I’m Ready for Divorce

Synposis
In the original story, the male lead accused his ex-wife of abusing the
male lead when he was younger. But unlike the original story, I raised my
young husband as if he was my brother.

When my husband went to war, I started preparing for a divorce. Because if

the original story is true, the male lead will fall in love with the
princess of the ruined country and bring her back!
That’s why instead of following the road that leads to defeat, I intended
to get a decent divorce.

While preparing for that, I took some money and earned quite a fortune.
I’ve also developed a cure because I didn’t want to die of incurable
diseases like the original villainess. All that’s left is getting
divorced!

***

My cute little husband came home and grew up to be such a fine man! But
don’t worry, I’m all set to divorce you! Oddly enough, the reaction of my
husband is a little strange.

“While I was fighting on the battlefield, you were prepared to run away.”
He smiled dangerously, whilst wrapping my waist with his big hands.

“Are you having an affair?”

Unlike the pretty corners of his mouth, his eyes were burning hot.

No….. you know, I’m ready to get divorced…..

Chapter 1

I was incredibly tired that day.

That day, I failed to pass another interview. The sky was filled with dark
clouds as if to represent the murky feelings in my heart.

The traffic light turned green. I walked along the road with heavy steps.
Then I heard a distant cry.

My eyes swept the street, and I fixed my gaze upon a boy in a yellow
kindergarten uniform. It seemed as if he stumbled and fell in the middle
of the road. Several tears stained his chubby cheeks.

Beepppp!!

It was such a loud horn that I could no longer hear the child crying.

From afar, I saw a large truck rushing towards us without lowering its
speed even a bit.
I don’t know if the brakes were broken, but I was shaking like crazy.

‘Huh?’

The child!

Before I realized, my body had already reacted instinctively.

I jumped out towards the child and pushed him away.

Then, everything went black…

I opened my eyes and saw the sky above me.

The dark clouds, which had been thick all day long, have finally
disappeared.

I slowly got up as raindrops fell from the sky. It felt strange.

‘Am I dead?’

I didn’t want to die like this.

When I woke up and turned my head, I saw my body, all covered in blood.

Next to me, a child in a kindergarten uniform was crying, and people

started to gather around the site.

The sound of an ambulance siren was echoing throughout the block.

‘I don’t have a family, so who’s going to hold the funeral……?’

My sight fell upon my bloodied figure when a strange window appeared

before my eyes.

〈You are dead.〉

Option 1. Live the rest of your life in either Heaven or Hell.

Option 2. Reincarnate into another world.

* As you have saved a life, you will be given additional choices and buff
items.

* Reminder: The world you’ll reincarnate to is random.

* Unknown item (1)

“……”

‘What, have the angels lost their jobs?’

I was reading the explanation calmly when another window appeared.

10, 9, 8, 7…….

〈If nothing is selected, option 1 will automatically be selected.〉

The judgment of heaven and hell…… honestly, I wasn’t confident.

I didn’t live a life full of sins, but it’s not like I lived like a saint
either. Of course, I did just save a life… but still….

That being said, It would be careless of me to choose option 2 without

hesitation.

If a new life is given randomly, then there’s a chance that I could be

reincarnated as a criminal or a monster, right?

* The system is being processed… 5, 4, 3, 2……..

Nevertheless, I still chose option 2.

In my heart, I prayed to have a blissful life.

* * *

A week has passed since I got reincarnated into a new life, and I am not
happy at all.

The person I got reincarnated to was destined for a disastrous future. Her
life won’t be filled with happiness but full of torments.

Elody McClair.

The daughter of Count McClair, she was destined to die decades later.

‘Yes, I’ve never considered myself a lucky person….’

Even if I was given a second chance in life….

Elody McClair is a villain from a novel.

Of course, I didn’t realize that I was in a novel upon my arrival in this

world.

At first, I thought it was just an ordinary magical fantasy world.

It’s all thanks to my husband, Caville Cernoir. I realized that this

place’s pure fiction.

Caville is an artificial male lead in a romance novel.

He is handsome, well-built, good-natured, and talented.

‘Why……’
Sadly, however, the heroine was not Elody.

The heroine was a princess of the Empire of Dayev, which collapsed a few
years later after the war broke out.

There was a reason why I felt a little affection for Caville’s character
in the novel.

It’s just that his fate was similar to mine.

Caville was abandoned in an orphanage as a newborn baby by the Duke of

Cernoir. Even in orphanages, children are severely harassed by adults.

After both his parents, the duke, and the duchess died, he inherited the
title as he was the sole successor to the dukedom.

Thus his misfortunes began.

Upon becoming a duke, he married a wife, who abused him for six years.

The abusive wife was Elody McClair.

Elody reigned as the duke’s wife and replaced all the servants to those
who served under her. She ordered them to show indifference to Caville’s
presence.

‘It’s a novel without cider….’

The story was so frustrating that I could die from anger just by reading
it.

A few years later, Caville was assigned to lead the knights into the
battlefield.

He conveyed his leadership abilities and earned trust from the knights.
The war had turned Caville from a little boy into a respectable young man.

Then, he met the love of his life.

That was the female lead.

‘I wish I was the heroine……’

Unfortunately, it couldn’t be helped.

Anyways, Caville, who made a great contribution during the war, returned
as a hero with the heroine.

Elody, Caville’s wife, changed her attitude when her neglected husband
came back from war.

She told him about how much she had missed him when he was gone. How she’s
been waiting for his return for a long time.
Unbeknownst to her, Caville asked for a divorce, and she became furious.

Elody rejected his demands. She persecuted and tormented the princess, who
had come to stay in the mansion. In the end, she did an irreparable deed….

‘A poison that could harden the whole body like a stone….’

It was the use of poison.

Elody’s a genius in magic. Therefore, she was able to develop a terrible

poison to kill the princess.

Fortunately, Caville discovered her plan and banished the duchess from the
house of Cernoir.

‘A bitter ending……’

The villain faced a typical end.

After being ripped off from her title, Elody suffered from an incurable
disease that had all the symptoms as the poison she made.

She died a lonely death within the slums.

‘Yes, that’s me.’

Elody smiled bitterly and looked at her sleeping husband.

Right now, Caville was only seven years old. However, all the years of
abuse led his malnourished body to become smaller and thinner than the
average boy at his age.

I felt sorry for him. A child’s stomach and cheeks should be plump when
they’re sleeping…

I’ve made a decision.

I was given a new life. I will not waste this chance and repeat Elody’s
previous mistake. I will lead a life full of happiness.

When I came to this world, there was no restriction that I could not
change the course of fate…

I had no intention of abusing Caville like the original one.

How can you abuse someone when they are so lovely?

I thought I’d live a long and happy life.

To do that, I had to raise the Caville well and develop a cure for the
incurable disease that I’m going to get later.

The goal was clear.

“Caville, let’s get up. You have to eat.”

“Uh…”

I shook Caville lightly. His small body was covered under the blanket.

At this point, Caville was only 7, while Elody was 13.

“I’ll read you a book about fairy tales after you eat.”

“A fairy tale?”

His eyes glistened as he heard the word fairy tale.

Caville’s knowledge was lacking because he had been neglected for a long
time.

So he was still inadequate at reading and writing. In the original story,

he was illiterate until he went to war.

But I was already planning to teach Caville before that. ‘Let’s not be
discouraged!’

I wanted him to be acknowledged by the world.

* * *

The Cernoir family had a lineage of dukes with extraordinary powers.

The first Duke of Cernoir was a war hero who conquered the vast land
himself.

However, because of the former duke’s poor management of the estate, The
House of Cernoir is currently suffering from financial difficulties.

Elody’s family was not very wealthy either.

The character of Count McClair, who married his daughter to the heir of a
poor Duke’s family, was also well known.

In the dim memory of little Elody who came back to life, Count McClair was
full of greed. Unable to sell his children, he turned to the Duke’s
butler, who offered him a large sum of money. Then Norman, the duke’s
loyal butler, made a substantial dowry for Caville.

That’s because Caville, who came from an orphanage, couldn’t adapt at all
and was still afraid of an adult.

The butler thought it would have been better to have a wife who is a
little more mature than Caville. A wife who can protect and care for him.

Little did he know, his choice would end up creating a massive ordeal for
the child. To the point where the money he scraped up became a waste,
Of course, the butler could not have known that his wife would abuse him.

At first, no one knew that Elody was abusing Caville.

It was like smoke and mirrors.

In the original story, Elody fired the butler and took over the House of
Cernoir as her power and status grew bigger after her marriage.

All the faithful servants were replaced.

She was clever and committed numerous misdeeds with her power.

In fact, she even showed a vast knowledge in the field of medicine.

“Oh, by the way, I have to study magic pills…”

Elody muttered at the sight of Caville rubbing his eyes.

“What’s a magic pill?”

“You don’t have to know yet. Now, let’s wash your face first.”

“My face feels dry…”

“I told you you’d be ugly if you were dirty.”

Caville pouted his lips and nodded his head.

A week ago, he was as vigilant as a cat. Fortunately, he has slowly opened

his heart to me.

It was the same for me. I couldn’t help getting attached to him after
sleeping in the same bed every day.

It was a pity that Caville had never experienced human affection before.

The maid brought a basin filled with warm water. After setting down the
basin, she rolled up her sleeves.

“Madame, I’ll do it.”

At the maid’s words, Caville hid behind Elody’s back with wary eyes.

“It’s all right, I’ll do it. You are dismissed.”

“…Yes, your grace.”

The maid glanced at Elody and looked as if her heart was melting.

The maid, named Marie, was a young woman, but like the butler, she was a
faithful servant of the duke.

‘I finally have a proper master.’

Marie was filled with hope.

‘How can she be so mature?’

She was opposed to the idea at first. She couldn’t believe that a child
who had just been adopted from the orphanage would have to get married
immediately….

But contrary to her worries, the butler’s decision was right.

After getting married to his wife, the young lord had quickly adapted to
the role of a Duke.

What a relief.

* * *

When the maid went out, Caville no longer kept his guard up.

Perhaps because of the maltreatment at the orphanage, he was still afraid

of adults.

“Come on, let’s wash your face.”

Elody put a towel around Caville’s neck and washed his face thoroughly
with warm water.

“Here I go!”

“Uhh…….. Nooo…..”

“Haha! Stop moving, will you?”

“……Ahh!”

She was happy even though she was playing with a little boy.

Somehow, it felt like she had a younger brother.

Elody wiped Caville’s white face with a proud smile.

‘Yes, I’ll raise him well and hand him over to the princess!’

Chapter 2

That night, Elody stared at Caville, who had fallen asleep.

When Elody first saw him a week ago, he kept having nightmares. It is a
relief to see him sleeping so peacefully nowadays, he didn’t seem to have
nightmares plaguing his sleep anymore.

‘Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll happily get rid of your nightmares!’

Then, Elody began to think of the things she had to do in her new life.

‘First and foremost, I will raise and feed Caville well before he goes to
war.’

She didn’t want to send him, but it was the duty of the Duke of Cernois to
join the war at the emperor’s command. She does not have the power to stop
the war.

Caville was only 13 years old when he went to war. In the original story,
he was abused and wasn’t well-fed, so as a result, his body became very
frail.

Fortunately, after years on the battlefield, Caville grew into a wonderful

adult.

“……..”

‘The thought of sending my baby to war makes me cry. If I have to let him
go, I’ll feed him well and raise him with lots of love so that he’ll grow
into a strong young man.’

‘Secondly, I will keep the land safe until Caville returns.’

The duke’s estate is very vast and fertile. However, the number of
productive people in the dukedom was very small, it was all because of
poor governance.

Naturally, the efficiency was bound to fall.

In the original work, Elody ruined the duke’s territory to the point of no
return.

Elody threw all kinds of chemical drugs into the lake and forest in the
midst of studying magic pills, which resulted in permanent damage to the
environment.

Still, the dukedom is open for many prospects as it has not been
contaminated yet.

‘Well, first of all, I’ll have to study the magic that will make the land
more fertile. It’s better to plant more expensive crops. I’m sure that
there are gold coins and jewels hidden somewhere within the estate.’

In the novel, the original Elody found the vault to the hidden gold.

Unfortunately, Elody didn’t know the location. So she’ll have to look it

up again, one by one.

‘Last but not least, I’ll have to research the cure for my incurable
disease.’

This was the biggest problem. This was how Elody’s life came to an end.
While trying to poison the princess, she got infected by the disease.

‘I don’t want to die. If possible, I want to live a long and healthy

life.’

“Ugh……”

Elody was still writing on her desk when she suddenly heard Caville’s
voice.

The sound surprised her and she quickly headed back to the bed.

“Sister….”

Perhaps because he wasn’t properly educated at the orphanage, Caville was

still not used to the demeanor of nobles, such as the usage of titles.

Still, Elody answered him gently, “Yes, your sister is here.”

His nightmare stirred him up in the middle of his sleep and he was
surprised to see himself in bed. Tears welled up in Caville’s eyes.

Elody hugged his tiny head, Then she gently re-tucked his tousled blanket.

“Now, lie down in my arms. I’ll put you back to sleep.”

“Uh, where are we, sister?”

“Call me your wife, Caville.”

“Wife?”

“Yes, until you bring the princess back, you will call me your wife.”

“Princess?”

Elody held him within my embrace and stroked his head.

It felt warm.

He wriggled and hugged Elody’s waist with his small arms.

“My wife’s a princess?”

“No, but soon she’ll be your wife.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it and send her to you, so don’t have to
look for the princess.”

Caville, who was unable to comprehend Elody’s words, thought. ‘She’s still
a little girl right now’
Elody stroked Caville’s head. She wanted him for herself.

‘No, I can’t do this!’

Later, when Caville brings the princess back from the battlefield, she
can’t be upset.

‘I will not be jealous of his lover. I will not be like the previous Elody
and resort to dirty underhanded tricks.’

* * *

The next day, Elody woke up to the sound of birds chirping.

She opened her eyes, and woke Caville up. Then she proceeded to wash and
feed him.

After that, she went to speak to the butler.

“I want to see the financial situation of the territory.”

“Yes? This….”

Norman, the duke’s butler, had a bad premonition.

Truth to be told, when he tried to bring back Count McClaire’s daughter,

he had a lot of worries. Count McClaire was notorious for his greed and
stupidity.

Norman was worried about the little duchess’ personality, as they say, the
apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

But he had no other choice. No one wanted to send their precious daughter
as a wife of the illegitimate son of a poor Duke. For aristocrats, wealth
was one of the most important aspects to look for when accepting marriage.

But Count McClaire had no qualms about giving his daughter. Later, he even
wrote a contract for his daughter so that he won’t get involved.

“Yes, madame, I’ll give you an easy report.”

“And….”

“….?”

“If the financial conditions do permit, please hire a swordmaster for

Caville. “

“A swordmaster?”

“He has to learn from an early age so that one day, he’ll be able to lead
a group of knights.”

“Ah! Yes, understood.”

“Find me the best swordmaster there is.”

“Yes, madame.”

At Elody’s words, the butler bowed his head and went out.

‘She’s so thoughtful.’

Norman was touched. The former Duke of Cernois was very extravagant and
was deeply addicted to alcohol. So was the duchess. Both of them sat on
the sidelines, drinking their alcohol without a care for the world.

Coincidentally, the two died of a heart attack because of the accumulated

years of heavy drinking. In the absence of a successor, Norman questioned
the maid who had given birth to a child of the Duke.

If he could not establish a successor as it is, the house would ultimately

fall onto the duke’s brother, the Count of Borque’s hands.

Count Borque has an odious personality. Norman didn’t want to see the
House of Cernois, who the first duke had devoted all his life to, be
trampled upon by Count Borque.

Upon finding the maid, Norman still needed to spend a lot of resources to
find the abandoned heir in an orphanage.

The successor to the dukedom, who was so hard to find, is nothing but a
skinny little child.

Because of the way he was treated, Caville was extremely afraid of adults.
It was a tragic incident. Norman sent a letter saying he had found the
heir. He was also able to make Count Borque acknowledge Caville as the
successor of the Duke of Cernois.

But truth to be told, Caville hasn’t been able to adapt to the new
environment.

This is the reason why Norman decided to have him get married at such a
young age. He had hope that his wife would be able to take care of him as
an older sister would.

On the other hand, Caville’s grandfather was a benevolent master.

Recalling the fond memories of his old master, Norman secretly wiped the
tears on his face.

* * *

“Caville, stop eating snacks.”

“Yes…. wife.”

Elody taught Caville the word “wife,” and now he keeps calling her that.
Elody patted Caville’s head as a gesture of praising him. Then, she
ordered the maid to clean up the plates. She wanted to feed him as many
snacks as she can, but it wouldn’t be good if he eats too much.

“You have to learn well and obey your instructor.”

“What? Snack?”

“He’s not a snack. He’s your instructor. Instructor.”

“…….”

Before sending Caville to the battlefield, she thought it would be

convenient to let him learn the basic skills of swordsmanship.

‘I wish I could teach him in person, but unfortunately, I do not have

sufficient knowledge regarding swordsmanship whatsoever.’

There were some knights who became Caville’s loyal subjects, but she
couldn’t remember their names.

‘Ah, I don’t know, I don’t know!’

She decided to stop worrying and played with Caville instead.

“Now, let’s go and play!”

“Play?”

“Yes!”

As a child, playing is essential.

Elody took Caville’s hand and went out into the garden. Even though the
trees and flowers were withered, it was still good enough to serve as a
playground for children.

“Come on, Caville, try to catch me!”

“Okay, wife!”

“You count to ten first and then catch me!”

“Understood!”

Elody rushed throughout the garden excitedly.

‘Unexpectedly, I seem to be more excited than I thought I’d be.’

Caville smiled brightly and looked at Elody running around. His smile was
dazzling and beautiful. It was prettier than the moonlight and more
beautiful than the sun that sets at dawn.

As Elody grew further and further away, Caville became nervous.

In the end, Caville chased Elody without even counting. He was afraid that
Elody might disappear from him.

“Hey! That’s cheating! Ah!”

Despite Elody’s grumbles, Caville persistently ran after Elody and he

caught up to Elody.

“I got you!”

Caville smiled and hugged Elody. His grip was very tight. Elody soon
smiled helplessly and held Caville’s hand. Caville held Elody’s hand
tightly.

Young Caville never wanted to let go of this hand. He didn’t want to give
it to anyone else.

* * *

Today was the day of Caville’s first sword training.

To make sure he has a lot of vitality, Elody fed him a lot of rice.

‘Maybe it’s because he couldn’t eat well at the orphanage, but he has a
good appetite.’

He ate freshly baked warm bread with braised chicken, and two cups of
sweet milk mixed with honey. Elody couldn’t be more glad to see him eat so
well.

“Let’s go to the training grounds, Caville!”

She reached out her hand to Caville.

Since it’s his first day, Elody decided to attend the class with him.

Caville’s instructor is Brien Vedos, commander of the knights of House of

Cernoir, who will later become Caville’s right-hand man.

The sky was dark, but it didn’t rain. Elody went to the training center in
the knights’ building while holding Caville’s hand. Sir Norman who
followed us from behind, introduced Sir Brien to me.

“Now, Sir Vedos. I look forward to your lessons starting today.”

“Yes, madame.”

Brien looks dispirited. He was a young man in his twenties. Sure enough,
Caville hid behind Elody’s back and shifted his eyes nervously.

‘That coward is the duke? Oh, dear Lord.’

Brien is an open book. It was easy to understand his thoughts. I continued
to stare at his gray expression.

“Unfortunately, Caville is afraid of adults. He’s struggled with trauma as

he was often abused in the orphanage.”

“……..”

Brien’s expression melted at Elody’s words. He fiddled the back of his

head with shame. Elody looked at Caville, who was wriggling behind her
back, and then looked up again at Brien and said,

“He’s a child right now, but he’s going to lead the knights of Cernoir in
the future. So I humbly ask you to look after him, sir Vedos.”

“I understand, madame.”

Brien looked at Elody with curious eyes.

‘So small, yet so mature.’

He was thinking with a look on his face. Elody turned to Caville hiding
behind her back.

“Caville, he’s a good man.”

“……..”

“Be a good boy. All right?”

“Okay….”

“I’ll be right next to you, so don’t worry.”

“You won’t leave me?”

“I won’t. I’ll sit over there, see?”

Even with anxious eyes, Caville nodded.

Brien looked down at the young master with a wistful face. But Norman, the
butler, was instead smiling with pride.

Chapter 3

Caville grabbed a small wooden sword, he shifted his gaze towards Elody.
She could see his anxiety showing through his trembling hands. To reassure
him, Elody would occasionally wave her hand and give him a comforting
smile.

While Caville continued with his training, Elody spent her time reading
books about magic pills that the maids brought from the library.
It’s surprisingly not difficult to make magic pills. In fact, she was
capable of comprehending the contents without complication.

Perhaps, it was all due to Elody’s innate intelligence.

She closed my eyes and tried to recall the procedure of creating magic
pills. She brushed through the list of ingredients and procedures.

The key to making magic pills is the amount of mana. It is essential to

inject the precise proportion of mana into the pills. Not to mention, the
quality of mana is also very important.

Fortunately, Elody’s born with the power to manipulate the earth and wind
mana. It is the perfect setup. Alas, she was destined to be a villainess
with a horrifying end…. Regardless, it’s still a useful ability, so she
could consider it as a gain for her.

Now the real problem is the ingredients. she needed numerous kinds of
herbs and berries.

The seeds can be formed with magic, but where will she be able to grow
them?

‘I wish there is a greenhouse near the mansion.’

Truth to be told, the duke’s mansion does have a greenhouse, but it has
been a long time since anyone has utilized it.

It would require a huge amount of funds to repair the greenhouse. It’d be

great if she could expand the size as well.

‘I have to take some of the savings in the vault.’

It originally belonged to Caville, but…

‘I’ll sell tons of medicine and repay him later.’

(Elody continues to watch Caville’s training session.)

After much deliberation, Elody set her gaze back to Caville’s little
figure.

Caville was a knight who was known for his swordsmanship skills, he was
brilliant enough to make a big impact in the war.

It was described in the novel that Caville was unbeatable in a fight.

He was astounding, either his power or skills, both are formidable.

Nevertheless, the Caville in front of her was nothing but a child.

‘I can’t believe he’s growing up so fast.’

Tears welled up in Elody’s eyes when the realizations hit her.

‘Huh? But… Isn’t the training too hard?’

Today was his first lesson.

So, of course, he should be learning the basics, like the swordsman’s

stance and how to properly wield a sword.

‘But… how come he’s already learning how to spar?’

Somehow, Sir Vedos’ class seemed to be different from the usual

swordsmanship class.

“Stand up, my lord.”

Brien Vedos was very strict and cold-hearted. Even when Caville had fallen
to the ground numerous times, he wouldn’t reach out his hand to him.
Instead, Caville had to get back up on his own.

Caville raised himself slowly, tears welling up in his eyes.

Seeing Caville’s pitiful face, Elody clenched her fist, trying to stop
herself from running up to him.

‘It’s nice to watch my boy grow up… but… still! He’s crying!’

Elody glared at the harsh instructor, but he didn’t heed Elody’s silent
protest. He went on with his lessons regardless of the piercing glare.

Caville fell a few more times, and a while later, dirt smeared all over
his body.

His clean crisp attire had become an unrecognizable dirty rug.

Halfway through the lesson, Caville looked to where Elody was.

‘When I saw his anxious eyes, my heart ached, yet I didn’t step forward
and kept enduring the upsetting scene.’

“You have to grip the neck of the sword. Now, once more!”

Brien pointed the old wooden sword at Caville who’s fallen again.

As time went on, Caville’s expression began to crumble.

“Heuu…”

“What are you crying for….” Brien muttered with discontent.

Elody jumped up from her seat.

‘I can’t stand it anymore!’

“Sir Vedos!”
Brien finally shifted his cold gaze to Elody.

Unlike her initial composure, all the maturity in her face had vanished
and morphed into an angry expression.

“I told you before. Caville is afraid of adults! Why would you point your
sword towards his neck like that? Don’t you know how scary it is for a
traumatized child to be held at gunpoint?”

“…I didn’t hit him….”

“Threatening him is the same as hitting him! I order you to train Caville
with care until he gets used to it! It is still the first lesson!”

“…I understand.”

Brien Vedos scratched his head due to the troublesome demand.

He felt odd because his usual training method was through strict and
demanding practices.

It was also the first time he’s ever been scolded by such a young girl.

But as Elody said, the student was an abused child and had struggled with
trauma.

Brien had no experience of meeting abusive adults when he was young. In

fact, he had never been afraid of them. So it was understandable that he
could not empathize with Caville’s pain.

Even so, there was nothing wrong with Elody’s words.

It would be more efficient to teach with moderation until Caville’s able

to adjust himself.

Caville was such a difficult student that Brien had to reconsider his
teaching method.

Even so, Brien had fun teaching him.

Caville’s eyes were full of fear and he always looked as if he was on the
verge of crying.

In the eyes of others, he would’ve been deemed as a coward. But Brien knew
he was far from a coward.

