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~Chapter 63~
Daniel lifted his gaze to the sky, thickly dotted with stars, and silently began counting every single one he could see.
“One, two, three… fifteen, sixteen…”
It wasn’t enough. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“Hoo.”
He had hoped the cool night air would soothe his heated body and mind, but unfortunately, inhaling the breeze that carried Frida’s scent only made the firmness of her thighs beneath him more pronounced. Damn it—he cursed the bright moonlight that did nothing but exacerbate his predicament. Muttering his frustrations at the innocent full moon, he tried to steady his breathing.
“Calm down already, you bastard.”
At the very least, he must not be the kind of madman who gets aroused by his sick wife. Daniel desperately suppressed the rebellious impulses coursing through him, much like his master, who had been untamable. When he shifted his body, Frida, whose cheek had been resting on his chest, lifted her head slightly.
“What’s wrong, Daniel? Are you tired?”
Tired? Of course. Exhausted to the point of death. Daniel bit the inside of his cheek and forced a smile.
“No. How about we go back to the room?”
Half-asleep, Frida shook her head.
“Mm… no. I want to stay here.”
She whimpered and nuzzled his chest.
‘She’s going to drive me crazy.’
Daniel couldn’t help but feel frustrated at her innocence today. And if she wanted to act cute, she could at least stop smiling that silly smile.
“I wish we had moved to this room sooner. I want to look at the stars with you every night.”
Just looking at the stars every night… is that all there is to it? Daniel, caught in a swirl of inexplicable feelings, let out a long sigh.
“Hoo…”
Frida, seeing him suddenly frown, looked at him with concern.
“Daniel, is it because of me?”
He couldn’t answer “no” right away. Actually… it was because of her.
“If you don’t want to have a wedding and a funeral on the same day, the safest thing is to avoid touching me at all. With your size, one wrong move and she’d be dead that day.”
Damn Ricardo. Why the hell did he have to say something like that? Daniel let out a weak laugh and tenderly brushed Frida’s hair that the wind had tousled.
“If you knew, you’d stop worrying.”
If only he could leave all the difficult things to Dominic and let her rest… Would eating well and sleeping properly help her grow taller? Would feeding her a lot of meat make her gain weight? Even in his absurd thoughts, he chuckled quietly. He realized anew just how small his wife was. And yet, looking at her felt like standing before a vast, deep ocean. One step closer and he might drown in it. Unable to take his eyes off her, Daniel felt Frida cover his cheek with her hand.
“Were you very startled?”
Of course he was. This was the first time he had seen Frida lying so ill. Usually, she would not fall so deeply ill. Seeing her so weak that she could barely lift her arms, he understood why. Frida, in her attempt to reassure him, carefully controlled her wavering voice and smiled cheerfully.
“I’ve been lying down for a while, right? But Daniel, there’s nothing to be so worried about. I’ve been sick for a whole month before. Since coming to the duchy, I’ve gotten healthier. Three days? I can handle that…”
“One week.”
One week? Frida, who had expected to be bedridden at most three days, froze in surprise.
“R-Really?”
Wait… a week? The Emperor is supposed to visit the duchy soon…
“Daniel, the Emperor hasn’t arrived already, right? And the goods from Weimar—did they arrive on time?”
This would be the first time hosting the Duke of Reihardt’s wife as a guest. Moreover, it was the Emperor himself visiting. With such an important occasion, she had been lying in bed for a whole week? Watching Frida with her pale face and restless expression, Daniel gently pressed her furrowed eyebrows to smooth them out.
“No need to worry. The Emperor will arrive in three days.”
During Frida’s illness, they had received word that the schedule would be slightly delayed. A minor annoyance buzzing like a fly in his ear. He even briefly considered causing a landslide to block the Emperor’s path. Not knowing what Daniel had been thinking, Frida relaxed and fell onto his chest.
“Phew. Thank goodness.”
Daniel covered her shoulders with the blanket that had slipped down and gently stroked her head. Frida burrowed into his chest like a newborn puppy searching for its mother.
“You were quite surprised, weren’t you? The Emperor is coming, and there’s no lady of the house. People would talk about it forever.”
Daniel’s normally warm voice had a calm, cool edge, falling over Frida’s crown.
“Aren’t you a little reluctant to meet the Emperor?”
“Not at all. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for so long.”
The warmth of his hands paused for a moment, then continued. In Daniel’s eyes, the emotionless calm was back, but to the drowsy Frida, it felt like a lullaby. Her eyelids grew heavier in his embrace.
“I’m excited. He’s our first guest in the castle.”
Thump thump. Frida’s heartbeat matched Daniel’s. Sleepiness crept in as she murmured.
“I’m glad I can welcome the first guest with you.”
You are awake, and I am fine now.
“That way, neither of us has to face it alone. That’s such a relief.”
