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Liam glanced at Blake, but offered no response. His gaze shifted to Sophie, and a complex mix of emotions flickered in his eyes.
“General Devin, may we speak privately?” he asked.
Sophie, still holding her Rose Spear, nodded. “Certainly.”
Liam looked at the Rose Spear with a deep sigh. “No weapons. But if you’re concerned, you may bring another person. I will approach alone.”
“Sophie, I’ll come with you,” Violet immediately said.
However, Sophie pointed to Blake. “You should come with me.”
Blake was initially stunned, but he quickly nodded in agreement. “Alright!”
He needed to know where Freya was, and whether she was alive or dead. Still, he was puzzled as to why Sophie chose him instead of her own friend.
Liam approached without any weapons, and Sophie handed the Rose Spear to Violet. Blake hesitated for a while, reluctant to put down his sword
“If it comes to fighting, we can begin immediately. With just our two thousand men against their hundred thousand, there’s no chance,” Sophie said coolly. Only then did Blake lower his sword and walk alongside Sophie.
They reached a point where there was a five-pace gap between the two armies. The wind howled, so the distance made it difficult for anyone else to overhear their conversation, unless it was Violet and Sophie’s other friends.
Liam observed the slender woman in front of him. Though unarmed, her confidence and dignified presence belied her age of barely twenty. She stood before him with no trace of hesitation or caution, exuding an air of grace and composure.
In contrast, Blake’s gaze was sharp, and he was scanning the surroundings with evident suspicion and caution.
Though Liam knew of Blake, their only encounter had been from afar after the Westhaven troops had retreated from Victory Pass.
Liam bowed slightly, and addressed Sophie. “I am Liam Tudor, the marshal of Westhaven. General Devin, your demeanor indeed reflects the excellence of your lineage. The apple does not fall far from the tree.”
His tone was admiring, but his eyes revealed a complex mix of emotions.
Sophie didn’t return the bow. She merely stood silently with a cold expression.
Blake also didn’t bow. Instead, he stared at Liam, and demanded, “Where have you taken Freya? Is she dead or alive?”
Liam glanced at him with visible disdain. “You’re Blake Jaffe, once General Devin’s husband and now Freya’s.”
As Liam spoke, he cast a contemptuous look at Blake.
Feeling the disdain in Liam’s gaze, Blake’s fists clenched in anger. “I only ask you this: is Freya dead or alive? You have no reason to mistreat or kill prisoners of war!”
Liam’s eyes were as cold as steel, and they were fixed sharply on Blake’s face. “You have no right to say such things.”
Blake felt a shiver under the intensity of Liam’s gaze, and instinctively took a step back.
Liam was obviously reluctant to engage in conversation with Blake. He stood before Sophie, his expression a complex mix of emotions.
“General Devin, the massacre of your family was not my order,” he began, his tone earnest.
“The leader of our spies issued that command. He did it because he learned that Freya’s forces had wiped out several villages in Fawnrun City, and that she had subjected a prisoner of war to inhumane treatment.
“Our king and the entire Westhaven court uphold a strict policy: issues on the border should not involve the lives of civilians. We do not condone the slaughter of innocents, especially not the elderly, women, and children of an entire family.
“While your kingdom’s general had committed grievous acts, I must apologize on behalf of Westhaven for everything they have done.”
Blake was stunned. “W-What nonsense are you talking about?”
Liam paid no attention to Blake, and continued to address Sophie.
“Our king and everyone in our court holds the late marshal in high regard. Despite leading armies. against us, General Devin strictly adhered to the agreements between our nations. He never harmed a single civilian from our kingdom. Each time he waged war, he withdrew his forces once he reached” the border your kingdom set. I am deeply sorry for the tragedy that befell your family. It is a debt that Westhaven owes you.
He paused, then added somberly, “A debt owed only to your family-the Devins.”
Liam did not mention the matter of Arthur’s disgrace and subsequent suicide. The only justification for the massacre was Freya’s destruction of villages. Westhaven owed nothing to Starhaven, only to the Devin family.
THE
As a military general and soldier, Freya had committed crimes against the civilians of Fawnrun City..
However, the Devin family was made up of the elderly, women, and children. All the men of their family had died on the battlefield.
Liam couldn’t accept that Freya had mistreated Arthur so cruelly, nor could he accept that Westhaven spies had slaughtered the entire Devin family.
Liam had apologized to Sophie, but Arthur would never receive an apology from Freya.
As for the battlefield on the Southern Frontier, their men’s killing of Starhaven soldiers might have been seen as revenge, though Westhaven soldiers had suffered greater losses.
Nevertheless, these issues must be resolved. The two kingdoms couldn’t remain forever hostile. They were neighboring nations and major powers. They needed to engage in trade, cultural, and technological exchanges.
That was Liam’s perspective.
It was also Rafael’s perspective; otherwise, this meeting between Liam and Sophie would never have occurred.
After a long silence, Sophie lifted her head. Her eyes were red, and she struggled to hold back tears, determined not to let them fall.
“Freya and several hundred soldiers with her have likely been killed or severely wounded and humiliated. Your revenge is complete. However, I know that the Westhaven spies who massacred my family have returned to your country. My revenge is not yet fulfilled. What I am owed, I will have them pay with their lives,” she said firmly.
Liam looked at her, his gaze full of sorrow and complexity. “If that’s the case, then the debt is settled. I’ve killed all the Westhaven spies who returned. General Devin, you can grieve in peace. But know that the sorrow in Westhaven can’t be measured. It is a perpetual shame and an eternal pain of our kingdom. Even if Freya and her soldiers are killed, it will never be erased.”
Sophie nodded silently, understanding his meaning. “I am not in a position to apologize on behalf of anyone, but this matter is also a source of pain and shame for those of us in Starhaven who are aware of it.”
At these words, Liam’s eyes became red, as if the wind had harshly touched them. His shoulders slumped slightly. “General Devin, your words hold great significance for me, him, and the Starhaven royal family.”
One of the young soldiers beside Liam suddenly broke down, covering his face with tears. Moments ago, he had been standing there filled with hatred and anger. Yet Sophie’s words had comforted him, leading him to lose control and weep.
Liam, Edmund, and Sophie all had pains they could not reconcile. But for the greater good, they had to reconcile in a broader sense.
Liam then turned to Blake, whose face was ashen, “Do you want to know what your wife nas done? Go up the mountain. Their current state is a reflection of the sins they have committed,”
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Liam and Edmund left with the Westhaven soldiers.