(46) Was it a dream?
In front of Maho Castle in Lake City, the capital of the Northern Territory, all the vassals were gathered to welcome the Northern Feudal Lord, who had returned after a long absence.
Duke Tesio Hern stood at the forefront, smiling brightly.
“Father, did you miss His Excellency the Northern Feudal Lord that much?”
Little Duke Andrei Hern grumbled at his father’s appearance, which seemed even more delighted than when he welcomed his own son.
“How could I not be delighted that His Excellency is returning with his mistress?”
“That mistress could be nothing special, after all.”
“You rascal, His Excellency has such a keen eye for people. She must be quite remarkable.”
“Well, I don’t even believe the contents of Isaac’s letter are true in the first place. He’s an idiot. He must have misunderstood His Excellency’s brief conversation with a woman and sent that letter.”
“Even Isaac would act so lightly around his mistress.”
Isaac would have thought it was quite understandable, but Andrei didn't bother pointing it out.
It was late March when the overflowing, excited letter arrived.
"We're late because we're escorting the mistress. His Excellency is quite captivated by her. She's truly beautiful and clever, so you can look forward to it!"
Duke Hern, who had been worried about Cyrus's delay, couldn't hide his grin after receiving the letter. Although Cyrus had assumed the Northern Prince's throne at a young age and no one was yet discussing the succession, the vacant position of the mistress was a major concern.
The nobles of the Northern Territory, some of the nobles of the Eastern Territory, Western Territory, and Southern Territory, and even the nobles of the Empire, were eagerly awaiting their daughters to become the mistresses of the Northern Territory.
Some were secretly working to bring their daughters into Maho Castle, while others were openly sending out marriage proposals. The subtle feuds between nobles with daughters were a headache for the Northern Territory.
If Cyrus were more interested in women and took this woman after that as his lover, the problem would be easier. He could just place the daughter of the best family as his mistress.
But Cyrus, even at the height of his womanizing, had no interest in women. He would be lucky if he didn't kill any woman who approached him to seduce him. Now that Cyrus was bringing the woman he was so enamored of, Duke Hern could only welcome her with open arms.
Maho Castle had already prepared a room and maids for the Duchess.
"There she comes."
The white snow covering the road, kicked by horses' hooves, painted the air a milky white. Four riders, their black cloaks billowing, galloped through the snow. The man in the lead, his silver hair billowing, halted, and his vassals bowed.
"Your Excellency, thank you for your hard work."
Duke Hern said, stepping forward. Cyrus nodded and rode into the castle gates. The vassals, who had been bowing their heads, straightened and followed Cyrus.
Duke Hern followed Cyrus, constantly looking around, but nowhere could he see a woman who might be the Duchess. The only woman he could see was Louis.
'You can't possibly be having an affair with Louis, can you?'
Duke Hern swallowed his doubts until Cyrus arrived at the building and dismounted. Cyrus walked down the hallway, his cloak fluttering, and asked,
"Are there any problems?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"What about Paganus?"
"There was a small disturbance, but Andrei led the way and quelled it. Among the Paganus warriors, two children had not yet reached adulthood, so he took them as hostages..."
"Kill them. Leaving them alive would only cause trouble."
"Yes. But... Your Excellency, where is the Duchess?"
Cyrus stopped dead in his tracks. Andrei swallowed a sigh as he saw Isaac's face turn pale as he followed him.
“He’s been acting up again.”
Cyrus slowly turned and glared at Isaac. His red eyes shone coldly, as if they could devour Isaac.
Seeing Isaac bow his head involuntarily, Cyrus commanded lowly.
“Explain.”
“That is...”
Isaac, who had been fidgeting, fell to his knees.
“Please kill me.”
“Yes. Kill him.”
Cyrus said coldly and was about to turn away when Andrei knelt beside Isaac.
“Your Excellency, I will share the punishment.”
Cyrus’s lips twitched.
“What great friendship. Strip him of his clothes and whip him twenty times each.”
Whipping was by no means a light punishment, with flesh falling off with each lash. Even though they had been friends since childhood, it was a serious matter to bring up the issue of the Duchess consort, who would become the mother of a nation, lightly.
That's how it was in the Northern Territory.
Duke Hern, realizing that things had gone wrong, clicked his tongue internally.
"Isaac, it was my fault for trusting that guy."
Cyrus strode briskly, not looking back as his friends were dragged out. He reached the bedroom and took off his cloak.
