Chapter 9 (Part 5)

Returning to the Ducal residence, Anthus began sending letters to Matthias and Yuliana.

To Yuliana, love letters… To Matthias, letters of apology… Fortunately, he received replies from Yuliana, but not a single reply from Matthias.

Two weeks passed like that. Anthus was still banned from visiting the Loengrin Earl’s residence. What sustained Anthus was Yuliana’s letters.

Anthus asked Yuliana to meet him at least at the entrance of the Earl’s residence, but the reply he received was, 

[I’ve decided to follow my father’s words. Please bear with it for now, even if you want to see me.]

Anthus was withering away day by day. He felt like he was going crazy not being able to see Yuliana. He couldn’t escape the feeling that his insides were rotting away.

Aside from writing long, pleading letters to Matthias every day asking for forgiveness, there was nothing else he could do. He didn’t realize how powerless he was.

He thought getting scolded and beaten for Yuliana’s pregnancy would be the end of it, but it wasn’t. Reflecting on his past arrogance, Anthus picked up the quill again and wrote a letter of repentance to Matthias.

* * *

Anthus’s letters arrived at the Earl Loengrin’s residence without fail every day. The content of the letters was similar; they were earnest pleas to lift the ban on entering the residence and to allow him to see Yuliana.

For two weeks, one letter, two letters, three letters kept arriving from Anthus each day. However, Matthias’s mood did not improve.

Matthias prohibited Yuliana from going out, citing the need for her to take care of herself. Yuliana wanted to say she wanted to go out, but she couldn’t. So Yuliana, like Anthus, was also in distress.

The only consolation was that she could receive and read the letters from Anthus every day. Each time she wrote a reply, the longing pierced her to the bone, but she had to endure it.

She couldn’t bring herself to tell her father that she wanted to see Anthus.

“Father.”

“Eat up, Lia. I asked them to prepare the peach sherbet you like for dessert. You need to eat well for the baby in your belly to be healthy.”

“Yes.”

As she put down her fork and knife and ate the dessert, Matthias spoke to Yuliana again.

“Lia… I find it uncomfortable to see the Duke’s face for a while. Can you understand?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry. He must be someone you love… But please give me time to accept this situation. Can you do that?”

“Of course.”

“Is there anything else you want to say?”

What Yuliana truly wanted to say was…

“I’m really sorry… for disappointing you…”

Only apologies.

“Sorry… Do you think you did something wrong?”

“I disappointed you.”

“Are you disappointed in yourself?”

“Yes.”

“My thoughts are different… I am not disappointed in you…”

Matthias had anticipated that something like this might happen. There were times when Yuliana stayed overnight at the Ducal residence, and they spent several days together during the territorial war. When a man and a woman who love each other are together, it is natural for something to happen. It was the same for him and Rosaline.

“There is nothing in the world that can stop the feeling of love. Loving each other is not a great sin. There is nothing to be sorry for. But there is one thing I worry about…”

“Father…”

“What I worry about is that you are still unmarried and have just recently gotten engaged, and now you are pregnant. I’m worried that people will talk.”

If Yuliana and Anthus were to marry soon after getting engaged, people would be curious. And if they found out about the pregnancy before marriage, they would undoubtedly talk behind their backs.

Matthias worried that Yuliana might get hurt by the rumors. He feared that those who were jealous of Yuliana would mock her for not taking proper care of herself.

“More than being angry… more than feeling disappointed in you… I have only one thought. I am entirely worried about you.”

Matthias knew that a child doesn’t come into existence alone. He also knew that Yuliana, being from the Loengrin family, had to take responsibility.

“I’m sorry… Father.”

“Stop apologizing.”

Matthias gently smiled and patted Yuliana’s head as he spoke.

“Did you think I would get angry?”

“Yes.”

“If the child came despite you and the Duke being careful, there must be a reason. Let’s welcome the child with joy. And as members of the Loengrin family, we must take responsibility.”

Yuliana was filled with a sense of guilt and gratitude towards Matthias, who was worried about her. She also felt sorry towards Selenia and Louis.

<A child? Congratulations! Lia, then we should prepare for the wedding before your belly grows!>

<I’m sorry.>

<What do you have to be sorry for? Duke Anthus must have been eager to marry quickly and deliberately dragged you to bed. It’s obvious without even seeing it.>

<No! I wanted it too…>

<The fact that you want to protect the Duke is how I feel right now.>

<Sellie… I’m sorry… You should be the one getting married…>

<We will be family for the rest of our lives. Let’s protect each other, understand each other, and not hate each other… My happiness is for the family to live harmoniously. Remember when you told me that if I was happy, Louis would be happy too, so I should be happy…>

<Yes…>

<Lia, you’re my family now. As I said before, if my family is happy, that’s my happiness. So if you are happy, I’m happy too. Lia, stop crying… Your face will swell.>

Feeling like she had hurt her beloved family, tears began to flow like rain from Yuliana’s eyes.

