“Liddell, Liddell, are you okay?”
Liddell’s eyes snapped open at her husband’s frantic call. It was the Liddells’ familiar bedroom.
“Mister…”
Remembering what just happened, Liddell startles.
“Don’t tell me your aunts are already here?”
“No, we’re going to execute them in a week.”
“Please, sir. Please, sir. This is not a battlefield. Please don’t kill anyone. I apologize for my uncle’s family being so disrespectful to you, sir, please.”
Liddell bows in exasperation.
“Stop it, Liddell is not to blame. I’m angry that you were unjustly humiliated and unilaterally hurt. Besides, they’ve tampered with the servants’ winter supplies, opened all the liquor, and wasted the leftover food.”
The winter drink is a necessity in this cold country. The reigns have every right to be angry.
“No, it was my fault for letting them into the castle. I can’t forgive them for insulting the master and making the servants feel bad. I will make amends, please.”
Tears ran down Liddell’s cheeks, which Frederick gently wiped away.
Frederick gently wiped them away. Liddell, why are you so protective of her? Liddell, why are you protecting them so much? They are like animals, aren’t they?”
“And yet, the executioners…”
Of course I hate them… They may have intended to use Liddell to hurt him, but they never intended to apologize.
“I’m happy with people I don’t like as long as they’re invisible. As long as they never come under my eyes again, that’s all that matters. And then I’ll help you make jam for all the trouble you’ve caused.”
“No, Liddell stopped me for that, so it’s minimal. No problem.”
Nobles have reputations to uphold. Liddell knows it can’t go on like this.
“Sir, please…”
Liddell sobs and hugs Frederick to feel his warmth.
Frederick held Liddell’s slender waist and rubbed his back soothingly. “Wait a bit, I won’t get rid of her without your knowledge, now rest.”
With these words, Frederick gently stroked Liddell’s hair and let him lie down on the bed.
“Master, stay here a little longer.”
It was so hard, because Frederick was changing without Liddell’s knowledge and he was afraid that he would turn back into the cold man he used to be.
“It’s okay. I’ll stay here until you fall asleep.”
At Frederick’s direction, Dorothy brought me a warm herbal wine.
When he finished, Liddell was rocked to sleep by Frederick’s hand.
Frederick’s hand wrapped around Liddell’s and he was rocked to sleep.
Frederick looks lovingly at Liddell as he sleeps, then returns to his office with a tense expression.
Howard, Dorothy, and the Territory’s principal soldiers were waiting in the office. They all had stern expressions on their faces.
“How is Okusama?”
Dorothy looked after Liddell.
“Oh, she’s sleeping now.”
Everyone is relieved to hear that. Liddell is well liked by his servants. He was angry that his precious Okusama was treated so badly and that he had belittled his master.
“Sir, Lord Drimore has sent a message. He will be arriving shortly on his fast horse.”
“So it is Kurt, the current lord.”
How will you execute his sentence?
How are you going to execute him?” asks Howard stiffly.
“I’d like to hang him right now, but Liddell may be too afraid to talk to me if I do.”
The usually determined man puts a hand to his forehead in exasperation.
“That’s a problem. I think that’s a fair punishment, too.”
Dorothy nods next to Howard. Liddell is aware of the Northerners’ naivete and compassion, but he is unaware of their savagery toward their enemies.
“You really got along well with Okusama. It would be a shame if it came to that.”
At Dorothy’s words, everyone sighs at the same time.
“Yes, that’s right. We can’t just dispose of them in this area. We’ll see how Kurt reacts to it first. Did his family send him to this area because he was too much trouble, or did they just leave him here unattended?”
Frederick’s ice-blue eyes flashed sharply.
