The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 82
Chapter 82
“Look at this. It’s not a map, it’s something else!”
“Huh? I’m pretty sure I confirmed that it was a map…”
What Naveed held in his hands was a peculiar drawing.
The exact drawing Sevi had given.
And the oddly familiar facial features started to feel not so awkward after all.
As the two looked at the paper, their heads lifted.
In front of them, the joyful image of the little child holding a flower overlapped.
Naveed exclaimed in disbelief,
“I-it looks like him…!”
Unjustly, it did resemble him.
Individually, you couldn’t say they looked alike, but the overall atmosphere was strangely similar.
Bending down to the child’s eye level, Scheuer asked,
“Do you have a big brother?”
“Yes! He’s at the palace!”
“Have you met your big brother recently?”
“I met him a week ago! He told me that if I’m here, he’ll come to pick me up.”
A week ago would be just shortly after Scheuer arrived in the central region.
She petted the child’s head and asked again,
“Do you live on the streets alone?”
“No. I’m with Mupi!”
“Mupi?”
It was a name Scheuer hadn’t heard before, and Naveed quietly informed her,
“It’s the information agent for the mercenary group. Because they move their base too often, it was hard to find them. Looks like we stumbled upon them.”
The schedule was canceled.
Scheuer held the child’s hand and asked,
“They said they would give us a discount because of the festival, right? Our stomachs are a bit empty. Can you guide us to a place?”
***
“The noisy tavern was filled with people. Most of them were loud drinkers, and there wasn’t a single noble escort like Scheuer among them. An unkempt child cheerfully pulled Scheuer towards the tavern door. ‘Mupi! I brought a guest!’
The middle-aged man chuckled, pinching the child’s cheek as if amused.
‘Hey, who told you to bring a guest?’
‘Mupi said it would be good to have more guests.’
‘People like them find places like this uncomfortable.’
They seemed to know each other well, engaging in familiar conversation and actions. Scheuer found a corner to sit and settled down. The man referred to as Mupi cautiously asked her,
‘This place seems more suited for someone of your stature.’
‘It’s okay. Please recommend something for two people.’
Mupi nodded silently and went inside. Naveed looked uncomfortable; it seemed to be his first time in such a place. People who appeared rough and tough were scattered throughout, perhaps indicating that mercenaries frequented the establishment. Scheuer, sitting at a nearby table, observed a child playing with the flower she had given him. She asked,
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Zen.”
“How long have you been living here?”
“Um, about a month?”
He seemed unable to recall precisely. Maybe he didn’t know that his brother had passed away. Scheuer hesitated to speak too soon and potentially caused emotional distress. She delicately asked,
“Did your brother say anything or do anything unusual before parting ways?”
“Um…”
Zen’s cheek puckered in thought, his eyes squinting with uncertainty.
Yet, despite that, the child couldn’t recall, looking apologetic.
“I don’t know.”
“No, it’s okay. So, what kind of person was your brother?”
‘He was scared of everything, but Mupi said he could even catch a black cat because he was so strong.’
She remembered the time she grabbed his shoulder, and his arms trembled violently. Zen, who tried to demonstrate his brother’s strength by extending his arms vigorously, was stopped by Mupi.
“The food is ready.”
A well-cooked bird was placed in front of them, and Naveed received a similar dish. Scheuer asked him the same question,
“Do you happen to know someone named Teper from the Royal Knights?”
“Ah, he used to work here briefly, but what’s the matter?”
Even though Jess had mentioned working in a tavern, Scheuer casually inquired,
‘I want to repay a favor. Do you happen to know where he is now?’
Mupi, scratching his scruffy beard, replied hesitantly,
‘Well, since he entered the palace, we haven’t been in touch, so we don’t know.’
Scheuer pretended not to notice the lie and casually picked at the meat. There was a strange smell from the unfamiliar dish, evoking memories of spices.
‘Is this a spice…?’
The scent triggered memories associated with ‘Scheuer.’ She stopped Naveed, who was about to eat, and said,
‘Don’t eat, Naveed.’
‘Huh?’
Mupi’s face, which had a gentle smile moments ago, stiffened abruptly.
‘Miss, I thought you grew up well, but your intuition is sharp.’
Perhaps she expected this. ‘Scheuer was sincere about wanting to kill Erina.’ ‘How many drugs did she memorize to distinguish scents alone!’ Scheuer laughed playfully and asked,
‘Are there any bad people among us?’
‘So the noble miss has been investigating us lately?’
Thump, a burly man in the shop pointed at Naveed with his hand. Scheuer turned her head slightly and glared at him. Despite boasting about his victory, he now looked defeated. He quickly denied the accusation,
‘Believe me! The person I saw wasn’t someone like him! He had scars on his face…’
‘That’s me!’
The rough man nervously pointed at his forehead.
Having lost words, Naveed muttered to himself,
“Certainly, that person seemed even bigger…”
A sign indicating the closure of the pub was displayed at the entrance. Everyone present was looking at Scheuer. She reluctantly raised her hand and spoke pitifully,
“I don’t have any weapons. Just take this child and let me go!”
Naveed, feeling resentment at her words, was visibly shocked. Among the many people inside the shop, no one spoke up first. The tension in the air was sharp and palpable.
If Scheuer’s memory was correct, the knights who died in the demonic assault all protested together in the north. If it had been properly handled in Blenga, there would be no reason for them to come all the way to the central region.
“This incident is too quiet,”
even Ragrain found this suspicious. It was strange that, given the lack of power in the family, they wouldn’t even inquire about the reason.
“If we say they died at the hands of demons, how many would immediately understand?”
For a mercenary group, it would be impossible not to know.
“They must be keeping an eye on it. I don’t know the reason, though.”
Teper couldn’t return to his family even in death because of the crime of treason, which meant the entire family had to be executed.
A person among them asked in a menacing tone,
“Did you think you could come this far and leave alive?”
“Yes!”
A short silence followed her confident response.
“Smile Love”