“Slowly! Slowly! Watch your step there!”
Nestor barked out order after order while observing several workers carrying furniture into the new manor. With pretty much everyone rushing to leave the old town, Kamil just couldn’t stay at the old manor. While the new manor had rooms ready for him, Flora’s rooms weren’t ready, not to mention that the kitchen was also nowhere near completion. Thus, Cezary came up with an idea.
“Why don’t you visit your in-laws? I will have the new manor ready by then.”
Kamil felt it wasn’t a bad idea. With the airship. There was no longer any danger associated with traveling afar. Besides, Flora had been in awfully good mood as of late. Visiting her family would make her even happier. Thus, when he relayed Cezary’s idea to her, she was overjoyed as expected.
“Really?!” She exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Yeah, we have our own airship for transport exclusively. It’s meant for messengers, but we certainly can use it.”
It would take even less time than a regular airship because, in Cezary’s own words, it was designed for speed.
She dashed toward him and hugged him. “Thanks!” She exclaimed.
Ever since their little vacation in Tantan, an invisible barrier between them had melted down. Before that point, they were on talking terms only. They were friendly but physical interaction had been bare minimum. That barrier was now gone.
Hmm, she smells nice.
He took a long sniff. She was taller still, and his face below nose was buried in her breasts. He actually wanted to bury his face into her breasts, but that would have been out of the line, for now. He would eventually be allowed to do so.
“We will depart tomorrow. I don’t think you need to pack a lot.”
“By the way, I’ve got my new clothes tailored. I am wearing them actually.”
He hadn’t actually noticed.
“Oh, really?”
She took several steps back. With her arms afloat, she circled around once cutely. Her blouse looked identical. Her pants, however, were clearly different. He couldn’t quite pinpoint the difference immediately.
“Your pants, they look different,” He remarked with his fingers on his chin.
They were wide-leg pants. Wide-leg pants weren’t unusual, but her pants were extra wider. It looked as if she was wearing a skirt of some sort from a distance when she was standing still.
“Just a random question,” He said.
“Yes?”
“Could you tell me why you dislike wearing dresses?”
He always wanted to ask why because it was clear that she was very reluctant to wear a dress. He didn’t ask before because he felt it would be inappropriate to ask a lady about her wardrobes. Now that they were closer, he had the courage to ask such a question.
“It’s due to corsets,” She replied pretty much instantly without any hesitation.
“Corsets? What are they?”
“It goes on your waist. It’s a reinforced linen piece that forcefully narrows down a woman’s waist. It is literally suffocating.”
He had absolutely no idea such a thing existed. Therefore, naturally, he felt the urge to ask.
“Why would women wear that?”
She replied promptly, “To look prettier?”
Folding arms, he narrowed his eyes. He racked his single brain cell to recall noblewomen he had seen so far. Not once did he notice their supposedly narrower waist. Quite frankly, whenever he saw a woman, the first thing he noticed was the size of their beasts. He would never bother looking at their waist. To him, a narrow waist had no value. He was all about the boobs.
What a pointless item.
He said what he thought, “What a pointless item.”
She grabbed his hands at once after dashing toward him. “I am so glad that you agree! It IS indeed a useless item!” She exclaimed joyfully and even shook his hands up and down. “The first time my maids forced me to wear it, I almost passed out!”
“When did you wear it the first time? I mean, at what age?”
“I was six or so.”
He blinked a few times, unable to comprehend why anyone would force a child to wear something that might suffocate them.
Some noble customs don’t make any sense at all.
He declared, “Fear no more. I forbid you to wear cro…, cor… whatever it was!”
She responded gleefully, “I will throw them away then!”
Women should always be smiling. They are prettier that way.
A strange warmth filled in his chest. He couldn’t quite explain what it was because he had never felt before, not even as Tom.
“Oh? Hi, elementals,” She said, not even looking surprised.
Huh?
Looking around, he found a translucent green butterfly on one shoulder and a translucent orange salamander on his other shoulder.
“That is quite a picture,” She said joyfully while making a picture frame gesture with her fingers. Meanwhile, he had no idea why the elementals appeared. He didn’t call them, and his emotions weren’t high. Puzzled, he shrugged the question off his mind, not thinking much about it.
