🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 33
You Said You Wouldn’t Kill Me
When Dominic heard that the duchess was banned from going out, he actually thought it was a good thing.
‘Ugh… Please, Duchess Richard, stop making trouble.’
The muscles in Dominic’s arms bulged as he pulled out weeds in the herb field. Today alone, the workers had to be paid an advance of ten thousand florins in gold. And that was just the start. After that, they had to be clothed, fed, housed, and cared for if injured. Once work really began, the money would disappear so fast he wouldn’t know where it went. Since it was such a remote area, he always had to pay more to bring workers in—especially now in spring, when work was everywhere and nobody wanted to come. But thanks to some rumor started by the mercenaries, fifty men showed up at once. To take care of them, he had to send for more servants from Weimar. By summer, there would be almost a hundred new people on the duchy’s lands.
“Of course, she spends money like it’s nothing. That’s how nobles are, not afraid to spend at all…”
Every time Dominic pulled a weed, he yanked out a big clump of dirt with it. As he kept working, suddenly a sharp pain hit the back of his head. He didn’t have to look to know who did it.
“Ah, Dad! Why did you hit me?”
Dominic stood up straight and glared at his father.
“Really, if you drag your son out here on his day off, at least don’t hit him.”
“What do you mean, a day off? The duchess, who’s half your size, works every day.”
“She’s got the spirit of a ghost who died from working too much. Not me. I want to rest today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my lazy life.”
Dominic yelled, but the mercenaries in the herb field didn’t even look at him. The Molly family bickering was nothing new. It was actually strange if they didn’t argue. Ricardo, Dominic’s father, grabbed a plant Dominic had just pulled out and carefully replanted it, patting the soil with his big, rough hands.
“This is valerian. It helps you sleep. How can you not tell herbs from weeds, you idiot?”
“You hit your precious son on the head for a little plant? With that huge hand?”
Ricardo glared over his shoulder at Dominic.
“How can you say it’s just a plant? You saw the duchess work so hard to grow this herb garden with your own eyes! Are you trying to prove you’re an uneducated mercenary?”
“I’m not uneducated! I just know too much and that’s why I’m suffering… Oh! Isn’t that Daniel over there?”
As Ricardo dusted off his hands and stood up, he smacked Dominic’s back.
“Ow! Dad!”
“Watch your mouth. Don’t call your lord ‘that guy.’”
Ricardo ignored Dominic and looked toward Daniel, stroking his chin.
“He looks pretty fierce. Looks like he’s getting stronger again.”
Dominic, still rubbing his back, turned to look at Daniel.
“He’s never not been fierce…”
Then Dominic suddenly felt something was wrong and tapped his father’s shoulder.
“Dad. Did you do something without telling me again?”
“Me? Maybe.”
Dominic looked back and forth between his father and Daniel, who was walking toward them quickly.
“Let’s just get out of here. Can’t you feel that Daniel looks like he’s about to kill someone?”
“Yeah… I can feel it.”
Just as Dominic said, Daniel spotted Ricardo and stalked toward him like a predator. When Dominic saw Daniel’s eyes, he jumped back, still pulling his father with him.
“Dad, Daniel’s eyes…”
“They’re really red.”
Even knowing this, Dominic still tried to drag his father away. When that didn’t work, he moved in front of Ricardo and shouted,
“What did you do to make him this angry?”
“Step aside, Dominic. At least you can survive.”
“That’s what you say to your son? Seriously!”
At first, the mercenaries just watched Daniel approach. But as the atmosphere grew tense, they all stood up.
“Hey, what are you doing? Go stop him!”
Most of them had spent years in battlefields and could sense danger. Daniel’s anger was obvious. When Daniel got close, Dominic ran to him, and the mercenaries instinctively joined in, rushing toward their lord.
“Grab him all at once! If we don’t, we’re dead!”
Daniel drew his sword, and everyone except Dominic froze. Dominic braced himself as Daniel’s sword touched his shoulder.
“Move, Dominic.”
