Episode 40
All of Jacob's men followed him out of fear, but none had true loyalty.
But Nora felt her sincere guilt for not being able to protect her lord's wife. Elisha looked at her Nora and she said coldly.
“Nora, don't embarrass me.”
“…….”
“If my dear knight dies because of this, my wife will reprimand me, and I will become an uncommon mistress. Is that how Nora takes responsibility for her failed mission?”
Nora's head bowed.
“If you truly admit your mistakes, take responsibility for your future duties with sincerity. That's disappointing. A knight's life belongs to his lord, and he chooses to run away rather than take responsibility.”
Ian couldn't keep his mouth shut and looked at Elisha. He was genuinely shocked. He wasn't the quiet lady I used to know.
'Where the hell did he come from?'
Ian and Nora learned about Elisha's background. It is said that he was treated harshly by being imprisoned in Jacob's mansion and living a life no different from a slave.
It was surprising that such a woman had such spirit and dignity. Nora stared at Elisha. Soon the guilt on her face disappeared and Nora prostrated herself in front of her Elisha.
“Night Nora. I will swear an oath to my lord and pay for this sin by protecting you from now on.”
“Competence comes from being cool. Now that I've forgiven Nora, don't make a fuss about this again.”
Elisha said coldly enough to be cold. Nora nodded her head with her serious face. Corinne let out a sigh of relief. Elisha turned her back.
'I almost got into trouble…… I did.'
I broke out in a cold sweat. If Nora had really volunteered, Elisha would have had to deal with Lucerne's wrath for losing a member of the Black Lion Knights.
Nora is so naive that she thinks Elisha is the real wife of Lucerne and the mistress of the house.
Elisha returned to her room and sent Nora through her Sophie to get her medicine to cover her wounds and silk to wipe off her blood. Just in case, she sent a note of consolation.
'Couldn't this mansion be like this every day?'
Elisha frowned slightly and thought.
* * *
“Lucerne, there must have been a reason why she said she wanted to take a day off and that she would come to the imperial palace late.”
Dressed in her military uniform, Princess Ilione was walking alongside Lucerne. Lucerne had said that he wanted to go to the imperial palace after taking a day off, but the emperor, who loved him very much, said that he fully understood and delayed the state meeting by a day.
“What reason are you talking about?”
“That's it, with Lucerne's wife…….”
Lucerne stopped walking. Suddenly, Ilione felt Lucerne looking down at her. He was tall and very intimidating. Even though he treated Lucerne and her innocently, he was sometimes difficult and her limbs trembled. Even though she was naturally born into her royal family.
“Thinking about it.”
“…….”
“I've never given the name to the princess. We've known each other since we were kids, so it was natural for us to call each other by name. But now that I have a wife, I would like you to restrain yourself.”
Lucerne spoke in the most respectful tone, but the sticky, commanding words that clung to him hurt Ilione's heart. Ilione nodded her head in agreement. Even if it was unfortunate, it was already unavoidable.
'Marriage and love aren't easy for people like me, so there's nothing to hold on to.'
“Okay, I'll call you General from now on.”
“Very nice.”
A small smile crept across Lucerne's lips.
“And who informed me of my reservation for lunch yesterday? Until I introduce her to her, it will be difficult for her to come and see her secretly.”
“…….”
The hotel where Lucerne was supposed to have lunch with her wife belonged to Princess Ilione. Hearing the news that Lucerne was bringing her wife, Ilione made a place to introduce her to her naturally, having a simple drink of sherry before having her lunch.
'My wife seems to be late for an appointment today.'
At the hotel, he only met Lucerne, so he expressed his regret that he could not meet her wife.
The empress was also there. She was told not to say such a thing again to Lucerne, who saw through the meeting pretending to be a coincidence.
“I was curious because the general didn't introduce her to her wife. Are we good helpers? If I was rude, I apologize for that too.”
Lucerne silently nodded her head. She reminded herself that the princess had forgotten that she had to be careful in everything she did when dealing with her lucerne. Lucerne did not like people who crossed the line.
“So, what is her wife like?”
Ilione asked meaninglessly to change his mood.
“I do not know. She is a man of attitude only.”
“…… Only attitude…… What?”
“She's a really interesting woman who doesn't get her way. Her behavior is respectable, but she has hundreds of thoughts running through her head.”
Lucerne looked ahead. Ilione was taken aback by the fact that he was smiling faintly.
“Soon the government meeting will begin. Come on in.”
