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Dawn broke without mercy.
No softness.
No warmth.
Just a cold, pale light stretching across the horizon—
like a warning.
---
The Blackwell army stood ready.
Rows of soldiers in dark armor.
Horses restless beneath the early chill.
Banners bearing the Blackwell crest fluttering against the wind.
Silence filled the field.
Not fear.
Not hesitation.
But anticipation.
---
Rosy stepped forward.
No—
Isle.
Clad in black armor that fit her like a second skin, her long dark hair tied back, her purple eyes sharp and unwavering.
The moment she appeared—
The entire army straightened.
Respect.
Fear.
Recognition.
---
"That's the Grand Duke…"
"She looks different today…"
"Stronger…"
---
Rosy heard them.
But she didn't react.
Inside—
Her thoughts were clear.
Focused.
---
This is my battlefield now.
---
She mounted her horse in one smooth motion, her posture flawless.
Natural.
Too natural.
---
…Why does this feel so familiar?
---
For a brief moment—
Her hands tightened around the reins.
Then—
Calm returned.
---
"Report."
Her voice carried across the field effortlessly.
---
A knight stepped forward.
"The convoy was attacked near the northern ridge. Survivors reported no insignia… but their movements were precise. Trained."
---
Rosy nodded slightly.
Not bandits.
Not random.
---
"Internal leak confirmed," she said calmly.
Murmurs spread.
---
"So it was planned…"
"From the court?"
---
Rosy's gaze hardened.
"Speculation is unnecessary."
Silence.
Immediate.
---
"We move," she continued. "No delays. No formations."
A pause.
Confusion flickered across a few faces.
---
"No formations?" a soldier repeated quietly.
---
Rosy looked at them.
Directly.
Sharply.
---
"If the enemy knows our movements," she said, "then we stop being predictable."
---
A beat.
Then—
Understanding.
---
"Yes, Grand Duke!"
---
The army moved.
---
The journey north was quiet.
Too quiet.
Even the wind felt like it was watching.
---
Rosy rode at the front, her expression unreadable, her senses sharp.
Every sound.
Every movement.
Every shift in the air—
Noticed.
---
This body…
---
She glanced at her hand on the reins.
Steady.
Controlled.
Strong.
---
Isle was never weak.
---
The realization settled deeper this time.
---
Not just in thought—
But in instinct.
---
---
By noon—
They reached the ridge.
---
The scene was exactly as reported.
Destroyed carriages.
Scattered supplies.
Blood staining the ground.
---
But no bodies.
---
Rosy dismounted slowly.
Her boots touched the ground—
And something shifted.
---
The air.
---
"…They're still here," she said quietly.
---
The knights stiffened.
"Milady?"
---
Rosy's gaze moved across the area.
Calm.
Sharp.
---
"Hidden."
---
A breath.
---
Then—
"Ambush."
---
Too late.
---
Arrows flew.
---
From the trees.
From the cliffs.
From everywhere.
---
"SHIELDS UP!"
---
Chaos erupted instantly.
---
But Rosy—
Didn't move.
---
Not in panic.
---
In precision.
---
Her hand moved to her sword.
---
And in one fluid motion—
She drew it.
---
The sound of steel cutting through air echoed sharply.
---
An arrow—
Split in half mid-flight.
---
Silence—
Just for a second.
---
Even the soldiers froze.
---
That…
---
Wasn't normal.
---
Rosy blinked.
"…I did that?"
---
But there was no time to think.
---
"Form defensive lines!" she ordered.
Her voice cut through the chaos.
"Push them out of hiding!"
---
"Yes, Grand Duke!"
---
The soldiers moved.
Faster.
Sharper.
More confident.
---
Because she was there.
---
Leading.
---
Another arrow—
She dodged it effortlessly.
---
A man lunged from the shadows—
Blade aimed for her throat.
---
Rosy moved before she even thought.
---
Step.
Turn.
Strike.
---
Clean.
Precise.
---
The man fell instantly.
---
Her breath didn't even hitch.
---
Silence fell around her.
---
The battlefield slowed.
---
Not because the fight ended—
---
But because something changed.
---
The soldiers stared.
---
"…She's incredible…"
"That's why she's the Grand Duke…"
---
Rosy stood still for a moment.
Her sword dripping faintly.
Her expression calm.
---
This isn't me.
---
But it was.
---
And it wasn't.
---
This is Isle.
---
---
"Fall back!" a voice shouted from the enemy side.
---
The attackers retreated quickly.
Too quickly.
---
Rosy's eyes narrowed.
"…They're testing us."
---
A knight approached.
"Should we pursue?"
---
She shook her head.
"No."
---
A pause.
---
"They want us to chase."
---
The knight nodded immediately.
"Understood."
---
---
As the battlefield settled—
The tension didn't.
---
Because this wasn't victory.
---
It was—
A message.
---
We're watching you.
---
---
That night—
The camp was quieter than usual.
---
The soldiers respected her more now.
That much was clear.
---
But Rosy sat alone.
By the fire.
---
Her sword resting beside her.
---
"…That felt too natural," she whispered.
---
She remembered every movement.
Every strike.
Every reaction.
---
Not learned.
---
Remembered.
---
"…Who are you, Isle?"
---
"Finally asking the right question."
---
That voice again.
---
Rosy didn't turn.
"…You followed me."
---
"Of course."
---
He stepped into the firelight.
Shadows dancing across his sharp features.
---
"You didn't think I'd let you fight alone, did you?"
---
Rosy glanced at him.
"…You didn't help."
---
"I didn't need to."
---
A pause.
---
"You handled it perfectly."
---
Something in his tone—
Different again.
---
Not teasing.
---
Not mocking.
---
Almost…
Proud.
---
Rosy looked away.
"…It wasn't me."
---
He stepped closer.
Slowly.
---
"It was."
---
She frowned slightly.
"No. That was Isle."
---
A small smile formed on his lips.
---
"And what makes you think you're different?"
---
Silence.
---
The fire crackled softly between them.
---
"…I remember things I shouldn't," she admitted quietly.
---
His gaze sharpened.
---
"Good."
---
She looked at him.
"…Good?"
---
"It means the story is breaking."
---
A pause.
---
"And when it breaks…"
His voice lowered.
---
"Everything comes back."
---
Rosy's breath slowed.
---
"…Everything?"
---
He leaned slightly closer.
---
"Even me."
---
Her heart skipped.
---
Just for a second.
---
"…You're really annoying," she said, looking away.
---
A soft chuckle.
---
"But you're curious."
---
She didn't deny it.
---
Because she was.
---
About him.
---
About Isle.
---
About everything.
---
---
The fire flickered.
---
The night deepened.
---
And far beyond the camp—
---
Someone was watching.
---
Waiting.
---
Planning.
---
Because this war—
---
Was only the beginning.
---
End of Chapter 6