Chapter 74
Certainly, it was a huge weakness that couldn’t be revealed carelessly.
I felt sorry for forcibly uncovering such a sensitive issue.
‘What can we do… There aren’t even proper mental hospitals or medications here.’
He must have had a terribly difficult life.
Now that I heard it, the Grand Duke seemed to be trembling, as if he was pushing himself even now.
His rudeness from five years ago was completely forgiven.
‘Right, I can trust Lloyd at least…’
I had briefly doubted when I heard the story of Lloyd cutting open the thigh of the Kaihel Assassination Squad leader to retrieve a ring, but thinking about it now, it wasn’t that strange.
For the Grand Duke to become a collector of acquired mental illnesses, he must have gone through a lot, and as his subordinate, Lloyd must have seen all sorts of things.
“I see. Then please, Lord Mente.”
“I’m honored, Your Highness.”
It’s not a big deal. I waved my hand dismissively.
Then I turned my gaze to the Grand Duke, who had been keeping his mouth tightly shut like a clam.
“First, I’d like to express my gratitude for providing me with accommodation, Grand Duke.”
“…”
The Grand Duke shook his head slightly.
I also felt like he was avoiding my gaze, which made me slightly uncomfortable, but I repeatedly reminded myself that he was a patient and tried to be as careful as possible in my treatment of him.
“I may be idle now, but you seem very busy, so let me ask directly.”
Despite trying to control my mindset, my words came out a bit sharp.
But there was no reason to be looked down upon while discussing important matters.
Even if he was Lloyd’s superior.
I asked the Grand Duke with cold eyes, not hiding my distrust.
“Why did you, a Grand Duke who maintains neutrality, accept me? I could understand if it was Priscilla, the previous Grand Duke, but you were extremely averse to getting involved in politics.”
“…”
As expected, the Grand Duke didn’t open his mouth.
Instead, he gestured for Lloyd to come closer and whispered something.
After hearing those words, Lloyd answered on his behalf with an indescribably troubled face.
“In fact, His Highness cares a lot about Ayla.”
“Ayla?”
“Yes. He said he wanted to repay the kindness Your Highness showed in helping Ayla.”
This isn’t even funny.
He’s stepping into this troublesome political fight just because he cares for a subordinate’s child?
A sneer escaped me without realizing it.
“Be honest. Can you assert that Her Majesty’s influence wasn’t involved at all?”
“That’s…”
Both of their mouths shut tight.
I lowered my head and let out a deep sigh.
As I thought, the Emperor was involved.
Well, at this point, I should be thankful if they’re willing to help.
I raised my head, brushing back my fallen hair.
“Fine. That’s not important anymore. Let me ask something else instead.”
I turned my gaze to the Grand Duke.
“Grand Duke, you want to repay my kindness?”
Although I knew he wouldn’t answer, I asked him directly.
“If so, how far are you willing to help me?”
The Emperor’s support alone isn’t enough.
I need the Grand Duke to safely return to the imperial palace with Aslan.
‘I have people I need to take responsibility for.’
People who followed me despite being promised a peaceful life if they abandoned me.
I can’t sacrifice the lives of those who have become my family.
It seemed the Grand Duke felt the same way, as he didn’t call Lloyd over to whisper.
“Alright. You must have your own responsibilities, so I won’t force you. Even just providing safe accommodation is more than I could ask for in my current situation. But if you help me reclaim my position, I’ll solve one of your headaches.”
“Headache…?”
Lloyd expressed doubt on behalf of the Grand Duke.
The Eckhart Grand Duchy had no headaches to speak of.
They stay out of politics and don’t step into social circles.
They’re sufficiently wealthy just from the taxes collected in their territory.
But while the Grand Duchy might not have any, the Grand Duke had exactly one headache.
“Don’t you want to be independent from Priscilla, Grand Duke?”
“…!”
His reaction was as if asking how I knew that.
It wasn’t that difficult.
When I was possessed, Lloyd was the Eckhart Grand Duke.
But I saw Priscilla’s face more often.
She said she was coming out instead because her son was inadequate, and after exchanging a few words with her, there were more than a few suspicious points.
Given her personality, it was obvious how she would raise her child, and the result was an eccentric Grand Duke wearing a mask.
‘Even those mental illnesses were probably all created by Priscilla.’
She’s someone who’s reliable politically but impossible to like as a person.
Someone who needs everything to be perfect from start to finish.
Someone who becomes greatly angered if you deviate from the framework she’s set.
