I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy - Chapter 169: Bear The Weight Of Your Wife

Laura von Benner.

No, now Mrs. Yeager, she noticed three men entering her view.

They were soldiers dressed in black, wearing black hats, black uniforms, black shoes, and swords with silver inlay, reminiscent of crows.

Upon seeing them, 26-year-old Laura, who still held a girl’s tender emotions, felt her heart tighten, and tears filled her eyes, ready to fall at any moment.

Having written hundreds of death notices in her distinctively neat handwriting, she knew what it meant for soldiers dressed like that to come to her home.

Yet, as the wife of the great Lieutenant General Peter Yeager and a soldier of the empire, she stood before them without blinking, trying hard not to let the tears flow.

They stood in a perfectly still posture, as if painted, and the man in the lead quietly bowed his head and opened his mouth, which had been firmly shut.

“Lieutenant Colonel Laura, your husband, Lieutenant General Peter Yeager, division commander of the 7th Division of the Reich Empire’s military, has fallen in battle while supporting the retreat of His Highness the Crown Prince and the imperial army at the Swiss Richten Hill.”

She knew they would deliver the death notice of the man she loved dearly from the moment she realized they had come.

Thus, as the wife of the empire’s great Lieutenant General Peter Yeager, she tried to act as resolutely as possible.

Despite Laura not blinking, tears inevitably formed and streamed down her cheeks.

Her heart felt so torn and squeezed that it was excruciatingly painful.

She could only utter “Ah, ah,” unable to make any other sound.

Seeing her like that, the man in the lead took a box from the soldiers behind him, opened it in front of her, and said,

“His Majesty the Emperor has posthumously promoted Lieutenant General Yeager to the rank of Marshal for his merits, and awarded the Diamond Knight’s Cross…”

Laura couldn’t understand what the man in front of her was saying.

Her mind felt empty, and a buzzing sound echoed within.

And she thought,

‘Can you no longer hug your son Friedrich, named by His Highness the Crown Prince? Can’t you tell me ‘well done’ for the hardship of bearing that child? I can no longer hear the ‘I love you’ you used to say every morning in your warm voice. I was grateful that you, whom I admired the most, loved me and became my husband, becoming everything in my life. Can I never meet you again?’

As these thoughts flowed, the unreal feeling of her husband’s death began to sink in.

The sorrow, loneliness, pain, and sadness flowing from her heart burst like a river overflowing due to a flood.

Laura collapsed, beating the ground and crying.

‘Why, why?! Deus, why did you let the one who risked everything to save His Highness, the Crown Prince, and everyone, the person who led the empire, die so vainly? And why have you given me the tragedy of living today without him…?’

She beat the ground and cried several times, but no matter how much she cried, the tears didn’t stop.

No matter how many times she struck the ground, she felt no pain in her hand.

At the same time, she woke up from sleep, feeling someone shaking her.

“Madam, Madam! Are you alright? Did you have another bad dream?”

Hearing that, Laura sighed in relief.

Because if what she experienced was a nightmare, then her husband, Lieutenant General Yeager, was alive.

Due to that relief, she didn’t even notice that she had sweated profusely during the nightmare, soaking the blanket and pillow.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. It was just a bad dream, Nanny.”

As the saying goes, no one who said they were okay was truly okay, and naturally, Laura was not in a good state.

Due to the nightmare, her body was soaked in cold sweat, and mentally, she hadn’t fully recovered from the shock, causing her gaze to waver slightly.

Three weeks ago, she received her child’s name from the Crown Prince, and at the same time, she heard that Lieutenant General Peter Yeager, leading the 7th Division, was isolated at Richten Hill.

Since then, she has been under such mental strain that she could only consume slightly salted porridge or anything she could swallow, unable to eat a proper meal.

Her concern for her husband grew by the day, causing the body of a mother who should be focusing on postpartum recovery to gradually weaken.

“…Madam, you must stay strong. We haven’t received any notice of his death. He will return healthy soon.”

