The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 197

Chapter 197

Returning to the center, the air was heavy, unlike the atmosphere when heading to the north. With the agreement with the North broken and a wave of chaos passing, the visit from Duchess Scheuer could not help but attract everyone’s attention. 

The sight of Scheuer in the center sparked excitement among the palace attendants and the nobles who had gathered near the palace, worried about their children who had gone on the hunt.
Is the Duchess visiting now? ”

“I haven’t heard anything about a renegotiation. Some houses issued statements today. Could that be the reason for her visit? ”

“All we can do is hope for a positive outcome.”

Even the maids who had warmly greeted her before now only showed polite decorum, unable to approach her as they had in the past.

Their faces were filled with disappointment, but Scheuer couldn’t help it.
Outwardly, our relationship has soured. Now that there were families issuing statements supporting the North, the atmosphere felt even more cautious. 

Yet, despite this, Scheuer’s expression remained bright. Especially compared to Jess, who was following behind her. Jess, how about smiling a bit? I feel like I’ve drained all your energy. As Scheuer made her way to the guest reception room to meet the Emperor, she casually spoke to him. 
However, Jess only shot her a disapproving glance, not even twitching his lips.
Duchess Scheuer Blen has arrived from the North. As Scheuer’s name was announced, the heavy door opened silently. 

Inside sat the Emperor, looking somewhat weary but maintaining a kind demeanor. With a light greeting, he looked at Scheuer, who took a seat opposite him, and slowly began to speak.

“Thank you for responding to my letter. I was anxious, thinking it might be a refusal.”

“No, I unilaterally set the time, so thank you for accommodating me.”

“The North has made a request, so I cannot delay.”

He replied cheerfully, as if it didn’t bother him at all. Formally, tea was placed on the table. Instead of picking up the teacup, Scheuer took out a letter from her bosom. It was the one sent by the Emperor. Having already read the letter, she quickly scanned it with her eyes and asked,

“The letter requested that Your Majesty reconsider your choice from the perspective of a mediator.”

Her voice, somewhat lively despite the content, filled the quiet reception room. The Emperor smiled bitterly at her words. The Emperor smiled wryly at her words.

Scheuer folded the letter neatly and smiled back.

“Then, as long as you don’t step outside your role as a mediator, will you grant my requests? ”

“Of course. There is no one more important to me than the people of the Empire. A monarch who cannot protect those he should feel ashamed of.”

The corners of his eyes reddened slightly. Though he had supported the flowers grown with power from the North, it couldn’t save everyone.

Flowers were meaningless to those already dead. If a person had lost an arm to a monster, he could not regrow that arm; he could only heal the wound. He had prevented unnecessary sacrifices, but he could not avoid minor damages.

‘What a good man.’

Although he was regarded as an ordinary emperor without the fancy titles of outstanding capability or overwhelming leadership, Scheuer understood.

‘Living a normal life is the hardest thing in the world.’

He maintained a consistent level of mediocrity without leaning towards one side. He was an emperor doing his best in the role of a mediator. Having made a judgment she could trust, Scheuer no longer hesitated to speak.

“Please dispose of Prince Silcaro.”

What could be more despairing for someone who dreamed of absolute power than this moment?

For someone who ruled with a facade of deceit hidden behind the crowd, what was the greatest fear?

“I’ve heard that many nobles in the center are already refusing to follow Prince Silcaro’s command.”

A ruler who had lost the trust of his people. And living while having lost all the power he so eagerly desired.

“I will leave the subsequent judgment to you, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor could not hide his astonishment at her request. Straightened his posture in surprise and asked,

“What do you mean by that? What is Silcaro?”

“Do you remember the knights stationed in the border regions who were attacked by monsters just before the founding festival?”

“I distinctly remember punishing Silcaro for that.”

“At that time, the Duke almost killed the imperial knights while trying to save me.”

Scheuer recalled the knight who had taken her hostage, blaming her for forging the tablet. She could feel the tremors of the arms that bound her, as if they were laden with tension. Scheuer smiled gently and continued speaking.

“Most of the knights who died, including that knight, had no families or would pass away shortly after.”

