I Tamed My Ex-Husband’s Mad Dog - Episode 34

Reunion (5)

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It was no surprise that the Emperor called her Lord Linke. If the deal went right, she would continue to be duly called Lord Linke. Of course, being called “properly” was several times more important than being called Lord Linke.

Reinhardt continued to rub her fingers along the side of her temple. It was a habit that came out when she was nervous. Marc approached her and once fixed her hair in a ponytail, but Reinhardt rubbed the side of her temples again.

‘D*mn it.’

She needed someone to talk to right now. Good friends with whom she could share her troubles were usually rare, which was why they were all the more prized.

‘Oh, d*mn! Dietrich!’

At times like this, she missed him desperately. Reinhardt glanced to the side and almost sighed.

Let alone Dietrich, a dog sent by Glensia’s fox was loitering next to her. With him right next to it, it was obvious that even if Dietrich were there, they wouldn’t be able to have a proper conversation.

“Sir Stotgall.”

“Ah, yes.”

She quickly mentioned what Wilhelm had “scheduled to give” to Fernaha Glensia. That must be a fix. Since Wilhelm tried to trade with his lineage, finding proof other than the crystal was difficult.

‘Other than that, there’s no reason for that Alzen Stogall to follow beyond the Crystal Gate.’

But she couldn’t give the crystal because the Emperor needed to see it. When the Emperor asked about Wilhelm’s age, Reinhardt thought that perhaps the Emperor had noticed Wilhelm’s origins.

But right now, it was afternoon tea time.

She didn’t expect to call him immediately in such a hurry. So she can’t give the crystal. Instead, Reinhardt was referring to Amaryllis. A token of the Imperial family that can be given if negotiations with the Emperor were successful.

Fortunately, the fox’s lieutenant didn’t just accept it. He quickly answered and stepped back.

Reinhardt was engrossed as she ran the crystal in her hand. She mentioned Amaryllis, but that was only possible if the deal was done ‘right’. Therefore…

“Sorry, Chief Chamberlain. Would you give my lord a room? She must be tired from travelling since dawn.”

It was then. Suddenly, Wilhelm called the chamberlain and said so. The chief chamberlain, who had been waiting for the unprecedented reception of the new great lord, was puzzled, but he was also quick-witted. Those who work in the Imperial Palace cannot survive without wit.

“If you don’t mind, there is a room where the lords stay temporarily whenever they have a meeting.”

“This way, please.”

The party, including Alzen and Marc, was left in the waiting room. The room the chief chamberlain showed was not as big as the waiting room, but it was a bedroom with a small parlour. It was only then that Reinhardt remembered that a room was provided for influential lords, as there were many cases where they had to wait in the Imperial Palace all day.

It was a place she had forgotten because she was the Crown Princess, and in her previous life, she had been the lord of Helca and hadn’t been named the great lord.

“If you’re okay, please rest for a moment.”

It wasn’t very comfortable, but she felt she could breathe more. Reinhardt barely noticed that she was getting restless among the group. The knights of her territory were the ones she had just met, and among the party, the only ones she could trust were Wilhelm and Marc.

No, Wilhelm…

Reinhardt stopped her thoughts there and managed to smile.

“…Thank you. I will stay here for a while. How did you come up with the idea of asking for a room?”

Wilhelm looked at her as he exhaled, then nodded.

“It seems that great lords usually have rooms like this.”

“I see. You must have learned that during the battles.”

“…Yes.”

Reinhardt walked slowly, sat on a chair, and leaned her upper body forward. Her head hurt. The chief chamberlain asked if she wanted tea, but Reinhardt declined for everyone.

“Don’t let anyone disturb us unless to tell it’s tea time.”

“Okay.”

The chamberlain had left, but the room still had a lingering presence. Reinhardt looked at him vaguely. It was Wilhelm.

“…Yes, you should rest too.”

“I’m okay.”

“Wilhelm.”

“Really, I’m okay.”

Wilhelm stood by the chair, and when he noticed that she was looking up at him, he knelt on one knee beside her. He was like a puppy, and Reinhardt wanted to pat his head. He was past the age where she would find a young man’s cuteness endearing, but sometimes Wilhelm would act strangely like this in front of her. Or perhaps… like a pet dog.

“You have to join us for the afternoon teatime too, you know?”

“…Yes.”

“Do you know what this means?”

Reinhardt prepared for the discussion about the trade he could make based on his lineage. Perhaps Wilhelm’s response would be related to that as well. However, Wilhelm’s answer was not what she expected.

“Yes. I must protect you.”

“…Wilhelm. if…”

Reinhardt squinted one eye and looked down at Wilhelm, trying to gauge him. Wilhelm nodded.

“We should have enough time until the evening banquet, so calling me immediately for the afternoon teatime would mean one of two things. Either His Majesty the Emperor has something urgent to discuss, or he intends to take my  life immediately.”

“…”

“And my life will be no exception.”

“Wilhelm.”

Reinhardt tried to clear her flustered voice.

