Chapter 6 (Part 3)

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. I’ve been so busy lately that I couldn’t pay attention. I’m truly sorry.”

His voice was trembling. Cardin looked down at him for a long time, then slowly bent his knees and sat down. As his presence drew closer, Baron Hurrick flinched and looked up.

An unapproachable coldness was evident on his face. Baron Hurrick swallowed nervously. Cardin stared at Baron Hurrick’s face for a long time. An indifferent yet oppressive aura surrounded them.

Baron Hurrick, flustered, lowered his gaze.

“I’ll be watching, Baron.”

His voice was so cold it made the hair on the back of one’s neck stand up. As the Baron merely lowered his head, Cardin continued.

“To see if what you said to me before was sincere.”

“I-it’s sincere. How could I dare….”

Cardin stood up. He looked down at the Baron as if he were a bug.

“If this happens again, I won’t come like this. Instead, something else will find you.”

“Something else….”

“You know well, Baron. What you did to my bank, what you did to innocent people.”

“…….”

“Especially after you repay everything to Brienne, I’ll deal with you without mercy, so be careful.”

Cardin turned away coldly. With no hesitation in his movements, Baron Hurrick shuddered.

The aide belatedly followed Cardin. As soon as he got close, he spoke.

“Your Grace, I recently heard that Roquek has registered his son as the heir to the Messerode family.”

“How much indulgence should we allow for a grown man’s tantrum?”

His gaze was filled with ridicule.

“If this goes wrong, it could disadvantage us. According to Messerode family law, the head of the family must produce an heir within three years of marriage.”

Three years. Cardin understood the desire to see his bloodline quickly, but the ancestors were too hasty. It’s possible not to have children.

Even though continuing the lineage is important, three years is too short. Is that why previous heads of the family frequently changed wives? Because they couldn’t bring in a mistress, did they divorce?

Cardin asked indifferently as he walked.

“What’s the reaction of the retainers?”

“They’re not pleased, but they accept it because it’s the Messerode family’s bloodline.”

“I guess we’ll have to change the family law.”

“But that’s….”

“We can’t keep being dragged around by such outdated laws.”

“It’s almost impossible. It requires the King’s permission, and above all, all the retainers must agree, but some have already supported Roquek, so it won’t be easy to change their minds.”

Cardin furrowed his eyebrows. As soon as he stepped out of the gray building, the sunlight poured down. Even though it was the afternoon sun, it was intense.

Several people congratulated him as they saw him. Cardin lightly acknowledged them and looked back at Damon.

“Call Sodrick for a moment.”

Sodrick was the dedicated lawyer for the Messerode family. Damon hesitated for a moment and then asked.

“Are you really going to change the family law?”

“Yes.”

Cardin stepped into the open carriage door. The coachman diligently closed the door and quickly climbed onto the seat. Damon sighed with a distant feeling. There was already a lot to do, and it seemed like there would be even more.

* * *

Cardin planned to meet Sodrick briefly and then go to Brienne. He intended to discuss the lawsuit related to Roquek, who continued to act annoyingly, and discuss the family law.

The family law had been bothering him for a while. Having a child within three years.

He intended to consult with Sodrick and change the outdated family law. He didn’t want to become a head of the family like his father.

Since Sodrick was already staying in Devok, meeting him didn’t take long. The problem was the return journey.

He even took a cigarette from Damon, which he didn’t usually smoke. The carriage, moving late at night, encountered an unexpected stone, causing a wheel to come off.

Fortunately, it was a sturdy carriage, so there were no major injuries, but changing the spare wheel took quite a long time.

Cardin looked at the dark night sky and exhaled white smoke. The road to Brienne was rough today.

‘Damn it.’

He took another cigarette from Damon and smoked it. Just as he was about to finish it, the coachman ran over with a tense face.

“Your Grace, what should we do? A metal pin is stuck in another wheel, and removing it will take time.”

A metal pin. Cardin laughed in disbelief. At least it was fortunate to discover it now. Cardin knew that rushing in such situations would only make the servants more anxious.

He remembered how his father used to pressure the servants. It was a past he didn’t want to recall.

He smiled and said.

“Take your time.”

