IFLDMHF | Chapter 121

Episode 121

“Richard?”

The person blocking my way was none other than Richard.

I hadn’t noticed when I passed by indifferently earlier, but now that I saw him up close, his face was extremely flushed.

Especially his originally blood-red eyes, which were now heavily bloodshot.

I didn’t need to ask why—somehow, I already knew the reason, so I asked quietly.

“Do you have something to say?”

“My lady… I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“I should have been by your side. If I had been…”

“If you had been?”

I tilted my head slightly as I asked.

“Do you think the situation would have been different?”

Richard hesitated and lowered his gaze as if he had nothing more to say.

Well, no matter how much one overestimates their skills, no one will know an accident in advance. So he couldn’t be certain that he would have been able to protect me.

“Richard. You may be a knight of the Duke of Rudion’s household, but you are not my personal guard, nor were you even present. There’s no need for you to apologize separately.”

Richard’s head snapped up, and his eyes wavered heavily.

It seemed he understood my meaning—that he should no longer be bound by the past, nor see me as his savior, but simply fulfill his duty as a knight of the duke’s house.

The red eyes that had been fixed on me briefly disappeared beneath thin eyelids, only to reappear again.

Then, in a faintly trembling voice, Richard spoke.

“It’s a relief that His Grace was by your side.”

“…….”

He must have meant that if Euclid hadn’t shielded me during the accident, I might have been seriously injured—or worse, I might not have returned alive at all.

That’s why I couldn’t immediately respond with agreement.

Even if it had been for my sake—no, precisely because of me—Euclid had been caught up in the accident, and that didn’t sit right with me.

As I remained silent with my brows furrowed, Richard lifted the corner of his lips slightly and asked.

“My lady, the Duke of Rudion is precious to you, isn’t he?”

Yet, perhaps because of the way his drooping eyes looked, he seemed a bit sad.

Either way, this question was very easy to answer.

“Yes, more than anyone else in the world.”

More precious than even myself.

Hearing my answer, Richard gave a small nod.

It was then—

From a distance, I saw Anne, who had briefly stepped away, now hurrying toward me.

“Anne, what’s the matter?”

“My lady, it’s…”

Anne was breathing heavily, glancing around cautiously. Then, lowering her voice, she whispered into my ear.

“The war with the Kingdom of Aruhin has ended in victory. The Crown Prince will be returning to the Empire soon.”

***

The news Anne delivered was an urgent message, so fresh that even the Imperial Palace had not yet received it.

By now, I wasn’t even surprised that I had learned of an event in a distant foreign land before the Emperor himself.

The Gold Merchant Guild had branches not just within the Empire but across the entire continent, and there was no place where information traveled as quickly.

Besides—

“Hmph, at least the Emperor didn’t waste his money for nothing.”

Perhaps he had sensed the growing anxiety caused by rumors surrounding the North.

It seemed he was trying to shift the atmosphere with the victory, as he had recently begun preparations for a grand banquet.

Along the way, perhaps out of spite toward the Basilian family, the Emperor had chosen to engage in more business dealings with other merchant groups instead of the Basilian Guild. As a result, the Gold Merchant Guild was among those now thriving daily.

So it was already expected that the Emperor had pressured the Crown Prince and that the war would soon end.

‘But it feels like it ended much faster than I expected.’

I didn’t like that the carefully stoked rumors would soon die down or that things were playing out just as the Emperor wished.

However, a prolonged war was never a good thing.

Rather than regretting it, I resolved to focus on what I could do in the North.

After all, whether the war ended or a banquet was held, it had little to do with me.

…Then why did I suddenly feel a chill down my spine, an inexplicable sense of unease?

With my brows furrowed, I retraced my thoughts, wondering if I had overlooked something.

And in that moment, a forgotten memory resurfaced.

— Then later… If I return safely, can I go there? Will you forgive me then?

— There? Where is “there”?

— Where else? Where you are. The Duke of Rudion’s estate.

‘That’s right…’

So it wasn’t just the Crown Prince who would be returning once the war ended.

Alexis was coming back too.

Just thinking about facing that thoughtless fool again made the back of my neck ache.

