"Hey!"
A soft yet clear voice.
Edmure looked up.
In the flickering light of the dungeon torches, a pretty little face appeared timid outside the iron bars.
A small, snow-white hand reached through the gap in the iron bars and handed over a wine flask.
The haggard-looking Edmund was energized when he saw the wine sac.
He strode over, picked up the wine bottle, and reached out through the iron bars to pat the little cutie's hair: "Elena, how did you get in?"
"I squeezed in through the side door," Elena said, her voice slightly excited. Her large eyes looked at Edmure, a mixture of emotions welling up inside.
Edmund unscrewed the leather bag, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp of liquor. He swallowed hard, but the bag didn't contain liquor: "Milk?"
"Yes, my sister said that drinking milk is good for your health and can make you healthier and stronger."
"Did Mrs. Jenny ask you to deliver this?"
"No, it's not that. My sister told me to drink more milk when she was having breakfast, and that's when I thought of you! You must not be able to drink fresh milk in the dungeon, so I told the servants to fill the milk into wine sachets. If you use other things, you won't be able to pass it through these bars."
"You've been to the dungeon before?"
The little girl nodded: "I've been to many abandoned places in Cliff Rock City. But..."
A small surge of emotion welled up within Edmure; he had indeed defiled this young girl. To be honest, he felt deeply ashamed and...guilty towards Elena!
He knew himself well; he did indeed do some outrageous things when drunk. He had spent many nights with noblewomen in the Riverlands while drunk, which was something his father, Duke Horst, disliked very much.
Father Horst believed that a man as frivolous as Edmund was unlikely to amount to much.
"But what?" Edmure pondered how to apologize to Elena. But what good would that do? Wouldn't it actually hurt the girl? In these situations, it's better to say nothing than to say something!
The little girl felt a slight fear of him, a bit of curiosity, and a lot of goodwill towards him, since he was from Hejian. She couldn't see the hatred and disgust in his eyes, nor the humiliation Edmure had brought her, nor the inferiority complex that had gripped her after that incident.
The little girl looks more sunny than in the shadows!
"—But the milk I gave you isn't the kind we drink, is it?" Elena smiled, revealing two cute little fangs. Her smile was beautiful, like that of a little angel.
"Oh, what is that?"
I have a Reese cat.
"Hmm, I've seen it, it's very beautiful."
"I wanted to get you some milk, but I was afraid my sister would find out. She's very clever; she can often guess what I'm thinking just by looking at me. So I didn't dare ask the servants for fresh, delicious milk. Instead, I said my cat, Reese, wanted milk—my cat was a gift from my sister, and her cat was a gift from my brother-in-law when they got engaged in Casterly Rock. Tywin Lannister is my sister's foster father. I asked the maids to fill my cat's milk with the best milk in a wine sachet, and to make sure it was heated, kept warm, and sweetened. They gave me this milk sachet. Is it good?"
These words contained a great deal of information. Edmure was learning for the first time that Jenny was Tywin's adopted daughter.
"It's very sweet and delicious, you're so clever! Although it's a wine sac, there's not a trace of alcohol in the milk," Edmund praised sincerely. At the same time, he thought to himself, "When this innocent little girl grows up and understands, I wonder how much she'll hate me for taking her virginity. This is something her future husband values highly, a stain on a lady of noble birth, damaging her honor."
"I'm happy as long as you like it! My servants all know my cat, Reese, is very greedy and picky. They've washed this wine flask many times with hot water. If there's even a hint of wine smell, Reese will sniff it and run away. —My sister says that doing anything for the man you love is worthwhile." Elena blushed, smiled shyly, and looked down at her small hands. Her two little hands were twisted together, revealing her inner turmoil and unease.
Edmund felt as if he had been struck in the chest!
What is this little girl saying?
Is it worth doing anything for the man you love?
What is she thinking?
She's just a child! Edmure couldn't believe it!
Edmund grabbed the milk flask and gulped down several mouthfuls of milk as if he were drinking liquor. Then he felt his whole body heat up, and sweat beaded on his nose and forehead. The milk was indeed warm, but it wasn't strong liquor.
"Listen to me, Elena… about us… uh… that thing… right…" He couldn't continue, so he raised the leather bag again. He found himself unable to face Elena's large, blinking eyes, which held a hint of fear.
"I know what you're trying to say. I will grow up, Lord Edmure," Elena said seriously. "You can wait for me for a year at most."
