The discussion that followed was informal but with more crucial people joining, and looking at the faces of the people involved, it was almost like a cabinet meeting.
After the lengthy discussion was over, Hugo stood up and patted the shoulder of the eye-catching man that was standing at the side, and acting like he didn't know anything for a while now.
"You've worked hard."
The eye-catching man, Roy, grinned as if to say it was just so so. After Hugo left, Kwiz couldn't bear the sight of Roy who kept glancing at the door like a dog waiting for his master, so he spoke.
"Sir Krotin, do you really have no interest of becoming my knight?"
"I do not."
At first, when the Duke of Taran said that he would place an escort knight at his side, Kwiz was a bit displeased that the Knight's former status was that of a commoner.
Moreover, it was one with no manners and unbelievably impertinent. If it wasn't for the fact that Roy was a close associate and former guard of the Duke of Taran, Kwiz would have driven him away.
However, as time passed, his value was brought to light. In the past year, the amount of times that Kwiz's life was saved thanks to Sir Krotin was numerous. In front of Sir Krotin, assassins that tried to escape were caught like bugs and slaughtered.
Knowing of his tremendous skill, Kwiz tried to entice Krotin into being his knight at every turn but Krotin didn't even look like he was considering it.
"What is the reason? If you become my knight, you can receive more power and remuneration that you receive now. You don't want that at all?"
"I don't really care for that."
"Then, what do you get from the Duke? Is it because you admire him as a Knight?"
"There's a more realistic reason. My Lord lets me duel."
"Duel? Isn't that something you can do anywhere?"
"Only with my Lord can I fight to the fullest without caring if my opponent gets hurt. I can't have such fun in another place."
"…I see."
Kwiz felt slightly fed up. Krotin was greatly skilled and no one among his knights could last more than a dozen rounds against him. Nevertheless, it was obvious that Krotin controlled his tempo and adjusted his strength to match his opponents.
This gave a great shock to Kwiz who always took pride in having the best knights around him. But soon, he acknowledged that it wasn't that his knights were weak, but that Krotin was terribly strong.
'Is Taran Gong that strong?'
Kwiz had personally seen the Duke of Taran wielding a sword on the battlefield numerous times. He knew it was great but since the battle was so lopsided, like a tiger in the midst of sheep, he couldn't exactly tell the extent of the Duke's skill.
'And now that I think about it, I haven't ever seen Taran Gong duel with someone since then.'
The only time the Duke of Taran lifted a sword was when he cut down his enemy. When one thought about it, it was quite dreadsome. Warriors liked to show off their strength but the Duke of Taran didn't do so even though he was a knight.
Perhaps because of that, when Kwiz faced the sword-less Taran Duke, he sometimes forgot that the Duke was a knight.
"Who wins if you duel? Have you ever won by a stretch?" (Kwiz)
Roy rolled his eyes and burst into laughter. Those in attendance were now somewhat used to Roy's unconcerned and rude attitude in front of the prince so they didn't have any outward reaction.
"Winning? Who? Me? That's my goal in life. Although I don't know if it can ever be achieved."
"Are you saying you've never won before?"
"Honestly, my Lord doesn't go all out in our duels. Apparently, it's annoying. He says why should he exert himself for something he can't kill."
"…"
"Sometimes, my Lord doesn't even let me draw the sword. I have to be careful before brandishing the sword."
"…Why?"
"Because he might be in a bad mood. In that case, battle or what, I just get beat up."
"…Even with that treatment, you like it there?"
"It means I am one of the few people my lord trusts."
"Getting beat up?"
"That is the evidence of trust. My lord would rather just kill something than go through the hassle of beating it."
Kwiz had nothing more to say. Anyways, this was an unexpected harvest. The Duke of Taran had a remarkably more foul nature than he was known for.
* * *
"Taran Gong!"
Hugo stopped walking and turned around. The owner of the voice calling him quickly approached his side.
"If you have some time, would you like to accompany me for a while?"
