If I Disobey the Duke - Chapter 21
Playing With Hands (6)
Despite being blind, the old priest skillfully approached and sat down on the chair opposite Vlad.
“It smells like sea water and… the blood of a monster. You haven’t swept this area yet…”
Her chapel was nestled in a deep and rugged mountain area, no foot traffic at all.
Vlad didn’t answer, but the old priest laughed as if she had read his thoughts.
“Where did the knights go and why did you come alone?”
“I was chasing demons. And fearlessly flirting with my wife. Looks like all my discipline fled after the war.”
A deep voice, as if pulled up from the depths, echoed throughout the chapel.
Lily’s figure surrounded by the knights was at the forefront of his mind.
She had blushed shyly about something that made her happy.
His gut twisted at the fact that the first smile he saw after their reunion was directed at other people.
Lily had reflexively held onto Ivan for support when she almost fell.
An unpleasant sensation spooled in him.
“Hoho… A man who reigned for 15 years at the front line became upset when he saw his wife smiling at his subordinates.”
“Yes, is there a problem?”
“No, the lord is merely anxious, it’s just a matter of getting used to it after spending most of your life fighting.”
As the old priest said, he had been on the battlefield for a long time. The unpleasant feeling kept looming precariously.
The woman who finally came within his grasp. She made his heart feel tight just by standing at a distance
Even the unemotional, impassive knights could not take their eyes off her, the one whose green eyes resembled the first buds of spring after winter.
It was regrettable that she had to cover her eyes in bed.
“I heard that your wife did not want to get married… If you had known in advance, would you have canceled the marriage, my lord?”
Vlad’s handsome eyebrows furrowed briefly, then he slowly stretched and leaned against the backrest.
“The assumption of what has already happened is unnecessary.”
It was just that the plan had changed a little.
She hadn’t completely become his woman yet.
So, like a wild beast in front of its prey’s nest, he required patience.
Vlad was more confident than anyone on the continent in that field. He almost lost rationality the last time, but he had to stand firm.
“It seems that you are overprotective of your wife, my lord.”
Vlad frowned nervously, his grimace not hiding his dissatisfaction. “You’re like a serpent…. Don’t beat around the bush and get to the point, Nerva.”
“The fastest way to grow close to a woman is honesty. Everything must come from my lord’s heart… My lord is different from His Majesty the Sun Emperor and your mother.”
The gray eyes staring at the priest slowly turned red. “Nerva Kirchen.”
The atmosphere was rife with tension.
“Don’t make me pluck out the tongue of an old priest who is about to die.”
“The good thing about getting older is that neither death nor pain is scary. It can be said that it is a bad thing but well, hoho…”
Vlad stared at the old priest for a long time, who was smiling softly. He sighed.
The red light in his eyes slowly faded as they returned to a dark gray color. He turned and looked at the cross hanging on the wall. His stomach churned with discomfort.
He struggled to remember why he had left this place alone.
Nerva smiled kindly as if reading his mind. “The children are all growing up well thanks to My Lord. They really liked the Braille book. Everyone here is very satisfied.”
The chapel owned by Nerva was the only nursery where children abandoned by God were raised.
“It means that the princess is still alive.”
He stood up as if he had accomplished his purpose.
The sound of horses galloping was heard in the distance.
A neat-looking middle-aged knight in uniform ran in. He was the chief of staff of the Knights Order.
He gestured in sign language rapidly.
– I apologise for disturbing you, but there’s someone requesting a visit to the castle and we would like to report it immediately.
Vlad paused.
“…Last name. It’s not Cadis, right?”
His land, Arcadia, had stricter entry permits than most cities.
Among them, the central city of Arcadia, Cadis, was a place that couldn’t be entered without Vlad’s permission.
If the chief of staff came to report to him himself, it was obvious who the visitor was.
“Then it’s the imperial family.” His voice failed to hide his irritation. “The princess’s neck should still be well attached, so unless they’re going to war with me, tell them to go.”
– It’s not… It’s the Isles. Madam’s family came to visit unexpectedly.
Vlad also gaped briefly at the chief of staff, somewhat surprised by the unexpected visitor.
The tense atmosphere gradually softened.
The chief of staff carefully asked for an opinion from Vlad, who narrowed his eyes slightly as if in thought.
– Just like when Madam came, there was no prior notice… What would you like to do?
Vlad swept his disheveled hair. Drops of water ran from his cheeks to his sharp jaw and down his nape.
His answer was simple.
“Whatever my wife wants.”
Then he beckoned to the chief to send a letter.
