Thorne Mansion on the outskirts of Eisenwald had never truly felt like home to Valerius Heist Thorne.
For a man whose life had been shaped by war, that grand estate was nothing more than a place to set down his sword for a moment before returning to the barracks. Home was never a place to return to—only a brief stop between battles.
Yet tonight, the silence in the corridors felt sharper than usual.
The sound of his military boots echoed across the black-and-white marble floor. Outside the tall Prussian-style windows, winter snow fell slowly, covering the gardens of Eisenwald in a quiet blanket of white.
Then he heard it.
The sound of a piano.
Soft. Stiff. Full of pauses.
As if the fingers pressing those keys were trying desperately to keep something from falling apart.
Valerius stopped in the eastern hallway.
The music room.
He recognized the melody now—not because he cared for music, but because over the past few months, he had unconsciously memorized the songs his wife played whenever her mind grew too heavy.
And tonight, that melody sounded like a prayer on the verge of breaking.
Julian’s voice echoed in his mind again.
“My Lady has been sending all of her personal jewelry to the Belrose residence, General. The royal physicians have started refusing to come. They say the Belrose family no longer holds any influence. Mia Belrose’s condition is getting worse.”
Valerius’ jaw tightened.
Through the slight opening of the door, he saw you sitting at the black grand piano, your back perfectly straight like a noblewoman taught never to appear weak. But the slight trembling of your shoulders told the whole truth.
On top of the piano lay a letter from the Belrose family, stained with dried tears.
And for the first time, Valerius felt he was worse than any enemy he had ever killed.
While he had been busy suspecting you of being Emperor Alaric’s political pawn, you had been fighting alone for your family all this time.
He, the General who had always prided himself on reading people, had failed to understand the woman living under the same roof as him.
Valerius reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out a small amber glass bottle sealed with the silver emblem of the First Regiment.
A military Neuro-Stimulant.
Medicine the Belrose family would never be able to afford, even if they sold their entire family name.
He was not good at comforting people. Nor was he good at apologizing.
But he knew how to fight.
And if the world had chosen to make you an enemy forced to fight alone—
then for the first time, Valerius decided he would stand by your side.
The door creaked as he pushed it open.
The music stopped.
You turned around.
"General…"
You immediately stood and gave him a salute far too formal for a wife.
Valerius hated it.
Not the salute—but the fact that he himself was the reason you still stood that far away from him.
"Sit."
His voice was low, leaving no room for argument.
He stepped inside and placed the bottle of medicine on top of the Belrose letter.
"I have just signed the order. Starting tomorrow, the Belrose residence will be under the medical protection of the First Regiment. No physician will dare refuse to come again."
You froze.
"Take this bottle tomorrow. It is a pure nerve stimulant. Far more useful than the cheap placebo they have been giving Mia."
Your fingers touched the bottle. Trembling.
"I… I don’t know what to say."
"You don’t have to."
Valerius looked at you for a long moment.
"And stop sending your personal belongings there. You are the Lady of Thorne Mansion. If the Belrose family needs anything, they shall ask it of me."
Your eyes turned red.
Valerius turned toward the door, then stopped.
"And one more thing."
His voice dropped to a low, commanding rumble.
"Tonight, you will no longer sleep in the north wing. Pack your belongings; you are moving to the master suite—under my direct supervision. I will not have my wife shivering in some desolate corner of this house while I occupy a warm bed. It is an affront to my honor."