The young man with an amiable smile was Count David Ramis. When he came of age as the eldest son of Duke Ramis, he received a part of his father's estate along with the title of Count. He was also the Crown Prince's brother-in-law.
Once Kwiz sat on the throne, David was sure to rise to the center of power in the future.
David was the same age as Hugo. However, an enormous difference existed between them. Hugo was a Duke and head of his family while David was nothing but a successor to a Duke.
So David calling Hugo by 'Taran Gong' was a very rude act. To be able to call Hugo in that manner, you had to at least be a Duke. And argumentatively, even a Duke had to address Hugo with honorifics.
Even formally, the position of the Duke of Taran was recipient to royal treatment. Hugo could see through David.
Outwardly the man smiled amiably but inwardly, he was full of rivalry.
Greenhorn. Hugo sneered inwardly but on the surface, his expression remained taciturn.
"I do not believe I will fit in."
Hugo responded after briefly staring at David and his followers, who were sticking to him like a tail. In any case, Hugo thought of the Duke of Ramis' face and treated them with adequate courtesy.
"Ha-ha. What are you talking about? I'm sure if Gong is with us, the occasion will shine even more."
"I mean I am concerned that only I will shine."
There was no one who couldn��t understand the meaning behind this sarcastic remark. David's eyes widened in embarrassment and his ears flushed red.
It was the first time he was turned down so blatantly. The people around David always tried to prove their loyalty to him because he was positioned to become the next Duke.
"Hahaha, just as I have heard, you are an outspoken person. Will you oblige and share your valuable opinions with me?"
"Get that from your father. If your father has nothing to say, come and find me."
The Duke of Taran suddenly spun around and began to walk away so David couldn't hold him back anymore. He clenched his fists at the humiliation and his followers sensing his mood, began to furtively scratch his back. (1)
"I did hear he was a knight but how rude."
"It would have been more harmful if he went to our meeting."
David smiled widely.
"Even if he is knight-born, he's an excellent individual. Hence why His Highness, the Crown Prince is so trusting of him." (David)
"Even so, can he be compared to Elder? Is Elder not the father of the future Queen of this nation? If one looks further, Sir will become the uncle of the one that rises to the throne of this nation."
David smiled, pleased at his follower's flattery.
'Indeed. No matter how arrogant he acts, he can't surpass my father. After all, we are tightly bound with His Highness by blood.'
Hugo didn't give a crap about David at all but David was burning with rivalry against the Duke of Taran. There were many nobles with higher status and authority than David. But they were all elders, well advanced in their years.
Therfore, there were no competitors around David's age except for the Duke of Taran. And even though the Duke of Taran was the same age as David, he was already a Duke. He gained a reputation by sweeping through the battlefield and was very famous for how the Crown Prince went through great lengths to acquire him.
Even his father praised the Duke of Taran to the skies. His father warned him several times that the Duke of Taran wore the skin of a bear but in reality was a fox and one should be careful with one's words and actions before him.
David replied in affirmation but scoffed inwardly. He was very unhappy that whenever the Duke of Taran appeared, everyone's attention shifted towards him. What was so great about him swinging a sword on the battlefield a few times?
If David had seen the Duke of Taran on the battlefield even once, he would not have had this thought but throughtout last war, he was safely at the rear.
'No matter what, he is just an ignorant knight.'
David was brimming with groundless confidence.
***
After a few days, Lucia got off her sickbed and was good as new. She had been in bed for quite some time because of the indigestion, but there were no aftereffects.
As if it was a reward for the last few days of poor food, the table was full of high quality dishes for lunch, as well as for dinner. They did not forget to be considerate and only gave her food that was easy to digest.
"Jerome, the number of maids has diminished a lot. There are faces I haven't seen too."
"Yes, Milady. The employment period has expired for many."
The Duke ordered for the servants waiting on the Madam to be changed because their attitudes were bad. In any case, most of them were employed temporarily. They were initially to take all subsequent temporaries to the capital, but since such a situation occurred, the Duke just terminated all the contracts.