“…Did Dietrich teach you this? No, never mind…”

Reinhardt continued to ponder whether a ‘proper negotiation’ would be possible at the afternoon tea time called by the Emperor. The Emperor of Alanquez was a smart, laid-back and greedy man. Thanks to the Empress, he comfortably ascended the throne without any rivals, and his son was also the only heir. So, there were no urgent matters to attend to.

Reinhardt couldn’t tell whether he was showing urgency or trying to catch her off guard by pretending to be hurried.

The card presented by the Emperor was certainly tempting. Elevation to the rank of a great lord, and the possibility of restoring the powers of the Linke family, as well as the return of Hugh Linke’s body. On the contrary, all he requested was to come to the capital, have an audience with the Emperor, and have Wilhelm formally appointed.

It was a deal that the Emperor lost to anyone, but it was clear that it was a check on the newly emerged great lord.

And there was the easiest and fastest way to check this kind of great lord.

Assassination.

Reinhardt was a great lord created in just six months, and if she lost her life now, the cluster of territories named Luden estate would be immediately dispersed. Therefore, by pretending to be urgent and calling her straight to teatime, they could prevent her from making any specific preparations and simply kill her.

Reinhardt tried to clear her busy head as she let those thoughts go. However, after she finished the meeting, Wilhelm did not hesitate to point out what she had been thinking about in the drawing room.

“…Dietrich died before you even made the estate.”

“Unfortunately… The battlefield taught me many things.”

Wilhelm’s face darkened as soon as he heard the name Dietrich and immediately took on a bitter smile.

‘Yes. If he had been on the battlefield for three years… And if he saw people die every day there and killed them again, the child could suddenly become an adult.’

‘Even so, can you suddenly become smart enough to read the situation quickly?’

But Reinhardt immediately erased that thought. In her mind, Wilhelm was still the filthy boy in the mountains, but in fact, Wilhelm was the Emperor’s son.

Thinking about how Wilhelm couldn’t even utter a proper word and could read a book after just one season of learning to read, it was foolish of her to underestimate him.

“But I think the possibility of an assassination is low.”

“Yes. I think so too.”

“Can you tell me why?”

Reinhardt cautiously asked Wilhelm. Wilhelm smiled lightly as if he knew everything about Reinhardt, took her hand and kissed the back of it. And he answered quietly.

“This is a great lord born after a few decades. And that main character is you, Reinhardt. You made the Crown Prince crippled. If you get injured or die in the Imperial Palace in any form today, it will be a foregone fact that the Emperor killed the great lord.”

It was correct. Reinhardt unconsciously licked her dry lips. Wilhelm stared at her intently like that and said slowly and forcefully.

“Everybody knows what excuse His Majesty called you. Before returning the honours that Hugh Linke should rightfully receive, it will be a big risk for him if the Emperor kills Hugh Linke’s daughter before giving those back. The great lords of the Empire will turn their backs on him. Some of them may take advantage of the pretext to seek independence.”

“Wilhelm.”

There was a little joy in Reinhardt’s voice. It was the relief of someone who missed a friend because she had no one to talk to openly, and the joy of someone who discovered that the boy she cared for had grown up remarkably.

Wilhelm kissed her on the back of the hand once more. His rough, warm lips pressed against the back of her hand and then fell.

“And we have other circumstances.”

“…Yes. He was curious about your age.”

Wilhelm rubbed her hand on his cheek.

“Will he take me as his son?”

“No, he won’t. You made it clear in front of the Emperor that you belong to me. The Emperor won’t ask us openly. He will probably think we don’t know you’re his illegitimate child. He’ll slyly observe and might secretly try to confirm it for himself.”

“…Then what shall we do, Rein?”

Reinhardt noticed that his mood was clearly different from before. It was precious to have a partner who could openly share their concerns and honestly share their opinions about things they know but do not know about others. All the more, it was Wilhelm.

“What do you want to do?”

Rather, Reinhardt asked Wilhelm. For her, before the negotiations with the Emperor, what Wilhelm wanted to do was the most important thing.

“Do you want to become the Crown Prince?”

If Wilhelm wanted to do it, she would make it happen. For Reinhardt, the most important thing was Michael’s downfall, which was also appetising. Rather than a crippled Prince, the illegitimate son of a fearsome power who turned a small territory into a great estate would stand out much more.

It was time for her to tidy up those calculations in her head.

“Okay, Rein. I don’t know because it’s difficult.”

‘Hey, why are you pretending not to know suddenly?’ 

Reinhardt laughed at those words. But Wilhelm didn’t even give Reinhardt a chance to open her mouth. He put her hand on his cheek, closed his eyes, and smiled.

“I just want you to kiss my forehead right now.”

The calculations in Reinhardt’s head were beautifully tangled. She shook her head, trying to regain her composure, but Wilhelm spoke up again.

“Keep in mind, Rein. I don’t need anything but you.”

Reinhardt had to work hard to get back to her senses.

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