He wrote the same name in the dust over and over again. Then, gazing out at the landscape beyond the dirty windowpane, he released a deep sigh.
*"Ha-ah..."*
With that breath, Eloise's name—written in the dust—disappeared.
Though it would have had to be erased anyway, the fact that it vanished without a trace sent a painful ache piercing through some deep place in his soul.
He looked out the window again. He was in Penon, the capital of Gilia.
The view of Penon through the grime-streaked glass was, even at first glance, unpleasant.
And no wonder.
Gilia had ultimately lost the long war and been forced to pay enormous indemnities. The nation would be unable to afford any major state projects in the near future. It wouldn't even be able to consider rebuilding the war-torn regions.
This was exactly what Albion had aimed for.
Turbulent times had arrived. Railroads were being constructed across the steppes, and manual labor was increasingly replaced by machines.
Many people, considering this a dangerous trend, resisted these changes—but in the end, everyone would have to accept them.
In times of peace, a few years might mean nothing. But in an era like this, a few years of inaction would eventually drag Gilia down.
While Gilia marked time, other countries would rush decades into the future.
Though this was the result he had desired, seeing the reality with his own eyes left Ryan feeling even more unsettled.
*And yet, this is the last time.*
This was his final mission. Once it ended, he would never have to infiltrate an enemy country alone again.
Even thinking this, Ryan's face didn't brighten.
Honestly, he hadn't expected to end up in Gilia again.
His original plan had been simple: answer the summons, discover why he'd been called, finish the task, and leave the army immediately.
Of course, before that, he would make every effort to restore the honor of Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Wilgrave. But that could be done after retirement.
In fact, if he left the army, it might be easier. After all, Count Wallace pursued him so relentlessly precisely to force him out.
The Count feared that Ryan—by remaining in the military—would accomplish even greater heroic deeds and achieve greater fame. That would make him far more difficult to eliminate.
But this was his delusion.
*"Perhaps you'll leave the army and come under my wing entirely? I can grant you both title and lands."*
The prince whose life Ryan had saved had tried to recruit him several times.
If Ryan had possessed even the slightest desire for fame, he would have accepted the prince's offer without hesitation.
But back then, Ryan wanted nothing beyond completing his missions. So he'd refused.
Now everything was different.
**For the honor of Ryan Wilgrave.**
If he could stand before Eloise with dignity under this name, he was ready for anything.
Therefore, he'd intended—after hearing the reason for his summons—to resolve the matter successfully and quietly prepare for retirement.
Then accept the prince's offer and, as Baron Stanford advised, take a seat in the House of Commons to truly confront Earl Wallace.
He'd believed that then—*then*—he would be able to meet Eloise again and tell her his real name.
But the world is not arranged as we think.
He'd assumed he'd been summoned either because of business connected to the post-war settlement, or because Earl Wallace had raised another fuss under the guise of the Disciplinary Committee.
But contrary to his expectations, it wasn't familiar faces waiting for him at army headquarters—it was representatives of the royal family.
The moment he saw them, Ryan knew instinctively. The matter he'd been summoned for was far more serious than he'd imagined.
He was immediately taken to the palace, almost under escort. And there, he met the prince.
"Long time no see, Your Highness. But—"
"I'm sorry. Let's go further inside and talk first."
The prince apologized immediately upon seeing him. Ryan's face grew even more tense.
*Proceed further.*
If he was meant to meet someone in the depths of the palace...
The next day, Ryan left the capital immediately and headed south. Along the way, he repeatedly spotted the name "Feltham" on old signposts.
But he couldn't go to Feltham. From the moment he received a direct order from the Queen at the palace, he had become a man named **"Pierre Menard."**
A soldier of Gilia who had been captured after the war's end and was now returning to his homeland.
So the village called Feltham was unfamiliar to him.
Arriving at the southern port, he immediately boarded a ship bound for Gilia.
After the war, travel between countries had become freer. Besides Ryan, several other soldiers were aboard, returning to Gilia.
Ryan blended seamlessly into their group. His handsome face could be easily transformed with minimal cosmetics.
The soldiers of Gilia, returning to their homeland, befriended Pierre Menard readily—especially since he spoke the southern dialect of Gilia fluently.
By the time they disembarked, Pierre Menard could already replicate all five regional accents he'd heard aboard.
Then he contacted Albion's informants still operating in Gilia.
Continuing to gaze out onto the street, Ryan recalled the Queen's order—the one he'd personally thrown into the fireplace before leaving the palace.
Though Gilia had signed a peace treaty, it had secretly withheld troops.
Apparently, they planned to exploit the peaceful respite and attack again. He needed to discover where and how these forces would move.
This was Ryan's assignment.
The Queen had promised: if this matter concluded successfully, she would award Ryan the **Order of the Golden Laurel.**
It was the most prestigious order in Albion's history—bestowed upon only five people.
If he obtained it...
The Disciplinary Committee would no longer dare summon him. Anyone who received this order gained lifelong immunity from arrest, the right to kill up to ten people without prosecution, and the right to be buried in the capital's main cathedral.
Of course, an enormous cash prize, lands, and a title came with it.
Ryan wasn't interested in the latter. He simply wanted to present himself to Eloise with dignity—to spare her from suffering because of rumors about him in the future.
So now he found himself alone in the capital of an enemy nation.
Ryan looked up at the Penon sky, which looked ready to burst into snow at any moment.
*I told you I'd return before the first snow.*
His heart filled with impatience.
This year in Albion—as though continuing the abnormal summer weather—even in winter, temperatures hadn't dropped significantly.
Those expecting snow on the Great Feast day had regretfully concluded they'd only see it in the depths of winter.
So...
*I'll be able to return before the first snow.*
Just as he thought this, Ryan's gaze fell on a man walking down the street with his collar raised.
Ryan stood immediately. Then, moving quietly, he exited the building and followed at a distance.
The target was a trusted member of the Gilian royal family—a man who had no business being in such a slum.
*As reported.*
Part of Albion's army remained stationed in Gilia's royal castle. So to conduct anything in secret, they had to venture into the slums far from the palace.
Breathing in the cold air of a foreign country, Ryan followed him.
Along with white vapor, the name he pronounced like a prayer escaped his lips and dissolved into the wind.
The name of the one waiting for him in Feltham.
---
"Do they think I'm going to wait quietly?"
Eloise muttered, nearly shoving her clothes into her bag.
She felt unbearably ashamed of herself.
*If Ryan isn't coming, I can go myself!*
How had she not thought of such a simple thing sooner?
The moment the thought occurred to her, Eloise had run home and was now packing like a woman possessed.
Besides, there was a suitable pretext.
A building in the capital left to her father by his godmother. She could say she needed to go inspect it.
And truly, it *did* need inspecting.
When Eloise—like a madwoman—finished packing and descended the stairs...
"Are you really going to the capital?"
Julia stood there, arms crossed over her chest. Then, looking at Eloise, she said:
"I'm telling you, before you disgrace yourself by going to the capital—"
**"What? That Ryan has a woman named Sylvia?"**
"Huh?"
Julia's eyes widened when she heard Eloise speak the very words she'd been about to say.