Chapter 11

The intense and restless vibration felt through Daniel's clothes grew more severe with each passing moment. Thump, thump, thump. The light, frail presence of the woman, which could have been replaced by the fiercely beating heart, made him want to laugh. 'A heart as honest as its owner.' Even his beloved horse, Balzac, who trampled everything in his path while galloping across battlefields, seemed more composed than this. Daniel let out a silent chuckle in the shadows. It was equally ridiculous how the person holding the lantern tried to adjust its height to match his eye level. It seemed to be an attempt to light his way, but it was clearly a futile effort. The person was stubbornly gripping the lantern handle, trying to maintain its balance. This labyrinth-like passage, intricately designed with many branches, was the only place Daniel had invested money in since he received the castle. It was created to avoid the eyes of unwanted watchers, and he had put a lot of effort into it. He installed secret passages in five rooms within the castle: the duke and duchess's bedroom, the study, and two more places even Dominic didn't know about. While one could enter this passage through those places, there was only one exit to the outside. It was the only place where one could find light at the end of the path. Apart from Ricardo, Dominic, and Daniel, no one could survive in this place. If someone entered recklessly, they would likely get lost and starve to death after a few days. Even though he was walking deliberately slowly, the light flickered relentlessly, and each time, the woman's thin wrist tensed up. He thought about telling her not to strain herself if it was because of him, but the desperate grip on the lantern handle made him hesitate. It was so earnest that even his mocking thoughts turned to guilt. His heart, which beat incessantly, and his neck, which turned to look around in fear of the darkness, urged him to hurry. The moment he saw the wooden door at the end of the passage, he let out a sigh he hadn't realized he was holding. Startled by the sound of his breath, the wife in his arms wriggled like a freshly caught fish. "N-now you can put me down." "I would have done so even if you hadn't said anything." Daniel only placed Frida on the ground when he was close enough to reach the doorknob. Because he had quickly extinguished the annoying lantern light, he didn't notice that her cheeks were flushed. Before grabbing the doorknob, Daniel pulled Frida's back close to his chest. "Close your eyes." Without giving her a chance to question the reason, he raised his hand to cover her vision. His hand was so large that it completely covered her face. "You might feel dizzy if you see the light suddenly." Creak. The door opened with a sharp, ear-piercing sound, and at the same time, a gentle ray of sunlight filtered through Daniel's large, broad hand. It was a considerate and warm ray of sunlight, like that of a husband who had carried her, tired and frightened, and now shielded her eyes from the strong sunlight. Duke Richard seemed accustomed to protecting those weaker than himself. His ease and confidence were overwhelming, something Frida, no matter how much she wished and desired, could never possess. 'This man... is strong.' He was handsome, enviable, and grateful, and it made her feel a strange emotion that made her eyes sting, even though she wasn't sad. While trying to calm the unfamiliar feeling, Frida's ears were filled with her husband's breath. "Try closing your eyes for a moment and then open them. It will be much easier to see the sunlight." He seemed to think she hadn't heard his earlier instruction to close her eyes. His infinitely polite, low voice brushed past her ear, making it feel as if it would melt from the heat. Thump, thump. The owner was in turmoil, but the heart beat wildly without a care. Even when she tried to hold her breath to hide the sound, it only made it faster. Her heart, which seemed ready to burst through her skin, wouldn't calm down no matter how much she tried. Even her tightly closed eyelids trembled in sync with the pulsing veins. She had experienced such a day before. A day when her heart raced with excitement from one thrilling event after another. Among the many merchants who traveled throughout the empire, Frida particularly welcomed those from the east, the Turks. If she was lucky, they would arrive at the Harkbon estate once or twice a year when her parents were out. On such days, Frida would spend the whole day at the kitchen table, fascinated by the strange items the merchants brought. Even the strict butler, who usually monitored her every move, would turn a blind eye on those days, knowing how much she looked forward to them. It was the only opportunity for her, who had never left the Harkbon estate, to hear stories about the world beyond the walls. If her parents returned late, Frida would sit by the kitchen fireplace, captivated by the merchants' tales of the mysterious eastern continent. They said the people there, with skin colors different from the Svergen people, wore headscarves to protect themselves from the strong sunlight. Somewhere even further east, there were people who shot fire into the night sky to create flowers. When the butler informed her of her parents' late return, Frida would sneak back to her bed, pretending to be asleep, pressing her heart to keep it from giving her away. But now, she was more nervous than she had ever been when deceiving her parents. The difference was that she didn't know why her heart was racing so much. "Now, slowly open your