IRER 06

Chapter 6: No, That’s Not What Responsibility Means

“There is a way!”

At Brody’s bold declaration, the chief of staff stared at her in disbelief.

‘What would she know? What empty nonsense is she going to spew now?’

His eyes were filled with disgust.

But Brody’s expression didn’t match his expectations.

He had expected her to look like some deranged witch or lunatic, but instead, she was deathly pale and trembling—just like Aidan.

She looked deeply distressed.

Nervously hesitating, she finally clasped her shaking hands and opened her mouth.

“F…Food. I’ll try to supply food. Please don’t kill the prisoners.”

At that, River looked at her coldly, and Aidan looked surprised.

“You? How?”

River scoffed.

If there had been a way to secure food supplies, River wouldn’t have agonized over it.

But that was a hopeless assumption.

Still, Brody responded with a trembling voice and determined eyes.

“They’ll become important labor. If you just guarantee their safety.”

“You’re a prisoner yourself. Why should we entrust the others to you?”

Even in the face of River’s sharp challenge, Brody didn’t back down.

“You can supervise us. You’d have to post guards anyway to ensure safety, right?”

Her audacity even made the usually unshakable River hesitate for a moment.

Duke Aidan frowned and asked her.

“You mean to grow crops using the prisoners? That’s impossible. Nothing grows in this cold, barren land.”

Brody shook her head.

“I’m from the central capital. I know more about agriculture than you think.”

Both the duke and the chief of staff looked as though they were seriously considering her words.

Aidan asked again.

“Are you saying crops can grow in this land?”

Brody nodded.

She hadn’t tried it yet, but with the knowledge she had, she was confident it was possible.

And even if it wasn’t, she believed she could hold out for a while with her skills.

“Give me a chance. If the prisoners work, we could even produce enough to feed the soldiers. There’s nothing to lose.”

River stroked his sharp jaw.

‘She’s not wrong. If food is secured, we wouldn’t have to hesitate anymore. And if she really pulls this off…’

This might be more important than winning the war.

As River fell into thought, Aidan asked:

“How much time do you need?”

“We’d need at least a month or two for the crops to grow.”

“That’s too long.”

“Then even if the Emperor himself came, he couldn’t do it. Not even in the fertile central lands—nowhere could you manage that in less time.”

The Emperor himself…? Both Aidan and River were shocked.

It was a disrespectful way to refer to the Emperor.

But Brody, raised in a modern world without a monarchy, had no reverence for royalty and didn’t realize her words were offensive.

Still, she was right. No one—not even the Emperor—could make crops grow overnight.

Besides, weren’t they rebels? It felt absurd to flinch at a mere mention of the Emperor.

“River, how long will it take to capture Fort Ferdan?”

“A week to prepare. At least a month after deployment.”

“I see. Then you—uh, Bri?”

“Yes? Yes, Your Grace.”

Brody, momentarily confused by the nickname “Bri,” quickly realized it referred to her and answered enthusiastically.

“I’ll give you a month and a half. In that time, make the prisoners self-sufficient and supply 30% of the soldiers’ food.”

“But I don’t know how much food the soldiers need or how many prisoners there are. I can’t make such a promise blindly.”

River nodded. A fair point.

“If possible, give me the data. Or…”

She looked at the chief of staff.

“You could calculate it and give me the orders yourself.”

“What if I give you unreasonable orders?”

“Would you? Earlier, it seemed like you wanted this to succeed.”

“…”

River was speechless again. She had seen right through him in such a short time. She was surprisingly sharp.

Which made him even more annoyed.

‘Still, even if I’m annoyed, I have to do my job.’

“I’ll assess the situation and issue orders. Start immediately.”

With that, River gave a short nod to Aidan and left the tent in a hurry.

A sign that they were to handle things on their own now.

“That River… left in such high spirits.”

“He did?”

Brody stared at the tent flap, baffled.

“Yes. We had no backup plan if we couldn’t get through the food crisis in a month and a half. That was the worst problem. But if what you say is possible, we can finally look ahead.”

“Uh… Should you really be telling me all this?”

“Everyone knows why the North started this war. It was because we lacked food. What’s so dangerous about admitting that?”

Aidan lowered his head and pressed his fingers against his brow.

He spoke through a furrowed brow.

“You are truly… unusual. I never imagined a prisoner would boldly step up to do what no one else dared.”

“Your Grace…?”

His breathing grew rough, but he kept speaking.

“Thank you… for stepping up and trying to save them. I’ll never forget this.”

“Your Grace, you look pale. Maybe you should sit—Ah!”

Just as Brody voiced her concern, Aidan suddenly collapsed.

He fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony.