Still, as long as he returned safely and without injury…

I wouldn’t mind inviting him to the Rudion estate once.

I had mentioned it before, but now I thought I should send a letter instructing him to bring plenty of gifts.

It was then—

“Madam, are you inside?”

For some reason, the butler’s voice sounded urgent.

I gestured to Anne to open the door, and as soon as she did, the butler’s face lit up with relief.

“Madam, there you are! I searched for you for quite some time, thinking you were with His Grace.”

There was no need to mention that he had gone all the way to my chambers before returning.

Smiling wryly, I asked.

“What’s the matter?”

“Ah! The esteemed guest who contacted the estate some time ago has finally arrived.”

Damien was already here?

The arrival was earlier than expected, but that was actually for the better.

“I need to go to the temple immediately.”

I had to explain the situation, make a request, and bring Damien to the ducal residence.

Even if it meant completely humbling myself as if there was no lingering resentment from the last wedding ceremony, I desperately wanted Euclide to receive rapid healing through divine power.

‘To be honest, I wanted to summon a priest much earlier.’

The temples in the North, including those in the Rudion Duchy, were extremely small due to poor conditions. They had only a handful of priests and assistants.

Moreover, even among them, those who possessed divine power were so few that any effect from their abilities would be minimal.

‘But if it’s Damien, the youngest High Priest with immense divine power, he should be able to heal Euclide in an instant.’

If Euclide were to fully recover, I would finally be able to face the children again without guilt.

“Madam, please wait a moment!”

Just as I was about to step out of the room in high spirits, the butler urgently stopped me.

“There’s no need to go to the temple. The High Priest is already at the ducal residence!”

…Huh? Until now, I had only heard that whenever Damien came for volunteer work, he went directly to the temple. I never heard of him visiting the lord’s castle.

Currently, I was heading alone to the drawing room where Damien was waiting.

There were too many things I couldn’t understand.

‘Why did Damien come to the ducal residence instead of the temple? And why did he specifically request to meet me?’

“As expected…”

Was Damien different from the person I knew?

Even Evgenia wasn’t the deranged villainess I had seen in the novel.

So, it wouldn’t be surprising if Damien, known as the upright and righteous High Priest, turned out to be a much more politically driven and worldly individual.

Especially since he had requested to meet me alone, leaving behind the priests who accompanied him—it only made me more suspicious.

‘Maybe he knows how much influence I have over the duchy’s finances and wants to establish contact first.’

I even considered the possibility that he might ask me to make an enormous donation to the temple, suggesting we build up the North together in opposition to the Emperor.

If it was money he wanted, I would actually welcome it with open arms.

Of course, I wouldn’t let my true thoughts show.

And I certainly wouldn’t grovel like I had considered earlier.

‘When negotiating, maintaining a confident stance is fundamental.’

Still, I made sure to control my expression carefully, so I wouldn’t come across as too arrogant or hostile. Then, I opened the drawing room door.

However—

‘…Huh?’

The moment I saw Damien standing with a rigid posture, all my previous resolutions crumbled.

Of course they did.

‘Who comes to negotiate with a face like that?’

I immediately abandoned the assumption that Damien had come to the North and sought out the ducal residence for political reasons.

Damien was still wearing the same intensely cold expression he had during the wedding ceremony.

In some ways, he looked like someone who had been forced into an unwanted meeting.

Then, as if observing me intently, Damien finally opened his mouth.

“This is the first time we’ve met since the wedding… Madam.”

…What? Was he picking a fight?

For some reason, the way Damian called me “Duchess” carried an odd hostility.

I felt slightly irritated, but thinking of Euclide, I forced myself to smile.

“Yes, High Priest. It has been a while. I never expected to see you in the North. May I ask what brings you to the ducal residence…?”

Of course, I didn’t forget to probe into his real intentions.

At that, Damien’s eyebrow twitched as he spoke.

“There must be something… No, I mean, you must have something you need my help with, don’t you?”

I froze for a moment, inhaling sharply.

‘Goodness…’

Damien was incredibly sharp.

As expected of a High Priest.

How in the world did he know I was planning to ask for Euclide’s treatment?