I Tamed My Ex-Husband’s Mad Dog - Episode 33

Reunion (4)

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Fernaha Glensia’s lieutenant, Alzen Stotgall, had no significant acquaintance with Reinhardt.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the Imperial Palace in the capital of the Alanquez Empire. After passing through the Crystal Gate, the Luden estate knights followed Count Murray’s guidance and took a wagon to the castle. Until then, Alzen had been moving among Luden’s knights, and he felt comfortable in their company.

However, he had joined the group as a guarding officer for Glensia. He couldn’t always stick with the knights in the future.

So, it was right to go and stand near Reinhardt Delphina Linke and Sir Wilhelm. Externally, he was about to play the role of Wilhelm’s lieutenant knight. Unsurprisingly, he was going to bump into Reinhardt quite often.

So Alzen Stotgall reached the idea of striking up a conversation with her for some camaraderie. Furthermore, Wilhelm decided to give them a crystal to prove his lineage, but he made it clear that his owner was Reinhardt. Meaning, for Alzen to return to Fernaha, he had to receive permission from Reinhardt. So, he had to open his mouth anyway.

But it wasn’t easy. The visit was announced after arriving at the Imperial Palace, and the knights disarmed. And the Lord of Luden and Sir Wilhelm went to meet the Emperor following Count Murray. There was a long wait, and after the ceremony, the two entered the waiting room.

But Alzen couldn’t say anything. It was because the Lord of Luden and Sir Wilhelm, the two main people in the group, were not talking.

The knights chatted and looked at each other, but there was no way they could say anything to each other as they didn’t even know each other well until a few months ago. Until then, the knights gathered in Luden had been close to wandering, and they did not have much bonding with each other as they volunteered for Luden, which grew as they fought over and over again.

At times like this, the Lords usually spoke to their subordinates to ease the atmosphere. Having just met with the Emperor, it was common to exchange a few words.

Besides, everyone returned to their dorms after the main meeting, but the Lord’s group was still waiting in the reception room. Viscountess Faldon, Lord of Luden, continued to stand in the drawing room, crossing her arms and walking around, staring straight into the air in front of her as if something was in front of her. In addition, Wilhelm, leaning against the door, looked at her from time to time and then turned away from her instead of explaining to them why they were staying there instead of the Lord.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Did you two fight?’ 

Alzen was troubled.

‘I heard they seem to exchange a word or two after I come.’

He recalled the sight he had seen right after arriving at the Crystal Gate. He was familiar with the rumours about the Lord of Luden and the young knight, and the scene he saw at the crystal gate seemed intimate and natural as if to support the rumour.

However, the two of them had kept their mouths shut since he came.

‘Perhaps it’s because I was late.’

‘Is it! Is this a polite protest against Glensia’s supervisor?’

‘Oh,’ thought Alzen Stotgall and pursed his lips. It was a plausible guess. Of course, it was reasoning that would make Reinhardt laugh if she heard it, but at least it was valid for Alzen.

Glensia made a great deal with Sir Wilhelm. However, despite Wilhelm specifying that he was acting on behalf of Lunden’s Lord, Reinhardt wasn’t present during the negotiation. After the Lord learned about it, the situation became more complicated than expected. In fact, it was common to send knights as surveillance officers for this kind of deal, but it might not be a pleasant task for Lord Luden. Surveillance officers might be dispatched without her knowledge, and if he was late in such a situation…

‘Eh, what do I know?’

However, Alzen stopped thinking about that. In the first place, that kind of consideration was his superior’s job, not his. Alzen was a person who his job the most, and he was more afraid of not being able to do his job because he was busy with useless thoughts.

His biggest task at hand was not to consider his political position as Glensia’s surveillance officer and take useful actions, but to receive evidence of the deal from Lord of Luden. Therefore, Alzen lingered beside Reinhardt for quite a while. However, the one who pointed out his conspicuousness near Lord Luden was not Reinhardt but Wilhelm.

“What is it, Sir Stotgall?”

‘Wow, I really can’t get used to him talking to me informally.’

Alzen felt a bit unfair. It was because Wilhelm, a young knight on the battlefield, was now talking informally to him. He had barely dried the blood on his jet-black armour, and now this guy claimed to be his superior. Anyway, Alzen valued efficiency above all else and had no intention of defying Fernaha’s orders to do well. So, he responded briefly.

“Do I have to wear black in the capital from now on?”

Reinhardt wore a black dress, and Wilhelm wore black armour. So it seemed natural that Alzen, who would be near them, would consider whether he had to wear black all the time in the capital. As Wilhelm was about to say something, Reinhardt answered quickly.

“Do as you please.”

“Huh…”

Alzen hesitated. Traditionally, subordinates are most embarrassed when superiors say, “Do as you please.” It’s because it’s close to the meaning of ‘you can do it on your own, but if it bothers my eyes, then you won’t be able to take care of it’.

He looked frantically at Reinhardt again, but she stared before her again. Alzen looked around, unable to say anything more, but Wilhelm also turned his head away from him and looked at Reinhardt.

Marc, who couldn’t see him fidgeting around the Lord like a lost pup, beckoned from the other side.

“Come here.”

Alzen approached Mark with an expression that he was alive, not dead. Most noble ladies did not go around without an attendant, but Reinhardt did not yet have one. That was why Sarah’s daughter, Marc, volunteered. Marc placed the belongings given to the knights in Alzen’s arms.

“The knights are supposed to wear black cloaks at the official events in the capital.”

“Ah.”

Alzen stupidly opened his mouth. Marc calmly handed him the items that the knights were usually given. Alzen was flustered. Was he supposed to carry these himself? As he searched for servants to give it to, Marc kindly smiled at him.

