Chapter 36

It was strange. Dominic Moli, who had been boasting that he knew everything about the duchy since birth, despite being only two years older, had acted suspiciously when he heard about the duke's secret vault.

"Secret vault? I've never heard of it. Goodness, if His Lordship hadn't woken up, what would we have done?"

Still, no one knew Frida's young lady as well as Dominic did, because of how she had been living in this duchy. He had seen the lord's wife dining with the common servants in the kitchen and working in the fields. He had witnessed her pushing herself to the limit with her frail health, working one day and resting the next. It was impossible for him to remain silent for three years, if he were an ordinary person.

"Ha!"

Muriel, who had grabbed Dominic by the collar, burst into a hollow laugh.

"I forgot that Dominic Moli is different from ordinary people. To think I didn't recognize the 'Cold Heart' who would make any sacrifice for his lord."

His nickname was well-known not only among the mercenaries wandering the empire but also among the knights. Dominic Moli, who existed solely for Daniel Rihardt, was said to have sacrificed dozens, even hundreds of lives without batting an eye for his lord. There was a reason why Duke Rihardt, amidst the ridicule of the nobles, only took mercenaries and not formal knights on his campaigns. Moli's mercenary group was famous not only for their exceptional skills but also for their unbreakable principle: 'Daniel Rihardt first.' Even the captain, Riccardo Moli, and his son, Dominic, were secondary to Duke Rihardt. It was rumored that those who sacrificed themselves for Daniel received enormous life stipends, enough to make their families live like minor nobles. Although Duke Rihardt himself was offended, no one openly talked about it, but it was a public secret in this line of work. Of course, this principle had always been valid. The fact that there were no shortage of applicants despite the harsh conditions and numerous nobles offering huge sums to lure them away was proof enough.

'Were you secretly hoarding gold coins? Ha!'

Now I understand why a mere mercenary group had such a high nose.

"Why didn't I notice? There was a reason why mercenaries, who buy and sell their lives for money, stuck together so closely."

Dominic, who had been grabbed by the collar by Muriel, smiled.

"Every matter has its own circumstances. Just like the Rosivalt family has managed to maintain itself for hundreds of years in the chaotic Svergen Empire. Isn't that right, Octopus Rosivalt?"

Octopus. A mocking term for his family, which pretended to be an ancient knightly lineage but was actually busy surviving by making connections everywhere. Muriel, who should have been offended by this obvious criticism, released him instead of tightening her grip. As the strength in her hand lessened, Dominic pushed her hand away. Auu, Auuuuu... A lone wolf had just entered the castle and was howling mournfully, leaving no time for further banter.

"I'd like to continue this, but I have urgent business."

A dry smile appeared on Muriel's lips.

"The wolf is howling, so it's time for you to go, Dominic Moli. If you meet the wolf, tell it to practice more. Its howling is always awkward, unlike the owl, which improves every day."

Dominic also knew that the wolf, among the spies he had hidden around the duchy, was the least skilled. It was strange that it hadn't been discovered by Rosivalt.

'You damn brat. If you lack talent, at least put in the effort.'

Dominic, embarrassed, shrugged and nodded obediently.

"I'll pass on the advice. Oh, and by now, His Lordship has probably found the duchess, so don't worry and go inside to wait. Our lord is very adept at pursuing his targets."

"How can I trust you?"

"Then don't. I heard that His Lordship told the duchess about the secret passage..."

"Secret passage?"

No wonder Duke Rihardt could move in and out of the castle silently. Dominic, you bastard. You knew about it and kept your mouth shut?

"Where is it?"

Muriel glared at Dominic, vowing to give him a proper beating someday.

"Isn't a secret passage a secret because it's a secret? I don't know. His Lordship didn't tell me. Anyway, I'm leaving."

As Dominic passed by Muriel, he suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Oh, if you find anything while searching the duchess's room, don't think about entering that place. If you go in, you won't be able to get out. Take my word for it. I'm not joking."

"You liar. You said you didn't know where it was?"

Muriel, glaring at him, saw Dominic tap his forehead.

"Oh, right, I did. This damn forgetfulness."

Dominic disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind Muriel's colorful curses.

***

Whether viewed from the front or the side, her handsome husband was indeed handsome. He had left without looking back, but he must have been searching for her.

"You managed to find me."

Frida, speaking calmly, removed his hand from her cheek.

"Ouch."

She rubbed her stiff neck and shoulders, looking at the man whose last flicker of flame was illuminating the room. How treacherous the human heart can be. She had thought she hated him, but seeing him drenched in sweat, her heart, which had been twisted, melted like snow. He must have run quite a bit looking for her, as his breathing was still somewhat rough. Frida lifted her head to check the time. The sky outside the window was pitch black.

"Oh dear..."

Sighing deeply at the stars scattered in the sky, Frida extended her hand to Daniel.

"Please hold me. Help me up."

