce Wynn," the adjutant replied.

The general pondered this for a moment. "Pomerania and Cherbourg... those are close to our current position, aren't they?"

The adjutant nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Then dispatch the cavalry to intercept them before they can reach Wynn. We will block their junction and defeat them in detail."

They had to inflict as much damage as possible before the Grand Duchy's forces could consolidate. If they succeeded, the general believed they could dictate the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠terms of the upcoming battle at Wynn.

Although they held the upper hand for now, the Grand Duchy still possessed that monster's daughter. Lady Mary—rumored to possess strength that defied her tender years. They had to deal a devastating blow to the enemy before she could step onto the battlefield. Only then would victory be assured.

Dressed in plain, ordinary clothes rather than the lavish attire suited for the Imperial Palace, I stood waiting with Theodora in front of the food supply warehouse.

"Who are we waiting for here?" Theodora asked, resting her chin on her hand as she sat on the railing of the warehouse stairs, her expression laced with boredom.

"I'm waiting for the person who's going to smuggle us out of the palace."

Slipping out of the heavily guarded Imperial Palace undetected was no simple feat. Of course, if I used my name, we could walk right out the front gates. But since we were leaving our guards behind for this incognito excursion, letting rumors spread that we were wandering around unattended would invite unnecessary danger.

I had briefly considered intentionally weakening the palace security to create a gap for us to slip through, but decided against it, fearing an assassin might use that same gap to infiltrate. Instead...

Theodora and I watched a carriage approaching from the distance.

"That is the carriage that will quietly carry us out of the palace."

The carriage soon rattled to a halt by the warehouse. The driver, an elderly man with a weathered face, hopped down and let out a hearty chuckle when he saw me.

"Ah, you're already here, young man?"

I bowed my head as politely as possible.

"Wh-what?!"

Ignoring Theodora's soft gasp of shock beside me, I offered him a bright smile.

"How have you been, Uncle Smith?"

At my warm greeting, Smith nodded cheerfully. "Haha, same as always for me. But who's the young lady behind you?"

Smith asked, gesturing toward Theodora, whose hair was currently dyed black. I extended my hand to introduce her.

"This is my wife, Theodora."

Smith burst into a loud laugh. "My, my! You're a lucky man to have such a beauty for a wife. I'm envious!"

As he spoke, I glanced at Theodora. She was staring at me with wide, bewildered eyes, clearly wondering what on earth I was playing at.

"Haha... I got lucky. We were childhood sweethearts. Dora? This gentleman is the driver who delivers food supplies to the palace. Remember what I told you? There's a kind soul who lets us hitch a ride to Roman if I help him with a bit of heavy lifting. This is Mr. Smith."

Theodora gave a slight nod, instinctively clutching the hem of her skirt to curtsy like a noblewoman. "Hello. I am Theodora."

Smith chuckled warmly at her refined greeting. "Haha, my youngest daughter's name is Theodora as well! What a wonderful coincidence."

Theodora looked genuinely amused. "Is that so?"

The name Theodora was surprisingly common in the empire. And the reason for that was...

"Well, when Her Imperial Majesty was a child, she was just so adorable. I named my girl after her, hoping she'd grow up to be just as cute and beautiful."

Seeing Theodora smile subtly at his words, I quickly interjected. "Let's get to work first."

Smith nodded and stepped away from the carriage. I could feel Theodora's curious gaze burning into my back, wondering what we were up to, but I ignored it and began unloading the crates from the carriage.

"Careful with those expensive fresh oysters today. If that crate breaks and they spill, even selling you wouldn't cover the cost!"

I nodded carefully at Smith's warning.

Once all the high-end ingredients were safely moved into the warehouse, Smith stretched his back with a groan. "Aigo... my aching bones. Alright, hop on in."

I turned and extended my hand to Theodora. "Shall we go?"

Theodora whispered softly, "Do you do this every single time you leave the palace?"

Fearing Smith might overhear, I gave her a subtle nod.

"Good heavens... The Grand Duke and Prince Consort of this empire, doing the work of a common servant."

Theodora shook her head and sighed, clearly displeased, but I only offered her a smirk.

Climbing into the carriage first, I gently offered her my hand. "Here, take my hand."

She hesitated for a fraction of a second before placing her hand in mine. Grasping it firmly, I helped her step carefully up into the carriage.

After smuggling us past the palace gates, Smith dropped us off at a bustling ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠square in Roman and went on his way.

"Do you... actually have a brain in that head of yours, or not?"

Theodora immediately began lecturing me in a hushed, intense whisper about the dignity of the imperial family.

"But this way, absolutely no one knows we're out incognito," I reasoned. "If we went through official channels without guards, rumors would spread among the sentries, and that would put us in real danger."