The new airship looked certainly different. It looked … more sharp. The linen balloon was more narrow and it had wingy bits attached on its back. The biggest change was probably the ship part which was now directly attached on the bottom of the balloon and was enclosed fully, protecting its passengers from elements completely.
“It flies too fast for people to stand exposed,” Cezary explained. He added also that he had to train a new pilot for this specifically because it flew too fast.
“With this, I feel I am more or less done with the airship designs. I shall move onto other things.”
“Oh? That piqued Kamil’s curiosity. “Such as?”
“I’ve promised your lady a way to copy books easier. I shall work on that.”
“I shall eagerly wait for your creative inventions, Sir Waszak.”
He beamed a confident smile. “You won’t be disappointed.”
Nestor was approaching with a pair of workers who were carrying luggage. Flora and Avina were following closely.
Why do women have so much luggage anywhere they go? It has got to be one of the mysteries in the world.
While luggage was being loaded, they explored the interior a bit. Windows had shutters to limit airflow while allowing them to look outside if required. The pilot’s room was much larger and it looked like they were seats for two. It was lit by lamps that had small fire crystals in them. They could also go down below the deck where there were four additional rooms, one of which was actually a kitchen.
“This is quite luxurious, isn’t it?” Kamil remarked as he casually walked around in the airship.
“It feels like I am in a floating inn,” Flora said.
He felt she was right on the money. It did feel like a floating inn. Nodding along approvingly, he waited for the pilots and ship crew to arrive. Soon enough, they were in the sky. And the window shutters had to be shut completely because the wind coming through was too fierce. From what he could see through small gaps, it was really flying super fast.
This is insane. I didn’t think the airship could fly at such a speed.
The world was becoming smaller and smaller. Still, the vast majority of the world was yet to be explored properly.
If I didn’t have a fief to look after, I could have well become an adventurer with an airship like this…
A tip of his lips curved into a grin. Exploring the unknown and discovering the wonders that this world had to offer, the mere prospect excited him.
Perhaps, I will do just that one day…
When the airship landed in the town square of Dido, a group of guards dashed toward it, aiming their weapons toward the airship. It was an unannounced visit, and they had no way of knowing whether it was friendly. When the door opened and a ladder was pulled down, Kamil appeared from it. Some of the guards recognized him instantly.
“T, the vanquisher of Evil Goss!” A guard uttered unintentionally.
Another exclaimed, “The hero of the realm!”
The one who seemed to be in charge pointed at the Flissing manor. “Call Lord Flissing!” He barked. As soon as he sent a guard running toward the manor, he instructed the guards to show utmost respect by lining up to make a way for them.
As Kamil walked down, Flora followed him, waving her sparkling golden hair.
“Lady Fenchel!” The guards shouted in unison. “Welcome home!”
She beamed a bright smile and told them, “I am home.”
Crowds began to gather, and some of them began to shout vigorously.
“The vanquisher of Evil Goss!” They shouted. “His wife is our lady! She is our own! He is our own!”
Their shouts soon became synchronized, and Kamil couldn’t help but have goosebumps all over his body. Flora looked like she was quite lost on how to react as well. Interestingly, it was Lara who gave advice.
Beaming a crooked grin, she told them, “Go with the crowd. I think they want a reaction. Showmanship, I think, is called that?”
Showmanship, huh…
With his clenched fist in the air, Kamil exclaimed, “I thank you for the hero’s welcome!”
Elementals, shower me with glitters!
Green glitters began to shower down from his clenched fist, making him as if he was blessed by the light. Flora didn’t look surprised by the glitters; She immediately realized that he was using elementals.
For the crowd, however, such a magical scene was not often seen and they wowed loudly with some of them kneeling down as if they had seen something so holy that they just had to kneel down to show respect.
The moment was soon broken by Baptiste’s shout from afar.
“What a pleasant surprise!” He welcomed them with open arms. From a distance. Lady Flissing was walking as fast as she could with Daniel watching over her to make sure that she wouldn’t fall. Due to the nature of dresses, it wasn’t easy at all to run in it.
“My son-in-law! We welcome thee!”
Once he was close enough, he noticed the airship.
“This one looks very different,” He remarked.
Kamil replied, “It’s built for speed. In fact, it has taken us only a day from Laufeld and Dido.”