Her attitude was as if she had no idea how much of a commotion she had caused. Daniel, bewildered, stretched out his arm to help her, reminding her of the facts.

"The people in the castle searched for you all evening."

"That's to be expected. Even if I look like this, I'm quite a presence in the Mohaim Castle."

She would have been very disappointed if they hadn't searched for her. Frida, smoothing out her wrinkled skirt, walked to the fireplace and poked the dying embers with a poker. Fortunately, there were logs left from last winter, or she would have been trapped in the darkness. She had been considering whether to throw a book into the fireplace after the last log burned out. She decided to forgive him for leaving her alone during the day, considering he had come back in time. Carefully pushing one of the remaining logs into the fireplace, Frida put down the poker and shook her hands.

"I thought Muriel would come looking for me, not the duke."

"Does Sir Rosivalt know this place?"

He seemed unaware of where his young lady had disappeared to. When she met him earlier in the corridor, she had interrogated him in the Marian Hall, where he was standing. Daniel frowned, recalling the persistent butler.

"No way."

Frida, bending down to pick up a book, said. It had fallen open on the floor, probably dropped while she was sleeping. Picking up the book, she checked the page she had been reading and closed it neatly. The air in the archive, filled with the smell of old leather and mold, was stifling. After all, it had been over a month since the archive had been ventilated. After her dowry ran out, she had started to tidy up the castle. The first place she had tackled was this Brabant Hall. From the chandeliers hanging in the banquet hall to the portraits and paintings of the Mohaim dukes, the old armor lined up in the corridor, and the mysterious lumps of metal. She had sold everything that could be sold.

"It's been over two years since anyone has been here, so Muriel and Dominic probably don't remember what's here."

The only place left in Brabant Hall was this archive. The two-story room, with religious paintings on the ceiling and colorful stained glass windows on the side walls, had captivated Frida from the moment she saw it. Now, covered in dust, it was no longer as beautiful as it once was. She vividly remembered the day she first entered this room. She had been entranced by the beautiful shapes and colors created by the light passing through the windows until dusk. It felt almost sacred. Because of that memory, she couldn't bring herself to touch this place, even though she knew it could be sold for money. Sighing deeply at the windows, now dark and indistinguishable in the dust, Frida spoke.

"Sometimes I come here to clear my head, without Muriel knowing. Or when I want to find something, like today."

Her original plan was to search for a book on herbal medicine and then sneak into the Marian Hall through the corridor. Of course, it would take a long time and she would have to pass through several large, heavy doors. But it was the only way to avoid being seen.

"I was just going to find a book and leave..."

But she found a book she liked and lost track of time. She only realized it was too late when the words in front of her eyes became blurry. The sky had already turned dark red.

"The sun set while I was on my way. Even if I managed to leave Brabant Hall on time, I would still have to pass through Skadi Hall, where the lights aren't on at night."

The wall lamps were only to be lit four days later, when the Boild couple arrived. Every penny spent on oil was precious, so they had to be frugal. With more people staying in the castle, there would be many more expenses.

"So I decided to stay here safely. The fireplace keeps it from being too dark, and it's spring, so I won't freeze to death. If Muriel came, it would be lucky, but if not, there was nothing I could do. I didn't expect the duke to look for me."

How did he find me? Dominic said the duke wouldn't even glance at this place.

"I didn't know if the duke knew about the archive here."

For some reason, this statement irritated Daniel. Perhaps it was because she had said she didn't expect him to look for her. Or maybe it was the word 'traitor' that got to him.

"I was unconscious, but I didn't lose my memory. I still remember the layout of the castle."

"That's not what I meant..."

Frida, taken aback by Daniel's cold response, trailed off. She quickly found an excuse.

"I thought the duke wouldn't care if there was an archive or not, since he never looks at books."

"Who said that?"

"Dominic."

This damn brat. Who does he think he's fooling? Daniel, grinding his teeth inside his tightly closed lips, suddenly turned to the side. Without giving Frida a chance to protest, he threw all the remaining logs into the fireplace.

"Sir Duke, that's all that's left..."

"Let's sit down."

Daniel, who had laid his jacket in front of the fireplace, nodded at her as he sat on the floor. His demeanor was markedly different from his usual overly formal behavior. Hesitantly, Frida sat on Daniel's jacket, folding her legs neatly. Daniel, staring at the burning logs, spoke without looking away.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone and for putting you through this."

When Frida called him a traitor, he realized how much she had trusted him. She had believed he would save her no matter what, and she had even asked for his help in deceiving Rosivalt. Even if he was angry, he should have taken her to her bedroom and then gone to find Riccardo. He must have believed that Riccardo would do it for him, just because he was his husband. The flames in the fireplace grew higher. Daniel's eyes, resting on his folded right knee, deepened. It was better to tell her himself rather than let her hear inaccurate rumors from others. Daniel, having made his decision, slowly spoke.

"Many people lost their lives because of that incident."