After hearing that from Mina, Jennie stood still as she thought for a while, then she smiled pleasantly: "You are quite concerned for him."
"Your highness! This maid, this maid was just..."
"You do not need to explain to me. Men grow up to marry and women grow up to be married, that's the way things are. If he feels the same towards you, I can release you from the palace, it is no issue. Ah, if there comes a day where the two of you do tie the knot, that quote rings true—the fated is bound by string even through thousands of miles."
Jennie observed Mina's face as she said that, while her own expression remained as mild as always.
"Your highness!" Mina's face turned thoroughly red, and she fidgeted where she stood.
"Jieun, bring your medicine box. Come with me and Mina."
"Right away, Your highness."
Just like that, Jennie took Mina and Jieun to Lisa's tent.
Since Mina had said earlier that Lisa was unconscious, they entered the tent without announcing themselves.
Jennie stared at Lisa blankly when she entered the tent. Wasn't this person perfectly fine?
As it happened, Lisa had already woken up some time ago. Now she was sitting on her bed, tracing her hand on the surface of a wooden board she was holding. She was staring at the wooden board, lost in her thoughts.
Sunken so deep in her own emotions, Lisa did not notice Jennie walking in with Mina and Jieun.
Jennie called softly to Lisa: "Battalion Commander, I have brought my female doctors to check on you."
Hearing someone calling her, Lisa looked up slowly, but she did not react when she saw Jennie standing a short distance away. She simply looked at her without expressing surprise or greeting her, then she lowered her head again.
However, Jennie saw her current state clearly. She had never seen Lisa like this before. The person she was seeing right now overturned everything she previously knew about Lisa.
Lisa's eyes were frighteningly red, evidently a sign of high temperatures in the body. But what affected Jennie the most was the lost and empty look in Lisa's eyes.
Lisa's expression seemed as if she had lost her soul, and all sense of self.
Jennie stood still. She did not move, or say anything about Lisa's 'disrespect'.
For some reason, her heart ached uncontrollably when Lisa gave her that look.
Lisa's gaze pierced straight to the bottom of Jennie's heart, hitting the softest part of it.
"Since the Battalion Commander is awake, the two of you can wait outside first."
Actually, Jennie had already thought of a 'countermeasure' on the way to Lisa's tent.
If she were to find even a sliver of 'affection' in the way Lisa looked at Mina, she would let Mina stay in the military camp, as a 'gift' to Lisa.
With that, she could sort Lisa in the periphery of her camp, and then proceed from there...
Additionally, she could even let Mina become her own 'eyes', keeping Lisa's every move under surveillance.
That was why Jennie decided to come with Mina using a random excuse, so that she could observe Lisa's reaction with her own eyes. It would help with building her future plans.
But despite Jennie's countless expectations and calculations, she hadn't calculated seeing a Lisa so lost, so distracted, it hurt just to see her.
When Jennie saw Lisa like this, she abruptly changed her previous idea of using Mina to rope in Lisa.
For no reason. She simply did not want to.
Receiving orders from Jennie, Mina took one last, lingering look at Lisa, then the two of them silently left Lisa's tent to stand guard outside.
Jennie stood still, musing silently for a long while, then she walked slowly towards Lisa's bed, her long palace dress trailing behind her.
"Battalion Commander..."
Hearing Jennie's quiet and gentle voice, Lisa looked up slowly after a long pause. She looked at Jennie with empty eyes, and she muttered: "My whole family is dead. My entire village is dead."
Jennie felt her heart tighten, as if a large and invisible hand was gripping her heart fiercely, causing it to throb in pain.
Lisa was not crying.
There was not even any sorrow in her expression. Her tone seemed almost like belated realization, as if she had been dreaming for years, only to wake up all of a sudden and find that the world she knew was lost to time.
Vicissitude, and despair.
Jennie remained silent for a long time. She moved her lips, wanting to say something, but she couldn't find the right words, hence she said nothing.
Jennie had lived most of her life in the palace. While she treated others with manners and courtesy, it did not mean that she had a good heart.
By the time she had gotten used to the sight of mutual deceit, fratricidal fighting, and the King's ruthlessness, even the softest heart would have long since been frozen solid.
However, faced with this side of Lisa, Jennie found herself at a loss for words. She had never seen anything like this in the palace.
This sort of exposed weakness and helplessness was a big taboo for all of those who lived in the palaces.
Lisa looked at Jennie for a long time.