Baptiste’s eyes widened, unable to believe what he was just told but knew that Kamil wouldn’t lie. Daniel also heard it with his eyes widened.
“The future…,” He mumbled, recalling Isaac’s words from the last time.
Meanwhile, Lena and Flora exchanged a hug. Perhaps it should have been expected, but her mother noticed her new pants right away.
“You are wearing something I’ve never seen,” She remarked, her eyes full of curiosity. For noblewomen, entertainment was few and far between. It wasn’t that much better for men, but at least they had women to play with and alcohol to wet themselves. Therefore, it was only natural that Lena, Flora’s mother, caught on something new immediately.
“These are wide pants. They make me look as if I am wearing a skirt from afar.”
Baptiste and Daniel noticed her pants as well due to the commotion.
“She has my full permission,” Kamil quickly added before anyone else could lodge a complaint that she wasn’t wearing a dress. Since her husband permitted it, no one could argue, not even her own parents. Flora circled around, showing off her new pants. It was at this point that someone new he had never met before appeared.
“Wow! What are those?!”
It was a young woman who just came out of nowhere. She was wearing an exquisite beige dress with a lot of golden accessories dangling all over her dress.
“I don’t believe we’ve met…?” Kamil probed carefully.
Daniel’s eyes widened; He had just realized that he had completely forgotten to introduce his wife to his brother-in-law. It wasn't entirely his fault, given the scale of the sudden commotion.
“L, Lord Fenchel, this is Lillian Flissing, my first wife.” He rushed to her side and introduced her.
“Congratulations, brother,” Flora declared and curtsied. “My name is Flora Fenchel, the first wife of Kamil Fenchel.” Likewise, Kamil bowed to Lillian with a palm on his chest.
“Lady Flissing, it is an honor to meet you, milady. My name is Kamil Fenchel, the lord of Laufeld.”
Lillian, meanwhile, looked up and down on him.
“So, we meet at last,” She said.
“Have you heard of me?”
Her lips curved into a smile. “We were supposed to have been married but you refused me.”
An awkwardness filled the air with Baptiste firing a glare at Lillian.
Oh, boy. This lady cannot read the room, can she? I dodged an arrow there.
She was both right and wrong. Originally, she was to marry Daniel. The deal was brought up by the queen. However, Lillian wasn’t informed of this deal because it wasn’t finalized. Then the king attempted to wed her with Kamil, who was called Ewald at that time. This event, she was aware of. Therefore, in her mind, she was originally supposed to wed Kamil. The fallback guy was Daniel, again in her mind. In truth, it was the other way around. It appeared that no one bothered correcting her little misunderstanding. Probably nobody cared. Nobody would be dumb enough to bring such a topic in an encounter like this. Well, apparently not nobody.
Smiling, Kamil remained in his bowing position with his palm still on his chest.
“Milady, pardon my manners, but you must have mistaken me for someone else. I’ve been with Flora for years.”
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Which was also true although the king was forcefully going to annul their marriage, should Kamil have accepted the marriage deal.
“Hmph,” She scoffed weakly and turned around to leave. A pair of maids followed her.
Kamil, standing up, glanced at Baptiste who was clearly fuming as discreetly as possible. Daniel was also at loss, looking dumbfounded.
“Shall we go inside then?” Lena tried to change the subject.
“We shall,” Baptiste replied with a nod.
Kamil sighed internally. He glanced at Daniel who was clearly feeling down. As a man, he failed to control his wife. That would have been a huge dent in his ego if he had any. He recalled still vividly how timid he had been under his father. In his mind, Daniel was not going to be able to control Lillian. He could tell that from the short encounter they had. The woman was arrogant and was out of control. And he was certain that Baptiste was becoming aware of this.
What choice does the Flissing have?
Acquiring a second wife was out of the question. Whether like or not, Lillian was a royalty. Additionally, even mistresses were not going to be easy. Only after Lillian failed to give any birth at all, they may earn the right to bring in mistresses. That may take years if not over a decade.
I really dodged an arrow there…
Ultimately, this was none of his business, but he did care about Daniel a bit since he was the only other noble child he had known from an early age. He sighed internally again. He visited his in-laws to have a relaxing time.
Let’s … try to forget about this and go along with the flow, for now.
