Envoys to the Three Territories (1)
Princess Irene had unfortunately been used by her father as a tool to keep the two marquises in check, and had been delivered to me like a mere object. How the owner uses a delivered object is entirely up to him. I had long understood this fact, but had paid it no mind until now. Yet that bastard Olmati—Olmati, of all people—had lit a fire in my chest. Because of him, I suddenly felt impatient. He had pulled the trigger that made me want to claim Princess Irene. If I did not take her now, it would be too late; someone else might snatch her away. The thought filled me with unease. If Olmati had intended this, then he was a truly insolent vassal who knew how to toy with his lord's heart.
"But no matter how many times I think it over, claiming Princess Irene myself is still the best option, isn't it?"
I feared seeing the sorrowful expressions on Dana and Adelia's faces, yet I needed to steel myself for the sake of my family and territory. This country—this world—was a thoroughly patriarchal society that favored sons and encouraged having many children. To ensure my house prospered, I had to conform to that reality. Yes, I had made my decision.
"Mateus!"
Mateus had stepped out of the office moments earlier, but he had not gone far. He had been standing guard right outside the door the entire time. The door soon opened, and he entered in light armor.
"You called for me?"
"The day after tomorrow, in the afternoon, I will go boar hunting with Princess Irene. Make sure all preparations for security and safety are thorough."
"A wise decision, my lord!"
Mateus grinned broadly, baring his teeth. I smiled as well.
"I suppose I can never be a romantic. My nature suits a conqueror far better."
Not long after Mateus left, Unia came to the office. She wore a blue uniform with a cloak draped over her shoulders.
"I'm leaving now. I came to report."
I rose from my seat and gave her a light embrace.
"Travel safely and be careful."
"A kiss would make me feel much safer on the road."
"I'll give you one here instead."
I kissed the back of her hand.
"What I want is right here."
Unia reached out and tried to grab the front of my trousers. I quickly caught her wrist.
"This is exactly why I hate being alone with you indoors."
"What if this is my last wish? This might be the last time you ever see me."
Unia put on a deliberately frightened expression and stared at me intently.
"Who knows what that mad lord might do to me? Aren't you worried? Are you really going to send me off so coldly?"
Her voice trembled slightly as she tried to set the mood, but I was not about to fall for her acting.
"Stop trying to trick me into taking off my pants. I know you're not scared of some mad lord. Last time you even shouted at me not to treat you like some weak woman."
The serious look on her face broke, and she burst out laughing. Then she jeered at me.
"If you want to keep using me as a subordinate, you need to feed me regularly. Keep this up and I'll desert."
"I feed you three proper meals every single day."
"Not that kind of meal. The one hanging down there."
Unia pointed at my lower body with her finger and snickered. I walked over to my desk and let out a sigh.
"Try speaking and acting a little more refined, Unia. You're a knight now."
"I'm a lonely widow."
"A lonely knight."
"A pitiful knight whom the young lord won't even look at because she's too old to bear children."
"I just don't want to become a shameless lord who lays hands on his own subordinates, and I'm trying to avoid creating an illegitimate bloodline. I have plenty of lust myself."
"Judging by the thing hanging down there, you certainly look like you do."
Unia smiled slyly as she adjusted her single braid.
"Has Dana not been taking care of you lately?"
"She has."
"What?"
Unia frowned in disbelief.
"I specifically told her never to do it before the wedding. Are you saying Dana broke that promise?"
"Enough pointless talk. Take this with you."
"What?"
I opened the second drawer of my desk. The golden Sohee gleamed inside. Recalling Olmati's words, I picked it up. I was genuinely worried about sending Unia into danger without any insurance. I did not want to lose such a valuable subordinate. In the end, I had thought of Sohee. Whether it would work for someone else was uncertain.
"Keep it on you at all times—when you sleep, eat, or bathe. It will warn you if danger approaches."
"Is this gold? It looks expensive."
Unia blinked and took Sohee from my palm, then bit it.
"Hmm, it really is gold. What is this? How much did it cost to make?"
"The price isn't important. This is something truly precious to me. Don't lose it—take good care of it."
I gave Unia a rough explanation. If danger drew near, she would hear the voices of hostile people near her ear, and images would appear on its surface.
"I don't know if it will work when someone else carries it. I've never lent it out before. Still, take it as insurance."
"Oh my, you're lending me something you cherish so much?"
Unia looked overjoyed. Unable to contain her gratitude, she suddenly kissed my cheek.
"It feels like you care about me a lot. I'm so happy I could jump for joy."
"No matter how happy you are, speak properly. It's 'my lord,' not 'you.'"
"Whether it's 'you' or 'my lord,' it's the same person you're talking to. As long as you understand, that's all that matters."
"The only person allowed to switch between those two words freely is Dana."
"Ugh, how annoying."