“Are you alright, Your Grace?”

“Tea… Bring me the tea.”

Brody blinked in surprise.

Tea? Not medicine? What kind of tea—?

And then it hit her.

The headaches and the tea.

He didn’t drink tea for the taste.

There must be some effect I didn’t know about. It helps with his headaches.

The day it didn’t work, he made that scary face—not from anger, but from pain.

Seeing him in such agony now, she rushed to the brazier to boil water for tea.

This was worse than before. His suffering looked unbearable.

But tea alone isn’t the solution. It’s still daytime… Should I use Mechou to knock him out?

She panicked while waiting for the water to boil.

What really worked was her bodily fluids. But should she… spit? That’s too gross.

Blood, then? Just one drop probably wouldn’t change the color much. He’s in too much pain to notice anyway.

Brody bit her finger. Sharp objects weren’t allowed in the tent for security.

Biting your own finger to draw blood isn’t easy—it hurt more than she expected.

She regretted it for a moment but mixed the blood into the tea and brought it to Aidan.

Thankfully, the color hadn’t changed much.

“Here, Your Grace.”

But Aidan, writhing in pain, couldn’t drink—and nearly spilled it.

Screw it. He’s not in his right mind anyway.

Brody took a mouthful of tea.

Then she grabbed him by the collar and kissed him, transferring the tea directly.

“Mmgh…”

The first attempt failed. Most of it spilled down his chin.

But whether from the shock or the small amount of tea he received, Aidan’s convulsions eased.

Brody tried again.

This time, it worked.

“Haa… Haa…”

Aidan’s eyes, still feverish, locked onto her green ones.

When she saw his focus return, Brody pulled away and handed him the cup.

“Finish the rest, Your Grace.”

The kiss alone would’ve been enough, but she kept pretending it was the tea.

He regretfully accepted the cup with both hands.

Worried he’d drop it, she helped him drink.

“Whew…”

She let out a sigh of relief. He was visibly better.

“Does this happen often?”

“…Not like this. Only sometimes.”

So she was right.

Brody nodded.

“Thanks to the tea you made… I feel much better.”

Surprisingly, the duke admitted it himself.

Brody looked at him in shock.

“Is it alright for you to say that to me? I’m a prisoner. How can you trust me…”

“You already stepped up for something that brought you no benefit.”

“It was about the other prisoners. They’re on my side.”

“Yes, it was for them. Not for the Emperor, I’d wager.”

“…”

She had no response. He had read her perfectly.

Then Aidan broke the silence.

“What happened to your hand?”

He had noticed the blood.

Startled, Brody quickly hid her hand.

“Oh, I think I bumped it earlier. It’s fine.”

“I see…”

Aidan frowned in concern, got up, and brought clean linen.

Brody panicked, not wanting him to realize she’d bitten herself.

She grabbed the cloth and tried to wrap it herself—but it was hard to do one-handed.

“I’ll do it.”

“N-No, Your Grace, I couldn’t possibly—”

He looked disappointed.

His quiet sigh confirmed she wasn’t imagining it.

“I don’t think we’re at the point where we need to be so formal.”

“…!”

Not formal? Then what are we?!

While Brody panicked, he gently took her hand and began wrapping it. The wound was mostly hidden by now.

His large, rough-looking hands moved with care and tenderness.

Once again, Aidan broke the silence.

“If I make it back alive… if I survive and return to the North…”

He hesitated.

Brody quietly waited.

“If I survive, I’ll make you my wife.”

“…!”

What? WHAT?! Wife?

Brody stared in disbelief.

The Ice Wall Duke flushed and continued.

“I meant to say it earlier. I’m sorry for being late. I made you uneasy.”

No, no, no. I wasn’t uneasy! Don’t talk like you’re giving me an award! That’s not what this is!!

Brody screamed internally.

She didn’t dare say it aloud.

“If we spent a night together, I must take responsibility. No matter what happens, I will take responsibility for you. Don’t worry.”

What?! Take responsibility because we spent a night together? What are you, the romantic lead of the century?

“Of course, this can only happen if we win the war. I know it’s early, but I wanted you to know.”

“I—I can’t possibly become your wife. That’s too much… I mean—I can’t handle it. You don’t have to—really.”

Please don’t!

Becoming the Duchess? She could live perfectly well on her own. Why take on that dangerous and exhausting role?

“Would you make me an irresponsible man? I won’t cheat, I won’t take a mistress, and I’ll be faithful. I won’t make you sad. So don’t feel pressured.”

He was… sincere.

Such values were admirable… commendable, even.

But this wasn’t it.

Brody wanted to cry.

And she made a firm decision.

I absolutely have to escape.