Brien could see that underneath his fears, he would instinctively look for
the opponent’s weaknesses. It felt as if he was looking at an
inexperienced young cub that’ll grow into a monstrous beast.

It sent a chill down his spine when Caville gave him such a menacing look.
It was his first time to experience such feelings.

Brien expected the upcoming training to be interesting.

“Oh, dear Lord! His knees are bruised!”

If only it weren’t for that overprotective-parent-like duchess.

Elody rushed towards Caville who had fallen to the ground. Caville
unwittingly stretched his arm around Elody’s neck.

‘Ah, I’m tearing up again.’

As Elody hugged Caville’s small figure, the dark clouds that had been
accumulating in the sky, slowly started to create pitter-patter raindrops
around their figures.

“Thank you, Sir Vedos. It’s raining, so let’s call it a day.”

“…yes, madame.”

“Get on my back, Caville.”

“Yes….”

Elody headed to the castle with small Caville lying on her similarly small
back. Brien could only look at both of the figures dumbfounded.

* * *

Elody hurriedly headed to the bathroom where the maid had prepared warm
water. Then she stripped Caville of his garments.

Caville was still afraid of adults, so she washed him herself.

Even though he has been well fed, his figure was still scrawny and frail.
He looked as if he were only about four or five years old.

“Is the water too hot?”

Caville shook his head silently.

She saw deep cuts as she scrubbed his back gently with a soft sponge.

The first time Elody washed Caville, she was shocked to find countless
wounds marring his body…

The director of the orphanage often locked up the children in a room and
abused them.

Recalling the odious man, she swore to avenge Caville’s wounds.

She gritted her teeth. She used to have similar scars across her body.

Count McClaire, Elody’s father, was a violent man. Whenever he was in a

bad mood, he would beat up his wife and children, creating scars on
Elody’s body.
The marks on his thigh looked the same as hers.

“Caville, do your knees hurt a lot?”

“Yes…..”

Caville’s eyes welled up again as he recalled what had happened earlier,

yet he didn’t let his tears fall.

‘Now that I closely observed him, he doesn’t cry that often.’

It was admirable to see him trying to contain his tears.

Suddenly, an awful thought crossed my mind.

“Caville, did the orphanage’s director and his friends scold you if you
cried?”

Caville nodded slowly, affirming her suspicion.

She felt sorry for him. It may be commendable to see a child holding back
his tears. But to force someone to stop crying is just… inhumane and
wicked.

Suppressing one’s emotions does not eliminate them, rather, it makes it

more difficult for the person to manage their feelings when other
challenging situations may occur in the future. Worse-case scenario, the
pent-up feelings could manifest into escapist behavior and give rise to
physical and mental illnesses.

“Caville, you don’t have to hold back your tears.”

“Huh?”

“You can cry. There’s no one here that will scold you.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I may scold you sometimes… but I won’t force you to stop
crying.”

“Yes! I’ll listen to you, wife.”

“Then you have to keep your promise.”

Elody continued to scrub Caville’s body with care.

Honestly, she could ask for the maid’s assistance, but she’d rather wash
him herself.

She didn’t want anyone to find out about the bruises on his poor body.

After the bath, Elody clothed herself with silk garments.

She left the bathroom and saw Caville, he was dozing off in front of the
warm fireplace and his head fell to the side every once and then.

She laid out a blanket and wrapped it around him.

Feeling the soft blanket wrapping him, Cavill woke up. He looked up to me
with his eyes wide open, blinking, trying to rid his sleepiness away.

“Caville, come, sit here. I’ve told the maids to bring you some vegetable
soup.”

“Okay.”

Caville’s hand peeked out from the blankets. He picked up the utensil and
spooned the hot vegetable soup that’s been brought in by the maids.
Watching him eating attentively, Elody called out to him.

“Caville, when the instructor pointed his sword towards you. Were you
frightened?”

“Yes…it was scary.”

“Have you ever been hit before?”

“Yes. It hurts a lot.”

Caville answered with a nod. Elody held Caville’s hand and said, “The
instructor won’t hit Caville.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He will not hit you.”

“But it’s still scary.”

“Don’t worry, I will never allow him to hurt you.”

She clenched her fist with determination, then she looked at Caville.

“Caville, you know. Those people who’ve been bothering you.”

“Yes…”

“The adults who’ve hurt you, they’re worth nothing,” she said firmly.

“You, on the other hand, are worth more than you think. Those adults?
They’re nothing. You don’t need to fear them anymore.”

“Still, I’m scared.”

“Don’t be. I’ll make sure to punish them for all the bad deeds they’ve
done to you! You don’t have to be scared anymore.”
“But… what if my wife gets in trouble too?”

Caville bit his lips, hating to ever imagine the chance of his abusers
laying their hand on Elody. Elody, who was looking at him, chuckled
because of Caville’s adorable reactions.

Elody snorted at him pretending to be tough.

“Ha, come on. Don’t you know how strong I am, Caville?”

“Really?”

“Yes, I’ll punch them all later. Like this, look.” Elody said, punching
the innocent pillow beside her. Caville grinned at her remark.

She was serious though.

‘Someday, I will punish those people with my own hands.’

A thought crossed her mind, and she quickly fetched a paper and pen from
her desk.

“Caville, do you remember their faces? Say whatever comes to your mind.”

Caville hesitated for a moment, but he began to describe the faces of his
abuser. While speaking, he seemed a little scared, but he was relieved to
see Elody’s relaxed expression.

“Really? How big is his nose? Thick lips?”

She listened to his explanation attentively and began to draw on the

paper. Though she had poor drawing skills, she was still able to get a
rough sketch of those guys.

‘The guys who dared to bully my baby… I’m gonna kill them all!’

After finishing the soup, the two fell asleep while talking in front of
the fireplace.

They could’ve gone to bed, but the warmth of the fireplace was too
comfortable to move away from.

The rain was sliding down the window glass. The sound of raindrops
knocking on the window felt like a gentle lullaby, cradling both of them
into a deep slumber.

Not long after they both fell asleep, a maid came in to pick up the dirty
plates. She smiled as she saw the two children who fell asleep in front of
the fireplace.

“Oh, how lovely…”

The maid leaned carefully and carried Caville to bed.

“Huh? What is this?”

As she was about to carry Elody. She saw a piece of paper next to the
child. It was a sloppy drawing of several individuals.

“Did they draw this? Oh my god… How cute….”

The maid smiled lovingly and moved the children to bed.

The room was filled with the soft scent of gentle, powdery, and light
fragrance.

And the paper with pictures in it was placed well inside the book.

The maid, who left the room, told her fellow maids about the lovely scene
she had just seen.

Even Elody’s cute drawings weren’t left out of her story.

“Oh, drawing pictures? How cute!”

“Who did they draw? Did they draw the butler? I’ll have to ask them to
draw me, too.”

Contrary to the thoughts of the maids, those drawings were actually

Elody’s murder list.

Chapter 4

The next day, the butler reported the fief’s financial status to Elody and
gave her the documents. Meanwhile, Caville, who was eating beside her, had
his mind up in the clouds.

The sound of Caville chewing his food could be perceived throughout the
room, and as Elody started reviewing the ledger. Her expression turned
dark.

Elody was shocked to see how terrible the house’s financial condition was.

Seeing the young lady’s distasteful look, Norman started to sweat.

“It’s because the former duke raised the taxes too high…”

Elody sighed at Norman’s evasive remarks. The situation was not good
because the former Duke wasted a considerable amount of money for his own
self-indulgence. To cover the expenses, he raised the tax rate drastically
and because of that, the number of residents decreased a lot.

The duke was imprudent and selfish. He couldn’t care less for the poor.

“At this rate, we’ll have to collect more taxes next year,” Norman said
with a worried look.
“Alright, thank you. I’ll ask you if I have more questions. ”

“Understood.”

At Elody’s words, Norman bowed his head and excused himself out. Seeing
Elody’s serious expression, the butler’s heart swelled with hope. For some
reason, everything seemed to be going well under the young lady’s
supervision.

‘It’s nice to be free from worries….’

The butler had a lot of concerns when the duke took charge of the fief.
The former duke and his wife were both alcoholics. They had no interest in
managing the land’s affair. Their thoughts were only filled with ways to
quench their addiction.

Under these circumstances, it was a blessing to receive Elody into the

estate as she was mature for her age. Not only did she help resolve the
budgetary problems, but Elody also aided the young lord so that he can
adjust to normal life. Norman once again thanked his insight for choosing
the perfect person as the young duke’s wife.

When Caville moved into the mansion, he used to cry and lock himself up
inside his room. Nowadays, he is more relaxed around adults. In fact, he
can even see the young duke’s smile from time to time.

The way Elody kept her composure ignited Norman’s hope. Her mature
countenance calmed his anxious mind. The indifferent look on the little
girl gave him the assurance he much needed. Elody really had an unusual
knack of making people feel comfortable. People would quickly warm up to
her. Even the servants of the castle, who were concerned about Elody’s
arrival, seemed to have eased up their guard.

Aside from her warm presence, Elody would greet every servant she
encountered with a curtsy.

‘That’s why all the servants like her.’

Norman took out his handkerchief and wiped his eyes. As he grew older, he
easily teared up on the smallest things. He had a feeling that the House
of Cernoir will reign in prosperity once again.

‘Yes, everything’s going to be fine…..Definitely!’

Unexpectedly, his hunch came true.

“What? Hidden gold?”

A few days later, Norman looked at Elody with a blank look on his face.

“Yes! If you would care to follow me, I’ll take you to the vault.”
Elody brought Norman along, saying she had found the duke’s hidden vault.
Norman with his mouth agape followed Elody, who was walking towards the
safe’s direction.

* * *

Elody had spent a lot of effort in finding the safe. She even left all of
her affairs aside, just to search for the hidden vault.

‘Where could it be? How did the former Elody find it?’

She had a hard time finding it with no explicit information detailed in

the novel.

The gold vault was left by the former Duke’s father or Caville’s
grandfather. The room was hidden beneath an unused study, which was made
exclusively for Caville’s grandfather. In the middle of the study, was a
desk covered in mountains of dust. At first glance, it might look like a
normal desk. But underneath that desk, lies a door that leads to the
secret vault.

‘I found it! But… it’s locked. Where’s the key?’

The safe was locked tight, but Elody couldn’t find any clue regarding the
key’s location. So instead of finding the key, she used an iron rod to
break open the door. With Norman’s help, Elody proceeded to pry open the
wooden lid. Then, the door unlatched with a thud.

‘Wow……’

The vault was magnificent. It contained thousands of gold bars, gold

coins, and jewelry. Just the sight of it would leave everyone mesmerized.

Of course, it wasn’t enough for the people to live the rest of their life
leisurely, but it was enough to guarantee their livelihood for the coming
year.

Amongst the pile of gold, a letter was placed on top. It was written by
Caville’s grandfather for the former Duke. Perhaps after he passed away,
he had hoped his son would find the safe.

“Ah, …..I can’t believe it.”

Norman wept as he read the letter. He could not be more grateful.

Meanwhile, Elody began to contemplate.

‘At present, the House of Cernoir’s reputation is at its worst. In order

to recover the house’s honor. I’ll have to influence society into thinking
that the House of Cernoir isn’t one to trifle with. In order to create
positive rumors, I’ll have to spend this money wisely.’

First of all, this should be spent on Caville.

“Norman, am I allowed to use this?”

“Of course, the duke’s property naturally belongs to the reigning duke and
duchess.”

“Then please reinforce the estate with more knights.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t mean to sound extravagant but I have something I’d like to do.”

“…As you wish, your grace.”

Norman, who stopped crying, nodded as he looked at Elody.

‘This person is trustworthy. But isn’t he too naive?’

Norman was a man full of loyalty and honor. It was reasonable for me to
trust him. But it’s kind of uncanny to see how credulous he is. Norman
didn’t even question my decision for reinforcing the knights.

‘Why does he think so highly of me? Is he not worried about me ruining it

all?’

Elody intended to use part of the money for military power. The former
duke had many knights, but ever since he passed away, the knights hadn’t
undergone any proper training. In order to aid Caville in battle, Elody
needed elite soldiers. Therefore, reinforcing the knights was a necessity.

‘That way, it will be safer for Caville and the knights.’

Of course, there was another reason behind her order. The former duke was
an irresponsible man and he had no interest in the land. Nevertheless, he
was still a duke. Meanwhile, the current duke is nothing but a young
child. Hence, it is inevitable that the house might be looked down upon by
other nobles. By reinforcing the knights, they might be able to protect
the house from other noble’s schemes. Besides, Elody had found the perfect
person to lead the knights.

“You want me to be the commander of the knights?”

Brien Vedos was dumbfounded by this preposition.

“Yes, you will hold the responsibility as the commander of the knights
until Caville matures.

“… With utmost respect, your grace. I barely have enough time to teach the
young child. I do not think I have the capability nor the time to train an
entire army of knights.”

“You say you are occupied, but I don’t recall you ever having a wife and
children?”

Brien paused and looked at Elody with astonishment.

He was bewildered as it was the first time he got called out for lying.

“You don’t even have a lover.”

“…”

She might sound collected, but her words felt like blades, stabbing into
his guilty conscience.

Brien then glanced at Elody with a distressed look.

“Sir Vedos, I humbly ask you to consider my request. At least, for

Caville.”

“However, to maintain the knights, the amount of money…..”

“Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of that. You just need to call the knights
and start their training. You’re allowed to choose your apprentices and
reinforce them before you begin.”

“…Understood.”

Elody smiled with relief.

‘This is what you call appointing the right person to the right place.’

After succeeding in recruiting Sir Vedos, Elody excused herself and headed
back to the castle.

She also had a duty of her own.

“So, the princess and the prince lived happily in the cookie house.”

Precisely, it was Elody’s duty to read a book to Caville during tea time.

If Brien had seen this, he would’ve deemed her actions as useless. But
Elody knew for a fact that reading and storytelling are essential for
children. It promotes brain development, sparks imagination, teaches
language, and a lot more. For Caville’s future, storytelling was
important.

Caville was now seven years old, but he was still very dependent on Elody.
So Elody spent a whole day with Caville. She played with him in the
garden, built things out of soil, and made simple toys out of hand-me-down
fabrics.

“It was fun, wasn’t it? Do you want to read another story today?”

After reading all the fairy tales, Elody closed the book. When she looked
towards Caville, his eyes kept sparkling.

“It’s nice to have a cookie house. Wife! Why don’t we have a house?”
“Huh?”

“Can we have our own house?”

Caville asked with an innocent face.

“What are you talking about? This is your house. ”

“Here?”

“Yes. The place you’re living in right now. This is your house, Caville.”

‘I’m going to get a divorce, so I won’t live here forever.’

At Elody’s words, Caville tilted his head.

“Then I won’t go back to the orphanage?”

“Of course not. You live here now, Caville. This is your home.”

Elody’s reassuring words brightened Caville’s face.

“I love living here! I want to live here with my wife for the rest of my
life!”

“…yes, well….”

Elody felt bitter when he said that.

She couldn’t help it, knowing Caville will fall in love with the princess
in the future.

“I wish I had a cookie house, too!”

Hearing Caville’s childish words, a smile returned to Elody’s face.

“No, Caville. The cookie house….”

“…?”

“There are many ants in there.”

“….”

“I hate ants….”

With Elody’s firmness, Caville looked a little sullen. She felt bad for
destroying his childhood.

Ever since he lived in the mansion, Caville developed a sweet tooth. He

enjoys eating the sweets Elody gave to him. Of course, it’s never too good
to eat things excessively. Which is why Elody strictly controls Caville’s
diet.
‘Huh? Come to think of it,’

“Caville, can you stand up?”

“Huh?”

“You got taller…”

‘He grows up so fast… I’m proud of him.’

Elody told Caville to lean on a wall, then she drew a mark above his head.

“Let’s record your height here every year.”

“When you grow up, you will be taller than me. ”

Caville opened his eyes, they widened with amazement.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

In the original story, Caville was described as a very tall handsome man.
Imagining the grown-up version of himself made her very pleased.

Chapter 5

Elody stroked Caville’s face, her heart was filled with a surge of pride.

He had thick and lustrous raven black hair. His unfathomable, pink eyes
were those of rose quartz. Elody could imagine him growing into a very
attractive adult.

Thanks to the servant’s efforts in maintaining his nutritious diet,

Caville’s marred skin became white and smooth as snow. His lips were no
longer chapped. His pink eyes were orb round and darted constantly, a
gleam with delight and the vigor of youth. Elody was glad to see him
flourish so well.

“What’s the matter, wife?”

“Nothing. You’re just very beautiful, Caville.”

“I’m beautiful?”

“Yes, Caville. You’re the most handsome in the world. My baby.”

“My baby?”

“Yes, it means that you’re the most precious to me,” said Elody, as she
hugged Caville in her arms.
Caville then extended his arm around Elody’s waist. Although his arms were
short, Elody was surprised at how tight he hugged her.

“When I grow taller, I’ll give you a bigger hug.”

“Yes, yes. Grow big, my baby.”

Elody laughed seeing Caville’s determined eyes. Not minding his childish
remark, she stroked his soft hair gently.

‘In the future, the princess will be the one to hold the adult Caville in
her arms. When she grows into a beautiful woman, she’ll be the one to hug
you instead.’

Elody smiled as she imagined the marks that will be carved on the wall in
the years to come. Still, she let out a deep, heavy sigh.

In a few years, Caville will go to war and Elody will be left all alone.

The thought of it saddens her heart, as she could no longer mark his
height on the wall.

In the novel, the war lasted for ten years.

The war was against the Empire of Urta, which was located in the east of
the Friar Continent. They colonized neighboring countries with their
strong military power. However, The Urta Empire was known to be cruel and
ruthless. They slaughtered every single civilian and innocent children
mercilessly. To them, nothing mattered as long as they were able to
conquer the Empire of Heklos.

At first, everyone was sure that the Empire of Urta would prevail, for
they dominated the first few years of the war. Alas, the tides were turned
when Caville entered the battlefield.

Caville became the main force behind every victory of the Heklos Empire.

He had extreme intelligence, his leadership abilities earned the trust of

his soldiers, and his drill methods helped transform the patriot forces
into an accomplished fighting force.

He was labeled as the continent’s best swordmaster and he led the Empire
to victory.

Needless to say, he was a hero.

‘My baby is amazing.’

Elody was proud, but she felt somewhat uneasy at the same time. It felt as
if her feet had been dipped into the mud and it was suffocating.

One of the Empires the Urta had colonized was the Empire of Dayev, the
country of the heroine from the novel.
The heroine was the princess of the Dayev Empire. She was taken hostage by
the Urta Army and the person who rescued the princess was none other than
Caville.

It was love at first sight. Destiny brought them together as they felt a
connection that was unparalleled from any other person they had met
before.

‘No matter the circumstances, they will be drawn to one another…’

But that story was still in the distant future.

‘I want to see him grow up and fall in love… How great it would be…’

Elody was downhearted at the thought of not seeing Caville for so long,
not capable of watching him grow up into a fine young man.

Her heart ached. She wanted to make lots of memories with Caville. She
wanted to spend more time with him. Still, Elody ignored the throbbing in
her heart.

‘I shouldn’t worry. For this too, shall pass.’

* * *

A few days later….

“Birthday?”

Elody opened her eyes wide and looked at Norman.

“…Yes, madame.”

“Hmm…….”

With Elody’s disheartening response, Norman was hesitant.

Caville’s birthday is just around the corner.

In the past, while inquiring information on Caville’s mother, Norman

received a letter from a maid’s father. Turns out, the maid was the duke’s
mistress as well as Caville’s birth mother.

Unfortunately, the letter did not say anything about Caville. It only
states the name “Caville” and his date of birth.

Since then, Norman kept a close record of the lord’s birthday.

As things progressed, Caville wasn’t that afraid of adults anymore. So

Norman thought that it would be wonderful if the duke gets to celebrate
his birthday with the duchess.

When he was preparing the young lord’s marriage, Norman checked the
documents he received from Count McClaire. Coincidentally, Norman found
out that there was only two days difference between Caville and Elody’s
birthday.

That’s why he came to the duchess to discuss his proposal. He wanted to

celebrate both their birthdays at the same time.

Although when he mentioned the event, her reaction was not very good.

‘Does she have bad memories about her birthday?’

When the idea came to him, Norman felt angry and helpless at the same
time. Count McClaire was infamous for his greedy and abusive ways, and he
obviously was not a loving father. Norman couldn’t have imagined what had
transpired on Elody’s previous birthdays.

‘The Count must not have given her a proper birthday party. Did he even
celebrate her birthday…?’

“Madame, I’m sorry, I made a mistake….”

“Okay!”

Elody, who had been frowning for a long time, smiled brightly and nodded.
Norman was stunned by the unexpected response.

“Yes?”

“I love birthday parties! Let’s arrange one for Caville’s birthday.”

“Well, can I, uh, arrange the party for both of your grace’s birthdays? It
seems both of your birth dates are close so I thought of celebrating them
together….”

“Alright!”

Elody’s answer assured Norman and his expression brightened as he heard

her reply.

“Understood, madame! I’ll get right into it.”

He left the room as he bowed himself out.

‘Hah… I somehow managed to convince the duchess.’

Elody who was still sitting in the room recalled what Norman said. When he
mentioned the word “birthday”, she involuntarily stumbled upon one of the
little Elody’s memories.

She could recall one of her birthdays through the flashes of memories.

The memory was very faint, just like a piece of torn and worn out paper.
Elody’s father, Count McClaire had many children. The children of his wife
to the illegitimate children from his mistresses, and even the maids he
had laid his hands on….

Under such circumstances, it was impossible for the count to celebrate

Elody’s birthday. Either way, he couldn’t care less about his children.

Elody may be born from nobility, but unfortunately, she has never
experienced love or any sort of affection from her parents. Not even her
siblings.

‘I remembered one of my older brothers congratulated me on my birthday

only once.’

Elody’s previous life before reincarnating was even worse.

She was an orphan with no clue regarding her exact birthdate. Moreover,
she lived a life filled with loneliness and didn’t have anyone to
celebrate it with. As a result, Elody has never had a proper birthday
party.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t this my first birthday party in both lives…?’

Unconsciously, her heart was filled with anticipation and excitement.

“What’s a birthday?” Caville asked while learning letters beside Elody.

“Well, a birthday is the day Caville was born in this world.”

“Is that good?”

“Of course it’s good. It’s the day where you get lots of presents and eat
delicious food.”

“Can you eat snacks, too?”

“Yes, you can eat as much as you want that day.”

“Wow…. Really?” Caville said as he clapped his hands with glee.

Caville also grew up in an orphanage, so he must have never had a proper

birthday party either.

Elody thought about what gift she should give to Caville for his first
birthday celebration.

‘Should I give him a toy since he’s still a child?’

Despite the anguish in her mind, Elody glanced towards Caville’s paper.

“Caville, you made a mistake here.”

Hearing Elody’s comments, Caville’s face turned peevish and sullen.

‘He’s so cute when he pouts.’

Elody patted Caville on the head and pointed out his mistake.

“Oh, but this one’s correct! Well done, Caville.”

As soon as Elody gave him a compliment, Caville’s sullen expression

brightened.

Caville’s progress in his studies was slow due to his trauma. The effects
of abuse can be so encompassing that a child’s development slows down.

Surprisingly, however, his speed at learning the ancient language was

quite fast.

‘Well, as expected of the male lead….’

Elody was talented in ancient languages as well, and her years of studies
made her fluent. She was in charge of teaching him ancient languages. As
they progressed with the study, Elody couldn’t help but realized that
Caville’s learning pace was faster than normal people.

However, learning the ancient language was no easy task.

Similar to inborn talent, it was easier for individuals with a strong

affinity for mana to learn ancient languages. At the same time, people who
do not possess any mana lack the ability to learn just as fast.

Perhaps, Caville had the ability to manipulate mana, that would explain
how he could learn numerous languages with ease.

It wasn’t surprising considering his role as the male lead. He was

destined to be a legendary swordmaster. He was capable of creating his own
aura using mana.

Elody was stern in teaching Caville now, as she was hoping that if she
taught him well, it would be of great help later.

Like a parent who teaches their young children to help them prepare for
the future.

* * *

Sometime later, the day of the celebration came.

Elody made a rabbit doll for Caville.

At first, Elody felt giddy with excitement. This was Caville’s first
birthday party. So she wanted to make something by herself.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go too well. So to salvage the doll, she

asked for the maids’ help. Although, in the end, it still looked kinda
sloppy.
‘I should have just bought something….’

Nonetheless, Elody decided to give him the present as it is. A

personalized gift is always a good idea, no matter what kind of present it
is. After all, the real intention of giving handmade material is not about
the price but to make the receiver feel special.

“Is your finger alright, madame?” Marie anxiously questioned.

Elody glanced at her pricked finger and shook her head.

“It’s alright.”

“Look on the bright side! The doll turned out beautiful! I’m sure the duke
will like it.”

“Will he?”

It’s kinda ugly….

‘The rabbit’s ears were a bit different in length. His eyes seemed a
little crooked too, but what’s done is done. What else can I do?’

Elody proceeded to wrap the doll. She desperately tried to cover the
bunny’s flaws but of little to no avail. Eventually, she sighed and left
everything to Marie.