Her low whisper pierced his heart, and Daniel’s pulse raced again. Time to count the stars once more.
“Thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five…”
Tonight, there were so many stars in the sky—Daniel felt grateful as he counted them.
Meanwhile, Ricardo, who had been inspecting the herb garden, discovered a fresh bunch of purple violets, glistening with morning dew. He bent down to examine them.
“Hmm. Not bad.”
He carefully plucked a small bunch, roots and all, holding them gently to avoid breaking the petals, and carried them into the inner palace. Before entering, he tapped his boots on the steps to avoid dirtying the carpets inside. Over the past few days, the castle had undergone a noticeable transformation, with purple tapestries hung throughout. Light streamed through the polished stained glass, brightening the previously plain interiors. Ricardo ignored the excited servants as he ascended the stairs to the third floor, then suddenly stopped.
“Ah, damn it.”
He remembered that the Duchess’s belongings had been moved to the fifth floor yesterday afternoon. Turning back toward the stairs, he heard a door open behind him.
“Oh, Father. Where have you been? Just showing up now?”
Dominic, walking behind a neatly dressed Daniel, looked at Ricardo. His slicked-back hair gave him an unfamiliar appearance, causing Ricardo’s face to scrunch.
‘I’m the one welcoming guests? Ridiculous.’
Indeed, whether in armor, formal wear, or even rags, Daniel carried an aura unlike anyone else. Dominic, passing by Daniel, noticed the flowers in Ricardo’s hands and raised his eyebrows.
“Are those weeds? You were picking weeds while everyone else is so busy?”
Trying to protect the flowers from Dominic’s rough hands, Ricardo twisted his body carefully.
“Mind your words. These aren’t weeds—they’re violets for our Duchess.”
Dominic glared, then Ricardo’s eyes shifted to Daniel.
“By the way, isn’t the Duchess coming with all that jewelry for the Emperor’s mistress? She should have some adornments ready.”
“Hah!”
Dominic laughed out loud, crossing his arms in disbelief.
“Flowers don’t compare to a woman dripping with jewelry. Less is more.”
“What nonsense.”
Ricardo scoffed.
“Our Duchess herself sparkles more than any jewels. Standing there alone, she’d outshine the Emperor’s mistress ten thousand times over.”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Dominic muttered under his breath, clearly bewitched. Daniel quietly walked forward, with Ricardo following.
“Anyway, I’m just glad the Duchess is finally recovered. I was worried sick thinking about what could have happened…”
“You weren’t the only one worrying. Even the chief of staff cried during that ordeal. Honestly.”
Dominic’s voice, which had been sharp in recent days, softened. Since hearing that the Duchess of Reihardt had awakened, the tension in the castle had dissipated. Ricardo patted his son’s shoulder and smiled.
“You were drinking every night because of your worry too.”
“I didn’t… I was just keeping the crazy little deer occupied in this mess.”
They reached the fifth floor. Ricardo looked back at the steps, worried.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s too high for the Duchess to move about easily. It’s good for guarding her, but hard for her to get around, my lord.”
Daniel, who had remained quiet amid the chatter, gazed toward Frida’s bedroom door.
“There won’t be much coming and going, so it’s fine.”
Outside the wide-open window, the sky was clear and cloudless. Perfect weather for welcoming even the most unwelcome guest. Ricardo’s worries were just as excessive as the weather.
“But my lord, you can’t confine the Duchess to the castle. She…”
“Why don’t we take her to see the flowers before they wither?”
Though they were simple flowers in Ricardo’s hands, they were lovely. It was the reason he had brought all this noise here—because he thought it would suit Frida. Ricardo, hesitating to say more, gave up and turned away. He knocked, and the Baroness Voilede greeted him inside. Daniel, hearing this behind him, felt drowsy. Soon, Emperor Leopold would arrive with his entourage and mistress. Chambelin, as cunning as Vice-Chancellor Vaitzen, would come too. The castle would be abuzz with annoying and irksome people, but his mind was unusually calm. Frida was steadily recovering, and he had placed her exactly where he wanted. For now, he could relax. Daniel’s lips softened into a smile as he savored the rich scent of grass heralding the coming summer. Peaceful, simple time passed slowly.
Clunk. The old door, long unlubricated, rattled as it opened. Daniel slowly turned around and squinted against the sunlight streaming through the corridor.
“Daniel, have you been waiting long?”
In the slowly brightening view, Frida stood. Daniel paused, taking in his wife, filling his eyes with her.
“Daniel?”
Her lips parted, and sound came, delayed like a dream. The unpleasant dreams Daniel had been having were nothing compared to this reality. Yet the only word that seemed right for this moment was—dream. A wonderful dream.
He reached out his hand toward his wife, standing in the sunlight.
“Shall we go, my lady?”
