Mia tightly closed her eyes. She felt as if the chronic headaches from her previous life were returning. The unpleasant remnants of her dream still lingered vividly.
Yes, Étien had died for Mia.
It was hard to accept, but she couldn't believe the vision she saw last night was false.
At the time, Mia had been extremely tense and was convinced that the second son of the House of Rochefort held ill intentions toward her. She blamed all her misfortunes and unjust experiences on his political schemes.
Her own incompetence? Lack of effort? Sure, those might have played a bigger role in her failures. But Mia kept denying that fact until she could no longer ignore it. She had been capable—but also arrogant because of it. She never realized that this arrogance would lead to her downfall.
So Mia denied reality and directed all her anger at Rochefort. Since this time the Rochefort family was already in a secret conflict with the Blanchards, she thought it was a likely explanation.
But after getting rid of him, did she gain any recognition?
Étien was competent. Even after falling ill with a mysterious fever, he continued to fight. There was no one else who could replace him, so it was inevitable. The rank of legion commander wasn't something one could receive just because of their father's noble title.
After his death, the already struggling front lines quickly collapsed, and Etalon was overtaken. It might have been inevitable.
Where did it all go wrong? Looking back, maybe the problem started the moment they went to war.
In her previous life, there had been an explosion near a warehouse while they were stationed near the border. Naturally, this disrupted their food supply, and at the next destination—where they barely made it—half the soldiers were poisoned.
The local lord there was a lazy and greedy baron. Even with clear evidence in front of him, he kept denying any involvement.
To make matters worse, it was around this time that Étien Rochefort's mysterious illness began. Mia suspected this was also connected to the poisoning incident.
Among them, the legion commander was the strongest. While other soldiers collapsed easily, he endured the sickness for four years. That alone proved his strength.
But in the end, even his strong vitality failed. Though he could have avoided it, he died protecting Mia.
From that point on, the already unfavorable situation for Etalon became completely irreversible.
Mia buried her face in both hands.
Maybe the goddess hadn't wanted this war.
Or maybe she wasn't pleased with the path of the hero Mia had chosen.
And perhaps that's why Mia was allowed to return to the past.
Rochefort had given up all the glory he could've had—for Mia. The man she had caused to die was someone like that.
So she must never repeat the same mistake. That would be the right choice—for both the goddess and for Étien.
Mia decided to live this life for Étien. This time, she would protect him to the very end and ensure he received the glory he deserved.
Thinking of Étien, Mia quietly closed her eyes.
"Dear Goddess, I will do my best to support him. So please, this time… protect him."
It was a short prayer—just a way to reaffirm her determination.
The barracks were empty. It seemed Rochefort had business elsewhere again. Well, this suited a legion commander more than staying behind for days to nurse someone.
After confirming she was alone inside the tent, Mia got up. She felt strangely refreshed, as if someone had secretly healed her while she was asleep.
She checked her wounds, and her guess was right. There was no way her body could have recovered this much on its own without treatment.
"No… this isn't just healing. It's like someone poured pure divine power into me…"
The injuries that had been troubling her were now reduced to faint scars, and even her deep fatigue seemed to have disappeared.
Even priests known for their strong divine power didn't usually treat someone this thoroughly. Divine power, after all, was still power—and using too much of it could strain the body. If someone still used it to heal her…
"...It must have been Rochefort."
Who else would sneak into the commander's tent, touch nothing else, and only check on the patient?
"In my previous life, whether I got hurt or collapsed, he never once showed concern…"
She had never dared to hope for the concern of a cold and unkind commander like Étien Rochefort. But now that it was happening, it didn't exactly feel pleasant either.
The first thing Mia felt when Rochefort started acting out of character wasn't joy—it was fear. He just didn't suit the word 'kindness.'
Why was he doing things he never used to? Mia grumbled as she got ready to leave the tent.
"What did you say?"
"Are you deaf? I said you can't go in right now."
Mia, having healed, no longer needed rest and had come to interrogate a prisoner.
In her past life, the reason they had to hastily abandon the border camp—and the reason all her plans collapsed like a sandcastle—was the explosion that happened near here. To avoid repeating the same mistake, she needed to keep an eye on outsiders in advance.
She thought it would be as simple as walking in and getting a confession—but she hadn't expected this obstacle. The officer blocking her had been arguing with her for over ten minutes now.
Mia was used to hostility, but this level of rudeness was something new.
"Are the prisoners in bad condition?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Are you saying your personal judgment overrides the authority granted to me by His Majesty the Emperor?"
"If you saw with your own eyes how useless men climbed ranks just to sell out the country, you wouldn't think much of the Emperor's choices either."
…What?
Mia couldn't tell whether the man in front of her was someone the military truly needed—or just an idiot who didn't even care about his life. Regardless of her own shortcomings, Mia Blanchard wasn't someone to treat lightly. Even the Emperor hadn't dared ignore her, fearing the consequences.
So even before crossing the border, public opinion of me is already this bad…
Mia sighed. This was the kind of situation where she needed to maintain authority, but it was hard to stay calm when the other side refused to cooperate.
"Let's stop wasting time. Even if my title is honorary, I'm still the strategy officer of this legion. You don't seriously think your ridiculous insult would justify your actions in a military court, do you?"
"Hah. So the rumors were true—you're completely clueless. Do you really think anyone in this army sees you as a real soldier?"
Spit.
The officer spat at Mia's feet. The tension, already bad from the start, had now crossed the point where kind words could fix anything.
Mia didn't respond. Instead, she studied him closely. Showing her anger would only give him something to use against her. It was better to understand who he was—what kind of man was bold enough to behave like this?
