The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 135

Chapter 135

Since Sevi arrived, Scheuer has taken on the role of mediator between Sevi and Leilda. Whenever tensions arose between them, it was impossible for the servants to intervene, as both of them were far too powerful to be influenced by anyone else.

“May your skin burn to a crisp in direct sunlight.” 

Leilda sneered, lounging crookedly on the sofa with one leg propped up on the armrest.

Sevi responded just as shamelessly. 

“May mold grow all over your room while you rot away in the tower.”

“My room is spotless; thank you very much.”

“Ha ha, did you hear that? The tower lord says his room is clean!” 

Sevi pointed at him while speaking to Scheuer. 

“Why not just grow mushrooms instead? ”

Scheuer just sat at the head of the table, smiling as she observed the two, the table itself acting as a sort of boundary line between them.

A soft knock interrupted the tension, and Josephina entered cautiously. She glanced at the maid behind her, who was carrying a tray, and then whispered to Scheuer, 

“The Abelia flower tea you requested is ready, Your Grace.”

“Good. Just what I needed right now,” 

Scheuer said, offering the tea, hoping its calming effects would reach the two powerhouses of divine and magical energy glaring at each other.

“You must be tired from all the talking. How about trying some flower tea I’ve cultivated? It’s a new product.”

Despite her offer, Sevi and Leilda continued to stare at each other with discontented expressions.

Just as they were about to sip the tea, a distant horn sound was heard. It was the sound that always rang out when the hunting party returned. Scheuer’s head rose up.

“It’s the Grand Duke.” 

Scheuer exclaimed, hurriedly rising from her seat. 

“I’ll be back after welcoming him! You two can enjoy some quality time together!”

“No way!”

Both Sevi and Leilda simultaneously protested.

Leilda, with a face full of contempt, shouted, 

“You expect me to stay here with a lunatic who thinks he’s the most beautiful person in the world…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Scheuer dashed out of the reception room. She made her way down the corridor toward the training grounds. One by one, Blenga’s servants were gathering near the training grounds to greet the returning hunting party.

Scheuer lifted her dress with both hands and ran. She could hear the footsteps of the servants, as well as Sevi and Leilda following behind, but she didn’t care. Before long, she spotted Raymonde, who seemed to have just returned.

Scheuer called out to him loudly.

“Your Grace!”

She ran over and started circling around Raygrain, checking to see if he was injured. His clothes were still in perfect condition, just as when he first set out, and he didn’t appear to have any injuries. However, for some reason, he was frozen in place with his arms stretched out in front of him.

‘Is he hurt somewhere? ’

Scheuer examined his arm, turning it over and bending it. The more she did, the more Raygrain’s lips pressed into a straight line. Seeing the concern in her eyes, he reluctantly spoke.

“I’m not hurt.”

“Thank goodness!”

Scheuer smiled brightly and ducked her head under his arm. Sevi, who had arrived late, watched her actions in disbelief and asked,

“What is she doing? Is she performing some kind of tribal ritual?”

Peyton, who had also come out to greet the returning hunting party, quietly explained beside him,

“Lady Scheuer always circles around His Highness like this to check if he’s hurt whenever he returns.”

“What? Is this some kind of superstition, like dispelling dark energy after a hunt?”

She could feel the strange looks from behind, but Scheuer firmly finished her inspection.

As she faced him with relief, Raygrain was looking at her with a strangely stiff expression.

Only then did she realize that he was still holding his arms out.

Tilting her head, she gazed at him intently.

Soon, Scheuer let out a small sigh as if she had realized something.

‘He must be planning to praise me for bringing back information about the monsters faster than he could!’

With that thought, everything made sense.

Immediately, Scheuer collapsed into Raygrain’s embrace.

Though her arms couldn’t fully wrap around his body, she took the chance to pat his back gently.

“Welcome back.”

“Up until a moment ago,”

His deep voice resonated above her head.

Within his usually monotonous tone was a faint hint of dissatisfaction.