After they made it to the manor, they were led to a living room where they had a feast. Baptiste and Daniel were smiling on the surface. Since Kamil was twelve at this point, he was allowed to drink.
“Flora, you may drink as well,” He permitted her to wine. The maids nodded and gave her a glass of wine.
“Thank you, husband. This is my first time.”
He held the glass gracefully, by having its stem between his middle and ring finger and then holding the bottom of its bowl. This was the traditional way for the kingdom for men. As for women, it was different. Women would hold the glass by its stern with index and thumb. Flora did just so. Baptiste and Lena smiled, silently approving her.
“Sir Daniel, allow me to pour wine, Milord.”
In an attempt to cheer him up, Kamil asked for a wine bottle from a maid, stood up, approached his seat which was on the opposite side, then poured him wine gracefully with both hands like a butler would. Daniel had long emptied his cup as soon as a maid poured him wine. He was clearly depressed and was soaking himself in liquor.
“Lord Fenchel…” He looked up at Kamil with a pair of puppy eyes.
“Please, just call me Kamil.” He, then, tapped his shoulder. “We can talk later in private, man to man.”
Daniel seemed reluctant.
“My boy, listen to my son-in-law,” Baptiste chimed in. “He may be younger than you, but he broke free of his step father’s grasp and is a lord of his own town. He is far ahead of you.”
So, he knew or found out, eh.
Avina probably informed them via a letter that Kamil was not Edmund’s biological son. He turned to Baptiste and Lena.
“I did not mean to hide it from you, sir.”
Baptiste chuckled, and Lena smiled peacefully.
“A noble is never born a noble,” Baptiste declared. “A man has to earn it. Sure, we pass our nobility to our children for convenience, but the most capable and decent nobles have always been self-made, my son. You are self-made. Therefore, it does not matter whether you are from the Fenchel or not. You ARE a noble, period. We are never about the blood. It is about the creed we hold dear to our hearts. We look after our people. We shall never let them go hungry. We shall never let the darkness consume them.”
Eyes wide, Kamil recoiled a step back. He felt that it was an awesome speech from him. He was just about to earn a huge amount of respect from him.
“Besides, you have full control over your wife. That’s a man regardless of his age.”
Dude, why…
He facepalmed in his mind.
Why bring that up now? You were going so well…
But… he wasn’t entirely wrong. For a man to function properly, his house must be at peace. Daniel’s house was not at peace.
“Oh, this is nice.” Flora remarked innocently after tasting wine for the first time. Whether she spoke to break the ice, he wasn’t sure. Perhaps, she really did enjoy wine.
“No more than a full glass for the first time, my dear,” Lena warned her softly.
“Yes, Lady Flissing.” Flora nodded in acknowledgement.
Kamil sat back down in his chair. It was time to change the topic.
“Lord Flissing, have you seen any signs of troubles from the North?”
“Aplenty although I don’t think anything too serious is happening.”
According to Baptiste, there had indeed been plenty of actions from the Siwen and the Kingdom of Atra. The Siwen had been drilling their new army, about 20,000 large, near the border as if in a show of force. The Kingdom of Atra, meanwhile, had a small army camp permanently established near the border of the Siwen as well as the Kingdom of Egra.
“I believe right now the Siwen is friends with no one. The Kingdom of Atra appears to be in the same boat. Basically, everyone is nervous.”
“The Siwen has already 20,000 men??” He was surprised that they could replenish their men so swiftly.
“You can easily restore the numbers if it's the only number you are concerned about,” Baptiste replied with a chuckle. “I am sure my 6,000 men can defeat them.”
The Flissing used to have an army of 4,000. It looked like they increased their army size.
“In short, nothing to worry about?”
“There are things to worry about, just not serious enough to warrant any actual movements from our end.”
Kamil folded his arms. For the time being, it looked like the Northern border was relatively safe. Meanwhile, there was something he had wanted to know for some time.
“Lord Flissing, do you know what is north of the Siwen and Atra? What lies in the North?”
Baptiste, too, folded his arms, making a troubled face. “Not much is known. I do know it’s frozen tundra and that there is no country up there. There may be tribes though.”
With the airship, it was possible to explore the world, but venturing into the unknown was still a risk nevertheless. If any sort of airborne monsters showed up, an airship would be in deep trouble and it was not cheap to replace them.
