The Voiceless Duchess - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Lohengrin examined the envelope, slipping it into her pocket as her gaze fell upon Herta. She wasn’t the sort to be this flustered over a mere letter; it was clear there was more to it.

Herta, interpreting his expression, spoke as she opened the door once more.

“A short while ago, His Grace the Margrave arrived at the manor. However…”

The letter had only arrived today, yet he was already here? Lohengrin blinked. Could he have ridden day and night without pause?

Without waiting any longer, Lohengrin strode out of the room, Herta swiftly following behind.

“But he came with Baron Ansgar!”

Lohengrin’s foot, just about to descend the stairs, froze in its tracks. She turned to look at Herta, her expression one of genuine surprise.

“According to the butler, they arrived together at the front gate. His Grace seemed quite displeased, but the Baron was persistent in following him, and now they’re in the reception room…”

To Lohengrin’s knowledge, her father had yet to properly acknowledge Baron Ansgar.

State council meetings, banquets, the Imperial Ballroom, the audience chamber… There were many occasions where their paths might have crossed, yet her father had treated him as if he were invisible. And rightly so.

As she considered this, a new realization dawned upon her. In all that time, Ansgar had never once approached her father either.

He had ingratiated himself with the nobility, frequenting the manors of lesser lords, but he had never once set foot in Nordvant Manor.

Despite his obvious disdain for Gideon, he had deliberately sought them out, pestering them relentlessly, when he used to ignore them. Surely he knew that it was Nordvants who truly despised him.

And now, out of the blue, he had suddenly appeared at the manor. And not alone, but clinging to her father’s side.

Lohengrin felt her hand, resting on the stair rail, clench into a fist. It was the same hand that he had held, the hand that had caressed her so intimately.

‘…Thank you for telling me.’

Those amber eyes, staring intently at her face hidden beneath the hood. The sensation of his touch on her palm.

A bad feeling washed over Lohengrin. Ignoring the rapid pounding of her heart, she hurried down the stairs.

“Lady Lohengrin. Are you well?”

Karl Richter, the Margrave’s knight, who had been standing guard at the door of the reception room, greeted her. There were dark circles under his eyes, a sign of exhaustion.

‘Yes, I’m fine. You came sooner than I expected.’

“We rode the hippogriff day and night.”

‘There was no need to rush.’

“You’re always full of worry.”

A faint smile crossed Karl’s lips as he added, “And Nachtwandel has been feeling particularly frisky of late. He’s broken several fences. It was a good way to let off some steam.”

Nachtwandel was the name of the Margrave’s tamed hippogriff. It seemed that, having finished his patrol of Mount Elster, he had been feeling rather restless.

Lohengrin nodded, her gaze shifting towards the door as she asked.

‘What happened here?’

Karl understood her question immediately. Lowering his voice, he replied, “He was waiting at the North Gate. I asked the guards, and they said he’d been lurking there since dawn. At first, we ignored him, but he was so persistent-”

“Gideon, those wretched mongrel!”

Lohengrin and Karl turned their heads simultaneously. The furious roar that had erupted from the room belonged to the Margrave.

Karl moved to open the door at once, but Lohengrin stepped in front of him, blocking his path into the reception room.

“May I enter?”

‘Yes. And keep a close eye on that rat.’

Karl nodded.

“As you command.”

He turned sideways to allow Lohengrin to enter, pushing the door open.

“Karl, I told you not to let anyone in!”

As soon as the door opened, the Margrave of Nordvant’s furious voice rang out.

Before he could grow any angrier, Lohengrin stepped inside.

‘Father.’

The Margrave, upon seeing her, rose abruptly from the sofa. His face, flushed with anger, turned slowly towards her. Lohengrin’s gaze shifted to the side.

Her eyes met those of Carlisle Ansgar, and they turned icy cold. For a split second, she saw his eyes widen in surprise, but then his gaze slid past her indifferently.

“Angie*, did Karl tell you anything?”
*TL/N: Possibly Lohegrin’s nickname.

The Margrave, who had rushed over, stood in front of Lohengrin, as if to shield her from Carlisle Ansgar’s view.

‘I heard that you had a more important guest, so I came down to see.’

Lohengrin replied with a faint smile.

The Margrave sighed and placed a hand on Lohengrin’s forearm, a signal for her to leave.

‘But then I heard Gideon’s name.’

“It would be better if you left.”

‘Father.’

“Please go, Angie. Please.”

It was rare for the Margrave to use the word ‘please’. This was the first time Lohengrin had heard it from him since she had lost her voice and shut herself away in her room.

She looked up at the Margrave, her expression neutral.

‘It’s about me.’

When she had heard that Baron Ansgar had come looking for her, Lohengrin had known instinctively.

That man already knew everything.

Berthold’s bloodhound had an excellent nose, and he would never have passed up an opportunity to corner his prey, no matter how unexpected the time or place.