Chapter 14

Frida's parents lived in constant fear of losing their daughter, trembling with anxiety day by day. After all her sisters passed away, leaving Frida as the only one remaining, the overprotection escalated to the point of near imprisonment. By the time she turned seventeen, she had never taken a single step outside the Harkbone family mansion. She couldn't remember a time when it was different. Because her skin would sting and turn red when exposed to sunlight, she was only allowed to walk on overcast days. When she heard about the marriage proposal, she thought she must be dreaming.

"Marriage? I, who don't know how long I have left to live, am getting married!"

When she learned it was a political marriage arranged by the Empress, she was overjoyed. This meant the marriage would definitely go through, even if her parents opposed it. To Frida, marriage meant more than just the union of a man and a woman, or of two families. It was her last chance to step out into the world beyond the mansion. She couldn't afford to miss it. On the day she boarded the carriage to the duchy, her heart was pounding with excitement. Even as she comforted her mother, who couldn't stop crying, her eyes were smiling. She was so happy that even Muirel gave her a look, telling her to calm down. The long journey was tiring but enjoyable. Even though she was worried about her husband, who was in a coma, she didn't feel sad or miserable. She just wanted to be as helpful as possible while she was alive. She was grateful to him for giving her the chance to enjoy freedom. The past three years in the duchy felt like a dream she never wanted to wake from. Although Muriel's supervision and nagging never stopped, it was nothing compared to what she experienced in the earl's household. She spent her days waiting for people to follow her decisions and dreaming of a new future every day. It was only after she arrived at the duchy that she realized how thrilling the word "future" could be, without associating it with death. Her excitement grew even more when her husband woke up. Duke Richard was very different from the rumors that circulated in the empire. Despite being labeled as a war fanatic, he rarely lost his temper.

"Is the Duke usually so serious about everything?"

When she asked this, Dominic coughed for a while, gasping for breath before he replied.

"Well, not everything... but he is calm."

He is kind, considerate, and thoughtful, to the point where it's painful to say it twice. As soon as he regained consciousness, he was concerned that Frida had spent all her dowry and even handed over his personal safe. She was prepared to accept any demands for marital duties after he woke up, but he never showed any signs of it. He willingly gave her his bedroom and moved to a room without a bed, enduring the discomfort. She felt terrible about it. He probably didn't want her to suffer from the sun, which is why he told her not to bring flowers. What can I say? He was so handsome. She wanted to do anything for him, anything within her power. Frida resolved to do her best and put on a determined expression.

"The Turk merchants will arrive in two days. We need money to buy the bulbs they mentioned. Muriel, you know, the ones I've been eyeing for a while."

"Oh, those?"

Of course, she knows. She's heard it so many times. The bulbs that she wanted to plant and replace all the trees in the duchy with, believing they would surely make money. How did a noble lady, born into a noble family, end up with a talent for accumulating wealth rather than spending it?

"The bulbs need to be planted in the ground before the first frost, in late autumn. We need to prepare the fields before summer ends. Once we start, this will definitely succeed. Nobles are naturally drawn to beautiful and unique things."

'Excuse me? It seems like you're the one who's drawn to them.'

Muriel clicked her tongue, watching Frida lost in her own world. Why did her ambitions, which she had suppressed under her parents' watchful eyes, suddenly burst forth after coming to the duchy? She understood, but... that's not the real issue, is it, Miss? Muriel missed the chance to point out what Frida was missing. Meanwhile, Frida's eyes were fixed on the distant land she had cultivated outside the window.

"The Turk merchants always say that this place, with its good sunlight and lack of shade and humidity, is perfect for growing these flowers. Just wait and see. When we start selling the flowers that are only grown in the Turk royal gardens, Utrecht will become the wealthiest land in Svergen."

I will make it happen. This Frida will.

She knows. She knows that her life is not long. She has barely made it to twenty, and she doesn't know when she will join her sisters. But she has no intention of sitting idly and waiting for that day. Even if today's struggles eat away at her remaining life, she will live each day to the fullest. When she left the Harkbone family and arrived at the duchy, she made a vow. She would live hard. She would live as hard as she could. She would pour her life into this land, where someone would live for a long time, even if she only stayed for a short while. She wanted people to remember her name, 'Frida,' even after she was gone. She wanted her name to live on in the memories of those who remained. If that were the case, even if she died, she wouldn't truly disappear. Unable to control the rising emotions, Frida gripped the window frame, looking out at the dark, featureless night. At that moment, Muriel called her softly.

"Miss..."

Frida quickly wiped her eyes, not wanting to be caught crying, and turned around with a smile.

"Sorry, Muriel. Did I talk too much again?"

"I've memorized it by heart. But now, you need to go to bed. You know, to buy the bulbs, you need gold coins, and the key to the safe with the gold coins is..."

