TMAM 05

 Chapter 5

“Come in.”

A low, baritone voice came from behind the deep reddish-brown door.

At the butler’s chin gesture, Flora stepped into the office. It had been three days since she arrived here and was assigned a room.

Finally granted an audience with the Duke, Flora walked to the front of the desk where the man sat and stopped. The sunlight streaming down on the man’s silver hair was dazzling, and she furrowed her brow slightly.

Even though he must have heard her approach, the Duke kept all his attention on some documents, as if reading something important.

Not dressed in his medal-covered uniform, but in a light shirt unbuttoned to his collarbone, he looked somewhat different.

When she had seen him in the dark barracks, he had exuded a dangerous aura, but now he seemed rather more relaxed.

Reaffirming this fact, Flora opened her mouth.

“I heard you summoned me.”

The man’s gaze, which had been fixed only on the documents, slowly rose. The Duke’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing Flora.

The disparity was quite large between the soldier he had definitely brought—the one who had been a mess, as if covered in mud—and the woman standing before him now.

He examined the woman’s lightly tanned complexion and slender body for a while.

The woman, her hair tied back in a single bundle, was relatively small in stature. Compared to noble ladies, she was average, but compared to female knights, her build was pathetically delicate.

Moreover, he hadn’t noticed before the platinum-blonde hair that fell past her chest. Seeing her like this, she had a rather fine figure: the sleek neckline visible below her collar, her clear facial features.

He could somewhat understand the few nobles who had raised their hands, captivated by her beauty. He wondered if she could even rival the famously beautiful Lady Sternbough.

However, he soon furrowed his brow. It was because of her attire—she had come wearing a gray training uniform, not the dress Mary had brought her.

“I ordered proper clothes to be given… Did you not receive them?”

“I judged it inappropriate attire to meet you, sir. And these clothes are the uniform worn by all Imperial soldiers.”

“I see… But the war is over. The moment you leave, throw away those tattered clothes.”

At his tone, which sounded utterly weary just looking at them, Flora’s blue eyes lifted slightly.

“Is that an order?”

“Order?”

The Duke laughed lowly, his voice rumbling in his throat as if he had heard something funny.

“Consider it the first command of your new master.”

The woman looked reluctant, but she nodded.

Claude, who had only ever seen the pale, sickly skin of noble ladies, found the woman with a moderate tan and an intriguing aura interesting.

Then, realizing he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her, he mocked himself internally—*I’m just a man too, after all*—and opened a box on the desk, picking up a cigar.

A sharp, pleasant aroma seeped from the end of the cigar, which he lightly bit between his teeth. In the study, which even had an air of tranquility, he gently rolled the cigar body with his fingers and then took a deep breath.

After savoring the flavor filling his mouth once, he blew it out, and gray smoke spread languidly into the air.

He repeated this sequence of actions while silently gazing at the woman standing motionless before him.

*With that small, frail-looking body, she supposedly cut down so many enemies.* He had also been part of the war, so he hadn’t failed to hear the rumors of the 12th Division that had spread even to the South.

But seeing her like this, he couldn’t believe that the soldier of such fearsome, notorious reputation was the same person as this woman standing so docilely.

Only after the tip of the cigar had turned to ash did the Duke move his lips.

“What is your name?”

“Flora.”

“I hear you have no memories from before becoming a soldier… Who gave you that name?”

“When I was young, I lived without a name. After becoming a soldier, I came to be called Flora.”

Flora answered without hesitation.

He had heard she was frustratingly taciturn, but she seemed to answer quite readily, so he leisurely propped his chin on his hand and took a more comfortable posture.

“What have you been doing until now?”

“Annihilating enemies in enemy territory.”

*Was she the type who burned with loyalty?* Unconsciously, Claude’s lip twisted.

“Aside from knowing how to kill people, what are you good at?”

“I have good stamina.”

All her answers were short, making it a little boring. Claude languidly narrowed his eyes and asked back.

“Does that mean you can endure well in bed too? With that body, for instance?”

“That was not my intention.”

Flora frowned slightly and answered immediately.

Having spent a long time on the battlefield, she wasn’t so innocent that she wouldn’t understand that remark. Soldiers, when gathered, often spoke crudely.

