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Chapter 48
He Must Be Regretting It
The document contained a report from the border lord: someone had seen Arthur Nottingen near the border. Arthur Nottingen was the eldest son of the Duke of Nottingen—one of the Twelve Dukes—and he was once considered a possible son-in-law for the former Emperor. The Nottingen family stayed quiet when Bolstak II seized the throne, probably because they were pressured by the Baichen family. In the end, they did rebel, but three years ago, the Richard Duke destroyed the whole family. Only Arthur managed to escape, and since then, there had been no news of him. Everyone assumed he had died somewhere in the mountains.
“Of course he’s alive. No one ever claimed to have killed him.”
Chamberlain could hear the Empress Dowager blaming the Duke Richard for letting Arthur get away. He tried to hide his sigh and swallowed his cold tea. It was true that Daniel Richard failed to catch Arthur Nottingen and left trouble behind, but Daniel was badly injured in the process and only just woke up recently. And wasn’t it Daniel Richard who did the most to put the current Emperor on the throne? For the last three years, with the “Emperor’s hunting dog” missing, there hadn’t been any big trouble in the empire, all thanks to Daniel Richard wiping out the opposition. Chamberlain might not like Daniel as a person, but he had to admit Daniel’s abilities.
At that moment, the Empress Dowager’s cold blue eyes met Chamberlain’s.
“Ulrich, is it possible Daniel let Arthur Nottingen escape on purpose?”
When autumn ends in Chellino, rain comes to announce winter. After the rain, the sky looks clear, but if you don’t dress warmly, the chill will make you shiver all day. Whenever Chamberlain saw the Empress Dowager’s blue eyes, he always thought of that sharp winter cold.
“Is there a reason you suspect that, Your Majesty?”
“Isn’t it strange? Daniel, of all people, losing to Arthur Nottingen?”
She didn’t press the question any further.
“Ulrich, I want you to take this letter to the Vutain estate. Now that we know Arthur Nottingen is alive, it’s dangerous for the Emperor to stay there. He won’t listen to me, so you must persuade him to come back.”
Even the Empress Dowager couldn’t hide her frustration today.
“If I stay here any longer, I’ll go crazy or suffocate! If you want a child so badly, I’ll give you one—just leave me alone!”
Leopold had raised his voice and left the castle for good. He usually hid his emotions, but at times like this, he was clearly a Richard. People who lose themselves in worthless feelings… they all try to escape her control, fighting until their last breath.
“Now… you can’t do anything to me anymore, Marguerite.”
Her husband, Duke Bruno Richard, smiled at the very end of his life. Even as his body slowly froze from digitalis poisoning, he looked happy, as if he had finally gained true freedom.
‘So foolish and naïve, right until the end.’
If he had simply followed her plans, maybe he would have become Emperor, and she, Empress. There was a time she dreamed of sharing all the glory with him. Perhaps she too had once been young and innocent. She bit her lip to calm herself, gripping the handle of her teacup tightly. She was no longer the naïve young Marguerite Baichen. She was now the Empress Dowager, carrying the burden of planning for the next hundred years of the Sverggen Empire.
“But if the Emperor insists on going to Utrecht instead of Chellino, don’t stop him—just follow him.”
“Are you saying the Emperor will go to Duke Richard?”
“Going to Vutain is just an excuse. He’s wanted to visit the duchy all along.”
The moment she heard Daniel had awakened, she expected Leopold to find a reason to go to the duchy. Since childhood, Leopold had admired Daniel, sometimes with envy. Daniel was taller, stronger, had black hair and reddish-brown eyes that made him stand out everywhere he went. Daniel seemed to take away attention and love that should have gone to Leopold. Even Laura, Marguerite’s rival, had taken her husband’s heart the same way. At first, Marguerite hadn’t worried much—she thought Daniel would be easy to control, but surprisingly, he was the one who caused the real trouble. Despite being an illegitimate child from a low-born mother, Daniel dared to soar as if he had wings. Marguerite tried to crush him but couldn’t shake her unease. Even now, Daniel hid his sharp side and pretended to obey, but she didn’t know when he might turn against Leopold. After surviving death, was he still the same? Daniel looked calm, but inside, he was like a volcano waiting to explode. With his determination and ambition, he could have carried the Baichen name better than anyone.
