The tent flickered with candlelight.
A map lay spread across the long table, densely marked with symbols in black ink.
Duke Vennar’s finger was pointing at a winding dotted line, his face full of determination.
However, Count Harris stood opposite him, frowning.
“I’ve never heard of this mountain path before.”
Just now, they had received intelligence from Snake Eye, claiming they had found a secret mountain path that could lead directly to the rear of the Third Fortress.
If they could circle around, they could deliver a devastating blow to the Third Fortress.
But Count Harris always felt something was off about this.
Duke Vennar looked up at him.
“This is a quarry passage from long ago, abandoned for nearly a hundred years. Not many people know about it.”
Beside them, Callum from Snake Eye snorted coldly, his face full of mockery.
“Count Harris, we’ve been cooperating for so long, and you still don’t trust us, Snake Eye?”
Count Harris shook his head, his emotions not stirred by him.
“I’m just being cautious.”
Callum chuckled.
“Caution is good, but sometimes being too cautious can make you miss a great opportunity.”
Duke Vennar nodded.
“I think it’s worth a try.”
As he spoke, he turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
“I know what you’re worried about—that this might be a trap. But you need to understand, if you want to kill that king, being too restrained will never lead to success.”
The tent fell into a brief silence.
Duke Vennar continued:
“Besides, haven’t we relied on taking risks to get this far? The Third Fortress is as solid as iron. The Imperial Army’s commander has been replaced by Grand General Block. A frontal assault would cost too much.”
His finger landed on the winding dotted line again.
“If we can go around… this is a perfect opportunity, isn’t it?”
Count Harris didn’t speak, but the other noble commanders exchanged glances and then agreed.
—
On the night when Count Harris set out with Duke Vennar and the others leading the army, the moonlight was beautiful.
Since this was a surprise attack, Tia did not go with them.
She stood at the edge of the camp, watching the long column disappear into the night, silent.
“Miss, let’s go back.”
Margaret’s voice came from behind.
Tia turned around and nodded.
Late at night, she got out of bed, feeling restless in her heart.
‘Would Snake Eye really keep helping them like this? If so, what exactly was their goal?’
After pondering for a moment, she suddenly noticed that it was especially quiet outside.
This was the main camp of the Rebel Army.
Since most of the noble commanders had led their troops on the raid, few people remained here.
But even so, it shouldn’t have been this quiet.
She lifted the tent flap and stepped out.
Then she saw the distant sky ablaze with fire.
An arrow pierced the dead silence of the night and embedded itself in the ground beside her with a whoosh.
Tia’s pupils sharply contracted.
“Enemy attack—!”
The moment her shout left her mouth, the first wave of arrows fell!
The soldiers remaining in the camp were startled awake from their dreams and hastily joined the battle.
Although they had experienced many wars, they were no match for the Imperial troops swarming in like a flood.
One soldier after another fell, blood staining the camp.
With no other choice, Tia transformed into the Witch Nightingale, gripping the Empress Wand, and her magic power surged out like a tide.
A magic light barrier enveloped the entire camp.
Not only did it intercept the rain of arrows, but it also hindered the Imperial soldiers’ charge, giving the Rebel soldiers a moment to catch their breath.
That brief moment allowed the flustered soldiers to prepare for battle.
“Kill—!”
Someone shouted, and the Rebel soldiers’ morale surged.
Even though the number of soldiers in the camp was smaller than the Imperial army, under Tia’s leadership, they managed to hold their ground.
The battle lasted a full two hours.
When the Imperial army retreated, the camp was in shambles, littered with corpses.
Fortunately, they had stopped the Imperial attack and preserved the main camp of the Rebel Army.
After Celeste transformed back into Tia, she stood there, gasping for breath.
This battle had nearly exhausted her magic power.
Margaret stumbled over to her, her face pale.
“Miss! Are you all right?!”
Tia shook her head.
But after calming down, a strong sense of foreboding arose in her heart.
At this moment, the Rebel Army’s main camp was at its weakest.
The Imperial army had targeted this exact point to launch their surprise attack.
‘But… wasn’t the noble commanders’ plan to use the mountain path to raid the Third Fortress a secret? How did the Imperial army know?!’
If the Imperial army already knew this, then…
‘This was a conspiracy!’
Realizing this, she felt a chill run down her spine.