"I'll rest. No one is allowed in until the order is given."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
After dismissing all his retainers, Cyrus entered his room, sat on the sofa, and slowly read the letters he had obtained from the Western Territory.
Letters exchanged between Rachel and the Western Duke while she was the Duchess of the East. They contained some of the truth about the war that had tarnished the honor of the previous Northern Dukes and their spouses.
"Very useful, but not yet enough."
After Cyrus regained his position as Northern Duke, the Northern Territory became stronger.
However, it still had too many enemies. Prematurely revealing the existence of these letters would only allow them to act.
"I need more evidence and strength."
Cyrus closed his eyes gently.
When his ancestors died, Cyrus was too young. Many, both within and without, sought his life, forcing him to flee.
The nanny who fled with Cyrus was killed by enemies, and the Duke of Hern, who belatedly found and assisted Cyrus, lost his right hand.
Enemies were numerous, allies few.
The Emperor, eagerly coveting the powerful army of the Northern Territory, seized the opportunity and dispatched a messenger to the Northern Territory. He offered to temporarily assume the vacant position of Northern Duke, while simultaneously searching for Cyrus's whereabouts.
Cyrus, powerless, knew that if discovered, he would die.
He lived with a desperate heart. He had to become strong, to gather the strong. He had to reclaim the Black Knights, scattered in a defeated war, and cultivate a power untouchable.
He spent years chewing dirt when he had nothing to eat, and drinking horse urine when he had no water. Finally, he returned to the Northern Territory with pride. He was fourteen.
'Six years since then.'
Cyrus couldn't believe the infamy of his predecessor.
The previous Northern Duke was accused of allying with the Eastern Duke and exploiting Paganus's power to swallow the empire, only to be killed by the Eastern Duke during a feud with the Eastern Duke.
The Emperor was harsh on the Northern Duke, but he didn't impose any significant sanctions on the Eastern Duke, simply stripping him of military command.
He moved to uncover the hidden truth and discovered that Duke Rodian Oblen was behind the attack. He also learned that the Duke's daughter, Rachel, was the Eastern Duke's consort at the time.
A letter, discovered thanks to Arianna, contained a story related to the war.
'If I reveal this letter now, it will only seem like a desperate attempt to clear my parents' name.'
The Eastern Duke, trusted by the Emperor, would surely escape the crisis by speaking out. To hold those involved in the former Northern Duke's death accountable, he needed more power and evidence.
'This is the best I can get from the Western Duke. The Western Duke's castle was not easy to enter, so keeping an eye on Rachel Bronte was the right choice.'
Thinking of the West brought Ariana to mind.
Her clear blue eyes, sparkling beneath her round forehead and neat eyebrows, seemed to gaze upon the sky on a clear day.
The last time he saw her, Ariana had walked straight and confidently toward the castle gate. Her back, with the hood of her cloak pulled down deep, made her look very small, but she held the dignity of a triumphant general.
He wondered what Ariana was doing now.
'The Eastern Duke has been sending letters to Rachel Bronte constantly asking about Ariana's well-being, so she wouldn't be treated poorly.'
If he treated her as they did in the West, he would not let it go, regardless of whether it was connected to the death of the late Northern ruler.
In front of Maho Castle in Lake City, the capital of the Northern Territory, all the vassals were gathered to welcome the Northern Feudal Lord, who had returned after a long absence.
Duke Tesio Hern stood at the forefront, smiling brightly.
“Father, did you miss His Excellency the Northern Feudal Lord that much?”
Little Duke Andrei Hern grumbled at his father’s appearance, which seemed even more delighted than when he welcomed his own son.
“How could I not be delighted that His Excellency is returning with his mistress?”
“That mistress could be nothing special, after all.”
“You rascal, His Excellency has such a keen eye for people. She must be quite remarkable.”
“Well, I don’t even believe the contents of Isaac’s letter are true in the first place. He’s an idiot. He must have misunderstood His Excellency’s brief conversation with a woman and sent that letter.”
“Even Isaac would act so lightly around his mistress.”
Isaac would have thought it was quite understandable, but Andrei didn't bother pointing it out.
It was late March when the overflowing, excited letter arrived.
"We're late because we're escorting the mistress. His Excellency is quite captivated by her. She's truly beautiful and clever, so you can look forward to it!"
Duke Hern, who had been worried about Cyrus's delay, couldn't hide his grin after receiving the letter. Although Cyrus had assumed the Northern Prince's throne at a young age and no one was yet discussing the succession, the vacant position of the mistress was a major concern.