Marguerite didn’t like letting Leopold go to Daniel, but she couldn’t stop him this time. If she couldn’t prevent it, it was better to send someone sharp like Ulrich Chamberlain to keep watch. Baron Boild needed more time to prove himself. She had plenty to worry about, but she set aside her thoughts about Daniel for now—there were more urgent matters in front of her.
“Ulrich, there’s one more thing I need you to do.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“There’s been a female Emperor in the west of Altas for some years now, hasn’t there?”
If it was the west of Altas, it meant the Ryngen Empire. Chamberlain remembered attending the coronation of Skadia Ryngen, who became Emperor as a woman.
“Yes, it’s been six years now.”
“Find out why they don’t follow Salic Law. Is it just because they dislike Sverggen, or is there another reason? If there is, I want proof.”
Salic Law meant only men could inherit titles and property. It was the foundation of the empire’s order for centuries. Why was the Ryngen Empire ignoring it?
“Your Majesty, may I ask why?”
Rumors would surely spread if the royal family took an interest in this, so why risk it?
“Just a small curiosity.”
“Your Majesty is far too wise not to know how dangerous such curiosity is.”
“That’s why I’m asking you, Ulrich. Find out quietly. No one else must know.”
The warm spring wind suddenly turned cold as she spoke.
“If the secret leaks, the traitor will be either you or me.”
A chill surrounded Chamberlain.
“At least it won’t be hard to find the betrayer, then.”
A silver comb pressed down through Frida’s hair, making it neat and shiny. Every stroke made her silvery hair look smoother. As Baroness Boild combed her hair, she suddenly turned Frida’s head to look up. Frida’s anxious purple eyes looked up at the baroness.
“It’s enough. Don’t you think so? The baron must be waiting for you in his office.”
“Tell him to wait. We need at least twenty more strokes for it to shine properly, ma’am.”
After a few days’ rest, Baroness Boild visited Frida every morning to care for her. Shocked by the empty jewelry box, the lack of dresses, and the bare state of Munheim Castle, she insisted they needed to fix it up right away.
“If you don’t show the lord’s authority, order will break down instantly.”
Baron Boild agreed with his wife.
“You can’t rule a domain without authority. People must admire and fear you. That’s where loyalty begins.”
He was more direct than he looked.
“You want to send the children to university? That’s a fine idea. But will they want to come back to a poor land like this, where the lord lives no better than a servant?”
He was also practical.
“If you don’t have enough money, start by fixing up just Marian Hall, where you and your husband live. I’ll make a budget and report in three days.”
He was bold, too. When Frida suggested waiting for Daniel, the Baron shook his head.
“His Grace said all matters inside the castle should be discussed with you, ma’am. We can’t delay just because we don’t know when he’ll be back.”
His budget proposal was perfect, and in the end, Frida agreed. After meeting the guests, she realized how neglected the castle was, so the yearly budget was given to a merchant in Weimar. She hesitated until the last moment, thinking maybe it was better to hire more workers instead, but the order went through, and soon the goods would arrive. There was no point worrying now. Baroness Boild kept brushing Frida’s hair.
“His Grace’s hunt is taking a long time, isn’t it? It’s been ten days already.”
‘Ten days already,’ Frida thought, nodding.
“He’ll be surprised when he sees how you’ve changed after he comes back.”
The baroness braided Frida’s hair and pinned it up neatly. Frida rarely changed her style, so even a little change amazed everyone. She’d lived her whole life in this countryside without anyone to care for her at the age when young women want to be pampered.
“You’ll see. When he comes back and sees his beautiful wife, he’ll regret leaving for the hunt.”
The baroness finished Frida’s hair with care. When the tailors arrived for the knights’ uniforms, she would have some new dresses made for Frida too.
“All done! Look at you—today, you’re so lovely… Ma’am, what’s wrong?”
Frida’s eyes filled with tears.
“He must be… regretting marrying me.”
