#26. Preparation (3)
Sasha was deep in thought.
‘If I want this plan to succeed, I’ll need to prepare in advance.’
There were several things to take care of before Dmitri Volkov returned.
One of the most important was laying the groundwork for approaching the Grand Duke.
She couldn’t go directly to him—that would be too obvious. She had to be discreet and cautious.
‘Then it might be better to take the long way around.’
As she pondered, Sasha absentmindedly stroked the fur of the puppy sitting on her lap.
The injured puppy she had found by chance had recovered thanks to her and Pavel’s devoted care.
At first, she only meant to heal it and return it to where she found it. But no matter how long they waited, the mother never came back.
And the puppy, perhaps knowing she had saved its life, refused to leave Sasha’s side.
In such a short time, they had bonded. And Sasha couldn’t bring herself to release such a young creature back into the wild.
So the puppy became part of their household at the annex.
Now, some time later—
The puppy, now named Aika, had grown up.
Its once-scruffy gray fur now gleamed, and its bony frame had filled out.
Though its bright eyes and wet nose still looked adorably puppy-like, Aika had grown too large to be called small anymore.
Aika gave a soft bark at Sasha’s touch.
“Woof!”
The sound brought Sasha back from her thoughts.
The world outside was in turmoil, but here—it was still the same.
Peaceful. Quiet. And…
‘Looks like he still hates studying.’
Across from her, Pavel sat at his mahogany desk, holding a quill with a furrowed brow.
To someone unaware, he might have looked like a man buried in state affairs.
‘But really, he’s just doing homework.’
Sasha giggled softly, then composed herself.
“Pavel. How’s your homework going?”
“Not great.”
Frustrated by a problem he couldn’t solve, Pavel sighed heavily.
“Really? Then let’s take a break.”
Pavel’s hand paused, though he didn’t rise right away.
To his hesitation, Sasha gently coaxed him:
“You have to rest properly when it’s time to rest.”
Finally, Pavel closed his book and turned his head.
Sasha patted the empty seat beside her.
“Come sit here.”
Without protest, Pavel obeyed.
The closeness between them showed how strong their bond had become.
“Woof!”
Aika barked happily and leapt from Sasha’s lap to push her head against Pavel’s chest.
Pavel picked her up easily, the big dog panting happily in his arms.
He stroked her fur with practiced ease, and Aika responded with a contented grunt.
‘Seriously.’
Sasha narrowed her eyes.
‘I rescued and treated her, but she likes him more?’
It annoyed her slightly—but it was Pavel, so she let it go.
‘And besides… he makes that expression now.’
Sasha’s expression softened as she watched Pavel’s peaceful face while petting Aika.
Then, she spoke.
“Pavel, do you know who the Grand Duke’s closest aide is?”
Pavel looked up.
“My father’s aide?”
“Yes. Someone who’s often near him, and who he really trusts.”
“Hmm…”
Pavel thought for a moment.
“Igor Medvedev. They’ve been through wars together since they were young. I heard he’s the most trusted.”
Pavel recalled the man—a massive, rugged-looking middle-aged knight who always stood behind his father.
But despite his intimidating appearance, Pavel remembered hearing gentle, kind thoughts from him once—and that stuck with him.
And there was something else.
“He has a son a few years older than me. Father always praised him—said, ‘Why can’t you be more like him?’ even though we’re barely different in age.”
Pavel muttered with bitter self-mockery.
His rare encounters with his father always ended in anger, scolding, and comparisons.
‘Because I’m the boy who killed his mother just by being born.’
[“Why—why did it have to be my wife who died? It would’ve been better if the child had died instead…!”]
Pavel remembered overhearing his father’s thoughts when he was young, and a familiar gloom came over him.
Since then, he had avoided getting close to his father, fearing he might hear those thoughts again.
Which only deepened the rift between them.
Sasha, watching him darken, quietly moved to sit beside him.
“Pavel.”