“Why are you doing this? What made you so angry?”
“If you move now, I won’t kill you or your father. Choose. Do you want to die here?”
Daniel pressed the tip of his sword into Dominic’s shoulder.
“Ugh…”
Dominic winced but raised his arms and moved aside. He knew Daniel never lied, even when angry. If Daniel said he wouldn’t kill, it meant he would stop just short of it. Dominic figured it was better to let Daniel blow off some steam.
Just then, Daniel threw his sword to the ground and rushed at Ricardo, swinging his fist. Dominic quickly jumped between them and took the punch instead.
“Hey! You said you wouldn’t kill me!”
Meanwhile, Muriel still couldn’t find Frida anywhere, even in the kitchen.
“Where could she have gone?”
Frida hated being locked up but usually listened to Muriel because she knew the punishment would be worse if she didn’t. When she brought lunch to Frida’s room and found her missing, she searched the whole castle, but nobody had seen her. Frida’s favorite hat was still in her room, so she couldn’t have gone outside, right? Muriel looked up at the sunny sky and called for a servant, thinking Frida might have gone to meet Dominic about paying the lumberjacks.
“Do you know where Dominic Molly is?”
“I don’t, but Captain Molly is probably in the herb field. Maybe they’re together.”
Muriel nodded and grabbed a hat before hurrying out.
“If she goes out without a hat, she could get sunburned…”
Muriel promised herself that if she caught Frida, she’d double her grounding time.
Leaving Marian Hall, she called out to Matilda.
“Matilda! If you see the lady while I’m gone, send someone to the herb field right away.”
Matilda’s eyes widened.
“You still haven’t found her? You’ve been looking for ages.”
“I don’t think she’s in the castle.”
“Oh no. If the knight finds out, there’ll be trouble. Our lady is so brave.”
“I’m off to the herb field. Let me know if she shows up.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll take this water to the kitchen and then go look.”
Muriel nodded and ran outside under the clear blue sky.
“Ugh, I thought I was going to die.”
Dominic lay in the trampled herb field, clutching his bruised cheek. He looked at the mercenaries around him.
“What are you guys doing? Hurry up and grab the lord!”
This was their best chance, now that Daniel had used up some of his strength. The mercenaries quickly rushed in and grabbed Daniel’s arms and legs.
“Calm down, my lord!”
“You haven’t fully recovered yet!”
If Daniel had been as strong as before, Dominic’s jaw would have been completely shattered. Even now, Dominic felt dizzy as he stood up.
At least he’d been hit—hopefully Daniel had calmed down. Still held by the mercenaries, Daniel glared at Ricardo.
“Why did you lose your temper?”
“I told you not to run your mouth, Ricardo.”
Daniel growled at Ricardo, who just looked back at him calmly, almost with a smile. Dominic touched his swollen face and glared.
‘He’s still got all his wits about him, even at his age.’
Daniel, unable to break free, shouted coldly,
“Let go of me! All of you, get lost!”
The mercenaries looked to Dominic, not knowing what to do. Ricardo spoke first.
“Let the lord go and get back to work. If you don’t pull weeds now, all our hard work will go to waste.”
Ricardo waved his hand at the mercenaries.
“Don’t slack off. Hurry up.”
“But, Captain…”
They hesitated, looking to Dominic for guidance, knowing he was the more practical one in a crisis. Dominic, still rubbing his jaw, waved them off.
“Let’s finish for today.”
The mercenaries quickly let go of Daniel and scattered.
“Hey! Where are you all going? We need to finish today so we can brag to the duchess tomorrow!”
“Dad, just leave them alone.”
When Ricardo tried to stop the workers, Dominic sighed and pulled him back.
“I can’t take another punch for you. I’d die.”
“Why did you get in the way?”
“What, was I supposed to just watch you get punched?”
“Anyone hearing this would think you’re a great son.”
“Are you really going to be like that? My jaw almost got knocked out.”
Their argument was suddenly cut off by Daniel’s cold voice:
“Both of you, shut up.”