Even though she might have been embarrassed, she answered immediately without a change in complexion. Claude stretched his lips.

Apparently, the question quite displeased her; for the first time since entering this room, a faint expression clouded the woman’s face, which had been as emotionless as a statue.

Even that was a subtle change difficult to notice without looking closely, but it was far better than talking to a block of wood that didn’t react even when struck.

The Duke ground out his cigar and asked.

“If I, your master, wished to confirm that… would you refuse?”

Then, he wiped away the faint trace of amusement completely.

However, there was not a hint of desire in his voice. It was more like curiosity to see how this stiff woman would react.

But contrary to his expectations, the woman remained silent. It wasn’t so much hesitation as a silent protest bordering on defiance.

The Duke straightened his languidly reclining back and placed his elbows on the desk. Now, the dignity of the head of the House of Heinster, called the Shield of the Empire, radiated from him.

“By now… you must be quite curious why I brought you.”

“Is there a reason?”

As if she had thought it was just the typical caprice of nobles from the start, the woman asked back, her eyes sharpened. Claude, reading the woman’s vaguely revealed temper, drew a deep curve at the corner of his mouth.

In fact, he too was re-examining the reason for his own actions.

He could more than guess the Emperor’s intention—to appease the Vercelium Coalition, who were breathing down their necks, by having the noble houses take in the soldiers called demons, hoping to dispose of them.

*’He would have thought it was a shame to just throw them away. Thanks to them, the Western Front was holding out.’*

The young Emperor, foolish for his ambitions, which were quite large, would never forget the humiliation of defeat.

Wanting to leave them so he could use them again anytime for future gain, but unable to keep them under his own command, he was putting on a show, using the excuse of rehabilitation to send them to the noble houses.

But he himself had intended to make excuses and only pretend to follow that command, never intending to bring anyone, no matter who.

He, who had been so resolute, had quite impulsively chosen Flora, who was reputed to be the most inhuman of all the many soldiers.

It was simply because of a small curiosity the moment he saw the woman.

Those eyes that shone the bluest even in that dark place. Her clear face, which made him unable to recall the vicious rumors, was also quite impressive.

He had heard a lot, but since he hadn’t witnessed it himself, he was curious. What exactly had this woman done?

Perhaps it was because he found the imperial family’s behavior disgusting—using people for their abilities, wringing them dry, and now trying to subtly withdraw while pretending to be noble.

He wanted to see the arrogant Emperor’s face fall flat when he made this woman into a proper human being, just to show him.

*’When the famed expert I’ve only heard rumors about turns into an unremarkable girl no different from a criminal… that dumbfounded expression should be quite a sight.’*

Imagining the Emperor’s face, who would surely summon this woman before long, interest quickly bloomed on his relaxed face.

“I favor people based on ability. If you prove yourself useful, I promise you commensurate treatment.”

“As a human being, you mean?”

Even as he heard the stiff, hard answer, Claude continued to the main point, thoroughly observing the woman’s face.

“I don’t need to tell you how people perceive the 12th Division of the Western Front.”

“…I am well aware.”

Even though they had annihilated enemies on the front lines for the Empire, the 12th Division’s reputation was the worst.

This was due to rumors spread quietly by even their allies, who were horrified by the brutal methods of some soldiers.

While the formally sworn knights adhered to a certain line, such a line never existed for those belonging to the 12th Division.

They killed indiscriminately anyone they deemed an obstacle in their path.

If they had simply ended it by thrusting their swords, the news might not have leaked, but some slaughtered enemies in horrifically cruel ways, like cutting off ears as trophies.

Even their allies were shocked by this brutality. Since it was originally a gathering of criminals, there was no way anyone would adhere to chivalric spirit or the laws of war.

Of course, Flora preferred to cleanly cut off a life rather than do such dirty deeds.

But because she had become widely known as the strongest within that group, she had become the protagonist of the most cruel and horrific rumors.

Flora could easily infer that the Duke’s current questions also all carried that meaning.

“I intend to give you a new chance. To be reborn as my person, so that you can live like a human being.”

“….”

But unlike before, Flora hesitated to answer.

From her expressionless face, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking, but her slightly moving red lips seemed to indicate she had something she wanted to ask.

“If there is something you wish to ask me, I will permit the question.”

“…If I refuse your command, will you kill me?”