After wrapping Caville’s present, it was time to change Elody’s attire.

Marie gathered up the gown and helped her wriggle into it. Elody
straightened up, smoothed the frock neatly into place, and performed a
clumsy pirouette followed by an impish curtsy.

“It’s… beautiful.” said Elody as she spun around.

The dress was pastel pink and the skirt consisted of ruffled tiers of pink
tulles that ended just above the ankle. A sash bow wrapped around the
dress consummated the ensemble.

“Where did you get this dress, Marie?”

“It’s made by the maids. It’s a birthday present for you, your grace!”

“The maids made this? You have incredible skills!”

‘Should I make a sewing room in the mansion for the maids?’

At Elody’s answer, Marie laughed, not minding the high praise.

“Thank you, Marie. I really appreciate the dress. Do tell the other maids
of how grateful I am.”

“You’re very welcome, madame. I will tell the others soon.”

Afterwards, Marie curled Elody’s pink locks and did her makeup. Not too
long after, the preparations were done.

“It’s done, your grace. Now let us show the duke your new dress.” Marie
said as she reached out her hand to Elody.

Elody looked at the hand with a bizarre feeling.

It made her a little self-conscious to be treated like a kid, but as her

body was that of a child, she could only shrug the awkwardness off.

When the door to the hall opened, Elody could see Caville pacing around
the entrance anxiously.

“Caville.”

Elody called out, Caville who was trapped in his anxiety was startled by
the sudden call. When he saw that it was Elody who called him, he swiftly
came close and grabbed her outstretched hand.

Norman, who was watching their interaction, exchanged a proud look with
Marie.

Elody took Caville’s hand and went down the stairs gracefully.

“Congratulations, lord and madame!”

“Happy birthday to the duke and duchess of Cernoir!”

As soon as the door of the restaurant opened, the assembled servants began
to sing, cheering to celebrate the joyous occasion.

Suddenly, the sound of a child crying spread across the room.

“…Waahh!”

All the people inside the restaurant were startled by Caville as he burst
into tears. The surprise party was supposed to be filled with joy and
happiness, but instead, one of the main stars of the event burst out
crying.

The servants whispered in dismay. Elody saw Caville’s reaction and quickly
calmed him down.

“Caville, look over there. They have cake!”

“……”

The word “cake” stopped Caville from sobbing. His tears disappeared as
fast as it came. Now his gaze was set to the direction of Elody’s pointed
finger.
In the middle, a very long table was a large cake. It was a stunning ombré
rosette cake with layers of red velvet sponge and then sprinkled with pink
sugar dust.

Caville’s eyes glistened with eagerness. For him, seeing such a big cake
was a novelty. A smile was soon painted across his tear-stained eyes,
letting the servants release a long relieved sigh.

Elody was reassured when she saw Caville had stopped crying. She didn’t
expect that Caville would cry in the middle of the celebration.
Truthfully, She herself wasn’t surprised by the event as she had known the
servants’ plan since a few days ago. They were so obvious in arranging the
party.

Several days ago, the servants frequently gathered and chatted amongst
themselves.

Yet when Elody appeared, they scattered as fast as the wind. Just like
carps in a pond….

At first, she wondered if something serious was going on, but when she
eavesdropped on them, the only words she could hear were cakes, fairy
tales, special birthdays, and so on.

This morning as well, Elody tried to get near their gathering to

eavesdrop, but the servants used every trick in the book to block her and
shooed her away.

When Elody realized their plans, she wanted to tease their childish
enthusiasm, but she desperately held it in out of gratefulness for the
servants’ efforts.

The birthday party soon began with all the estate’s servants celebrating
alongside.

The lit warm candles were placed on the silver candle stands and were
distributed all over the table. The sound of firewood crackling in the
fireplace could be heard. Creating a simple, yet heartwarming ambiance.

“Please, settle down everyone. I will now serve all the special dishes
I’ve prepared for the duke and duchess!”

Chapter 6

The long tables laden with delicacies lined the walls. Everything you can
think of, and things you have never dreamed of, lie in wait. The chef
prepared whole roasted ducks and the aroma permeated the room, making
one’s mouth water. Everyone enjoyed the feast.

Everyone… except for Caville.

His forehead turned into a frown as he tasted the food. He seemed

sensitive to the taste of heavy spices and didn’t like them very much.
“….”

Elody comforted the sullen chef and said, “Don’t be so glum, the meat is
delicious. He just has sensitive taste buds.”

The chef could only nod at Elody’s words. Then he fixed his gaze towards
the young lord. Only to find him ogling at the cake that he made.

Caville took a slice of cake. Giving it an experimental bite, he was

surprised to find how easily the spongy layer gave way to his teeth and
nearly gasped when his taste buds practically sang under the flavor. It
was the best cake he had ever tasted in his entire life.

Caville soon forgot his distaste towards the heavily seasoned foods and
ate two more plates of the special cake.

The chef’s gloomy look was nowhere to be seen. The duke’s relish towards
the cake restored his wounded pride and he couldn’t be anymore jubilant.

As the party continued, Elody permitted Caville to eat without manners for
the rest of the day. As soon as he heard Elody’s concession to release him
from the stifling custom, he began to eat his food with even more gusto,
and Elody too, let go of her manners and etiquette for the special day.

‘On such a joyous day, manners are the least important!’

A while later, the small chatter across the restaurant eventually stopped
and it was finally time to open the presents.

Norman gave a book to both Caville and Elody, while the maids presented
handmade outfits. Brien bestowed Caville a wooden sword created from
expensive blackwood and he gave Elody a cute hairpin.

“Here, Caville. I’ve prepared a present for you.”

Elody held out her present to Caville. The maids were full of anticipation
and excitement.

Caville tore off the wrapper with his clumsy hands, he was surprised to
see a big, fluffy rabbit doll. Caville picked them up and turned them over
in his hands, letting his eyes roam freely over every stitch so lovingly
made. He raised his eyes to Elody, who had that look in her eye, caught
between pride and fear of rejection. Before Elody could speak, he hugged
the rabbit doll tightly with all the strength his little hand could
muster.

“I love it!”

His lovely appearance urged out a unified squeal from the maids, “Oh, my!”

Elody was relieved to see his expression. The doll she gave him was hand-
crafted by herself and Caville seemed to really love the present. She
considered her gift as a huge success.
“Thank you, dear wife.”

Although the doll had uneven ears and was flawed in several places,
Caville didn’t seem to mind those imperfections. If anything, Caville
hugged the doll even tighter. He then sent a big smile towards Elody.

“Here…. This is the present I’ve prepared for you, wife. Norman, the gift,
please.”

“Yes, your grace.”

Norman held out the gift he had hidden behind his back. The maids tried to
contain their excitement.

Elody opened the present box that Caville gave her. Her eyes widened at
the unexpected surprise. It was a glass jar filled with candies. There’re
sugar covered fruit jellies, liquorice of all-sorts, sour candies, and
others. But the candies weren’t what caught her eye. It was the letter
that sat right beside it. Elody quickly picked up the card and began
reading its contents.

The paper was scribbled with Caville’s handwriting. The letter contained
only two short sentences.

[Thank you. I love my wife the most.]

Elody was touched. It hasn’t been long since Caville learned how to write,
so his handwriting was a bit messy, but it was enough to warm Elody’s
heart.

From the bottom of her heart, Elody was grateful.

It was the best birthday present she had ever received.

* * *

After the birthday party, both Elody and Caville washed up and changed
into their night garments.

Then, they immediately sat down and began arranging the presents they
received one by one.

They were enthusiastic at first, but not long after, they started to doze
off and went into a deep slumber. Their small bodies were sprawled side by
side on a warm, fluffy blanket. The maids couldn’t help but smile at the
sight.

“Oh my! How lovely they are!”

Elody’s hairpin, which was given by Brien, was pinned into Caville’s
fluffy black hair. Marie and Emily giggled at the sight of their antics.

As they were about to carry both children to the bed. Marie discovered
something.
“Oh, what could this be?”

“What is it?”

Marie’s gaze happened to fall onto the little scrawls on one side of the
wall. It was a scribble marked by Elody to keep track of Caville’s height
every year.

“Look at this, it’s so cute.”

“I can’t help but feel that they are growing up too fast….”

“I suppose so.”

After the two children were put to bed, Marie and Emily left the bedroom
and closed the door gently.

Before long, two additional lines marked the wall, indicating their new
heights.

Caville grew one inch (2.54 cm) taller and Elody grew a bit as well.

A year passed by quickly and the seasons changed. Seasons fade in and out
like soft lullabies, their transitions slow but never faltering.

First came spring, in every hue of pastels, the gardens were filled with
newly sprung grass and blooming flowers. Then, summer prances in shades so
vibrant the fair-goers shade their eyes. Next comes autumn, an ever-
changing mosaic of scarlets and gold. Lastly, comes winter with its icy
hooves sparkling in a sun that has lost its heat.

Soon, the seasonal carousel is complete for another year as spring has
come to wake up the empire once again.

* * *

Throughout the year, Elody’s daily schedule was packed without a break.
She had to visit the library to study medicine, manage the land’s affairs,
and teach Caville how to read and write.

Not to mention, Elody also had to regularly collect the herbs she had
planted with the help of several maids.

“Madame, this is a weed, isn’t it?”

“I think so.”

The weather was gorgeous that day. Clouds drift by on the most relaxed of
breezes, helping their eyes to appreciate the bluebird sky all the more.

Seeing the pleasant weather, the maids brought a couple of baskets which
consisted of fresh bread sandwiches, quiche, and sausage rolls, in case
the duchess decides to have a picnic.
“The sky is very beautiful today!”

“Yes, it’s a perfect day to harvest the herbs, madame.”

Marie and Anna would always accompany Elody whenever she went to harvest
the herbs.

Anna was fond of flowers and plants, and she liked gardening. So when she
heard that the duchess wanted to grow herbs of her own, she immediately
volunteered to help.

Eight-year-old Caville was still smaller than his peers, but his height
has grown quite a bit. He has also become more lively than before.

“Caville, would you like to walk with me?”

“Of course, wife!”

It has become a habit for Elody to take a stroll with Caville in the
gardens on sunny afternoons. Frankly, it’s similar to walking a dog….

Sometimes, she’d even devote most of her spare time just to watch Caville
train.

‘Hmm… He’s improved.’

His posture was no longer sloppy and he seemed more confident in wielding
the sword.

‘As expected of a genius.’

Then, Elody approached Brien with a proud smile on her face.

“He’s improved a lot, hasn’t he?”

“Yes. He’s a talented one.”

Elody had a strong personality. If the lesson seemed too difficult, she
would not hesitate to argue with Brien and lower his demands.

“Speaking of which, will you be watching today’s lesson as well, your

grace?”

“I will… unless Caville refuses to have me here.”

“….”

Brien then turned his gaze towards Caville. Hoping his glare would shoo
her away.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go too well.

Upon hearing Elody’s words, Caville pouted his lips and shook his head, as
if telling her not to go. Brien couldn’t be more disappointed. It seems
that he’ll have to suffer for quite a while….

“Caville’s still a baby. Just let it go until he matures.“

“Well, is there a baby this big? Babies are called babies for a reason.”

“He’s a baby in my eyes.”

Brien could only shake his head after hearing Elody’s words.

In Elody eyes, Caville would still be a baby no matter how much he grows
up. Even if he turns into an adult, he would forever be Elody’s baby.

Elody was so stubborn and adamant about this fact that Brien could only
grumble and continued with his training.

After spending a year together, Caville and Brien had become attached to
each other. Caville slowly opened up to him and was no longer afraid. The
fear that was holding his growth in swordsmanship slowly diminished until
it was gone and thus his skill grew by leaps and bounds.

Other than teaching Caville, Brien was also in charge of managing the
estate’s knights. Elody’s decision was proven to be correct. Within less
than a year, Brien managed to reinforce many knights into their militia.
The knights’ quarters and training grounds situated in the renovated
castle were now packed with existing knights and apprentices.

“Madame, I think we’ll have to recruit more servants into the mansion.”

“Alright, Norman. You take care of recruiting the new servants.”

“Understood, your grace. I’ll get right to it.”

As the people in the estate increased, the workload for the servants
increased as well. The small number of servants were struggling to keep up
with the new chores every day. When Norman saw they were scrambling to
keep up the pace, he finally decided to ask for the duchess’ permission to
hire new workers.

A few days ago, the knighthood ceremony was held, and Caville was finally
dubbed as a knight.

The ceremony was conducted by Sir Vedos. Several qualified apprentices

were also appointed as knights. The kneeling squires would swear an oath
of allegiance to the duke. Then the master of the ceremony would dub the
new knight on the shoulders with a sword.

Throughout the ceremony, Caville seemed anxious as he was not used to the
presence of so many people. In order to calm him down, Elody would hold
his hand and smile at the child, as if telling him that everything’s
alright.
Suddenly, at that very moment, an idea struck Elody’s mind.

The idea was to repair and renovate the mansion’s greenhouse and build a
laboratory next to it.

Elody could have done this sooner, but she was too busy dealing with
Caville’s affairs.

“Madame, the construction workers will arrive tomorrow.”

At Norman’s words, Elody put down her mug of cocoa and said “Yes. How long
will the construction take?”

“Not too long, as there’s very little to repair.”

“That’s a relief. Oh, right! I was supposed to go to the market with

Caville today.”

“Yes, I’ve heard. Marie and Sir Vedos will accompany you, your grace.”

“Alright. Though it seems that Caville doesn’t want to go.”

“Well, it is his first time going outside the mansion.”

Norman smiled like a benevolent grandfather and looked towards Elody and
Caville.

Throughout the conversation, Caville sat next to Elody. Elody sighed and
shifted her gaze towards Caville.

He was well-fed and raised with care all year round. However, it seemed
that he had become overly attached to Elody, he couldn’t bear the thought
of being separated from her.

Caville was still afraid of tall adults and crowded places. His symptoms
had improved… but without Elody beside him, he’d still be awfully anxious.

‘He may have developed separation anxiety….’

Elody looked at Caville quietly and Caville stared back at her, his round
eyes blinked innocently.

At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to join the war without Elody beside
him.

‘But… I’ll only become a burden if I follow him to the battlefield. I

might even put Caville in danger.’

‘Should I distance myself from him…?’

Elody thought for a moment, but she couldn’t do that.

“Wife, do we have to go?” Caville said with his puppy dog eyes.
‘How could I separate myself from my cute baby?’

Furthermore, Caville always listened to Elody. He was a sweet and gentle

child. If Elody scolded him, he would listen to her, when she told Caville
to do something, he’d obey her commands. Caville was very obedient, just
like a well-behaved puppy.

“Yes, we have to go. I have some herbs I’d like to buy.”

The mansion had a lot of herbs and most of them had been harvested.
However, it still wasn’t enough. Herb samples from other regions were also
needed. So, Elody had no choice but to go to the market and check the
items that the merchants sold.

“Madame, madame! The carriage is ready!” said Marie as she approached

Elody with an excited face.

Marie was a tall, red-haired maid. She was kind, cheerful, and bright,
perhaps that’s what drew Elody to her. It didn’t take a long time for them
to become friends.

“Alright. Let us go, Caville.”

“……”

Elody smiled at Caville’s sulky face. He loathed the idea of going outside
the mansion. Nevertheless, he’d still follow Elody wherever she goes.

Elody then buttoned up Caville’s attire and walked with him to the
carriage, hand in hand.

* * *

The market was more lively than Elody thought it would be. The shops were
stuffed and the footpaths were crowded with stalls. A myriad of spices
embellished a bright and overflowing market stall giving off a sweet
redolent smell. People continued to bustle around the busy marketplace,
browsing through an assortment of vibrantly colored stalls, and
occasionally buying an item that catches their eye.

Elody paused for a moment to survey the flamboyant scene. Some stand
excitedly near a corner of a stall brimming with eager excitement, lovers
strolled hand in hand, casually browsing, whilst housewives hustled,
bustled, and haggled over the price of fruits and other imported
merchandise.

Everyone’s expressions seemed bright. Perhaps it was due to the reduction

of taxes to half. This reduced rent may have lessened the residents’
burdens.

Elody smiled softly at the cheerful atmosphere. She then held Caville’s
hand and continued to look around.

“There’s a lot of people here. Be careful, your grace.”

“Yes, thank you. Sir Vedos.”

Brien acted like he’s actually worried about Elody, but truthfully, his
gaze kept drifting to the redhead beside him. Surprisingly, Marie didn’t
seem to hate his stares either.

Chapter 7

‘Look at them….’

Elody sighed at the lovebirds in exasperation.

Brien and Marie were of similar age. Both didn’t have a lover and they
were often caught stealing glances at each other.

“Oh, look over there. Madame!”

The sudden call broke Elody’s train of thought, her eyes gradually fell
onto the object of attraction, a cavalcade.

“It’s gorgeous!”

“Wow….”

They seemed to be peddlers from a foreign country as they were donning

exquisite outfits. The costumes with striking patterns lit up the day, a
riot of color to rival any gardener’s paradise. The cavalcade was
attracting all wandering eyes and pervaded everyone’s senses. Beautiful
colors surrounded the streets making it quite a sight. However, merchants
on the streets seemed to have a sullen expression, they were dissatisfied
because the foreign merchants took the attention of their customers.

“They’re the famous merchant guild, Rhondia, right? I heard they sell the
best goods in the whole continent…. They must have come a long way to our
territory!”

“Looks like they’re on the way to the capital.”

“Yes, I guess so! I’ve heard of how famous they are…. Woah!”

Suddenly, a strong smell of perfume loitered over us creating a subtle

atmosphere. The aroma is warm and inviting, but the fragrance was… musky.

Brien’s expression hardened for a moment, while Marie’s cheeks turned pink
like roses, the color so vivid against her pale, freckled skin.

‘Um….’ The perfume seemed familiar to her. Elody thought she’d roughly
remember seeing it in the novel.

‘Ah, that’s right!’

There was a chapter in which the female protagonist misused a perfume.

It was a famous perfume that came from the East, not the common ones, but
rather, the ones to seduce the opposite sex.

Of course, the peddlers didn’t just sell that one type of perfume. They
also sold common flavors like floral or fruity scents.

Unexpectedly, the heroine used the wrong perfume, and in the end, the male
lead, Caville, had to save the female lead who was in a difficult
situation because of the paralyzing aroma….

Then, there is a scene where their lips collided into each other while
hiding together in a narrow place.

In short, the perfume led them to their first kiss….

Elody glanced at Caville, who held her hand tightly.

My baby…kissed….

“What’s wrong, wife?”

Elody shook her head at Caville’s innocent question. Meanwhile, Brien and
Marie were blushing, both faces burned bright as they coughed away their
embarrassment.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into Elody’s mind.

‘Why don’t I study perfumery?’

Perfumes were fairly lucrative items. Elody would be able to bring in a

lot of money if she were to succeed in selling them.

‘It’d be good if I could get a sample or two.’

“Marie, are you going to buy that perfume?”

“Oh! um… you needn’t worry! Children don’t need to know.”

‘But…it’s just perfume….’

“…No, I’d like to buy one too.”

“Huh? Your grace?”

“I’m going to research and study perfumery. I’d like to sell them so I can
gain profit. Not that one of course, but the regular ones.”

At Elody’s words, Marie became even more embarrassed and confused, her
mind scattered like a scared rabbit as she blinked multiple times.

‘How does she know about the perfume when I didn’t tell her about it?

Marie thought that Elody knew because another maid told her. It must have
been Emily, who usually enjoys mischievous jokes.
‘That blabbermouth! How could she say such things to a young girl…!’

She suddenly felt awkward, even going as far as attempting to hide her
face behind her lean fingers. She could feel the heat growing in her
cheeks. By now they must have been as red as ripe strawberries.

Unable to deal with the embarrassment, Marie ran away, saying she had
things to do.

“….”

“Ahem…,” Brien coughed and awkwardly fiddled his red ear.

‘Why are they so shy when they’ve just met? It’s embarrassing to watch.’

Elody clicked her tongue in disapproval and held Caville’s hand. As she
started to look around, she noticed that the market had become even more
crowded.

“That’s quite the crowd. Sir Vedos, don’t take your eyes off of Caville.”

“Yes, I understand….”

All of a sudden, a swarm of people started rushing towards a merchant that

sold goods at a ridiculously cheap price and the streets became completely
overcrowded.

Suddenly, a person crashed into Elody.

“Oh no, wait…!”

Elody accidentally let go of Caville’s hand and he got caught in the crowd
that kept flowing down the wide avenue.

A pile of people continued to pass by and Elody was pushed back for a long
time.

The market was hectic and they were trapped in an endless sea of people.
Elody couldn’t see which way Caville was headed. She couldn’t even see if
she was going to bump into a wall or crash into a person.

Finally, Elody managed to get away from the hordes. She looked back at the
many people that crowded the streets and searched for Caville, but he was
nowhere to be found.

She started to move amongst the crowd, her eyes darting more wildly with
each passing second. Then, she saw a tall figure standing in the corner of
the road.

“Sir Vedos!”

“Your grace!”
“What should I do? I lost Caville!”

Brien’s expression immediately darkened and Elody panicked. She called out
Caville’s name in a quivering voice, hoping he would shout back, but to no
avail.

“Caville!” she shouted, as it became even louder until many heads were
turned in her direction. It was too dangerous for him to be alone.

Elody’s sight suddenly caught on to a dim light which oozed through a

narrow gap in the alleyway. Without a second thought, she looked down the
stretch of the alley, and there he was, his small figure could be seen
from the shadows.

“……”

Elody’s heart, which was pounding nervously, finally calmed down. She
couldn’t be more relieved to have found him.

‘But who are those people?’

Next to Caville, were two boys that surrounded him. They didn’t look much
older than Caville, however, they were indeed taller than him.

“Hey! You were adopted by a rich merchant, weren’t you?

“His clothes seem expensive. Let’s take it away!”

It was a bad situation.

‘They’re…thugs!’

Elody quickly approached them.

“Stop!” Elody shouted.

“…What?”

“Wife….”

Caville was shedding tears. He was confused and surprised.

When Elody stretched out her arm, Caville immediately ran towards her and
gave her a big hug.

“…What? Wife? You’re telling me you’re married? You? A seven, no, eight-
year-old kid?”

“You hit the jackpot, huh,” said the two children as they chuckled at
their own remarks.

‘What’s wrong with these people?’

“Did you guys hit my baby?” Elody retorted.

“…No, we didn’t hit him. What do you want?”

The boy with freckles on his face asked menacingly.

“Who are you? How do you know Caville?” said Elody.

“We were in the same orphanage as him. Why?”

“Orphanage?”

“Yes, we ran away from the orphanage, with dignity! I’ve had enough of the
boss…” The freckled boy paused. “He’d beat us up from time to time…”

“Others got adopted to rich families while we became pickpockets….”

“Hey! I told you not to say that in front of anyone!” He fumed.

“What?!”

The boy with freckles was outraged by his accomplice’s slip of the tongue.
Out of the banter, they glared out of anger towards each other.

Elody sighed.

“Caville, are you alright? Were you scared?”

Caville nervously hugged Elody’s waist and clutched her clothes tightly.

“Look at that coward, are you hiding behind your wife’s skirt?”

“HEY! You better keep your mouths shut.” Elody snarled.

The two boys seemed a little surprised by Elody’s sudden shout. They bit
their lips as if she had broken their pride and ego.

“You… you little!”

The boy full of freckles raised his hand as if to intimidate her, but
Elody was not scared. Her face was red with suppressed rage, and when the
boy tried to set a finger on her shoulder, she swung around and mentally
snapped.

“Argh!”

She grabbed the boy’s hair and pinned him into the wall.

“Don’t you dare raise your hand towards me, you insolent child.”

“Alright! Alright! Let me go already!”

Then, Elody tightened her grip.

”If an adult scolds you, you obey them. Understood?”

“Ahhhhh! Hey, do something about her!”

Then, the child next to him immediately rushed to Elody.

But Brien, who appeared just in time, stopped the child.

“Madame, are you all right? But… what are you doing?”

Elody released her grip from the boy’s hair and whisked the hairs that
remained on her palm.

When they saw Brien, the two boys looked dejected. They turned their gaze
to the sword on Brien’s waist.

“I’m fine.”

“Who are these children?”

“They used to live in the same orphanage as Caville.”

“…Let’s get out of here!” the two whimpered as they ran away in fear.

Elody clicked her tongue with regret.

‘I should have scolded them more.’

“Huh? What’s that?” asked Elody.

The freckled child had dropped something on the ground.

“It’s an old brooch, isn’t it?” claimed Brien.

“Really?”

“Seeing as the gems glow, I think it’s an artifact.”

Elody looked at the brooch Brien handed over. It was her first time seeing
an artifact. Brien was right. Pulsing from the gem was a strange, bright
light.

Artifacts meant relics containing ancient magic. They’re usually created

by mages. It was a huge luxury that only the greatest of the nobles could
have.

Artifacts were, in short, disposable magic tools made from specific

spells.

Of course, the older it is, the more valuable it becomes. Artifacts

containing real ancient magic were rare in the first place.

