The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 201

Chapter 201

Peyton nodded without saying a word. 

Scheuer’s mind was in turmoil as she stared at the closed door.
If they find out the Duke has been injured, they might spread rumors around the Central. If it was the Duke of Netri and Erina, who couldn’t avoid punishment as Silcaro’s official fiancée, they would definitely take advantage of this situation. 

Naveed seemed hesitant about how to proceed upon seeing her quite resolute demeanor. 

To him, Scheuer firmly said,

“The Blenga extermination squad is just back for a short rest.”

“Excuse me? ”

“They’re taking a brief break just like when they went out for a short extermination before. You understand, don’t you, Sir Naveed? ”

They needed to keep their stories straight to prevent any unnecessary rumors from leaking. 

The Blenga knights had risked their lives to support each other during extermination missions, so they were especially tight-lipped. Moreover, they wouldn’t say anything foolish to Netri, with whom they had a long history of strained relations.

Naveed nodded, seemingly entranced by her calm tone. That day, Scheuer stayed up all night by Raygrain’s side. Though Cali and Josephina offered to stay with her, she couldn’t put them through the trouble because of her stubbornness, so she sent them away with a lie that she would just take a nap beside him. 

She dozed off for a moment but mostly lit chamomile flowers periodically beside him, who lay still as if dead. She was worried that if the healing powers of the flowers diminished during her short nap, his breath might stop. As the dark night came through the window, the sounds of unfamiliar birds chirped, and gradually, dawn began to break. 

The characteristic bluish light of dawn spread across Raygrain’s bed. Scheuer quietly watched his figure. His eyes were still tightly shut. He had never shown what it was like to sleep soundly. Remembering the times she wondered if he slept with his eyes open or with his mouth agape, Scheuer let out a small laugh.

 “I didn’t want to confirm it this way.”

She quietly held Raygrain’s hand. His skin was still cold and rough. Even worse, more wounds had appeared since she last saw him. Though he didn’t show it, it must have been hard for him. He was the one who must have used flowers to stop the wound in his abdomen while fighting off the monsters until the end. Knowing this about Raygrain, Scheuer murmured without malice,

“Duke, I hate you.”

There was no response. Memories of her past life flickered in her mind. She remembered coming home after sending her parents off and greeting someone no one could hear… 

After pouring everything out, she thought her tear ducts were dry, but they became moist again. Holding back her tears, Scheuer gripped his large hand tightly.

“I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

She didn’t want to inherit a house that had lost its master. Scheuer rubbed her eyes with her remaining hand and said,

“So, as you promised, don’t leave me alone.”

Just as she finished speaking, loud noises came from outside the door.

“No, I told you I can’t do anything about the wounds caused by the monsters! ”

“Just try something, you leech! ”

With a bang, the door opened, and Leilda almost dragged Sevi inside. With a shove, Sevi was pushed like paper onto Raygrain’s bed. As Scheuer blinked her wet eyes in surprise, Sevi trembled.

“That old man doesn’t listen to a word I say! ”

With a frown, he straightened his posture, cleared his throat, and raised his hand. Soon, a bright light enveloped Raygrain, but…

“See? I told you it wouldn’t work.”

Nothing happened. Though it was expected, it was disappointing. Leilda, feeling embarrassed, brushed the back of her head and said,

“What kind of substitute is useless? ”

Then Sevi shouted at him,

“Well, you should have dragged him here even if you had to hit him on the head if there was a hole in the Duke’s belly!”

“Hey, do you think hitting him would help? ”

As they began to argue again, Scheuer quickly interrupted.

“There’s nothing we can do. If it’s the Duke, he would have figured something out.”

Sevi, unusually flustered, turned his head away and said,

“Someone is standing outside.”

“Who?”

“Uh, it was Erina. She’s been standing outside since last night, not feeling cold at all.”

It seemed that Netri had sent Erina from the south.

She thought it would be Duke Netri, but perhaps he sent Erina instead. Either way, she had no intention of accepting her. He was someone who maintained her engagement despite knowing about the relationship between Silcaro and Lady Annabelle.

Scheuer responded with an appropriate smile.

“I’ll have Peyton chase them away.”