Muriel nodded towards the direction of the Duke's bedroom.

"With him. If you want the key, you need to bring down the fever first."

"It doesn't matter."

Frida's meaningful gaze was fixed on the wall with the door.

"If he doesn't give it, I'll take it back by force."

'Hmm... How exactly do you plan to take it?'

But asking that would be pointless. This lady, who looks like a herbivore but is a predator, will definitely do it.

***

In Schendal Castle, most of the nobles and servants had bright blonde hair and blue eyes. Therefore, the light brown hair of Baron Boyd stood out, catching the eyes of passersby. While waiting for permission to enter the Empress's palace, he noticed Baron Chamberlain coming out and straightened his posture, bowing.

"It's been a while, Baron Chamberlain."

"Stefan Boyd, Baron! Ha, how long has it been? It's good to see you alive and well."

"You look as healthy as ever, Baron."

Chamberlain waved his hand with the one not holding his cane.

"Healthy? Look at my white hair. I shouldn't be this old, but I've aged a lot in just a few years."

"I heard your health declined after a long journey. Are you feeling better?"

"That was a while ago. At my age, crossing Yura wasn't easy. The western part of Altas is uninhabitable. It was so cold that my knees still ache in the winter after I returned."

The climate was one thing, but the events in the western part of Altas, the Rengen Empire, were not something he wanted to remember. Thinking of the icy-cold Rengen Emperor, Chamberlain shivered involuntarily. Then he carefully examined the man standing straight before him. The Empress, upon hearing that Duke Richard had woken up, was looking for someone to send to the duchy. He had recommended Baron Boyd for the position.

"Chamberlain, I need someone in Utrecht to be my eyes and ears. They need to be serious and trustworthy to gain Daniel's confidence. To keep them under my control, they need to have appropriate weaknesses and ambitions, which means they shouldn't be part of the social circle in Cellino."

The person he carefully selected was Stefan Boyd, a distant relative and in-law of the Baron. He had a small fief, but no heir to pass it on to, even at the age of forty. He was intelligent, but his family's decline meant he had no connections to bring him to Schendal Castle. Poor, but intelligent, how many nobles without ambition are there? Chamberlain patted Stefan's shoulder, encouraging him.

"Her Majesty the Empress has high hopes for you."

"Thank you for this opportunity, Baron."

"What are you talking about? We're not strangers, ha ha."

Chamberlain patted his shoulder a few more times and left, leaning on his cane. He was thoughtful, not dismissing the Empress's concern as excessive.

"Do you think I'm just wary of Daniel because of jealousy? No, that's not it. Most of Svergen's people don't even know the Emperor's name. In a country where anyone with blood and power can covet the throne, that's the current state of Svergen."

The Empress's words were entirely true. The endless struggle for the throne had made the people indifferent to who the Emperor was. The same went for the nobles. As long as their wealth and power were not threatened, they didn't care who sat on the throne. The rebellion of Duke Nottingen three years ago was a clear example. With few nobles supporting him, Nottingen was easily defeated by Duke Richard. Daniel Richard, with a grandfather who was a famous but rough and barbaric mercenary captain, is a legitimate member of the twelve ducal families and the Ricard family, from which the current Emperor hails. Perhaps the people remember the tales of 'Duke Daniel Richard' more than the Emperor 'Leopold Bolshtark II.' To the Baron, this was clearly not a good thing.

***

"Phew..."

Frida sighed, touching her forehead, which wouldn't cool down. She must have overexerted herself. After all, seeing the safe full of gold coins made her feel like she was walking on clouds. With so many things she wanted to do but couldn't, and then seeing the gold coins right in front of her, who wouldn't get excited? With all the steps of her plans lined up in her head, there was no reason for her to hesitate. First, she needed to get the key back. The Turk merchants who arrived today promised to bring as many bulbs as she wanted before autumn if she gave them a deposit. Among them was the most expensive bulb in Turk, which was causing a frenzy among the wealthy in Turk. This was definitely going to make money. It was a profitable business. Therefore, she had to give the deposit before the merchants left tomorrow.

"Ouch... Ugh."

Removing the lukewarm towel from her forehead, Frida struggled to get up. Lately, the Duke had been riding out quite far and only returned at sunset. When she casually asked Dominic, he seemed unaware of the key's whereabouts.

'He couldn't have taken it with him while riding, could he?'

Approaching the wall quietly, Frida entered her husband's room, trying to make no sound. She thought he must have put the key in a drawer somewhere, not expecting her to come in and steal it. She started searching the drawers next to the bed. With the fever not subsiding and the tension, cold sweat trickled down her neck.

'It's not here... Ah, it's not here either.'

After searching all the drawers in the room and finding no key, she reached up to search the high shelves of the bookcase, just in case. Suddenly, the bookcase moved, and Frida was sucked into the darkness.

"Ah? Ahh!"