The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 180

Chapter 180

“Any casualties? None confirmed so far,” Jess replied firmly to Raygrain’s sharp question.

In the original story, this was around the time the monsters descended upon the capital. Erina and Silcaro organizing the subjugation squad followed the exact same storyline.

This can’t happen.

If events continued as they did in the original, the two would succeed in defeating the monsters. But in reality, dealing with monsters was the domain of the North and Blenga. This incident could shatter the perception that only Blenga could handle such threats. The prestige and honor of the North, a region previously considered untouchable, would fall in an instant. The timing couldn’t have been worse.

Especially with the discovery of the third stone tablet…

Under no circumstances could this victory be handed over to the capital.

Scheuer grabbed Raygrain’s arm as he started to rise and asked, 

“The monsters have come all the way to the capital.”

Jess provided the answer. 

“They’re still on the outskirts, visible beyond the border. But they’re getting closer, and if we wait any longer, they’ll reach the villages.”

Thank goodness! Scheuer felt a small relief and answered, 

“We need to deal with them before they cross the border.”

Once the monsters crossed into the capital’s territory, it would no longer be Raygrain’s responsibility, per the agreement. 

In the original story, they did cross the border.

Raygrain didn’t hesitate. 

“Then I’ll leave now.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Jess said, bowing his head.

Scheuer tightened her grip on Raygrain’s arm. She knew that they had to stop the monsters before they crossed the border, but the thought of letting him go filled her with instinctive worry.

Sensing her concern, Raygrain calmly reassured her. 

“It’s just two monsters. I’ll be back by the end of the day, I promise.”

Scheuer narrowed her eyes at him, struggling to keep her emotions in check. She had to steady herself, but her head and heart weren’t in sync. Seeing her silent hesitation, Raygrain thought for a moment and then extended his hand.

“Will this make you believe me?”

He was mimicking her gesture from before, when she had once held out her pinky for him to make a promise.

He remembered that?

A warmth spread through her chest, though she wasn’t sure if it was because he remembered such a small detail, because of his promise to return, or just because it was Raygrain. She felt a surge of affection for him, even in his small, simple gestures.

Yet, the thought of sending him off to face danger filled her with an overwhelming urge to hold on to him. She looked up at him, on the verge of tears. She wanted to hug him tightly and never let go. She even had a strange desire to bite his cheek.

But I can’t go around biting someone who’s about to leave…

Suppressing the urge, Scheuer threw her arms around his neck instead, hugging him close. Raygrain calmly wrapped his arms around her in return.

Feeling something was off, he quietly asked, 

“Was this not what you wanted?”

“No, it’s perfect.” 

She answered quickly. After a brief hug, Scheuer pulled away and smiled brightly as she hooked her pinky around his.

She squeezed his finger tightly and urgently said, 

“Wait a moment, just a moment!”

She rolled off the bed and hurriedly rummaged through her belongings from the north. Without hesitation, she took out some chamomile and used her power to revive it all at once. The flowers, which had been wilting, sprang back to life, their buds blooming vibrantly. She handed the bouquet to Jessica.

“Just in case, take this with you.”

“Thank you, Duchess.” 

Jess said, his expression softening into a faint smile for the first time.

Though she knew sending Raygrain wasn’t ideal, she couldn’t allow Silcaro and Erina to gain the glory.

But I can’t let the monsters cross the border either.

It was a complex mix of emotions—relief and unease. At least, for now, the original story’s events worked in her favor. If everything continued as it had in the story, Raygrain wouldn’t be in danger at this moment.

No matter how hard she had tried to change the course of the story, some things seemed destined to follow the original path. For once, she found herself hoping that, at least in this instance, nothing would change.

***

“Are there no volunteers?”

Erina asked stiffly as she stood in front of the Second Knights she commanded. Only a few raised their hands, and most of them had mentors from Blenga who had taught them the sword. The knights from the central region had never fought monsters before, and perhaps because they had seen comrades die in a previous attempt, they were more hesitant than Erina had expected.

She responded in a hardened voice, 

“Is this the extent of the Imperial Knights’ spirit? I am disappointed.”

“We are sorry, Captain.”

“Is this how I trained you? When war breaks out and the empire is in danger, will you stand back as well?”

At her rebuke, the knights’ faces showed hesitation. Erina did not miss the signs of inner conflict.

