Chapter 2
Everything was over.
The war had ended, and so had the role that had earned her the derisive nickname “the Crow.”
Now, instead of those horrific days, only peaceful ones remained.
“Find your relatives… or even distant family! You have to survive!”
“Titi! Come with me! I’d rather die with you!”
“Shouldn’t your little sister receive the same treatment she used to?”
“Lady Blackburn. So it’s true that Tegrin backed you. You crossed over to the enemy, became a sniper, and slaughtered your own countrymen?”
“This is why snipers disgust me. Just look at those eyes. She has no idea how many people she’s killed, yet she still dares to look at us like that…!”
Shhhk—
“Hah…! Hah…!”
Tracy jolted awake in a cold sweat, wrapping both arms tightly around herself.
She knew her hands could never reach the scars across her back, but instinctively embracing herself was the only way to dull the agonizing ache that still lingered.
Her ebony hair slid down her damp back, sending chills through her body.
After catching her breath, she abruptly looked up.
A dark, unfamiliar room came into view, along with the bed she was lying on.
…Ah.
The residence.
Startled, she looked around before finally remembering.
After her discharge from the army, she had left the military camp and fallen asleep at Todd’s official residence.
It was the day before the victory banquet.
Yet the owner of the house, Todd, hadn’t returned.
He had been staying at the royal palace while handling the peace negotiations.
So Tracy had rented a dress for their engagement ceremony by herself and spent the day cleaning the residence in preparation for her younger sister Sadie, who would return in a few days.
After that…
She had no idea what she was supposed to do.
There were no more military orders echoing in her ears.
No rifle to clean out of habit.
Even ordinary women’s clothing felt unbearably restrictive, almost as confining as the extravagant gowns she used to wear in the past.
Todd and Sadie had both been away for so long that even the housekeeper was gone.
Like a dog abandoned by its owner, she wandered around the empty house all day.
Heavy thoughts invaded her mind without permission.
Alone in the silence, she struggled just to endure them.
A year and a half.
During that entire time, the word peace had never existed in her life.
Everything had changed the day her father—the Duke of the Kingdom of Hakot—received three wagons carrying weapons from an unknown source.
From that day onward…
She had fought desperately just to survive.
The day she had peacefully embroidered in the ducal estate…
Hundreds of flaming arrows rained down upon the mansion.
Her father and elder brother, both soldiers, stayed behind to defend the estate while sending her and her younger sister away.
They died protecting them.
She tried until the very end to fulfill her father’s dying wish—to seek out relatives.
But no one accepted them.
Only Sadie managed to find someone willing to take her in.
So Tracy crossed the border alone, intending to reach Sahiris.
Along the way…
She killed someone for the first time in her life.
She never even had time to feel sick after seeing the enemy soldier fall.
Because Sadie had secretly followed after her.
The one who stopped them…
Was Todd, a negotiator.
“If you fight in this war, then after it’s over, marry me and become a duchess. Shouldn’t your little sister receive the same life she once had?”
It was an absurd proposal to offer a foreigner who had just crossed the border.
But she had been doomed to die anyway.
She accepted.
Later, when she became a prisoner of war, Todd rescued her.
After that…
She obeyed everything he said without complaint.
Even after he broke the promise he had made.
“Sigh… I hate saying this, but they’ve told me that if I successfully conclude these negotiations, I’ll receive the title of Duke. The problem is that everything’s still a mess, so they’ve postponed the appointment. The negotiations are complicated and could take quite a while. So… let’s just announce our engagement first.”
She couldn’t say it was unreasonable.
Todd was the only person who had allowed her to survive in this country.
She couldn’t bring herself to object.
For Sadie’s future…
She had to cling to him.
That would become the meaning behind the life her father and brother had sacrificed themselves to save.
The war is over now.
All I have to do is live an ordinary life.
Wrapped in darkness, Tracy hugged herself tighter as she whispered the words like a prayer.
Years of insomnia made it impossible for her to fall asleep again.
Instead, she decided to think about what she should do with the rest of her life.
Perhaps if she recalled the days she had spent as Lady Blackburn in the ducal estate…
She might discover a clue.
But that became the problem.
The faces of everyone she had once cherished surfaced vividly in her mind.
Regret and unbearable grief overwhelmed her until tears streamed down her cheeks.
Most painful of all…
She could never return to those days.
The crushing reality shattered her.
She immediately regretted trying to revisit the past.
Loneliness closed around her until it became difficult to breathe.
A powerful urge overcame her—
She simply wanted to see traces of other people.
Even strangers.