Seeing that Jennie was not answering her, Lisa split her mouth into a smile. Her dry lips began tearing in small places at once, forming small drops of blood. But Lisa gave them no notice.
Lisa did not wait any longer for Jennie's 'answer'.
She looked down again, lightly tracing the wooden board in her hand, her mind in a distant place.
"What is this? Can you tell me?"
"This is a wooden board I brought from my hometown." Lisa answered mechanically.
"Then what are those scratch marks on it?"
"I carve a mark on it for each Hun that I kill. For a whole village of a hundred and eighteen, the Huns owe me a hundred and eighteen lives.
Jennie looked at the numerous marks on the wooden board, and the air suddenly felt cold in her lungs.
At this very moment, she finally understood how Lisa, despite seeking no wealth or fame, could fight with such ferocity and disregard for his own life.
The truth was that this person had not entered the military to seek protection as an orphan. It was for the sake of revenge!
"I'm sorry." Jennie said softly.
Lisa did not answer.
Jennie continued to say: "I am the Eldest Princess of the kingdom. Thousands upon thousands of the common people in the kingdom are my father's people. The court has failed to protect your village, I apologize to you in the court's place."
Lisa's head remained lowered. She did not speak, but Jennie noticed her fingers curling for a moment on the wooden board.
Jennie continued softly: "However, the conflict between Huns and the kingdom has persisted for hundreds of years. The Huns lurk in the north of the kingdom, while a few countries in the south show courtesy to the kingdom without sincerity. If the court focused entirely on warring with the Huns, a victory may be achieved, but it will leave the south defenses weak. By then, the countries from the south would surely gather their armies and march up north. Have you thought about how many villages, how many families, and how many children will step upon the same path as you had when that time comes?"
Lisa raised her head slowly.
Jennie looked into her eyes directly, finding that Lisa's gaze was gradually regaining its clarity.
And so, Jennie continued: "I know that you have great pain in your heart. Though I can see the hatred you bear for the loss of your family, the dead are in the past. Instead of staying submerged in revenge and hate, it would be better to think, think about how you can prevent others from experiencing the same tragedy that you have experienced. You do have the ability, don't you? I just don't know why you are always avoiding it. I don't make mistakes in judgement."
"I..." Lisa looked straight into Jennie's eyes. Her eyes flickered with light.
Jennie gave Lisa a comforting smile.
Looking into Lisa's eyes, she continued with a gentle voice: "If you are just one soldier, the number of enemies that you can kill in a battlefield are still limited no matter how valiant you may be. And besides, you never know when you'll end up fallen in the battlefield. But if you became a pioneer commander like Jackson, you'll be able to command a troop. To lead them from the front is up to you, and to strategize from behind is also up to you. One excellent pioneer commander can lead his troop to annihilate a squad of Huns. If there ever comes a day where you become a General like my uncle, then the lives of thousands upon thousands of common people who live on the outskirts of the kingdom will fall on your shoulders. That is when you will have the ability to protect countless little Liams, allowing them to live in a peaceful village with a complete family."
Jennie smiled as she watched Lisa's eyes light up, then she added: "If it's you, you just might actually become a good General."
"Your highness..."
Lisa stared at Jennie.
Hearing everything she had just said, Lisa felt as if she had just been pulled up from the deep waters when she was drowning.
Jennie looked at Lisa.
Suddenly, she found traces of sentiment and dependence in Lisa's eyes.
Jennie's heart skipped, but she smiled, letting none of her reactions show: "You're recovering from serious injury, I will have Mina and Jieun simmer medicine and bring you food in a moment. Once you have taken the medicine and finished eating, please rest well. I will be leaving now."
With that said, Jennie left Lisa's tent leisurely, her long palace dress trailing behind her. The entire process was done just right.
Lisa watched her leave in a daze.
Gripping the wooden board in her hands, Lisa found herself wishing for Jennie to stay for a while longer, even just for a little bit.
But she was the Eldest Princess, high above her reach. What position was she in to invite her to stay?
Lisa did not understand what was happening to her.
After listening to Jennie's gentle guidance, she felt a strange, sudden surge of feelings towards Jennie.
She wanted to have Jennie stay by her side a little longer.
She wanted to talk with her again, or not talk about anything at all. Just being quiet together would be good too...
Those thoughts startled Lisa.
Her palms started to sweat, and even her heartbeat started to quicken.
Why am I thinking such things?
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