[What’s the matter? Just live the way you want. You’re free now, so why don’t you rejoice?]
Although the guy looked like the perfect blend of curves and straight lines, one of the most handsome men among handsome men, I had no intention of keeping him by my side.
Once I returned to the Empire, I planned to take a quick break and then immediately start implementing my new plan.
I had far too much on my plate to keep this troublesomely dashing man by my side.
The only reason I bought him from the slave market in this foreign land, was simply because he was the only one who caught m y eye that day.
And the only reason I was letting him go so easily, despite the hefty sum I spent on him, was because he had thoroughly satisfied me last night.
A one-night stand would never lead to a long term relationship in my book. This was my motto.
[Are you letting me go?”] the man asked, confused.
I nodded before sipping my coffee.
One would think he’d be overjoyed at such unexpected good fortune, but why was he wearing such a sour expression?
[Oh, I suppose you need money. There’s not much difference between a slave or a beggar moneywise after all. Don’t worry, after we dock, I’ll make sure you receive enough money to settle down somewhere.]
[But yesterday….] he stammered.
[What about yesterday?]
If you’re going to talk about what happened last night, I’m afraid I don’t remember anything.
I was too drunk, and I was probably in a frenzy of excitement at the time.
But before he could finish his sentence, someone urgently knocked on the cabin’s door.
[Mr Steren, Mr Steren, it’s a telegram!]
Chills ran down my spine at the sound of the desperate voice. I didn’t know why, but soon after, goosebumps rose all over my arms. I opened the door and quickly tore open the telegram handed to me by the employee.
As I swiftly read the content, , and then I heard a heavy thud echoed in my ears, as if something weighty had been dropped somewhere nearby.
– Duke Gregory Steren and Duchess Cecilia Steren died in a carriage accident. Urgently return as the new head of the family, Your Grace.
The paper slipped through my fingers, weakly falling on the floor.
[What on earth is this?] I asked in disbelief, staring at the staff member who had brought the message to me. I knew there’s no way he could give me the answer to that question.
I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling overwhelmed by the emotion on the employee’s face
I felt dizzy.
* * *
That day was one of the memories I desperately tried to forget.
Because while my brother and sister-in-law were going through such a terrible tragedy, I was having a great time.
After that day, I felt a strange, twisted sense of guilt that I couldn’t quite put into words, and I tried to forget about that too.
I don’t really remember exactly what happened after I received the telegram and learnt that I had lost my loved ones.
I don’t remember how i got off the ship or how i came back to the duchy. Everything felt as hazy as a fog, until I looked into Dioana’s sobbing face.
“I had tried to forget him, but yes. I know him,”I confirmed.
I’ve met countless men during my travels, and I wasn’t someone who dwelled on memories enough to remember the face of a man I spent only one night with three years ago.
But from the moment I looked at those golden eyes contrasting with his dark hair, I knew he was the slave from back then.
Plus he certainly wasn’t the type of man who could be easily forgotten.
Walking up to him, I gripped his chin fiercely, and asked,
“You. For what purpose have you come here, and how did you know I was here? Whose orders are you following?”
“I’m not following anyone’s orders, master!”
He knew me, and I knew him. But I never shared any information about myself with this man–no name, affiliation, nothing. And that’s what made him even more suspicious.
I was merely a generous client, perhaps a life-saver, but that was it. So why was this man here, trying to sneak into the Northern territory when I never gave him any details about my identity?
“Lockhart, how did you catch him?” I inquired.
“Actually, I didn’t catch him, I found him,” Lockhart replied with a puzzled expression.
He had found the man unconscious and shirtless near the southern gate, in broad daylight.
“I heard a noise coming from the bushes, and found this guy lying there,” the knight who found him spoke up. “We’ve checked his belongings, but no weapons were found.”
Could a spy be this sloppy? Whether it was carelessness or a ruse to make them lower their guard, only this man could reveal the truth.
“You, what’s your name, and where did you come from?”
I didn’t expect a proper answer from him, but I still asked.
“You should give me a name, master. I am your slave after all,” he shot back.
This man was even more unresponsive than I had expected. Perhaps he was mentally ill, and if so, he shouldn’t be here.
Anyone who posed the slightest threat to young Dioana was to be dealt with.
If I were to spare him, he would go around talking about what happened that night.
But I couldn’t just get rid of him without clear evidence that he was a spy….
I pondered over the situation for a moment before saying,
“His identity is uncertain. There’s no point in keeping him alive, so just kill him.”
It was a shame to take someone else’s life, but I have no choice. This man was not to be trusted.
