Ancient Empire Calendar, Year 1833
After the Conquest of the North, Ricardo and Marilin were resting and chatting.
During one of these conversations, Marilin asked a question about the new women who had joined the Harem.
"Dynasty Lord, if you will permit me, may I ask a question about the wives you have taken into your Harem?"
"Of course, that is your natural right," said Ricardo.
"In the years before the war began, you did not take any other women into the Harem. But after the war started, you began taking many wives and concubines. Aybüke and Ashina were for gaining legitimacy in the Central and Northern Lands; I understand that. But Vereina and Freya... why did you take these women? They had no tangible benefit."
Ricardo replied.
"The answer to your question is very simple. Vereina's race, the Vamparos race, and their history in general, greatly intrigued me. I am very curious to see what a half-human, half-Vamparos child born from Vereina will be like."
"And Freya? She is human and not particularly powerful. She is also not a means to legitimacy."
"I wanted her because of her lineage. I wanted to unite with the lineage of Frank II, the killer of our ancestor Harloumen VIII and the destroyer of the Ancient Empire. I want to see what kind of children will be born from these united bloodlines."
Marilin asked one final question.
"What about Ashina's male grandchild, Bayındır's son Ragnar? What will you do with him? Giving him to the Blood Bastards was just to deceive Ashina, wasn't it?"
"Why do you think that, my love?"
"I know you, Ricardo. You are not a merciful person. Especially not when it comes to our Dynasty."
Ricardo looked at Marilin with admiration for her words and intelligence.
"I can deceive everyone except you. Yes, I will kill Ragnar."
"How will you do it? You gave your word to Ashina."
Ricardo replied like a cold-blooded killer, psychopathically.
"Do you remember Xavier Xanros?"
Marilin replied.
"Yes. Xavier V, the current Xanros Dynasty Lord. Years ago, during the War of the Heirs, he served your brother, the Young Lord Arlous. Of course, when Arlous died and you won the War of the Heirs, Xavier returned to the Xanros Dynasty without obtaining any position in the Palace. After his father's death, he became the head of the Xanros Dynasty."
"Hahaha! You seem to know quite a lot about Xavier, a mere insignificant Western Lands Dynasty Lord."
Marilin was pleased with the compliment.
"I am grateful for your compliments, Dynasty Lord. As you said, I am an intelligent woman. I never forget any face I've seen or any book I've read."
A brief silence fell over the room. The couple watched each other silently for a while.
Suddenly, Ricardo decided to break the silence.
He gently cupped Marilin's cheek, pulled her towards him, and kissed her passionately.
He wrapped his arms around Marilin's waist and sat her on his lap.
Caressing and kissing each other, they lay down on the bed, undressed, and made love all night.
When they woke up the next morning, Marilin caught Ricardo getting dressed.
To tempt Ricardo, Marilin lay face down on the bed in a seductive pose.
When Ricardo turned around and saw Marilin in that sexy position, he became aroused but restrained himself.
"That's enough, Marilin. We have work to do, you know."
Marilin spoke in a lustful voice.
"Come on, you're just going to offer Xavier a position in the administration and have him kill little Ragnar. We both know that's not hard to do. Come and fuck me."
Ricardo was struggling not to jump on Marilin.
"Get up and get dressed, or we'll never leave this bed."
Marilin spoke even more invitingly.
"Who wants to leave?"
Ricardo lost control and pounced on Marilin.
"Oh, damn you, woman!"
A few days later, Ricardo summoned Xavier Xanros.
Xavier Xanros knelt and bowed his head.
"You have summoned me, Dynasty Lord."
Ricardo gestured for Xavier to raise his head.
"I am going to give you a task, Xavier. If you succeed, I will give you a position in the administration."
Xavier's hands and feet began to tremble with excitement. He didn't know what to say.
"What do I need to do?"
Ricardo gave the order.
"Kill Ragnar, Bayındır's only surviving male heir."
Xavier had received an order to kill a baby, but he was not surprised and obeyed the command.
"As you command. Ragnar will die today."
Xavier kept his word. Ragnar Turvig, a baby still in his cradle, was dead.
His death was so smooth that no one suspected he had been murdered.
Later, when Ricardo asked Xavier how he killed the baby, Xavier explained briefly.
"Recently, my wife Aleyya Xanros invented a poison. A poison as colorless and tasteless as water. I had the baby drink this poison. Hours later, he died slowly, without anyone noticing."
Ricardo took the poison from Xavier and examined it.
"Quite impressive. Your wife must know a lot about these things."
"Yes, Dynasty Lord. My wife Aleyya is my distant relative. Her mother descends from an Assassin Clan that dealt with poisons. Aleyya learned everything about poisons from her mother and invented her own poisons."
"You have impressed me, Xavier. If you continue to achieve such impressive successes, perhaps one day we might become relatives."
"Does that mean he will take my daughter as the Heir's wife?" thought Xavier.
Xavier bowed his head excitedly.
"I would be honored, Dynasty Lord," he said.
"You may go, Xavier."
Xavier left the room with his head bowed.
A few days later, Ragnar's funeral ceremony was held.
Ashina struggled to stand throughout her male grandchild's funeral, fainting several times.
After the funeral, Ashina never let her granddaughter Astrid leave her side.
When Ashina and Ricardo were alone in their chambers, she enveloped the room with her mana, creating a soundproof barrier. She grabbed Ricardo by the collar and unleashed all her fury.
"YOU PROMISED ME! YOU PROMISED MY GRANDSON WOULD LIVE! YOU PROMISED!"
Ashina's voice was hoarse from crying and shouting. She stopped shouting, exhausted and broken, unable even to breathe.
Without doing anything, Ricardo waited for Ashina to calm down. Then he gently hugged her.
Although Ashina struggled to break free from Ricardo's strong arms, she was too weak.
Exhausted and under severe stress, Ashina fell asleep in Ricardo's arms.
The next day, Ashina woke up. She was still tired and broken. When she saw Ricardo beside her, she became angry but maintained her composure.
"Have you calmed down, Ashina?"
Ashina did not answer.
"I had nothing to do with your grandson's death, Ashina. But that doesn't change the fact that I couldn't keep my promise. I will protect and raise your granddaughter as if she were my own child. I will choose a good husband for her who will protect and love her. Don't worry."
Ashina did not reply, bowing her head. Ricardo, thinking Ashina needed to be alone, silently left the room.
A few more weeks passed. Kislavein authority began to take hold in the Northern Lands, and the wounds of war continued to heal.
Ricardo regularly visited the graves of his soldiers and commanders who had died in the war and prayed.
After finishing his prayer at the grave of his Master Eduardo, Ricardo kissed the headstone.
"First my old Master Richard, now you, Master Eduardo. You both left me. I am getting old myself, but my instincts tell me we will not meet again soon."
Ricardo left the cemetery.
Around this time, a messenger from the Central Lands delivered a letter to Ricardo informing him that Aybüke Costin had given birth to a daughter.
The vassals all congratulated Ricardo together and asked the name of their new Lady.
"My daughter's name is Reina."
Reina Kislavein, daughter of Ricardo Kislavein and Aybüke Costin, was born.
That night, Ricardo finally found the location of the Sarcophagus in the North that he had been seeking for a long time.