Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 147: There Is No Place For Fools In My Fiefdom

Chapter 147: There Is No Place For Fools In My Fiefdom

Once Khala left together with her crew, the situation near the northern border stabilized once again. Though the matter of the magic beasts roaming closer to the castle and villages was still unresolved, with the traveling bandits moving all the way to the expansive lands of Anathaen, the only Empire on the Continent, the Raven Knights could finally take a breather.

Later on, Duke Valentine received a letter from King Yuraon, its contents informing the Valentine family that the young man had successfully returned to Davoor and resumed his royal duties.

Much to Aideen’s disappointment, the young man did not say much about the time he spent in the Capital. While her time there was not pleasant at all, the princess still missed some of its aspects and hoped that Yuraon’s visit there would satisfy her curious and nostalgic mind.

"I have spent my whole life there, so it is only natural that I wish to learn what had changed while I was here... Yan finally got married. I wonder what Princess Melania is like... I hope that he will be able to protect her from the Queen. Whatever his feelings might be, I can only pray that the princess won’t be hurt there."

Although brief with his words, Yuraon still managed to intrigue the Valentines by mentioning that he had made a rather interesting friend from the Capital’s nobility. He cautiously omitted mentioning their name, but Aideen was somehow certain that it was a woman.

"Regardless of their gender, I am glad he made a connection," Tillian thought as he was reading the letter. "Now that his curse is lifted, it is time the royals of Davoor started building international relationships, and even a single intimate acquaintance could go a long way for him."

Life in the castle turned somewhat quiet once again, which immensely pleased both the Duke and his servants. Too many things had happened in a rather short span of time, and everybody felt that it was time to take a break from such an eventful style of life.

Ahspid, however, did not share such a longing for a peaceful life but had no choice but to agree that his craving for adventures had to be toned down a little as well.

He still continued practicing magic with his talented student; however, he was not allowed to take Aideen outside the castle’s territory unless Tillian himself could accompany them. While the mage was not particularly happy about such an arrangement, having the Duke with them during their lessons was still better than having no lessons at all.

Aideen, on the other hand, did not mind that at all. On the contrary, the princess liked having her husband around when she was practicing magic because he never failed to remind her how exceptionally talented and determined she was and that he was proud of her.

His never-ending compliments and encouraging and reassuring words only made the lady work even harder, and in the end, Ahspid had to admit that Tillian’s company had only a positive effect, at least when it came to his student’s progress.

The serenity and monotony of the castle’s atmosphere eventually came to an end as this morning greeted Aideen with a surprise delivered by her husband.

"You want me to visit the villages with you?"

The woman widened her eyes as she heard Tillian ask her to accompany him on his bi-annual round trip to the nearby villages. The Duke smiled and nodded.

"Yes, my love, this is exactly what I want. It is already time for the trip, and since now you are the Duchess of The North, I think it is only natural for you to join me on this trip. You wanted to be more involved in the work I do around here, so here is your chance to do more. Moreover... I cannot wait for others to see my incredible wife. The people of The North deserve to witness how astonishing you are too."

Aideen could not help feeling excited about this idea, even though a slight tremble still managed to creep into her resolute heart. Up until now, her only "subjects" were the people in the castle, so she had no idea how others would react to her presence next to their admirable lord.

It did not help that she instantly recalled the night when she met mercenaries from the Black Flame Guild, and the look of trepidation became evident on her pale face.

Having noticed his wife’s growing concern, Tillian embraced the princess in his strong arms and planted a light kiss on her smooth forehead, offering her a warm and reassuring smile.

"There is absolutely no reason for concern, Aideen. My people will have no choice but to love you because it is impossible not to. Trust me, I am the prime example."

His kind words made Aideen feel a lot better, even though she knew that the man before her was utterly biased. Nevertheless, she smiled back at the Duke and answered with a nod,

"It is not really important whether they like me or not. All I want is for them to respect you for the choice you made when you married me."

Tillian faked a stern look, furrowed his eyebrows, and teasingly flicked the princess on her forehead as he retorted,

"Only a fool would think that I have made the wrong choice by marrying you, and luckily, there is no place for fools in my fiefdom!"

Aideen could barely suppress a hearty laugh. She was getting used to her husband having his way with words but was still grateful for his effort to make her feel at ease, especially since he was aware that the lady still had a rather hard time accepting praise and well-deserved respect.

With a feigned pout on her rosy lips, the princess rubbed the spot on her forehead touched by the Duke’s fingers, then graced him with a smile and declared,

"Very well, Your Grace. Let us depart as soon as we are ready!"