Anyway, that was how I parted ways with Unia—and with Sohee—for the time being. Unia departed immediately for Cluiston. Including two squires to carry luggage, the envoy party consisted of only three people in total. The next day, Marcus and Pasvachio set out for Herrera and Metis respectively. It would likely take about a week for the three envoys to return. I prayed that everyone would come back safely. More than anything, I hoped this dispatch of envoys would foster friendly relations with the neighboring territories.
Harmel Castle of the Cluiston family. Lord Cain firmly believed that his wife had committed adultery with a vassal and had the man beheaded. Under the pretext of guilt by association, the vassal's family and relatives were also killed. Their servants were executed for serving a blasphemous house, and the vassal's acquaintances were beheaded for turning a blind eye to the incident. This morning, it was the turn of Lady Ronda, the lord's wife. Lord Cain, accompanied by fully armed knights, headed toward her chambers. However, his younger brother Eidan rushed over with soldiers and blocked his path.
"Move aside, Eidan!"
"Listen to me, brother. You're seeing things that aren't there. Sister-in-law would never have an affair."
"Shut up!"
Lord Cain's face was flushed red with rage. He was half-mad at the thought that his wife had been fooling around with another man. He glared and shouted.
"I saw those two filthy bastards tangled together in the forest with my own eyes! I even heard that whore screaming in pleasure right inside this very room!"
"It must have been a dream. You saw an illusion. Because you keep thinking the worst, you're hallucinating in that direction."
"Are you saying I'm insane?"
Cain sneered menacingly, but Eidan did not flinch.
"You're perfectly sane. That's why you're the lord. But you need to understand this—if you kill sister-in-law, the Triug family, which is responsible for seventy percent of our territory's timber production, will cut off all support. If we can't get proper timber supplies, you know what will happen, don't you? We won't be able to make weapons or armor, and the people won't even be able to build houses."
"If that family is such a nuisance, I'll just kill them all and take the vast forest for myself."
"The moment they panic and burn all the timber they've stockpiled for years along with the forest and flee, we'll face a timber shortage for decades. Even if the price of raw wood skyrockets, it won't do us any good."
"Enough! Stop trying to lecture me! I can't stand your know-it-all attitude!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Cain drew his sword. Even so, Eidan remained calm. This was hardly the first time something like this had happened. He knew better than anyone how to soothe his agitated brother.
"Lord Eidan's words are correct."
A seductive female voice came from behind. It was the dark, alluring voice of Ludmila. Ludmila was a dark mage clad in a pitch-black robe.
"While the lady's sin is grave, it would be wiser to spare her life."
Ludmila approached and spoke in a respectful tone. Her words were absolute to Cain. He was completely infatuated with her at the moment.
"Hmm. If the wise Ludmila says so, then sparing her is the right choice."
Cain sheathed his sword. Eidan's expression brightened considerably.
"Good thinking."
"Eidan, if you desire your sister-in-law, you may have her."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You must have feelings for her, which is why you stopped me. I wish you wouldn't oppose me at every turn like this. If you want her, just say so like a man. I can give her to you. I'm getting tired of that bitch anyway."
"I have no such intentions toward sister-in-law."
Eidan spread both hands to protest his innocence, but Cain simply said his piece and left with his knights. Ludmila remained behind. After sending his soldiers away, Eidan turned to her with a blank expression.
"I dislike you, but it's painful to admit that I need you to control my brother."
"You look at me as if I'm some terrible monster."
A smile formed on Ludmila's lips.
"I am merely a mage devoted to the Cluiston family."
"Devotion is fine. But I never asked you to spread your legs for the lord as part of that devotion."
Though he spat out sarcastic remarks, Ludmila did not lose her smile.
"It is for the sake of the lord's mental stability."
"Right. Maybe you're correct. He does listen to you well. Fine. I'll accept your excuse about mental stability. But we must prevent his symptoms from worsening. From what I see, you're actually encouraging his condition."
"Are you anxious?"
She asked calmly.
"Are you worried about the lord's deteriorating state?"
"Of course. I wish my brother's madness would be cured quickly."
Ludmila drew closer and gently caressed Eidan's cheek.
"Poor thing… It must be exhausting dealing with your incompetent brother. If you need comfort, come to my chambers late at night. I will serve you devotedly so you can forget your anxiety and worries about your brother, even if only for a short while."
Smack. Eidan swatted away Ludmila's hand that had been touching his cheek.
"Don't try to drag me into the darkness the way you did with my brother. Do you think I don't know your goal is to manipulate us brothers?"
Eidan glared at her contemptuously and walked away.
"I have no desire to become brother-and-sister-in-law with you. If my brother isn't enough, go find another man."
"Hah, hah! Hngh! My lord! Ahh!"
Cain's thick member thrust rapidly in and out of Ludmila's intimate place.
"Fucking bitch! Fucking bitch!"
Cain slapped Ludmila's plump buttocks repeatedly. Her pale skin flushed red with handprints.
"I should have killed that bitch! She had the nerve to cheat on me behind my back!"