Chapter 98

Far Away (1)

She couldn’t back off.

Lily remembered Vlad’s back as he looked into the night sky, the way that wide back looked so lonely.

[Like Vladislav himself… Is it just waiting for its end? This whole city?]

There was no gap for Vlad. His belief was like a solid and flawless frame entwined with steel. A breathtaking castle that no one could enter without qualifications.

He was a man who lived in a world of harsh rules that did not even tolerate any mistake.

Lily’s stomach churned.

How much mercy did he show to a woman like me to treat me as his wife?

He did her a huge favor by doing that, so she knew that she had to repay him. She knew that she was someone who could do something for him now.

As soon as she realized it, she didn’t want to be discouraged. She no longer wanted to like her past self.

Lily’s green eyes shone resolutely. “Please reconsider, Vlad.”

Vlad gently stroked his chin once. Even with his relaxed gestures, there was a sense of pressure that made her spine shiver.

“As long as we are talking about your safety, I can’t compromise.”

“Cadis has a lot of potential for development.  If we develop it from now on, it will become a city equivalent to the capital within ten years.”

“…”

All the men in the conference hall were frozen as if they had been buried alive.

“Cadis… Do you want to make it like the capital, Lily?”

She didn’t expect the atmosphere to be this heavy…

Lily had no idea that her head would have rolled on the floor if she was someone else.

Ivan leaned forward slightly, as if trying to calm the unusual situation. “Permanent residence…”

“I didn’t ask you, Ivan.”

“…”

Ivan had no choice but to shut his mouth when Vlad had interrupted him without even a glance.

Lily’s mouth felt dry..

Should I… not have said it?

Her heartbeat pounded in her throat.

Lily pondered on saying it was just a mistake, and that it was just a small opinion of hers, but she picked up her courage.

“I did not mean a full-scale opening, but only a part of the territory in Arcadia… We should create a management system by allowing only the upper part of each notarized territory to come and go.”

“Pests,” he murmured slowly and calmly, “are impossible to eradicate once even one of them begins to breed.”

TL/N : Just like how when an insect breeds, it means people come, and they cause problems, it would be hard to solve it and that problems will keep occuring.

The problem was not the cracks themselves, but the disasters they would cause.

“Problems will keep happening somehow. As long as your safety is at stake, there will be no disagreements, so this topic is over.”

“I will be fine.”

Vlad’s eyebrows were scrunched, breath trembling. She didn’t even know he was displaying all of his patience right now.

The moment he finally opened his mouth, Lily hurriedly spoke up, “Because I have you…!”

“…”

As soon as she said it, her face went red. It was because she realized the fact that she was in front of close to a hundred people.

She was so embarrassed that she could feel her cheeks burning.

Holding back the corners of her trembling lips, Lily spoke, “If you don’t leave often, it’ll be safe… But if you need to deal with things outside the castle, I can just stay in the castle…”

She was ready to be faced with sneers, saying that she was an idiotic, naive woman.

In fact, she had pointed out the obvious.

What madman would want to assassinate the duchess if Duke Vladislav de Winter was around?

For him to be killed, a miracle must happen.

It was almost as if she was squeezing an insect with her fingers.

Lily noticed that Vlad’s eyes fluttered slightly.

Now was the chance.

“And if we strictly notify the Isles that they will be given a fatal disadvantage if they harm citizens of Cadis, we can double-strengthen the security. If they also harm people with disabilities, by applying the Cadis Penal Code and limiting the number of people, also…”

Vlad pressed his thumb firmly on his temple as if he was in trouble. “All right.” He squinted. “Make a system first.”

“…!”

Hans, who had been holding his breath, let out a silent scream.

To overturn something he thought was impossible as long as the lord was still alive.

Hans wanted to cry as he immediately fell at Lily’s feet and offered his thanks.

Her first attempt brought about this possibility.

How could it not have been the blessing of this land to have such a lady like this…

“We will review it after we return.”

Lily, who was overwhelmed, slowly blinked.

Return…?

Vlad cast a dry glance at his vassals. “We are reorganizing the personnel of the Ataka support dispatchers. Of course, so that all the knights remain in the fortress.”

“Are you going out alone?”

“No.” Vlad shifted his gaze to one side. “Priest Ivan and me. Only the two of us will go out as reinforcements and join the subjugation army. Let the chief administrator remain and look over Lily.”

“Oh God.”

The reactions of administrators were all different. Ivan recalled the contents of the orders in advance and gloomily followed him.

However, there was another person who was confused.

Lily’s slender hands slowly lost strength. “Departure… What do you mean…?”

It looked like a lightning bolt had struck her.