At that, Sevi shrugged and replied bluntly,

“I told that fast-talking butler or whatever he is to stay away yesterday, but he’s still around.”

Outside, it was winter, unlike the garden with the temperature-control stone. For someone like Erina, who had hardly been to the North, it was unexpected that she had been waiting there all day. Scheuer knew she had a fierce side, but this was beyond her expectations.

However, she had no intention of meeting her. Until Raygrain returned, she would not step foot in Blenga even once. And so several days passed. There hadn’t been any significant changes during that time. It was just that Scheuer spent more time by Raygrain’s side.

As she dozed off, lying on the bed, she woke up to the sound of 

“Coco, coco.”

On the floor, a chicken she didn’t know how had gotten in tugged at the hem of her dress.

Surprised, Scheuer sat up.

“Bird! How did you get in here? ”

“Coco.”

“Did you come with Lord Leilda? ”

At her question, the hen tilted its head.

In that moment, an unfamiliar voice echoed in her mind.

[Child.]

“……?”

Scheuer stared intently at the hen she was holding. But the hen merely blinked innocently at her. Scheuer looked around. In the brief moment she turned her head, the bed where Raygrain had been was now empty. As she quickly stood up in shock, the unfamiliar voice called to her again.

You don’t have to worry. This is just a space for us to talk for a moment.

Scheuer asked the hen seriously,

“You can talk now? ”

Then, from somewhere, a voice sounded slightly higher in tone.

[That child is just the watchful companion I assigned to you.]

“Who are you? ”

Scheuer asked the disembodied voice.

A voice mixed with laughter answered her.

[Lapel, or God.] [Humans tend to call me that.]

The mention of “God” made Scheuer feel disconnected from reality, and she slowly brought her hand to her cheek.

As she tried to pinch it hard, Lafel’s panicked voice stopped her.

That’s too much.

[I’ve been eagerly waiting for the day I could meet you.]

The tone of the voice sounded as if it knew Scheuer well.

Was this some kind of trick?

As her eyes narrowed in suspicion, Lapel quickly continued.

You are the only one who has fully bloomed as the flower of the Netri family; how could I not know? ]

“I haven’t bloomed the flower of my family.”

Scheuer scanned the air around her with even more suspicious eyes.

The family’s flower still belonged to Erina.

The Rantana still bloomed for Erina, and Scheuer could only create flowers through healing to grant new powers.

She couldn’t produce flowers out of nothing like Erina could.

Of course, Scheuer had brought over most of the powers from that ability.

But Lapel replied firmly,

[No. You have indeed bloomed. You’re pretending not to know.

Confused by the cryptic words, she hugged the hen tightly.

Unless she had lost her memory, there was no flower of the family.

If Scheuer had bloomed the family’s flower, it could only be one thing.

‘From the original story…? ’

[That’s right.]

As if it had read her thoughts, Lapel answered immediately, causing Scheuer’s eyes to widen.

Then Lapel proudly continued,

Your family’s flower was only once. It granted wishes. At that time, you wished to be loved by your family. That’s why I allowed you to live your previous life.

In her previous life, she had been loved normally.

Even if they occasionally fought and nag her, her parents cared about her enough to worry when she went hungry.

The Scheuer of the original work had not received certain things.

In the original story, Scheuer had not received these things.

[The ancestors of Netri and Blen fought so much that I granted them abilities to help each other and coexist, yet for some reason, they seem to be living separately.]

“Ah…”

You are the only one who found your own path, so I granted you this opportunity in this life again. Fortunately, you are finding your way without me having to tell you. It seems I didn’t give you my power in vain.

For some reason, Scheuer felt a hint of Sebi in Lapel’s tone.

When a god loves, there must be a reason behind it.

As she contemplated Lapel’s words, Scheuer suddenly had an epiphany.

Quickly raising her head, she asked with sparkling eyes,

“Wait a moment. What ability does the flower of my family grant? ”

[I said it grants wishes.]

“Then, then… does that mean I can save the Duke? ”

A brief silence followed, and soon Lapel replied confidently.

[Of course.]

“My darling,

you wull never unlove by me

you are too well tangled in my soul.”