Wrong Marriage and Sweet Love

“You said you liked me, didn’t you? Show some sincerity,” Joyce said. She didn’t believe him at all. To her, Clint was just a madman obsessed with getting what he wanted, like a child snatching someone else’s toy. He convinced himself that something belonged to him, just like Athena. Such people often delude themselves into believing that what they desire is rightfully theirs. Obsession is a disease. Love? People like him don’t understand it and don’t deserve it.

Clint chuckled softly. “Alright, as you wish. Is it Darrin?”

Joyce was momentarily stunned; she hadn’t expected him to agree so readily.

“Yes,” Clint said, knowing her inside out.

“At this time, it’s impossible for him to enter the country; he’s already been hiding here for a long time.”

Clint’s expression turned cold as he glanced at Watanabe, who stood respectfully to the side. “Your intelligence work has major flaws and needs rectification. He’s been here for so long, and you didn’t know.”

No wonder he hadn’t seen Joyce’s aide, Darrin, in Khebury. He had already arrived on Clint’s turf.

“My apologies,” Watanabe immediately bowed his head.

“Dismissed,” Clint waved his hand, signaling Watanabe to leave.

Watanabe left at once.

Darrin whispered in Joyce’s ear, “Let me stay on the same floor as you.”

Joyce nodded.

“Arrange for him to stay in the room next to mine,” she said. There was a door between her room and the adjacent one, allowing Darrin to respond quickly if needed.

“Alright,” Clint agreed without objection.

He stepped closer. “You don’t look well. Are you in pain?”

“Thanks to you, I’m still alive,” Joyce sneered and took a step back.

Clint’s eyes darkened as he turned away. “Come in, don’t stand outside.”

He walked inside without waiting for a response.

Joyce gave Darrin a look, and they followed Clint into his mansion one after the other.

Darrin observed the guards stationed around the mansion, both openly and hidden. There were at least two full squads of personal guards. Taking them on alone would be impossible.

Joyce whispered, “The security has doubled since I left.”

Darrin nodded; it seemed getting out would be much harder this time.

As they entered the mansion, Joyce glanced at the side hall where she had previously seen Clint polishing the Dawnblade. She couldn’t see any safes and wondered if there were hidden compartments or secret rooms where he might store it.

Seeing her hesitation, Darrin asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Joyce shook her head.

Upstairs, Darrin sighed softly. “He didn’t even have us searched before letting us in. He’s really confident.”

“Yes, I found it strange too, but now I understand,” Joyce said as she opened her door. “I need to rest for a while.”

Due to frequent pain, she was exhausted and needed rest.

“I’ll keep watch over you,” Darrin said cautiously. “Don’t worry; leave it to me.”

Joyce nodded weakly and lay down fully clothed. Leaving Luther’s embrace made her feel emotionally drained; she truly didn’t want to leave him. As a mother of four children, she was no longer as reckless as before. Now she longed for peace more than anything else; the thought of years of war with no home to return to was unbearable.

The next day.

Joyce woke up groggy and sore all over; her eyelids felt heavy.

Darrin knocked on her door. “Commander, there’s a situation; someone has arrived at the mansion.”

Joyce jolted awake from her nightmare, drenched in sweat though she couldn’t recall what she’d dreamt about.

After quickly washing up, she came out and asked, “Who is it?”

Darrin looked serious. “Hirota Yoshikawa, the current head of the Yoshikawa family.”This material belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

Joyce was taken aback. “Do you know their relationship? The Yoshikawa family is Clint’s maternal family; Hirota is? His father-in-law?”

“No,” Darrin explained. “Clint’s father-in-law was the previous head of the Yoshikawa family who passed away without any sons. The current head was adopted from a subordinate daimyo and inherited the title. He’s about fifty years old with two sons and an adopted daughter named Chiyuki, who is now the eldest daughter of the Yoshikawa family.”

“So Hirota isn’t entirely one of Clint’s own?” Joyce asked impatiently. “Their family relationships are so complicated it’s hard to keep track of who’s related to whom.”

She had met Chiyuki before; no wonder Reuben had said their marriage wouldn’t be an issue given their diluted blood ties.

“They are still somewhat related by blood,” Darrin continued as they headed downstairs. “The Yoshikawa family values their surname highly. When Reuben failed to ascend smoothly, Hirota was the first to act against him. Historically, the throne has always been held by the Tanaka family while military power resided with the Yoshikawa family. To maintain this balance of power through generations, they often adopt or marry within their ranks.”

As they approached the main hall downstairs, they could hear voices raised in tension from within.

“Crown Prince, what are you doing now?!”

“Watanabe’s voice could be heard clearly: “Prince Reuben received the edict but hesitates to announce his succession because he fears us.”

“So what if he fears us? Since Prince Reuben has received the edict but hasn’t announced it publicly yet, we must eliminate him immediately and retrieve the imperial seal to help our Crown Prince ascend.” An unfamiliar voice filled with age and malice spoke-likely Hirota’s.

“Crown Prince,” Hirota continued coldly after a pause, “I’ve heard you brought back a woman? Surely you wouldn’t betray your family’s interests for her?”

“Oh? How should I use her?” Clint asked indifferently.

“I’ve heard she’s a daughter of the Heath military family? Since she’s in your hands now, I suggest using her to coerce them into aiding us in eliminating other families once and for all,” Hirota proposed.