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~Chapter 64~
Frida, who suddenly approached and grabbed his arm, carried a faint scent of flowers. The violet flowers woven into her elegantly braided, snow-white hair suited her perfectly, just as expected. After staring at them for a few seconds, Frida smiled at him.
“It’s from Ricardo. Matilda thought it would look pretty if I wore it this way. Does it suit me?”
“Yes. It suits you well.”
Unlike Dominic, whose expression stiffened at the mention of a name he couldn’t ignore, Daniel merely nodded as if nothing was amiss. Placing his hand gently on Frida’s waist, he said,
“Let me carry you.”
Caught off guard by his frankness, Frida almost leaned into him but quickly glanced around. Ricardo was chuckling, Dominic looked unusually tense, and the Baroness Matilda had already approached. Caught in their intrigued gazes, Frida offered an awkward smile and blushed shyly.
“D-Daniel. I can walk on my own.”
“There are a lot of stairs. You haven’t fully recovered yet, so it’ll be hard for you to go down. Don’t be stubborn—let me carry you.”
“But…”
Standing beside her, Matilda gestured with a slight wiggle of her eyebrows, silently urging her to comply. With no room to hesitate, Daniel gently lifted her. Frida, worried that the flowers might fall, held her hair in place as she leaned against Daniel’s chest.
“Then take it slowly. You mustn’t let your hair get messy.”
Her attention fixed on her hair, so carefully arranged by Matilda, Daniel stretched his legs cautiously. Frida, her sparkling eyes having regained their lively shine over the past few days, asked a question.
“By the way, Daniel… what kind of person is the Emperor?”
She had wanted to ask long ago, but her illness had left her too flustered to do so. All she knew about Emperor Leopold Bolshack II was that he shared a father with Daniel and was two years younger.
“Is there anything I should be particularly careful about?”
Careful… One must be careful about everything in front of Leopold. Yet, at the same time, there’s nothing to worry about. He pays so little attention to anything or anyone that doesn’t pique his interest. The only thing he had in common with Daniel, his brother, was that. In every other way, Leopold was thoroughly like a Von Weizen through and through.
“You just need to behave properly. You won’t be staying long anyway.”
Or, if not, he intended to make it that way.
“But the Emperor is also part of your family, Daniel.”
Realizing anew that his wife was ridiculously innocent, he thought: if she heard that Leopold and Daniel were related, the Empress Dowager might rush up here immediately. Having arrived on the first floor, Daniel carefully placed Frida on the carpet. Fortunately, her earlier worry proved unnecessary—the violet flowers remained exactly where Daniel had first noticed them. Adjusting her hair, he gently removed strands clinging to her cheek and quietly said:
“The Emperor has never once been my family.”
Having fixed her hair in place, he placed the back of his hand against Frida’s forehead. Confirming she had no fever, he extended his arm to support her. Her small hand, hesitating atop the sleeve of his red-embroidered ceremonial attire, was gently covered by his. Daniel looked down at his wife with a steady gaze.
“You are my family.”
The red sunlight filtered through the colored glass and touched Daniel’s gently smiling eyes.
The road to the Duchy of Utrecht was worse than expected. Patricia had grown tired of complaining.
“Good heavens. Leopold, this is really the countryside.”
It was beyond simple countryside—it was a complete backwater. Even riding the Imperial carriage, it felt harsh; if they had taken a regular carriage, their behinds would have been sore. Patricia even worried for the life of the annoying Count Chamberlain riding in the carriage behind them.
“Your mother is too much. How could she give a place like this when Duke Richard worked so hard for the Empire?”
All that could be seen around them was mountains, trees, and more mountains. Occasionally, snow-capped peaks appeared in the distance, and the small villages they passed were the only signs of habitation. Compared to Utrecht, Patricia’s insignificant estate looked impressively grand.
“If I had known it was like this, I wouldn’t have come. Is Mainheim Castle even habitable? My maid says everyone who lives there is insane.”
Leopold, who hadn’t reacted to Patricia’s chatter until now, finally looked toward his companion.
“Insane?”
Despite traveling for over three days in the carriage, Leopold’s posture remained impeccable. Seeing her enthusiastic, he leaned back against the carriage wall, waiting for more about the “Mad Mainheim Marquis.”
“After his wife died, the marquis went mad. Every night, he wandered the castle, calling her name and checking every room…”
Clatter!