“And what’s beyond Estana?”
“Two more countries which we don’t know the names of. One is to the far East. The other is far down the South. There could be more.”
Maybe it really is worth spending some time and effort to map out a proper world map…
“I thank you. All of this is new to me. I’ve rarely been out of Lux and Laufeld.”
“Neither have we. But that should be changing, no? With your airship.”
“Have you built one yet?”
“We have no need for it.”
“You should at least build one as a personal transport.”
“I agree, father,” Daniel added, speaking finally. “Remember how Lord Knell used it to move? With it, reaching the capital for the royal party should no longer pose any risk whatsoever.”
Baptiste stroked his chin in consideration. “Very well,” He conceded. “I will have my scholars to discuss shortly.”
The feast saw its conclusion eventually, and Lena supported her husband, who was wobbling slightly due to the amount of wine he had, to their room. Likewise, albeit differently, Kamil had to support Flora who had a full glass of wine and was tipsy. It was her first time experiencing the wonders of alcohol and had a bit of trouble walking on a straight line.
“I can see whyyy peopleee drink alcoholeee,” She remarked with her tongue being a bit twisted.
“Oh, come on, wife. You’ve had only one cup.”
He had two glasses and was perfectly fine in spite of having a smaller physique and being four years younger to boot. He was twelve; She was sixteen.
“I am fineeeeed.”
“Sure, sure, anyone who says ‘fine’ ‘fineeeeed’ is perfectly fine, my dear.”
A maid was following them from a distance just in case Kamil needed help. Once he brought to their room, he laid her down on their bed. Yes, they were given a single room to stay together and were given only a king-sized bed to share. She giggled a bit on the bed and soon fell asleep.
“One down, one to go,” He whispered while wiping off his forehead with his sleeve. He left the room to find the maid waiting outside still.
He asked, “Does Lord Daniel share the same room with his wife?”
“Not always. Not tonight certainly.”
Given what happened earlier, that was given.
“Then get me two bottles of wine and take me to Lord Daniel’s room.”
The maid complied with a bow. He was going to pay him a visit. After all, he did promise a man-to-man talk.
“You were serious about that?” was Daniel’s immediate response when Kamil showed up in his room with a bottle of wine in each hand.
“Come on, dude. Let’s drink up and have some real talk.”
He was really reluctant to accept his offer.
What is he afraid of?
Thus, Kamil pushed on, shoving away Daniel who was blocking the entrance.
“I really don’t feel like …”
Kamil interjected, “Hold these bottles for me for a moment.” Then went onto move a round table to a window and relocated chairs. Then opened the window.
“Please, sir, come this way.”
Sighing and shaking his head, Daniel sat down on the table while placing the bottles.
“Where are cups?”
“This is an informal meeting. Let’s drink out of the bottle.”
“We what?” Daniel’s eyes widened. He had never even imagined drinking out of a bottle. Ignoring his shock, Kamil began chugging down his bottle.
Meh, beer is better for this.
Hot warmth began circulating from his chest. Watching Kamil chugging down his wine, Daniel mimicked his action, taking several sips out of his bottle carefully.
“So, Sir Daniel, how has this princess of yours been treating you?”
Daniel frowned and did not answer.
Oh, you will talk.
Kamil was sure. It was only a matter of time. By the time Daniel had gone through half of the bottle, yes, he did begin talking.
“When I see my parents, they treat each other with respect,” He said with his eyes downcast while holding his wine bottle firmly on the table. “Even when I see you and my sister, you two treat each other with respect. What about us though? She treats me like a piece of utter bullcrap!”
Yes, yes, let it out, my boy.
“Have you slept with her?”
“We have and -” He made a short pause while grimacing. “She made fun of my member.”
“What?”
“She said it’s small and the fuck. When we did it, she didn’t even moan. She looked like she was fucking bored!” He went on to vent more, exposing things Kamil had never even imagined until this day. He had to furrow his eyebrows. It was worse than he thought.
I bit more than I can chew. I mean, what am I supposed to do here?
He didn’t think their situation would be this bad. This marriage was dysfunctional. In fact, he didn’t feel it was a marriage to begin with, more like a bully having her fun.
“Is a divorce possible?” He didn’t mean to ask Daniel. He wondered aloud after having an utter shock. He didn’t feel this was ever going to work. If so, then a divorce should be considered.
