Chapter 64

Frida approached and grabbed his arm, and a subtle floral fragrance wafted from her. The purple violet flowers nestled in the spaces between her snow-white hair, braided elegantly, matched her as expected. After a few seconds, Frida smiled at him.

"Mr. Ricardo gave this to me. Matilda said I would look beautiful if I dressed up like this. Do I look good?"

"Yes, it suits you well."

Unlike Dominic, whose expression stiffened at the name, Daniel nodded calmly. As Daniel placed his hand on Frida's waist, he said,

"Come, let me carry you."

Caught off guard by his bold attitude, Frida quickly glanced around. There was Ricardo, laughing heartily, Dominic, unusually stiff, and even the Baroness Matilda, who had quietly approached. Under their curious gazes, Frida blushed awkwardly.

"D-Daniel, I can walk."

"There are many stairs. It won't be easy for you to go down since you've only just recovered. Don't be stubborn and let me carry you."

"But..."

Before she could hesitate further, Matilda, standing beside her, nodded vigorously. Without giving her a chance to hesitate, Daniel gently lifted her. Worried that the flowers she had carefully adorned would fall, Frida held her head with both hands and leaned against Daniel's chest.

"Then, please go slowly. My hair shouldn't get messy."

Considering how much effort Matilda had put into it, Daniel carefully extended his legs while looking down at Frida, whose attention was focused on her hair. Frida, who had regained her usual energy over the past few days, blinked her bright eyes and asked him,

"By the way, Daniel, what kind of person is His Majesty the Emperor?"

She had wanted to ask this for a while but couldn't due to her illness. All she knew about Emperor Leopold Volstark II was that he shared the same father as Daniel and was two years younger.

"Is there anything I need to be particularly careful about?"

Care... In front of Leopold, one must be careful about everything. But on the other hand, there was nothing to be careful about. He didn't care about anything or anyone that didn't interest him. If there was a common point between the two brothers with the same father, it was only to that extent. In every aspect, Leopold was closer to being a true Vaizchen.

"Just follow the proper etiquette. You won't be staying long anyway."

Or rather, he intended to make it so.

"But the Emperor is also part of your family."

Daniel realized once again how incredibly naive his wife was. If the Empress Dowager heard that Leopold and Daniel were family, she might rush to this remote village immediately. Daniel carefully placed Frida on the carpet as they arrived at the first floor. Fortunately, the purple violets that she had been worried about were still perfectly in place. As he removed the strands of hair that had stuck to her cheeks while she was fixing her appearance, Daniel said calmly,

"The Emperor has never been part of my family."

After straightening her hair, he placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. Extending his arm to support her, Daniel watched as her small hand, adorned with a red ribbon, hesitantly placed itself on his sleeve. Covering her hand with his, Daniel looked down at her intently.

"You are my family."

The red sunlight that had passed through the stained glass windows penetrated Daniel's gently smiling eyes. ***

The journey to the Duchy of Utrecht was even more chaotic than expected. Patricia was exhausted from complaining.

"For heaven's sake, Leopold, this is really the countryside."

At this point, it wasn't just the countryside but a remote village, a remote village. Even in the royal carriage, her buttocks would have turned into a beehive if she had come in a regular carriage. She even worried about the life of the annoying Chamberlain, who was in the carriage following behind.

"Isn't your mother going too far? Duke Richard has done so much for the royal family, and she gives him a fief like this?"

All she could see around her were mountains, trees, and more mountains. Occasionally, she could see a high mountain with white snow in the distance. The only place that could be called a settlement was the small village they had passed a while ago. Compared to Utrecht, Patricia's insignificant fief seemed incredibly grand.

"If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have come. Is Mühheim Castle even a place where people can live? My maid says that everyone who lives there has gone mad."

Leopold, who had been unresponsive to Patricia's chatter, finally turned his eyes to her.

"Mad?"

Despite having been in the carriage for over three days, his posture remained impeccable. Encouraged by his response, Patricia, fanning herself, continued her story.

"Yes, the old owner of Mühheim Castle, Baron Mühheim. After his beloved wife died, he lived half-mad, missing her. It's a famous story in this area. But the really scary story is different."

In the carriage, where only the two of them were, Patricia covered her mouth with her fan and whispered.

"The story has been passed down from the father of the father of the father of my maid... Apparently, the baron was the one who killed his wife. He locked her in a room and wouldn't let her out. Eventually, the baroness, unable to bear it, threw herself out the window."

Patricia extended her hands and mimicked jumping out of the carriage window. Leopold's lips twitched slightly, making a whistling sound. Even without much of a response from him, she was having a great time. Sometimes, Patricia's side of things was missed. Although it was annoying when she talked non-stop, she was a hundred times better than the haughty and noble Empress. Leaning back and slouching, Leopold leaned against the carriage wall, waiting for the next part of the 'Baroness Mühheim' story.

"After his wife died, the baron lost his mind and wandered around the castle at night, calling her name and opening each door one by one..."

Thump!

"Ah!"

