Chapter 48
***
Harvich received a brief report about what had happened while he was away.
He sighed as he went through the documents.
“This happens every year, so why is the process so slow this time?”
He tapped the papers as if dissatisfied.
Even though the hunting festival was over, all matters related to distribution had come to a halt.
When Harvich blamed his vassals for their laziness, they fumbled with excuses.
“There was a banquet in between, my lord. The timing wasn’t ideal.”
“And?”
The vassals fell silent.
The delay in handling affairs was partly Harvich’s fault as well.
It took nearly a full day to communicate back and forth.
He could have just let the woman return on her own once she was found, but he insisted on accompanying her.
Still, no one mentioned that.
Hugh, who had witnessed that behavior up close, also stayed silent.
“Finish everything by the end of the day. The longer it takes, the more anxious the people become.”
“Yes, understood.”
Hugh nodded without complaint.
“Seton will be on paid leave while recovering from his injuries. Next.”
“Thank you for your generosity.”
Ethan distributed papers listing the current food rations and usage records to the vassals.
“This is how we plan to allocate the supplies, and whatever remains will be stored.”
Exclamations of admiration spread through the room.
Compared to previous harsh winters, the amount was unimaginable.
Having anything left for storage was a remarkable change in itself.
“However, near the end, there’s a chance we may need to open the storage again.”
“Even with this much?” Harvich frowned.
“Well… everyone stores things differently, and if it snows for more than two months…”
Feeling the stares directed at him, Ethan lowered his head awkwardly.
At that moment, Kaiden Avalon stepped forward through the crowd.
“Even so, it should be fine this time. The Emperor has announced he’ll come personally with official supplies.”
Harvich narrowed his eyes.
“The last issue hasn’t been resolved yet, has it?”
“…I-I’ve finished speaking,” Ethan said quietly, raising his hand.
Seeing his timid demeanor, Harvich clicked his tongue.
“The Emperor is coming to the Grand Duke’s castle? Why?”
“He said he wants to clear up a misunderstanding.”
“With whom?”
Naturally, Harvich thought of Lincia.
He said ‘misunderstanding,’ but he must be referring to the matter concerning the child.
“He means with you, my lord. He claims he has something to say about the trade agreement you made.”
A misunderstanding with me?
What misunderstanding could there be about the broken promise of payment?
Even if there was one, Harvich had no interest in hearing it.
He couldn’t understand why Yulias would risk traveling to the Grand Duke’s territory in the first place.
What could possibly be here to make such a foolish decision?
Then he remembered Lincia’s tearful plea—
“I don’t want the Emperor to come here.”
A throbbing headache pressed behind his eyes.
He rubbed his temples slowly.
“They also said they’d deliver supplies before the heavy snow of the winter season begins.”
“Where did you hear that information?”
“And what’s the rest of their purpose for visiting?”
“They didn’t say much else.”
“Maybe they just want to get along better with us. Considering how much attention they’re paying, it seems likely.”
Watching the room fill with naive excitement, Harvich gave a bitter smile.
“The Emperor’s visit is to be rejected.”
“…What?”
A stir went through the room.
No one had expected him to refuse the Emperor’s visit.
Harvich slowly swept his gaze across the room.
Even after making that decision, the place was still in chaos—it didn’t make him feel guilty in the least.
“If he truly needs to talk to me, meeting halfway would be wiser. Has everyone already forgotten what we were preparing for?”
He slammed the papers onto the table with a sharp snap.
“And if problems arise from that?”
“I’ll handle it myself. Isn’t that my responsibility to begin with?”
With that, the meeting ended.
Harvich wanted to go straight to the bedroom where Lincia was resting, but he turned toward the outer castle instead.
He knew from experience that when he went without sleep for too long, he acted strangely.
When he was young, he couldn’t control his impulses well—he once shamelessly begged for food in the market and even knocked on strangers’ doors asking to sleep there.
Once he regained his composure after sleeping, he would always return to apologize and pay for what he owed.
All of this was part of his training to become the heir.
He had been sent out to survey mountains, valleys, and wildlife.
If he brought back false information, he’d be sent out again without mercy.
There was a time when he lived outdoors for more than a month like that.
A single mountain trip took at least three days and sometimes as long as ten nights without sleep.
Even now, he often stayed awake through the night.
His nature was sensitive—if the sleeping arrangements weren’t what he expected, he couldn’t rest at all.
Recently, Lincia had caught a cold entirely because of him.
While half-asleep, he had acted without thinking.
He knew she had a fever and told her not to get angry, yet on a snowy day, he’d taken her outside to look at market stalls.
Even to him, it was nonsense.
So he decided to sleep first and visit her once he was thinking clearly again.
***
When Lincia pulled the bell cord, a maid entered—but not Anna.
“…Where’s Anna?”
Lincia frowned at the unexpected sight.
“Mistress Aydin has caught a cold.”
Aydin was Anna’s family name.
Hearing that, Lincia’s heart sank.
“What?
Anna?
Where is she now?”
“Physician Oberok examined her. She’s resting now. I’ll be serving you until she recovers, though I may not be as capable.”
“Take me to her. I should see her.”
As Lincia began to rise, the door creaked open.
When she looked up, Harvich stood there.
Though he had brought her safely to the Grand Duke’s castle, he still looked tired—clearly, he hadn’t slept.
“Your maid doesn’t want you to visit. She’s afraid you might catch her cold. She asked me to tell you she’ll recover soon and to please wait a little longer.”
Harvich gestured for Erna to leave, then approached the bed and carefully sat beside her.
“…You haven’t slept yet, have you?”
It had been nearly a full day since they arrived at the castle.
Lincia had arrived around noon yesterday, been examined, slept through the day, and woken up that morning.
Logically, Harvich should have slept by now—but his calm tone and soft gaze convinced her otherwise.
“There were matters I had to deal with, so I couldn’t sleep.”
“…Are they finished?”
“Not yet.”
He sighed softly.
“Stay with me until I fall asleep.”
Lincia blinked.
What did he just say?
She looked at him closely.
The corners of his eyes were slightly red.