She wanted to send a message to Count Harris, to make him abort the raid, but it was already too late.
In the early morning after dawn, a few scattered defeated soldiers fled back from the mountain path, bringing news.
“Ambush… Snake Eye and the Imperial army set up an ambush together…”
That soldier was covered in blood, speaking haltingly.
“The mountain path… is a trap… We… we fell for it…”
The hearts of all the soldiers in the main camp sank at that moment.
After that, more defeated soldiers fled back, bringing with them the bodies of many people, including many noble commanders.
Even Duke Vennar was severely injured and carried back by his trusted men.
By the time Tia saw Count Harris, it was already dusk.
A troop of remaining soldiers, supporting several seriously wounded individuals, staggered toward the camp.
They were covered in blood, their faces full of exhaustion and despair, like ghosts crawling out of hell.
At the front was Commander Parker, with several new scars on his face.
Behind them, a war horse carried Count Harris.
His armor was already stained red with blood, and he was barely breathing.
—
In the tent, a single candle was lit, its light fairly bright.
Margaret knelt by the bed, holding Count Harris’s hand, tears silently streaming down her face. Her voice trembled.
“Master…”
Count Harris’s injuries were beyond healing, not to mention he had been hit by several poison arrows.
Count Harris looked at her, smiled with difficulty, and then said, “Margaret, go outside. I have something to say to Tia.”
Margaret looked at him, then at Tia sitting on the other side, and finally nodded, stood up, and left the tent.
The remaining time was for this father and daughter.
The tent flap fell.
In the tent, only Tia and Count Harris remained.
Tia sat by the bed, holding her father’s hand, biting her lip, and said in a low voice, “Father, I… I’ll send for a physician…”
Count Harris gently shook his head.
“No need. I know my own injuries. Sit down and talk with me.”
“No, you won’t die…”
Tia’s voice turned a bit hoarse.
Although she was not Count Harris’s real daughter, after so many years together, she still had some father-daughter feelings for him.
Count Harris coughed once, turned his head to look at Tia, and in his eyes, besides heartache and reluctance, there was a kind of relief and tranquility.
As if from today, he could finally let go of everything.
“Don’t be sad. Everyone dies. And actually, I’m quite happy.”
As he spoke, he gave a faint smile, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Seeing that he wasn’t just comforting her but genuinely happy, Tia was stunned.
“Happy?”
Count Harris’s gaze passed over her and landed on the top of the tent, as if he could see through it to the pitch-black sky and a distant past.
“I’ll be seeing them soon.”
“Them?”
“Mm, my wife, and my daughter.”
His words were filled with nostalgia, and the moment Tia heard them, her breath stopped.
She was silent for a long time before slowly saying, “You… already knew?”
Count Harris looked at her, his smile growing even gentler.
“I knew from the day you arrived. After all, what father wouldn’t recognize his own daughter?”
Tia’s pupils slightly contracted.
“No matter how well you played the part, you were never her. Those habits, those details, those fleeting glances—they already revealed your identity.”
“Then… why didn’t you expose me?”
Count Harris did not answer immediately. He pondered for a long time before saying softly:
“At first, it was because I wanted to treat you as her shadow, to deceive myself into thinking she was still alive. Later…”
He paused here, his expression turning bitter.
“I realized that you were never her, after all.”
How could Tia be the same as Count Harris’s real daughter?
Even identical twins who live together day and night would have differences.
The more Count Harris spent time with Tia, the more he knew that the girl in front of him was unlike his former daughter.
But…
“But the things you did—caring for the servants, showing concern for me—gradually made me feel that perhaps this was compensation from heaven.”
“My daughter was not as gentle and kind as you are.”
Count Harris laughed heartily, the nostalgia in his eyes growing stronger.
Tia lowered her head and bit her lip.
“I’m sorry for deceiving you for so long…”
“Don’t apologize. I should be thanking you.”
Lying in bed, Count Harris grew calmer, the rise and fall of his chest becoming fainter.
“Thank you for giving me these years of warmth. These years, I was very happy.”
He spoke each word deliberately.
Tia looked up at him, her eyes involuntarily reddening slightly.
Count Harris was quite carefree, not fearing the approaching death at all.
But soon, his bright eyes slightly dimmed, and he said with regret and hatred:
“It’s just a pity… the revenge, not yet taken.”