She didn’t ask any questions. She just sat with him, gently comforting.
Feeling her quiet support, Pavel lifted his head, his expression lighter.
“You want me to tell you more?”
“No, that’s enough.”
Sasha held his hand firmly and focused only on pleasant thoughts—hoping they’d reach him and ease his heavy heart.
After talking with Pavel, Sasha began gathering information about Igor Medvedev and his son.
Eventually, she learned that:
Igor’s only son, Andrei, was a knight in the Volkov family’s elite order—the Black Wolf Knights.
Since he was not yet of age, Andrei hadn’t been sent to the battlefield. Instead, he trained at the estate’s practice yard.
“Andrei Medvedev, huh…”
She also learned:
He was tall, broad, and had enough talent to be seen as his father’s worthy successor.
He was handsome, but his blunt, unpolished nature meant few noticed.
He obsessed over training, never drank or chased women, and even the maids who secretly liked him found it frustrating.
But these weren’t the details Sasha cared about.
There was one thing that stood out:
“They say he’s fiercely loyal and determined. Once he sets a goal, he charges forward no matter the obstacle.”
In other words—
“A doer. Exactly the kind of person I need.”
He was the son of the Grand Duke’s right-hand man, and his personality made him a perfect fit for her plan.
Sasha smiled.
“Perfect.”
Training Yard of the Black Wolf Knights
Training had ended for the day, and only a few hardcore knights remained in the empty yard.
One of them, swinging his sword with unwavering focus, was Andrei Medvedev—a young man with black hair and a towering frame.
He admired his father, the Grand Duke’s aide and a legendary knight.
He was known for practicing until late at night, catching only a few hours of sleep before returning at dawn.
Today was no different.
His calloused hands never loosened their grip on the sword.
Until someone disturbed him.
“Andryusha!”
A red-haired knight, Nikolai, jogged over.
He slung an arm over Andrei’s broad shoulders.
“You’re working hard, huh?”
“Get lost.”
Andrei growled menacingly.
With his sharp glare and blunt speech, he could easily make a stranger cry.
But Nikolai was an old friend—he wasn’t scared.
“Come on. Let’s grab a drink. You train too much. It’s not healthy.”
Andrei ignored him, focused on his sword.
Nikolai sighed and muttered,
“Training harder ‘cause your dad’s coming back, huh?”
Andrei flinched.
He lowered his sword and sighed.
“Nikolai.”
“I told you to call me Kolya. Why so formal?”
Nikolai shook his head.
His unsociable friend was only getting worse.
“At this rate, how will you ever meet a girl? Sure, you’ll probably get a political marriage, but keep acting like this and your bride might run away.”
“Shut it.”
“Hit a nerve?”
Andrei glared.
“Yikes.”
Nikolai raised his hands in mock surrender.
“I’m just worried, man.”
Still glaring, Andrei said nothing.
Nikolai took a step back.
“Well, working hard isn’t bad. Who knows? The sweat you shed today might save your life on the battlefield.”
“…”
“After this winter, it’ll be our turn.”
He murmured, realizing that this was the final winter of their teens.
Once they turned twenty, they’d become full knights and head to war with the Grand Duke.
This was their last season of peace.
Nikolai suddenly stood up.
“No time to waste. I’m going to enjoy what little time I’ve got left!”
Still, he turned back to offer one last invite.
“Andryusha, you sure you’re not coming?”
“No.”
Nikolai didn’t push.
“Suit yourself. Don’t overdo it! I’m off!”
He would probably spend the night drinking and chasing women.
Andrei picked up his sword again, watching his silly friend disappear.
Now alone in the dark, silent yard—
This was his favorite time. No distractions. Just the sound of his blade.
Until someone interrupted.
“Um, excuse me… Sir Knight?”
A soft voice.
Andrei instinctively turned.
And when he saw the speaker, his eyes wavered.
There stood a delicate girl with silver hair that shimmered like moonlight.