Then, a sniffling sound could be heard. Elody turned her head and glanced
at Caville.
“Caville, are you alright? Look at me.”

Caville stopped crying and looked at Elody.

“You were afraid, weren’t you? My poor baby…”

The moment he got separated from Elody, everything went black. His face
paled and his feet gave out. He was afraid he’d never get to see Elody
again.

Caville then hugged Elody tighter.

He cherished the warmth of Elody’s gentle touch. He was frightened out of

his wits when her hand slipped out of his grip. Caville was terrified of
never seeing Elody again. Just the mere thought of the idea emptied his
heart.

Never would he have ever imagined that behind the dark days in the
orphanage, someone would love him unconditionally. Her aqua tinted eyes
would brighten at the sight of him as if he was her most precious person
in the whole world. Her existence brightened his world and he didn’t want
to part with her. Only after the encounter with those pickpockets did he
realize how much he treasured Elody.

When they were accidentally separated, Caville’s vision went black. His
heart was racing and he couldn’t breathe, it felt as if he was drowning in
despair. All he wanted to do was curl up into a ball and wait for Elody to
save him.

Suddenly, two boys stunned him out of the endless wave of people.

They were shouting at Caville and their stands were menacing, yet Caville
couldn’t hear a thing. All he could think about was Elody.

‘You left me.’

‘She showered me with care and love every day, walked with me in her free
time, yet she still abandoned me in the end.’

Just as the dimming light in Caville’s heart was about to disappear,

Elody’s sudden emergence broke him out of his stupor. Nevertheless, the
anxiety that filled Caville’s lungs still didn’t subside.

‘Elody might abandon me.’

The paranoia and anxiety were eating Caville alive.

‘No! She can’t ever abandon me!’

Caville’s expression turned dark.

‘I can’t be abandoned….’

He was afraid.
The elders of the orphanage always said so.

‘You were abandoned for a good reason. Useless bastard!’

‘You rampallian!’

Dirty curses would hurl out of their mouths. Outcast by his family and
frightened of nature and society alone, he had nowhere to call home.

Lonely, starved with warmth, the little boy stared into the dark abyss.

Elody said the adults were nothing, but those painful words couldn’t be
easily forgotten, and they left a deep wound in his heart.

The memory he tried to suppress began to resurface and all of them came
out like sharp thorns. Scratching his heart until it bleeds once more.

‘You’ll be abandoned.’

‘You deserve it.’

‘You are just trash that nobody wants.’

The nauseating whispers filled his thoughts and tortured his mind.

Chapter 8

Caville tried to stop his tears and slowly released the arm that wrapped
around Elody’s waist.

‘I can’t bother my wife any longer. If I keep bothering her, I’ll get
thrown away.’

Caville thought he might have gotten too comfortable with Elody. Every
day, all he did was cry and asked for help. He felt as if he had become… a
burden.

He felt unworthy of being loved but he still clung to it. He clung to her
kindness, her hugs, and even the smallest whispers of her love. He knew
that this happiness was not everlasting but he didn’t want her to leave
him. He would rather be abused again than be abandoned because he fully
comprehended the pain that it would cause.

‘You can hit and harass me….’

“Wife….”

“Huh?”

“I’ll listen to you….”

“….”
“I won’t bother you anymore.”

‘So don’t throw me away.’

Caville wept bitter tears. Fear crept over him like some hungry beast,
holding him captive. He feared being abandoned, he feared rejection, but
most of all, he feared to lose the person that loved him the most.

“What’s wrong, Caville?”

Elody stared at Caville with a worried look and stroked his head.

‘Why is he so retrospective all of a sudden?’

“It must have been very scary…”

Brien looked at them pitifully and said, “I guess so…:”

Elody held Caville in her arms again and stroked his back. The weariness
originating from his face could be seen clearly during this time. It made
Elody’s stomach congeal in sadness as the heavy burden appears.

“Speaking of which, are there many children like that here? Seems like
they were stealing to survive,” said Brien, curious as to how many
children were living in poverty.

“Well, I’ve seen a lot of homeless children. But the numbers have
increased lately. I don’t think there’s enough food for them to eat…”
Elody said with a sigh.

As soon as the construction of the greenhouse’s finished, Elody thought

she’d have to take a look around the territory. She had to do something to
reduce poverty and help the poor get back on their feet.

Suddenly, approaching footsteps could be heard echoing down the concrete

walls. From around the corner came a man wearing fancy clothes. He had
tanned skin and a tall build, but his expression showed desperation and
anxiety.

Sweat rolled down his skin in thick, salty beads, and his breath came in
short gasps. As he tried to catch his breath, he asked with anxious eyes.

“Excuse me, have you seen these two little boys?”

Brien and Elody exchanged glances at the man’s words.

“Were you perhaps pickpocketed?” Brien inquired.

‘Those children stole from him too?’

Hearing Brien’s words, the man’s eyebrows rose in surprise and yelled,
“That’s right! Did you get robbed, too? Those thieving scoundrels…,” he
said, “Damn it! What’s wrong with this place?”
“….”

Then, Elody asked the man with a wry face.

“What did you lose?”

“…It’s my mother’s legacy… a brooch… with a gem in the middle… It’s

precious to me….”

“Is this it?”

When Elody lifted the artifact, the man quickly took the brooch from her
hands.

“That’s right! Mother’s brooch! Oh…thank heavens!”

Unexpectedly, the man was so overjoyed that he started to cry. His tears
burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down his face. Everyone went
silent, casting uneasy glances, not knowing what to do in such an awkward
situation. Despite being a grown-up, the man still cried like a baby. Even
Caville was embarrassed to see him cry.

Brien crumpled his forehead at the mortifying scene and said, “Let’s go
back, madame.”

“Alright. Caville, do you want a piggyback ride?”

At Elody’s question, Caville shook his head.

“Then Brien shall carry you.”

“…Alright,” Caville said, not looking up from the floor as he spoke.

Brien gently lifted Caville and put him on his back. Caville seemed
dissatisfied, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to trouble Elody
anymore, so he let Brien carry him instead. Besides, he’d be safer with
Brien as he was a full-fledged adult.

“Please wait!” the man shouted as he caught the three who were about to
turn their backs to leave.

“How did you find this?”

The man’s eyes were stern and he had a serious look on his face.

“Are you doubting us now?” Brien irked, smoldering underneath his stony
expression. The man’s words seemed to have irritated him.

Frightened, the man quickly shook his hand and spoke, “N-no! That’s not
it! Just… I mean, I was just curious. I’m sure those two boys stole this
earlier… but… it’s possible that you… ordered them to do it….”
“I am a proud knight of Cernois, and second in command of the knights,”
Brien said through clenched teeth, trying to control his frustration “How
dare you to doubt a person such as I….”

As he was about to grab him by the collar. Elody stepped up and stopped
him.

“I was the one who picked it up!” Elody explained. “The two boys dropped
it when they were running away earlier.”

The man, startled by Brien’s sudden aggression, shifted his gaze towards
Elody, and said.

“Oh… this little lady is very smart. Thank you for finding my belongings
and I apologize for not recognizing you, sir knight.”

‘Little lady…? Why you little…’

Elody turned 14 this year and she was still a short girl. Even so, the
title “little lady” was quite offensive to hear.

‘I am not a little lady. I can’t believe the words that come out of his
mouth.’

Not being able to read the mood and see Elody’s unpleasant expression, the
man continued to introduce himself. He kept smiling as if everything was
fine.

“My name is Sirka, the owner of Rhondia,” he said as he politely

introduced himself.

Brien made a short, chortling sound, “I see. Let’s go, your grace.”

“Wait!” Elody blinked at him, astonished.

“You’re the owner of the famous merchant guild? Rhondia?”

“That’s right.”

Elody’s eyes brightened, and she immediately thought, ‘This is an

opportunity!’

“Hmm… I returned your brooch, so does that mean that you owe me a favor?.”

“Yes, of course. You found my mother’s memento…. I’d like to return the
favor by offering you a gift.”

“Thank you for your courtesy, but there’s no need for that.” Elody
replied, “Instead, why don’t you pay a visit to the duke’s mansion?”

“Yes?”

“Caville here is the Duke of Cernois. It’d be wonderful if you’re able to

visit the mansion. When are you planning to leave the duchy?”
“Uh… I’m thinking of staying here for another month or more…,” his words
trailed off, “The scenery here is very beautiful, so….”

Sirka seemed perplexed at Elody’s sudden invitation to the duke’s mansion.

“Then you must come to the mansion a few days before you leave.”

“…H-huh?” he stammered.

“Now, let us go, Sir Vedos!”

As Elody ended the conversation, she held Brien’s arm and dragged him
outside the alleyway.

“Are you sure about this, your grace?” Brien asked, perplexed.

Truthfully, Elody was also puzzled by her sudden and rash decision. She
knows that it was ignorant and impulsive to have invited a stranger into
their home.

But….

Having business partners was an important factor in making money. To do

so, she had to establish connections with the merchants.

The larger their influences were, the better. That was why Elody did not
have second thoughts, as he was the owner of the famous merchant guild,
Rhondia.

Regrettably, Eloldy didn’t have anything to trade.

‘But there’s still a month….’

Elody had to prepare something worthy of trading before the month ends.

There were some things she had thought about, but she hadn’t experimented
with them yet so she wasn’t sure.

Of course, even if Elody failed to make the trade, it was still a good
opportunity to get acquainted with the owner of the famous merchant guild.

Suddenly, Elody remembered the reason she visited the market in the first
place.

‘The herbs!’

“Hurry up! We must go!” said Elody, as she hurried to the place where the
herbal dealer was.

“W-wait, Your grace!”

As they ran, the three bumped into Marie, who looked surprised after
seeing Caville’s puffy eyes.
“Oh?! Your grace! Why are your eyes… did you cry?”

In response, Caville buried his head on Brien’s shoulders and covered his
face in shame.

“Oh, come on! We have no time!”

Elody was in such a hurry that Marie failed to get a proper explanation
regarding Caville’s swollen eyes.

It seemed that Elody’s impatience ended the market outing instantaneously.

* * *

As soon as Elody returned to the mansion, the first thing she did was to
organize the samples she had collected. Meanwhile, Caville went to wash
off the dirt from their trip.

“Hmmm….”

Elody had stopped bathing Caville a few months ago. She couldn’t keep
washing him, as his body started to develop. As her replacement, Elody
ordered the butler, Norman, to bathe him.

‘He’s grown a lot, much more than last year.’

Norman was one of the few adults Caville had a friendly relationship with.
That’s why she entrusted the job to him. She thought he’d be perfect for
it.

Then, Elody organized a list of the purchased herbs and magic pills on the
market.

Most of the magic pills on the market were either fake or had low
efficacy. Some of the low-quality ones might even cause the user to have
permanent side effects.

There were magic pills like therapies and painkillers that did work, alas
they cost way too much.

‘It’s too expensive.’

Therefore, commoners could only receive herbs from local merchants. But
due to their lack of knowledge, they would dry the herbs and drink them
with tea. Unbeknownst to them, by doing so the herbs would lose its
effects.

Moreover, the number of the sick and wounded increased greatly over the
years so they had no choice but to go to the priest to ask for a cure.

Unfortunately, there was no priest in Cernoir’s territory. There used to

be some, but now, only an empty temple remained.
‘What should I make…?’

If I didn’t make a product of value in a month, I would have to put up a

facade and do the best I can to establish a connection with them.

I’ll tell the servants to treat Sirka the best they can and I’ll have to
convince him to come again at a later time.

‘I can’t upset the guest, so it’s better to treat them in high regard. I
shall notify the chefs of the visit, and make them prepare some
extravagant foods prior to the merchants’ arrival.’

There was a reason as to why Elody wanted to cooperate with the merchants.
She wanted the trading system in the land to be developed so that even
relatively small communities had access to the markets. By doing so, she
hoped to gain some revenue from stallholder fees and boost the local
economy as shoppers used the peripheral services.

However, other aristocrats would not be pleased with the idea. The reason
was simple.

The nobles scorned the merchants. If artisans and merchants controlled the
trade of the land. It could pose a threat to their power and wealth.

The same could be said of the previous duke. That’s why, usually in the
regions, the commercial districts have not been developed. Leaving the
potential for economic growth untouched.

In Elody’s eyes, the nobles were making themselves look like fools who
only had greed for money and power.

“Wife….”

Elody turned around and saw Caville, who’s all washed up, entered the
bedroom.

“Are you done washing, Caville?”

“Yes….”

Caville seemed to still be traumatized by the incident in the market. He

had been depressed ever since they arrived at the castle.

“Come on, let’s go to bed early tonight. I’ll put you to sleep.”

“What about you, wife? Aren’t you sleeping now?”

“I will sleep later, I still have things to do. I won’t go anywhere since
I’ll be working here, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Really? You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Of course not. Where would I go? I’ll always be by your side.”
“Okay…,” Caville reluctantly said as he laid on the bed.

Elody tucked Caville with a blanket and slid into the bed next to him. She
held his hand and said, “Do you want me to sing you a lullaby?”

“…Yes, please,” he smiled at the idea.

Then, Elody began to sing the lullaby she’d always sung to him at bedtime
and stroked his hair. Caville’s breathing slowed as he sank into the
gentle lullaby.

“Good night, my dear….”

After only minutes, the sleep pooled on his eyelids as his snuffles
settled to a steady rhythm and wrapped in profound sleep.

His sleeping figure was as cute as an angel.

Elody kissed the back of Caville’s hand, then gently peeled his hand off,
and went back to continue on her work.

Chapter 9

“Hmm, what shall I make….”

Elody scattered a stack of papers on the floor and began to study the
procedure of making magic pills.

There were a lot of medicines Elody wanted to make, but the cost of the
ingredients was too expensive.

If the greenhouse was complete, Elody could have grown it herself, but
there was too little time. Growing herbs would take a while and who knows
when the construction work will be finished?

“The quality of these herbs aren’t too good,” Elody said with a sigh.

She laid down on her stomach, rolled her body on the floor, and pondered
over her worries.

As time went by, she found it more interesting to just roll around and
procrastinate.

“Oh, is it raining?”

The gentle tapping of raindrops could be heard against the windows. Seeing
the drops trickle down the glass brought a sense of calmness within her.

Elody went to the window and carefully unfastened the curtains to keep out
the cold wind.

She didn’t want Caville to catch a cold.

With eyes at rest in the way of dreams, Caville could also hear the
quenching rain as it passed onto his dreams.

Turns out, it was a memory of his past, a memory that flooded his mind
like water rushing into a sinking ship…

For a moment, the world was a blur of dull colors but as he properly
awoke, everything came into place.

He was stuck in a narrow cell. The room was dark, empty, and cold. In the
silence comes a low crackle of thunder, and the clouds unleashed a torrent
of water. The fluorescent lights flickered as raindrops dripped from the
ceiling.

Then, the door opened only to reveal a large shadowed figure. It was an
adult from the orphanage. He looked furious. The anger in his eyes burned
with rage and hatred.

“Did you stir up trouble again today?”

“N-no! I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Please…”

Fear and sadness were all over Caville’s face, but his eyes remained dry.
He knows that if he even lets a fraction of his tears out, the rest will
follow, a never-ending torrent of grief.

“You’re useless trash! That’s why you’re abandoned! You want to get beat
up again?!”

Caville was scared and he was on the verge of crying.

He tried to hold it in, he really did. Yet the tears still escaped his
eyes, running away upon his cheeks as if he cannot bear yet another verbal
assault and act of abuse. They would always blame him for the tiniest
faults that he made.

Caville couldn’t take it anymore. He prayed for the pain to stop. He

wanted to escape this hellish nightmare.

Suddenly, a tiny figure with pink hair appeared before his eyes.

‘Elody!’ Caville thought. He was relieved that his savior had come.

However, something was off about her. She turned around faced him, then
stood there and stared at him without saying anything.

After a few moments of silence, Caville, who was dazed, called out to her.

“Elody?” he asked.

But Elody did not answer. Instead, she kept staring directly at him, as if
she was looking into his soul, with an eerie smile on her face.
Then, she opened her mouth and said, “Foolish child, you will always be
abandoned.”

The voice of an adult came out of Elody’s mouth and it echoed inside his
head. It was the same voice as the adults of the orphanage.

Caville’s eyes widened in horror, his mouth rigid and open. He shook his
head mutely in disbelief as a strangled cry rent the air, only to
recognize that it was his own voice.

No, no, no!

“….”

Suddenly the sound of thunder rolled across the malevolent sky, and
Caville snapped his eyes open.

He was sweating profusely. His heart was still pounding with an adrenaline
rush. He wondered whether it was a dream or reality and it took some time
to realize where he was.

Then, he slowly raised himself.

“Wife….”

He looked around only to find that Elody was nowhere to be seen.

Disappointed, Caville got out of bed and wiped away the tears dripping on
his face.

“Huh? Caville, are you awake?”

As he was about to go out and look for Elody, he heard her voice from
beside the bed.

“Did you have nightmares, again?”

“….”

Elody stretched her arms towards Caville.

After hesitating for a moment, Caville ran to her and she gently held him
in her arms.

It was warm. It was so warm that he could no longer hold back his tears.

‘I shouldn’t bother her.’

‘You’ll always be abandoned,’ the nightmarish voice echoed through his

head.

That’s what scared him the most. Sometimes he left wondering if it’s
better for him that they never meet. Maybe it would’ve been better to let
her fade from his life, back out of it like she was never there in the
first place.
But he couldn’t let her go.

Elody patted Caville’s back gently as he buried his face in her shoulders.

“You can cry. Just let your tears out until you feel better.”

Elody sighed and hugged him tighter. Oftentimes, Caville would wake up
from terrible nightmares.

“…”

‘Why is she so kind to me? I’m a useless child.’

When he first became a duke, Caville couldn’t adapt at all.

He was afraid of all the adults. He thought that they’d be like the adults
in the orphanage.
He was scared they’d beat him up.

But one day, Elody appeared.

“Hello,” she said with a smile.

Elody didn’t force him to do anything. She didn’t even act like the butler
who kept talking and desperately tried to get close to him.

She just sat in front of Caville, who curled in the corner of the room and
attentively gazed at him.

She continued to observe him without saying anything. After a moment of

silence, Caville gradually glanced at Elody, curiosity flaring in his pink
eyes.

Then, they stared at each other.

Her hair was a glorious tumble of calamine-pink and it draped down softly
curling along the ends. Her eyes were the glimmering color of turquoise,
they were like beryl-green jewels that melted into the ocean. Then, a
smile flashed across her face.

“Do you want to hear a story?”

“….”

Even though he didn’t answer, Elody brought a book and started reading it.

Truthfully, Caville longed for affection. He longed for someone to accept

him for who he is, and Elody fulfilled that. Her kind gestures, her
warmth, her hugs, and consoling words. It was all that he’d ever wanted.
His heart greatly moved and for the first time in his life, he was able to
open his heart to someone. She was the answer to his loneliness.

“Shall we go back to sleep?”

“….”

Elody wiped the tears off his cheeks.

“Then shall I entertain you with a shadow puppet show?”

“…What’s that?” Caville asked curiously.

“Please wait.”

Elody turned off the lights and lit up a candle. Then, she sat next to
Caville and began to make shadows with her hands.

From dogs to butterflies, rabbits to birds, to owls, and swans.

Caville was amazed. He felt his lips stretched wider into a gaping grin
and his eyebrows arched for the sky. He wasn’t afraid anymore.

That rainy night, sleep hung like a cloud, and Caville fell asleep within
Elody’s arms. The pain from his nightmare stopped and a small smile formed
across his face.

The next day, the two of them overslept.

* * *

“Your grace, why do you look so sullen today?” Marie asked.

Hearing her words, the other maids looked at Elody as they were also
curious.

“Is there something bothering you, madame?”

The maids were knitting, making fabrics, and chatting in the tailor room.
Elody would often come to the maids’ workplace and chat with them.

The maids were amazed by the young duchess. They admired her who took
interest in their work. The former duchess would have never tried to visit
them in their workplaces.

“Nothing,” she said dully.

The maids exchanged glances with a worried look. They had tried not to
dwell on it, but they couldn’t quite shake off the feeling that something
was wrong.

All-day long Elody had been sitting at the desk, her paperwork piling
higher and higher.

“Ugh…,” she grunted with a sigh.

Yesterday, she fell asleep without making any progress and the amount of
work she had was stressing her out.
While Elody was working on the herbs, Caville took a nap beside her. The
maids grinned at the lovely scene, and then they started talking to one
another.

“Tessie, you don’t look good either. Are you perhaps sick?”

“Um… it’s nothing. I just have a stomachache.”

“Oh, is it that day?” Marie said.

The maids looked at Tessie with a sad face, as if they had sympathized
with her.

“If it hurts too much, go rest. I usually feel a little better after I put
something warm on my stomach,” Marie advised.

“That’s right, I do that too,” confirmed one of the maids.

“Do you want me to pluck out some Spirit Grass?” Anna said.

“Oh, that’s okay. I’m not quite fond of the taste,” Tessie replied.

“Really? I’ve been eating it since I was a kid, so I think it’s okay.”

Elody was listening to the conversation and it piqued her interests. She
began to ask, “What’s a Spirit Grass? Is it a herb?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, madame. It’s not a herb,” answered Anna as she slightly
blushed.

“Then what is it?”

Well, Anna would have explained it earlier if it had been a proper herb.
Nevertheless, Elody still looked at Anna with desperate eyes.

“That’s… there’s a grass we see every time we go to the field. It’s a

grass that looks exactly like the one in my neighborhood, so we used it
instead of a painkiller.”

Most grasses used as painkillers were known to be ineffective. Rather than

working on the pain itself, it had numerous side effects. On the other
hand, medicinal herbs that worked well were very expensive.

“But the results are minimal and the taste is very bitter,” Anna
continued, “so we don’t use them most of the time.”

“Yes, it’s very bitter,” the other maids nodded in sympathy.

“Anna, where’s the grass? Come and show it to me now!” Elody jumped up and
urged Anna. Anna seemed puzzled, but she still went with her to the
garden.
Before she headed for the fields with Anna, Elody carried Caville on her
back.

The rest of the maids giggled at the sight.

“My… the more I see her, the cuter she gets.”

“Right?” Marie said as she shifted her gaze towards the papers Elody had
been working on, “Oh, she left this… I will take it to her later.”

“What’s that?” Asked one of the maids.

As Marie gathered the papers, the maid next to her raised her eyebrows and
said, “Oh, isn’t this ancient language?”

“Really?”

The maids started to gather around the desk and glanced at the piles of
paper on top of it.

Marie shrugged her shoulders.

“I told you! I think she knows how to do magic!” exclaimed the maid.

“Oh, it must be true… ”

“So this is an ancient language? I don’t even know what they look like…”

“Aren’t these weird-looking texts ancient?”

Marie quickly rose to reproach the maids, “You didn’t believe me when I
said so before!”

“I thought she was just playing wizards and mages with the duke…”

Everyone nodded at the maid’s excuse, saying, “We couldn’t help it since
she’s still a young child.”

Marie snorted at them.

Of course, such reactions were natural.

They were bound to underestimate her, as wizards were very rare throughout
the continent.

* * *

“Anna, is this the Spirit Grass?”

“No, it’s a weed, madame.”

“…”
Elody realized why she hadn’t heard of people using the Spirit Grass to
relieve pain.

‘It looks just like weeds!’

“I get confused a lot, too. No one used it in the first place. Even in the
small town where I lived, the only one who used these as painkillers was
my grandfather.”

Anna took the grass, put it in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed it. Her
face crumpled in an instant.

“Yes, this is the one, madame.”

“…”

‘Well, if you can tell by taste, shouldn’t you just take a bite instead of
swallowing it?’

Curious, Elody also picked up one of the grass and thoughtlessly chewed on
them.

“Madame, if you eat so much…!”

“Huh? Ahhhhh!”

Suddenly, her legs gave out and she let out a painful cry.

Chapter 10

It’s too bitter.

It was painfully bitter.

‘I’ve never tasted something so bitter in my life.’

Her tongue ached.

“Are you all right, wife?”

Caville, who woke up on the way, was helping Elody plucking the grass as
he did every time he came out into the field.

He was about to cry when Elody started screaming. He was afraid something
bad might happen to her.

“Huuk! Blargh!” Elody choked.

Then, she reassured Caville but continued to complain about the lingering
taste.

‘Will I lose my sense of taste?’

Amidst her worries, Anna grinned and said, “I used to have the same
reaction as you, madame. But now, I’ve adjusted to the bitterness. It’s
because I’ve eaten the Spirit Grass since I was very young.”

“Oh, but why don’t people use this? It’d be convenient to use it as a
medicinal herb.”

“Well… the effects are too weak and it doesn’t work very well. My
grandparents also said that it’s better to go to the clinic.”

“..….”

“Of course, medicines from doctors are rather expensive. Most people don’t
know how to make medicine and the rate of literate people in this country
is too low….”

“That’s understandable….”

The flavor was too pungent, the bitter undertone would persist even if the
grass was dried and boiled into an herbal tea.

“Why is the name Spirit Grass?”

