Chapter 2

The husband woke up. It was Duke Daniel Johann Richard, the lord of the Principality of Utrecht, who had been unconscious for three years. Dr. Anton confirmed to Frida that Daniel had indeed woken up safely. The doctor spent hours meticulously examining the Duke's condition and was bombarded with questions from the Mollis for several more hours, unable to leave the bedroom. By the time he stepped out, he was almost exhausted, but even then, Anton made sure to check once more if Frida's nosebleed had stopped properly. Frida, who was sitting up on the bed, fixed her gaze on the Duke and waved her hand dismissively at the doctor.

"It's fine, Anton. The plantain you prescribed worked well."

"Plantain does help stop bleeding quickly, but it's only a temporary solution. Take your medicine regularly and don't go to the fields for at least four days. Do you understand?"

The doctor's eyes were filled with admiration as he examined Frida. That afternoon, she had been carried off to the fields by Captain Ricardo Moli without even having time to grab her medicine bag. It was only because of her that he could quickly stop the Duchess's nosebleed with plantain. The land, where the people of the principality had worked tirelessly, was planted with various herb seedlings and medicinal plants. The Duke of the Principality of Utrecht, located in the southern part of the Svergen Empire, is Duke Daniel Johann Richard, the half-brother of the Emperor. However, in his principality, the word of the Duchess, Frida, is almost law. The land had been neglected by Duke Richard's indifference until three years ago when the Duchess arrived and transformed it into a livable place. Surrounded by the Altas Mountains to the west and the Laphas Mountains to the south, Utrecht has no roads or ports nearby, and thus relies entirely on the neighboring Baume for all trade. Despite the good climate in the south, the principality is a mountainous area with little arable land. The people of the principality mainly survive by hunting and gathering. If not for the short winters, they might have starved or frozen to death. Meanwhile, Duke Richard, who was called to the royal court, spent most of his time on the battlefield and rarely stayed in the principality. Since three years ago, he has been bedridden. It was the Duchess who, over several years, transformed this barren land into arable fields, and no one in the principality failed to respect her. The doctor, despite saying she was fine, worriedly asked:

"Does it hurt?"

"Not at all. I didn't get hit by anyone."

Despite her pale, bloodless face, Frida smiled brightly. However, as soon as she finished speaking, Captain Ricardo Moli, who had rushed to the bedside upon hearing that his lord had woken up, turned his body and shouted:

"Who dares to lay a hand on our precious Duchess? If there is such a person, I'll rip off their fingers."

His thunderous voice, which never failed to shock, made Frida shudder. Seeing this, Dominic sighed deeply and pulled his father's arm.

"Father, please lower your voice. You're scaring the Duchess. If you keep this up, she might faint like last time."

"Oh, are you very scared? Are you dizzy?"

Seeing his father's sudden change to a gentle tone, Dominic clicked his tongue and turned around. Through his shoulder, he could see the Duke, Richard, frowning. The Duke, who had been lying in bed for years, had a physique that was hard to believe. Though slightly thin, his body was as strong as any of the principality's mercenaries. His black hair and dark reddish-brown eyes contrasted sharply with his own white hair. Dominic had said that when the Duke was angry, his eyes turned a vivid red, but was that true? His physique was so robust that it was hard to believe he had been bedridden for years. Even when his eyes were closed, his appearance was striking, and now that they were open, it was even more so. Frida's gaze, which had been fixed on the Duke, could not be easily pulled away. At that moment, Ricardo, who had been standing by the bed, clicked his tongue.

"To lose consciousness for three years just because you hit your head on a rock. I must have spoiled you too much. How can a man be so weak? Tsk tsk."

After three years, Frida knew that this was his way of saying, "I was worried about you." He had always said that the Duke was the strongest person in the world and would recover quickly. However, when the Duke heard Ricardo's words, his eyes...

'Oh... they're turning red. Red.'

The Duke's eyes turned red in an instant, just as the rumors said. Realizing the situation was serious, Dominic tapped his father's arm and said:

"Stop it, Father. Weak? The Duke was injured trying to save me."

'As expected, Dominic.'

How could he speak so affectionately without offending anyone? Dominic, who was two years older than the Duke, had a gentle disposition and was good with words. His skills were often used to resolve the incidents and accidents caused by his father, and whenever he stepped in, any conflict was smoothly resolved. The Duke, who had been leaning against the bed with his arms crossed, seemed to feel better as the redness in his eyes faded. However, the peaceful atmosphere was short-lived. Frida immediately realized that maintaining a warm and harmonious atmosphere among the three of them was impossible.