Patricia lowered her shoulders and feigned opening the door, shrieking as the carriage jostled. It was obvious she was deliberately creating a moment to lean on Leopold.
“Hahaha.”
Leopold, however, decided to overlook her mischievous antics—he was enjoying himself.
“Come here, Patricia.”
The clever woman promptly sat on his thigh, refusing to fall. Leopold held the fabric covering her chest between his teeth and pulled it slightly while asking,
“And? What happened to the mad marquis?”
“According to the maid, he became a ghost. Even now, he wanders the castle at night. Ah…”
Surrounded by mountains and trees, the useless estate, the sickly wife, the castle haunted by a mad ghost—it all perfectly matched the audacious Daniel Richard and made him laugh uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, the Imperial guards who had arrived earlier surrounded the Duke’s castle. Daniel’s sharp gaze scanned the area. Heinrich, dressed neatly in ceremonial attire, stood beside him with a tense expression.
“Traveling at a time like this… is he daring, or simply thoughtless?”
Daniel, watching Stephan arrange the castle servants in a line, replied coolly:
“I wonder the same. Is the eldest son of this border duke daring, or just plain stupid?”
Heinrich ground his teeth in frustration.
“This cold-hearted friend of yours… after rushing over at the news of your recovery, I’ve been treated like an unwanted guest. And you say that?”
“You know you’re an unwanted guest, so you’re not completely clueless.”
“Exactly. I have no expectations of you.”
His resigned smile soon turned cold.
“This isn’t a joke. The situation at the border seems to be worsening. The Solon tribe’s movements aren’t ordinary.”
“If you know, then leave. You’re not needed here.”
“I’m going. I will. Even if you don’t push me out, I’ll go on my own. Ugh.”
Grumbling, Heinrich lowered his voice to speak only to Daniel:
“Don’t pretend to be fine in front of the Emperor. Even if you have to fake being at death’s door, do it. If you recover, you’ll be sent straight to the border. I’d be glad if you came, but… you hate it.”
He then glanced at a woman standing quietly in the shade of a tree, out of the sun. Frida, with eager eyes, was chatting with the Baroness Vild. Now it was clear: this small woman held significant power in this castle.
The invisible threads connected to her small hands spread throughout the castle. When she moved her hand, those bound by the threads moved at her command—including Daniel Richard, her hero. It was absurd. My Daniel, devoted to a frail, dying woman, when there were many healthy women to bear his children—he gave his heart to her. What a pointless child.
“Cheh.”
Despite the irritation he should have felt, Heinrich found himself in an oddly amused mood. He lowered his voice again:
“Remember, Daniel. I’m ready whenever you need me. If you command, my father and I will…”
“Henrich.”
Daniel raised his left hand and gently pushed his face aside.
“I told you. I don’t like men from Updyke.”
Too loyal and overly passionate.
“And if you want to scheme, find somewhere else. Anywhere is better than here.”
The Imperial carriage, carrying the Emperor, stopped right before them. Daniel strode toward it. The man descending from the carriage, golden-haired, similar yet different from Daniel, landed gracefully on the ground. Despite the long ride, his hair was immaculate. Leopold lifted the corners of his eyes and smiled brightly.
“Hey, Duke Richard.”
“Your Majesty.”
Daniel bowed, but Leopold grabbed his shoulders with both hands.
“Good heavens. Brother!”
Leopold suddenly hugged Daniel.
“Daniel, you’re really awake! Hahaha.”
After letting go, Leopold laughed loudly, patting Daniel’s arms.
“I couldn’t believe it even after hearing the news. I feel guilty for what happened to you. Seeing you healthy makes me very happy. Hahaha.”
Three years after their last meeting, Daniel remained as precise, dignified, and cheeky as ever.
‘Hah. This is the Daniel I know.’
Leopold chuckled, withdrawing his hands.
“Welcome to the Duke’s castle. Your Majesty, I apologize in advance for any inconveniences during your stay at this humble estate.”
As he admired Daniel’s polite, commanding presence, a cough came from inside the carriage—a reminder from Patricia that she was present. Just as Leopold turned toward the carriage, he heard:
“Frida. Come here.”
Hearing the unfamiliar name, Leopold followed Daniel’s gaze. Sunlight streamed through the swaying branches, blinding him for a moment. When he opened his eyes, she… appeared. A sudden spring breeze struck Leopold’s heart.
