The Seventh Plan. Revenge Done Right. (3)
“Is that so? I also smile when I see Gellerhard too. So, come here, let me give my husband a big hug.”
Right at my words, Gellerhard’s face lit up like a bright ray of sunlight. He immediately lifted the blanket and entered before my body was soon hugged tightly by him. The tension that had been just like bristling sharp thorns up until now was soon relieved by lying the thorns gently down. With each breath, I inhaled Gellerhard’s bodily scent as I pressed my cheek against his broad, hard chest and only then could I feel more at ease.
“Gellerhard.”
“Yes.”
“As expected, let us kill Count Petrika.”
“Yes.”
“Good… If we bring a list of people who had aided Count Petrika this time, we could then confiscate all their titles and lands too.”
“Yes.”
“And bestow them to the newly acquired knights instead.”
“Yes.”
“Please grant one to my family as well. Since they won’t be able to rule over the Viscounty of Bentta anymore…”
“I’ll give them the highest rank one.”
“No, that would be too much… It’s kind of like that—start with the baron first and then, we promote them.”
“Yes.”
“Confer some titles to my older brothers too. So that they can grow their strength…”
“Yes.”
“Then, no one—no one will ever be able to hurt my child again.”
Gellerhard, who expressed such unconditional agreement to my words, hugged me tightly without responding with anything else.
The next day, the expected duel notice flew through. It had been a statement that Count Petrika was now coming to the Duchy of DeMancier even when visitations weren’t allowed yet and the fact that several of the Duke’s vassals had been working with him as well.
*
It was even before spring when they left for the border battleground, but now, in the midst of such winter, the Duke’s vassals had arrived at the Duke’s castle one after another with their own positions in tow. Near to the Duke’s office, in a rather large room, there was a round table as well as a total of ten chairs. When I entered the room, the room appeared to be full with those ten chairs found upright as well as those several men, who all stood up. When I made my appearance, everyone, including Gellerhard himself, who was seated right at the head of the table, all stood up at once and simultaneously executed a bow.
“Mandy.”
Gellerhard, who already seemed quite ill-tempered, reached out and walked over to me before he slowly took my hand. A large hand eventually squeezed tightly against mine as he pulled it slightly to his side.
“Since it is the Duchess of DeMancier’s business, she ought to be present as well.”
Gellerhard’s voice sank heavily. At an instant, the man, who had been seated to his right, moved his chair to me and Gellerhard assisted me in taking a seat. I eventually sat down, followed by Gellerhard before the rest of the men of the Round Table took their seats too.
The man who yielded his chair to me moved to a side while all the other vassals began to shift one by one, perhaps due to the fact that he had enough position of a high authority amongst his vassals to be seated directly to the right of the Duke himself. As he was situated right at the opposite of Gellerhard, Count Petrika kept his original seat and a man had voluntarily withdrawn himself from the Round Table. Hierarchical ranks could be obviously seen from their movements and positions.
“……”
Apparently, by the time I came in, there was already a heated argument with such loud voices that had even reverberated all through the hallway, but as soon as I sat down, everyone kept their mouths shut.
“I do know why all of you are here today. It seems like I had tried to harm Carlos and now, Count Petrika is trying to protect Carl by taking him along to the County.”
The Count, who had been looking at me quietly, eventually nodded his head. It was the first time I had seen him ever since Merilyn passed and I became Carl’s stepmother according to his own will. The Count, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time now, looked rather emaciated on both cheeks.
“Unfortunately, it is. It was brought to this old man of the news that my only grandson had been in grave danger. So, I dare you, please allow me to take my grandson with me.”
Count Petrika, without batting an eye, lowered himself to me and spoke politely to a fault. His appearance was that of a helpless grandfather who had only been worried about his only grandson.
“Carlos’s safety is actually in danger?”
When he was asked as he pretended not to know, he lowered his head as if he had been even more apologetic. Then, a man suddenly took his place and opened his mouth instead.
“I heard that the other day, the Prince was seriously ill. And they said that he had a fever of such unknown origin…”
As Charlotte’s deed was buried, both Carlos’s illness at that night as well as Theodora’s death naturally became unexplained accidents in return. Except for Count Petrika, who probably heard the news in real time from those whom he had planted in the Duchy. Nevertheless, none of the people here were actually at the Duchy during that time, so they didn’t know the true details.
Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 7 chapters in advance!
