The return gift for the Holy Knight Commander was finally complete.

  The warm evening breeze brushed across Luo Wei's face, carrying with it a drowsy lull. She pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing herself to stay alert despite the fatigue weighing her down.

  Roman and Rosie, now freshly dressed, came running over. But when they saw her tired expression, they slowed their pace, exchanging a glance.

  Miss looked exhausted—maybe they shouldn't bother her?

  The two children stopped a few steps away, standing quietly.

  "Why are you standing there like statues?" Luo Wei noticed them and waved them over. "Come here. Let me see if you washed your faces properly."

  Blushing, the pair shuffled forward, their steps hesitant.

  Luo Wei leaned in to examine their clean little faces. "Good. No dirty handprints. Looks like you didn’t slack off this time."

  Roman puffed out his cheeks proudly. "Miss, I washed really well! I even washed my hair!"

  Rosie glanced at him, her chin lifting in defiance. "Miss, I didn’t just wash my hair—I took a full bath with fragrant soap. Roman didn’t bathe at all. He just carried one basin of water into the washroom and spent ages admiring himself in the mirror. I saw him."

  "That’s not true!" Roman exclaimed, his voice rising. "I was combing my hair! Combing! Not admiring myself!"

  "Your hair is so short—why would you need to comb it for so long?" Rosie suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes gleaming with mischievous delight. "Miss, does Roman have lice?"

  "I don’t!" Roman’s face turned bright red, panic flashing in his eyes. He turned to Luo Wei, desperate to explain. "Miss, I swear I don’t have lice!"

  "All right, all right." Luo Wei patted his shoulder, her voice soothing. "You’re so clean—there’s no way you’d have lice. Rosie’s just teasing you."

  Rosie lowered her head, her tone soft with mock regret. "Miss, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have teased Roman. Now he’s going to hate me again."

  Roman immediately caught the trap in her words. "I’m not that petty! You’re the one who calls me 'little mouse' when Miss isn’t around, but when she’s here you call me Roman!"

  Rosie feigned hurt. "I thought calling you by your nickname would be more affectionate..."

  Roman snorted. "I’d believe you more if you didn’t have that smug look on your face when you said it."

  Luo Wei sighed inwardly. Why are they fighting again?

  She glanced around her courtyard, her thoughts drifting. Did I plant drama trees here? Why does every living thing that enters become so theatrical?

  Her gaze shifted back to Roman and Rosie.

  Come to think of it, Rosie had become much livelier since she started doing tasks with Roman. The two of them seemed to thrive on competition—it brought out the best in both.

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  After their bickering finally subsided, Luo Wei spoke. "Roman, Rosie—yesterday I mentioned a reward. Have you decided what you want?"

  The pair exchanged glances, then turned to Luo Wei with determined eyes. In unison, they said, "Miss, we want to go into battle!"

  "Go into battle?" Luo Wei frowned, her tone sharp.

  "Yes, Miss," Roman said, his small face tense with resolve. "We want to go to Gelu City and fight alongside Troy!"

  Rosie nodded, her voice steady. "Miss, we’ve been training with swords for a long time. We want to experience a real battle."

  "Absolutely not!" Luo Wei snapped. "How old are you? How long have you been training? And you want to go to war?"

  "Even in the strictest knight academies, children have to be at least fourteen before they can accompany knights to tournaments. To go to war, you need seven years of combat training and must be twenty-one before joining the army!"

  "You’re still children. You’ve only been training for half a year. Do you have any idea how dangerous a battlefield is? Troy doesn’t have time to babysit you. If you go, you won’t come back!"

  The two children were delusional. They’d swung a few practice swords and thought they could hold their own on the front lines. They had no idea they’d just be getting in the way.

  Luo Wei had always thought they were obedient and sensible. She never expected even good children could be this reckless.

  She said coldly, "Forget about Gelu City. I won’t allow it."

  "Miss!" Roman protested, his voice rising in desperation. "We don’t need Troy to protect us! We can protect ourselves! Please let us go!"

  "Miss, we won’t be reckless or cause trouble," Rosie pleaded earnestly. "We’re growing too slowly. The knight said only real combat can help us break through. We want to try."

  "That’s right! Troy said his swordsmanship improved because of real battles! Miss, please trust us—we really can fight!" Roman added, his tone full of conviction.

  Luo Wei laughed bitterly, her anger bubbling over. "You’re both short and skinny. Troy’s sword is taller than you are. What are you going to fight with? On the battlefield, one swing and you’d be cut in half. Do you think I’m joking?"

  "War is crueler than you can imagine. You’ve never seen how brutal the enemy can be. Prisoners either become slaves or prostitutes. Those who resist get their heads cut off and piled outside the city walls. Their bodies are thrown in the fields to feed wild dogs!"

  Roman and Rosie replied firmly, "We know. We’re not afraid!"

  Luo Wei felt her temples throb as she tried to contain her fury. She took a deep breath and softened her tone. "You might not be afraid, but I’ll be terrified if you go."

  "I’ll worry about whether you’re injured, whether you’re eating well or sleeping well. Do you really want me to lose sleep worrying about you?"

  "Besides, the war in Gelu City will end soon. I’ve already arranged it with the Church’s Cardinal. By the day after tomorrow, the Sebanli Duchy will withdraw. Even if you go, it’ll be pointless."

  Roman hesitated, doubt flickering across his face. But Rosie’s determination remained unwavering. "If Sebanli is withdrawing, wouldn’t that make it safer for us? Miss, I want to see the cruelty you described. I need to understand this world."

  Her words reignited Roman’s resolve. He straightened his back, placed his right hand over his left chest, and knelt on one knee like a true knight. Looking up, he said, "Miss, you always say that to get rewards, you have to put in effort first. I want to have the kind of power Troy has—the power to protect you. So I have to go out and test myself."

  Rosie followed suit, kneeling on one knee and gazing at Luo Wei with devotion. "Miss, in two months, I’ll be ten. Women get married and have children at twelve. I’m already grown up. Please let me go!"

  Luo Wei was silent for a long time. She’d never been a mother, but now she understood the pain of watching children grow beyond her control.

  Finally, she spoke coldly. "No matter how much you beg, my answer is the same. I refuse."

  Seeing the light fade from their eyes, she added mercilessly, "You don’t need to go out these next few days either. Stay home and reflect. When the war in Gelu City ends, I’ll let you out."

  Sometimes, parents didn’t need to respect their children’s wishes—especially when those wishes were suicidal.

  Luo Wei even instructed two maids to watch the little ones closely, in case they tried to sneak out in the middle of the night.

  Though she doubted they had the courage to defy her, it was better to be cautious.

  Night had fallen. Luo Wei changed into an elegant purple ball gown, took the tea Belial had packed and the sachet she’d prepared, and had Tom drive her back to the Academy.

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