The sender wasn’t expecting a response. At least, it wasn’t explicitly mentioned. Besides, the possibility of the sender returning to that enormous old tree was quite low. Just as it was dangerous for Leopold’s people to cross the border, it wasn’t particularly safe for Armande’s people to step into Leopold’s kingdom. But...

His words had undoubtedly reached Giselle’s heart. And so, by the light of the candle, she continued to read his words, unable to sleep even though it was late at night.

‘It’s alright to call him ‘he,’ right? He did mention being ‘effeminate,’ but if he’s commanding warriors on the battlefield, he must be a man...’

Since her mother’s death five years ago, Giselle had been living in semi-seclusion within this tower. Frieda was her only companion, and apart from occasional visits from the capital’s chancellor, there was no connection to aristocratic society. Thus, despite her age, she had almost no interaction with the opposite sex. Even though it was only an exchange of words on paper, the thought of communicating with a man... made her heart flutter. Giselle reached for the inkwell on her writing desk, opened the lid, and dipped the quill’s tip into the ink. The paper was valuable. Among the few books she possessed, she selected the thickest one, took a sheet of the decorative paper tucked inside the front cover, and then slowly, in the careful script that matched the handwriting of ‘H,’ she began to write her response.

“Dear H, I don’t know if this reply will reach you or not. But I couldn’t help but write it. Even someone like me, who lives quietly in a deserted forest, can sense the horrors of the war. When I think of the hearts of warriors like you, my chest tightens. Just like you, I’m not in a position to complain in front of people. Whether victory comes to Leopold or Armande, it doesn’t matter. I just hope everything ends soon and we find a path to coexistence. Your letter has reached my heart. May your wish for peace come true someday. You wrote ‘effeminate,’ but it’s not true at all. Your subordinates must surely respect you. If you ever feel like voicing your concerns again, please entrust another letter to that same old tree. All I can do is listen to your words, but I hope they can offer some solace to your heart. Praying that this response reaches you. — G”

The next day, under the pretext of “going to search for mushrooms again,” Giselle set off alone along the border.

The white butterfly was nowhere to be seen, but Giselle managed to find the familiar old tree. She inserted her response where the letter had been, took a deep breath, and prayed that it would reach ‘H,’ then returned to the tower she called home. Afterwards, bad weather persisted for a while, and Giselle hardly ventured into the depths of the forest. Despite her semi-isolation, she could still make her way to the nearest town. There, she helped the apothecary and took care of an orphanage run by the church. Busy with these tasks, Giselle had momentarily forgotten about the letter.

About ten days later, when she finally had some free time on a sunny morning, Giselle headed for the old tree along the border. Just as she was about to set out, Frieda, engrossed in card divination at the kitchen table, spoke up cautiously, “Lady Giselle, today is the ‘day when something begins.’”

  “Huh?”

“Not just ‘huh?’ Today, according to my cards, is a very important day in your life, a day when something significant starts. Would you like to go mushroom hunting together?”

Giselle’s heart skipped a beat. “I-I’ll be fine. I already know where to find the mushrooms. I’ll be back soon.”

“It’s the day when something begins. Is that okay?”

“Understood! I don’t know what’s starting, but I’ll keep an eye out and make sure not to miss it. See you later.”

“Don’t forget the basket for the mushrooms.”

“!” Giselle hurried into the forest almost as if she were fleeing and drawn by an invisible force. She hastened to the familiar old tree.

‘There it is...!’

Giselle found a neatly folded letter, just like the first one, meticulously folded into quarters. But that wasn’t all.

Along with the letter was a bundle of blank sheets, rolled together and tied with a ribbon, nestled in the grooves of the tree trunk. Giselle carefully extracted both of them and unfolded the four-folded letter. Her heart raced with excitement. The same meticulous handwriting as the first letter greeted her eyes. She instinctively covered her mouth with one hand.

“Dear G, I am grateful for your reply. I never imagined that the letter would truly reach someone. I returned to that old tree to regret my foolish actions and dispose of my written letter. However, I received a response from you. I read and reread your words many times, and after days of hesitation, I have resolved to write another letter. But before that, there is one thing. It would be regrettable if all the pages of your books became loose before we began this peculiar correspondence. I am leaving you with some sheets, so if you decide to reply, please use them...” The letter continued from there, delving deeper into emotions than the previous one. Struggles on the battlefield. The anguish when trusted subordinates fell victim to the strategies he devised. The anxiety and urgency in the face of endless war... Such things were candidly, yet with a certain level of eloquence, described in dozens of lines. He never explicitly revealed his specific rank or status, but based on his choice of words and the content of his writing, it could be inferred that he held a considerable position.

A few days later, Giselle composed her response. A month later, another letter from him was left on the old tree. And so, their correspondence continued for several years until the day the conflict between the Armande Empire and the Leopold Kingdom was finally resolved.