The plan was to find the whereabouts of the maids that worked in the residence in the capital and re-employ them. After which, he would leave one maid in charge of managing the Roam castle.
Even though the maids that waited on her for over a year were changed in a single morning, the madam simply replied with, 'I see', and said nothing more.
At first, Jerome thought the madam was an innocent and delicate person but over time his thoughts changed. It was rare for someone to deviate so greatly from his first impression but the Duchess was truly a mysterious person.
'She is truly strong.'
As soon as she got married, she was taken to her husband's home where she didn't know a single person, so she was bound to be lonely and uneasy. If she looked for someone to rely on, it would usually be the maid who took care of her like her hands and feet.
When a maid was favored by the mistress of the house, a ranking forms among the maids. Discord among maids was like a drizzle that went unnoticed until you were drenched. At worst, it could even invade the authority of the butler, so most butlers of nobles were worried about such tiresome things happening.
The Duchess handled those working under her with a clear line. She ordered only what was necessary, and did not bother with superfluous actions. Even if something was done wrong, she simply pointed it out and it was rare for her to raise her voice.
In that respect, the madam resembled the duke closely. The reason why servants found it hard to attend to the couple's needs even though they had never been disciplined before, was because the servants weren't given any room for engagement.
'Is it because their marital harmony is good?'
It was very strange but no matter how Jerome thought about it, if the couple's relationship became estranged, the one to suffer the biggest blow would not be his mistress, but his master. Jerome couldn't give an objective reason why, but it was an instinctive feeling.
"His Grace sent that you should recuperate well and come to the capital at the end of this month."
"What recuperation takes that long? It's just indigestion. Everyone is making such a big deal out of this."
Jerome smiled ambiguously.
'Milady says so because you didn't see Master properly during your fever.'
Jerome was on edge in the receiving room when his master called the doctor and kicked up a storm. When Anna was called back at dawn and came out looking pale, Jerome's heart sank, thinking that the Madam's illness was very serious.
When the Madam finally fell asleep and his master came out, one didn't know how much his master rebuked Anna for not treating the Madam properly. It was the first time Jerome saw his master expressing such extreme emotions. He truly felt pity for Anna who was shaken up. She would probably gain a handful of gray hair.
'I hope Milady continues to be beside Master in this manner. I am earnestly hoping and looking forward to it.'
Jerome thought to himself as he watched Lucia relax in satisfaction as she drank tea.
People didn't know much about the Taran family. Apart from the fact that it was a very famous knight family, nothing else was known. In the north, the land was harsh, the population was small, and day in, day out, war with barbarians broke out on its borders.
It was indeed a land without room to spare for profits. This was a reason why no one coveted the vast land that was the Taran territory.
Of course, the Duke was wealthy. No matter how ungainly the land was, there was no way the owner of such a vast land could be poor.
Even though everyone acknowledged the financial and military power of the Taran Duke's family, no one looked beyond that. The Taran family was a family that had existed for a very long time.
They didn't thrive enough to stand out conspicuously but they weren't invisible. Their years of power could not be ignored. The north which was the Taran territory, had been ruled by the Duke of Taran for a very long time and in the north, the Taran family was like King.
Nobles saw the support of the people as a trivial thing, but at times, that support could become a tremendous force. If the Duke of Taran took the lead, the northern people would all follow without complaints. The Taran family's military power was not the knights that belonged to the family, but all of the northern people. Other nobles were unaware of this.
The north was calm. It was contradictory to say that the north which was always at war with the barbarians was calm, but except from the war, the north was calm. Unlike other territories, there were no occasional uprisings in the north.
You might think this was because people were united to fight against the barbarians, but the biggest reason was because they all had enough to make a living.
The Duke of Taran somehow managed to oversee the north better any other Duke. He did not take too much tax, exploit or suppress people with power. Rewards and punishments were certain and even if you were an aristocrat, you couldn't harm another person without reason. As long as you obeyed the law, nothing irrational would happen to you.