Patricia, who had lowered her voice and was miming opening a door, screamed and leaned into Leopold as the carriage jolted. It was an awkward movement that clearly seemed planned to lean into him.

"Haha."

Despite this, Leopold, who couldn't help but laugh, decided to overlook his mistress's cute act. It was somewhat entertaining.

"Come here, Patricia."

The cunning mistress, who had been leaning into his chest, quickly sat on his thighs. Leopold, pulling down the fabric covering her chest with his teeth, asked,

"So? What happened to the mad baron?"

"According to my maid, he became a ghost. He still wanders the castle at night, calling his wife's name. Ah..."

Leopold pressed his lips to the bare skin that had emerged from the fabric and chuckled. The useless fief surrounded by mountains and trees, the sickly wife who might die at any moment, and the castle where a mad ghost was said to appear. Each of these things matched the arrogant Daniel Rihard so well that it made him laugh. ***

The knights of the royal guard, who had arrived earlier, surrounded the ducal castle. Daniel, whose gaze was sharply scanning the surroundings, saw the blue Nordic cross flags on the carriage procession. Heinrich, dressed in a neat formal suit like Daniel, stood beside him with a nervous expression.

"To go on a trip during such a time. I wonder if he's bold or just thoughtless."

Watching Stefan line up the castle servants, Daniel said indifferently,

"I'm also curious. Is the eldest son of the Margrave, who goes on a trip during such a time, bold or just brainless?"

Heinrich clenched his teeth and growled.

"Look at this cold guy. You should be happy that I rushed here upon hearing you were alive and have been treated like an unwelcome guest ever since."

"You seem to have a brain, at least, since you know you're an unwelcome guest."

"True. What do I expect from you?"

Heinrich's eyes, which had been laughing, suddenly turned cold.

"Seriously, the border situation is getting more serious. The movements of the Solon tribe are not ordinary."

"Go back if you know. You don't belong here."

"I will. I'm going. I'll leave on my own, even if you don't chase me away. Ugh."

Muttering, Heinrich lowered his voice and whispered so only Daniel could hear,

"Don't pretend to be fine in front of the Emperor. Act like you're about to die. If he knows you've recovered, you'll soon be sent to the border. I'll be happy if you come, but you..."

Heinrich's eyes turned to the woman standing quietly under the shade of a tree a few steps away, in a spot where the sun didn't reach. Freida was talking to the Viscountess Beyle, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Now, he understood clearly. This small woman, who seemed even smaller after her severe illness, held a significant position in the ducal castle.

'It's hard not to notice. Everyone is showing it so openly.'

This small woman was the ruler of the ducal castle. Invisible threads connected to her hands extended throughout the castle. When the duchess moved her small hands, those bound by the threads moved according to her will. The amusing part was that those bound by the invisible threads willingly threw themselves at her, even his hero, Daniel Rihard. The thought of his Daniel being swayed by this small woman twisted his stomach. There were plenty of healthy women who could live long and bear his children. Why did he choose this frail, dying woman? What a useless guy.

"Tch."

Feeling a strange mix of dissatisfaction and something else, Heinrich lowered his voice even more.

"Remember, Daniel. I'm always ready. If you decide to do it, my father and I..."

"Heinrich."

Daniel raised his left hand and gently pushed his face to the side.

"I've told you. I don't like the Updyke men."

Excessively loyal and overly passionate people.

"And if you want to plot something, find another place. Anywhere else would be better than here."

To plot something with the Emperor's carriage right in front of you. This is why Dominic calls Heinrich a 'crazy deer.' The huge, ornate carriage with dozens of blue flags stopped. Daniel walked briskly toward the carriage with his long legs. As the servants opened the door, a blond man who looked similar yet different from Daniel stepped out of the carriage with a graceful posture. Leopold, whose hair was perfectly neat despite the long journey, smiled brightly and raised his eyes.

"Hey, Duke Rihard."

"Your Majesty."

As Daniel bowed, Leopold grabbed his shoulders with both hands.

"Good heavens. Brother!"

He patted Daniel's shoulders affectionately and then suddenly hugged him.

"Brother Daniel, you really woke up! Hahaha."

Leopold, letting go, laughed loudly and patted Daniel's arm.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard the news, so I came to see for myself. I always felt guilty about what happened, but seeing you so healthy, I'm very happy. Haha."

"I merely fulfilled my duty. It's not a big deal, so please don't worry about it, Your Majesty."

Daniel, who hadn't changed in three years, was as precise and proud as ever.

'Hmm. This is the Daniel I know.'

Leopold smiled and withdrew his arms.

"Welcome to the ducal castle, Your Majesty. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience you may experience during your stay here."

He was polite. So polite. Just as he was admiring this, a cough came from inside the carriage. It was Patricia's signal to not forget her presence. As Leopold turned to the carriage, he called out,

"Freida. Come here."

Hearing the unfamiliar name, Leopold followed Daniel's gaze. The sunlight, filtered through the swaying branches, suddenly blinded him. When Leopold, who had slightly squinted his eyes, opened them again, he saw her...

Whoosh. A sudden spring breeze struck Leopold's heart.