Quiet

Karl walked with his mother, Lady Eileen, and his wife, Princess Louise, through the cheering crowds and rows of standing guards, entering the thick, familiar gates of Carnford Castle Main Keep.

Outside was a tumult of victory and the ordinary bustle of life, interwoven with joy and sorrow. Inside, for the time being, they were cut off from the world in a peaceful space belonging to the family.

In the castle hall, warm flames danced in the fireplace. Lunch had already been laid out on the long table—not lavish, but carefully prepared: freshly baked rye bread, meat stewed until tender, locally gathered wild greens, and a small dish of precious honey. The plain fragrance of food filled the air, driving away the anxious atmosphere that had lingered in the castle for days.

The three of them took their seats while the servants stood quietly nearby.

After the bloodshed on the battlefield and the exhaustion of the long journey, sitting in a warm home and facing relatives who cared so deeply for him finally allowed Karl's tense nerves to relax a little.

"Eat something quickly. You must not have eaten or slept well on the way." Lady Eileen looked at her son's visibly thinner face with concern, her gaze continuing to sweep over him unconsciously, as though she needed to confirm once more that he was unharmed.

"Mother, I can do it myself." Karl took the bread, feeling the long-missed warmth of "home" and a wave of warmth well up inside him.

He obediently ate, knowing that only this could truly put his mother at ease.

During a pause in the meal, Lady Eileen was ultimately unable to hold back. With lingering fear in her voice, she cautiously asked about the battlefield again. "Karl... in Tyrol this time, you really... didn't