Tristan grabbed Lilyâs wrist as she turned around.
Lily was taken aback by the sudden action and twisted her arm. âIt hurts!â
âI have to tell your father how youâre doing, anyway. So be honest with me. Did you do it with the duke or not?â
Lily, who was about to pull out her arm, stopped. She looked up at Tristan, eyes wide in disbelief. âYou said you came⊠as a friend. You said you didnât think of me that way.â
Tristanâs eyebrows twitched slightly. Still holding Lilyâs wrist, he gently rolled his eyes and gave a friendly smile. âIâm doing this because weâre friends. Itâs better than talking to your brother.â
âIâll send a letter directly to my father saying Iâm doing well. Please let go of me.â
âYouâve failed twice already, so your father canât believe you. Iâll help you, so be honest.â
âI-I donât want to. I donât want to talk about it. Let me go. PleaseâŠâ
âLily, you⊠you havenât, have you? Right?â His tone and expression were indifferent, but his eyes were veiled with a strange desire.
âNot showing his face⊠means that he doesnât trust you yet. Heâs just touching you little by little, right?â
âWhy are you doing this all of a sudden? I donât think you are TristanâŠâ
âDonât be afraid. Lily. Iâm doing this all for you. Iâll keep it a secret from your father and report that youâre doing very well.
Lily nodded helplessly. Then she pulled her arm in vain, trying to get her wrist out of his grasp again. â T-thank you. So now let go of my hand.â
âInstead, look at his face as soon as he gets back. Make sure you do, no matter what.â
Lilyâs heart froze and hardened.
âOtherwise, Iâd be lying to your father. You know whatâs going to happen, right?â he mumbled and withdrew.
Lily quickly wrapped her arms around herself and took a few steps back. âBut he really hates it if someone disobeys him. Iâm sure itâll be bad if I try, and this marriage will be ruined again.
A light flashed in Tristanâs eyes.
Lily being hated by her husband. That was exactly what he wanted.
âDisobey him. Prove that you donât care what his face looks like with your actions. If youâre his wife, you have to show that you have that much courage for him. Donât you? Your past marriages went wrong because you just listened to your husbands, didnât they?â Tristan smiled gently as if he had returned to his usual self.
The sound of a trumpet punctuated the soft sounds of falling snow.
It meant that her husband, Vlad, had returned.
***
The sun set on the winter mountains. The galloping horses stopped in front of the castle. Like proper knights, they maintained their position without any disturbance, but there was a very tired look in their eyes.
There was only one person who looked the same as if nothing had happened. It was their lord, Vladislav de Winter.
He glowed in the sunset, black hair giving off a dark red sheen. The fading light cast a clear shadow over his throat.
Seeing the lord after a week, the chief of staff was amazed again.
Sharp eyes and firmly-pressed lips graced the face of a truly enchanting monarch. He had spent his whole life in this castle, but every time he saw him, he was amazed.
The lord was a man with a venom-like appearance.
The chief came to his senses a beat late and greeted him politely, âYouâre back, my lord.â
Vlad glanced at the white mask worn by the chief of staff. âLooks like my brothers-in-law have arrived.â
âYes. Itâs been well-adjusted so that her family doesnât see anything unsightly.â
Ivan, who had been sitting behind Vlad as if he was about to faint, stuck out his head. âAre Madamâs younger brothers panicking? Itâs a pretty bizarre sight for others to see the workers wearing white masks as a group.â
When outside guests came, servants had to wear masks without exception. It was Vladâs order.
Vlad came down lightly. Although he rode his horse non-stop, his uniform was not wrinkled.
He was the only one who managed to do that.
Vlad walked ahead..âLet all the knights be treated with the divine power of Priest Ivan today. We will resume training from dawn tomorrow without a break.â
The eyes of the knights stared at Ivan.
As Vlad entered the castle, he silently listened to the chiefâs report on what had happened. He crossed the hallway with a slightly bored look, then finally stopped the talking chief. âWhat about my wife?â
The chief paused for a moment, and soon calmly continued, âIt wasnât a big deal, but⊠after a small dispute with her family, she seemed a bit heartbroken.
Vlad stopped his tracks. He frowned and looked back at the chief. âI never thought you would be ignorant of the gravity of the matter you are reporting.â
The chief shuddered and bowed again.
His lord was a man who would yawn, uninterested, even if he conquered an entire city. It was really unfamiliar to him that he called the quarrel between siblings a serious matter.
âI apologize.â
Vladâs long legs continued walking. Arriving at the bedroom, he slowly opened the door.
He saw her sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up.