Chapter 69: How to Soothe the Heart
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69: How to Soothe the Heart
A thin red line was etched across her forehead, which was as finely crafted as porcelain. It was a scratch where a shard of eggshell had grazed the skin.
“It’s just a tiny scratch. It’ll be gone in a day or two.”
Looking at the Grand Duchess, who spoke with a slight pout as if he were overreacting, Loik clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms.
He felt a profound sense of betrayal toward his people.
As the Lord of Blenheim, he had spent his entire life fighting to protect them. He had even endured a nonsensical curse to keep them safe, and was this how they repaid him? By wounding his wife’s forehead?
“I am sorry. This was entirely my oversight.”
He had been complacent, thinking that no one in his own territory would dare harm the Grand Duchess. That was the problem. He should have been thoroughly prepared for any threat, no matter where she went. He should have established double or triple layers of protection.
Above all, he should have thoroughly weeded out those who harbored resentment toward her from the very beginning.
“Why is this your fault, Your Grace?” the Grand Duchess asked, shaking her head. “It was just an accident. Bad things can happen to anyone.”
She continued, “And if we’re looking for a cause, it happened because I am the daughter of Marquis Frais. Do you want me to blame myself like that?”
“Absolutely not. You have done nothing wrong.”
“Then let’s just call it an unlucky accident. It’s much easier for me to think of it that way.”
If she had asked, he would have hunted them all down and forced them to beg for mercy on their knees. He could have done that much.
“So, please release the knights as well.”
Loik furrowed his brow. In the midst of all this, which of those fools had gone to the Grand Duchess and run their mouth?
“They failed in their most basic duty as knights. It is only right that they be punished.”
“Not all knights can be as perfect as you, Your Grace.”
In spite of himself, blood rushed to Loik’s neck. Even in a situation like this, his heart fluttered at the word ‘perfect.’
Have I lost my mind?
“There was a huge crowd. It happened so suddenly,” the Grand Duchess said, tilting her head slightly as she gauged his reaction. “Of course, their treatment is for you to decide, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep soundly if I know they’re locked up because of me.”
Loik swallowed a sigh. This woman knew exactly how to handle him.
To be honest, he hadn't intended to forgive Tiern easily. For someone of his caliber to fail to block a flying egg was an act of gross negligence.
I assigned Tiern to her specifically because he’s the best at handling unexpected situations.
However, he couldn't argue further when she said she wouldn't be able to sleep.
“I will rescind the order as soon as I leave.”
Even as he watched the Grand Duchess beam with a bright smile, Loik’s heart remained heavy. He had taken all the immediate measures he could. Releasing the knights would surely bring relief to Hedrick and Perel as well.
But what about the Grand Duchess?
Who would soothe his wife’s wounded heart?
Loik brushed his bangs back roughly. He wanted to make her feel better, even if only a little. Whenever he was struggling, she was always the one to hold his hand.
Then, a thought flashed through his mind.
I don’t know if she’ll like it, but...
Loik pulled a chair close to the bedside and sat down.
“Tonight...”
His lips hovered for a moment before he finally gathered the courage to speak.
“I will help you fall asleep.”
The Grand Duchess’s eyes widened.
“You helped me sleep once before. Tonight, I shall do the same for you.”
Loik shifted his gaze to her hand, which was peeking out from under the covers. When he sent her a look asking for permission, she hesitated for a moment before tentatively reaching out.
Without hesitation, Loik took her fair hand gently in both of his. Her hand, a full knuckle smaller than his, was enveloped warmly within his grasp.
“Now, please lie down.”
She looked at him with an unfamiliar expression, hesitated, and finally settled back against the pillows. Once she was fully tucked under the duvet, Loik began to gently knead her small palm, applying light pressure.
As he pressed down on various points and stroked her soft palm with his thumb, her small fingers twitched.
“Does it hurt?” he asked, having tried to use as little strength as possible.
“O-Oh, no.”
As he looked up at her stammering response, heat instantly rose to Loik’s neck. Her cheeks were flushed a deep rose. The sight of her looking down shyly made his heart race uncontrollably.
“Please tell me if it’s uncomfortable.”
“...It’s warm. I like it.”
It was already hard enough to keep his composure with his entire body heating up from the moment he touched her hand, but her soft murmur made his heart feel like it was going to explode.
I can’t tell who this gift is actually for.
Loik endured the stimulation as if he were undergoing the most grueling training, focusing all his effort on gently massaging her hand.
