The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Scheuer explained with gestures and nods, shaking her head vigorously to clarify to him, 

“Lady Solle’s schedule ended a bit early. We had some time left, so we thought of taking a stroll.”

As Naveed attempted to discreetly move behind him, she pulled him back and positioned him behind her with a few elbow nudges. Taking the cue, Naveed hesitated for a moment before stumbling out the truth, 

“Yes, that’s right! We happened to take a walk, and coincidentally ran into you!”

“And I’m also a coincidence?”

“Haha, exactly! It’s as you say, my lord!”

Silcaro continued to sit, watching the scene unfold with a chuckle. 

“Oh my, the Duke has arrived. Would you like to join us, Your Grace? How about chatting for a bit?”

“I have some matters to attend to.”

“Even though the congratulatory speech hasn’t been given yet, take a little break. Otherwise, I might die from waiting for Your Grace.”

Although it was meant as a joke, it sounded quite embarrassing. Apparently, it was a poke at ‘Scheuer,’ and she wondered if that was the intention.

Instead of responding, Raygrain approached her from behind. Scheuer, hidden behind him, found it challenging to see even a strand of Silcaro’s hair. He casually spoke, blocking the space perfectly between them.

“Scheuer, I’ll take you with me.”

“Is this even allowed? A friend can’t be taken away in the face of love.”

“I’ve congratulated you enough.”

With that, he walked away without any lingering attachment. Scheuer also felt no need to stay in that spot any longer.

Following Raygrain, when they had moved a bit, he adjusted his pace to match the one he had been walking with. Scheuer grabbed his hand and spoke urgently, 

“Your Highness, it was really just a coincidence. You understand, right?”

“I do.”

Still, thanks to this, she managed to escape from that uncomfortable situation before Erina arrived. Moreover, she got to see his face, which had been hard to glimpse before. It was not a bad walk.

As Scheuer sighed with relief, he looked at her and asked, 

“Do you really find this situation enjoyable?”

“I’ve always memorized Your Highness’s schedule, but today, you knew before I did.”

“I’ve always been aware of everything.”

“Observing and memorizing are a bit different.”

Even though she held his hand, he didn’t pull away. Since it had come to this, why not enjoy the festival?

Scheuer poked him lightly, 

“Your Highness, is today’s appointment important?”

“Probably.”

“Then, wouldn’t you have a little time to spend with me and enjoy the festival?”

“…That should be possible.”

Wow! Scheuer beamed with excitement, pointing forward. The trumpets sounded, and Sevi’s congratulatory speech faintly echoed through the festival.

In the midst of the lively crowd, Raygrain, calm as ever, silently followed her. Fortunately, Raygrain, being from the northern regions, was not easily recognizable. Scheuer pointed to a mask vendor, laughing as she mentioned, 

“This one looks like Your Grace.”

The merchant approached them, saying with a sly smile, 

“Ah, you’ve got a good eye. This may look rugged, but it becomes quite stylish when worn.”

Reacting to the vendor’s words, Scheuer pulled him closer. The merchant, belatedly noticing Raygrain, inexplicably turned pale. 

“No, I didn’t mean it looked rugged, but…!”

“He looks like it.”

“No, not really.”

For some reason, the merchant continued shrinking in size as Scheuer kept her gaze fixed on him. She eventually purchased the mask and put it on, a bit too big for her, adjusting her voice.

“Ahem. Didn’t I tell you to do this?”

Looking at her with surprising seriousness, Raygrain asked, 

“What are you doing?”

“Imitating Your Grace. It’s identical, isn’t it?”

Behind them, Naveed quickly applauded, 

“Wow, it’s incredibly similar! The details are spot-on!”

When Raygrain turned around to scrutinize him, Naveed promptly closed his mouth.

Raygrain lifted the roughly made mask, revealing his face beneath. Facing Scheuer directly, he said, 

“You’re better as you are than trying to imitate me.”

The distant cheers from Sevi’s speech became fainter. Scheuer felt a strange ticklish sensation for a moment. Just a brief distraction, but in the swelling crowd, she stumbled.

Raygrain reached out, steadying her with one arm. Gazing at the bustling crowd, he said, 

“Why does someone else seem to enjoy themselves more on my birthday?”

“Probably not because of the birthday itself?”

Scheuer’s response made him turn his head from the crowd to her. She took the chance to glance at the procession of entertainers passing by.

“Sometimes, people just need a few days to let loose.”

A passing clown tossed a ball into the air. Despite the poor visibility, he skillfully juggled it. Watching them, Scheuer enthusiastically applauded, but Raygrain seemed to feel neither joy nor annoyance.

Scheuer energetically led him through the crowd, clapping her hands, but his expression remained unchanged. Occasionally, when they entered narrow alleys, he gently pushed her forward.

The familiar manners ingrained in the body were as fascinating as they were thorough. The path that usually flowed freely with people was partially obstructed as if someone had blocked it. The cause could be identified by the man who stood out in the crowd with only his head visible.

“Come on, double or nothing! Double or nothing!”

“I’ll, I’ll take the challenge!”

A daring man challenged with a ten-gold bet. Despite the relatively small wager, jeers and mockery echoed from different directions.

“Whoa, is that all you got?”

“How much can you bet on such a dull game?”

It was a common gambling game. The quick-handed man shuffled several cards and revealed three cards in sequence. He pointed to the middle card.

“All right, remember this one well.”

After showing the card only to the participant, he shuffled them again and asked where the initial card was.

“This one! It’s this one!”

“Oh, too bad. You got it wrong!”

The pot was steadily growing again. Watching the scene with curiosity, Scheuer asked Raygrain, who was observing her keenly, 

“Isn’t this interesting?”

“Isn’t it just a simple deception?”

He glanced at the growing pot and gently guided Scheuer through the crowded place, holding her shoulder so that she wouldn’t be jostled.

“Do you find amusement in such shallow trickery?”

“It’s intriguing.”

“It’s nothing more than a clever deception.”

He navigated her through the crowd as they moved along, avoiding any discomfort. Scheuer asked, 

“Still, there must be one correct answer, right?”

“There should be, but the correct card is not among the three chosen.”

Even after a few attempts, the sleight of hand eluded Scheuer’s keen eyes. Smirking subtly, she said, 

“Your Grace, should we try to make some money too?”

Scheuer grabbed an overgrown cucumber from a nearby pile and smirked, playfully showing it off. As the pot of money grew astronomically, Scheuer pulled up a chair, making a show of sitting down.

A gambler nearby looked at her and said, 

“Hey miss, out on a date?”

“Yes!”

“Bold answer, and so, how much?”

Scheuer pretended to contemplate, then playfully showed five fingers. The gambler, in turn, yelled, 

“Five-gold bet!” 

But Scheuer shook her head quietly.

He looked at her with doubt, alternating his gaze between Scheuer and Raygrain. After confirming their intentions, he shouted louder, “

Oh, this time, it’s a five-gold, no, a fifty-gold bet!”

However, Scheuer once again shook her head. The gambler’s mouth gradually widened in disbelief. He hesitantly asked, 

“Oh, oh, oh, 500 gold…?”

When Scheuer shook her head again, he shouted in shock, 

“Oh, oh, oh, 5000 gold!”

“Smile Love”