“She is a princess, Kamil!” Daniel exclaimed. “Do you think they will let it happen? The Egra will crush our house!”
If they didn’t share the bed, it might have been a possibility although very slim. The princess was damaged goods at this point.
“Daniel, can you not make this marriage work? Like assert your dominance and control her?”
He heaved a long sigh and sobbed very briefly. “I never imagined that my marriage would turn out like this. My parents were always so happy together that I’ve always thought all marriages were like theirs. How silly of me.”
Kamil couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the young man. He didn’t deserve it. At the same time, this was the fate of nobles. They rarely married out of love. They had to learn to like each other. He was absolutely certain that Baptiste and Lena did not love each other initially. Likewise, there was no love between him and Flora. They learned to like each other over time. Daniel had to do the same or at least he had to try.
“You have to try, Daniel.”
“I’ve tried. I shouted at her once, and she scoffed at me! She has even attempted to accuse me of infidelity and sent a letter to the king!”
Holy fuck, this woman is a whack job.
He had to take a step back and saw Daniel cry in front of him while covering his face with both of his hands.
His marriage is not going to work. This is beyond what a normal woman would do.
Having run out of ideas to encourage him, he watched him cry and put him to his bed eventually. Watching him sob weakly even when he passed out, he just had to shake his head.
“Kiddo, you have it hard,” He whispered.
When he exited the room, he found someone unexpected standing outside. It was Lena, the mother of Daniel and Flora. Wearing a simple but elegant dark dress, she looked beautiful as ever with her glittering golden hair.
“Lord Fenchel, I thank you for having a chat with my son,” She said while bowing. There was a good chance that she had heard of her son’s crying. One wouldn’t need to try to eavesdrop to hear it. Normally, he’d feel smug, but the whole situation looked rather bleak to feel good about it.
“Lady Flissing, I am afraid that your son is going to need help. How long have they been married now?”
“About eight months now.”
He sighed deeply, and Lena did the same.
“I know it’s not my place to suggest this…, but Daniel needs someone intimate… An outlet to vent his stress and anger… He needs… a mistress.”
His parents weren’t going to be able to help. It was something Daniel would have to somehow make it work. But giving him some nudges was possible.
“You are not wrong, and we’ve been secretly going through a list of candidates.”
“Madam, please,” He interjected. “You need Daniel’s input in this. You need a woman he will like. You cannot mess up this chance. If he fails to get a woman he likes, then he will be broken.”
Lena’s usual calm face stiffened as if Kamil had just reminded her how dreadful the current situation was. It was easy to foresee how Daniel would turn up if left alone in this situation. He’d continue to indulge himself with wine and would become an alcoholic. Thankfully, he was not yet at a point of no return.
“True,” She conceded after a moment of uneasy silence. “My son is on a cliff, looking down nervously.”
“Don’t go through a list of women. Ask for his input, and locate women he may like from noble houses, let them meet and see how it goes before deciding. In my opinion, that is the only way.”
“We do need to keep this a secret from the princess,” She warned.
“My lips are sealed. You have my word.”
“I thank you.” Then she beamed a peaceful smile. “At least I am glad that Flora has found the right man. She seems to be enjoying her life, a stark contrast from her life in Dido.”
“Women should always be smiling. That is my take on it, madam.”
She seemed hesitant but said, “It is really hard to believe that… you are only twelve years old. Please excuse my remark.”
He shot a tranquil grin at her. His mental age was in early 40s at this point.
I sure have come a long way, haven’t I…
From a humble hunter of a small village to a lord of a town, he did come a long way. At the same time, it was far from over. He had lots to do. He hadn’t given up avenging Fionara but he wasn’t going to exact revenge for the sake of exacting revenge especially not when there was so much at stake.
Would I destroy their lives for my revenge? No, the past is the past. These are living right here right now in the present. They are more important. I am sorry, Fionara, but these people are more important to me.
It pained him to admit it, but that was the truth. If he had to choose between the past and the present, he’d choose the present, thus the future.
“No offense taken, Milady. Please, do what you can for your son. He needs all the help he can get.”
Having said so, he turned around and walked toward his room with Lena bowing to him regardless.
