Morgana stood motionless beside the war table, her sharp eyes moving between Hugo and Wulfric.
She clearly had no intention of leaving.
Whatever she had overheard, she wanted answers.
Immediately, Hugo let out a tired breath and dragged a hand down his face.
"How long were you listening?"
Morgana crossed her arms.
"That doesn't answer my question."
Hugo's expression hardened.
This time his voice came lower.
Sterner.
"How long, Morgana?"
For a moment, she tried maintaining the same defiant expression.
But slowly it cracked.
Embarrassment mixed with frustration.
"…The part about Gareth Whitehill and Nimue Del Fey."
Her voice sharpened.
"So the people we killed were—"
"We?"
Hugo cut in immediately.
One eyebrow rose.
"We?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"You speaking Francia now?"
Wulfric quietly looked away, already sensing where this was going.
Hugo folded his arms.
"Last I checked, you were safely on the ship while everything happened."
His tone became colder.
"For all you know…"
He pointed directly at her.
"…you heard nothing."
A tense silence settled inside the tent.
"And you will say nothing about this conversation."
"Dad—"
"No."
His voice rose slightly.
Morgana clenched both fists.
At this point tears had already begun gathering in her eyes.
Not from sadness.
From anger.
Raw anger.
"You won't let me fight."
Her breathing grew heavier.
"You keep hiding things from me."
Her voice cracked.
"Why?"
She stepped forward.
"I'm old enough to know what is happening."
Another step.
"I can help."
Then suddenly—
her eyes narrowed.
"And yet you let the new boy fight on his first day."
Her voice became sharper.
"What the hell was that?"
She pointed toward the tent entrance.
"The way he was fighting…"
Silence.
Then—
the words finally escaped.
"Ever since mother died…"
Her voice trembled.
"…you've changed."
Something shifted in Hugo's expression.
Immediately he stepped toward her.
Slowly raising his arms.
Trying to comfort her.
Trying to embrace her.
But Morgana shoved him away.
Hard.
Her breathing had become uneven now.
"You always do this."
Tears now rolled freely down her face.
"You always pretend everything is fine."
She pointed accusingly at him.
"You make me believe things are okay…"
Her voice broke.
"…then you go and do something worse."
Hugo remained silent.
She shook her head furiously.
"Mother died because of this."
The words hung heavily inside the tent.
"You never share anything."
"You never trust me."
A long silence followed.
Then Hugo slowly stepped forward again.
This time his voice was quieter.
Almost hollow.
"Sometimes…"
He paused.
"…what we must do is bigger than a few people."
The words settled heavily between them.
Morgana stared at him.
At first confused.
Then irritated.
Then something far colder.
She blinked slowly.
"…So mother is a few people now?"
Silence.
She looked away.
Her eyes briefly landed on Wulfric.
He looked uncomfortable enough to avoid meeting her gaze.
Without another word, she turned and stormed toward the exit.
Then suddenly—
she stopped.
Her back still facing them.
Her voice came quieter now.
But somehow more painful.
"Whatever it is you're doing…"
A pause.
"…I hope you don't lose me before realizing how wrong you were."
Then she pushed through the tent flap and disappeared into the night.
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Hugo stood staring at the entrance long after she had gone.
Finally—
he exhaled.
Wulfric leaned against the war table.
"You could have told her something."
No answer.
Wulfric continued.
"She is your last surviving hope of the Von Baldwin line."
Only then did Hugo slowly sit down.
He suddenly looked far older than before.
"…I'll think about it."
Outside the tent, Aldreic had just approached carrying himself stiffly as always.
He had finished helping with the supply crate Morgana had assigned him.
The moment he spotted her, he spoke plainly.
"I finished putting the crate where you said."
Morgana didn't even slow down.
"Piss off."
She brushed past him immediately.
Aldreic stood frozen.
He stared ahead.
Then quietly muttered to himself.
"…What exactly did I do?"
Night had fully settled over camp.