“I will not retreat from the front lines. Even if I become a corpse, I will lead you from the front. I ask again: Is there no one willing to volunteer? ”

Only a couple more raised their hands, but it wasn’t enough. When a subjugation team was formed in response to the monsters’ appearance before, everyone had eagerly volunteered. Erina understood the reason for the drastically different atmosphere.

‘It’s because I lack power. That’s why…! ’

A soft voice echoed beside her. 

“Monsters can be defeated even without the swordsmanship of Blenga.”

Turning her head, she saw Silcaro standing straight with a kind yet formidable demeanor, continuing his words. 

“Fulfill your duties in your respective places.”

Some members of the knight order flinched at the sudden recitation of the contents of the Third Tablet. Silcaro smiled gently and spoke.

“You must have heard the rumors that monsters can be defeated even without Blenga’s power. Lord Lapel will prove this. Where is your place? ”

“In the Empire! ”

“Good. Fulfill your duties in your respective places.”

After his words, it was not difficult to gather a significantly increased number of volunteers for the subjugation team. Erina hurriedly organized the ranks and then urgently caught Silcaro, who was discussing opinions about the subjugation with the other leaders.

“Your Highness, a moment.”

Silcaro lightly brushed aside the other knights and asked with a smile, 

“What is it? ”

“None of us have ever defeated a monster before. We’re not even certain we can. Why did you bring up the tablet?”

“Don’t worry, Erina.”

“How can I not worry?”

Every knight was on edge, including Erina herself. Yet Silcaro remained unusually calm, watching the knights with a serene expression.

“They’re only here for the spectacle. Trust me, Erina.”

“Relying on a book alone is too risky. We can’t exactly show the knights that book, can we?”

“Who knows? Maybe I can handle this all by myself.”

His gentle voice smothered her concerns, sounding almost out of place. His still-beautiful face looked as if it had never told a lie. But now Erina knew better.

She knew Silcaro’s significant connection to Lady Annabelle—and that it was not a relationship that would benefit her.

‘But the subjugation comes first.’

Now was not the time to let the growing unease among the knights worsen.

There was no point in letting conflict arise from the higher-ups, as it would only further confuse those who followed. Erina was the one in command, responsible for these people. That was why she chose to keep things under wraps for now. But Silcaro’s relaxed response seemed to imply something different.

‘…Has he fought a monster before? ‘

The thought that briefly crossed her mind brought a flood of questions.

‘When? Where? This is the first time monsters have crossed into the central region, isn’t it?’

Had he ever gone to the north? At least, as far as Erina knew, she couldn’t recall such a thing.

Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind—the monster’s foot.

That one monster, whose killer was unknown and whose death no one could account for. Erina remembered the time when they had searched for the one who had killed that monster. All witnesses had died, leaving no one to confirm anything. She had even personally met with the families of the fallen knights, just in case.

In reality, the gold pins given as compensation could have been sent by a servant along with a handwritten letter. But she had gone herself for a reason. If someone had deliberately lied about the monster’s foot, she wanted to know why. If it had truly been a monster, she sought any clue about the “third person” who might have been there.

“It was an honorable death in defense of the empire. We will not forget their sacrifice.”

Most of the fallen knights were orphans, so she bowed her head to the only remaining relatives from Brokenga. They seemed surprised, but oddly calm for having lost a family member. Even when she handed them the compensation pin, their reaction was the same.

“Thank you for taking the time to care. Please take care as you return.”

For some reason, the area around their home looked as if they were preparing to move. She had just delivered the news of their son’s death, and they were already packing?

“Forgive me for asking, but are you planning to move?”

“No, not at all. The house always looks like this.”

“Did your son ever mention anything before? Even if it wasn’t about the monster, perhaps something difficult about the knight order? Even something small would be helpful.”

“No, we barely saw him once a month. And now you’re here, as if we weren’t already struggling enough. Do you think it’s right for you to come and question us like this, Captain?”

The Brokenga family members had snapped at her with an unusually sensitive reaction, eventually driving her away. Not long after, she heard the news that they had been found dead, their bodies cold.

Erina quietly gazed at Silcaro’s upright face. As their eyes met, he smiled gently and said, 

“You don’t have to worry, Erina.”

Ah, it was from the beginning. He had been using her as a tool, not as a partner, from the start. It wasn’t that he had changed his mind about Lady Annabelle; it had been that way from the beginning.

“I will trust you, Your Highness.”

Erina smiled back brightly at him.

But it would probably be the last time she ever smiled at him again.

“I do not desire mediocre love. I want to drawn in someone”