“Are you suggesting that this was Silcaro’s doing…? ”

He rubbed his trembling hands lightly, as if unable to believe it. The Emperor calmly asked, 

“Is there any evidence? ”

A distant cry of a hawk echoed through the room.

Beyond the massive window on one side of the reception room, a small bird could be seen soaring through the sky.

Scheuer glanced at Jess, seeking his approval with a subtle gesture.

“May I take a moment? ”

As the Emperor nodded lightly, Jess promptly opened the window. Perched on the railing was a hawk, its talons clutching a massive piece of a monster’s corpse, with thick documents bundled and tied hanging beneath it.

A small note was tucked in above the documents. As the Emperor’s gaze shifted to the monster’s carcass in shock, Jess offered the note to him.

“This is an urgent report sent from the hunting party that my brother, Zeros, has joined.”

The Emperor received the note with trembling hands and read it with a serious expression.

“Are you saying that the markings on the monster’s carcass and the deceased knight’s family members, which Lady Erina confirmed, are all the same? ”

“Yes. The documents likely analyze the markings on the corpses of the fallen knights’ families.”

As Scheuer nodded, Jess produced a box he had pilfered from the Netri family.

“This is the evidence: a claw from the monster that the Duke of Netri found in the border region.”

Slowly shifting his gaze to examine the evidence, Emperor Ramos finally fixed his stare on the carcass resting on the window sill. Scheuer looked at it as well and added,

“You’ll understand when you compare it to the fresh carcass of the monster that was just brought in from the hunting party, won’t you?”

Currently, Silcaro was the only one capable of taking down monsters in the central hunting unit. The Emperor was not ignorant of this fact.

His hands trembled, a swirl of emotions—anger, betrayal—overwhelming him as he clenched his fists and asked,

“Is there anything more? ”

The gentle, ordinary demeanor he had just shown was replaced by a steely gaze.

“If there is a crime, even my son must bear the consequences. Confess everything. If there is evidence, I will consider that as well.”

There was no longer any tremor in his voice.

***

As Raygrain exhaled, white mist escaped his lips. He looked down at Leilda, who was intently studying the map.

With a satisfied nod, Leilda declared,

“We’ve arrived.”

He proudly held up the map for Raygrain to see.

“Duke, do you see? The map is clear now! ”

What had once been a cluttered map indicating the location of the dark stone was now sparsely marked.

The areas shifted to the central region were evident, but that was of no concern to him.

Raygrain focused on a spot densely marked with red dots.

When he lifted his gaze, a slightly elevated rocky mountain came into view.

It appeared ordinary at first glance, covered in patches of snow and ice.

However, Leilda’s eyes sparkled as he pointed to a specific place.

“Right there! That’s the entrance to the mine! ”

Just then, as if responding to his words, the cry of a monster echoed nearby.

The knights tightened their grips on their swords.

“It seems there are still monsters lingering near the mine! ”Naveed remarked, crinkling his nose against the cold.

It had already been four days since they had eliminated the monsters in the area surrounding the mine, and the flowers Scheuer had given them were nearly gone.

Nabid continued reassuringly,

“It seems to be just one or two, so please proceed to the mine. We can handle the rest.”

“Then I’ll leave the rear to you, Naveed.”

Raygrain lightly squeezed and then released his shoulder. Naveed’s face lit up with joy at being acknowledged.

“Yes, Your Grace! ”

Leaving him behind, Raygrain moved forward. The ice covering the rocky mountain shattered under their swords as he and Leilda ascended.

‘Once we clear this, we can return soon.’

Did Scheuer know?

Raygrain had been diligently reducing his sleep to expedite their hunt so he could return as quickly as possible.

In front of a solid mass of ice, Leilda clapped his hands and said,

“This is it, here! ”

Before he could cast his spell, Raygrain, unable to contain his impatience, swung his sword in one swift motion. With a crunch, the shattered ice revealed a surge of red energy behind it. In the center of the mining site, a large, dark stone emitted a disturbing aura.

Seeing this, Leilda grimaced and said,

“Looks like that’s the stone infused with dark magic.”

“How difficult to be simple!” – Vincent Van Gogh