The Nanny of House Herzen - Chapter 57
“I have brought him, Your Grace.”
The commander announced, dragging a scruffy man bound with ropes. The pathetic figure, once likely handsome with golden hair, now looked wretched and filthy, his lower half exposed, and a dirty gag muting his cries.
Carius scrutinized the man from head to toe before spitting at his feet.
“We depart immediately.”
The gagged man sobbed, his forehead hitting the ground before Carius, his cries incoherent and desperate.
Carius mounted his horse and led a contingent of elite cavalry.
The half-naked man, denied even the dignity of riding, stumbled and ran alongside them, his bare legs scraping against the ground, a pitiful sight meant to please the ruthless Duke.
As the banner of Herzen fluttered, the cavalry moved leisurely through the reed forest. The reeds were green in early summer but Carius felt a weight in his chest.
He recalled how close Evelyn had come to losing her life in this very field. His hatred for the man they were about to confront deepened.
It wasn’t long before they reached the estate of Luke. Compared to the days of the late Marquis Luke, the land had shrunk to half its size. The previous Marquis would have risen from his grave seeing the decadence of Genove Luke that had squandered nearly half of his estate.
However, the remaining estate, though smaller, was still fertile. Carius’s dark eyes glinted with interest. Those with much to lose were often more fearful.
Crushing them was far more satisfying. Carius preferred strong animals. The old Marquis, fortunately, was more wolf than rabbit.
They arrived at the Luke mansion. The mansion’s guards were visibly nervous, they swallowed hard, not knowing what to do.
They recognized the banner. In peacetime, the sight of Herzen cavalry descending upon their estate was nothing short of alarming.
Carius, still on horseback, tossed a scroll to the guards. Before they could even open it, the commander’s long spear was pointed at one of their throats.
“Open the gate. We are here on the King’s order.”
Thinking back, there were indeed two flags. Hidden behind Herzen’s banner was the bright yellow royal emblem, symbolizing the sun and the rose.
The guards quickly nodded to the nearby soldiers, and the heavy iron gate creaked open.
Ignoring the well-kept pathway, Carius led his men across the garden. The beautifully maintained flowers were trampled under the hooves of dozens of horses.
The steward of the Luke mansion came rushing out in a panic. Recognizing the Herzen emblem, he bowed deeply.
“Y-Your Grace, Duke Herzen… what brings you to Luke…?”
Carius dismounted his horse, followed silently by his fearsome cavalry. Glancing at the pale-faced steward, Carius answered indifferently.
“I’m here to see your master. Where is he?”
Tears welled up in the old steward’s eyes. Struggling to maintain his composure, he spoke through a quivering voice.
“The master is in his chamber on the upper floor, but it’s still quite early…”
When Carius took a step forward, he was nearly stopped by the steward, who seemed ready to grasp at his ankles in desperation.
“Y-Your Grace… last night… the master… he… spent the night with the Madam… they are both still in the same room…”
“With all this commotion, they should be awake by now. Ah.”
Carius, initially planning to ignore the plea, stopped once more.
“Is she the fourth? The new Marchioness?”
Indeed, the rumors about Duke Herzen were true. His presence was undeniably imposing.
The steward, fearing what might come next, swallowed hard.
“Y-Yes, Your Grace… the third Madam tragically passed away during childbirth…”
Carius smirked as he listened to the steward’s stammering.
“The third one. What was she like?”
“She was quiet… and spoke little…”
“I heard she was from a fallen noble family.”
“Y-Yes, the family had fallen, but she was a good… a very good woman.”
A good woman, indeed. And yet, she was cast out after childbirth and no one helped her. Carius’s eyes filled with contempt.
The steward might not have known. In the birthing chamber, even male servants are not allowed. For now, that small possibility saved the steward’s life.
Carius strode up the stairs with half of his soldiers following closely behind. The rest remained in the garden, leaving the steward bowing his head in despair.
Finding the lord’s chamber was as easy as reading the back of his hand. He stormed straight to the door and flung it open. The Marquis, who had just finished dressing, turned red with anger and shouted.
“Have you lost your mind? What is the meaning of this!”
Carius looked at the Marquis with disdain and replied.
“I am here to deliver a royal decree.”
“W-what?”
At that moment, the commander dragged the disheveled man into the room and threw him to the floor.
“Wh-what is this!”
The Marquis didn’t know what was going on but was bewildered and intimidated and took a step back. The bound man, who was trembling and weeping, crawled toward the Marquis.
“Get away from me!”
The Marquis shouted, still unable to recognize the man groveling at his feet.
