When she got up in the morning, Seweina changed back into her silver-white armor, and her entire demeanor returned to that of the “Valkyrie” who made the enemies of the North tremble in fear.
She stood at the gate of the ancient castle, holding the reins of the tall black warhorse, looking at the crowd.
“Thank you for your hospitality these past few days. I should return to the fortress.”
“Mm, take care on the road.”
Rex drank his tea unhurriedly.
Seweina looked at him, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
“I’ll come again.”
Then her gaze turned to Li Ya standing behind Rex.
Li Ya had her arms crossed, her expression as if saying, “You’re finally leaving.”
Seweina said with a meaningful tone, deliberately: “Take good care of him. Otherwise, I’ll come back for you.”
Li Ya: “???”
“You—what do you mean?! What do you mean ‘otherwise I’ll come back for you’? I… why should I take care of him? He’s a grown man, does he need me to take care of him? And what do you mean by coming back for me? What do you want with me?!”
Seweina did not answer her.
She just let out a loud laugh, pulled the reins, “Rex! If you have nothing to do, you can come visit my fortress. And while you’re at it, give the soldiers a proper lesson with your swordsmanship!”
“Let’s talk about it later. I’m still busy now.”
Rex waved his hand.
Seweina didn’t say more.
The black horse neighed, its four hooves lifted off the ground, and it shot out like the wind.
Li Ya stood beside him, her face still red, muttering under her breath: “What kind of person… speaks without beginning or end…”
—
After galloping some distance on the way back to the fortress, Seweina gradually slowed down.
She subconsciously reached up and touched the earring on her right ear.
Something she had worn for over twenty years, ever since she was a little girl, and had never taken off.
Until that day… that wooden stick precisely struck the earring, knocking it off.
Seweina smiled gently.
“Fated person…” she murmured quietly. Then she wiped the smile off her face and sped up.
“Lord Governor!”
Seweina nodded, didn’t dismount, and rode directly through the training ground.
“Oris!”
She jumped off the horse and tossed the reins to a nearby soldier.
Sergeant Major Oris ran over from not far away, stopped panting, “Present! Lord Governor!”
“How have the training results been during my absence?”
“Reporting, Governor! During your absence, I didn’t let the recruits rest for a moment! I guarantee I’ve skinned them alive!”
Seweina nodded in satisfaction: “Very good! The entire army takes the day off. Everyone, relax.”
“…Huh? Yes?!”
“You heard me right. One day off. Tell the kitchen to add a few extra dishes.”
“What are you standing there for? Go pass the order.”
“YES!!!”
Oris turned and ran, his voice loud enough for the entire fortress to hear: “The Governor orders! The entire army takes the day off! The kitchen adds dishes!!!”
As soon as he said that, cheers erupted from all directions, like a boiling pot.
Seweina turned and walked toward her office, with the soldiers’ laughter and shouts rising and falling behind her.
That was a sound of joy that the Northern Iron Cavalry Fortress had not heard for a very long time.
She sat at the desk, spread out a blank sheet of letter paper, and picked up a quill.
The nib hovered above the paper, pausing for a moment.
She was thinking about how to write.
“Rex von Klein, Northern fiefdom, resides in the ancient castle…”
In the content, she did not write about her earring.
She folded the letter paper and stuffed it into an envelope.
“Adjutant. Send this letter back to the Empire Capital. Give it to Lord Prime Minister.”
“As you command.”
The adjutant took the envelope and turned to leave.
Seweina leaned back comfortably in her chair, reached up and pulled off the earring from her right ear.
She held it up to her eyes and looked at it against the light from the window.
Those fine patterns looked like some kind of ancient script, writing something she couldn’t understand.
“This earring, only your fated person can take it off.”
Her mother’s voice surfaced from the depths of memory.
At that time, she was very young, so young that she had to stand on tiptoes to see herself in the mirror.
Her mother crouched behind her and put this earring on her.
“It will be taken off in a way you wouldn’t expect,” her father added with a smile beside her.
“Maybe on the battlefield or at a banquet, or some moment you never anticipated.”
“And what if he never shows up?”
Little Seweina asked.
Her father and mother exchanged glances.
“Then just keep wearing it. It doesn’t matter anyway.”
Seweina put the earring back on, her fingers gently stroking the wooden surface.
She suddenly laughed out loud.
The laughter echoed in the empty office, carrying an indescribable emotion.
“I never thought it would actually be like this, Father, Mother.”
“My fated person…”
She murmured once more.
Then she pulled her thoughts back, casually picked up the report on the border patrol on the desk, and began reading it.