To her, the Grand Duke must be nothing short of a failure.
‘With her stubborn personality, she would have given up on the Grand Duke by now and tried to find hope in her grandchild, but the Grand Duke is still unmarried.’
That was fortunate for me.
I tucked my hair behind my ear, revealing the cat’s eye earring.
The cat’s eye Lloyd had gifted me earlier gleamed beautifully in the light.
“Are you interested in selling this jewel?”
“Pardon?”
Perhaps because it was a jewel that became popular around the start of the original story, it seems it hasn’t even been talked about yet at this point in time.
Lloyd looked at me suspiciously, but I brazenly didn’t bat an eye.
“Let’s try selling this jewel. It should be enough to keep Priscilla quiet too, right? A jewel that resembles a cat’s eye. How beautiful. It will be worth whatever price we name.”
“Even if we wanted to sell it, we couldn’t. It’s not even known where it’s mined.”
Huh? Was it still at that stage?
Then where on earth did these earrings come from?
Seeing my bewilderment, Lloyd avoided my eyes and explained in a small voice.
“It’s the first cat’s eye ever discovered. Priscilla ordered it to be thrown away because she said it looked unpleasant, resembling a cat’s eye, but the Grand Duke set it aside separately and later bestowed it upon me.”
…Is he crazy? Giving me something he received from his superior, and the very first cat’s eye at that?
I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
Lloyd explained with a quite embarrassed face.
“It was to show how grateful I was…”
Oh, you poor thing.
As I pressed my throbbing temples, Lloyd seemed to want to escape and changed the subject.
“Anyway, that’s the first and last cat’s eye. Even if we wanted to mine more, we don’t know where they come from.”
Right, the important thing is that Priscilla kicked away her own fortune.
If she had known it was a chunk of money, she wouldn’t have thrown it away just because it resembled a cat’s eye.
Anyway, they want to sell the cat’s eye as in the original story.
My voice rose.
“I’ll tell you.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I’ll tell you. I know.”
“How could Your Highness…”
I cut off Lloyd’s curiosity and asked.
“Don’t be curious about that and just answer one thing.”
“What…”
“Will you join hands with me? Or not?”
As if to say I have plenty of other options even if not here.
It was just bravado since everyone knew I had nowhere else to go, but it didn’t change the fact that this proposal was attractive.
The Grand Duke and Lloyd exchanged glances, then nodded slightly.
Lloyd asked with a serious face.
“What would Your Highness demand of us?”
“That is…”
Lloyd’s pupils dilated greatly upon hearing my answer.
* * *
Meanwhile, it wasn’t just the two adults who had been preparing for three days.
The troublemakers were the same.
“Here, Ayla. You can hear best from here.”
Ayla placed her hand where Aslan was pointing.
On the other side of this wall, Minerva and the Grand Duke were talking.
Please, Father, don’t make any mistakes!
Ayla pressed her ear against the wall, fervently hoping.
However, even after a while, Ayla couldn’t hear anything.
Thinking about it, it made sense!
This wasn’t an echoing space like a corridor, and even if it was the next room, sound wouldn’t travel through.
In contrast, Aslan had her ear pressed firmly against the wall and seemed to be concentrating on listening to the sounds.
“Aslan, can you hear anything?”
“Yeah. I told you, this is where you can hear best.”
“I can’t hear anything. Tell me too.”
“Okay, leave it to me!”
Aslan focused again on the sounds from beyond the wall.
Wondering if she might be able to hear too, Ayla pressed her ear against the wall right next to Aslan.
But she was still disappointed that she couldn’t hear anything when…
“Ah, ah ah, Ayla.”
Aslan, uncharacteristically stumbling over her words, frantically pulled at Ayla.
Her face had turned pale.
For Aslan to react like this, it must be an extremely serious situation.
It felt like all the blood was draining from her body.
“Wh-what’s wrong? What did Father say?”
Could they have been found out already? After all that practice!
Ayla unconsciously grabbed Aslan’s sleeve and urged her to answer.
Aslan, with trembling eyes, broke off her first words.
“M-Mom…”
“The lady?”
Could the lady have slapped Father’s cheek?
For deceiving her all this time?
All sorts of wild thoughts swirled in Ayla’s head.
“Mom, Mom…”
Gulp. At that moment when the sound of Ayla swallowing was clearer than ever…
“Mom asked the Grand Duke to marry her.”
Aslan finished speaking and slumped down on the floor.
Usurpadora
O feitiço se voltando contra o feiticeiro hahahha