The nobles of the Northern Territory, some of the nobles of the Eastern Territory, Western Territory, and Southern Territory, and even the nobles of the Empire, were eagerly awaiting their daughters to become the mistresses of the Northern Territory.
Some were secretly working to bring their daughters into Maho Castle, while others were openly sending out marriage proposals. The subtle feuds between nobles with daughters were a headache for the Northern Territory.
If Cyrus were more interested in women and took this woman after that as his lover, the problem would be easier. He could just place the daughter of the best family as his mistress.
But Cyrus, even at the height of his womanizing, had no interest in women. He would be lucky if he didn't kill any woman who approached him to seduce him. Now that Cyrus was bringing the woman he was so enamored of, Duke Hern could only welcome her with open arms.
Maho Castle had already prepared a room and maids for the Duchess.
"There she comes."
The white snow covering the road, kicked by horses' hooves, painted the air a milky white. Four riders, their black cloaks billowing, galloped through the snow. The man in the lead, his silver hair billowing, halted, and his vassals bowed.
"Your Excellency, thank you for your hard work."
Duke Hern said, stepping forward. Cyrus nodded and rode into the castle gates. The vassals, who had been bowing their heads, straightened and followed Cyrus.
Duke Hern followed Cyrus, constantly looking around, but nowhere could he see a woman who might be the Duchess. The only woman he could see was Louis.
'You can't possibly be having an affair with Louis, can you?'
Duke Hern swallowed his doubts until Cyrus arrived at the building and dismounted. Cyrus walked down the hallway, his cloak fluttering, and asked,
"Are there any problems?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"What about Paganus?"
"There was a small disturbance, but Andrei led the way and quelled it. Among the Paganus warriors, two children had not yet reached adulthood, so he took them as hostages..."
"Kill them. Leaving them alive would only cause trouble."
"Yes. But... Your Excellency, where is the Duchess?"
Cyrus stopped dead in his tracks. Andrei swallowed a sigh as he saw Isaac's face turn pale as he followed him.
“He’s been acting up again.”
Cyrus slowly turned and glared at Isaac. His red eyes shone coldly, as if they could devour Isaac.
Seeing Isaac bow his head involuntarily, Cyrus commanded lowly.
“Explain.”
“That is...”
Isaac, who had been fidgeting, fell to his knees.
“Please kill me.”
“Yes. Kill him.”
Cyrus said coldly and was about to turn away when Andrei knelt beside Isaac.
“Your Excellency, I will share the punishment.”
Cyrus’s lips twitched.
“What great friendship. Strip him of his clothes and whip him twenty times each.”
Whipping was by no means a light punishment, with flesh falling off with each lash. Even though they had been friends since childhood, it was a serious matter to bring up the issue of the Duchess consort, who would become the mother of a nation, lightly.
That's how it was in the Northern Territory.
Duke Hern, realizing that things had gone wrong, clicked his tongue internally.
"Isaac, it was my fault for trusting that guy."
Cyrus strode briskly, not looking back as his friends were dragged out. He reached the bedroom and took off his cloak.
"I'll rest. No one is allowed in until the order is given."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
After dismissing all his retainers, Cyrus entered his room, sat on the sofa, and slowly read the letters he had obtained from the Western Territory.
Letters exchanged between Rachel and the Western Duke while she was the Duchess of the East. They contained some of the truth about the war that had tarnished the honor of the previous Northern Dukes and their spouses.
"Very useful, but not yet enough."
After Cyrus regained his position as Northern Duke, the Northern Territory became stronger.
However, it still had too many enemies. Prematurely revealing the existence of these letters would only allow them to act.
"I need more evidence and strength."
Cyrus closed his eyes gently.
When his ancestors died, Cyrus was too young. Many, both within and without, sought his life, forcing him to flee.
The nanny who fled with Cyrus was killed by enemies, and the Duke of Hern, who belatedly found and assisted Cyrus, lost his right hand.
Enemies were numerous, allies few.
The Emperor, eagerly coveting the powerful army of the Northern Territory, seized the opportunity and dispatched a messenger to the Northern Territory. He offered to temporarily assume the vacant position of Northern Duke, while simultaneously searching for Cyrus's whereabouts.
Cyrus, powerless, knew that if discovered, he would die.
He lived with a desperate heart. He had to become strong, to gather the strong. He had to reclaim the Black Knights, scattered in a defeated war, and cultivate a power untouchable.
He spent years chewing dirt when he had nothing to eat, and drinking horse urine when he had no water. Finally, he returned to the Northern Territory with pride. He was fourteen.
