IRER 07

Chapter 7. Her Presence

‘Haa… Maybe I should’ve just let it go.’

Brody, sleeves rolled up, was smoothing the soil with a hoe-like tool when she let out a heavy sigh at the sharp stares from the surrounding soldiers.

All the soldiers who had broken military law were punished. Brody had been the fifteenth to be summoned—meaning fourteen others before her, including even two centurions.

The soldiers seemed to believe that the reason for such “harsh” punishment was this “female prisoner”—specifically, Brody.

The female captives who had been taken were, thankfully, still alive. Though calling that “fortunate” felt bitter. Maybe the fact that they were properly punished was some small consolation.

‘No, I couldn’t just let it go after all…’

Brody recalled the moment she’d overheard the Grand Duke speaking with his chief aide.

She’d been so shocked that she’d intervened on impulse.

Since no other women had been summoned after she entered the Grand Duke’s tent, she’d assumed the others were safe.

But to hear that they would all be killed? Should they be grateful simply because they weren’t violated? Sure, dying without pain might be better than dying in agony. But still—why should they have to die at all? Why was that the only option?

The biggest victims of war were women, the elderly, and children—those most vulnerable.

They had no choice, reduced to mere objects.

Especially the women.

They were easily treated as things, their individuality erased in favor of their gender.

And so, among women, there was a kind of unspoken solidarity.

Even with an enemy they’d fought tooth and nail, a woman might still lend her a sanitary pad—that kind of kinship.

‘I was truly shocked… But then, I’ve lived in a civilized world without war…’

Brody shivered at the fear and fury, then shook her head to clear her thoughts.

There wasn’t much time. They had to start planting soon.

Facing the circle of women watching her, Brody demonstrated the task and spoke:

“It’s hard, I know. But this is the most important moment. If we succeed in this, we’ll be able to protect our own lives. I’ll do my best too, so please—find your strength for your own sake.”

The women looked anxious as they asked,

“Will we really be safe?”

The soldiers surrounding the field gave off an air so threatening, no one could tell if they were stationed to protect or to prey. Their wariness was only natural.

To reassure them, Brody answered with confident composure, her voice raised deliberately so the nearby soldiers could hear:

“Of course. His Grace the Grand Duke promised. He said no one would be harmed while we do this work. But he also said—anyone who tries to sabotage this crucial mission shouldn’t expect to keep their life.”

It wasn’t easy for Brody to speak in such a threatening way to the soldiers.

But it had to be done—whether comfortable or not.

She leaned toward the group of women and added in a sweet, conspiratorial whisper:

“Once this project succeeds, its success alone will guarantee your safety. This is a technique unknown in the North—and incredibly valuable. This knowledge will give you the strength to protect yourselves until you can settle safely.”

At her words, the women’s expressions began to shift.

They only knew Brody as a fellow prisoner.

Yet despite being favored by the Grand Duke—and thus enjoying a degree of safety—she had voluntarily come out to work under such harsh conditions.

They couldn’t help but realize she was doing this for them.

Convinced by Brody’s tone and sincerity, the women nodded and spread out, gripping their tools with renewed determination.

They were clumsy at first—being former ladies’ maids with no farming experience—but also quick-witted and fast learners, just as one might expect from women who had served noble households.

The women, who had once cowered in their dark tents, too afraid to move, began to show signs of life.

Though calling it “liveliness” felt generous—their gaunt bodies barely able to keep upright from lack of food.

‘Alright. They’re motivated now.’

Brody watched them silently for a while as they worked.

Then she selected one among them who seemed both capable and respected to serve as a supervisor.

Her name was Connie, a middle-aged woman.

“Oh! You’re…”

Only after picking her did Brody recognize her as the same woman who had kindly explained things to her on her first day in this world.

Connie had tearfully apologized for not being able to stop Brody from being taken away. Brody had comforted her, saying it was fine.

That small connection made it easier for Brody to naturally bond with the other female captives.

A sense of organization was starting to form.

‘Now it’s just up to me to do my part.’

Brody had the task of selecting and sourcing the crops to grow.

‘I already picked them.’

Recalling the original Brody’s memories, she’d been shocked to realize that this world didn’t have potatoes.

‘No potatoes? Seriously?’

Potatoes were among the easiest crops to grow in cold climates and poor soil.

Secretly, Brody formed a seed potato in her palm.

‘Oh wow. That’s impressive, Brody.’

It seemed there were no real limits to the plants she could produce as a plant mage.