The man who had been grinning from ear to ear immediately turned pale at my brutal words, “Wai..wait a minute, master.”
I disliked second-guessing my decisions, as well as delaying the execution of an order I gave.
So, Lockhart, who knew my temperament well, didn’t waste time to draw his longsword and approach us.
The heavy blade rose into the air, then quickly descended.
“Auntie Daphne? What’s going on?”
The cheerful voice halted not only Lockhart, who was about to strike, me who was covering my nose with my handkerchief–the guards who were holding the man’s shoulders down to make it easier to cut his neck–but also the man, who had turned blue. Everyone froze in an instant.
“Lady Dioana! Eeek.You shouldn’t have seen that!”
Jeremy, who had arrived too late, panicked and quickly tried to cover Dioana’s eyes, but she had already witnessed the scene.
One by one, Dioana peeled off Jeremy’s fingers and looked up at me with wide, curious eyes.
In that moment when her tiny lips quivered,I had a feeling that things were about to take a turn for the worse.
And sure enough, they did.
“Are you going to kill him, Auntie?”
The straightforwardness of a seven-year-old’s speech is sometimes a fatal blow for adults. I racked my brain for a way to phrase my answer without scaring her.
But by then, Dioana’s big, round eyes had rolled back and forth, taking in the ominous scene in the dark room. The frightening and unidentifiable tools hanging around, and the grim expressions on the adults’ faces.
Frightened, Dioana began to cry.
And Lockhart hastily put his sword behind his back, but it wasn’t something that could be hidden.
“Auntie is going to kill someone. Waaaaaaaahhhh!”
Eventually, Dioana burst into tears.
I quickly scooped her up, attempting to soothe her, but I knew….
I knew that it would require a lot of patience to calm her down.
“No, Dio. it’s not what you think. Why would Auntie kill anyone? Aunt is a good person,” i quickly said.
“So does Lockhart kill people? Is Lockhart a bad person?”
Perhaps the morale lessons she learned from the tutor a few days ago were shining though.
Normally, when I asked her about what she’s been studying, she would give me a vague answer but she looked genuinely curious right now.
” Mrs Keller said it’s bad to kill people. She said that no matter the reason, murder can never be justified.”
On any other day, I would have swooped my niece up and baptized her with kisses of love, for knowing what the word ‘Justified’ meant, but I didn’t expect today to be the day for this conversation.
“Well, our Dioana is right. But really, Auntie doesn’t kill people.Lockhart doesn’t kill people either.”
“Then what is that? Why is that man bleeding? Why did Lockhart look so scary?”
“Let’s get out of here. Aunt hasn’t played with Dio in ages-“
I tried to cajole a confused Dioana into leaving, briefly glancing at Jeremy.
What the hell had he been doing for her to have time to get all the way here !
Catching onto my inner thoughts, Jeremy stared at me with an unfairly accused look on his face.
“No. Lockhart will kill him if I leave. I know it, I’m not a baby.”
Now, Dioana, with her know-it-all attitude, seemed to have sensed that if she left the room, Lockhart and the other guards would kill the poor man.
It’s fascinating how perceptive she was.
“I’m not leaving!” she added.
With this declaration that she wasn’t going to take a single step out of here, the little girl clenched her fists, adopting a serious expression.
“Dioana, if you don’t go, Auntie will get mad,” I warned, taking her in my arms and trying to pull her away, but after a moment of staring at the man, she struggled to break free from my embrace.
For such a petite creature, she was surprisingly strong when she was determined.
Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she ran straight to the man.
“Dioana!” I shouted, startled.
Lockhart, who was holding his sword, swiftly stepped away as the tiny girl rushed forward.
And seeing how all the other guards step back as well, and I spoke up, unable to contain my anger,
“Dioana is right in front of some unidentified guy, and you’re backing off instead of restraining him? What if he attacks her?!”
Only then did they seem to realize how careless their behavior was.
Lockhart, acknowledging his mistake, was about to rush towards the man….
But Dioana had already grabbed the prisoner’s face with both hands.
“Dio, it’s dangerous. Let go!” I screamed, quickly trying to pull her back.
She was a kid and didn’t know how dangerous people could be.
While the adults around had a grim look on their faces, Dioana’s eyes were sparkling, unaffected by the darkness settling our hearts.
She continued to hold onto the man’s face and didn’t move an inch no matter how hard I tried to pull her away, as if I was stretching out some melting cheese.
“Dioana, get your hands off him right now. He is dangerous, get your hands off!”
However, instead of listening to me, Dioana unexpectedly exclaimed with shining eyes,
“He’s handsome!”