'Six years since then.'
Cyrus couldn't believe the infamy of his predecessor.
The previous Northern Duke was accused of allying with the Eastern Duke and exploiting Paganus's power to swallow the empire, only to be killed by the Eastern Duke during a feud with the Eastern Duke.
The Emperor was harsh on the Northern Duke, but he didn't impose any significant sanctions on the Eastern Duke, simply stripping him of military command.
He moved to uncover the hidden truth and discovered that Duke Rodian Oblen was behind the attack. He also learned that the Duke's daughter, Rachel, was the Eastern Duke's consort at the time.
A letter, discovered thanks to Arianna, contained a story related to the war.
'If I reveal this letter now, it will only seem like a desperate attempt to clear my parents' name.'
The Eastern Duke, trusted by the Emperor, would surely escape the crisis by speaking out. To hold those involved in the former Northern Duke's death accountable, he needed more power and evidence.
'This is the best I can get from the Western Duke. The Western Duke's castle was not easy to enter, so keeping an eye on Rachel Bronte was the right choice.'
Thinking of the West brought Ariana to mind.
Her clear blue eyes, sparkling beneath her round forehead and neat eyebrows, seemed to gaze upon the sky on a clear day.
The last time he saw her, Ariana had walked straight and confidently toward the castle gate. Her back, with the hood of her cloak pulled down deep, made her look very small, but she held the dignity of a triumphant general.
He wondered what Ariana was doing now.
'The Eastern Duke has been sending letters to Rachel Bronte constantly asking about Ariana's well-being, so she wouldn't be treated poorly.'
If he treated her as they did in the West, he would not let it go, regardless of whether it was connected to the death of the late Northern ruler.
When Cyrus first met Ariana, he found her both intriguing and eerie.
A young girl of only sixteen, a young girl trapped and abused in a mansion, had the same gaze as his own, forced to constantly be on the move and on alert for survival. He could discern the storm-like hatred hidden behind her serene expression because Cyrus had once felt the same way.
And so, he felt for her. He hadn't even realized that he was more focused on tracing Ariana's trail than on finding any evidence Rachel might have.
The more he watched Ariana, the more he felt like he was seeing himself as a child.
Suddenly, Ariana's smile from the dungeon came to mind. Her genuine smile.
"I smile when I need to. I smile when I deserve to."
Thinking of her unflinching presence, even in Cyrus's presence, Cyrus's face, frozen since entering the Northern Territory, softened.
Though he had eliminated those who sought to kill the previous Northern Duke and his consort and seize the Northern Prince's position, he had not eradicated them completely. Cyrus did not feel at ease even while residing in the North.
He had to be sharper than anywhere else, not wanting to give anyone who wanted to take his head off this spot an opening.
But Cyrus didn't realize that this moment, when he thought of Ariana, was different. He sat with his legs crossed, more relaxed than usual, and smiled faintly.
***
Louis carried out the whipping.
Isaac groaned as he received twenty lashes without a single scream.
"Louis, you are truly merciless."
"My work is done, so I will go. You two can get some rest, too."
"Do you look like I'm getting some rest?"
Isaac grumbled, but Louis left the punishment cell without looking back.
Isaac groaned as he crawled to where he had left his luggage, retrieved some ointment, and rubbed it on Andrei's back.
"Why did you send such a useless letter?"
"That's because it's true. His Excellency fell head over heels for that girl—no, a woman. That's the look of a woman. Anyway, he fell head over heels for her. I couldn't believe my eyes, but it happened."
"Nonsense."
"Nonsense. Do you know why we were late? We were late because we had to escort the Duchess to the East."
"The East?"
"Oh, right. I didn't tell you that."
While Andrei applied ointment to Isaac's back, Isaac explained what had happened in the West. Andrei couldn't understand what Isaac was talking about.
Cyrus flirted with the woman? Helped her? Told her something useful and brought her food? Laughed? Provided her with a place to sleep? Matched her pace while riding? Pretended to have business there and drove her there?
When Isaac finished telling his story, Andrei snickered.
"Did you have a dream?"
"The East?"
"Oh, right. I didn't tell you that."
While Andrei applied ointment to Isaac's back, Isaac explained what had happened in the West. Andrei couldn't understand what Isaac was talking about.
Cyrus flirted with the woman? Helped her? Told her something useful and brought her food? Laughed? Provided her with a place to sleep? Matched her pace while riding? Pretended to have business there and drove her there?
When Isaac finished telling his story, Andrei snickered.
"Did you have a dream?"
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