“No one knows the exact name, but that’s what my grandfather called it.
Even poor people like us could get medicines from nature, so he thought of
them as a gift from the spirits.…”

“It’s too bitter for that though. ‘The Devil’s Grass’ would have been a
more appropriate name,” responded Elody, who was about to cry because of
the bitter taste in her mouth.

Anna smiled and said, “Madame, are you really going to make magic pills?”

“Yes.”

Anna stared at Elody in a state of wonder.

Only rare individuals have the potential to become mages. Someone gifted
with a keen intellect and unwavering discipline may walk the path of the
mage and those who succeed will be greatly worshipped.

In the distant past, a legendary mage passed on his magic powers through
his descendants and countless of his disciples recorded them in ancient
languages.

But books in ancient languages were mostly monopolized by the temples and
designated as forbidden books.

It was also quite difficult to decipher ancient languages as some only

knew part of the language.

However, Elody was a cunning villain in the novel, so she was naturally
fluent in ancient languages and talented in magic as well.
For the first time in her life, she thanked the author for the villainess
setup.

“First of all, I’m going to do some research on Spirit Grass. Anna, can
you tell me how to differentiate them?”

“Yes, of course, madame, but….”

Anna taught Elody how to distinguish the spirit grass from the weeds.
Unfortunately, the method couldn’t fully guarantee the authenticity of the
plants.

The next day, Elody took Caville, Anna, and Marie to harvest more Spirit
Grass. As their research around the Spirit Grass progressed, the
construction of the greenhouse and the laboratory was finally completed
after a week. Since then, Elody has been spending her time researching
inside the lab.

“Madame, what do you think of the lab?”

“It’s perfect. You’ve done an amazing job, Norman.”

“Thank you, I’m glad to hear that. Shall I tell the maids to bring the
food here instead?”

“Yes please, I’d appreciate that.”

“Alright, I’ll bring it over right away, your grace,” Norman said as he
gave a benevolent smile.

A considerable amount of money was spent into the construction, still, he

poured his heart and soul into decorating the lab and it turned out
perfect. He couldn’t be more glad to see the results.

“Caville, I’ll be making medicine from now on.”

“Medicine? What’s that?”

“It’s something that will help you later.”

She had hoped to provide medicine that will be able to cure numerous
diseases and injuries on the battlefield. She wanted to help him in any
way possible.

“Madame! We’ve planted all the herbs as you’ve mentioned,” said Anna.

“Alright, thank you for your hard work.”

“It is my pleasure, your grace.”

Marie and Anna looked around the lab, smiling at the beautiful interior.

‘Indeed, Norman did a great job.’

“The greenhouse is remarkable, madame! I can’t wait to plant more herbs
and flowers here!”

“I’d like that. But do take care of your health, Anna. You tend to
overwork yourself.”

“Thank you, but you needn’t worry, madame! I’m perfectly fine!”

Anna had an incomparably bright face, she had learnt how to care for a
garden since she was young and she loved it still. The neatly raised beds
of herbs and perfect paths of pea shingles in-between, marked with
varnished cedar planks, were all her. Seeing her capability in managing
the greenhouse, Elody decided to leave everything in her hands.

“Caville, I’m going to do some medical research, so you should study your
writing.”

Hearing her stern tone, Caville answered, “…yes, wife.” while nodding
solemnly.

Marie and Anna giggled at the sight and quietly left the lab.

“Even if the book isn’t interesting, you have to read it, Caville. You
have to put up with it if you want to become a great adult.”

“Okay.”

Caville was sitting next to her while reading a book. He no longer read
fairy tales. His literary skill had advanced to a much higher level, so
Elody started giving him more complicated books.

The topic of the book that he read was about military law. Since Caville
was young, Elody taught and told him to study as much as he can. She
wanted him to simply progress and develop towards an improved state of
knowledge. So that it might help him later on the battlefield.

* * *

Sirka, the owner of Rhondia, sent a letter saying he would visit the
mansion on the day he leaves the territory.

“Treat them with the utmost respect. He’s the owner of the famous merchant
guild. It’ll be helpful if I could become acquainted with them,” said
Elody.

Norman nodded in response. Sirka was the first guest to visit the mansion
ever since Caville became the duke of the estate. So Norman gathered the
head maid, Julia, and the head chef, Bill to start a meeting and discuss
the preparations.

* * *

A few days before the promised day, Elody finally succeeded in developing
the medicine.
She finally made it after pulling an all-nighter for a few days.

Despite the inconvenience, Caville remained calm the whole time. He didn’t
whine and Elody was grateful for that.

“I’m finally done!”

Elody was proud of her achievement. However, her growth was halted due to
the lack of rest.

“Goodbye to my height….”

Even so, the result was so successful that she was fine with giving up 5cm
of her height.

It is not easy to make magic pills as they are created from mana. The
appropriate amount of mana must be inserted into the pills and the
materials should also be added through mana. Elody was only able to
succeed after two failures.

Her first attempt failed miserably as she made a liquid potion instead of
actual tablets.

Initially, Elody was in such a rush that she had no choice but to be the
guinea pig in her own experiment. This led to her having several burn
marks on her body. She forcefully hurt herself and used the medicine to
check its effectiveness.

‘Oh…!’

Elody realized that the Spirit Grass had little to no effect. However, the
use of mana was able to maximize its therapeutic success.

Unfortunately, the bitterness remained the same.

“…Ugh.”

Elody couldn’t tell if the medicine worked or if it was the bitterness

that made her forget the pain from her wounds.

‘It feels like the pain is shifting from my body to my tongue, is this…?”

Elody tried various methods to remove the taste. One of them was to use
the same technique of removing bitterness from a radish. First, she soaked
it in water. Then, she sprinkled it with salt and sugar.

The effect remained the same and the bitterness decreased a little, but
something was still lacking.

It was the form of the medicine.

‘Pills would’ve been much better than potions.’

Conventional solid, oral dosage forms offer the advantages of greater
dosing accuracy, improved transportability, and lower cost compared to
liquids. Therefore, they are more simple and convenient to use. Moreover,
medicines were generally liquid preparations, so pills would’ve been
considered as an innovation.

After that, Elody was immersed in the experiment again and overcame her
second failure. As a result of the continuous injection of mana, the
bitterness was further abbreviated.

In the end, she was able to make the perfect pill.

“It’s finally completed!”

Elody wanted to test the medicine on other people, so she decided to visit
the maids while bringing Caville along.

“Excuse me, is anyone here suffering from stomachache?” she asked while
holding Caville’s hand.

In response to her question, all the maids shook their heads. All except
for Tessie, who had recently complained of menstrual pain.

Hence, Elody gave the medicine to Tessie, and then she went on to the
knight’s training grounds with Caville to find more tests subjects.

Once she arrived, she immediately approached Brien and said, “Sir Vedos,
are you hurt somewhere?”

“…Pardon?” He asked with a wistful face.

“Would you mind if I injure you a little?”

“Huh? I’d rather not…” He quivered, his eyes widen in fear.

“Then, have any of the knights or soldiers complained about their

injuries?”

“Well…” he replied, “there’s a lot of injured soldiers resting in the

barracks.”

“Please take me to them.”

“Alright, madame,” Brien said as he proceeded to guide Elody and Caville

to the barracks.

Afterward, She opened the door, expecting the knights’ greeting smile, but
none comes. A heavy silence settled over them, thicker than the uneasy
tension in the atmosphere. Turns out, their impression of the duchess was
not very good. They saw her as a very strict lady who nags a lot.

Then, they recalled their first meeting…

The barracks wasn’t just a mess, it was a disaster zone. It looked like a
drunken cyclone had erupted the weaponry across the floor and there was an
overwhelming stench in the room.

Elody’s nose wrinkled in disgust, “What is this smell? Get rid of this
horrible mess!”

The knights were much bigger than her, but she was not afraid to scold
them.

“And you! Why aren’t you sharpening your blade?”

“…I apologize. I’ll get right to it, your grace.”

Some shifted uncomfortably in their seats and others grasped their sweaty,
nervous hands. Elody had no knowledge regarding swordsmanship, but every
time she visited them, she would not hesitate to nag around and scolded
them to the core. Of course, they couldn’t help but feel anxious at seeing
her presence.

“Is anyone hurt?”

Today, however, it seemed that she had come for another purpose.

A knight, who was taking a rest, raised her hand upon hearing Elody’s
question.

“……”

Her name was Solar, she was a young knight who boasted outstanding
swordsmanship skills.

Even though she was a teenager, she has been acknowledged by Brien Vedos
as one of the best knights in the order.

Unlike the others though, Solar was not uncomfortable with Elody. Instead,
Elody was the one who seemed ill at ease whenever she spoke to her.

As Elody approached Solar, the knight complimented her saying, “I am

mesmerized by your beauty yet again, your grace.”

“……”

Chapter 11

Solar glanced over, the corners of her lips fighting a smile, her eyebrows
slightly raised. Elody looked away before that mischievous look of hers
spread.

Even though she knew of her noble status, she still found it entertaining
to tease the young duchess. Her reactions were cute and she was the same
age as her sister. She simply could not resist teasing her.

A grin spread over Solar’s face as Elody started approaching her.

“Solar, were you injured?”

Solar shook her head saying, “No, I’m fine. Ren was the one who got
injured during training.”

Ren, who was Solar’s lover and a fellow knight, rose unsteadily to his
feet and winced to cross the floor.

“Does it hurt a lot?” Elody asked.

“Yes, madame. Fortunately, I was the only one who got injured,” he
whimpered as the pain spiraled all across his body.

Purple welts were scattered across his abdomen like a disease. It hurt to
breathe and he wondered if some of his ribs were cracked.

“Use this,” Elody said as she gave him a dose of the medicine she made.

“Um… May I ask what this is?”

“It’s a medicine that I made.”

“Will it cure my wounds?”

“It won’t heal them, but it can relieve the pain. Go ahead and try it.”

“Oh…” said Ren. After a short pause he went on “It’s… it’s not poison, is
it? Are there side effects or….”

“…and why would I give you something like that?” Elody said, disappointed
by his reaction.

“Hey, this is from the duchess! You should at least take it even if it is
poison!” Solar ranted as she nudged Ren. Nevertheless, he was still
hesitant.

Ren let out a shaky breath. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Maybe you should
give it to the other knights instead…”

Ren looked away. He couldn’t help it, he was scared that something bad
might happen to him.

“Solar, feed it to him,” Elody said.

Elody gave the medicine to Solar, who immediately took it and caught Ren.

“Ahh! Let go of me!” Ren yelled.

“Do not rebel in the presence of the duchess!” Solar said as she
forcefully fed it to his mouth.

Caville stared at the duo with an empty expression. It was unusual to see
him looking so bored.
“Alright! Alright! I’ll eat it myself!”

Ren did not want to eat the medicine, but he knows that Solar won’t stop
pressuring him until he accepted it. So he decided to give in and took the
pills from her hands.

“…just a bit,” he said as he chewed the medicine.

“Have you swallowed them?”

“Yes, well… Are you sure it’s working?” Ren asked suspiciously, touching
his bruised abdomen.

After a while, the medicine took effect and he could no longer feel his
bruise throbbing with pain.

“Huh?”

Elody’s medicine worked surprisingly fast compared to other magic pills.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore……? What is this? Is this magic?”

His mouth dropped open, and disbelief crossed his features. He punched his
wounds to see if he could still feel the pain, but he felt nothing.

“Don’t do that! It’ll worsen your injury. The medicine does not heal your
wound, it only reduces the pain and the effect only lasts for about 24
hours.”

Due to Elody’s warning, Ren stopped beating his wounds, afraid that it
might become worse over time.

“You’re a genius! Shall I give you a kiss and a hug?” praised Solar.

Elody sighed at her remarks.

‘Solar is beautiful, but it’s a shame that she acts like this…’

“Anyway, I’m glad it works,” Elody said as her soft lips stretched into a
smile, she was proud of her success.

Brien, who watched the whole thing, sighed in satisfaction.

“After studying magic pills every day, did you finally succeed?” he asked
with a grin on his face.

Brien didn’t warm to people instantly, nor was he easily impressed… but
Elody was different. At first glance, everyone would just see her as an
intelligent child. But Brien knew there’s more to her than meets the eye.
She was also hardworking and perseverant. She never stopped studying. She
diligently pursued the practice of her profession and immersed herself in
books. Needless to say, her determination and wit impressed him that he
could not help but feel proud of her achievements.
The other knights, including Solar, smiled at the duchess’ success.

“Caville, are you proud of me too?” Elody asked.

Caville, who was holding her hand the whole time, finally brightened his
expression. He no longer looked bored.

“Yes, I’m proud of you, wife.”

His smile lit up the room. A person smiles with more than their mouth, and
Elody could hear it in his voice, the choice of his words, and the way he
relaxed. It was beautiful.

* * *

The long-awaited day has finally arrived.

The chef presented a very special dish and layered the tabletops with the
most delicious food.

“I came here to repay your grace, but I was welcomed with such hospitality
instead. I’m very grateful indeed.”

“You’re welcome.” Elody smiled while drinking her tea. Then, she gets
straight to the point, and said, “You said you wanted to reciprocate my
kindness, yes?”

“Oh, yes. I’ll definitely pay you back.”

“Well, could you do me a favor instead?”

“What? Oh, of course!”

Sirka shrugged at Elody’s words. He thought her request shouldn’t be too

big of a deal because she was just a young girl.

“I’d like to supply items for Rhondia.”

“…pardon?”

Sirka was dumbfounded at her unexpected request.

“What kind of item?”

The merchant guild consists of traders who obtained rare goods and luxury
items desired by the nobility. So he couldn’t just distribute any random
item.

Elody presented a small pill and laid it on the table.

Sirka, who had no expectation, asked, “What is it…? Is it a dessert?”

‘Could it be chocolate?’ Sirka thought as he lifted the pill and stared at
it with a blank expression.

“It’s a painkiller. It’s made with magic.”

“You are a mage? No, these are all… magic pills? Really?”

Medicine was usually in the form of liquid potions, so Sirka was surprised
to see the magic pills as he had never seen them before.

“Can I test them?”

“You can test it on your body, would that be alright?”

“…yes, of course.”

Elody smiled at his response.

* * *

“Ahh!!! What is this? I’m terrified!”

“You have to get hurt if you want to see the results,” Elody said calmly.

Sirka glanced at the two soldiers that were holding him hostage.

”Arghhhhh!” he yelped.

He was so afraid that he’d only allow them to give a small injury on his
puny little finger.

But…

“Why do you have to make such a big fuss?” Brien groaned as he stared at
Sirka’s horrified face.

Seeing Brien’s harsh expression, Sirka became even more frightened.

‘Why does he have to do it?!’

“It’s just a small cut! So why do you have that look on your face?!” Sirka
wailed.

A smirk spread over Brien’s face. At that moment his motives were laid
bare, he was a mocker, one who enjoyed whatever torment he could inflict
on those he didn’t like.

“If you move, you’ll get hurt, so stay calm,” Brien said as he took a
small dagger.

Sirka closed his eyes tightly, getting ready to bear the pain.

“Ahhhhhhh!” he yelled.
Sirka dropped to the floor, writhing in agony as his finger bled. The
wound was small but he kept complaining as if it was a serious injury.

“Whew…… it hurts so much, isn’t this a poisoned dagger?”

“…”

Brien looked at Sirka with a distressed look. He was clearly over

exaggerating.

Then, Brien and the soldiers left as they had finished their duties.

“Here, eat this,” Elody said.

She handed the medicine to Sirka and he took in a polite manner.

‘Come to think of it, he reminds me of someone…’

Elody saw that Sirka had the same manner as Norman, the butler.

“…oh!”

As the effects began to circulate, Sirka’s eyes brightened.

His expression reminded Elody of Norman, who had eyes full of trust
whenever he stared at Elody.

‘How do you trust someone so easily?’ Elody thought.

“…Are you really the owner of the merchant guild?”

“Why of course! Well, most of the business is done by my younger sibling…

but I’m the one who makes the final decisions.” he bragged while pounding
his chest.

“By the way, to be a mage at such a young age is incredible, you’re even
quite skilled.”

“Thank you,” Elody said, “so do we have a deal?”

“Yes! Of course!” Sirka assured, “This medicine is worth a lot… it can be

sold at a high price.”

“You don’t have to sell it at an expensive price.”

“What? But….”

“These pills are more necessary for commoners and farmers.”

“Yes, but these are better than the average high-grade magic pills.”

“Still, I would like to offer it at a cheap price for the commoners.”

“But… if we don’t have enough supplies, the price will naturally
increase.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Mass producing the pills was very easy as Elody had invented an automated
device. It was an old machine powered by magic, but it still works well.

However, the machine produced a very loud noise…

“Alright then,” Sirka said.

“Oh! And I plan to make the pills a little smaller than this.”

“That’s a good idea, it’ll be easier to carry.” he agreed, ”Well, I’ll

drop by again after I finish my work in the capital.”

Rhondia had branches all over the West, and they were operated separately.
They were very famous and most of the items they sold were luxuries for
the nobility. So, there should be no problems in distributing it to the
commoners.

“So…”

Without beating around the bush, Elody immediately switched the topic to
her main goal and said, “How much are you willing to pay?”

“What?” Sirka asked with a puzzled expression.

He soon corrected his posture and laughed nervously.

‘What could a young girl like her possibly do?’

Little did he know, he would soon take back those words.

“You’re not the only merchant guild that has come to my mansion. I’d like
to make a decision based on the down payment.”

“……”

It appears that the relationship between the two has changed.

Chapter 12

Sirka gulped and turned to Elody.

The performance of the medicine was spectacular and he’d be a fool to

decline the offer.

“Alright… I’ll accept the deal,” Sirka said.

“Perfect!” Elody smiled as she pulled out a contract.

“After the contract is signed, you shall pay the down payment for the
first batch.”

“……”

Sirka checked the contract as his nervous gaze flickered to Elody.

He had to pay a lot of money. Fortunately, it wasn’t that much as the cost
of each pill was relatively low.

“If you distribute it at a different price, then the deal is off and I
won’t provide you any more supplies.”

“Understood.” Sirka nodded, once again amazed at how meticulous she was.

Elody held out her hand, and he held it back. He had impossibly enormous
hands – his over-enthusiastic handshakes could definitely snap her wrist
in two.

“If the deal goes well, please leave it to us to distribute your other
medicines,” Sirka grinned.

“Alright. Would you like to test the medicine on your body again, too?”

“……”

His forehead wrinkled at her words in a little frown of obstinacy.

“No… I will bring my brother.”

“Great.” Elody smiled.

Suddenly, Caville snarled, “Don’t hold her hand.”

Caville, who had been sitting next to Elody the whole time, was staring at
Sirka with an unsettling gaze.

Sirka was startled and immediately let go of his grip. He concluded from
Caville’s gaze that he was vexed with him holding her hand.

“Caville, this is just a handshake.”

“……”

“Well, l shall get going. Thank you for your hospitality today, your
graces.” Sirka said as he hurried himself out.

“A pleasure to do business with you.” Elody smiled.

As he walked out of the mansion, Elody was deliriously happy, giddy even.

She bounced on her feet and rubbed her hands together.

“Hurrah!” she cheered.

Truthfully, Elody set the price much higher than the original price.

‘I’d never thought he’d say yes!’

She was glad that her hard work was crowned with success.

“Caville, you don’t have to worry about anything! I’ll make you rich.”
Elody said cheerily as she pulled him into a hug and gave him a kiss in
the forehead.

“……”

In contrast to Elody, Caville needed nothing else as long as he had her by

his side.

* * *

The trees whizzed by as dirt kicked up from behind them.

“Madame, you’re very talented,” Solar said.

Currently, Elody was taking horse riding lessons from Solar.

The horse she rode was not above medium size, but he was a beauty, glossy
as silk, and as white as snow.

Elody started learning horseback riding because of Caville. Caville has

shown great promise in sword fighting. However, he was afraid of horses.
Elody was worried about him so she thought, ‘Why don’t I teach him
horseback riding myself?’

Thus in hopes of teaching Caville, Elody practiced every single day. She
was not able to teach him sword fighting, but she wanted to do at least
this much for him.

“Madame, your skills are incredible!” Solar complimented as she clapped

her hands.

“Oh, you flatter me. But I still have a lot of room to improve.” Elody
said knowing that Solar was clearly over-exaggerating.

“Madame, you need to stretch your back a bit more.” Ren nagged as he
looked away when Solar glared at him.

Elody was afraid at first, but after several days of practice her skills
improved and her nervousness was gone. She had grown fond of horse riding.
She liked listening to the steady hooves, the gentle tail swishing around,
and the wind in her hair. It was more fun than she had expected it to be.

“Caville, would you like to ride with me?” Elody said looking at him, he
frowns at her and shook his head anxiously.

“Some other time then.”

Elody let out a chuckle, while Solar and Ren smiled at the two.

Suddenly, Elody saw a certain butler rushing from afar. His voice started
out very faint but grew louder as he approached.

“Madame! Madame! We’re in trouble!” Norman panicked.

Elody slipped off her horse and asked, “What’s going on?”

“That… huff…, the brother of the former Lord…, C-count Borque…. He’s
here!”

“The Count of Borque?” Elody said as she retraced her memory.

“What’s his reason for visiting?”

“That I do not know…be careful madame… he’s a difficult person,” Norman

warned.

“Caville,” Elody said as she approached him, “your uncle came to see you.
Let’s go and say hello.”

“… Uncle?”

“Yes, your father’s brother.”

“……”

Caville tried to remember his father, whom he had only seen in a portrait.

He had feather-like black hair and his eyes were pink, so much like
Caville.

“Come,” Elody said.

“Yes, wife…”

Elody took Caville’s hand and headed for the mansion with Norman.

Norman was anxious, he was afraid that the count might harm the young duke
and duchess.

In the first place, Norman desperately searched for Caville, the

illegitimate son of the former Duke, because he did not want to give
dukedom to Count Borque.

Count Borque was a fool, even worse than the former duke.

He was a man of uncouth manners and appearance. He drunk every day and
treated women like they had an expiry date. Then, he spent his money on
gambling and drugs – while others starve in poverty.
Furthermore, he was never less than arrogant. If he could do half the
stuff he thought he could maybe ‘confidence’ would have been a better
word. It wasn’t though. He’d been brought up with a belief that he was
superior to everyone else by virtue of his birth.

If such a man had come to inherit the duke, the duchy would’ve fallen to
ruin.

Even Caville’s grandfather made a request to ‘Never let the dukedom fall
into the hands of his second son, Count Borque.’

‘He’s a nightmare.’ Norman thought.

* * *

While on the way to the capital, Count Borque decided to visit the Duke of
Cernoir’s mansion.

A few years ago, he shouted with joy when he heard that his brother had
died. His brother’s death meant that the duchy belonged to him.

“Finally! I have the land…Hahahaha!” he laughed.

His heart swelled with hope.

If he gained the title of the duke, he would become a very powerful

aristocrat and no one would ignore him anymore.

Sadly, however, he didn’t get the land nor the title.

The son of Duke Cernoir suddenly appeared and took the inheritance right
before his eyes.

Count Borque was stunned by his nephew who popped out of nowhere.

‘I will not let him, the son of a maid, become the duke’s successor!’

At first, Count Borque had an audience with the emperor to protest,

however, his plead was denied.

The emperor did not want Count Borque, who already had enough power, to
have a larger territory.

If the land falls into the hands of the Count, then he will be established
as one of the greatest aristocrats in the entire empire and it would
result in an imbalance in the aristocratic faction.

In the first place, the emperor wouldn’t be able to give him the title.
Those that had the rights to the inheritance were only the family of
Cernoir.

As the Emperor’s troubles deepened, Norman sent a document about Caville’s

existence and he immediately approved of Caville being the successor to
the dukedom.
Other aristocrats also did not refute the emperor’s decision. Like the
emperor, they thought that it would be better for the illegitimate child
to inherit the territory.

To Count Borque, Caville was an eyesore.

“The mansion is a mess. Tsk….” Count Borque clicked his tongue as he

looked around the parlor.

A moment later, Elody entered the parlor with Caville. The count glared at
them in disgust.

‘I can’t believe these children are the ones who took over the duchy! How
dare they take what’s mine!’

He was going to take this opportunity to vent his anger on them.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Count Borque.” greeted Elody as she dropped
a curtsy.

“Ha!” he snorted and glared at Caville who hid behind her back.

‘What a lousy bastard.’

His face mottled with anger, crude words flew from his mouth, but Elody
was calm. She smiled and gestured Caville to greet the count.

“A pleasure to meet you, your excellency,” Caville said.

“Ha…… this is insane.”

Elody continued to ignore the count and sat down with Caville.

Soon, the maid brought in tea and refreshments.

“What brings you to our territory?” Elody asked as she grabbed a cup of
tea.

“What do you mean? This is my home! Is there a reason as to why I can’t

come?”

Despite the rude answer, Elody calmly sipped her tea while Caville
continued eating his snacks.

Count Borque’s appearance was similar to the former duke, but he had a
short in stature and is rather fat.

“Ha…”

The count was speechless.

‘The nerve of them!’

He wanted to scare the kids by scolding them, but they were surprisingly
undisturbed.

