8. The Eighth Plan. To greet the new family members warmly. (3)
Baron Tian bit his lips when he saw the document that Liam had given to him. As elsewhere, in the north itself, where half of the year had always been in conflict, the war that existed to protect the border was also considered a noble honor for the north and the issue of corruption that related to military supplies, even if no other corruption had taken place, would never—ever—be forgiven at all cost.
“You see, if you are aware of the shame and if you really do think of Carl, then please don’t ever approach him anymore along with that dirty money.”
Baron Tian did not respond that easily. It would have been unexpected to hear that the corruption issue would be revealed, so he, as an agent, became vague as to what should be answered.
“I see—my apologies, but I have not received a word from the Count in advance at all. For that reason, if I may convey this situation to the Count and present you with a clear response later.”
The seat had been so far away that when he shouted, his throat must have hurt and the same man who was full of spirit while crying out to approach me earlier had slowly disappeared somewhere, he—Baron Tian—began to ask in an extremely cautious tone. Anyway, he couldn’t be completely disgraced since he was still with the Count, who undoubtedly shared the lineage with Carl himself.
I nodded while pretending to be merciful and as soon as Liam and Gellerhard’s aides were dispatched, they went to Baron Tian before negotiating a subtle deal. Instead of disclosing the corruption of the military payment, it soon turned into a contract for them to pay three times the damage to the DeManciers and not to ever step forward without any permission from the Duke of DeMancier in the future.
Liam softly whispered to what the amount had been right before the Baron stumbled and collapsed. Probably, the Count would somehow be able to maintain his reputation since he had properties that he inherited from the previous Count, but it would still be too much for them to do such a costly trick like before.
Starting with Carl’s birthday, the long bad relationship with Count Petrika eventually ended. My parents had received a new estate and title before they eventually left to take care of it along with my eldest brother and his wife, then my second brother, Patrick, showed up to the Duke’s office as promised, but in quite a different form than we had ever expected.
He actually volunteered for the war right amidst the border. He came forward for the border war as a knight and it had been possible for him to serve anyone as his Lord, so there was no problem at all. However, I was still worried that my brother, who had only been in the castle before, would participate in that war.
In the spring right after that winter, Gellerhard left to guard the border as per usual.
*
Gellerhard and I exchanged letters more often than usual. Unlike last year when I couldn’t even tell him the news of my pregnancy, I borrowed the hand of the Duchess Dowager to deliver the news and my letter, which contained the trivials of such daily life, eventually headed to the battlefield at the border.
I spent a busy day raising Carl while being educated by the Duchess Dowager of a Duchess’s duties little by little as I was still living with Theodora remained completely in my heart. Gellerhard, who kept on enduring and surviving today as well as tomorrow somehow or other, wrote back to us in the castle. The letters that I sent to him were very casual, but the letters which he had responded to me with had even more in addition to them such as what he ate, and things like his private exchanges with the knights under his command. It wasn’t long before I finally realized that he was talking about a very narrow topic instead while avoiding such bloody talk. My heart instantly ached because I felt absolutely heartbroken for that fact.
Gradually, I became aware that Gellerhard’s reply was delayed at some point when I had written and received a reply from the daily story of Carl growing up as well as of his mother, the Duchess Dowager herself.
When my written letter went through the magical process of arriving at him in just half a day, he would then respond back by writing and sending it immediately by the evening or early in the morning. I used to get his reply after a day or just a half after I had sent him a letter, but it suddenly started to take two to three days for his reply to finally arrive.
At first, I was worried if there had been a problem with the transport magic on Gellerhard’s side, but when I saw the date which he left while writing, it occured to me that he had simply replied late. In addition, the content of his letter, which he had always responded to with his daily trifles in order to avoid such war stories, still remained, but it now became even more and more vague—or as a matter of fact, blunt.
It was very, extremely suspicious. I even thought that he tried to hide something, but my heart remained clear since it had been so obvious that many husbands had hid things from their wives while they were away from them and Gellerhard was never ever that kind of guy at all! Every day had been incomprehensible because I was aware that he would never be such a shameless person and eventually, winter arrived as he ultimately returned.
Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 7 chapters in advance!