"What, cat got your tongue? You gonna cry? Pathetic. How did someone like you get into politics? Probably seduced someone and stole their achievements—"
And then, just as the soldier was about to cross another line with his words—
"Lenard."
Mia remembered who he was.
The biggest stain on Marquis Lenard's family—François Lenard. Mia made it her business to expose tiny flaws and blow them into massive scandals, so there was no way she wouldn't know him.
And there was that other incident, too.
Mia smirked. It hadn't happened yet, but watching a future traitor walk around acting all high and mighty was laughable.
"…What?"
Though they held the same rank, he didn't like that she called him by name so bluntly.
"I've heard a lot about you. The rumors are quite colorful."
"What are you talking about—"
"A house like Marquis Lenard's could easily cover up your flaws. But seeing how they didn't… you must have caused quite the stir."
"…"
"I heard you missed promotions a couple of times. Something about causing trouble with your peers. Cleaning up that mess cost a fair bit of money. And in the end, you only got your current rank thanks to your father."
"What does any of that have to do with someone like you…"
"You're still not getting it?"
Mia smiled coldly.
"If your background had really been clean, do you think I wouldn't have looked into you before I arrived? I knew everything about this border garrison before I stepped foot here. And you're not worth being afraid of."
"You little…"
"Do you want to keep talking nonsense and get demoted in front of everyone, or will you step aside so I can see the prisoner?"
Leonard clenched his teeth tightly. His eyes, filled with hostility, locked on Mia like he wanted to burn a hole through her.
"You'll regret this."
"Maybe. But that would still make one of us."
With that, Mia turned her head away from him and stepped inside the building. The guards nearby hesitated briefly, unsure of what to do, but quickly moved aside under the weight of Mia's authority. The moment she disappeared inside, Leonard smashed his fist against the wall in frustration.
"Damn it…"
Inside the interrogation room
Mia's eyes adjusted to the dim interior.
There was a soldier tied to a chair. From the state of his uniform, he was clearly part of the enemy's scouting unit. His face was pale, and his breathing was uneven—he had taken a beating before she got there.
Still, he was conscious.
"You. You can speak the imperial language, right?"
The soldier didn't answer right away. His eyes darted toward her and then down again.
"I asked you a question. Can you speak?"
"…A little."
"That's enough."
Mia sat across from him and placed a notebook on the table.
"I'll ask you a few questions. If you answer honestly, I'll make sure you're treated fairly as a prisoner of war. But if you lie or stay quiet—well, I'm sure you can imagine what happens."
The soldier flinched.
"I'll answer…"
"Good. Let's start simple. Who ordered you to set the explosives at the supply post?"
The soldier blinked, confusion written all over his face.
"What? Explosives? I don't know anything about that…"
Mia narrowed her eyes.
"Lying this early in the conversation isn't a good idea."
"I swear! I didn't set any explosives!"
"Then who did?"
"…I don't know. Our squad's job was to gather information, not sabotage. We were never told about bombs."
Mia didn't believe him right away. But there was something in his voice—panic, yes, but also sincerity. If he was lying, he was good at it.
"Then what were you doing near our food storage that night?"
The soldier hesitated again, visibly sweating now.
"We were… following someone."
"Who?"
"I don't know. We were just ordered to tail them. It wasn't one of ours. We thought it was a defector from your side."
"…From our side?"
"Yes. They had no insignia and were wearing a cloak. We thought maybe they were switching sides. So we followed."
"And did you see what they did?"
The soldier nodded.
"They placed something near the storage. We thought maybe it was a signal or a message drop. Then there was a light, and—boom."
Mia stared at him, her mind racing.
So it wasn't the enemy directly. Someone else caused the explosion. Someone not wearing either army's uniform.
A third party?
That changed everything.
She stood up.
"That's enough for now. I'll have more questions later."
The soldier opened his mouth to ask something, but Mia was already heading toward the door.
Once outside, Mia paused, taking a deep breath.
If what the prisoner said was true, then there was someone else—someone manipulating things from the shadows. Someone who didn't belong to either side.
And if that person was still out there…
She had to find them. Before the past repeated itself.
Before Etien died again.
Later that evening – Commander's Office
"You spoke to the prisoner?"
"Yes."
Mia gave a brief nod to Lieutenant Harnel, the officer in charge of reporting to the commander in Leonard's absence.
"And?"
"It wasn't him. He says someone else planted the explosive. Someone wearing a cloak, no insignia. Could be a third party."
Harnel frowned.
"A third party? Here? That's…"
"Unlikely?" Mia cut in. "Yes. But not impossible. Not after what happened."
She handed over a page from her notebook. Harnel took it and skimmed the notes.
"I'll need to report this."
"Do it. But make sure the report reaches the capital without going through Leonard."
"…That could cause problems."
"Would you rather a repeat of last time?" Mia's tone was cold.
Harnel fell silent.
"I'll take care of it."
"Good."
As she turned to leave, Harnel hesitated.
"Lady Mia."
She paused at the door.
"I know what happened at Etien. I was part of the second wave sent to recover survivors."
"…Then you know why I'm here."
Harnel nodded slowly.
"I'll help however I can."
Mia gave him a small, grateful nod and left the room.
That Night – Barracks Courtyard
The stars were dim, hidden behind a veil of clouds. Mia stood alone in the courtyard, arms crossed.
She could still hear the screams from that night. The flames. The betrayal. Etien had fallen because they trusted the wrong people. Because someone had slipped past their watch. Because of her hesitation.
This time, she wouldn't hesitate.
She would find the one behind the bombing. Whether they were from the enemy, a third force, or someone within their own ranks—it didn't matter.
She would find them.
And she would end it.
Before anyone else died.
Before history repeated itself.