Chapter 52
I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh when I arrived at Baverin Castle. The reception was terribly poor.
I had sensed something was off ever since they sent begonias as wedding flowers. Still, I hadn’t expected them to be so blatantly disrespectful.
There wasn’t even anyone proper to greet us, so a guard stationed at the castle gate escorted us in.
The king’s greeting was even more absurd.
“Oh, our great Commander of the Schultz family, Duke of Musen, has deigned to visit such a humble place. What an honor.”
He sat on the throne in the audience chamber, looking down at us with a bored expression, a perfunctory smile barely curling his lips.
“So, was your journey comfortable? I sent word just yesterday, and to think you’d visit immediately today—I was truly surprised. I didn’t realize your loyalty to me was so deep.”
With each breath, his thinning hair drooped pitifully.
“I’ve been very eager to see the face of the duchess. Rumor has it, even in the capital, that she’s quite the beauty.”
I was sure no such rumor existed.
A soft chuckle escaped me.
Well, often it’s not the truth but exaggerations that snowball and gain momentum.
The king smacked his drooping lips and gave me a slight nod before grumbling with a petulant expression.
“By the way, didn’t the royal family send their congratulations? The wedding flowers—did you receive them well? Not that I’d know, seeing as you didn’t even bother to send thanks for the royal favor.”
“The begonias? I didn’t know some people actually thank others for warnings. I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”
The king’s face contorted. His toad-like lips twisted even more.
Then, as if he hadn’t just gotten angry, he returned to a calm expression and said,
“Was that Edward’s doing?”
Trying to pin the blame on someone else—how petty and ridiculous.
“More importantly, there’s actually a reason I called for the duchess. I, too, want to take a new bride—a beautiful commoner woman. What are your thoughts on that?”
His thick, overly lush eyebrows twitched, far fuller than the thinning hair atop his head.
“As Your Majesty desires,” Johannes replied indifferently.
That seemed to drain some of the king’s interest.
He turned to me this time.
“And you, Duchess?”
“It would surely be an honor for anyone.”
Though he added several justifications afterward, none seemed to elicit the response he wanted. The king began to look quite bored and annoyed.
Clicking his tongue, he let out a deep sigh. His large belly bounced with the motion.
Perhaps unimpressed by the reactions thus far, he now started to get spiteful.
“So, what about the war reparations, Duke Schultz?”
“I wouldn’t know. I have nothing to say about money that I don’t know the whereabouts of.”
Johannes raised an eyebrow.
Strictly speaking, the execution of the previous Duke Schultz had voided any obligation to return the embezzled funds.
Even if such funds existed, Johannes bore no legal responsibility.
Yet the royal family kept bringing it up for one reason only: to tarnish his reputation.
The king then turned to me.
“I’d like to hear the opinion of our beautiful duchess. What do you think?”
I responded without hesitation.
“Of course, I believe those responsible should repay what is owed. But with all due respect, even if the former duke did embezzle funds, my husband has no knowledge of where that money is.”
“So I’ve heard. That’s the official stance of the Duke of Schultz, anyway. But I find it hard to believe.”
The king shamelessly lied. There had never been any embezzled money in the first place.
“I don’t know much, but I heard the royal family has frozen the Schultz family’s financial operations. Because of that, their finances are in a precarious state.”
Sometimes a lie must be answered with a lie.
Only the funds locked in official accounts were inaccessible—Schultz estate still had numerous assets they could freely use, so their financial situation wasn’t that dire.
But there was no reason to let him know they were doing fine. Even if the royal family suspected as much.
I continued, expression flat.
“And to demand repayment for money whose whereabouts are unknown… I really don’t know what to say.”
“My, what a devoted wife. For the duchess’s sake, perhaps I should release the financial restrictions.”
The king wasn’t one to make empty promises.
As I looked at him with surprise, the old toad grinned wickedly.
“Of course, there’s a condition.”
Of course.
There was no way this would be a fair deal.
I waited in silence for the rest of his words. The king feigned seriousness and continued,
“Since I have nothing to gain from the duchess, I’ll ask you instead, Duke Schultz.”
“Please speak,” Johannes said calmly.
And then came an utterly shocking suggestion.
“To be frank, I’ve taken quite a liking to your wife. So, how about handing her over to me?”
I furrowed my brows, unable to believe what I’d just heard. I couldn’t hide my expression.
But the king continued as if nothing were amiss.
“If you agree, I’ll lift the financial restrictions and drop the embezzlement charges.”
His eyes gleamed beneath folds of flesh, his toad-like face shameless.
“What do you think? Tempting, isn’t it?”
The snake hiding beneath that toad skin was smiling.
“Very tempting,” Johannes replied without a hint of hesitation.
“Extremely so.”
I felt as though I’d been struck by lightning.
‘There’s a reason the king summoned you. He might’ve heard something from Edward Windsor.’
‘So what should I do?’
‘I’ll play along with whatever they want. Just follow my lead.’
I remembered the conversation we’d had on the train. I’d only nodded back then…
‘I didn’t think “play along” would mean this.’
I could feel the king studying my reaction with interest, but that wasn’t what mattered now.
The real problem was that Johannes Schultz was so calmly preparing to hand me over.
‘He can’t really be serious… can he?’
His unreadable expression only frustrated me more.
Even if it was him, he couldn’t have expected such an offer from the king.
But financial control and clearing his name of embezzlement… Those were undeniably more valuable than I was. I’d probably hesitate, too.
Still, couldn’t he have pretended to hesitate?
Seeing him answer so easily left me feeling betrayed.
“Right? A very tempting offer indeed. Your honor and everything else would be restored. No one would criticize you for divorcing a commoner. What do you say?”
As I stood frozen, the king smiled benevolently and spoke again to Johannes, certain he wouldn’t refuse.
But then, the king’s expression instantly hardened at the answer.
“Regrettably, I must decline.”
“……”
“Such a beautiful and capable wife…”
Johannes turned his head and glanced down at me. His turquoise eyes met mine.
“Is rare.”
Even in such a moment, his face was annoyingly handsome. His gaze felt almost like a confession, and I frowned involuntarily.
The king’s eyes widened, and then he burst into laughter.
“Ahahaha! I didn’t think you’d refuse. Has your ambition disappeared?”
“Hardly. Would you believe me if I said it had? Besides, I doubt Your Majesty was truly serious.”
“Of course not. If I had been, I would’ve charged you with insulting the crown.”
The king’s gaze turned sharp. The formerly dazed, jolly face was gone, replaced by a man with cutting eyes.
He spoke again.
“In any case, you’ve traveled far. I’d like you and the duchess to stay in the castle for a few days. But I suppose you’ll decline?”
“Naturally,” Johannes answered without delay.
The king smiled faintly, not looking disappointed at all.
“Very well. Then rest well, even if only for a short while.”