Soon, his large hand grasped Scheuer’s waist and lifted her up. In one swift motion, Raygrain picked her up and began striding away before anyone could say a word. Jess, who was watching from the side, turned pale, as if he might crumble to dust.

Scheuer kept chattering away as she placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself.

“Oh, Your Grace, while you were in the west, Priest Sevi arrived!”

“He came early.”

“Yes! He said he would help with the wedding preparations. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Scheuer, still in his arms, turned her upper body and pointed politely towards Sevi, who was standing with Peyton. Sevi arrogantly pushed his long silver hair behind his ear with one hand and said,

“I have quite an eye for beauty. After all, I’ve been looking at my own face my entire life, so it takes a lot to impress me.”

“Since Bettina Solle will take some time to arrive from the north, it’s great that I have someone else to help!”

“…I see.”

Raygrain listened quietly and then responded with his usual short reply. After offering a brief, simplified greeting to Sevi, he resumed walking towards the mansion.

Watching this, Peyton and Josephina exchanged quick glances.

‘Has His Grace ever acted like this?’

In response to Peyton’s question, Josephina shook her head slightly.

While the knights took Raygrain’s actions for granted, seeing Jesse frozen in place made it clear that something had happened during the hunt.

Josephina and Peyton internally cheered.

Having waited a long time for hopeful news due to the lack of a successor in Blenga, they were eager for any good news.

After a moment of hesitation, Josephina looked around and whispered quietly,

“With the wedding coming up soon, is this okay?”

“It’s not a big difference, so what does it matter?”

“Right?”

“His grace rarely acts like this, so we should take advantage of it while we can.”

They nodded at each other solemnly.

Scheuer and Raygrain moved ahead, followed by Sevi and the attendants, but Peyton and Josephina blocked the path.

With a friendly smile, Josephina spoke up.

“You said this is your first time in the north, right, High Priest Sevi?”

Sevi responded with a warm smile, his voice gentle and amiable.

“That’s correct, but is there a problem…”

Seeing this, Leilda looked at him as if he were crazy.

“Peyton is quite knowledgeable about the north and Blenga. Would you like to take a quick look around?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I came early specifically to help with Her Highness’s wedding preparations. So, if you’ll excuse me.”

Sevi raised his hand in a polite gesture and was about to continue walking. However, Peyton once again stepped in front of him and said,

“Ah, about that wedding, the garden where it will be held, and the east building that will be unveiled that day.”

“As for the east building, it was ordered by the 21st ancestor of Blenga in the year 335 of the Imperial calendar to provide the northern knights with the most efficient and comfortable space to stay.”

As Peyton’s explanation grew longer, the knights who had returned from the hunt began to disperse one by one. The servants also started moving away to attend to their duties. Leilda, too, casually scratched his ear with his ring finger and left behind a sly smile. Sevi nudged Koa, who was beside him, with his elbow, but Koa simply bowed his head. In the end, Sevi had no choice but to listen to Peyton’s lengthy tour with a reverent smile, despite his obvious frustration.

***

Embraced in Raygrain’s arms, Scheuer arrived at his room and squeezed his shoulder tightly.

If not now, when would such a moment happen again?

It was indeed a day worth commemorating.

‘I should keep the dress I wore today as a memento.’

Worried that he might let her go as soon as they entered the room, she strained to keep the conversation going.

“How was the hunt? Did my flower help? ”

“There was only one monster. Thanks to you, I dealt with it quickly, and Jess should have brought the flowers back separately.”

Since she was hugging him, she could feel the vibrations from his throat against her shoulder as he spoke. The sensation tickled her, and she grinned as she readjusted her arms around him.

As she did, a sticky substance smeared on her arm. It was a familiar residue from a monster.

Scheuer pushed him away slightly to show the substance on her arm.

“This is from the monster, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I didn’t realize any residue was still on me.”

Raygrain glanced over his shoulder to inspect where the residue had come from.

“I should go change my clothes first.”

Just as he was about to set her down on the sofa, Scheuer quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Oh no, don’t!”

She couldn’t let this rare opportunity slip away. Scheuer clung to him, refusing to let go.

“You return like autumn, and I fall every time” – faraway