Chapter 2. My Husband Woke Up (2021.07.04)
My husband woke up. The lord of the duchy, Duke Daniel Johannes Richard of Utrecht, who had been unconscious for three years, opened his eyes. Dr. Anton, the castle doctor, confirmed several times to Frida that Daniel had really woken up safely. The doctor spent hours carefully checking on the Duke and then spent even more time being questioned by the Molly father and son, unable to leave the bedroom for a long time. By the time he finally stepped out, he looked completely exhausted, but even then, Anton checked one more time if Frida’s nosebleed had really stopped. Frida, who was watching the Duke sitting up in bed, waved her hand at him.
“I’m fine, Anton. The burnet you gave me worked really well.”
“Burnet does help stop the bleeding quickly, but it’s only a temporary fix. Please take your medicine regularly, and absolutely do not go out into the fields for at least three days. Do you understand?”
The doctor looked at Frida with great respect. Earlier today, Ricardo had carried him out to the field in a rush, so he didn’t even have his medical bag with him. The only reason he could stop the Duchess’s nosebleed quickly with burnet was because of her. After all, the land was filled with all kinds of herb seedlings and medicinal plants, thanks to the hard work of Frida and the people of the duchy. The Duchy of Utrecht was in the southern part of the Svergengen Empire, surrounded by the Altas mountains to the west and Lapace mountains to the south, with no real trade except with the city of Weimar to the east. The land was all mountains and barely any farmland, so people mostly survived by hunting and gathering. If not for the short winters, everyone might have starved or frozen to death.
All this time, the lord, Duke Richard, was almost never home because the imperial family kept sending him off to war. Three years ago, he fell ill and stayed bedridden. The one who didn’t give up on this poor land and slowly turned it into farmland over the years was Frida, the Duchess. That’s why everyone in the duchy respected her. Even the doctor, while saying she was fine, looked worriedly at her still slightly swollen nose.
“Are you sure it doesn’t hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt. It’s not like anyone hit me.”
Even though her face was so pale, Frida smiled brightly. But as soon as she finished, Ricardo, the captain of the mercenary group guarding the duchy, spun around and shouted,
“Who would dare lay a hand on our precious Duchess? If there’s anyone like that, I’ll break their arm myself!”
His loud voice was something Frida could never get used to. She jumped in surprise, and Dominic sighed as he pulled at his father’s arm.
“Father, keep your voice down. You’ll scare the Lady again. She might faint like last time.”
“Oh no! Are you all right? Are you dizzy?”
Ricardo immediately changed to a soft voice. Dominic clicked his tongue at his father. Through his shoulder, Frida could see the Duke’s frowning face. Maybe his long hair was bothering him, because the Duke huffed and tried to blow it away from his eyes, but it just fell back down. Frida quickly thanked the doctor and sent him out. Then, standing between the two strong Mollys, she kept glancing at the Duke. His black hair and deep reddish-brown eyes were a sharp contrast to her white hair. Dominic said that when the Duke gets angry, his eyes turn bright red, almost like blood. He looked strong and healthy, which was hard to believe after lying in bed for years. Except for being a little thin, he looked as tough as any mercenary in the duchy.
Frida couldn’t stop looking at him. At that moment, Ricardo, who had run to the bedside as soon as he heard the Duke was awake, clicked his tongue.
“You hit your head on a rock and stayed unconscious for three years? Maybe I raised you too softly. A man shouldn’t be this weak.”
After three years, Frida knew what Ricardo’s words really meant: he was worried and cared about the Duke. Ricardo always said that the Duke was the strongest man in the world and would get better soon. But when Ricardo said those words, the Duke’s eyes…
‘Oh… they’re turning red. Just like the rumors.’
As soon as Dominic saw this, he nudged his father.
“Stop, Father. The Duke is not weak. He got hurt saving me.”
‘As expected of Dominic.’