The coachman flinched but then bowed his head and stepped back. Damon glanced at him worriedly. At that moment, Cardin extended his hand.

Damon slowly handed over the cigarette case.

“There’s only one left now.”

Cardin took a cigarette from the case.

“Have you been smoking a lot lately?”

“Ah, well….”

Damon couldn’t bring himself to answer. He wanted to say he was stressed because of the house, and the cost of buying cigarettes wasn’t cheap.

Cardin smiled as if he understood and skillfully lit the cigarette. His cheek slightly hollowed as white smoke rose. Cardin exhaled the smoke and looked at the sky.

It was a monotonously dark night.

* * *

As soon as she woke up in the morning, she looked around. It was quiet. No one was there.

‘Is he very busy?’

Anyway, Cardin said he would return by morning at the latest. Still, she was worried. She opened the wardrobe, put on a robe, and left the room.

As she descended the stairs to the first floor, she happened to meet Melin. A smile appeared at the sight of her.

“Melin, when did you arrive?”

“I came late last night. I was finishing up several tasks, but are you okay?”

“I’m fine. But is that my breakfast?”

In Melin’s hands were a delicious-looking soup, tomato salad, grilled bread, and plump sausages that looked appetizing.

Melin spoke hurriedly.

“Yes, I was just on my way up. The Duke told me to make sure you eat well.”

As they went up, she asked Melin.

“Any news about Cardin?”

“The Duke should return by lunchtime at the latest. It seems there was an issue with the carriage on the way here.”

Her eyes widened.

“Is Cardin hurt?”

“No, the Duke is fine. I think he’s just delayed because they’re changing the wheel.”

Even though Cardin was said to be fine, she was worried. Melin watched her and spoke kindly.

“Don’t worry too much. Anyway, the Duke is fine and will be here soon.”

Melin smiled. That smile gave her some peace of mind. Melin gently held her arm and said.

“Have breakfast first and wait.”

Brienne was hungry anyway. Cardin’s news was her main concern, but it seemed Melin had prepared breakfast with care, so she went up to the room.

Melin placed the silver tray on the table.

“Madam, eat a lot, and if you need more, let me know.”

She looked at the steaming soup. It certainly looked delicious, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat. The sound of the door closing made the surroundings suddenly quiet.

In the distance, she heard the sound of waves, but it stirred no emotion. After staring at the food for a long time, she sighed and picked up the spoon.

‘Cardin will be okay, right?’

Anyway, she thought she needed to eat breakfast and gather strength. Cardin would return soon. So she forced herself to eat the bread, paced by the window, asked about Cardin’s whereabouts, and looked out the window again.

There was no sign of Cardin arriving. She unconsciously pulled the bell cord and then went downstairs. She was looking for Melin when she heard whispering in the corridor.

“Doesn’t it seem like the Duke isn’t coming back on purpose since he hasn’t returned yet?”

Two maids were cleaning the windows in the corridor. Brienne listened to their conversation from behind a nearby pillar. She hadn’t had much interaction with the Messerode family’s servants, so she was curious about their thoughts.

“Why? Isn’t he very busy? It seems like Roquek is trying to take over this family, and he’s often called to the palace.”

What the maid said was something she hadn’t known through him. 

Who exactly was Roquek?

“You’re so naive. The master pretends to be busy while doing such things on the surface. There’s even a rumor that he plans to abandon the woman after marrying her, so the rumors won’t get worse.”

“No way!”

“Why not? The Hurrick family has already stained the Messerode family, and that woman has a terrible reputation.”

“That’s true. At the wedding, there wasn’t a single person who greeted her.”

Laughter echoed. While acknowledging the maid’s words, Brienne wondered if it was okay for them to mock her behind her back.

‘I haven’t done anything wrong to those people.’

Suddenly, she recalled what Hernes had said.

“Even if your family isn’t much, don’t stay silent.”

“If you stay silent, they’ll naturally ignore you like that.”

Hermes had said that Brienne’s presence would be revealed in her attitude. Even though she knew Hernes hadn’t said it out of genuine concern, Brienne felt it was what she needed to hear now.

She stepped forward from the pillar. The maids, who had been laughing among themselves, turned around in surprise. Their eyes widened.

“Ma, Madam.”