A large bonfire burned brightly near the center, sending dancing orange light across the dark settlement ruins.
The smell of cooked meat mixed with smoke as exhausted mercenaries laughed loudly, passing around wooden cups and celebrating another successful battle.
Nearby, Aldreic sat quietly on an overturned barrel.
Several mercenaries had gathered around him.
The curiosity had become impossible to ignore.
One man grinned.
"So…"
He leaned closer.
"Where exactly did you learn to fight like that?"
Another mercenary laughed.
"That wasn't normal."
A third joined in.
"What kind of training did your parents put you through?"
Aldreic simply stared into the fire.
Thinking.
One of the older mercenaries suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Wait."
His expression changed.
"I remember the father."
Several men turned.
"The man we fought."
His brows furrowed.
"That swordsmanship…"
Silence.
Then slowly—
"Who exactly was your father?"
At that exact moment—
Morgana appeared carrying two wooden bowls, steam rising softly from the hot soup inside.
She stopped immediately.
Her eyes narrowed.
Then suddenly—
she remembered the conversation inside the tent.
They weren't supposed to know.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward.
"You."
Her eyes met Aldreic's.
"Come with me."
The mercenaries immediately began making teasing sounds.
"Ooooooh."
One of them laughed loudly.
"Look at that."
Another smirked.
"Boy moves fast."
Morgana rolled her eyes.
Ignoring them completely.
Aldreic stood.
Then quietly followed her.
She led him toward the edge of the nearby forest.
Not far enough to leave camp.
But far enough that the warmth of the bonfire no longer reached them.
Only moonlight filtered softly through the trees above.
The sounds of celebration had become distant now.
She sat down first.
Then handed him one bowl.
Aldreic accepted quietly.
For several moments—
neither spoke.
Only silence.
The awkward kind.
The kind that stretches too long.
Finally—
Morgana spoke first.
"…I'm sorry."
Aldreic looked up.
She kept staring at the ground.
"For how I reacted earlier."
Aldreic blinked.
Inside his mind—
So she does know how to apologize.
He looked down at the bowl.
"It's nothing."
She hesitated.
Then looked toward him.
"Don't you want to know what happened?"
Aldreic thought for a moment.
Then quietly answered.
"I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to react to things like that."
Morgana frowned slightly.
Aldreic stared upward toward the night sky.
The stars reflected faintly in his eyes.
Inside his own thoughts—
At one point…
I don't remember when…
I also needed someone to hear me.
A strange feeling stirred quietly inside his chest.
Something old.
Something distant.
Then he lowered his gaze toward Morgana.
"But…"
A pause.
"…I'd be willing to listen."
Morgana froze.
For several moments, she said nothing.
It had been a long time since someone simply offered to hear her.
Not fix things.
Not dismiss her.
Just listen.
Her expression softened.
Finally—
she spoke quietly.
"…I'm sorry about your parents."
The words hit instantly.
Aldreic froze.
The spoon in his hand stopped moving.
Silence.
The distant laughter from camp suddenly felt impossibly far away.
Morgana noticed immediately.
Something had changed.
The air itself felt heavier now.
Aldreic slowly lowered his bowl.
His eyes remained fixed downward.
Expressionless.
But somehow emptier than before.
Morgana stared at him.
She could feel it.
He was retreating.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Something inside him had pulled away.
The silence stretched painfully.
Cold wind moved gently through the trees.
Neither spoke.
Finally—
Morgana stood.
A strange guilt had settled inside her chest.
She had no idea why.
She looked down at him one final time.
Then quietly said—
"The commanders want to see you."
Aldreic remained silent for another moment.
Then finally stood.
Minutes later—
while laughter and celebration still echoed throughout camp—
Aldreic stepped into the command tent.
Hugo stood beside the war table.
Wulfric remained seated nearby.
Aldreic stood upright immediately.
His face unreadable as always.
"Vice Captain Hugo."
His eyes shifted.
"Captain Wulfric."
Then calmly—
"You sent for me."