The Duke's Passion

Zero didn't stay idle in Grimsbanne and left even though he had a long, arduous journey here. It was expected because staying longer just to humor me wouldn't benefit him at all. He wasn't a fool. I might've rattled him, but Zero was someone who would get back on his feet like an undead.

"The undead… that is his cards." My eyes sharpened, caressing a rose petal in the garden. "I heard some neighboring kingdoms agreed to be absorbed by the Great Heart empire. How smooth."

"Zero and his allied kingdoms are still resisting him from moving forth," Klaus added as he stopped several steps away from me. "His Majesty of the Spade Kingdom left Grimsbanne with his remaining knights. We already planted a shadow to keep an eye on him."

I nodded in acknowledgment. "They should be careful. We had lost many people in that foreign land."

"And he had lost a lot of people coming in here." He remarked. 

"But that is not enough to honor their deaths, Klaus. If they killed ten of my men, I'll take a hundred."

"Your Grace, we need more manpower. Slaughtering everyone now will only benefit Stefan."

I remained silent, plucking out a petal from the rose. "You're right. It is better to take them all out all at once. Taking them one by one is only fun but exhausting."

There was a moment of silence between Klaus and me. Slowly, I turned and faced him, scanning him in a knight suit. Never in my wildest imagination that Klaus would be someone, I would rely on in important things — I never even imagined that we would have this kind of relationship. 

"After Sam's death, you took an oath to live and die for me," I murmured, as I never had this talk with him. "Did you take that oath because I was your beloved brother's wife, or was it because of vengeance?"

Klaus stared at me in the eye. "Both… initially. You are someone whom Hell protected and died for. I didn't want his death to be in vain."

"Initially…?" I cocked my head to the side. "How about now?"

"I will live and die for you, Your Grace." He asserted with determination and sincerity in his eyes. "Vengeance is also something I always seek, but after being at your service, my personal grudge didn't matter. All I seek is your own peace."

"Peace… I am already at peace, Klaus."

"Peace of mind is what I mean, Your Grace." 

His answer made me quirk a brow before I nodded in understanding. "I didn't expect that." I continued to walk in the garden while he walked behind me. 

Klaus disliked me at first, he made sure I knew that. However, he was also someone who was indebted to Sam. The only reason I took him with me seven months ago was that I knew Sam was fond of him. 

Back in Cunningham, Sam fed him and my husband got scolded by me because of the state of his arm. I didn't realize back then that Sam let Klaus feed on him because his brother needed his blood. Of course, there were more reasons behind it, but that was one of them. 

Now that everything was said and done, Klaus was now the chief knight of the knight brigade. He had sullied his hands for me, executed all my orders without questions asked, slaughtered those who opposed me, and just became… my personal hellhound. 

"My influence wouldn't be this big if not for your help, Klaus." I broke the silence, staring at the beds of flowers surrounding us. "And you hadn't taken a single day off since we arrived in here. Don't you want to rest before our plans start moving?"

"The closer your plans approach, the more we should raise our guards."

"But don't you miss Claude?" Slowly, I turned around to face him. "He had been in the Capital all this time. Knowing that you're the one who stood as a father figure to him, I'm certain you're also worried about the child."

Klaus gazed down with a bitter smile on his lips. Just seeing his reaction was enough for me to know that he had loved Claude as his own. Their relationship might be a little strange, but one thing was for sure. Claude and Klaus respected each other and see each other as family.

"Claude will be alright. He might be a child on the outside, but he is smart — smarter than I am. I can reunite with him next time." He slowly raised his gaze back at me, sporting a weak smile. "Me, worrying about him, will be an insult to a man."

"Haha. Considering him as a man…" I averted my eyes away from him and turned around, resuming in my stride. "… he is the bearer of Auron, after all. He wouldn't refuse my offer on coming in here if he knew he wouldn't survive the palace."

That was correct. I offered Claude to come with me, but alas, he refused. Now that I thought about it, I was uncertain if he refused because he liked the Capital, or because of what I said that time.

As the silence enveloped us, it brought me back to my last memory with Claude…

***

Before I left the palace, I visited Claude in his chambers. My reason was not because I wanted to take him back with me. It was something else.

"Auntie Lilove, are you really leaving?" he asked, staring at me, who sat from across him. "It is not good to travel during winter."

A weak smile resurfaced on my lips, staring at his adorable face. I raised my hand over the table, extending my arm, and laid my palms open.

"Hold Auntie Lilou, Claude." I requested, which he did without a second hesitation. My fingers wrapped around his small and soft hands while I stared at them.

"You have such soft hands. I feel like the calluses on my palm will hurt you."

"Auntie Lilove's hands are warm. They won't hurt Claude." He offered me an adorable grin, trying to cheer me up as I gazed back up at him.

"Claude, do you love Auntie Lilou?" I asked, getting a nod from him immediately.

My smile remained as another wave of silence ensued. Claude blinked innocently, staring back at me. When I opened my mouth and spoke, his brows furrowed.

"Auntie?"

"I heard you can stop the time, Claude," I repeated and squeezed his hand lightly. "If you can manipulate time, can you reverse time where Sam was alive?"

"Auntie…"

"Can you do that for Auntie Lilou?" I wasn't thinking when I asked him this, but I was desperate. "I can't accept your uncle Sam's death, Claude. So if you can reverse the time where he is still alive, can you do that so we can save him?"

Claude pressed his lips together while staring at me apologetically. "My ability can barely stop the time, Auntie. However, stopping the time also stops my heart."

"How long will it stop if you reverse the time?"

"Auntie… stopping time and reversing it are two different things. Even if I die, I can't bring back the dead." Claude gazed down dejectedly, hurt by my insensitivity. "Will you tell me to die if sacrificing my life can reverse the time?"

"I…" My breath hitched as his question was akin to a slap back to reality. I hung my head low, withdrawing my hand from him.

"I'm sorry," I said under my breath. "Auntie Lilou is not thinking straight."

"Auntie, I'm sorry too because I can't do what you want me to do."

And we spent the remaining time together in silence. After that, I proposed to him to come to Grimsbanne, but he refused. I respected his decision and never heard a word from him again.