Chapter 5

Daniel's hand, which was covering his forehead, did not easily fall away. Dominic's eyes, checking on his lord, became busy.

“My lord, leave the rest to me and rest a bit...”

“How can I trust you, who just stood by and watched until it came to this?”

Even after a fierce tirade, Daniel's voice still carried a lingering anger. Dominic scratched the back of his hands and muttered.

“As I said, I ask for your understanding of my position.”

He had been bearing Daniel's anger alone since his father left on the lord's orders, as if chased away.

“I still have no regrets about my judgment that I cannot show that place to just anyone.”

“What if she died before I woke up because of that judgment?”

“Well... it’s a matter of divine will, which humans cannot prevent.”

A faint, bitter laugh escaped Daniel's lips as he sat with his eyes closed.

“Indeed, that’s why you’re Dominic. A heart that never wavers, cold as ice, Dominic Moli.”

“Thank you for the compliment, my lord.”

Finally, Daniel's hand fell from his forehead. His amber eyes, still tinged with red, turned to Dominic.

“You’ve piled up all those glittering things in the vault and yet made that small woman suffer, and made her sleep for three years next to a man who was practically a corpse?”

“It was one and a half years. I managed to protect the duchess’s room until the very end. She insisted on selling the valuable things first. She is a strong and impressive woman.”

Dominic’s lips, which had been curved in a calm smile, suddenly turned cold.

“But there is nothing that takes precedence over you, my lord. I implore you to reconsider. The duchess, despite her frail appearance, has remarkable drive. If she discovers the true nature of the vault, she will surely revive the duchy into the best land in Svergen within a few years.”

Dominic leaned close to Daniel, who was at the desk, and whispered. His deep, dark brown eyes, characteristic of the people of Laphas in the south, blinked calmly.

“The news of your awakening is already heading to Schendal Castle. Do you think the empress will let Utrecht flourish amidst this? You will be called the emperor’s hunting dog until the day you die.”

To Dominic, Daniel is both his lord and his brother. Even though he was unconscious, he knew Daniel was not dead, which is why he endured the past three years. Otherwise, he might have rushed to Schendal Castle, vented his anger, and lost his life.

“Do not forget Lady Laura’s instructions. There is nothing more important than staying alive. For the time being, act as if you are dead, my lord.”

Act as if you are dead. Hasn’t it been enough already? As proof, his body had become so weak for the first time in his life.

“Dominic.”

When Daniel gestured for something, Dominic sighed deeply, removed the leather cord from his neck, and placed it in Daniel’s hand. The rough, long key attached to the leather cord glinted on Daniel’s palm. The only means to open the iron door he had locked with his own hands three years ago. If he handed this to his wife, who is frail but has drive, would she attract the attention of the royal family? Revive this barren land? What a ridiculous notion. What could that small, weak body possibly do?

“Dominic, you’re right. There is nothing more important than staying alive.”

Daniel clutched the key and stood up.

“So let me live as I please while I am alive.”

A faint dizziness hit him, and he clung to the desk to steady his breathing. Pushing away Dominic’s hand, which tried to support him, Daniel muttered in a slightly lowered voice.

“After all... I don’t have much time left.”

Dominic’s expression stiffened for a moment as he stepped aside but quickly returned to normal. *** Thump, thump, thump, his heart beat incessantly. Frida, fidgeting and pacing the corridor, rubbing her hands, ran towards Murial, who was approaching from a distance, lifting her skirt.

“D, did you hear? Could you hear what they were talking about?”

“No.”

Frida had noticed before that the doors of Moheim Castle were unnecessarily thick and sturdy. The trees that grew thick and strong in the dense forests of the Altas foothills were so well-rooted that they grew thick and tall. No wonder Frida suggested selling the doors first when she was selling the furniture in the castle. Frida’s pale face turned into a frown at Murial’s words that she heard nothing.

“He must be incredibly angry. How could he be moving with that body? And he even walked, step by step, with both feet?”

Murial looked at Frida, who was mimicking the straight posture and wide strides of the Duke, who had been asleep for three years, with a disinterested gaze. She had heard the news of Duke Richard’s awakening just after noon. It was only just starting to get dark, yet he was already walking on his own and calling for the Moli father and son to the study. Duke Richard might be even more of a monster than the rumors suggested. But that aside, what was important to Murial was this clueless young duchess. Grabbing Frida’s arm, Murial almost dragged her up the stairs. Frida whined as she was pulled along.

“Where are we going? Murial, I don’t have time for this.”

“You haven’t eaten dinner yet. Fill your stomach first and then worry.”

“How can I eat now? I’ve been caught selling everything in the castle without the lord’s knowledge.”

“That’s because the lord didn’t earn a single penny and slept for three years.”

Frida clung to the staircase railing with the arm not held by Murial, but she easily lifted her, showing that it was no effort for the large, almost as tall as Dominic, Murial. Having been carried around by Murial since childhood, Frida quickly gave up and relaxed her arm.

