Chapter 68

Matilda wiped her tears with the handkerchief Frida had given her and began to confide her troubles.

"Early this morning, I found Stefan asleep in a chair. He was sleeping so soundly that I couldn't wake him up. So, I tried to tidy up his clothes... and that's when I saw the letter."

It was a letter sealed with the Schendal Castle crest. She knew she shouldn't open it, but her curiosity got the better of her. Thanks to her long experience as a lady's maid, Matilda had learned how to open an envelope without breaking the wax seal. She thought that if she were caught, she could simply explain to Stefan that she was curious. Carefully, she opened the letter with a paper knife, and to her surprise, it was a summons from the royal court.

"Someone has come forward to claim ownership of the Boyle family's estate. The documents they presented are legally valid and have sufficient grounds, so the royal court is summoning Stefan to explain the situation."

"Huh? But how can that be? The Viscount Boyle inherited his title officially, so the ownership documents should be with him."

Matilda nodded, dabbing the moisture from her eyes with the handkerchief. She wasn't usually so emotional, but since having a child, she often found herself crying, which left her feeling bewildered.

"Yes, he has the perfect documents passed down through generations. But in resolving territorial disputes among nobles, the royal court doesn't always rely solely on documents."

"What do you mean, Matilda? Are you saying that even with solid documents, other criteria can be used to make a judgment?"

Documents are powerful for nobles with influence, but for those without, they are just pieces of paper. Having experienced the dirty and ugly world of the nobility firsthand as a lady's maid to the Countess of Chamberlain, Matilda knew this better than anyone. Equal application of the law, without bias, was a concept that only applied to a few nobles perched in high positions at Schendal Castle. Perhaps she preferred the pure Stefan to that dirty world. Why did someone come forward now to claim ownership of the Boyle family's estate, which wasn't particularly significant? Could it be related to Duke Richard? It was likely that this was a warning from the Empress Dowager. As she watched her husband, who had fallen asleep uncomfortably in a chair, many thoughts raced through her mind. Despite being exhausted, he approached his work with more passion than ever. Initially, she had looked at the Viscount and Viscountess with disapproval, but now she had grown to care for them and the people of the Duke's castle, who treated her warmly. This was the simple and modest rural life Matilda had always dreamed of. She wanted to give birth to a child here and live forever. She had momentarily lost sight of why they had come here, or perhaps she had truly wanted to forget. In the worst case, Matilda could abandon and forget the things she left behind in Celino, but her husband couldn't. Even if others saw nothing special in it, he had a proud family history he wanted to pass on to his child as a father. To protect it, he would have to be a traitor for the rest of his life here. Suddenly, the burden on her husband's shoulders seemed heavier, and she covered her mouth and cried until dawn. But there were no problems that could be solved with tears. She needed to discuss this letter with Stefan and decide on a course of action. Matilda squeezed Frida's hand, who was worried about her, and managed a weak smile.

"I've been talking too much. I'm fine, so don't worry. I was just surprised... and my emotions got the better of me. They say this happens when you have a child."

She had hidden the letter without realizing it, so Stefan was probably looking for it by now. Matilda stood up and pulled on Frida's arm.

"Today is your first day for a walk in a long time. Get up. I'll help you finish getting ready."

"No, Matilda. Walking isn't important right now. We need to find a way. A solid piece of evidence that will make it impossible for the royal court to rule otherwise."

Frida jumped up and started moving around the room busily. She rubbed her chin, nodded, and pouted her lips in deep thought for a few minutes. Then, she clenched her small fist.

"I have to... go there."

Daniel had only given her permission to go out for half a day. To get there and back quickly, she needed to hurry. *** Leopold threw the book he had taken out onto the floor instead of putting it back on the shelf. Most of the books he hadn't read were either terribly boring or trivial. The only thing that caught his eye in this dusty archive was the ornate stained glass decorating the window. It might look good if it were polished, but it was probably left neglected due to a lack of funds.

"How tedious."

Leopold leaned against the wall and crossed his arms behind his head. This secluded corner had the advantage of good lighting. He also liked that the massive bookshelf on his right completely blocked the view from outside. He had chosen this spot because, even if someone came in despite his warning not to, the bookshelf would hide him. He didn't want to see anyone, especially Petricia. It wasn't likely that she would come looking for him in this dusty hole, but if she did, he could just pretend he wasn't there. Unfortunately, he had no patience to show kindness to the government right now. Leopold leaned his head against the bookshelf. He hadn't come to this land. He thought it would be satisfying to see the weakened Daniel, but the result was the opposite. Daniel hadn't changed and still looked strong, just as he had in the past, always making Leopold feel inferior. Born with perfect bloodlines and overflowing wealth, Leopold had everything. It was the same when he was Richard and even more so now as Volstark II. Yet, Daniel overshadowed him like a cloud covering the sun. His presence was so strong that even his mother, known for her cold rationality, was always on guard and tense around him. Despite having only brute strength and decent sword skills, Daniel's fall was something Leopold wanted to see with his own eyes. How ridiculous would it be to see the once handsome face that had captivated the women of Celino now pale and sickly? He was tired of Schendal Castle and wanted to see the stubborn Daniel, who was different from the others there. But most of all, he wanted to confirm that Daniel had lost everything and was weakened. The sight of his half-brother, who had once drawn attention away from him, in a pitiful state. After three years of illness, he expected Daniel to look haggard. He had brought Petricia along for the same reason. Look at this man, who was almost dying, and the Duke of Richard who had kept many noblewomen awake at night. He wanted to mock him thoroughly and then throw a few coins as a show of mercy. But when he heard the excuse that Daniel was too sick to show his face, he felt like he was the one being mocked.