"...No, that's not how it is..." Edmure found this matter troublesome, even more difficult to face than a duel.
"Do you look down on me, or on my family? I know my mother is the daughter of a spice merchant, but I am not; I am the daughter of a countess. My sister's adoptive father is Duke Tywin Lannister. If, if you feel I am not good enough for you, I can ask my sister and brother-in-law to plead with Duke Tywin to adopt me as his daughter as well. Lord Edmure, I hope I am worthy of you. I will study ladylike manners diligently and will not allow your honor to be tarnished!"
Edmure's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open as he watched the innocent-looking girl earnestly 'lecture' him. He suddenly found himself speechless.
"I… I actually know everything…" Elena suddenly lowered her voice, her face flushed, "I often peek through the crack in the door during the day to watch my father and mother being intimate in their room. After my sister and brother-in-law returned from Casterly Rock after their marriage, they were making so much noise that night, and I was watching them from the window… I know everything, Lord Edmure."
Edmure was dumbfounded!
Does a young girl with little life experience think she knows everything? She's still so naive!
Edmure, who truly knew everything, found himself becoming like a clueless little boy.
"...Is this what you wanted...or did your parents teach you...?"
"You are the heir to the Tully family of the Riverlands. Who wouldn't want to marry a nobleman like you? You will be the future Grand Lord of the Riverlands, on par with Duke Tywin Lannister. If I marry you, I will surpass my sister Jenny and brother Leonard. Am I right? If you marry me, I will become the wife of the esteemed Duke Edmure. No one will be higher than me except the King, not even my father! He is only an earl. My brother-in-law is even less so; he is not even an earl! My sister is at most the adopted daughter of a duke, while I will be the duke's wife!"
Edmure stared at Elena in astonishment. He couldn't believe that a little girl could be so 'worldly-wise.' These worldly words came out of her little mouth, yet she seemed so innocent and naive. He felt as if a huge goose egg was stuck in his throat. He had difficulty breathing, and sweat poured down his face.
"Are you hot?" Elena asked with concern. "I'll go find my sister and see if I can get you out first."
"...Um...the Mountain imprisoned me, no one dares to let me out!"
"My brother-in-law is no longer in Cliff Rock City."
Where did he go?
"He went to collect your 300,000 gold coins. The Western Regions are mountainous, and many of the gold mines in the mountains have been exhausted, so some miners and mercenaries have become bandits. My brother-in-law was afraid that the bandits might find out and steal your gold coins, so he took more than a hundred soldiers with him. My uncle, Rover, went with him, as did that bald guy from Clegane Village—that guy whose face is always twitching. I really dislike him. He soaked Count Damon's right hand in wine and put it in a big glass bottle. He takes it out all the time and forces people to admire it. He's not very bright, and his eyes are like nails when he looks at people; it's a bit scary!"
However, Edmure could tell that the little girl wasn't so afraid of Polliver Clegane; it was evident in her eyes.
"You don't seem particularly afraid of him."
"Yes, he's my brother-in-law's dog. No matter how fierce he is, he won't bite me! I'm just a little afraid of him," Elena said frankly.
Edmure noticed that the little girl had become calmer and spoke more fluently; the awkwardness and slight fear he felt towards her were no longer visible in her big eyes.
"Elena, can you help me get out of here? My father is sick, and I need to go back to see him."
"I have a way to get you back, but I know you won't come to see me after you go back. You think I'm a child who doesn't understand anything. You'll soon be hanging out with your friends, drinking, hunting, and going to brothels, right? That's how men are. You'll also go to King's Landing for the tournament. King's Landing has many brothels, noblewomen, and ladies of high status. With your family's position, they will all be willing to sleep with you. Then you'll completely forget me, forget me completely, right?"
Edmure stared at Eleanor's small, red lips moving in and out, completely ignoring what she said next. He only cared about Eleanor's first words: "I have a way to get you back!"
"Hey, beautiful Elena, do you have a way to get me back?"
"yes!"
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"What method?"
"You'll forget me when you go back, won't you? You'll never think of me again. Even if I grow up and you're still single, you still won't think of me, and you certainly won't come here to see me. I know that." The girl pursed her lips, as if she were struggling internally.
"No, absolutely not!" Edmure decided to lie. "If you grow up and I'm still single, I will definitely come and marry you, I promise!"
"Are you serious?" Elena's big eyes sparkled. "Swear it!"
