Chapter 40

Friend (3)

She remembered herself the day she left for the dukedom, unable to do anything but wear the dress despite the criticism she received.

Buttercup, trembling with the vase at her feet.

To those outside the city walls, Vlad was known as an illegitimate child, a demon, a murderer and a monster.

Lily straightened her arm that was hidden behind her.  Her clenched fists trembled. “Apologize, Tristan.

“…What?”

“You insulted my husband, the lord of Arcadia. What do you even know about him…?”

Tristan was dumbfounded. “Lily, how could you…?”

They’d known each other for 10 years.

After having sex with her first husband, she said that she couldn’t do it anymore, and that she wanted to run away whilst she was holding him and crying.

This innocent woman took her third husband’s side as soon as they slept together.

“…Why do you cover up for a man you’ve never seen before?”

“Everyone whom you said is lacking is doing well here thanks to his orders… I… My life is much better now than when I was holding on to you and crying, Tristan.”

“Oh, yes. The Duchess’s position looks pretty good. Husbands of lower aristocratic families never received such high praise from you,” Tristan commented sarcastically.

“Yes… I must be a commoner in your eyes.”

He couldn’t control his ugly expression. The words she spit out made him feel inferior.

“Is that ugly guy so good to you? Enough for you to do this? Where, what…? Did you do something really great last night?”

“Stop it! I won’t hear you out anymore. I hate… I hate it.”

“Lily!” Tristan grabbed Lily by the shoulder as he approached her.

She grimaced. “Argh, it hurts…”

“Lily. You’re smart. Think about it a little bit. You’re acting crazy right now. You weren’t that kind of woman… no, vulgar woman—gah!”

Someone who appeared from behind Tristan gripped one shoulder.

“Keukk!”

Tristan fell to his knees from the bone-shattering pain.

Surprised, Lily backed away with a small scream.

Tristan struggled to free himself. “Agh! Bastard, let me go…!”

The steel-like hand, far from letting go, gradually increased its strength. Tristan crumpled.

Nevertheless, the man’s body did not budge.

Tristan looked like a weed being whipped hard against rocks.

The man who grabbed Tristan’s shoulder gazed at Lily’s eyes, who looked up quickly.

“You’re…”

It was the man she looked down through the window.

Hair so black that it seemed to suck in light. Sharp features within a fine-boned face. Despite the size of his torso, he looked more lean than bulky.

He was so tall that if he ever hugged her, Lily would sink into his arms.

The moment his eyes met Lily, he lowered his gaze as if avoiding her.

Then he stepped on Tristan’s shoulder.

Tristan sprawled onto the frozen dirt floor through the incessant pain.

“Cough…”

The foot on his back stomped on the back of Tristan’s hand.

Lily finally snapped to attention when he quickly knelt down on one knee and tried to reverse Tristan’s index finger.

“W-wait a minute!”

At Lily’s cry, his movements stopped.

Tristan’s fingers were on the verge of breaking as long as the man exerted a little more force.

“He’s someone I know. He’s not dangerous, so please don’t do that. Please, Sir Knight…”

“….”

Lily never dreamed that he was her husband.

Vlad slowly raised his head and looked at Lily.

Lily’s face was as pale as the heavy snow that had fallen a few days ago.

With those shaking green eyes, the strength in Vlad’s hand slowly faded.

Vlad finally left Tristan and got up.

Crouching like a shrimp, Tristan grabbed his shoulders and hopped, and Lily let out the breath that she had held back.

Talin and other knights came running to them a beat late. “Madam, are you alright!”

Vlad turned back and instructed them in sign language. The knights stopped tall.

The blood slowly drained from their lips.

Talin saluted him with a sullen look on his face. “I’ll take your orders.”

At his orders, the soldiers picked Tristan up violently.

Tristan shrieked, maybe his shoulders were broken.

“Argh, m-my shoulder! Wait…!”

“Tristan!” Lily reflexively approached him, but Lily was a few steps away.

Vlad’s arm stopped her.

She paused and looked up at him, meeting his gray eyes properly.

Up close, he looked even more dangerous, like a manifestation of a dark god.

A long, manly neck, shoulders that seemed twice as broad as hers, a wide chest tapering into a slim waist.

It was a fantastic appearance that instantly paralyzed her nervousness and embarrassment that had been boiling up until just then.

Tristan’s screams moved farther away.

“What will happen to him…?”

It was clear that the handsome knight in front of her had a fairly high position. If even Talin had to obey his orders, it would have to be incredibly high.

He hesitated and turned away from Lily.

Lily realized that he obviously hated what he was looking at.

Vlad turned his back on Lily and instructed Talin in sign language

Talin could not understand why the master had to ask him to speak with his wife on his behalf.

But he had no right to ask questions.

Originally, he would simply follow the instructions, so he kept quiet.