eyes." Daniel's hand slowly moved away, and light filled the space it left. Gradually, slowly. Her purple eyes, now fully free, took in the sunlight and him. He stood in front of a narrow door, which seemed to be only half the length of the passage they had walked, holding out his hand to her. "If you feel dizzy, take my hand." She felt dizzy. The man standing in the sunlight, piercing through the dense branches, was so dazzling. Too... beautiful. Her heart sank deeper than it had on any other day of her life, and she didn't even notice the warmth of the sunlight on her skin. Frida thought, if this trembling continued, she might not see the spring of her twenty-first year. *** It didn't take long for Frida to realize that her heart didn't always race because of her husband. Her heart often and easily sped up, especially when something yellow and shiny was in front of her. Frida, suspecting her eyes' weakness to darkness, took a step forward. She knew there was a tower on the west side of the Mohnheim castle, opposite the Kemper Hall, which was used as a mercenary barracks, and that no one entered it. Dominic had initially left it alone because he couldn't find the key, and later forgot about it because there was no reason to open it. "There's a rumor that the lord's mistress has become a ghost and appears. Do you see that window at the top? She was trapped there and died, but she still stands there waiting for the lord." Surrounded by eerie rumors, she never expected such a secret space to exist in the tower. The duke's claim about the two ducats was true, but there was more than just two ducats. The stack of gold coins, clearly untouched by human hands, was just one of the many treasures there. "Oh my." Are all these treasures in this vast underground space the duke's? "Feel free to use anything you want. You don't need to report to me." She had to ask if he was serious. If it was a joke, she would grab his collar and stop him. "So, you're saying... all these are the duke's, and you're giving me permission to use them?" Please say yes. I'm not dreaming. If it's a joke, what will I do? If this is a dream, I'd rather not wake up. Seeing the honest eyes that revealed her inner thoughts, Daniel nodded. "Can I interpret your nod as permission to use these gold coins freely?" "Yes." "Without the duke's permission?" Daniel, who despised repeating the same question, nodded more clearly this time. "Yes, exactly." Since the gold coins would be replenished even if they were used up, he absolutely didn't want the hassle of reporting and getting permission every time. He didn't know what Dominic saw in this small woman, but she was a noble lady who had been protected all her life, a greenhouse flower. The actions of such precious young ladies, even those from the Harkbon family, who were somewhat different from others, were predictable. "Wow..." Frida's pale face instantly flushed, and her eyes widened. Perhaps the light from the multiple walls and lamps turned her eyes golden. Her round eyes looked like shiny gold coins. The light suited her, but it felt somehow disappointing. Her eyes revealed a purity that was too innocent to be called greed. He had intended to give and then take away to enjoy the disappointment in her eyes, but suddenly he didn't want to. "You don't need to ask me for permission every time. Use it as you please." The situation had changed from his original intention, and it bothered him. Daniel swallowed, feeling a prickly sensation in his throat. To remember what he had decided to say today, he quickly spoke. "But there is a condition." "A, a condition?" Frida's uneasy expression made Daniel's eyes twitch slightly. It was a bit frustrating to be seen as untrustworthy after giving away enough wealth to buy half of Svergen. "Don't worry. It's not a big deal." "Even if it is, I should hear it. What is the condition, Duke? I will do whatever I can." To show her determination, Frida clenched her fist on her skirt. Her small, white fist was so tiny that it caught his eye. The day, which had been slightly off from his expectations and annoyed him, was enough. Daniel, not wanting to create more such situations, spoke hastily. "Order a bed." He absolutely refused to stay in the room filled with the scent of flowers. "Right now." The nights he would spend in the same bed with his wife, who had the same scent, were... *** Ten days after Daniel woke up, the doctor gave him permission to ride. In reality, Anton couldn't stop his lord, who was determined to ride Balzac, so he just kept quiet. The only person who could have supported Anton was preoccupied with other matters, making it impossible to seek help. Balzac, excited about the rare outing, continued to stomp and snort even after returning to the stable. Daniel gently patted the neck of his horse, who seemed ready to destroy the stable. "Calm down, Balzac. We'll ride longer tomorrow." Balzac snorted forcefully, seemingly agreeing but not entirely pleased. While taking off his riding gloves, Daniel looked up at the sky. The sight of the sun setting behind the Altas peak was quite a spectacle, even to the indifferent Daniel. He would have enjoyed it longer if Dominic hadn't rushed over. "Didn't I tell you not to give her the key to the vault? What are you going to do now?" Daniel leisurely observed the bloodshot eyes in Dominic's deep brown eyes. His disheveled state suggested he had been through a lot today. Despite this, he had maintained his politeness, but now he revealed his true colors and growled. "If you keep this up, you'll be bankrupt in less than a year, you damn fool!"