Hearing that, Laura felt a deep sorrow well up inside her and answered with tears.

“I know, Nanny. Surely, the Lieutenant General is alive. From the moment I fell for him, he has always performed miracles. This time, too, he will return with all of the 7th Division. But… but you see.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“The thought of the Lieutenant General possibly passing away tears my heart apart. I’m scared I might never hear him call my name, Laura, in his kind voice again. I’m so scared, so terrified, that I feel like I’m going insane. Can I really live through times without him? Even if I try not to, I keep having these thoughts… It hurts so much.”

The nanny, who was taking care of Laura’s postpartum recovery and mental state by Duke Benner’s order, had heard this story dozens, hundreds of times.

So, while it was becoming somewhat tedious, she felt unfamiliar pain each time because she knew the sorrow and grief conveyed in her words.

Furthermore, although the nanny was born into a low-ranking knight’s family, she had taken care of her for decades.

Moreover, she could empathize with her feelings.

As the nanny tried to comfort and give strength to Laura, a maid’s voice was heard from outside the door.

“Madam, some soldiers have arrived.”

Upon hearing that, Laura’s heart sank, feeling as if the sky was falling towards her, but…

“Nanny, please help me change my clothes.”

“Yes, Madam.”

With a determined resolve to accept whatever the outcome, she quickly changed her clothes.

When Laura came out, there stood three men dressed exactly as she had seen in her dream.

However, unlike the men in her dream, who had stern expressions, the faces of the men before Laura now were relatively bright.

This meant that their bright expressions were evidence that her husband, Lieutenant General Yeager, was alive, filling her heart with joy, contrary to her dream.

Naturally, a bright smile spread across her face, one that would not suggest she had been in endless sorrow until now.

“Are you Lieutenant Colonel Laura von Benner, the wife of Lieutenant General Peter Yeager, the division commander of the 7th Division of the Imperial Army?”

Although it was a very formal verification process, to her at this moment, even this procedure felt incredibly welcome and dear.

Perhaps because of this? Overwhelmed with joy, she grabbed and shook the hand of the young officer, who was of lower rank, as she answered.

“Yes, I am indeed Laura von Benner.”

“The meritorious service review for Lieutenant General Yeager has just concluded. By His Majesty’s command, I will briefly convey his deeds.”

At these words, Laura, tears brimming with joy, nodded vigorously, and the officer delivering the news recited the achievements in a deliberately calm voice.

Throughout, she worried about the Lieutenant General, who had fought at the forefront on the hill for over a month to save the Crown Prince and soldiers, and her eyes sparkled at the story of him slaying hundreds of enemies.

When she heard that he returned on a horse carried by Lieutenant Colonel Kerzhit, she felt sorry for the Lieutenant General, who was too exhausted to ride due to fierce fighting, but she also felt displeased that he had to rely on another woman.

Lastly, upon hearing that he was recuperating in bed at Dolphino Castle and steadily regaining his strength, she felt relieved and wished she could go to him and care for him right then.

However, what mattered most to Laura now was that Lieutenant General Yeager had returned alive.

After hearing everything, she collapsed and began to cry profusely, just as she had in her dream.

But now, unlike in her nightmare, she cried out of overwhelming joy that Lieutenant General Yeager, whom she loved the most, had returned alive.

Laura felt so grateful that she could cry out of happiness like this.

The young officer, reading the mood, handed a sealed scroll containing the list of honors to a nearby servant and quietly left.

And that night, Laura reflected on the detailed records of Lieutenant General Yeager’s achievements and the events that had transpired.

‘The thought of another woman by your side makes me jealous, anxious, and wanting to have you all to myself. But it seems I alone can no longer protect you.’

With that, she whispered, filled with the desire not to lose the man she loved the most, even in her dreams.

“It seems I have to leave two women who love you more than you know by your side. They, like me, are fond of Lieutenant General Yeager. I am jealous, but it’s far better than you leaving my side forever.”