“There are no servants in Luden.”

“Ah.”

When you think about it, it was natural. It took less than a year for the name Luden to change from the desolate territory in the North to an estate. In the meantime, knights under Luden’s command were here from all over, but there was no surplus to feed and clothe them, let alone gather servants. That meant Alzen had to carry this baggage. Alzen carried the load and blinked.

Whether Alzen acted stupid or not, Reinhardt continued to wander with her arms folded in thought, while Wilhelm stood tall. The luxurious chairs in the guest waiting room seemed insignificant. The knights around Reinhardt felt awkward due to her behaviour. In the end, Marc cautiously went next to Reinhardt and whispered.

“My Lord, if you don’t mind, why don’t you sit down?”

“…Okay.”

Reinhardt hesitated for a moment but soon sat down on a nearby chair as if she had noticed the atmosphere around her. Wilhelm went straight to her side and stood behind her. It was as if he was wary of the surroundings as if there was someone who might harm her. Alzen thought to himself.

‘It very much sucks.’

The day Wilhelm came to Fernaha’s room, he exchanged his origin with a private in Glensia.

<Half of the blood that flows through me belongs to Alanquez.>

What Wilhelm said that day was shocking. Fernaha Glensia demanded proof, and Wilhelm said he would give it within a year. After witnessing numerous battles, Fernaha concluded.

Michael Alanquez’s position was the kind that would have left him anxious if there were other royal heirs, but he was the only one now. But what if another Alanquez appeared? And what if it was a young knight who turned a small estate into a large estate by winning countless battles?

The Emperor would at least think that Wilhelm could control Glensia. The concept of bloodlines sometimes accompanies incomprehensible blindness.

Only then did Fernaha understand Wilhelm’s confidence. If this young knight really was the Emperor’s illegitimate son, Glensia was worthy of taking its gamble with its privates. Wilhelm said that he was only interested in gaining the Emperor’s trust and had no intention of controlling Glensia.

So, Glensia handed over the private army to Wilhelm.

<That b*st*rd is going to beat Michael Alanquez. He’s proving to the Emperor that he’s a pretty decent hand by making Luden a great estate himself. Lord Luden will be abandoned, but she has something to gain, so it’s a mutual win.>

Fernaha said so, frowning his freckled face. But Alzen’s conclusions were a bit different.

‘That b*st*rd abandoning Luden…? It can’t be.’

Rumours were circulating everywhere that Lord Luden and the young knight shared a bed.

Most were wild rumours, but at least a few were true. He didn’t know the Lord of Luden very well, but he very well knew that guy named Wilhelm.

The woman was the only thing that could be seen in that kid’s eyes. Alzen crossed over from Fernaha’s command and accompanied him to the territory for six months, and noticed that Wilhelm’s way of thinking revolved around the Lord.

‘I’m not dumb.’

Wilhelm was nearly eight years younger. Well, there were people who married with more than a twenty-year age difference, but that was a possibility only when it came to marriage. Most of the marriages of nobles happened without considering age or love.

It was something Alzen, a commoner, couldn’t understand at all. Let’s say he could be attracted to someone eight years older, to put it positively. However, the Lord of Lunden was definitely not an appealing partner for him. First of all, that woman…

‘She’s the woman who stabbed her husband while sharing the bed with him…’ 

The story of how the Crown Princess stabbed the Crown Prince and made him crippled, and how she was kicked out was a very famous story. When the Emperor seized all the enormous property of the Marquis of Linke and even the privates, some people said it was all the Emperor’s big picture. But everyone shook their heads because it was beyond common sense.

‘If it were me, I wouldn’t even think of sharing a bed with a woman like that. Is that guy lacking in brain cells, or does he have an incredibly strange taste?’

It was then. Reinhardt, frowning for a while, rubbed his forehead and then called Alzen with a sigh.

“Sir Stotgall.”

“Ah, yes.”

He ran in front of her as if all his thoughts had been erased. Reinhardt glanced around, and she whispered to him.

“I heard that Wilhelm has something to give you.”

“Yes. Can he give it to me now?”

“No, he can’t.”

“…”

Alzen, who politely held out his hands, felt embarrassed. Reinhardt looked at him with a strangely weary face and said quietly.

“Just check with your own eyes.”

“…”

“There is one more person who needs to see this with their own eyes. And that takes precedence over the covenant with Glencia. If you’re Fernaha Glencia’s lieutenant, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.”

“I understand. But…”

Alzen understood what she meant and also understood that her point was valid. What Wilhelm had promised to Fernaha Glensia was an Imperial crystal. However, if they really intended to use Wilhelm’s lineage, obtaining the crystal would be a top priority even before catching the Emperor’s attention.

However, Alzen also believed that regardless of their situation, he had his own duty to fulfil. This was a clear breach of the contract. So, Alzen was about to voice his objection when Reinhardt sighed briefly and said, as if in resignation,

“Amaryllis will bloom in season.”

Since he was an ignorant knight, he wanted to protest that he did not know, but Alzen understood. He thought in his head what excuse he should write to his master, and finally replied in a grumbling voice.

“Yes.”

Amaryllis Depafina Alanquez. It was the name of the Empire’s founder, and the flower was carved in a silver pattern on the edge of the family crest. In the centre, there was a symbol of the crystal, so the Amaryllis flower was commonly used as a metaphor for the Imperial lineage.

Since it was more certain to take the family crest than a mere crystal, it must mean to wait for now.

‘Ah, I’m so smart.’ 

Alzen felt like punching himself in the forehead.

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