The next day, Baptiste and Kamil walked on top of the city walls. As a literal city fortress, the walls were wide and sturdy. Since this was not a time of war, the walls were lightly manned. Guards showed their respects as the duo walked by.
“I’ve heard that you are moving your entire town?”
“Yes, it has not been easy.”
“I don’t think it’s been done before. Of course, I would expect it to be hard. Perhaps, you will build impressive walls like mine!”
“Actually, we are digging into a mountain. We are planning to use the earthwork to be our walls.”
Baptiste looked surprised but soon did an understanding nod. “I can see it working. So, your walls will be mountains then, eh?”
“More or less.”
“Even sturdier than my walls then.”
He wasn’t sure but probably.
“I thank you for the feast last night. It was wonderful.”
“It would have been better if it wasn’t for that witch.”
He was referring to Lillian. Kamil looked around, just to make sure that there was no one to eavesdrop them. It looked like Baptiste already did check before speaking his mind; There was no one around. In a sense, this was one of the safest places to speak one’s mind. There was no place for anyone to hide and eavesdrop. Kamil figured that he purposely picked a walk over the walls.
“What do you plan to do, sir?”
“Lena told me already. You don’t need to feign ignorance.”
Well, in that case -
“I see. Do you plan to acquire a mistress for him then?”
“A change of the plan: We are going to follow your exact advice. We won’t care about status or even age. We want to find a woman Daniel feels attracted to. We won’t even care if she is a commoner.”
“Perhaps, a commoner might even be better. She will be submissive at least. A rich merchant’s daughter perhaps?”
Baptiste made a serious face. “You’d be right,” He agreed.
Rich merchants' daughters were often properly educated in case they were selected to become mistresses of nobles. They were also educated to be completely submissive. In Kamil’s mind, Esther came up as a candidate. However, he knew her personality well. She had some fight in her which he felt was unsuitable for Daniel. Besides, she was a bit too young. Daniel needed someone who could share the bed with him immediately.
“You’d be right,” Baptiste repeated with a firmer nod. “I cannot be picky. I need to revive my son as a man first and foremost.” Then he gave a powerful slap on Kamil’s back. “I thank you, son-in-law. The timing of your visit was impeccable, and your help was most welcome.”
“You are welcome, sir.”
“By the by, have you two shared the bed yet?” He smirked as he asked.
This guy…
Kamil replied curtly, “We have.”
Baptiste laughed loudly and pleasantly. Then he slapped on his back even more powerfully.
“Attaboy!”
He was an interesting man. He loved to make subtle sexual jokes and was very fond of his wife, rightfully so. Lena was a beautiful lady and acted like a true lady even. He also cared a great deal about his son and cared for his daughter in his own twisted way. Overall, he had his faults but was a noble whose head was screwed in correctly. He knew his priorities and boundaries. He couldn’t dislike the guy in spite of his frequently unwarranted sexual jokes.
“What do you plan to do with the princess?”
“Nothing,” Baptiste replied, looking very much uninterested. “Let the witch do whatever the hell she wants. As long as she doesn’t bully my son, she can have an affair for all I care. I won’t even report any misdeeds to the king.”
An affair, you say…?
“Lord Flissing, why don’t you do exactly that?”
He looked confused. “Exactly what?”
Kamil looked around once more.
Elementals, scan the area for me. Is anyone around?
There was no reaction from elementals which he took as negative.
“Give her chances to have an affair. Catch her in act and use that as leverage for a separation. You don’t need to report it to the king. On the surface, they will be a happy couple. We simply need her out of our dear Daniel’s life.”
Realizing the gravity of the conversation, he surveyed his surroundings. After making absolutely sure that no one was around, he replied with a low voice, “Surely, she can’t be that dull to fall for such a trap?”
Kamil replied with an equally low voice, “Sir, the girl was dumb enough to have a go at me when everyone was around. She is not the smartest cookie in the jar.”
In his eyes, Lillian was someone who could not resist doing things that popped up in her mind. Essentially, she had no patience at all and had virtually no self-restraint. When such a woman found an attractive man who actively came onto her, he could only imagine the predictable outcome. It was time to bully the bully.
Baptiste’s lips progressively curved into a smirk. He gave a slight nudge to Kamil, and he returned it right after. The duo exchanged a devilish grin at each other.