Episode 9
Twice.
At this statement, Enoch’s refined brow furrowed.
“Duke, you always claimed to care for your niece, but it seems your way of caring differs from the norm.”
“No, it’s not like that, Your Majesty. Let me explain…”
“You’ve certainly taken control of all the Daphne family’s decisions and wealth under the pretense of protecting the young lady.”
I was rubbing my stiff body beside Enoch when I suddenly raised my head.
“What?”
‘What does this mean? If the Duke controls the wealth and decisions, does Riana have nothing?’
What’s going on with this character?
In the novel, Riana was portrayed as a reckless, arrogant troublemaker, but instead of causing chaos, she was too scared to meet Duke Herrington’s eyes, froze up, and even handed over all her wealth.
Even if I read the novel in a rush, the differences between the novel’s Enoch and Riana and the reality made my head spin again.
Thinking my serious expression was due to pain, Enoch continued in a more serious tone, hiding me behind him.
“But if this is your protection, it’s better to revoke your authority, Duke.”
“Your Majesty, what do you mean…?”
The Duke laughed as if he’d misheard, but his face gradually stiffened.
“This is unacceptable, Your Majesty! I, Ralph Herrington, have protected the Daphne family for twenty years! How can you strip my position just for disciplining that girl?”
“That girl… discipline…”
Enoch repeated the Duke’s words calmly, tilting his head with an expressionless face.
“But, Duke, why are you so angry?”
“…What?”
“As far as I know, you were supposed to manage the Daphne family only until the young lady came of age.”
Enoch’s tone, stripped of its usual courtesy, was strangely low and calm.
“You should’ve returned the authority long ago, but you delayed for years, and now you’re red-faced, as if…”
‘As if you’re coveting your niece’s wealth.’ Enoch whispered calmly, then straightened up.
Duke Herrington’s face turned blue, and he attacked me.
“Coveting wealth? I have plenty, so why would I covet something like that, Your Majesty? Haha, I was only managing the Daphne family at Riana’s request.”
“Really?”
Enoch raised an eyebrow and half-turned toward me.
“Is that true, Riana?”
“…No, I don’t think so.”
I don’t know how the real Riana was, but for me, definitely not.
I shook my head firmly, refusing any care from a man who slapped me twice.
The Duke glared with blazing blue eyes, but what do I care?
A man who grabs my collar once and slaps me again doesn’t deserve any consideration.
Due to my vigorous head-shaking, Enoch’s coat slipped off my shoulders.
As I tried to adjust the oversized coat, Enoch smoothly extended his hand.
Without looking at the Duke, he fixed my clothes and spoke:
“It seems the young lady doesn’t want your protection. So, from now on, the young lady, the heir of the Daphne family, will take full authority over the family.”
“Your Majesty!”
“By the way, we should also address this situation.”
Ignoring the stunned Duke, Enoch looked at me.
“Riana, do you have any suggestions for the Duke’s punishment?”
“Me? Hmm…”
Even if I suffered injustice, I know in this world, someone of lower rank can’t decide the punishment for someone higher.
Surprised by Enoch’s request for my opinion, defying unwritten traditions, I rolled my eyes.
Then suddenly,
I remembered how the Duke lamented the few days left before heading to war. I pointed at the Duke and the bushes behind him.
“Then, Your Majesty, the Duke and that man over there…”
Specifically, the man hiding in the bushes, planning to attack Enoch, who was talking with the Duke earlier. I continued clearly:
“…send them to the battlefield. Now, immediately.”
* * *
“Ah! That hurts, gently, gently please, Your Majesty.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
Enoch sighed irritably as he wiped my lips with a cotton pad soaked in antiseptic, avoiding my flailing arms.
“Is this punishment really enough for the Duke?”
His refined brow furrowed, as if unsatisfied with sending the Duke to war straight from the banquet.
“Yes, it’s enough.”
In truth, a duke with near-absolute authority slapping his niece isn’t a big deal.
In fact, it might be lucky if people who heard about it don’t say, “That troublesome young lady made another mistake.”
And also…
‘It might harm Enoch.’
Enoch’s relationship with the Duke Herrington faction is already strained, so I didn’t want to embarrass him with an excessive punishment. This is enough.
“But, Your Majesty.”
“?”
“Is it really okay to send the Duke to war like this? Aren’t there procedures?”
I recalled the Duke, in his lavish attire, being pushed into a teleportation gate in the palace garden, and fidgeted with my hands.
“He went without a weapon…”
Maybe we should’ve given him time to at least grab a sword?
I imagined the Duke, in shiny silk clothes instead of armor, waving his ring-adorned fist, and quickly shook my head.
“Well, as you said, there are procedures, but I’m not one to follow them strictly.”
“What…?”
“If the Duke dies on the battlefield without a weapon, it might be troublesome, but it doesn’t matter much.”
“…What?”
“No need to worry.”
Enoch said something worrisome nonchalantly and pressed the cotton pad harder.
“Ah! That stings!”
“Riana.”
“Yes? Ouch, that hurts.”
The stinging in my palm, larger than my lip wound, was intense.
I blew on my hand to ease the sensation, and Enoch set down the tweezers and called me.
“Your Majesty, do you have something to say?”
I tilted my head to meet his eyes as he hesitated to speak, and his lips parted cautiously.
“…I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“Yes.”
“I’m talking about your conversation with the Duke.”
“Yes, which conversation?”
“Him saying that getting close to me gives you a way to breathe. What did that mean?”
“Oh, that.”
“Is… this the first time the Duke treated you like this? So…”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I don’t know either.”
I grew serious with Enoch’s seriousness and crossed my arms firmly.
“Every time I see the Duke, my body freezes, and I can’t speak. It seems our relationship wasn’t good… hmm.”
I stared at the ceiling, but my mind, like a blank canvas, recalled nothing.
As expected, I felt frustrated, sprawled on the couch, scratched my chin, and smiled awkwardly.
“As you know, Your Majesty, my memory is full of holes. I don’t have an answer.”
“…”
“Of course! As the doctor said, this isn’t because of the wine, so don’t look at me like that.”
I knew Enoch scolded me whenever he noticed my memory gaps, so I preempted him.
But, unlike usual, he didn’t say anything, just looked, so I felt embarrassed and fiddled with the tweezers.
“Is this how it’s used? Oh, is this wrong?”
“…That’s water, not antiseptic, Riana.”
“Really? Then this…”
“Give it to me, I’ll do it.”
“Hehe, thanks.”
Enoch took the tweezers from my clumsy hand and wet a new cotton pad with antiseptic.
“If you need me, will you stay by my side?”
“What?”
“And be my cure?”
“If I’m willing.”
“Hmm…”
I studied Enoch’s long, curved eyelashes as he treated my wound and asked a sudden question.
“How’s this cure supposed to work?”
“Well, I don’t know exactly. But I think your fire power might melt the ice shard in my heart.”
“And if it doesn’t work?”
“At least it’ll keep my brain from freezing. If left like this, my heart and brain might freeze one day, turning me into an empty shell or driving me mad.”
Enoch laughed lightly, but for some reason, his laugh didn’t sit well with me.
“But, Your Majesty, why me? If fire power prevents you from losing control, wouldn’t Elisha be better than me?”
“The princess can’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“I tried touching the princess, but the loss of control happened as usual.”
Enoch raised his eyelashes, revealing his enigmatic gray eyes.
“Riana, it’s only you. The only one I can hold hands with, feel warmth with. You’re the only one for me.”
