Bala: The Duke's Contract Wife

Duchess of Maraina (Victor's POV)

Inside his war tent, Victor sat behind his desk. He was in a foul mood. Especially when his vice generals and division commanders could not agree on the best war strategy for the battle on the next day. The commander of the cavalry was still arguing with the commander of the archer's army about the location of the raid. Johan and Gale, Victor's two vice generals, also could not decide on the location.

They had spent two weeks traveling to the Savage Land. During the journey, several tribes on the plains of savages gave guerrilla resistance. If it was not humans who attack them, then the beasts would come to them at night.

The Montserra Empire had the largest area in their continent, even twice as large as the Elysseria Kingdom. Unlike a kingdom, an empire consisted of several kingdoms as vassals, and the kings are subjected to one emperor. And the emperor who reigned at the current time had been asking Victors for years to subdue other kingdoms in order to expand his domain. The ambitious emperor had never been satisfied with the territories he owned. This time, the Emperor asked Victor to subdue the inhabitants of the Savage Land who had long refused to join the Montserra Empire.

No one could predict the possibility for the future. There was a possibility that the Emperor will ask him to conquer the Kingdom of Prineia or even the Kingdom of Elysseria, two of the largest kingdoms in the continent that had not bowed to Montserra.

Thinking like that made Victor remember Rose. The girl with the piercing red eyes. Recalling the wounds on the girl's cheeks and body, Victor asked himself, Will Rose be sad? Or will she be happy if I conquer the Elysseria Kingdom too?

Unfortunately, the thought of Rose also made Victor remember the letter sent by Adrian.

Victor didn't expect anything from Adrian's letter. He did order Adrian to report any moves of his new wife in Victor's absence. However, he did not expect Adrian to send seven messenger birds just to make a report on that woman.

After reading all the letters, his gaze darkened. Even all his knights and warriors could feel Victor's increasingly heavy aura. It had been two days since the general was silent with that eerie aura. They assumed that the content of the letter made him angry, but the general kept silent about it.

"We can't storm them at this location. If the inhabitants of the Savage Land surround us from the east side, the cavalry will be trapped near the river. Our horses will not be able to pass through the currents of the Gimea River!" said Bray, commander of the cavalry.

"That's why, when they surround the cavalry, the walking troop and the archers could come from behind to finish all of them off!" exclaimed Kon, the commander of the archers' army.

"So you are saying that the cavalry has to sacrifice themselves, aren't you??"

Johan and Gale seemed to struggle to mediate the increasingly heated conversation. If their debate was any louder, the soldiers and other knights would be able to hear and of course, it would lower their morals.

"Quiet," Victor said suddenly. Although his voice was not loud, there was an authoritative tone that made everyone in the tent silent themselves immediately. All those men were waiting for a decision from Victor.

"Kon," called Victor. The commander of the archer's division went straight to Victor perfectly. One hand on the chest while the man bowed slightly as a mark of respect. "How sure are you that your army can finish the entire Red Army of the Savage Land?"

"Very confident, Your Grace," replied Kon with conviction, "With us eradicating the Red Army completely, the rest of the defense of the inhabitants of the Savage Land will descend drastically. We can cut the expedition time to one and a half months."

"At the expense of dozens of cavalrymen," Bray said, he spat on the ground.

Victor gave Bray a warning stare. He didn't like Bray forgetting that the fact that he spat in Victor's tent. The commander who was actually older than Victor muttered an apology to Victor.

Victor began to think. Cutting the expedition time didn't sound bad at all. He would be able to get home quickly. After reading the letter from Adrian, Victor realized there are some things he had to do in Maraina.

Then there was the girl.

Victor imagined her red ruby eyes. Her lips that were the same color as her eyes. How smooth her skin felt on his fingers. And her voice as she moaned–

"The cavalry will bait the red army," Victor decided.

"Your Grace!" Bray was about to protest, but Victor raised one hand to stop the man.

"Peter. Prepare the walking troops for diving."

Peter, a young redhead, immediately understood Victor's intention. He raised one hand to the chest and bowed. "I'll prepare them now."

"Ron. Keep sending scouts. If there is even a slight anomaly, report. When the war happens, your army with Peter's army."

Ron followed Peter's movements to bow at the Duke and immediately exited himself from the tent to give orders to his troops.

"Quay. What about the spy you planted?"

"The latest report is still the same, Your Grace. The savages don't suspect her at all," replied an elderly man with oriental eyes.

"Good."

Victor looked at the four remaining men in his tent. A map full of pins and written signs was displayed on the table. The candlelight was getting dimmer and dimmer. But contrary to the dimming candlelight, each man's face inside the tent shone with hope.

They understood Victor's plan. When the Red Army would come to surround the cavalry, the archers will overwhelm the Savage Land army. Then from the river, the walking troops and the scouts would show up to help the cavalry. The last two armies would be hiding inside the river.

Tomorrow will be a bloodbath.

"We are at your service, Your Grace," Kon and Bray said simultaneously. After making the same respectful gesture, they came out of the tent. Only Johan and Gale, Victor's two vice generals, were left in the tent.

Gale whistled after all the men had left. "Ambitious. Very ambitious," said the man who was a decade older than Victor. "There's something that makes you want to get home fast, Your Grace?"

When Victor did not answer, Gale continued his mockery, "Or ... someone?"

Unlike Gale, Johan squinted his face in displeasure. "If you mean 'that woman,' you got to be wrong, Gale."

Gale raised one eyebrow as if asking why Johan thought he was wrong.

Johan replied, "Seven pigeons came to our camp in the blinding morning two days ago."

"Adrian sent seven pigeons to report the woman's actions. Imagine, what can one do that requires seven pigeons to report? Well... Maybe it's expected. After all, the girl needs several papers just to list for her nicknames and all the rumors she has."

For the first time, Victor laughed. It was weird. Victor didn't even know why he thought Johan's words were funny. Seeing Johan's and Gale's confused faces, Victor threw the pile of letters bound by a leather rope.

"Johan was right. There were seven letters to report the woman's actions during just the first week after we left," Victor said. The man stood up and poured wine on three glasses on his table. He gave two glasses to the two men in front of him. While Johan began to open the letters one by one.

"But it all contains praises for Rose."

Gale, who had just sipped the wine, suddenly choked up.

"She made sure the firewood supply is always full, renovated the garden and banquet hall in the east wing," Johan read some of the words Adrian wrote in the letters. Until Johan began to read about Paul and what Mawar had done about it.

"Holy Goddess," Johan cursed. The man's jaw was wide open. Out of curiosity, Gale snatched the letter from Johan's hand and read it for himself. The old man's reaction was the same. Jaws opened, shocked by what was written.

Then Gale whistled sweetly. "I'm getting more and more fond of this woman," Gale said.

"You're not the only one," Johan continued. The man read the last letter from Adrian to Victor. "'With respect, Your Grace. I've never found anyone who can command the mansion like the Duchess. I shuddered with horror and respect as she made all the residence staff bow to her and Young Master Paul. From the bottom of my heart, I am so glad you have found someone who is on par with you.'"

"The woman has already gripped Adrian with her charms," Johan said finally.

"So what happened to Paul is true?" asked Gale, "Because if it's true... When I get home, I'll finish off the viscount and Gina with my own hands." Gale squeezed the letter. Gale's always witty facial expression turned drastically cold.

"No, Gale," Victor said. "Those two assholes are mine to teach." Victor's green eyes seemed to sparkle in the darkness of the tent. His gaze was sharp, describing a threat and a promise to be fulfilled. "How dare they trick me in my own home."