He spoke, “Although you have been approved by the emperor, I have no

intention of handing over the land to you bastards!”

Slurp-

Munch, crunch!

“……”

Chapter 13

Slurp-

Munch, crunch!

The two continued to ignore the count.

“You insolent children… don’t you know that you are in the presence of
nobility?”

Their acts fueled the fire that burned inside of Count Borque. His face
was red with suppressed rage, his hunched form exuded an animosity that
was like acid – burning, slicing, potent.

Elody calmly put down her tea and shifted her gaze towards the count.

“Well, he was granted the title by the emperor.”

The count snarled more than spoke, “Ha! The emperor? Don’t make me laugh.
That’s not true at all! I’m sure you can’t even get the acceptance of the
vassals…. From next year onwards, send a portion of your tax to me. Then I
will get in contact with the vassals on your behalf!”

It was a ridiculous claim, but he still did it because he needed money to

ease his anger. Since the opponents were young children, he expected that
they would not rebel if they were intimidated.

“And why would we do that?” Elody shrugged and glanced at Caville.

Caville stopped eating his snacks and said, “Yeah why?”

“……”

His jaw dropped and his eyes trembled with rage.

‘How dare they…’ he thought.

“Count Borque, you shouldn’t be whining like a child.”

“What?! You little…!” the count raged,

“If you still insist on this matter, I will gladly send a letter to the
Imperial Palace and let the emperor discuss it instead,” Elody smiled.

“……”

Count Borque bit his lips. He had protested against the emperor before, so
doing it again will further dishonor his reputation.

In the first place, his reason for going to the capital was to gain back
the trust of the emperor and to please the nobles that had turned their
backs on him.

“Weren’t you on the way to the capital? Why don’t you take the letter with
you?”

“You… you sneaky little!” he snapped.

All that rage came out faster than lightning and just as destructive. He
sprung from his seat and grabbed Elody by the collar.

“Don’t touch my wife!” Caville shouted.

“You filthy bastard!”

As he raised his hand towards Caville, Elody freed out of his grip and
blocked his approaching hand.

“I am the Duchess of Cernois! I will formally evict you as the acting

lord!”

“What? Me? How dare you?!”

“You left me with no choice,” Elody said as she called Norman. Soon after,
Norman came in with an anxious expression.

“Norman, Count Borque is on a tight schedule, he has to leave for the

capital right away. Go see him off,” she said coldly.

“…Yes, madame.”

He couldn’t believe the words that came out of her mouth. He held still,
not moving an inch from his place and glared at Elody, eyes locked right
on hers.

“Well, Count Borque? Or would you rather be dragged out by the knights?”
she said.

“…this…this!”

His fingers curled tightly, his knuckles turned white from clenching his
fist too hard, even his teeth clenched in anger. He felt resentful about
being kicked out but he still left the parlor as he needed to visit the
emperor soon.
He promised to avenge himself one day, but he needed to relieve his anger
first.

* * *

A few days later, Elody and Caville went to inspect the fief. Norman,
Marie, and a knight accompanied them to ensure their safety.

She had wanted to go a long time ago, unfortunately, she was too busy to
spare any time for the inspection.

Today, they were going to look around the farms that were located near the
mansion.

The land was vast, and on the periphery, there was a small territory where
the vassals resided.

Unfortunately, Elody had never seen their faces.

“Impudent people….”

They were supposed to come and greet Caville after he was assigned as the
successor to the dukedom. Yet they didn’t even send a letter, let alone
visit him.

Just like Caville’s uncle, they will never approve of him because of his
young age and his mother’s background….

They were unqualified to be the duke’s vassals as they might have already
clung to nobles of other lands.

In the novel, the vassals only came to congratulate Caville after he

returned from war.

There was a scene in which the princess gave the vassals a room to stay.
But the vassals plotted against them instead. It turned out that the
mastermind behind the incident was none other than the cunning villainess,
Elody.

‘I have nothing to say….’

Although Elody had led a different life from the original storyline, she
still felt a little sorry for Caville.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Elody said as she looked out of the carriage and
admired the scenery.

The mansion was located in the center of the land.

If they go straight through the main gate of the mansion, they will see a
large square with a fountain in the middle.

Fortunately, the roads in the dukedom had been built in the days of wealth
and grandeur, when Caville’s grandfather reigned the duchy.
Far away from the main street along the well-organized road, one could see
a barn, orchards, fields, and private homes.

“We’ve arrived, madame,” Marie said.

“Come, Caville.” She said as she got off the carriage.

Afterward, she decided to look around while riding on a horse with

Caville. She drove the horse with deft skills and was proud of the results
from her hard work.

‘I knew it was worth it!’

“Caville, look carefully. This is your territory.”

“……”

Caville didn’t seem to understand her words.

“You still don’t grasp what I mean?”

It’s still too early for him to learn about the complex system of the
fief, but Elody has decided to explain things step-by-step for Caville.

This land was owned by the first duke. He had driven out the invaders from
Bayan and thus, he was labeled as a hero who had a great contribution to
the war.

Elody explained it in the easiest possible way in hope that Caville would
understand.

“This land is your territory, and all the people who live here are your
people.”

At first, he seemed confused, but after a while, Caville began to nod his
head at Elody’s words.

“You have to make sure that they do not live in poverty. As the lord of
this land, you have a responsibility to protect them.”

“…yes.”

It’s been a long time since he rode a horse, so Caville seemed a little
scared, but he was less nervous than he thought he’d be. He relished the
sound of the horse’s hooves pounding against the ground, the spring breeze
that swept his hair gently, and most importantly, Elody’s warmth.

“Huh? But what is this?” she said as she surveyed the farm before her.

“What’s the matter, ma’am?” Norman asked.

There was a short pause, “Well… could you tell me their farming
techniques, Norman?”
“We divide the land into three sections, with a different crop in each of
two fields, wheat and barley, but the third field is left fallow.”

“The third field fallow?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Farming methods, of course, vary from region to region. With different

techniques, the speed to harvest the crops would also differ.

It took a long time for the advanced farming methods to be transmitted to

other areas.

“……”

Elody thought their knowledge regarding farming methods was lacking.

To confirm herself, she asked, “So they left a third of the field empty
because they don’t want to decrease its fertility?”

“Yes… is there something wrong, madam?”

Planting wheat for consecutive years was often very traumatic to otherwise
fertile land. They consumed a lot of nutrition in the soil and increased
pests. That’s why they couldn’t plant more crops the following year.

‘Why don’t they plant turnips and clovers? These crops directly add
nutrients to the soil and help mitigate the reproductions of pests.’

The four-course crop rotation began to use turnip and clover as part of
the land fertilizer. Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of
dissimilar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons to help
restore plant nutrients.

Until modern fertilizers were developed, Norfolk four-course rotation was

the most advanced farming method.

But until the knowledge was widely spread, the three-field crop rotation
routine will continue to be used.

‘If we want to increase production, we need to change farming methods…’

There was no need to let the soil lie fallow as clover would add nitrates
back to the soil. That way it would greatly increase the crops and yielded
livestock.

There would usually be a large livestock slaughter in winter because there

is no food for the people to eat.

However, keeping plants such as turnips that were resilient in the cold
weather would be beneficial for the crops and would help feed the cattle
and sheep as well.
In short, the addition of clover and turnips allowed more animals to be
kept through the winter, which in turn produced more milk, cheese, meat,
and manure.

Elody was glad that her modern life knowledge could be of great help here.

The reason why farming methods did not develop was simple. The nobles were
indifferent to the lives of the peasants, and as a result, the progress in
farming became stagnant.

“Caville, you’ll be a good lord that cares for his subjects, far from the
selfish nobles that we’ve seen.”

‘I’ll make sure that happens.’ Elody swore to herself solemnly.

“……”

Before getting back into the carriage, Elody looked at the vast expanse of
land.

She felt a little bit bitter at the thought of leaving this place one day,
and the fact that she would have to send Caville off to the war.

‘Should I just not let you go…?’

But it was clear that without Caville’s contribution to the war, it would
lead to the empire’s defeat.

Elody sighed and climbed into the carriage.

It was a beautiful day, but somehow she felt a bit empty.

After returning to the mansion, Elody arranged for the new farming methods
to be implemented and handed the details over to Norman.

The production will increase significantly if it was immediately applied

this year.

“And Norman, please bring me the letter that was issued by the Emperor.”

“Yes, your grace.”

Elody decided to check the letters patent just in case. She didn’t want to
send Caville to war if possible.

Unfortunately, the deed was clearly written in the letter.

To be granted the title of a duke, Caville had to lead his own knights to
war if the emperor asked them to participate.

‘I wish the issued letter wasn’t so direct so I can utilize some loophole
within the clause.’

Elody shook her head, clicking her tongue in disappointment.

‘But what’s done is done, I’ll just have to help Caville by making more
medicine!’

Elody made up her mind and headed to the lab.

Chapter 14

As Elody expected, the number of crops rose tremendously the following

year.

The public welfare turned for the better. The new farming technology
implementation had helped reduce poverty and raised income for the fief
and its citizens. Stability came as the prices in the markets remained low
and stable, and more people moved into the land.

Elody also invested a considerable amount of money in nurturing the

knights and improving the quality of their weapons and armor.

And after several seasons had passed…

Caville was finally 12 years old and his height was now quite similar to
boys his age.

Elody on the other hand, turned 18 this year. She grew up to be a

beautiful girl. With pink hair and noble bearing, she waltzed on every
room with an effortless saunter and her head held high. The knights’ eyes
were drawn to her and they could not help but blush at the sight of her
beauty.

However, there was only a year left before Caville had to leave for war.

* * *

“Madame, madame! I found a new type of plant!” Anna said as she burst into
Elody’s lab which was located next to the greenhouse.

“Really? Again?” Elody asked while tying her waist-length hair into a
ponytail with a thick ribbon.

Right now, she was working on her newest research.

“Yes! Look at this, madame! Unique, isn’t it?”

“What is this?”

Elody stared at the grass that Anna brought.

New, unusual plants would grow in the greenhouse as it evolved.

Anna was knowledgeable regarding plants, but she couldn’t recognize this
one.
Elody didn’t know most of the time either, but there were some plants that
she could recognize as she had seen them in her previous life. At times
like that, Elody felt grateful to be able to take advantage of her modern
life knowledge.

“I don’t know what this is…,” Elody said.

“Then shall we pull out to the roots? I’ve only plucked the grass…”

“Well… let’s do it later. I need some rest,” Elody replied as she put down
the blade of grass and rubbed her sore neck.

She was tired because she’d been focusing on her research for several
days.

In addition to the painkillers, she also had to study various medicines.

Elody was in a rush because there was not much time left until Caville had
to leave for war.

The drugs she developed were hemostatic agents and ointments for wounds.

Although they had already existed, the drugs Elody made worked faster than
those in the market.

“Ah! What about Caville? Is he still in training?” Elody asked.

“Yes, madame. He’s been training with the knights.”

“I see, then please arrange a dinner for us when he gets back.”

“Yes, madame,” Anna said as she bowed her head and left the lab.

Over the past four years, the Duke and Duchess of Cernoir had fulfilled
lots of achievements in the territory.

First of all, the farmlands had greatly changed.

As Elody said, the adjustments in farming methods led to a sharp increase

in its production.

‘I actually read it from a history book.’

Elody was proud when she saw the success of the Norfolk four-course
system.

With the revival of agriculture, the lives of the people living in the
region became prosperous, and naturally, the population also increased.

Elody’s medicine also played a huge factor in raising the dukedom’s

economy.

If this continues, the dukedom will develop into an unforeseeable height.

But the one who changed the most was Caville.

Caville grew taller. He was almost the same height as Elody when she was
his age.

‘I’m actually considered quite short, but….’

Since three years ago, Elody had no longer needed to attend Caville’s
sword lessons.

Despite Brien’s ardent complaints, the one who suggested it was Caville
himself.

“Wife, I shall take my leave for it is time for me to train with Sir
Brien,” he said formally.

After hearing from the butler that married couples use formal speech to
one another, Caville started speaking formally to Elody.

When Caville spoke in such manner for the first time, he said, ‘My dear
wife, it is time for our meal.’

Elody thought that he was so cute and she almost fainted!

Despite the change in his way of speaking, Elody still treated Caville
like her little brother.

‘Shall I take a look at his training?’

She thought momentarily but ended up shaking her head.

‘I shouldn’t visit him anymore…’

Elody felt a bit bitter but it was tolerable. She was even more dejected
when Caville told her not to attend his classes anymore.

‘How did he grow up so fast? I guess Brien’s presence doesn’t scare him
anymore.’

Of course, Elody understood the reason behind Caville’s request.

Sword training was something that would inevitably get more intense as his
skills improved.

Elody would always watch his lessons with fear that he might get hurt. She
would interfere every time she thought the training was too rough.

So instead of helping him develop his skills, her worries became a

hindrance instead.

‘Is this what it feels like to send your son to school for the first
time?’
The decision was not easy to make, nonetheless, she still did it because
she wanted him to improve. She held back her sadness to secure his future.

* * *

Elody sipped her tea as she waited for Caville’s training to end.

While waiting, she looked at a newsletter Marie brought from the market.

The newsletter was issued to publish information about the political

situation of the capital and the borderlands.

Elody’s face instantly hardened when she read one of the articles in the
newsletter.

‘The temple is about to take part in the war….’

The Heklos Empire was the largest empire within the Friar continent.

And the war, in which Caville participated, was against the Urta Empire
from the east.

The land on the east was smaller than the west, and various empires
clustered together.

But one day, the Urta Empire began to conquer the small countries which
scattered throughout the east and began to invade the rest of the
continent.

“Those barbaric people…’

The Urtans were barbarians who enjoyed hunting humans.

They disdained Thyssers, the religion which most populations in the Friar
Continent believed in.

Throughout the war, the Urtans also massacred the priests and mages,
branding them as heresy.

They insisted that their emperor was the only one and true God. All the
priests and mages they found would be tortured and played with as if their
lives were nothing but toys.

They claimed that the mages they killed were sacrifices and that their
mana would give more power to their God. Though it was clearly false.

“Madame, what’s wrong?” Marie asked, worried about Elody’s sudden frown.

“No, nothing…,” she sighed.

Marie, who was pouring tea, glanced at the newsletter and asked, “Will the
imperial government be holding a formal meeting with the Temple of
Thysser?”
“Yes, because they now have a common goal.”

The temple and the imperial government opposed each other. On the surface,
they looked as if they had a cooperative relationship. But truthfully, the
emperor wanted the temple to be placed under the empire’s orders, and of
course, they rejected it.

“Common goals?”

The emperor wanted war with the Urta Empire, who had been bothering those
in the western border.

But every time the emperor suggested it, the temple would always oppose
the idea.

Fortunately for the emperor, the situation had changed.

The Urtans had gone out of line by continuously killing innocent mages and
priests.

Therefore, the imperial government and the temple came to an agreement.

They decided to work together to push back the enemy, the Urtans, back to
the east. The agreement came despite their poor relationship with one
another.

“Marie, have you heard the news about the kidnapped priests?”

“Yes, I heard that the Urtans brutally killed them. It’s terrible.”

“Exactly, and that is why the temple joined forces with the imperial
government.”

The war will begin in a year.

At first, the emperor thought that he’d have a higher chance of winning
the war because of the additional troops from the temple. Unfortunately,
that was not how it turned out.

At first glance, the temple would seem as if they were the ones leading
the war, but upon closer inspection, one would see that their troops were
actually hiding behind the imperial army. With how the war progressed, it
was inevitable that an internal dispute took place.

‘In the midst of war, the knights divided over political strife. How
pathetic….’

However, in the middle of the internal conflict, Caville arrived and

united the troops, leading their side to victory.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to her.

“Wife,” Caville said.

Caville, who finished his training, had just taken a shower. Elody could
see him donning a semi-formal attire as he approached the dining table

“Caville, did you train well?” Elody smiled.

“Yes I did, I hope I haven’t kept you waiting very long,” he replied.

“No, not long.” Elody said as she reassured him, “Now, let’s go and eat.”

Elody stretched her hand to Caville and intertwined it as her long and
thin fingers, fixed perfectly in his.

Though he was still young, Caville had grown more and more handsome each
time she saw him.

‘I can’t help but smile at his dazzling features!’.

“Caville, you have to eat the vegetables…,” Elody said as she noticed
Caville pushing away the carrots from his plate.

“……”

Caville pouted his mouth at Elody’s gentle rebuke and reluctantly put a
slice of carrot in his mouth.

Suddenly, Elody could feel her heartbeat pounding in her chest. She felt
great pressure, it was a horrible pressure. Maybe it was because she had
just read that newsletter, but It had finally dawned on her that there was
not much time left to spend with Caville.

She had only intended to raise Caville well, yet as time went by, she
couldn’t help but feel attached to him.

In him, she found a family and relationship which neither of them had ever
experienced. Without his eyes to light up her day, she would be left with
nothing but emptiness in her heart.

Elody smiled gently at Caville’s pouting figure. Even when Caville was
eating she kept up her smile, she knew that as soon as her smile faded
away, bitter tears would roll down her cheeks as if to accompany her
aching heart.

* * *

As Caville physically grew taller, he had also become emotionally mature.

This was because of Elody’s encouragement. Every day, she would tell him
about how pretty, nice, and cool he was and how much she loved him. His
previous fear was replaced by calmness and assured poise. He no longer
feared horses as he could ride them by himself.

However, he has now feared something else….

In the past, whenever Elody held his hand or stroked his head, it would’ve
been enough to get rid of all his fears away.

But this time, the fear he held, wasn’t the fear of falling from the
horses, nor the fear of an adult. This time it was bigger than any fear he
had ever faced. It was something that neither her hug nor kisses could
pacify.

‘I’m scared…’

Caville was scared since Elody had always talked as if they were going to
separate.

Whenever they walked around the mansion, Elody would say strange things
that would unnerve him.

‘Caville, if anything happens to the empire, you have to protect the

people. That way, the people of the empire will protect you too.’

‘Caville, you have to take responsibility for you’re the only one who can
protect them.’

‘You can do it, Caville. You don’t need to be afraid of anything.’

Elody tried her best to prepare Caville for the upcoming war.

All the warnings were to keep Caville from being shocked by the sudden
news that would arrive within the next few months.

Her words, however, made the little boy feel uneasy…

Caville and Elody retired to their bedroom.

The two still slept together in their king-sized bed. But as they grew
bigger, rather than hugging one another as they would do in the past. The
two would instead fall asleep while holding each other’s hands.

His palm caressed her cheeks as he edged his hand toward hers ever so
slightly, and when she felt his fingertips brushing her hand. She would
unfurl her fingers and let his slip around hers so she could feel the heat
of her palm pressed against his own.

Intertwining their hands together, Caville shut his eyes and slowly fell
into a deep slumber, praying for the future.

He had only one wish….

‘Please don’t separate me from my wife….’

Chapter 15

Not too long ago, Elody began reading books in a private study that
belonged to one of her predecessors.
There were a lot of studies in the Cernois Mansion, but the rooms were far
apart.

‘It’s quite inefficient… I’d rather read them in one place.’

After the former duke died, the books in his study were kept intact and
the room was regularly cleaned.

It seemed that cleaning every study in the mansion was a rule that must be
passed down generations after generations.

In one of the studies, Elody found a particular book that piqued her
interests.

It was a book containing the history of the first Duke of Cernois. Elody
ended up learning a couple of things about the duke.

‘He had extraordinary power… what could it be?’

It is said that the first duke used his special abilities through ancient
artifacts.

Of course, the artifact was handed down as a family heirloom.

To find out what the artifact was, Elody went out of her way to check out
every old and worn-out portrait.

Only then, did she find out that the artifact was in fact a red brooch.
The first duke could be seen wearing it on his chest in every portrait.

But…

‘The former duke was incompetent… he might have sold it.’

Elody searched for the brooch in one of the dressing rooms where the
jewels of the family were stored.

If the artifact actually existed, it could help Caville a lot.

As the war approached, Elody became even more obsessed with ’helping
Caville.’

“Ouch, my back,” Elody complained.

After searching for a long time, Elody decided to head back to the study
where she first found the book.

Elody pushed open the heavy swing door and approached the big desk on one
side of the room.

‘Don’t tell me……’

It occurred to her that she had previously found a hidden vault located
underneath the study desk.

And now, right before her very eyes was a wooden door similar to the one
she had found before.

‘Doesn’t that mean that I just have to check every desk in the study? Is
this a blessing from the gods?’

The dukes seemed to think that it was safe to hide precious items under
their desks.

‘It’s somewhat fair, as they do sit on their desks all day long.’

Elody let out a soft chuckle as she brought another piece of a long iron
rod.

She can tear open the wooden door more skillfully than before.

“…what the?”

But to her dismay, there were only a few old jewels stored inside a wooden
box.

‘I thought it was another vault…’

But amongst the old jewels, was a brooch that looked similar to the one
she saw in the portrait.

‘What is this? Is this fake?’ she thought in disbelief.

How did it become like this…?

The book, which contained the history of the Duke of Cernois, described
the artifact as a brooch that emits a vibrant red glow.

However, the brooch in front of her was nothing of the sort. It was broken
and the color was a soulless dark red.

“How unfortunate…” Elody sighed in disappointment.

Suddenly, something astonishing happened.

〈Discovered 1 vanishing life, use the unknown item (1)?〉

Elody widened her eyes and stared at the text box that had just appeared.

It was the same window she had seen in her previous life right before she
died. Elody almost screamed because it’s been so long since she last saw
it.

‘An unknown item… I think I’ve seen this word before.’

9. 8. 7…
〈If nothing is selected, then the item will automatically be used.〉

Her heart thumped as she hesitated.

‘Isn’t it fine? I didn’t even know it existed anyway.’

And so, Elody chose to press the ‘Yes’ button with her trembling hands.

〈Unknown item (1), phoenix feather has been used.〉

A moment later, the brooch started emitting a vivid glow.

She flinched.

The light seared into Elody’s eyes, making her close them in reflex.

Then, she opened her eyes and slowly turned her head.

“Wow…” Elody stared in awe.

The gem was emitting a bright reddish color, casting a crepuscular glow
within the room. The metal which was dull and rusty now looked as shiny as
new.

The brooch she thought was fake turned to look exactly like the one in the
portrait.

Just like in the history book of the Duke of Cernois, the gem was
radiating a vibrant color.

It had the sort of radiance that kindled something beautiful within as if

actual blood was flowing from inside the gem. It succeeded in captivating
Elody’s eyes.

The thought of the ancient artifact by Caville’s side, protecting him in

the war, reassured parts of Elody’s concerns.

Ever since that day, Elody became even more enthusiastic to continue on
her preparations.

She poured her heart and soul to it as if she was taking care of her
brother who’s about to go on his first field trip.

A year later…

Elody turned 19, and Caville finally turned 13.

It was a peaceful day… until an imperial messenger arrived at the Cernois

mansion, bearing the imperial family’s orders.

〈We are under attack from eastern invaders. By edict of his Imperial
Majesty, The Duke of Cernois must contribute to war. He is to lead his own
knights and join the war of the Heklos Empire with blessings from the God
of Nature, Tvekra.〉

* * *

The duke, who had always been lively, was now immersed in a gloomy
atmosphere.

The butler and other servants could not comfort him. They could only watch
his despondent mood with a heavy heart.

Elody sat in front of the warm fireplace, looking at Caville’s dispirited

face.

Caville stared at the edict issued to him. He pored over the letter and
pondered on it over and over again.

“Caville…?”

“I don’t want to leave my wife…” he agonized.

“Caville…”

“Do I have to go? I don’t want to go…” Caville fretted, his eyes filled
with anxiety and despair.

When she saw tears welling up in his eyes, her heart ached.

“Come here,” she said as she pulled Caville into a hug and patted his
small back.

Caville cried in her arms. He was still a child but he had to go to such a
dangerous place.

“I don’t want to go…” he said, still sobbing, “I’m scared… please don’t
send me away.”

“You don’t have to be afraid, Caville.”

“But I’m scared of being separated from you,” he cried.

“……”

Elody continued to hug Caville even tighter. Tears began to form in

Elody’s eyes.

She felt the same as Caville. She didn’t want him to leave. She had to say
goodbye to the only person that she cared for, to the person that she felt
happy with. How was she supposed to do that without feeling like she had
just lost a part of her?

Nevertheless, the decree had been made ever since the first duke reigned
the territory. So Caville had no choice but to fulfill his
responsibilities as the lord of the land.
“Caville, I’ll be here until you come back. I will always wait for you,”
she sniffled.

Elody slowly began to explain the situation to Caville. She wanted to

comfort him even if it was just a bit.

It may seem cruel, but it was the duty of the duke to participate in war
and to defend the empire.

Elody had explained all of this before, so Caville was able to understand
most of her words.

However, it wasn’t enough to mend his broken heart. And so was Elody’s.

If she could, Elody would step in to take the place of her poor husband.

* * *

The preparations proceeded quickly.

The majority of the knights had to participate in the war. The same could
be said about the commoners.

The emperor issued a decree which said that at least one man per family
must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Eastern
invaders.

Thus, everyone fell to depression.

