The heavy silence hanging over the dusty military field was completely thick. Everyone stared at the giant, fallen mercenary and the slim, black-clad figure standing perfectly still above him. The shock of the incredibly fast death match had paralyzed the entire massive crowd.

Up on the raised wooden platform, Damon stared intently at the anonymous fighter. His eyes carefully watched the way the fighter wiped the bloody dagger and sheathed it smoothly.

Suddenly, the sound of fast boots running up the wooden stairs broke Damon’s intense focus.

Kade rushed back onto the platform. He had just returned from sending a fast messenger to check the mansion, and he looked completely out of breath.

Kade walked quickly to Damon’s side. He leaned in very close, hiding his mouth behind his hand so General Howe could not see him speaking.

Kade whispered urgently to Damon.

"My Lord," Kade reported, his voice low and filled with deep confusion. "The fast rider just returned. He spoke directly to the housekeeper. Mr. Murry said the lady is home safely."

Damon did not take his eyes off the field. He let out a very small, quiet breath. If she was home, then the fighter on the field was just a very skilled, very short male soldier.

But Kade did not stop speaking.

"But..." Kade paused. He hesitated, looking completely unsure of how to report the rest of the strange message.

Damon turned his head slightly. His eyes narrowed. He commanded his aide strictly.

"Speak," Damon ordered in a quiet, firm whisper.

Kade swallowed hard. He continued his report.

"The rider said that when he asked to see the Lady directly to confirm her safety, Mr. Murry refused to let him enter the house," Kade explained carefully. "Mr. Murry was acting incredibly nervous. He was sweating and smiling strangely. Mr. Murry was acting like he was definitely hiding something from the rider."

Damon frowned deeply. His thick, dark eyebrows pulled together. Why would Murry hide Camilla?

Sitting right next to Damon on the wooden chair, Syrus was listening to the entire whispered conversation. Syrus was a very smart, very observant nobleman. He had seen the way Damon was staring at the slim fighter on the field.

Syrus leaned forward. He turned his head to Damon with a highly amused, very teasing smile on his face.

"Damon," Syrus whispered, raising a blonde eyebrow. "You are not actually thinking that is your wife down there, are you?"

Damon was completely silent. He did not answer. He just stared straight ahead, his jaw locked tightly.

Seeing his strict, terrifying friend completely speechless, Syrus laughed softly. He decided to tease him even more.

"Is it because you didn’t go home last night?" Syrus teased him smoothly, gently poking Damon’s armored arm. "Are you missing her so much that you are losing your mind? Are you so desperate to see her that you are now imagining she is here, dressed as an assassin, fighting giant men for you?"

Hearing his friend’s highly accurate, mocking words, Damon lost his perfect composure.

A sudden, intense rush of hot blood flooded straight up Damon’s neck. The tips of his ears instantly became a bright, burning shade of red. It was completely visible against his dark hair.

Damon quickly turned his head to glare at Syrus. He looked incredibly defensive and highly embarrassed.

"What are you talking about?" Damon hissed quietly, his deep voice cracking slightly in his panic. "Don’t be ridiculous, Syrus. How could I possibly think about her at a time like this? I am completely focused on the military battle. Keep your foolish jokes to yourself."

Syrus just smiled wider, highly entertained by the General’s bright red ears. He knew he had hit the exact truth.

Far away from the dusty, noisy military camp, the Benson mansion was incredibly quiet and peaceful.

In the grand dining room, Uncle Murry was happily humming a cheerful tune. He was holding a soft white cloth, carefully polishing a beautiful silver vase on a side table.

Suddenly, Murry stopped humming. His nose twitched.

Achoo!

Murry sneezed loudly into his clean white handkerchief. He sniffed twice and rubbed his nose.

"Oh my," Murry said softly to himself, looking around the empty room. "Who is saying something about me behind my back? Someone must be gossiping about my good work."

He folded his handkerchief and put it back into his neat black pocket. He picked up his polishing cloth again.

He continued doing what he was doing, smiling widely to himself. He was in a wonderful, incredibly happy mood today.

Everything was going perfectly according to his romantic master plan.

"The General must be completely, madly in love," Murry thought, his heart swelling with pure joy. "He is usually so focused on his wars, but he had checked up on her twice today! He sent two different fast riders from the camp just to ask if she was safe and resting well."

Murry polished the silver vase vigorously, making it shine brightly in the afternoon light.

He remembered the events of the early morning.

"The Lady went out very early in the morning," Murry recalled, nodding his gray head happily. "She was dressed in a dark riding cloak. She looked so excited and secretive."

Murry chuckled warmly to himself. The sound echoed in the quiet dining room.

"She even asked me directly to cover up for her absence," Murry whispered to the empty room, feeling like a very important secret agent in their grand romance. "She specifically told me to lie to any messengers. She said she wants to give the General a massive, wonderful surprise today to help him with his stress."

Murry placed the shiny silver vase back onto the table. He stood back and admired his work.

"Well," Murry chuckled to himself again, placing his hands proudly on his hips. "I lied perfectly to the rider. I protected her secret mission. It seems I have done a truly great deed for the Benson family today. When the old Duke hears about this, my actions should certainly be rewarded with immersive merits and a nice bonus."

Murry turned around and walked happily toward the kitchen, completely unaware that the Lady’s "wonderful surprise" involved brutally stabbing a giant mercenary in front of thousands of people.

Back at the dry, dusty military field, the shock had finally worn off.

A military official had carefully walked out onto the dirt. He checked the giant mercenary’s neck. He stood up and waved a bright red flag high into the hot air.

General Howe’s man was officially confirmed dead.

The moment the red flag waved, the silence broke. A loud, absolutely massive, deafening cheer erupted from the side of the field holding the Benson soldiers and the local commoners.

"Victory!" the soldiers screamed, throwing their helmets into the air.

Loud applause and wild, joyful shouts were heard echoing across the entire valley. The people were thrilled that their General had successfully protected their lands without starting a massive war.

But not everyone in the crowd was cheering.

Standing in the very front row, holding onto the thick wooden ropes, Zade was having a complete, total mental breakdown.

Zade fell to his knees in the dirt. He wailed loudly, throwing his head back and staring up at the bright sky. He placed both of his hands behind his head, gripping his brown hair tightly in absolute despair.

"Noooooo!" Zade wailed, his voice full of pure, unadulterated heartbreak. "My gold! My beautiful, shiny gold coins! I bet my entire month allowance on that useless, giant idiot! How could he lose so fast?!"

Austin stood right next to Zade. Austin patted his crying friend gently on the shoulder, trying to offer comfort. But Austin was too busy staring at the slim fighter in black, completely convinced that he had just watched Camilla murder another man.

Up on the raised wooden platform, the atmosphere was entirely different.

Damon stood tall in his dark metal armor. He looked down at the victorious, anonymous fighter standing calmly on the field.

Damon let out a very rare happy smile. The heavy, stressful burden of losing his father’s sacred land was completely lifted from his broad shoulders. He had won the bet. The valley belonged to the Benson family once again.

Syrus sat in his chair, clapping his hands politely. He was deeply impressed.

"That was absolutely incredible," Syrus spoke loudly over the cheering crowd. He looked at Damon with true respect. "Your fighter defeated that giant monster so easily. It looked like magic. He didn’t even take a lot of time to knock him down."