He always knew how to speak kindly so no one would feel bad. Dominic was two years older than the Duke, gentle and good at talking. He was especially good at solving trouble his father caused.
When Dominic said this, the Duke seemed to feel better. The red in his eyes faded away. But the peaceful mood didn’t last.
“Of course, you still need to learn the difference between courage and recklessness. Now that you’ve learned the hard way, maybe you’ll stop risking your life so easily.”
“Do you want to die, Dominic Molly? Should I break your neck and twist your head onto your shoulders?”
“Wow…”
Frida couldn’t help but let out a sound of surprise. Even Ricardo, who boasted that he knew every curse in the world, had never come up with something like that. It was scary just thinking about it.
“Damn…”
Daniel realized Frida was watching and stopped before finishing his words.
The things he saw and heard right after opening his eyes only made Daniel more confused. He’d never let his hair cover his eyes before, and now this long black hair bothered him. He wanted to push it back, but his arm was weak. He felt dizzy and closed his eyes for a moment to calm down. Then he opened them and looked around the ceiling and room, frowning. The ash wood pattern on the ceiling told him he was in his room at Munheim Castle. He hadn’t spent much time here because of the wars, but he would never forget his own room. But what were all these colorful flowers doing in here? Dominic would never decorate the room like this.
“Ha!”
Looking at the flowery blanket and neatly tied bed curtains, Daniel let out a laugh. He glared at Dominic.
“What are all these useless things?”
But then he noticed Frida’s purple eyes fixed on him and held back his words. Dominic smirked as if he was amused to see his master, who used to shout at everything, now being patient. Dominic’s joy came out as teasing.
“Now that the Duchess is here, please watch your language. You’re the great Duke Richard, the head of the Twelve Dukes of Svergengen. You shouldn’t use rough mercenary talk anymore. Right, Father?”
Ricardo also smiled slyly.
“Of course. We’re not wild men. We’re going to be proper knights soon, so we shouldn’t talk like ruffians.”
Daniel glared at the Molly father and son through his hair. They had always been able to get on his nerves, and it seemed they’d only gotten better at it in the past three years. But right now, he was too tired to argue, so he just gave them a look that meant, “Please leave already.” But they didn’t move, and instead, the white-haired woman by his side spoke up.
“Um… I think the Duke should rest now. The doctor also said you need to take it easy.”
Her voice was quiet but clear, and it caught Daniel’s attention. Apparently, it wasn’t just Daniel—Dominic and Ricardo, who’d been busy teasing him, quickly stepped back.
“Of course. The Duchess is right. I was too excited.”
Ricardo suddenly acted very polite, and Daniel couldn’t help but laugh. This man could never have a conversation without swearing, so why was he acting like this now? If only he had strength, he’d scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment.
“It’s all thanks to the Duchess’s care. You really worked hard for us. Thank you so much.”
Dominic was as smooth as ever, even after three years.
“There’s no need to thank me, Dominic. I just did my duty.”
“No, it’s really true. The Duke is lucky to have such a wife. Ha ha.”
The way Daniel looked at Frida was very different from the way he looked at the Mollys. Yes, this woman with dazzling silver hair and mysterious purple eyes was his wife, the Duchess of Richard. Daniel watched her as she walked the Molly father and son to the door, trying to remember their wedding day. But there was nothing to remember. They had only stood side by side at the ceremony for a moment, and he hadn’t even seen her face before running out.
All he could recall was…
“Let’s stop this wedding now. I know I’ll never be a good wife. I might not even be able to give you a child. What husband would want a wife like that?”
He also remembered that her parents, the Harkbourne count and countess, had not wanted this marriage.
“She can’t stand in the sun, and she can’t see well at night. How can she even share a bed with her husband?”
Sharing a bed… it doesn’t matter if she can’t see, does it?
‘Damn, how long has it been since I woke up?’
Daniel let out a long sigh at his own ridiculous and blunt thoughts.