To part with their loved ones… it wasn’t an easy task.

Even so, Elody decided to do what she does best.

She carefully checked the weapons, foods, and supplies that would be
needed on the battlefield.

As the duchess stepped forward and took leadership, the servants rushed to
work, giving all of their energy to help the duke prepare for war.

Elody also packed dozens of medicines that she had developed.

Of course, she hoped for the medicines to be used as little as possible as

she didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

Lastly, with the help of the butler, Elody sent an order under Caville’s
name to summon the vassals.

‘Though I’m not sure they’d come.’

After Caville became the successor of the dukedom, they did not come to
congratulate him on his new title.

Elody was afraid that they would ignore the order.

Nonetheless, she still instructed Norman to send it to the vassals.

* * *

It was time.

The time she knew would come sooner or later but dreaded.

As expected, there were only a fraction of the vassals who followed her
orders.

Elody watched everyone saying goodbye to their loved ones.

Marie and Brien hugged each other, Solar wiped away her younger sister’s
tears, while Ren tried to console his grandmother who lived alone.

With swollen eyes, Elody gazed at Caville.

She called out to him who tried to hold himself back from crying.

“Caville.”

“……”

Elody bent her knees and faced Caville. She took out the artifact and
placed the brooch on his chest.

“This will protect you.”

“…….”

“You have to be strong. You have to make sure that you don’t get hurt and
you can’t get sick! Alright?” Elody said, worried.

“Yes…”

Elody tried to hold back the tears, however, there was such a flood of
them that she could not control it any longer.

The tears kept coming out as she sobbed her pain away.

Elody was embarrassed by her crying face, so she hugged Caville tightly
and buried her head in his tiny arms. Caville tried to console her by
stroking her hair.

“Caville, I-I’ll be sure to write you letters…” she sniffed.

“You must write to me often.”

“Yes, of course,” Elody said as she put a letter inside the pocket of
Caville’s coat.
It would’ve been fine if he had shed a tear, for this was his last
farewell before going to war. However, it was admirable to see him holding
back despite the sorrow in his heart.

He seemed to have remembered that he should not show his weakness in front
of the knights and soldiers.

“Sir Vedos, please take good care of the duke.”

“Don’t worry, Your Grace. We’ll return safely.”

Elody smiled bitterly at his remark.

The war lasted for ten years.

It took a long time to get to the Catan Mountains where the war broke out,
and the Urta Empire was not an easy opponent.

Furthermore, the imperial government and the temple were caught in an

internal dispute so the war took longer than expected.

‘I wish it would be over soon….’

Everyone on the duchy watched the cavalcade.

Elody shifted her gaze towards Caville. He was sitting on his black horse
with a proud posture.

Even though he was still young, his expression showed natural elegance and
dignity.

Caville would grow into a wonderful man, a duke who was respected by
everyone.

Elody was ready to do anything for him.

Even if it meant her leaving the duke’s mansion.

Chapter 16

Caville was Elody’s family.

The family she’d never had before.

He was more like a brother than a husband, but she still held him close to
her heart.

She would walk through the gates of hell to keep him safe, feel honored to
be given the chance, and only be grateful for it. She would gladly
sacrifice her ambitions if it were for his happiness.

Elody watched the cavalcade in tears and made up her mind.

‘Caville, I’ll keep an eye on the mansion until you get back.’
Elody smiled and waved towards Caville who kept looking at her. His
departure pained her, but she had no choice but to say goodbye.

* * *

It was the day after Caville’s departure.

In front of the burning bonfire, Caville was reading a letter from Elody.

[Dear Caville,

Caville, you must be out of the lands by now, right?

I felt bad because I made you bear the whole burden by yourself.

All the things that I said, I had always worried that they would trouble
you…

But I did it because I wanted to prepare you in advance.

I’m proud of you, Caville, and I always will be. I’ll keep an eye on the
fief until you get back.

Don’t get hurt, don’t get sick, and finally, don’t forget that I’ll always
be by your side.

I’ll write to you again. Elody loves you.

P.S. Make sure to take care of the artifact. I don’t know what it does,
but it’s your family heirloom. It should have special powers.]

“What are you reading?” Brien asked.

“A letter,” Caville answered, quite bluntly.

He folded the letter and kept it under his clothes in fear of Brien
stealing it.

“I can’t take care of you like I used to. So don’t be a crybaby.”

“……”

Caville creased his forehead in annoyance and glared at Brien.

Elody would sometimes complain about him. Sir Vedos wasn’t a good person
and Caville fully agreed with his wife.

“Don’t get too cocky. You must not forget that I am your lord and you are
beneath me.”

Brien’s expression stiffened and he realized his mistake.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said as he bowed his head.

He seemed like a pampered child in the mansion, but at the end of the day,
the blood of the duke truly ran in his veins.

This was also one of Elody’s pieces of advice, ‘Never look down on your
subjects, but don’t let them see your weakness.’ she’d say.

Of course, most of his weaknesses had already been exposed, but he

wouldn’t just continue to show them.

He didn’t want his wife to worry, so he had to hold back his emotions.

‘Don’t cry. You have to be strong.’

Caville pledged to himself not to cry anymore.

But unlike his admirable response, Elody was not able to cope with the
separation.

“Oh no, madame… don’t cry.”

“Ugh, waah…”

The misery of his departure pained her, the thought of him not coming
anymore broke her heart.

‘My baby. What should I do?’

Those words were mixed between her cries.

The maids also felt bad when the lady, who had shown a mature countenance
all the time, cried like a child.

Eventually, Elody was able to get back to her room with the help of the
maids. As she laid on her empty bed, the tears flowed again.

“He must be so scared…’

She stayed awake, looking all night, hoping to catch a glimpse of him- but
there was no ‘him’. The pain of separation left her sad and lonely.

These were hard times for Elody and Caville.

* * *

From the day after Caville’s departure, Elody became a workaholic. She
worked in the greenhouse and lab all day long.

She was afraid that her grief would lead to depression, so she busied
herself all day hoping it would help her sleep well at night.

She couldn’t sleep unless she overworked herself.

Every time she closed her eyes, all she could think of was Caville. Here
she was living comfortably in her mansion, while her husband suffered on
the battlefield.

Sometimes she would even sleep in front of the fireplace because she felt
sorry for sleeping in such a comfortable bed.

When Marie found her in such a state, she could only sigh in sorrow and
cover her with a blanket.

‘What is Caville doing now?.’

Elody was working on her research today and after reading a book, she
suddenly thought of Caville.

“I hope he’s doing well without getting hurt…’

Still, it was reassuring to have Brien by his side.

Elody checked the herbal samples and compiled the data to study a new type
of drug.

“Madame, there are dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well
last night?” asked Marie with a worried look.

Elody smiled awkwardly. At this rate, her dark circles might come down to
her cheeks.

“Madame, please do not overwork yourself. Will you please come back to the
mansion and have your meal?”

“Well… can you bring it to the lab?”

“…as you wish, madame.” Marie sighed and nodded.

Elody didn’t want her to worry, but there was so much work to do.

Though she had not neglected her research, she had been so sluggish that
she felt guilty about it.

In the end, she chose to repent by overworking herself.

Elody erased her useless thoughts and pondered over which medicines were
the best to send to Caville. Some of them were pills to increase physical
fitness.

Elody also had medicines for emergency treatments, but they were literally
for extreme wounds.

The good thing was that the Temple of Thysser also participated in the
war.

‘I’m glad it’s a war that’s allied with the temple…’

The priests and mages had healing powers, so those who are wounded in
battle could be treated with healing magic.

In fact, if there was a priest who could use healing magic, there was no
need for the medicines at all.

Nevertheless, Elody still sent the painkillers and hemostatic drugs just
in case.

‘Is there anything else I can do for him?’

Since it was a battlefield, it was clear that they would not be able to
eat properly. She needed to create something to help increase their
nutrition.

That’s how Elody started studying health supplements.

Furthermore, Elody had to make medicine for sick and poor people.

Sadly, the dukedom only had one temple.

That’s why Elody offered her drugs to small clinics: it should be

beneficial for the residents of the duchy.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of the lab.

“Good day, madame!” Anna said as she greeted Elody with a bright tone.

“Yes, good morning, Anna.”

“…I don’t think it’s still morning, madame,” Anna replied with an anxious
look.

Elody turned her head, pretending not to see Anna’s worried expression.

“Why don’t you take a rest today? You haven’t slept in a while. You’re
going to get sick if you keep this up, madame.”

“It’s all right even if I get sick….”

‘Oh…! I need to study the cure for my disease….’

Elody became overwrought.

‘So many things to do…’

“…I’ll check the greenhouse, madame.”

“Yes, please,” Elody said as Anna bowed her head and headed towards the
greenhouse.

Anna was in charge of managing the greenhouse. She was doing a great job
as her work was meticulous.
After Anna left, Elody took out the fresh herbs that Anna brought
yesterday.

‘I should make a fatigue recovery medicine first.’

‘I can endure this…’

Elody filled the flask with water and ground the red petals of the Peria
flowers.

The Peria petals could help improve your mood, help you sleep better, and
increase your blood circulation and concentration.

It could be boiled with tea, but the problem was that it was also quite
bitter.

‘Why are they so bitter?’

Elody thought of pouring honey into the flask, as she wanted to suppress
the bitter taste as much as possible.

But she decided not to because it’d be a hassle.

After injecting some mana, Elody drank the medicine as it was.

“Ughhh…”

It tasted horrible on her tongue, so acrid and foul.

Then, she ate a sweet candy to get rid of the horrible taste in her mouth.

‘Caville loves these candies….’

She should’ve let him eat more of them. It’s not the healthiest snack, but
she only gave it to him whenever he did good things.

She regretted not being nicer to Caville.

As Elody was eating the candy, Anna entered the lab.

“Madame, what could be the cause of your terrible expression?”

“I drank some medicine…do you want some too, Anna?”

Anna shook her head firmly.

“No thank you, I’m fine, madame, I’m not tired because I sleep well…,” she
paused, “Don’t rely too much on drugs, and please get some sleep.”

Anna had been nagging like Marie since some time ago. She was genuinely
worried about her health.

“Alright…,” Elody answered, avoiding her gaze.

“Madame, this plant keeps growing in the greenhouse… what should we do
with it?” Anna asked as she put the plant on her desk.

“Huh?”

“I’ve told madame before. At that time, both of us weren’t able to find
out what kind of grass this was…”

“This is the grass from that time?” Elody asked, puzzled.

“Yes, I haven’t thought about it since then… but now it’s getting quite
out of hand. The grass has grown all over the field. I think madame should
examine it herself.”

Recently, Elody had been thinking of expanding the greenhouse so that she
could grow new types of plants.

Plus, she wanted to test new crops on the field for the farmers.

And lastly…

“Hmm….”

The frequency of these unusual herbs had tremendously increased. To study

whether or not they would be useful, she had to expand the greenhouse.

Elody took her eyes off her book and took a close look at the herb’s
roots.

“Huh…?”

‘Wait, I think I’ve seen this before.’

Elody pondered for a while.

‘Don’t tell me…’

Her eyes lit up as an idea struck her. There was a sudden outburst in her
brain, of the good kind. She’d discovered something amidst her observation
and now she was as eager as ever.

She jumped out of her chair and immediately ran to the greenhouse.

“Oh, madame! Do be careful!” Anna said surprised.

Elody had accidentally knocked her chair to the ground, so Anna pulled it
back up before she followed Elody to the greenhouse.

Elody ran to one side of the field.

This area was used specifically for Elody’s research.

“Is this it?”

Some rare herbs could only grow in the mountains and this area was used
purposely to grow such herbs.

The magic tools adjusted the environment so that it was similar to that of
the mountains. It adjusted the temperature, humidity, the rate at which
the plants grew, and other factors.

But…

“No, is this still growing?”

Elody pulled out one of the herbs and carefully checked the roots.

When Anna gave it to her before, she only saw the leaves of the plant. So
she’d had no idea what it was.

But this was definitely that.

Obviously…

“This is the plant I sowed!!!” Elody exclaimed.

Chapter 17.1

It was wild ginseng.

For the first time in a while, Elody finally showed an expression that she
had long forgotten. Her eyes brightened and her lips curved into a smile.

“I finally have it….”

She could see why the simmanis were so ecstatic when they harvested wild
ginseng.

Wild ginseng is an herb that’s commonly used as traditional medicine. It

usually grows in East Asia and the United States. They are also hand-
picked by gatherers known as simmani.

‘I can’t believe I’ve never seen it before in my previous life.….’

“Madame, what is happening?” Anna, who came running late, asked.

Anna seemed surprised to see Elody making an unusual fuss.

“This is… a panacea.”

“What? Is there such a thing?”

There was.

As far as she knew, wild ginseng had considerable efficacy.

Cultivated ginsengs were also great supplements.

‘But wild ginseng is on a whole different level!’

“Let’s harvest them! Anna, help me.”

“Yes, madame!” Anna said as she nodded vigorously.

After Caville left, Elody’s facial expression was cadaver-like, not just
sagged but lacking its usual liveliness, if not completely.

That’s why the sight of Elody smiling truly warmed Anna’s heart. It had
been so long since she last smiled.

“You have to be careful not to damage the roots. The roots are its life.”

“Understood, madame!”

In her previous life, wild ginseng was highly valued for its cooling and
sedative medicinal effects. Also, it was expensive due to its very
specialized growing environment and high demand.

If she could commercialize them well in the market, she could make an
entire fortune!

The wild ginseng will be able to help Caville too.

‘My baby’s in trouble, and I’m going to help him!’

* * *

Elody’s days became hectic.

She was so busy that she stuck inside the lab and greenhouse all day long.

She had to deal with various tasks on behalf of the lord. In some ways, it
was even more important than her research.

“Madame, if you’re tired, I can lessen today’s schedule….”

“It’s all right,” Elody said as she shook her head.

She stayed up all night reading a book yesterday so she felt tired.

“Your Grace, your complexion does not look too well…” Norman said,
anxiously.

After Caville left, the servants were all worried about Elody because she
was in poor condition and wouldn’t take care of herself properly.

“Should I eat the wild ginseng…?”

“Pardon?”

“…Nevermind.”
Yesterday, after checking the security in the territory, new guards were
deployed.

And today, Elody had to carry out the punishments for those who committed
crimes within the duchy. No one had committed a felony, but even the
smallest sins had to be fairly punished.

Tomorrow, she planned on visiting the knights.

Right now, Elody cared the most about security. The knights were needed to
keep order and to make sure everyone was safe, they made sure the laws
were upheld and that everyone was treated fairly.

‘We need to hire more soldiers.’

As the populations grew, those needed to be protected increased as well,

and with a large number of knights and soldiers leaving, it was only
natural to care about the security of the land.

Only when the land was safe could the people of the territory live in
peace.

The day after tomorrow, Elody was going to look around the farmhouse. She
was planning to distribute the turnip seeds to the farmers.

Her goal was to make sure that the people of the duchy would be able to
live safely and in satiation.

Elody had no intention of squeezing their money through tax like other
nobles. She could be rich if she did that, but she thought of such acts as
absurd.

On top of that, the abundance of the people could also help enrich the
land.

‘I’m wealthy as well, but I’m so tired….’

Elody rubbed her heavy eyelids.

She had a tight schedule, so she was tired… very tired. Her body needed to
rest yet her mind forced her to move, to burn the anxiety right out.

‘Maybe it would be better to eat one wild ginseng…’

Elody studied the wild ginseng after discovering it not too long ago.

Wild ginseng grows naturally in the mountains.

After checking it multiple times, the ginseng she had in her greenhouse
was indeed similar to the authentic ones that grew in the mountains.

With a magic tool, she confirmed that the herbs were not poisonous. Then,
she fed it to the knights in the mansion and recorded the results.
Though truth to be told, she never tried it herself.

She did not dare to eat it because she thought it’d be a waste.

‘I’ll just take a nap or something.’

Elody quickly took care of the rest of her work. Then climbed upstairs to
take a nap…

“Madame, Sirka from Rhondia is here.”

“What? Again? Without an appointment?”

“…yes. He’s waiting in the parlor right now….”

‘Damn it!’

The man had no courtesy. He had been visiting the mansion without making
an appointment and it irked Elody.

Elody headed to the parlor with her creased forehead.

At that moment, she funneled all her strength into her feet and used it to
walk out of the door with an angry expression.

“Little miss, it’s been a while.” He said, smiling.

“……”

Elody sat down and glared at Sirka.

“Not so little anymore…,” his words trailed off, “aren’t you? Hahaha…,”
Sirka added as if embarrassed by the awkward silence.

Before he realized it, she’s grown too big to be called a child, her
sudden change in appearance had surprised him.

She was utterly beautiful.

“I brought the settlement, so don’t make that expression.”

“…show it to me.”

“Here you go.”

Elody checked the documents carefully. All the drugs she invented over the
years were sold by the merchant guild.

The reputation of Rhondia rose because they sold the pills at a cheap
price for the commoners.

But there was also a problem.

“Ah! Madame, another visitor came from the Temple of Thysser.”

“Really? Again?”

“Yes, they were quite persistent. It won’t be easy to hide anymore.…”

“I see. They won’t come here, right?”

“There’s no justification and I haven’t sinned. So I’m sure it won’t

happen.”

The fact that Elody was the developer of the pills had to be kept a
secret. But they won’t be able to hide it for long.

The Temple of Thysser had shown great interest in her medicines, but Elody
was not pleased….

On the surface, the temple seemed to have a good relationship with the
mages.

But that was all a lie.

‘I can keep ignoring them, but….’

The Thysser religion worshipped Tvekra, the God of Nature.

Priests possess the ability to use divine magic; a sanctified and sacred
form of magic that uses holy forces to achieve extraordinary feats such as
offensive magic or healing powers. Their conviction grants them strong
powers on behalf of their faith.

Mages like Elody on the other hand mostly used elemental magic. The user
can utilize different elements as a form of magic. They can use different
spells to formulate their elemental quantities and energies for many uses
but everything was based on their knowledge regarding ancient languages.

To tell the truth, elemental magic also used natural forces, so the
essence of both powers was more or less the same.

Unfortunately… most priests looked down upon mages.

‘No, it’s more like… they put their guards up?’

They didn’t want the mages to increase. Therefore, books in ancient

languages were monopolized by the temple and designated as forbidden
books. They thought of their existence as a threat to their divine powers.

A long time ago, there was a legendary mage who was able to extract
magical energy from all of the elements.

His name was Magna Ponithesia.

He is said to have extraordinary powers and ruled the spirits of all

elements.
However, most of the priests twisted the truth and dismissed the
achievements of the archmage.

They insisted that he only had such powers because it was a blessing from
God. They argued that divine magic was the only teaching of God.

In front of others, they’d say, “We don’t reject elemental magic!”

But what they truly wanted to say was, “What? Mages? Oh, the incompetent
magic users! Such amateurs!”

They had terrible personalities.

‘And when the mages invented something, they’ll interfere and take credit
for their work.’

So of course, the mages didn’t like the priests either since there was too
much bad blood between them. But like most people in the Friar continent,
the mages also believed in the Tvekra God.

They, however, did not want to be involved with temples nor priests.

Just like Elody right now.

“It’s going to be quite noisy if they find out the truth.”

“We can’t help it though.…”

Elody shook her head at his words.

When the medicine that Elody made first became popular, it was immediately
sent to the temple.

There was a rumor that spread amongst the people and it ruined the pills’
reputation.

According to the rumors, the pills were not proper medicine.

However, the medicine was fine, and there were no addictive or harmful
ingredients.

The efficacy of the drug was undeniably outstanding.

So the temple began to question who made the medicine.

“I wanted to keep it a secret until the end.…”

Sirka kept quiet because of Elody’s demands, but as the medicine became
more and more popular, it was getting harder to hide the truth.

“It’ll be fine,” Elody replied.

Sirca sighed and continued, “I’m telling you it may be fine now, but the
truth will come to light soon. They’ve been following me recently. I
thought the people of the temple were civilized?” Sirka said with a sigh.

“Not exactly, the temple does a lot of dirty work.”

“Well, I’ve made sure no one followed me today. So no one knows I’m here,
not even my younger sibling! Madame is the only one who knows,” he smiled.

“Yes, and… the maids of the mansion know about it as well.”

“…that’s, well….”

Elody stared at Sirka with a worried look.

‘The truth will soon come to light…’

The priests would not openly persecute Elody, but it was certain that she
would be on their watch list after her name became known.

The mere thought of it bothered her.

“Speaking of which, your skin is looking a little rough, madame.”

“……”

“Is it because the duke left? Do you want me to give you some lotion?” he
said playfully.

“If you’re going to annoy me, just leave,” Elody rebuked.

Sirka shrugged at her words.

“Oh! I should have said ‘I love you!’ one more time before he left.
Goodness gracious, how silly of me to forget!”

Elody’s face fell faster than a corpse in cement boots.

He reminded her of a memory she long tried to forget.

It was years ago…

‘Caville seems a bit gloomy these past few days.’

Elody wanted to cheer him up so she thought of ways to lighten his mood.

Caville often had nightmares. He kept dreaming of bad adults who abused
him and verbally assaulted him in the past.

‘What can I do to help him?’

Young Caville had very low self-esteem. Elody was heartbroken when he
called himself a useless child.
She thought it was because he had never received proper affection from
people.

And so, Elody decided to launch the so-called ‘I love you, Your Grace’
campaign.

Elody forced the servants and knights to say ‘I love you’ whenever they
made eye contact with Caville.

“I love you, Your Grace!”

“……”

Unfortunately, Caville’s reaction was quite chilly.

His response was not good. The servants got embarrassed instead…

But ever since then, Caville seemed to be a little happier. He no longer

degraded himself. Elody’s efforts worked unknowingly.

“I love you, Caville! You are my most favorite person in the entire
world!!!” Elody shouted, far louder than anyone else.

Sirka, who visited at the time, also actively participated in the

campaign.

“I love you, Your Grace!” Sirka exclaimed in glee.

Alas, Caville could only feel his insides curdle and chose to ignore Sirka
with a wry expression…

Chapter 18

“Have you seen the newsletter?” Sirka asked.

“Yes, I have,” Elody replied.

“I think the war is going to last for a long time.”

“……”

It lasted for ten years.

Ten painful years.

“I’d rather not discuss this topic… Let’s talk about business instead,”
Elody said with a solemn expression.

“Business? What else is there to talk about?”

“I’m currently working on a new project.”

His eyes lit up at her words.

“Really?!”

“Yes, though it isn’t finished yet,” Elody replied calmly.

“I look forward to the results! What kind of medicine is it this time?”

“Panacea.”

“I see…” Sirka replied, “Then I shall devote my life to the duchess.”

Elody grinned at his words.

‘Yes! More money! I’ll make lots of money until Caville comes home!’

Elody had made a resolution.

If Caville brought back the princess, then Elody would need to earn some
money to leave the mansion.

‘But where will I live?’

Elody wanted to live nearby, but she didn’t want to seem like a nosy
sister-in-law.

Then, she realized something.

She had to leave the mansion as soon as Caville came back from war. To
separate again when they’ve only just met, the mere thought of it saddens
her heart.

“…We’ll continue this conversation later.” Elody said as she rose from her
seat.

“What? Already?”

“Yes, I have to go…” Elody said in a subdued tone, “I’ll tell the maids to
prepare you a meal before you leave.”

Sirka watched her leave, a bit irritated by her bizarre mood swings.

Elody just wasn’t in the mood to chat.

* * *

Soon after, Elody constructed another greenhouse, specially made for the
wild ginseng. She also studied ways to grow the herbs in a short amount of
time.

‘I’m so tired… I feel like I’m going to die.’

She was worn out because her schedule was packed with the lord’s duties.
When times get tough, she will start thinking of Caville on the
battlefield. That way, she could channel her energy right back up and work
twice as hard again.

Moreover, she’d send letters to Caville on days she felt the most lonely.
Writing letters seemed to help ease up her mind.

It felt like sending her little brother to the military when he’s only ten
years old.

Elody gathered her strength and began to study the panacea.

The most well-known herb traditionally used as a drug is the root of the
ginseng species.

If the results turned well, she could earn plenty of money, and it
wouldn’t compare to the earnings she got from her old medicines.

There was only one thing she could make.

Six-year-old red ginseng!

‘It will take care of Caville’s health!’

Elody intended to develop the ginseng seeds by studying wild ginseng

obtained from their natural habitats. Fortunately, the ginseng she
cultivated was as effective as those grown naturally in the mountains! So
she’ll continue to cultivate them, and she’ll process them to be red
ginseng.

Like the painkillers she made, she’ll process them as pills and then send
them to Caville along with a letter.

‘I’ll work hard.’

And so, Elody sowed plenty of the ginseng seeds in the newly constructed
greenhouse.

A few days later…

“What is this?” Elody said, squatting in front of the field where the
ginseng was planted.

In front of her was an unusual grass growing beside a field that was ready
to reap. It looked just like clover, but it was a little different.

“Madame, what kind of plant is this?”

“Well… I’ve never seen this before.”

“It’s not poisonous, is it?”

