Common Sense of a Duke’s Daughter 215

Mother II

After returning to the house of Duke Armenia, I first went to go see how my husband was doing.

…He was sleeping easily with a peaceful expression.

While things were still dangerous, his face had regained some of its color.

I sighed with relief upon seeing him and sat down on a chair by the bed and caressed his head.

He had been working much too hard.

As for Iris, I was also incredibly worried about her and wanted to go and see her. There were several times when I thought that I would go and help her with something… But I was so worried about his health that I could not bear the thought of leaving his side.

…It was like that a lot recently.

As the power struggle had grown more intense in the royal palace, he had insisted that government affairs could not be neglected, and he had continued to walk a dangerous line.

And it wasn’t just physically, but mentally.

He only ever looked at the country and the people.

The disasters and counterfeit money incidents had plagued and hurt many people…but without him and his subordinates, Earl Sagittaria…and without Prince Alfred, the kingdom would not have held up for so long.

Many have been given roles in government, due to the influence of Queen Ellia and Marquis Maelia, but most of them did not even know the meaning of their offices.

And so they did nothing.

If they did do something, it was for the purpose of doing him as much harm in order to satisfy their own greed.

After all, Queen Ellia and Marquis Maelia were at the top, and they encouraged this behavior.

In fact, there were even those who tried to gain favor by following their example from the shadows.

When the government was not functioning, in other words, the organizations that managed the kingdom and all matters concerning the lives of the people were not operating properly, it would affect the lives of the people greatly in the not far off future.

Even I understood that much, and I had nothing to do with the government.

Sooner or later, it would self destruct or as it happened, be invaded by another country…

It was not a figure of speech or an exaggeration to say that the country had not been able to last.

And under these circumstances, my husband had worked without rest. I was so worried about him that I could think of little else.

“Iris also has an addiction to working. Perhaps she got it from him.”

I couldn’t help but mutter.

In the next instant, his eyes opened halfway.

“…So you came back, Melli.”

“Did I wake you?”

“No… More importantly, where is Iris?”

There was a concern in his raspy voice.

“Please don’t worry, husband. Prince Alfred has been victorious. The situation with the Armenia lands should change for the better… In other words, it is a victory for Iris as well.”

“…I see. That is a relief…”

He muttered and let out a sigh of relief. Then he closed his eyes once again.

I continued to watch him as I was worried about his health, but he eventually started to breathe in an easy and regular manner, and I took comfort in that.

Was I just too worried?

Every time he closed his eyes, I was plagued by the thought that he would never open them again. I could not help it.

I planted a kiss on his forehead and got up and went through a different door than the one I had come through.

At a glance, it did not look like a door.

It was completely one with the wall. It would be nearly impossible to open it if you did not know of its existence.

Such hidden doors that led to secret rooms and passages existed in almost all mansions of nobles.

This particular hidden door led to a room that was only as large as a small storage room.

There were no decorations or furniture.

The only things the room contained were a small round table and one chair in the center.

I now sat down in that chair.

It was not the usual fancy chairs with cushions.

It was an ordinary chair made of wood that you would find anywhere.

After sitting down, I picked up the sword that had been placed carelessly on the table.

Much like the room and the furniture, this thin sword also lacked any decoration.

It fit perfectly in my hands as I held it for quite some time…and then I removed it from its sheath.

You could tell at a glance that it had seen much use but had also been maintained very well. A terribly practical weapon.

…One deep breath.

I drew the blade up to my forehead and closed my eyes.

As was usual when I trained, I took in a deep breath to calm myself. As if praying.

Then I began to sharpen it.