"Who would have thought he'd be so stubborn, even though he has lowly blood."

He should have died in the battle with Nottingen. Then, he could have held a grand funeral, mourned his death happily, and blamed his mother for persecuting Daniel.

"Why did you come back to life and cause trouble?"

Simple-minded people don't understand the struggles of those who must wear a mask and receive the attention of others from the highest position. The more well-crafted, expensive, and sturdy the mask, the more difficult it is. Sometimes, it's hard to tell what is truly oneself, so one must maintain a good balance. One shouldn't act too despicably and reveal their true self, nor should they be too kind and appear fake.

"Do you think I'm living a normal life without being swayed, Mother?"

He laughed at the absurdity of his own muttering. Suddenly, everything felt hollow. Honestly, living itself... wasn't a particularly meaningful thing.

"I'm just living because I can't die. What's the point?"

He stared blankly out the window, which was now clear due to the rain from the previous day. Especially, the white clouds passing by the window without stained glass. So white, very white... extremely white, like her. He started muttering again, like a crazy old man.

"Frida... Harkbone."

He didn't know her middle name. In fact, he didn't even know her name until Daniel called her. His mother, worried that Daniel might have a child somewhere, had hastily arranged a flawed marriage. He was only satisfied that it had damaged her reputation. He didn't expect the Duchess to still be alive, let alone walking around on her own. The thought of her affecting his heart... he never imagined it.

"Damn, get a grip, you idiot."

Leopold slammed his head against the bookshelf with a thud. Creak. At that moment, someone pushed open the tightly closed archive door.

"Damn. Who the hell is it? I said no one should come in..."

"Ah!"

He jumped up and threw a book, which narrowly missed the white hair and fell to the ground. *** When he didn't see the face that should have come with Dominic, Daniel stretched his neck to the side.

"Why are you here alone?"

"The Duchess has already gone out with the Viscountess Boyle."

"Is that so?"

He had intended to invite her for a walk, but it seemed she had already left. She must have been quite restless. Feeling a bit awkward, he chuckled and picked up the stack of documents Stefan had left behind. He might as well get a head start on the remaining work. Then, he heard Dominic's voice.

"The Empress Dowager has started to pressure the Viscount Boyle."

It was expected, so Daniel wasn't surprised and calmly flipped through the documents.

"Is it the ownership dispute as expected?"

"Yes. A letter from the royal court arrived yesterday."

"Who is leading the charge?"

"Baron Holbeck, a cousin and in-law of Count Klima, the Empress Dowager's advisor."

After the last mistake, Dominic had been more meticulous in checking the letters coming to and from the Viscount. So far, there had been no content that would interest the royal court, meaning the Viscount wasn't acting according to the Empress Dowager's wishes.

"What will you do?"

"Do I need to get involved? The Viscount will make his own choice."

Dominic hit his chest in frustration.

"The documents you're looking at, the Viscount worked all night to prepare them. He oversees everything that happens in the Mohnheim Castle and still manages to produce such a large amount of material!"

Whether it was due to good health or stubbornness, the Viscount was quite fit for his age. After all, he had a late child at that age. Dominic tapped the stack of documents on the corner of the desk.

"Respect our butler. If it weren't for the Viscount, the Duchess would have had to do all of this."

"You could have done it, Dominic. Maybe not as well, but you could have."

It's true. He admits it. So, he can't just stand by and watch.

"He hasn't shown it yet, but if he decides to return to the capital tomorrow, it will be a disaster. We don't know when the Emperor will leave, and I need to build accommodations for the road construction before the rainy season starts."

With Dominic unable to move freely due to guarding the Emperor, Muriel had been going to the village outside the castle for days.

"Seeing him work like a horse, he fits here perfectly. How about we get some information from the royal court? People can be persuaded. Just capture him! Use him for a long time."

Without responding, Daniel listened to Dominic's absurd suggestions, then closed the document and stood up. As he walked towards the bookshelf, Dominic followed closely.

"Why are you leaving in the middle of our conversation?"

Before pushing the corner of the bookshelf to enter the secret passage, Daniel turned to Dominic.

"Find and burn all the documents Baron Holbeck has."

"Understood. But where are you going?"

While pushing the left corner of the bookshelf, Daniel asked a question without answering.

"Has the Brabant Hall archive been renovated yet?"

"Yes. They've only repaired the eastern area for guests, and the rest hasn't been touched due to lack of time."

Daniel, who only asked questions without answering, made Dominic exclaim.

"Really, why are you always changing the subject! Where are you going?"

"Didn't you say to capture him?"

With a short answer, Daniel quickly disappeared into the darkness.