Lucerne lightly nodded his head. The government meeting was held in the palace. The emperor rose from his seat and greeted Lucerne.
Applause poured out for the general who returned with the victory report. Lucerne stood in front of him.
“Okay then now. Let's start the state affairs meeting.”
After the hunt, the best knight in the empire returned. As always, his teeth were full of lean meat. The nobles gathered around him, wondering if they had anything to gain.
* * *
Lucerne had been staying at the court for the third day. Government meetings continued during the day, and banquets were held in the evening.
Lucerne was at the center of it all. In between, people asked Lucerne if he was married. Rumors had already spread all over the capital.
“She didn't bring her this time because her wife was not feeling well.”
Lucerne gave a rough answer to his vexing questions. At that time, people sent strange glances.
“By the way, the general is finally seeing his wife from a noble family. She finally drew her sword.”
One noble even blasphemously whispered in Lucerne's ear. He was now an earl, but a title that was only in name in front of the position of a general was too insignificant, so no one called him a count.
During the banquet on the third day, Lucerne received a note. Upon seeing the note, Lucerne immediately headed for his room in the imperial palace. Inside the room, Ian was waiting for Lucerne.
“General, how are you? How did the government meeting go?”
Ian asked politely.
“It is always the same. They are in a rush to ask each other something. I think you will receive a forest and a territory.”
The mountains and forests where Lucerne subdued monsters this time, and the four territories recaptured from the remnants of the Old Kingdom. He completely purged even the nobles of the old kingdom who rebelled in combination with the territory, and then six territories came out as spoils.
Lucerne was supposed to acquire the largest of them, the Serze Manor and the Noron Forest.
In particular, Noron Forest was a place where there were many monsters. That meant that there were many magic stones hidden in the ground or caves. The magic beasts grew up eating the energy of the magic stone. Either way, it was a pretty big booty.
“It's okay if it's the third estate. Now that you're a count, it's now possible to receive a land map.”
“I guess it's thanks to her having a wife.”
Lucerne said nonchalantly. And he chinned.
“Look at it. How is it?”
“The bodies of three unknown men were found by the river. The appearance and head count of the men you saw matched.”
“And?”
“As a result of the investigation, it turned out that they were the lowest members of a back alley bullying organization. I didn't use water spray, as if I didn't intend to kill the madam. It must have been an attempt to invalidate the general's acquisition of the county after insulting him, or else to try it.”
“So. She raped and dumped my woman, and then to see if I dumped her or not?”
What Ian couldn't bear to say, Lucerne spoke openly. Ian rolled his eyes and nodded his head. Lucerne did a dry wash.
He was strangely agitated. Things like this aren't even cruelty in this family. I was so angry that I couldn't understand myself.
“It's annoying.”
Is it because of his own incomprehensible feelings, or the person behind the attack on Elisha? Lucerne couldn't pick out the target of irritation.
“Continue. It's Jacob, it's Marco.”
“The rogue gang is known to have patrons. An anonymous sponsor……. Its true identity is believed to be the Marquis of Fullmoon. Neighborhood tramps say they have seen contact between Marquis Fullmoon's entourage and the leader of the bullying gang a few times.”
“If it's the Marquis of Fullmoon, is it Carola's parents?”
“Yes.”
Lucerne nodded his head.
“Did you bring information about Marquis Fullmoon from the Information Guild?”
“Here it is.”
On the note Ian handed out, there was top-secret information that the Information Guild wouldn't even sell to regular customers. These were the weaknesses of the great aristocrat, the Marquis of Fullmoon.
The reason I was able to get this was self-evident. It was because Lucerne was the owner of one of the capital's information guilds.
When Lucerne acquired Ian, a former spy, Ian was being pursued by an information guild. After Lucerne solved the problem and made Ian a knight, he ate the entire information guild.
Since then, Ian has set up an agent and has been running the information guild only for Lucerne. Information up to the second stage was sold to other customers, but the so-called first stage, top-secret information was opened only for Lucerne.
-Excellent in managing special matters and privacy. He is known to have a good relationship with his wife. More than 60% of the property is in the wife's name. It is said that his wife brought a large amount of dowry when they got married. In particular, he is very careful about women's issues.
“Was the Marquis of Fullmoon originally poor?”
“The tax has decreased a lot, but I got a rich wife with the blood of the imperial family and stood up once again. Now they say I drop birds.”
Lucerne nodded her head. It was not difficult to come up with a way to fuck the Marquis of Fullmoon.