The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 47
Chapter 47
The knight stared at her with a face twisted in pain. The other knights seemed to murmur in agreement.
“I heard that you refused a sword in Netriga,” one said.
“Erina Commander says you’ve never wielded a sword. Honestly, this is not the palace garden. What’s with the flowers?”
“Even though there were rumors about Netriga, claiming a connection to a lineage that has emerged in this way.”
Contrary to such words, the distorted face of the knight became more relaxed over time. Suddenly, he glanced at his own arm as if surprised, blinking his eyes.
“Uh?”
“Are you okay?”
In response to Scheuer’s question, he exerted strength into the hand that had not been able to before, holding the flower.
As if the pain still lingered, his eyelids twitched rapidly.
Looking at him, Scheuer said,
“You must have trained well. You recover faster than an ordinary person!”
“Did Your Highness say so?”
“I don’t know.”
In response to Scheuer’s nonchalant reply, the knight glanced at the flower for a moment.
She stood up, lightly touching his arm with a tap and said,
“This is temporary. Show your arm to a doctor and get proper treatment.”
Scheuer, holding the bouquet again, leaped towards Rayigrain with occasional steps.
Smiling, she asked him,
“Did I do well?”
“Do you want praise?”
Scheuer nodded quickly.
After a short contemplation, he spoke in his usual blunt tone,
“You did well.”
“Actions speak louder than words.”
“What action?”
Scheuer waited as if expecting something, then shouted loudly,
“I’m going to buy bread with the friends I made in the busy district yesterday. Please eat it when I bring it.”
Raygrain stared at her face with an expression full of anticipation.
Although he didn’t particularly like things like bread or desserts, it wasn’t difficult to indulge her.
After a while, he gave the desired answer.
“All right.”
***
“Aaargh!”
At the southernmost tip of the North.
A scream echoed from the snow-covered place.
Looking at the scattered magic circles on the ground, Leilda exclaimed irritably,
“Why do these damn things keep coming back even if you kill them?”
Setting traps, yet what good did it do?
It had to have bait to be complete.
Leilda, who had become the bait herself, opened her mouth wide, trembling as he faced the approaching demon.
“I must be crazy. Why did I bother to inspect the North, promising to bring prosperity? I should have just let that bastard rot in the North.”
As he watched the demons being sucked into the magic circles as if being absorbed, Leilda vented his frustration in various arrogant remarks.
Standing still with his radiant heat spells to combat the intense cold, he found it a bit annoying.
Charging mindlessly and witnessing the dying demons, Leilda clicked her tongue.
“Tsk, worthless creatures even worse than chickens.”
During this, a demon that had rushed in earlier was sucked into the spot where the magic circle was, and a clunk… a stone fell.
Usually, anything related to demons should be completely absorbed.
The unpleasantly mottled colors and the rough surfaces that were chipped and scattered everywhere didn’t seem like crafted items.
Above all, the fact that something was expelled from the magic circle was itself an impossible event for Leilda.
As he snapped his fingers, the stone floated and flew towards him.
“It’s not just a stone.”
Staring at it, Leilda’s face stiffened.
“This is…”
As he swallowed his saliva, Leilda surveyed the vast landscape of the North, filled with snowy mountains.
His premonition was not good.
***
In the palace, a maid named Tiolara, who had accompanied them from the palace, had her hands full of luggage. Scheuer, feeling sorry for her as she sweated profusely in the central warmth, apologized,
“This… it kept growing as I bought things.”
“It’s familiar.”
Guided by the young ladies she met at the banquet yesterday, they swept through the streets, visiting not only the bakery but also places like the sleeve garters, Alberton chain, and cuff links that would suit Raygrain.
Observing the abundance of things she had packed, one of the young ladies asked,
“Did you buy everything to give it to Duke Raygrain?”
“I find happiness in Duke’s use of what I give. It’s all a tribute, isn’t it? I don’t expect a reverse tribute.”
The young ladies seemed not to fully understand Scheuer’s answer. Before returning, they decided to stop at a famous tea house for a short break.
Scheuer, giving Tiolara a somewhat excessive tip, said,
“If there’s anything you want to buy while you’re out, go ahead and buy it. Let’s meet in two hours.”
“I-I’m okay. Your Highness.”
“Consider it a tip. I might be a bit upset today because I overspent.”
“Th-thank you!”
Tiolara accepted the money and bowed deeply before leaving. Watching her leave, the young ladies commented,
“You’re different from what we heard in the rumors. Why did the rumors go that way?”
“Yeah, people are confused for no reason…”
Scheuer pretended not to know anything and asked,
“What kind of rumors?”
The young ladies hesitated for a while, glancing at each other. Pressed by Scheuer, they reluctantly spoke.
“Just… if you’re in a bad mood, you threaten the servants, tear Erena’s clothes, or stick needles in them…”
“At first, we thought it couldn’t be true, but there are people who claim to have seen it.”
Another maid nearby gave them a worried look. It might not be more than a rumor.
“It’s okay. It’s true that I didn’t take a sword in Netriga, and it’s true that my relationship with Lady Erina is not amicable. I can’t help it.”
Scheuer laughed to defuse the situation.
Among the trivial chatter, one of the young ladies spoke in a passing tone,
“I heard that the temple envoy paid a visit to the palace this morning. Did you hear about it?”
“Ah, my father entered the palace early, so maybe that’s why.”
Remembering the uneasy expressions of the attendants who were on their way to the military training ground in the morning, Scheuer couldn’t resist her curiosity and asked, “Why did they visit the temple?”
Given the nature of the empire, which was close to the temple, a simple visit wasn’t enough to raise suspicions.
The young lady who had first mentioned it cautiously explained,
“There’s a rumor that the second slab has been discovered. Of course, it’s just a rumor.”
***
Having entered with arms full of luggage, Raygrain looked up from his documents and remarked,
“Planning to distribute bread somewhere?”
“No! I bought this from the bakery.”
Scheuer presented one of the many boxes to him. Tarts, cakes, and various other items—all rumored to be delicious.
Raygrain handed the box to a page and requested tea to be brought along with it. Scheuer then promptly showcased a sleeve garter to him.
“Look at this, Your Grace!”
“…It seems a bit large for you. Are you planning to wear a shirt?”
“It’s not for me.”
Scheuer then poured the loot onto his table, revealing an assortment of items.
“Seeing you today, I thought it would be nice to bring some things. I bought cuff links. Since monochrome or blue suits you, I chose a watercolor style!”
But the surprises didn’t end there.
From Scheuer’s bag, a constant stream of items emerged.
“Smile Love”