As long as she had the knowledge, it didn’t matter whether the plant was from this world or not—she could grow it.

She decided to plant early-harvest potatoes, which had been selectively bred to grow quickly.

She’d grown up under her grandmother, who farmed, and now that knowledge was proving invaluable.

‘Still, even fast-growing potatoes take about two months. To reduce that to six weeks… I’ll have to use my powers. For the first harvest, I’ll speed it up. Later, I’ll argue that longer cycles are needed since I won’t be supervising. I’ll just bluff through it.’

The problem was how to explain the seed potatoes.

She could create them herself, but if anyone asked where they came from, she’d be stuck.

So, she asked to be taken to where the prisoners’ belongings were stored.

Fortunately, nothing had been discarded.

She pretended to rummage through her own things, then secretly created several seed potatoes and brought them out.

Some were puzzled as to why she carried such things, but no one questioned her directly.

Given how much she knew about plants, carrying seeds wasn’t particularly shocking.

“This is a top-secret technique. It’s something I’ve been researching for a long time, so I can’t share it easily. Please set up a private space.”

After presenting the seed potatoes, she made that request.

Once she had a private area secured, she quickly “multiplied” the potatoes—though really, she just kept creating them.

She called it propagation, and no one questioned it.

No one else knew anything about potatoes, so whatever she said became the truth.

‘Whew. I’ll have to explain all this away somehow later.’

With the seed potatoes ready, Brody selected one more crop.

‘Let’s go with kohlrabi.’

Kohlrabi also had a fast-growing variety.

While it couldn’t replace a staple like potatoes, it was filling, nutritious, and most importantly—it grew even faster.

Brody created kohlrabi seeds too, pretending to retrieve them from her belongings.

The seeds were small, so it was easy to sneak them out.

The work proceeded steadily.

Aidan had already been briefed and knew most of the situation, but he still came by several times to observe—always from a distance so as not to make the workers uncomfortable.

‘This is truly unexpected.’

Brody, who used to laze around his tent like a hibernating winter mouse, now moved with crisp energy like a completely different person.

Hair tied back, sleeves rolled up.

Though she seemed sensitive to cold, she dressed in light clothes for convenience and bustled around busily.

He found it both fascinating and—pleasant to watch.

Before he knew it, he was visiting the field more often than expected.

He told himself it was to keep the soldiers in check, of course.

And at night, when she returned, exhausted from work—

Even then, she would always brew tea for Aidan before sleeping, waiting until he had fallen asleep first.

Seeing her struggle to stay awake made him feel guilty, so he tried to finish his work early and go to bed quickly.

Thanks to her care, he began sleeping better.

With better rest, he functioned more effectively during the day.

And so a virtuous cycle began—getting more sleep without sacrificing work.

In the mornings—

Since she went to bed after him, he often woke up before her and would quietly watch her sleeping face.

Unknowingly, that short moment in the morning became the time he looked forward to the most.

He didn’t realize it himself.

Watching her daily, he began to notice how fatigue was building up in her.

In contrast to how his own health was improving, she was clearly wearing down.

Her already thin frame was growing thinner, and he felt a pang of concern.

Yet he couldn’t tell her to stop.

Nothing could proceed without her.

And many lives depended on the success of this endeavor.

Thinking of the pressure on her shoulders made his heart ache.

He did what he could: provided her with warmer, more comfortable clothes for the outdoors, kept the brazier burning so the tent stayed warm, and even secretly gave her part of his own meals.

‘To think I’ve been granted such a Grand Duchess. What a tremendous blessing.’

For the North—and for himself.

To have a woman lying beside him like this—he still couldn’t believe it.

To share a life with a woman. To want someone like this. He never imagined it.

He hadn’t expected anything from women—from people at all.

People were things he had to protect, not those who could stay by his side.

Even River, his closest companion, was separated from him by an invisible glacier.

Though they grew up like brothers, to River, Aidan was first and foremost the Grand Duke of the North.

And that was how River preferred it.

There was no time to dwell on friendship or anything else.

The North was in shambles.

His people were dying every day, and the war he had no choice but to begin seemed nearly unwinnable.

Each day brought a new despair.

But as the Grand Duke, if he lost hope, it would all be over.

So he stood up anyway and faced that despair.

That was his life—

Until she appeared in it.

‘So much has changed since she arrived.’

Aidan thought back to the first day he met her.

It hadn’t been that long ago, yet it already felt like a distant memory.