The northern people knew how good it was to live in the north. Even though the land was barren and you couldn't amass wealth from farming, you didn't have to starve. Rather, because you weren't well-off, you didn't fall into depravity.
The northern people all had integrity and stability, and that was an enormous asset to the north. And the power that the Duke of Taran held was more than people could imagine.
For many years, the Taran family didn't have to drain their energy with the likes of succession struggles, and the family's power which protected and maintained its title, blossomed to a tremendous degree.
No one knew that the Duke of Taran had acquired a few gem mines from the barbarian lands after subjugating them, or that he owned several top business giants actively operating in other countries, or that that he had bought a great deal of land and islands in other countries.
Jerome thought that if the Duke of Taran made up his mind, it would be easy for him to overthrow this country. Overthrowing was one thing and setting up and running the country was another matter but anyways, the power that the Duke held, was much more than people thought.
From the level Jerome could see as a steward of the house, he thought so. But the Duke had no attachment to family. The Duke led his family as though something was tying him down.
Rather than an obligation to perform his duties as a Duke, it was more like he was entangled in something sticky and wanted to break out but couldn't.
Once in a while, there were times when the indifferent and cold Duke revealed his inner feelings but even then, he had an expression like he'd had enough.
But one didn't know since when, but Jerome hadn't seen that expression on the Duke and he was certain that the reason for that, was the Madam. If for any reason or any form, his master lost the madam, what would happen?
Jerome was afraid to even imagine it.
* * *
The carriage left Roam and arrived in the Capital around ten days later. The time spent on the trip was double compared to when Lucia went from the Capital to Roam.
The fastest route was a wasteland with no shade so they couldn't go through it at midday with the blazing sun. And because Lucia took advantage of the evening and early morning hours for some activity, the speed couldn't help but be slower.
This journey this time was also escorted by Knight Dean. The last journey, he escorted by order of the Duke but this time, he volunteered. Dean was a man with pure loyalty to the Madam but if it were a knight other than Dean, Hugo would have been uncomfortable.
Hugo had faith in his elite Knight's loyalty and in particular, he valued Dean and Roy greatly. He believed in Dean's prudence and sincerity just as he tolerated Roy's simple character and believed in his ability.
Returning after a year and some months, Lucia felt emotional as she looked at the Ducal Residence. It was here that her life began to change.
On the way back after the exchanging certificates in wedding ceremony, he said:
[If you want to remain in the Capital, you can.]
She really did well in not accepting the Duke's words and choosing to live apart from him. If she did that then the both of them would have remained as strangers forever.
'Although I'm no confident in being the perfect couple with him.'
But to some extent, she knew and understood him. At the very least, the phase of other people saying that they were only couples on the surface had passed.
As Lucia entered the mansion, she subconsciously wrapped her arms around herself. Cool air, distinctly different from the hot air outside, hit her skin.
Due to the house's excellent design with heat-dissipating features, Lucia's first impression of the house was that there was no warmth. Back then, she didn't know she would get married and stay there for a few days.
She was able to compare it because she had stayed in Roam. The cold stone wall of the Roam house was much warmer than this. Even though the house was steadily managed, Lucia realized that you had to indeed live in a house, for it to feel like home.
She felt sorry when she realized Hugo had been living alone in this cold, spacious house.
"Milady, your bedroom is opposite Master's bedroom just like in Roam. It is facing the hallway and the room you stayed in previously when you were here-."
"I will find it on my own. You must be busy, you can go see to things."
"Yes, Milady. And this might be needless words of concern, but please be sure to bring a maid with you when you step out of the house, even if it is just to the yard. Unlike Roam, one cannot predict how many eyes are watching or what can happen in the Capital."
"Alright. I will be going up to get some sleep. When will he be coming in?"
"He is scheduled till evening so it seems he will be returning late."
It would have been nice to see him today, Lucia thought as she went up to the bedroom on the second floor.