Roughly wiping away her tears with her sleeve, Tracy stood up and grabbed her coat.
As she stepped into the dim pre-dawn streets…
She looked no different from someone fleeing.
The city was still shrouded in darkness.
The gas lamps had yet to be lit, but faint sounds of everyday life quietly echoed through the streets.
Someone had already awakened before sunrise to begin their work.
Oddly enough…
That simple realization comforted her.
This was the life we protected.
So ordinary people could live peaceful days like this.
As the sun rose, more and more people appeared.
She wandered slowly through the streets, browsing the shops that had just opened.
She became so absorbed in walking that she forgot she was hungry.
“Miss! Would you like to buy some flowers?”
A commoner boy stopped her.
Rather than annoyance…
She was startled by the unfamiliar title.
No one had addressed her so gently in a very long time.
The flowers he held out were simple daisies—the same flowers that bloomed abundantly in open fields.
Even so…
Tracy gladly handed him one of her coins.
“Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful day!”
A wonderful day…
After greeting her brightly, the boy immediately ran off toward another customer.
Without realizing it, she watched his small figure disappear.
The two stems of daisies rolled lightly between her fingers.
Though daisies had almost no fragrance…
She felt as though they did.
The boy’s honest smile reminded her of someone.
Soft golden hair like the flower’s center.
Clear blue-green eyes as resilient as its sturdy stem.
Her beloved Sadie.
The tears she had shed only moments earlier vanished.
A smile naturally spread across her face.
At last…
She thought she had found the answer.
She now knew how to spend an ordinary life.
With a heart far lighter than before, she wandered throughout the city until dusk.
When evening arrived, she headed toward the royal palace for the victory banquet.
Instead of her military uniform, she wore a formal gown.
Cold stares.
Mockery.
Contempt.
People whispered that she was only trying to gain political advantages through Todd.
Tracy decided to treat them all as part of the scenery.
People who considered arguing with her beneath their dignity weren’t worth her attention.
There was, however…
One person she couldn’t ignore.
“Sergeant Haskins.”
“Oh, Colonel Seymour! Actually, I’m a Sergeant Major now.”
Seeing the blond man, Todd grinned broadly and spread his arms.
The man hesitated for a moment before smiling back.
The two embraced tightly, patting each other on the back.
“A Command Sergeant Major? Is this really appropriate at an official event?”
“So what? Can’t I greet an old friend properly?”
Todd’s light brown eyes gleamed with a familiar expression.
The sort of look he always wore when currying favor with someone important.
Noticing the dramatic change in his attitude, Tracy unconsciously straightened her posture.
Still smiling, Todd turned toward her and gestured.
“This is my fiancée. You probably know her already—the sniper everyone called the Crow.”
“She’s famous enough.”
The man nodded with a warm smile.
Perhaps it was his handsome face.
Or his pleasant voice.
Or simply the casual way he acknowledged knowing her.
The moment Tracy met his eyes—
Clear as the open sea—
She flinched and immediately bowed.
“I’m Tracy. I was discharged from the army after serving as a sergeant.”
She deliberately omitted her family name.
There was no reason to utter the name that had become synonymous with the beginning of the war.
Unexpectedly…
The man extended his hand for a handshake.
She quickly raised her head.
His expression remained completely natural.
“I’m Valentin Seymour.”
Still stunned, Tracy froze.
Todd frowned.
“What are you doing? You’re not going to refuse a colonel’s handshake, are you?”
“Ah… it’s not an order…”
Embarrassed by Todd’s remark, Valentin scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Realizing her mistake, Tracy hurriedly took his hand.
His vivid blue eyes widened slightly.
“I’m sorry… I’m not used to shaking hands.”
“I’ve been telling you for ages to practice.”
Todd’s irritated scolding made Valentin open his mouth as if to protest.
Before he could say anything, another guest approached.
Todd excused himself and walked away.
Left alone together…
Tracy awkwardly tried to pull her hand back.
Instead…
Valentin gently held onto it.
She gasped softly.
“This is our second meeting.”
“…Second meeting? We’ve never met before.”
Although she frowned in confusion…
Valentin simply smiled.
“It really is our second meeting.”
“You saved my life.”
When…?
Her thoughts froze.
As she searched her memory, Valentin raised her hand and leaned forward.
“We’ll be seeing each other often from now on.”
“So please…”
“Feel free to treat me casually.”
Startled, Tracy instinctively tried to pull her hand away.
His face followed hers instead.
“My savior.”
A moment later…
She felt the warmth of his gentle breath brush against the back of her hand.
