The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 50
Chapter 50
“That wasn’t the most important thing. Instead, Sevi Meltre, blessed by the god Lapel, was renowned not only for his divine powers but also for his benevolent character that transcended his beautiful appearance. Even though his public image matched this, for some reason, the priests all seemed familiar, as if they were mutually resolving something.
“I’ve been disturbed in my sleep for three hours already!”
Sevi exclaimed, eager to escape. The priests, however, blocked his every move with a determination that seemed rehearsed. Although a short physical struggle ensued, it was more of a wrestling match than a fight, with the priests skillfully intertwining their arms to deny Sevi even the slightest opening.
Facing a human wall in front of him, Sevi looked horrified, while the high-ranking priests proudly shouted,
“You won’t escape this time!”
Behind Sevi, Silcaro approached, unbothered by the situation.
“It’s unusual to greet you like this, Sevi. It’s been a while,” Silcaro said.
Sevi’s expression changed instantly upon hearing the voice from behind.
“Silcaro, my apologies. Your beauty remains unchanged.”
Sevi, who had just been causing a commotion, now appeared calm and welcomed Silcaro with a gentle smile. Despite the incongruity with the situation, Silcaro laughed and explained,
“I asked Sevi, the only one capable of comparing the original and forged tablets, for help. We need to figure out the purpose behind this disturbance, don’t we?”
This could easily be seen as a central rebellion against the deity. Therefore, Silcaro’s voice carried a sense of urgency, contrary to his facial expression. Rejecting the gods, especially as a representative of the royal family, was a significant dishonor. However, Sevi’s gaze, upon hearing these words, remained fixed on the priests blocking the door, an unmistakably unpleasant expression in his eyes.
Due to his actions, the turmoil within the hall had intensified.
“It must be because the Deputy Chief was displeased,” someone speculated.
“We should identify the culprit at least…”
“At least it’s not any of the attendees here, right?”
Erina interjected, approaching them as the murmurs spread like waves.
“May the protection of the Lapel God be with us. Given the circumstances, I’ll skip the greetings. Could you please examine the authenticity of the tablets?”
Erina gestured, and the knights promptly moved to inspect the suspected forged tablets. Although there were signs of forgery, as a precaution, the tablets were elegantly wrapped in fine fabric, receiving utmost care and attention.
Anyway, it’s all about the affairs of the central authority. Raygrain was standing a step back, just observing the procession. At that moment, a name that irked his ears drifted through the chaotic air.
“Come to think of it, doesn’t it seem like someone is missing today?”
“You mean Miss Scheuer?”
“Yes, exactly.”
They casually opened their mouths about Scheuer, but as soon as Raygrain’s gaze fell on them, they felt a shiver down their spine and fell silent. However, Erina, who had approached Raygrain through the matrix of tablets, couldn’t be stopped.
“Excuse me, may I ask one thing?”
Jess stood close, as if guarding, but Erina paid no attention. Instead, with increased vigilance, she sharply questioned,
“May I inquire about the whereabouts of Lady Scheuer?”
“She said she wasn’t feeling well and would take a rest.”
“Until yesterday, there were no signs of anything unusual.”
“So. What does she have to do with this issue right now?”
“Isn’t it a celebration not for Lady Scheuer, but for ‘me’? Silcaro and Her Majesty only found out about the report to the central government after it was received.”
Erina responded a beat late to the precise remark.
“It might be better for her to be present. If it’s about the tablets, there’s no way to omit the story related to Netriga.”
“She is a person from Blenga.”
Erina seemed to want to say something else but pursed her lips and eventually remained silent. Without clear evidence, she took a step back, but internally, it seemed like she was considering Suere.
It was a natural progression since the central nobility, who wouldn’t benefit from being disconnected from the temple, was an expected target. Wasn’t there something about their relationship not being good?
On the first day in the central region, after conversing with Erina, Raygrain recalled Scheuer, who had been sitting in a corner of the banquet hall.
A person who had been more lively than anyone in the north occasionally showed an unknown side since coming to the central region. Looking back, Scheuer seemed to be avoiding Erina in a skillful manner. During greetings, and even when with others.
Contrary to rumors, Scheuer seemed not only uninterested but actively trying to avoid her. Just looking at his actions, if he truly intended harm, he would have persistently pursued her.
Of course, even if she had done so, it was unrelated to the current situation.
Despite having no evidence, the suspicious glances that seemed to target her were discomforting. Naturally, the image of the composed Scheuer also came to mind. Her displaying such behavior felt unnatural. And then, it happened. Suddenly, his head felt heavy. Simultaneously, his fingers twitched. From within, an indescribable emotion bubbled up. Gradually, an impulse to cut something emerged.
Caught off guard by this sudden impulse, Raygrain was bewildered. This is dangerous. Was this the moment passed down through generations in the family? Why? From the very first moment of memory, the Head of the House always told him that the moment when no more emotions arise, the moment when only the ‘thirst’ for the sword can be felt, is the moment when one loses all emotions. But he had definitely felt a significant emotion recently. So, it couldn’t be.
In the midst of the confusion, Erina’s face, receiving Raygrain’s gauze soaked with bewilderment, subtly tensed with anxiety. Jes, sensing danger, extended his hand in an attempt to intervene in the moment.
However, Silcaro’s soft voice interrupted the flow.
“The discovered tablets are all there is. Take a look.”
Raygrain quickly turned his head; otherwise, he felt like he would immediately eliminate Erina from his sight. Sevi, who initially didn’t want to see the fake tablets, was now earnestly examining each one.
From a distance, amidst the crowd, Raygrain approached the tablets. The neatly engraved characters on the tablets entered Raygrain’s view.
[When Blen eats a simple meal, her forehead narrows, making her look even more ferocious.]
[Netri’s benevolence is like the sound of the waves on a clear day in Paris, very abundant.]
[Anyone who sees Blen’s smile will come to realize the peace and truth prevailing across the continent.]
[The true nature of Netri is infinitely malicious, and they look down on everyone else except themselves.]
The tablets contained a mix of praises and criticisms for each family. More precisely, there were criticisms that seemed like compliments for Netri, and compliments that seemed like criticisms for Blenga. Somehow, after reading the tablets, Raygrain felt that something heavy inside him, which made him want to cut something, had disappeared.
***
Sneakily, Scheuer glanced through the window. Knights in the palace seemed to be stationed everywhere, and every corner was bustling with people. Even the palace guards were so strict that you could feel the severity of the situation just by looking at their stern expressions.
Scheuer looked at the remaining tablets on the bed. Soon, a displeased expression crossed her face as if she found something disagreeable.
“Ah, saying that eating garlic makes your expression fierce is a bit much.”
The tablets, already spread out, caught her attention. While trying to maintain objectivity and make it difficult to single out someone, they had put on a convincingly cruel show of cruelty.
“Anyone can see that it’s the Head of the House!”
Scheuer’s gaze shifted, once again peering through the window.
“Smile Love”