At 8:20 PM.
In the luxurious guest room of the Elector Count, Ryan was bent over his desk, writing. Talleyrand stood by the window, leaning on his cane, motionless. On the other side, Morgiana crossed her arms, glaring at Ryan with undisguised jealousy. Dark energy seemed to emanate from her as she scowled, her voice tinged with displeasure.
"Of all times, Ryan, you're sitting here writing a love letter? I don't want to criticize you—you're the man I love—but as the commander of this entire army, how can you waste such precious time on a love letter now?"
Ryan chuckled and gently squeezed Morgiana's outstretched hand. Her face, delicate like a goose egg, flushed red, but she held her ground.
"Alright, Ryan, I understand you might be missing Emilia, but could you hold off for a bit? Once this is over, I'll personally invite your Imperial Duchess to visit Bretonnia again."
The Knight King dipped his quill into the ink and began to write:
"To Lady Emanuelle von Lebwitz-Bernardino, esteemed and beloved Imperial Duchess, every time I think of your name and your flower-like beauty, I am overwhelmed. No words can capture my emotions. Even amidst the snow of Herzig, I feel no cold…"
"Ryan!" Morgiana's voice grew louder. "Are you even listening to me?"
Ryan shook his head. Snowflakes dusted his hair as the chaotic wind outside blew in through the window. Talleyrand shivered, quickly shutting the window, and remained at a respectful distance, about five meters away. Watching Ryan continue writing, Morgiana's dissatisfaction mounted, but Talleyrand intervened at just the right moment.
"Your Majesty, shall I excuse myself?"
"No need. You already know what this is about," Ryan replied.
Talleyrand was overjoyed, relieved to stay where he was.
"?" Morgiana was puzzled. Why wasn't Ryan asking Talleyrand to leave while writing a love letter?
But she brushed it off—it made some sense. Talleyrand, after all, was Bretonnia's ambassador to Nuln.
"Should I write this letter, Talleyrand?" Ryan asked, looking at the elf, whose professional smile betrayed that he had seen through everything.
"You should," Talleyrand said with a slight tilt of his head. "You are the master, after all. You have the right to do anything you wish."
Ryan laughed, amused by Talleyrand's artful words. They were simultaneously flattering and evasive, highlighting Ryan's authority while keeping the elf out of the matter entirely.
Feeling the need to explain, Ryan turned to Morgiana.
"Morgiana, surely you've noticed—why is Edbrand so eager for us to take the offensive? He even volunteered to act as the vanguard."
"That's easy to guess," Morgiana said, suppressing her jealousy. "Clearly, the Elector Count doesn't want the war to occur in Hochland."
"That's part of it, but there's more," Ryan continued. "Edbrand is eager for us to attack because he hopes we'll deplete the Chaos forces and slow their advance, buying time for Imperial reinforcements to arrive."
Morgiana nodded, beginning to see the bigger picture.
"He also wants to bind our army with his through these actions," Ryan explained. "Think about it: does Hochland really matter so much? How many troops do they actually have?"
Morgiana realized she had been drawn into Edbrand's ploy.
Herzig had an army of twenty thousand, but most were hastily conscripted. Only five thousand were capable of field combat. By contrast, Ryan and Boris's combined force of over fifty thousand was made up of battle-hardened elites.
"Exactly. Yet after Edbrand's impassioned speech, doesn't it seem like his army is now part of ours? Did we ever formally agree to form a coalition with him?"
"That scoundrel!" Morgiana snapped, her anger boiling over.
"This is why Edbrand acts so boldly. He knows we can't abandon Hochland without tarnishing our chivalric image," Ryan concluded.
Morgiana finally understood Ryan's strategy.
"So you've been silent, unwilling to fall into his trap."
"Right. But to maneuver politically, I need this letter—not as a simple love letter, but as a strategic tool," Ryan said.
Morgiana sighed, leaning back. "Fine… but does it have to be a love letter?"
Ryan handed the completed letter to Talleyrand for review.
"Shall I read it aloud, Your Majesty?" the elf teased.
"Softly," Ryan replied.
"To Lady Emanuelle von Lebwitz-Bernardino, esteemed and beloved Imperial Duchess,
Every time I think of your name and your flower-like beauty, I am overwhelmed. No words can capture my emotions. Even amidst the snow of Herzig, I feel no cold.
This burning love in my chest… here in the Empire's eastern light, day and night, I am haunted by visions of you, little Frederick, and Rem.
As I gaze at the moonlit sky, the crescent moon reminds me of a falling iris petal—pure, noble, untouched. The snowflakes in my hair bring back memories of our time together in Nordland and Marienburg.
When we look at the same sky, under the same stars, are our hearts still as one?
Awaiting your reply, Bretonnia's Knight King, Champion of the Lady of the Lake, Ryan-Malcador."
Talleyrand grinned. "Magnificent, Your Majesty. This letter will undoubtedly be cherished by Lady Emilia, and she will likely show it to every noblewoman in Nuln—and perhaps all of the Empire!"
"This way, Emilia will have an excuse to come to the frontlines. The command dispute will end, and the Imperial army can finally move forward without delays."
Despite accepting Ryan's explanation, Morgiana felt an ache in her chest, especially after hearing the letter.
"Fine, Talleyrand, you may leave now."
"Yes, my lady." Talleyrand hesitated briefly. "The letter…?"
"Find Veronica or Aurora. Have them use magic to send it to Nuln immediately," Ryan instructed.
Talleyrand bowed and left.
As soon as he was gone, Morgiana cast a soundproofing spell on the door. She marched over to Ryan, sitting on his lap, her tone both jealous and demanding.
"Ryan! Where's my love letter? Where is it?"
"Morgiana!" Ryan held her, trying to placate her. "I've explained this a dozen times—this letter is purely political!"
"Yes, I understand. But where's mine?" Morgiana insisted, pulling him into a fiery kiss.
"This…" Ryan felt a headache coming on. If he gave Morgiana a letter, the rest of his court might follow suit.
"Can't I make it up to you some other way? I'm not good at writing love letters!"
"Fine," Morgiana said, holding up two fingers. "Then… spend time with me."
"Two days? That's manageable," Ryan agreed.
"Two days? No," Morgiana corrected him. "Two hundred days!"
Meanwhile, in Hochland's banquet hall, Elector Count Edbrand paced nervously.
Suddenly, a massive tiger-headed sea eagle flew in, carrying a bamboo cylinder.
New intelligence!
Edbrand eagerly unrolled the message.
"Undead knights clad in cursed blood-red armor have been spotted in the ruins of Ostermark and Kislev, targeting Chaos forces and their supply lines?"
"What's going on? Even the undead are joining this war?"
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