“Lia, don’t cry… If you cry, the baby in your belly will be sad too.”

Her heart was overwhelmed with gratitude and guilt. Matthias gently embraced and patted the sobbing Yuliana’s shoulder.

* * *

Louis wanted to go to Anthus several times a day, grab him by the collar, and throw a white glove at his face, but Matthias kept stopping him.

“A child doesn’t come into existence alone… Don’t make a fuss, Louis.”

“Father! That guy surely… took advantage of our innocent Lia!”

The sudden news of his precious sister’s pregnancy was a huge shock. Louis knew that such things could happen between men and women as if by magic, but he didn’t want to admit it.

“If he cherished her, he should have been more careful.”

“Calm down. Getting angry won’t change anything.”

“I need to throw a white glove and beat and scold him to feel better. Aren’t you angry, Father?”

“Louis, you still have a long way to go. First, sit down.”

Louis was embarrassed to sit down as his father calmly spoke, expecting him to get angry and express his rage at Anthus. His father’s words weren’t wrong, but he felt like he could only relieve his anger by pouring it out on Anthus.

“So you want to go and throw a white glove at the Duke and fight him? He’s a Sword Master. Your sword will never kill him.”

“Father! If I don’t do something like that, I feel like I won’t be able to stand it.”

Louis’s suppressed voice was filled with anger.

Matthias understood Louis’s anger. But expressing his feelings through anger would be playing into Anthus’s hands.

“Tsk tsk. A barking dog that can’t bite is not a dog. Louis, you’re just a barking dog that can’t bite right now.”

“But… Father!”

“Do you think hitting or scolding him will shock him?”

“No, but…”

“He’s the father of the child in the belly. Do you think he’d come to the Earl’s residence expecting to be killed?”

Matthias sighed deeply and spoke to Louis.

Before discovering Yuliana’s pregnancy, Anthus’s face was filled with happiness. After learning about the pregnancy, Matthias understood Anthus’s expression.

He found it very annoying. However, he couldn’t win against him with force, and he wasn’t someone who would be shocked by being physically hit.

“In this situation, it’s best to dry him out by not letting him see Lia.”

“So that’s why you banned the Duke from entering the Earl’s residence.”

Louis finally understood Matthias’s words.

“No matter how much of a Duke he is, we are just an Earl’s family, and he’s not an opponent we can beat. Louis, remember this. When you meet an unbeatable opponent, always think of the most effective way to make them suffer.”

“Father, you always make such cold, rational judgments at times like this.”

Anthus had always sung about wanting to marry Yuliana quickly. Matthias had anticipated such a situation.

And when it actually happened, he was angry. He wanted to grab Anthus by the collar and punch him a few times.

“Scolding him might make you feel better, but only for a moment. Louis, look at these letters.”

Louis skimmed through the bundle of letters Matthias handed him. They were all heartfelt and pitiful letters of repentance from Anthus.

“Louis, getting angry isn’t the solution to everything. It’s not just about venting your emotions at the moment but making sure they understand that if they mess with Matthias Loengrin again, something like this will happen.”

“Indeed… It’s hard to believe the cold-blooded Duke wrote this.”

“Not being able to see Lia is the worst situation for Duke Anthus.”

Matthias sensed that Anthus had come prepared to be scolded or beaten. So he issued the decree to leave quietly and calmly.

When he told Anthus not to enter the Earl’s residence, Anthus’s face was filled with despair. He looked like a puppy that had lost its owner.

“Father, shouldn’t we hold the ceremony before her belly shows?”

“We should.”

Matthias didn’t solely blame Anthus, knowing that having a child was the responsibility of both of them.

But he was angry at Anthus’s attitude. His precious daughter was pregnant before marriage, yet he lightly said he would take responsibility, and his face was filled with happiness.

“I don’t want to see the Duke’s face for a while, so this time, Louis, you attend the Imperial meeting as the heir of Loengrin. If anyone asks about me, just say I’m bedridden.”

“Understood, Father.”

Matthias ground his teeth. He intended to show Anthus, who lived for his own greatness and achieved what he wanted, that life doesn’t always go as planned.