After a while, the Grand Duchess’s breathing became soft and rhythmic. Even then, Loik held her small hand for a long time before tucking it neatly back under the covers and standing up.
Watching her sleeping face, Loik swallowed hard. She looked so lovely he could hardly stand it. Biting his lip, he leaned down and pressed a very cautious, light kiss onto her bruised, pale forehead.
Her fair face scrunched up for a second before settling into a peaceful smile.
*
The dungeon where criminals were interrogated was located in the basement of the Northern Tower, the coldest and darkest place in the Grand Duke’s Castle.
Loik strode down the stone stairs. When his feet finally hit the frost-chilled floor, the prison cells made of heavy iron bars came into view.
“Commander.”
The knights guarding the prisoner greeted him with visible tension.
“Anything?”
“...Nothing in particular.”
The middle-aged man with graying hair was in handcuffs, but he sat upright on his knees, defiant. He was the only culprit captured at the scene. According to the knights, he had maintained a bold attitude throughout the interrogation, claiming he was merely seeking revenge against the child of an enemy.
There were many people in Blenheim who had lost family during the Monster War. Whether they had participated in the war or not, the knights of Blenheim always carried the guilt of failing to protect them. This was why the knights hadn't been able to treat the prisoner before them with total severity.
Loik didn't care about any of that. He sat down heavily on the iron chair placed in front of the prisoner.
His eyes fell on the man’s tanned arms. The thought of those arms throwing an egg at the Grand Duchess without hesitation made his temples throb.
Teor, a high-ranking knight of the 1st Knight Division, hurriedly called out to him. Loik must have unintentionally released a murderous aura, as the man was suddenly gasping and wheezing for breath.
This kind of rage was not helpful right now. Loik stroked his chin with the hand that had been filled with the Grand Duchess’s warmth just moments ago, making a conscious effort to rein in his energy.
“Why did you do it?” Loik asked in a low voice that would make anyone’s skin crawl.
“The Grand Duchess... is the enemy of Blenheim...!”
Before he could even finish his sentence, a rough boot slammed into his shoulder. The man’s body was thrown back against the cell wall, where he lay trembling.
“Stand him up.”
Two knights rushed forward and forced the man back onto his knees. They looked inwardly shocked by the Grand Duke’s uncharacteristically violent behavior.
“Do you have any idea what kind of punishment you will face?” Loik asked, staring at the man with a blank expression.
The man swallowed hard under a gaze that made his knees weak. In the North, the crime of insulting a noble was not handled as strictly as it was in the Capital. For such an offense, corporal punishment like flogging was usually not administered.
However, since the Grand Duchess was of Imperial blood, he would have to brace himself for hard labor at the very least.
Still, if I keep acting like a victim of the Monster War, I might get a suspended sentence.
Just as the man was steeling his resolve, Loik spoke.
“It is execution.”
“W-What? What are you saying?!”
The man tried to scramble up at the thunderous words but was pinned down by the knights. Loik’s chilling gaze swept over him.
“The Grand Duchess’s face was injured.”
The man’s pupils shook violently at those words.
“That means your charge is the crime of harming a member of the Imperial family.”
“I-I didn't mean to...!” the man stammered.
Harming the Imperial family? This wasn't part of the plan.
“There are only two paths you can take,” Loik whispered in a terrifyingly low voice. “You can keep your mouth shut and lose your head, or you can give me the name of the person who instigated you and beg for mercy.”
At the word ‘instigated,’ the faces of the surrounding knights filled with confusion. To them, this had seemed like nothing more than a mistake made by a radical citizen who couldn't control his anger.
But the moment Loik saw the culprit, he was certain. This was not an accident born of an old grudge. It was a calculated crime, committed with clear malice, intended to insult the Grand Duchess and undermine her position in Blenheim.
“I-Instigated? What do you mean?”
The man’s mind raced. Since the current Grand Duke had become the Lord, an execution had never been carried out in Blenheim. Surely, this was just a bluff to test him.
“I did it of my own will...!”
But before the man could even finish his sentence, Loik stood up abruptly.
“You don't seem to understand.”
Loik turned to Teor with an indifferent face.
“Carry out the execution at dawn tomorrow.”
Just as Loik was about to walk out of the iron gate without a hint of hesitation, the sharp clatter of handcuffs rang through the cell.
“I-It was a woman!”
The man, having scrambled to his feet in desperation, finally opened his mouth.