In fact, our official alibis were registered as a servant and a maid who had entered the palace earlier that morning. Given how strict the entry and exit protocols were, posing as a married servant couple hitching a ride on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a supply carriage was by far the safest and most foolproof method.

Theodora pressed a hand to her forehead as if nursing a sudden headache. "You... you're usually so meticulously sharp, but sometimes you do the most... *sigh*..."

Her reaction reminded me so much of how Agrippa used to nag me that I couldn't help but snort. "Pfft..."

Did my chuckle offend her? She shot me a sharp, piercing glare. "What? What is so funny?"

"Nothing, you just reminded me of someone."

Her brow furrowed as she immediately caught on. "I know exactly who you mean. Agrippa once told me that you act like a child sometimes. Now I see exactly what he meant."

I chuckled softly. "You two seem to have gotten quite close."

Theodora nodded. "We saw each other often before he left for the Grand Duchy, didn't we?"

Chatting idly like this, we strolled through the streets of Roman.

"By the way, where are we going?"

Since this was our very first incognito outing together, I had a plan.

"Let's grab some dinner first," I said, leading her toward a tavern I had been wanting to visit.

It was early evening, and the tavern was already bustling with patrons.

"Oh... do they serve food outdoors here?" Theodora asked, looking at the rough, splintery wooden tables.

I nodded as she took in the sight of rowdy, laughing drunkards clinking beer mugs and tearing into loaves of bread. "So I've heard."

We took our seats, and I ordered their famous sausages, ham, roasted pork, and a couple of beers. Watching me order so smoothly, Theodora narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Have you been here often?"

"No, it's my first time."

As soon as I answered, the server set down two foaming mugs of beer in front of us and hurried off. I raised my mug slightly. "Cheers?"

She stared at the beer, then at my mug, before reluctantly clinking hers against mine. *Clack!*

The dull thud of the wooden mugs echoed between us, and I took a long sip. Mmm... the aroma is actually quite nice.

However, she hesitated, staring down at her drink. "Aren't you going to drink?" I asked.

"Isn't this... well... a bit of a crude beverage?" she muttered, looking at the thick head of foam with a look of mild distaste.

I suppose it made sense; in the palace, she only drank fine wines or distilled spirits, so this rustic brew must have seemed entirely foreign to her.

"Hey, you shouldn't say that. Are you accusing your own subjects of drinking filth?" When she grimaced at my teasing, I lowered my voice and coaxed her. "If it's too intimidating, just take a slow sip of the foam first."

Following my advice, Theodora carefully lifted the heavy mug to her lips. *Gulp... gulp.*

Watching her swallow her first sip, I asked, "How is it?"

"Ahem... it is not entirely unpleasant."

I smirked. "Is this your first time having beer?"

She gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.

Soon, the food began to arrive. I picked up a thick cut of roasted pork right by the bone and took a hearty bite.

"Um... are there no forks and knives?"

*Chew, chew.*

"This is how you're supposed to eat here," I said, holding the bone out toward her. "Go on, take a bite."

Hesitantly, she pinched the edge of the bone with the tips of her fingers and took a small bite. Instantly, her eyes widened.

"Oh... it is delicious."

And just like that, our feast began.

By the time we finished eating, a bard had taken the stage in the center of the tavern, strumming a stringed instrument that resembled a lute.

The moment the familiar melody reached my ears, I wanted nothing more than to bury my face in my hands. Why did this song have to play now, of all times?

It was the ballad written about Theodora and me. A wave of intense embarrassment rushed from the soles of my feet straight to the crown of my head.

My face felt hot enough to burst. Why on earth did I commission and spread a song like this? Hearing it right next to the other subject of the song made the cringe almost unbearable.

But completely oblivious to my internal torment, Theodora listened intently, her crimson eyes shining with delight.

As the song drew to a close, she turned to look at me, her face filled with deep emotion.

"Do you really... love me that much?" she asked.

"Huh...? Well..."

But she pressed on, her eyes gleaming with a captivating, almost mischievous light, demanding an answer. "I asked if you truly love me as much as the song says."

Of course not. The song was merely propaganda I had commissioned to convince the citizens of the empire that our marriage was born of love, not political coercion. Yet, looking at Theodora, whose eyes were sparkling with such pure joy... would she be devastated if I told her the truth? I decided a white lie was the kinder option.

"Yes..." I murmured.

At my response, a soft blush crept onto her cheeks, and she bloomed into a radiant, breathtaking smile. "Thank you," she whispered. "For loving me so much."

Wait... hold on. Something was off. Why was she so happy about this? The Theodora I knew should have reacted with disgust or at least mild aversion... so why was she wearing such a beautiful, tender smile?

"Your dessert, sir, madam."

At that moment, the server placed a small bowl of chocolate ice cream between us. But neither of us spoke. With flushed faces, we simply sat there, locked in each other's gaze.