The Night Before Battle

After Lady Eileen left, only Karl and Louise remained in the restaurant.

Faced with a table of almost untouched dishes, they lost their appetites. They silently ate a few bites each, then got up to wash and prepare for bed.

In the bedroom, the two lay on opposite sides of the bed, back to back, with a silent distance between them, as usual.

The moonlight outside the window was hazy, and the room was completely silent, with only the soft sound of each other's breathing audible.

Although Karl had appeared confident in front of his mother and wife, once he lay down alone, the worries and uncertainties he had suppressed during the day surged into his heart like a tide.

This proactive attack was extremely risky; as the commander, he bore the fate of the entire territory and the lives of countless people on his shoulders.

He tossed and turned, his mind racing, contemplating all possible battle scenarios and countermeasures, unable to fall asleep.

Just as he was feeling uneasy, Louise, who had been silent beside him, suddenly spoke softly. Her voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, carrying a slight tremor and a plea. "Karl, does... do you really have to go yourself?"

Karl was taken aback; he hadn't expected the Princess to bring up the same question again.

He replied firmly but as gently as possible, "Yes, Your Highness, the military order has been issued, and the entire army knows that I am in command. Changing commanders on the eve of battle is a major taboo in military strategy and will shake the morale of the army. I must go to this battle."

After listening, Louise sighed softly in the darkness and said nothing more.

She knew she couldn't change Karl's mind on this issue.

However, Karl's heart was stirred by the Princess's words.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually... I heard what you said that night."

Louise's body seemed to stiffen slightly.

Karl continued softly, "I heard you tell me to 'be careful'... but I was so sleepy at the time that I couldn't keep my eyes open and couldn't respond."

Louise's face flushed instantly in the darkness, a wave of shyness washing over her. She hadn't expected that her whispered words, uttered with such courage that night, would be overheard.

She instinctively tried to cover it up, her voice barely audible as she tried to explain, "Maybe... maybe I was just half asleep that night and was talking in my sleep..."

Karl sensed her embarrassment and chuckled softly, offering her a way out. "Perhaps, or maybe I was just too nervous and misheard in a dream."

This slightly teasing remark actually lightened the atmosphere.

Louise was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around, lying flat on her back, turning her head to look in Karl's direction in the dim light. Her tone became unusually serious and earnest. "But Karl, whether it's a dream or not... when you go tomorrow, you must be careful! Please don't... don't rush to the front yourself, just direct from the back, okay?"

Hearing her turn over, Karl's heart stirred, and he turned around to face her.

Their eyes met in the darkness. Although they couldn't see each other's eyes clearly, they could feel the genuine concern between them.

Karl nodded solemnly and promised, "Okay, I promise you. I'll be careful and I'll stay in the central command."

This simple promise seemed to have melted away some of the invisible barrier between the two.

Neither of them turned their backs to each other again; instead, they lay there flat on their backs.

In the stillness of the night, Karl's hand moved unconsciously, and happened to touch Louise's hand placed at her side.

Louise's fingers trembled slightly, and she subconsciously pulled back a little, but she didn't move them too far.

This subtle reaction stirred a strange impulse within Karl.

He hesitated for a moment, then tentatively moved his hand forward a little more, gently touching the Princess's cool and soft fingers again.

This time, Louise did not back down. Her fingers remained still, even relaxing slightly.

Karl's heart inexplicably quickened. Without further hesitation, he gently turned his wrist and, with tenderness and firmness, slipped his fingers through Louise's, interlocking them tightly.

The warmth and delicate touch of the other person's body emanated from his palms, and a strange, reassuring warmth instantly spread throughout Karl's body from their clasped hands.

His heart, which had been tense for months and accustomed to bearing everything alone, seemed to have found a harbor where it could temporarily find refuge.

All the anxiety, stress, and uncertainty of the day seemed to be quietly soothed by this silent hand-holding.

Louise neither struggled nor spoke, but simply let him hold her hand, feeling a slight, responsive pressure from his fingertips.

In this sudden, silent intimacy and comfort, Karl's tense nerves finally relaxed.

The fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days surged up like a tide. Holding the Princess's hand, his breathing gradually became even and long, and he finally fell into a deep sleep.

Louise listened to the steady breathing of the person beside her and felt the warmth and strength from his palm, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, seemed to settle down a little.

She gently squeezed his hand back, and in the darkness, she slowly closed her eyes as well.

On their last night before the battle, for the first time, the two were not back to back, but spent the night together in silent companionship.