"I swear!" Edmure found his heart suddenly hard as stone.
*
Mrs. Hibel has examined Irene's body and found no obvious injuries.
These past few days have allowed her to calm down, and Eleanor's emotions are stable. She has clearly stated that she will marry Edmure when she grows up. Considering Edmure's family background, Eleanor is truly marrying above her station, just like she was willing to lose money to marry Earl Gavin back then.
Edmure is twenty-five years old this year, only fourteen years older than Elena. This age difference is nothing. Some noblemen marry new wives who are thirty years older than them.
However, Edmure was not a nobleman who would easily yield. He had a fiery temper and refused to agree to the engagement with Elena. He would only agree to accept compensation. If it weren't for the Mountain's insistence on imprisoning him, Lady Sybel felt that accepting compensation would be acceptable, perhaps 100,000 gold dragon coins? Or 500,000? The price seemed a bit high, but Edmure was the big spender.
Cocoa!
A servant was knocking on the door.
"Come in!"
The prison warden entered: "Madam, Lord Edmure requests to see you."
With the Mountain absent and Lord Gavin on an inspection tour of the southern territories, Jenny was busy receiving the nobles arriving from all over the Westerlands, selling them thermometers and hourglasses, collecting their golden dragons, and teaching them how to sterilize milk.
This was a decree from Lord Tywin Lannister, which, although somewhat unreasonable and depriving Rocky City of the opportunity to make a fortune from milk, was something the Mountain insisted on carrying out without any negotiation with Lord Tywin.
Jenny and Maester Assa only taught these Western nobles a method for sterilizing milk, one that could preserve it for a long time, without revealing its secrets. Maester Assa was also helping Jenny with her work.
Did Edmure say what he wanted to say?
"It seems Edmure has come to his senses; he might propose to the lady!" the prison captain said respectfully.
"Oh!" Mrs. Hibel hesitated for a moment, then was overjoyed.
She smiled, unable to contain her joy. This surprise came somewhat suddenly: "Quickly release Lord Edmure and arrange for him to freshen up and get ready. I also need time to put on makeup!"
"Yes, Madam!"
*
Edmund changed into a bright gold striped suit, a sapphire-embellished belt around his waist, and a luxurious silk cape clipped to his shoulders with a silver trout brooch. His hair was neatly combed, his full beard was clean-shaven, and the sharpness in his eyes had disappeared, making him look ten years younger. It was as if he had transformed from a rough and rugged youth into a resolute young man with distinct features.
The room contained the very elegantly dressed Mrs. Hibel, Mrs. Jenny, and the amiable Maester Assa.
"Count Edmure, you said you wanted to see me." Lady Hibel cut to the chase. Her smile and joy vanished, her face turned cold and hard, maintaining the Countess's indifference and distance towards Edmure.
"…Madam…It has come to this…I am willing to take responsibility for that night…Miss Eleanor is almost twelve years old…innocent and sweet, slender and well-developed, like a fifteen-year-old girl. I hope to get engaged to her first, and then we can get married after she has her period. I must be responsible for the honor of the Westerling and Tully families." Edmure began, his voice stammering, but he finished with firm and decisive words.
Lady Hipper heard Edmure's words with her own ears and saw him with her own eyes. Her heart was filled with joy, but she said calmly, "Lord Edmure, I will speak to Earl Gavin and Sir Gregor about this. Earl Gavin will probably be back in two days, and Sir Gregor will take about three days. Could you give us a few days?"
"As you wish, Madam!" Edmund bowed slightly, with elegant politeness.
Lady Hibel looked at Jenny and Maester Assa, and Jenny and Maester Assa nodded.
Jenny said, "Lord Edmure, please forgive Sir Gregor's rudeness and recklessness. I apologize on his behalf. I'm sorry, he shouldn't have locked you in the dungeon. It's not proper hospitality."
"It was my fault, my lady. During my time in the dungeon, the Seven Gods reminded me to correct my mistakes in time, so that everything could return to peace and joy. The honor, prestige, and antiquity of the Westerling family are no less than those of the Tully family. I believe that Miss Eleanor is a beautiful elf sent to me by the Seven Gods, and I am willing to marry her!" Edmure was polite and displayed the refinement of a great nobleman.
*
Three days later, The Mountain and Lord Gavin returned together. Jenny and Lady Hibel went outside the city to greet them, along with Lord Edmure, whose face was neatly groomed.