“I should have left a few guest rooms. Selling even the beds was a bit too much, wasn’t it?”

“Who needs guest rooms in this mountain valley? Besides, did you buy jewels or clothes with that money? Did you distribute it to the workers, stripping everything you brought for your marriage?”

“Well, the duchy is my land now...”

That ‘my land’ talk. She only learned about it when she came here. She didn’t know that Miss Frida had such a strong desire for land. Murial clicked her tongue and opened the kitchen door, where the delicious smell was wafting. No one was surprised or asked why the duchess was in the kitchen instead of the dining room. Two years ago, when Frida noticed Adel, she became the head chef of Moheim Castle. As soon as Adel saw her, she placed a piece of bread as big as a human face, soup, and various roasted vegetables.

“I was just wondering if I should bring it to your room, my lady. I made a separate soup for the duke. Should I bring it now?”

“No. He said he will start eating from tomorrow. Since it’s his first meal in a long time, try to make it something light, Adel.”

“Oh, don’t worry about the duke. My lady, please eat. I heard you even had a nosebleed today.”

Adel’s hand, giving Frida a spoon, was full of affection. She cut the bread into small pieces and placed it in Frida’s soup bowl, urging her to eat. A maid named Matilda, who had appeared out of nowhere, placed a large glass of fresh milk in front of Frida. Adel showed her determination not to leave until Frida finished her bowl. Murial silently finished her bowl beside her. The worry on Frida’s face had disappeared, surrounded by people trying to feed her more. Murial never imagined such a day when she first arrived at the duchy with Frida.

“Sir Rosivalt. As you know, Frida won’t live long. If she says it’s too hard, bring her back home. She would want to spend her last moments with her family.”

One year, or maybe half a year, she thought. She was anxious that Frida, like the two older ladies born before her, might not even reach twenty. Moreover, the environment of Moheim Castle was one of the worst, almost at the bottom. It was a deserted castle with nothing, making one wonder if it was even a duchy. Duke Richard was the half-brother of Emperor Bolstark II and one of the famous ‘Twelve Dukes.’ Even if he was the illegitimate child of a mercenary captain’s daughter from Milabo, she didn’t expect him to be treated so poorly. They called him the emperor’s hunting dog, but he didn’t even have time to take care of the castle. She only watched because Miss Frida was living healthily without any issues. Otherwise, she would have taken her back to the Harkbon family immediately. The moment Murial’s sensitive senses caught a familiar sound, the kitchen door burst open. Captain Ricardo Moli, whose body filled the door and more, rushed into the kitchen.

“Duchess, you’re here? I’ve been looking for you. Oh, are you eating now?”

“Why, Sir Ricardo? Is the duke looking for me?”

“He is, but he said to wait a bit. Eat. Finish eating and move slowly. Blow on it to cool it down and eat slowly.”

There was another reason Murial kept Frida in this wild land. It was because all the people in the duchy, who seemed to be in a daze, genuinely cherished and loved Frida. *** Frida, sitting in a chair by the fireplace, anxiously glanced at the door. She wanted to rush to the duke’s call, but Ricardo insisted she finish her meal. Now, she was waiting in the bedroom, told that it would take time for Dominic to finish their conversation. The whole time felt like sitting on a bed of thorns. She tried to be confident, thinking she hadn’t done anything wrong, as Murial suggested, but then she wondered if selling everything in the castle was a bit too much. But it couldn’t be helped. To gather the people of the duchy, they needed a place to live, and to live, they needed farmland. In the duchy, which was nothing but dense forests, they needed to cut down trees to create farmland, which required a massive workforce. To gather so many people, they needed to pay wages. So, they had to sell what they had. That’s right. What did she do wrong? She had shed so much blood and sweat to protect this land for the past three years. There was no need to be afraid. No need to be intimidated. Clenching her fist and glaring, she felt a surge of courage. When the duke came, she would proudly declare that she had fulfilled her duties as the duchess and stand her ground.

“Huh, why isn’t he coming?”

Frida, sprawled on the table, rested her cheek on it and stared blankly at the flickering flames. Today felt longer than any other day she had spent in the duchy. At the same time, the events of the past three years flashed through her mind. The moments when she felt truly alive. Frida’s lips parted, and a low murmur escaped.

“Sister Rote, Sister Hestia. I’m really, really having fun here.”

Everyone praises me so much that I feel so proud.

“And I... am now twenty years old.”

The Harkbon family did not celebrate the birthdays of the girls. Celebrating a birthday meant getting closer to death. An age that none of her sisters had reached. Frida, without anyone knowing, had turned twenty this year. She felt a sense of accomplishment and pride in how well she had endured. Drunk on the desire to boast and receive excessive praise, her heavy eyelids slowly closed. Was it a dream? A low, calm voice, mixed with the warmth of the fireplace, seeped into her ears.

“I’m proud of you, Frida.”

A warm feeling, like the hot soup Adel made, spread throughout her body.