"Of course, you need to correct the habit of not distinguishing between courage and recklessness and acting rashly. Well, you've learned this lesson harshly, so you won't recklessly get involved in others' affairs and risk your life, right?"

"Do you want to die, Dominic Moli? I can break your neck and make your head touch your shoulders."

"Wow..."

Before Frida could stop herself, an exclamation of admiration escaped her lips. It was a new and creative curse she had never heard from Ricardo, who claimed to know all the curses in the world. Considering its expressiveness, creativity, and the fear it inspired, it was clearly a step above the rest.

"Damn..."

Realizing Frida's gaze, Daniel swallowed his unfinished words and closed his mouth. *** The scenes and situations that unfolded as soon as he opened his eyes only added to Daniel's confusion. He had never let his hair cover his eyes, and the long black strands were particularly annoying. Daniel wanted to brush his unkempt black hair out of his face, but his arms were too weak. A sudden dizziness hit him. After closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he felt better. When he opened his eyes again, he scanned the ceiling, bed, and the room with a bewildered expression. The ceiling, painted with birch trees, confirmed that this was indeed his room in the Mühaim Castle. Although he had spent little time in the principality due to his duties at the royal court, he certainly knew his own room. But what were those colorful flowers scattered around the room?

"Huh!"

Seeing the intricate floral patterns on the quilt and the neatly tied bed curtains, he couldn't help but laugh. Daniel glared at Dominic and grumbled.

"What are all these useless things..."

However, he quickly stopped speaking when he noticed the purple eyes that wouldn't leave him. Seeing Daniel's repeated attempts to speak and then stop, Dominic smirked. If it were up to him, he would have already raised his voice, but he was impressed that his lord was showing restraint. Just the fact that the Duke had opened his eyes was a cause for celebration, and it was reassuring that he still had enough sense to consider the Duchess's feelings. The Duke had finally returned, and the joy was expressed in a teasing manner.

"Now that the Duchess is here, please choose your words carefully. As the noblest of the twelve dukes of Svergen, how can you continue to use the vulgar language of mercenaries? We don't do that either, do we, Father?"

Ricardo, his father, also seemed to agree, as a sly smile lingered on his lips.

"Of course. We are not such uncouth people. As future knights of the principality, we shouldn't use the harsh language of vagrants. Yes."

Daniel glared at the Mollis through his half-covered eyes. The Mollis, who were already skilled at irritating him, seemed to have improved over the past three years. However, he was too exhausted to engage in their wordplay and sent them a look that said, "Enough, get out." But the Mollis didn't budge, and instead, the white-haired woman beside them shifted her body.

"Your Grace, you should rest. The doctor said you need to take it easy for a while."

Her voice was soft and low, but it clearly reached his ears. Even the Mollis, who had been busy teasing their lord, quickly stepped back.

"Of course. The Duchess is right. I was too excited to notice."

Daniel couldn't help but chuckle at Ricardo's overly polite attitude. How could a man who couldn't have a conversation without cursing suddenly be so polite? If his arms had the strength, he would have scratched his neck, which was making him shiver.

"All of this is thanks to the Duchess's efforts. You've really worked hard. I sincerely thank you, Duchess."

The charming Dominic, as always, was as annoying as ever. Even after three years, he hadn't changed.

"Thank you? It's nothing. I just did my duty."

"No, to have a wife like the Duchess, our lord is truly blessed. Ha ha."

Duchess... Daniel's gaze, which had been different when looking at the Mollis, turned to the small woman between them. Yes, this woman with the dazzling white silver hair and mysterious purple eyes was the Duchess of Richard, his wife. Daniel, watching the woman who was seeing the Mollis off, tried to recall the day of their wedding. But there was nothing to remember. They had only stood side by side in the ceremony for a moment before he ran out of the wedding hall without even seeing the bride's face.

What he could remember...

"The wedding should be stopped now. It's obvious that I'll be criticized for not being a good wife. I might not even be able to have children. What husband would treat such a wife well?"

The fact that the Harkbon Count and Countess, her parents, were not in favor of the marriage. And...

"You can't even stand in the sun, and you can't see well at night. How can you properly share a bed with your husband?"

Sharing a bed... it doesn't matter if you can't see, right?

‘Damn, how long have I been awake?’

The absurd and specific thoughts were so ridiculous that Daniel let out a long sigh.