“No, poisonous plants won’t be able to grow here. I used an elixir to make
sure that doesn’t happen.”
Elody decided to separate them so that she could examine the ingredients.

The stem was green, but the leaves were red. It was unique.

With the mysterious herbs in good care, Elody turned her eyes to the
field.

“The ginseng is growing well.”

The herbs looked healthy, but Elody was worried whether to call it
cultivated ginseng or wild ginseng.

For now, she decided to call it ginseng.

Ginseng root is used more often than other parts of the ginseng plant, but
they could only be harvested after several years’ cultivation. The herbs
took too long to grow, so Elody used her magic powers. She made ampoules
of liquids that were able to speed up its growth and injected them on the
ginseng.

Growth-promoting ampoules were very rare, and they could only be used in
small droplets, so it was a waste to use them for other crops.

But doing this could also help her research ways to grow the herbs in
large quantities.

Elody’s crop farming was no different from the natural type. Because
through magic, the environment could become similar to that of the
mountains.

Her mouth curved into a smile as she thought of processing them to be red
ginseng.

“Madame, is this herb that great?”

“Yes. After it’s harvested, I’ll give some to you so you can try it
later.”

“Really? Thank you, madame! So…Shall I keep it a secret from Marie?”

“No need, I was planning to give it to the other maids anyway.”

‘What a pity.’ Anna thought as she clicked her tongue.

Elody chuckled at her funny response.

* * *

Shortly after that, Elody harvested the ginsengs after using magic to
speed up its growth.

“The roots look astonishing.”

Elody was excited as it was time to harvest the plants.

She dug up the herbs then planted the seeds again. They were washed,
peeled, sliced, and some were soaked in honey.

The leftovers were given to Elody so that she can process them to be red
ginseng.

‘This might be difficult.’

The ginseng root was used as a natural remedy in supplement form. The root
that had been steamed and dried was called red ginseng.

The process of steaming and drying the ginseng was quite extensive. After
steaming, it had to be dried in a well-ventilated area. The drying process
was also important.

Elody steadily injected her mana during the process.

After repeating this, the finished red ginseng was turned into a capsule.
It’s a jelly-like soft pill, but after swallowing it, it melted instantly
and permeated inside the body.

She made it portable and easy to eat.

“It’s not bitter, it tastes good.”

Elody tried one herself to check its efficacy. The effect occurred rather
fast.

Her body was full of energy. It wasn’t like she miraculously gained
strength, but it indeed reduced her fatigue. By eliminating the side
effects through magic, people with high fever could also take them.

Elody contemplated on how to mass-produce the pills.

“I’ll send a letter to Caville along with the pills.”

Although separated by distance, Elody wanted to support Caville.

* * *

“Madame, how’s your research going?”

While touring to the barracks with the butler, someone spoke to Elody.

“Sir Therion. Thank you for your concern. It’s going very well.”

His name was Therion, and he was currently in charge of the knights. He
was a great knight who had blond hair and a tall figure.

Therion was able to attain the rank of a knight due to his extraordinary
skills. He, however, did not join the war.
The decree said that only one man per family was needed to serve in the
Imperial Army. So his family chose Therion’s brother, William, to join the
war in his stead.

Therion seemed unhappy about not being able to participate in the war, but
his brother’s words persuaded him, he said that the land’s security was
also important.

“That’s glad to hear.” Therion smiled, “To what do I owe the pleasure of
this visit?”

“I’m here to ask if the knights require any supplies or reinforcements. Is

there anything you need?”

“Well, there’s a lot of newcomers. So we are in dire need of more wooden

swords.”

“Really? Then it means that there’s a lot of reinforcements, that’s good

news.”

“Yes, they’re all the more excited because they can be knighted by the
Duchess herself,” he grinned.

“Pardon? Why would they be excited?”

“Huh?”

Elody was puzzled, and so was Therion. He genuinely thought Elody would
realize what he was talking about.

“We adore you a lot. The children in training, apprentices, even full-time
knights…. Did madame not know that?”

Elody blushed, “Sir Therion…”

At his direct words, the butler Norman gave him a look as if telling him
to be careful of his words.

Therion shrugged and said, “It’s alright even if madame isn’t aware. Well…
since you’ve come all this way, would you be so kind as to watch us
train?”

“I would, but I’m afraid my schedule does not permit me to…,” her words
trailed off, “I must get going now, Sir Therion. Thank you for greeting me
and keep up the good work.”

Elody smiled softly and proceeded to check the rest of the remuneration
with the butler.

“Let’s finish this quickly and go.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

After inspecting the facilities inside the barracks, Elody settled herself
on an outdoor table to rest her feet.

Then, she took the documents that Norman gave to her and began to organize
them herself.

“Um… Norman. Do the knights like me that much?” Elody asked.

“Well… honestly, I thought that madame might have guessed it even a

little. Everyone here adores you, and some knights would even try to
capture your heart. Quite a lot, actually.”

Elody was dumbfounded.

Of course, she was conscious of her beautiful appearance as she stared at

the mirror every day.

However, there was not a single person in the original story who liked
her.

It was because of her evil deeds.

‘Home……’

Elody will soon turn twenty.

The young males might try to court her as she was a beautiful lady with
high status.

‘Caville will be the same when he meets the princess…’

In the novel, the two fell in love at first sight and felt a strong
connection towards one another.

Elody was depressed. If they come back together like in the novel, then
she may be forced to leave the mansion!

“Your Grace!”

“…?”

Elody, who had been lost in thought, finally raised her head.

A young boy was approaching her. Norman was on his guard for a moment, but
Elody dissuaded and calmed him down.

He was about fifteen or sixteen years old. He seemed to be a knight in

training.

“Well, uh… please accept this.”

“Huh?”

He bowed and shyly thrust them into her arms.

It was a bouquet.

“I picked them from the field for you,” he blushed, “I know it’s not a big
deal, but….”

The boy could feel the heat growing in his cheeks.

“Thank you. I’ll put it in a vase.” Elody smiled as she accepted the
bouquet.

“No, it’s no problem,” the boy said as he scratched his head and ran back
to the training grounds.

“……”

Elody stared at the bouquet for a while.

Norman looked at Elody and asked anxiously, “Madame, you don’t look good.
Are you all right?”

“…I’m all right.”

The flowers reminded her of her memories.

It was months before Caville’s departure…

As usual, Elody went out to the fields with Marie and Anna to harvest more
herbs.

During that time, Caville was training.

After a long time of collecting herbs, Caville came running, calling her
from afar.

“Wife, look at this!”

Caville, who tried to catch his breath, held out what he had hidden behind
his back.

It was a bouquet of wildflowers.

Chapter 19

In his hands was a bouquet of miniature flowers.

“Uh… all the leaves are gone. It was pretty before, but….” Caville said as
he lowered his gaze with a sullen expression.

Anna and Marie were swallowing a smile. Caville was more innocent than
children his age.

“But it’s still so pretty. You said it looked prettier before?” Elody
asked, accepting the bouquet.
“Yes. It was more beautiful before….”

“Well, it still looks beautiful now. Did you pick these out for me?”

“Yes, because my wife likes pretty things,” Caville responded as a smile

crept into Elody’s face.

“Thank you, Caville. They give a gentle aroma too. Would you like to smell
it?”

“Alright.”

Elody held out the bouquet to Caville, and he inhaled the sweet fragrance.

“It smells good!”

“Doesn’t it?” Elody smiled.

“Yes. It smells just like you, wife.”

Anna and Marie, who stood behind Caville, were surprised to hear such
lovely words.

“Oh my!”

“The lord will become a very romantic husband!” Anna giggled.

“Yes. Caville will grow up to become someone who’s loved by all.” Elody
said as she stroked his hair.

Loved… by the princess.

The flowers reminded her of that time.

The earthy wands of the trees, the fresh aroma of wildflowers, the sky
which was dappled by the clouds, and Caville’s genuine smile.

“I miss Caville… He’s doing well, right?”

“Of course. I’m sure he’s fine, madame.” Norman replied.

“It must be hard for him….” she worried.

A sigh escaped his lips as he looked towards Elody’s anxious self.

Elody’s days were filled with worries.

And as time went on, Elody became even more anxious.

* * *

Meanwhile…
Caville was currently struggling on the battlefield.

It took a considerable amount of time just to get past the capital and
reach the Catan Mountains.

Eventually, it was time to pass the Dark Forest, the last gateway to the
mountains.

“Your Grace, please be careful not to fall off your horse,” Brien said
with a tense expression.

“Alright.”

The Dark Forest.

The reason for the name was because of the utter blackness of nighttime in
the woods.

The bare branches spiked into the sky, its leaves blocking any incoming
sunlight.

Even the knights were afraid of the haunting atmosphere.

Because of frequent monster attacks, the Dark Forest was classified as a

restricted area, just like the nearby Forest of Death.

The Forest of Death was located near the duchy, and the territory had the
fastest shortcut to the mountain range.

Fortunately, this area was much safer than the Forest of Death.

The knights and soldiers could feel the darkness drawing closer and
closer, suffocating them as they passed through the thick maze of
woodland.

The odd chirps and rustling of the winds see the travellers pivoting to
respond; their weapons were drawn. But, despite their anxiety, nothing
attacks.

They travel on, slowly growing comfortable with the nearby movements.
However, as they thought they’d passed the forest unharmed, a group of
monsters suddenly emerged from the trees.

The knights unsheathed their swords as a small battle broke out. Brien
guarded Caville, blocking him from harm’s way.

Caville stared at the monster. It was something he’d never seen in his
entire life. The monsters that appeared before them were goblins, famous
for its greed and ferociousness.

‘I’m scared….’
Caville had only heard of goblins from books. They were mythical creatures
that had an ugly appearance. Succumbing to fear, Caville hid behind the
knights.

He clenched his sword with trembling hands, unable to think, he couldn’t

remember anything from the sword lessons he had with Brien.

“My Lord! Stay back!” Brien shouted as he continued killing the goblins in
front of him.

Suddenly, a goblin lurched towards Caville with rapid acceleration.

“Watch out!”

Brien was about to run to the young child to save him, but he soon
stopped.

The scene before him surprised himself as his eyes widened in

astonishment.

Instead of hiding behind Brien’s back, Caville stood his ground and lifted
his sword. The blade flashed as he swung it over the goblin’s head, and
blood splattered when he brought it down.

A few moments later, the battle was over. Only a few soldiers suffered
minor injuries, so they were able to cross the forest safely.

As soon as they got out of the woods, they immediately headed to camp.

Upon arrival, Caville began to unpack a few of his belongings. Then, he

discovered the wounds he had gained from the previous battle.

There was a slight cut on his wrist, right below his gauntlet.

Brien asked in a worried voice, “Are you all right, Your Grace?”

Caville strove to answer back, saying, “I’m alright.”

However, he wasn’t all right at all. He felt sick and uncomfortable; all
he wanted to do was cry.

It was a small wound, but he was scared to see his blood. The last time he
saw blood was when he still lived in the orphanage.

Caville drew his sword and cleaned the blade, following Brien’s actions.

His blood-stained sword looked disgusting. Caville turned away as his

stomach heaved, nostrils filled with the smell of lousy goblin blood.

Brien took something out of his pocket and handed it over to Caville,
along with a glass of water.

“This is a painkiller from the duchess. Please eat it first before I take
a look at your wounds… but I can call the priest if it hurts too much.”
“It’s all right. The medicine will do.” Caville replied gracefully.

He took the pills from Brien’s hands and swallowed them, along with the
water.

Elody made the medicine.

‘I miss my wife…’

If she knew he was hurt, she would have worried a lot and kindly treated
his wounds….

Perhaps because he took the medicine that his wife made for him, his
longing for Elody grew stronger.

Brien was astounded to see Caville acting so mature. He was able to cope
with the situation better than he thought he’d be.

‘He’ll become a brilliant man..’

Brien snorted inwardly whenever the duchess would say, “My baby will grow
to be a fine man.”

But to some extent, what she said seemed to be true.

In the eyes of a child, goblins should seem much scarier than devils.

He thought Caville would just cry and keep begging him to go back home…

However, Caville was unexpectedly calm.

Moreover, Brien was proud to see him use the sword techniques he had
taught. He felt as though he had successfully raised his apprentice well.

* * *

A boy as young as Caville among the soldiers on the battlefield.

One could never take his participation seriously.

There were a few knights who were also young, but Caville was the youngest
of them all.

Their unfriendly gaze reminded Caville of the adults who had abused him in
the orphanage.

They all looked huge and threatening.

He was so afraid.

Every day, all he thought about was how much he wanted to go back home.
Back to Elody, who had always hugged him, smiled at him, and talked to him
affectionately without any strings attached.
The nobles would always whisper behind his back. A kid like him,
participating in the war as one of the nobles of the empire. They could
only see him as a pathetic joke.

“His Majesty, the Emperor, is too much. I can’t believe he’d let a little
boy be the commander of the knights.”

“Right! No one would be surprised if he died tomorrow.”

“Is the Emperor purposely trying to lead him to his death? Is His Majesty
planning to give the land to Count Borque after the young duke dies?”

“I heard that the Emperor and Count Borque made a secret deal behind his
back.”

Caville grasped his heart, doing his best not to be frightened by the
noblemen spewing malicious and hateful words towards him.

Sometimes, there were a few people who would try to gain his favor, saying
that he reminded them of their son back home.

Unfortunately, most of them ignored Caville.

They snorted and pointed at him, saying, “We brought a dog to the
battlefield.”

Or they would click their tongue and say, “Tch! He’s just dead weight!
He’d probably die soon!”

‘…I miss my wife.’

He was so sad and afraid that his tears would fall out, but he did his
best to put up with it.

Every time his tears were about to fall. He’d remember one of Elody’s
words and advice. That way, he’d regain his confidence and strove back up
again. He’d be able to raise his head, relax his shoulders, and stare
straight into his opponent’s eyes.

“Do not degrade yourself. You are the Duke of Cernois, a brilliant young
man who loves and protects the people of the duchy.”

Despite being far away, Caville would sometimes hear Elody’s voice.

He felt as if they were together, even though the distance separated them.
He wasn’t as lonely as he was back then.

He didn’t want anyone to belittle him. So Caville tried to keep himself

from being ignored by engaging in daily training.

And before going to bed, he would pray earnestly for Elody to appear
outside of his dreams.
“Your Grace, please take a rest. You’ll run out of energy at this rate.”

Despite Brien’s worries, Caville didn’t let go of his sword.

Caville devoted himself to keep training even when everyone else was
resting.

He was younger than the others, so he felt a need to grow up and develop
his skills.

Only then will he be able to go back to Elody.

Repeating the small battles, Caville trembled in his weaknesses.

When he saw the injured knights trying to escort him, his heart felt
heavy.

The knights and soldiers of the Duke of Cernoir began to give a more
favorable look to the Lord, who, at an early age, took the lead without
being daunted.

The same could be said about the vassals who participated in the war.

“Don’t be so impatient. Your Grace is still young. After a few years,

you’ll be a much better knight than you are now.”

“……”

Caville did not answer Brien’s words.

‘Is that true?’

Caville was suspicious.

No matter how much he thought about it, all he could see was his weak and
useless self.

Whenever he thought of that, he’d desperately try to run to Elody and hide
in her arms.

But Elody wasn’t there…

Nevertheless, from some point on, a burning desire began to spring up from
deep inside his heart.

A desire to become powerful.

He wanted to be strong. Strong enough to protect those he cared about.

So Caville tried even harder.

He trained himself to become a better man than he is now.

But after a while, Caville began to hear weird voices.

‘Caville Cernoir…. ‘

It was a voice that called his name. At first, he thought it was just
someone who whispered directly into his ear.

But neither Brien, Solar nor Ren, who were by his side, had ever spoken to
him this close.

‘Caville Cernoir….’

‘Caville Cernoir….’

The contents of the speech, after calling out his name, were indescribably
faint.

After a day or two of repeated hallucinations, Caville suddenly began to

feel haunted by the voices. Furthermore, Ren’s mean words stimulated his
fear.

“You must sleep with a blanket at night, My Lord. There’s a story about
ghosts haunting the battlefield.” Ren said, mischievously.

Caville glared at him with unpleasant eyes.

“Don’t play tricks on the duke.”

Brien gave him a harsh scolding, and Ren lowered his head as if he was
actually sorry.

“I’m sorry, My Lord… But the rumor is real.”

“……”

Caville had heard of it. The story of the soldiers and knights who died in
the battle and appeared as ghosts.

Another rumor was that the Urtans killed the priests and mages and took
away their mana, thus turning them into ghosts that haunted the enemy
camp.

It was a false rumor that no one believed in, but it was still scary to
think about at night.

If he had known this sooner, he would have brought the rabbit doll that he
got for his birthday.

Do ghosts really exist?

But the auditory hallucination he heard in his ear did not sound like a
ghost’s voice.

Rather, it was a strong, powerful voice.

Caville wanted to be strong.

He wanted to be a strong knight who was neither afraid of ghosts nor

afraid of hearing odd voices.

As Ren’s words kept coming to his mind, he covered his body with a
blanket.

He couldn’t sleep, but he still tried.

However, whenever he closed his eyes, the voice he heard would sound even
clearer.

Even the night before, he could not hear the faintest part in his ears
clearly unless he closed his eyes.

‘Caville Cernoir, do you want to have more power?’

Caville opened his eyes and instinctively grasped the brooch on his chest.

‘The brooch!’

The sound came from the artifact, which Elody put on his chest.

Chapter 20

The manufacture of red ginseng was carried out successfully. Elody gave it
to the servants, and the results were satisfactory.

‘As expected of red ginseng!’

Elody felt like she had already made a fortune.

News of her success spread by word of mouth, and the knights began to take
an interest in the medicine. To make things fair, Elody also gave a
generous amount of pills to the knights and guards.

“I wish I could mass-produce it. I need more plots in the greenhouse.”

Unfortunately, for now, she had no way to grow them in large quantities.
So she had no choice but to rely on her magic.

Her cultivation method produced a higher yield in a shorter amount of

time. Like that, she would be able to mass-produce it through magic.

Furthermore, a single root was enough to produce quite a lot of pills.

“Madame, are you tired?” Anna asked anxiously, but Elody shook her head.

“I’m all right. Thank you for worrying about me, Anna.”

The first person to test the effects of the red ginseng was Elody.
Overwhelmed with fatigue, Elody relaxed by taking the pills, and it had
high efficacy!

Elody added a red coating to the outer part of the pill and named it ‘Red
Pill’ with the alias ‘Panacea.’

After preparing batches of red ginseng pills to send to Caville, Elody

called Sirka to visit the mansion.

“You came here sooner than I expected.”

“Of course.” Sirka smiled.

Sirka sat across from Elody and studied her expression.

‘Such confidence!’ He thought as his heart pounded from excitement.

Everything from the way she held herself, the way she spoke, to that look
of unassailable confidence, which said she could do it. He couldn’t do
anything but put his trust in her.

Elody took out the pill from a small box and held it out to him.

“This is…”

Sirka took the pills with his trembling hands and scrutinized it. They had
a pretty color, just like a jewel.

“That’s right. It’s called the Red Pill.”

“Oh… I see.”

“You can also label it as Panacea. Do you know why?”

“No, I do not,” Sirka said while shaking his head.

“Because it’s a remedy for a lot of diseases. Now, listen carefully. As

far as this medicine goes….”

Elody began to explain the efficacy of the pills like a real merchant
while Sirka listened to her attentively.

“First of all, it strengthens the immune system and helps lower the
recurrence of diseases. It is also safe to take, even if you have a fever.
Lastly, it reduces fatigue and increases one’s energy.”

“Wow…! Really?” Sirka exclaimed as his eyes glistened after hearing

Elody’s words.

He looked like he would buy them even if he had to sell his house.

“Young people want to take care of their skin these days, don’t they?”
Elody grinned, “Well, these pills can also improve your skin! Whether
you’re a man or a woman!”
“For the skin!” Sirka clapped his hands in admiration.

“Yes. If you take these pills regularly, your skin will glow and become
very smooth!” Elody exclaimed, “Now that I see it, don’t you need to take
care of your skin? It feels very dry, right?”

“That’s right! I’ve been apprehensive about my skin lately…”

Sirka looked dejected, but Elody smiled as if telling him not to worry.

“You don’t have to worry. Look at my skin. I only sleep for a few hours in
a day, yet my skin still feels silky and smooth.”

“So, these pills were the secret?!”

“Yes! I won’t be this confident if I haven’t tried it myself.”

Sirka was astounded. If he sold this in his country, he would be able to

dominate the trade market.

“Is there another one?”

“Of course. This one is… Oh my… how do I say this? It’s very effective for
men.”

“Th-that’s…… “

“It’s good for men.”

Elody’s expression was filled with confidence and determination.

“Really?!”

Sirka went wide-eyed, and his eyebrows arched towards the sky.

Elody’s mouth felt dry from talking so much, but she still continued.

“The pills will take effect as soon as they enter your body. You’ll feel
something like this; ‘Huh?! No… My body?! Huh? This is how good it
feels?!’ like that.”

“Madame is a genius!”

“It relieves stress and is good for older women. It’s so effective that I
don’t know what else to say.” Elody said with the most benevolent smile.

Sirka nodded his head vigorously at her words. The pill seemed credible
enough to save the dead.

“But it’s a little bit more expensive than the usual drugs. “

It was time to get to the main point.

Sirka’s face fell into a nervous expression.

“How much…?”

Without a word, Elody took out the papers and placed them on the table.

This was their way of talking.

Elody preferred to give out papers first before negotiating, and Sirka was
already used to it.

“…You’re going to lose. Hmm… I don’t think it would be bad to sell to

aristocrats.”

“I’m planning to sell them to the commoners, too.”

“But wouldn’t it be difficult for the commoners to buy it at this price?”

“It’s possible through pull marketing strategy.

“Oh…? What could that be?”

“It’s a strategy in which we aim to increase the demand for the red
ginseng and pull the consumers to the product through promotional acts.”

“As expected of madame… you should just work with us…”

“Will you give me the highest position?”

“That’s not… …but. Umm…”

“Well, I’ll think about it if I have the chance,” Elody said while
slightly nodding.

“Really?”

When he heard such a definite answer, Sirka was surprised.

Elody looked at him, wondering why he was so surprised.

She had nothing to do in the mansion after getting divorced. So it was

only right to continue her business rather than to stay around and do
nothing.

That way, she could continue to help Caville.

“You’re not serious, are you?”

“You can think about my words however you want. Anyway, I’m signing this.
Will you sign it too?”

“…Oh, yes! I will buy whatever the duchess makes.”

The granting of exclusive rights was enough.

The down payment, on the other hand, was a little too much. But Sirka knew
that the product would become successful again.

‘Madame never produces a loss.’

Sirka put his absolute trust in Elody.

* * *

After completing the contract, Elody was drinking tea in her room. It was
her long-awaited break.

Suddenly, the scribbles on one side of the wall came into Elody’s sight.

Those scribbles were marks that recorded her and Caville’s height every
year.

“Um…”

Elody walked to the wall and began measuring her height whilst putting her
back against the wall.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Madame, I brought you refreshments.”

“Come in.”

Marie came in with a plate full of cookies.

After putting the plate on the table, Marie glanced at Elody, who rested
on the wall.

“Madame, what are you doing?”

“I’m measuring my height.” Elody responded, “I’m glad you’re here, Marie.
Can you measure my height?”

“Alright, madame.”

Marie put her hand on top of Elody’s head to mark her height.

“Huh? I…”

Elody was speechless.

‘I… Why am I so short?’

“Is this really my height? Shouldn’t I’ve experienced a growth spurt?”

“No, madame. You were always this tall.”

The height difference was so little. It was a shocking reality that she
didn’t want to believe.

‘Will the red ginseng make me taller?’ Elody thought for a moment.

“Is there a possibility for me to grow taller next year?”

“I don’t think so. I stopped growing taller when I was 19.” Marie said as
Elody’s expression sank.

Marie was much taller than her.

Elody was not very short. But she wasn’t considered tall. To put it
bluntly, her height was average.

“…….”

Marie held back her laughter.

The duchess was diligent and smart, but Marie saw her as her cute little
sister. It’s because she had taken care of her since she was young.

“But Emily grew half an inch taller even after she turned 20.”

“Really?” Elody said in a very cute tone.

“Yes! So don’t complain about the food, eat all of it, get enough rest,
and then you’ll grow taller!”

“Are you su~re?”

Elody’s childlike way of speaking made Marie burst into a loud, harsh
cackle of laughter.

It was just too cute.

Elody too, dissolved into a puddle of laughter and Marie could see her
stomach shaking as she fought the gale of giggles.

Elody laughed with Mary and then glanced back to the wall where she
engraved traces of Caville’s height.

‘Caville will be so tall. I can’t even compare myself to him.’

Somehow, she was sad and envious. She expected it, but she still wanted to
be tall. How wonderful it’d be if she could increase her height.

Elody had such a good laugh with Marie. Her mood was good that day even if
she kept thinking of Caville in the corner of her mind.

Then, time flew by…

Unfortunately, after four years, Elody’s height remained the same.

Since last year, Elody had decided to stop marking her height.

One day, Elody went to Emily with a question.

“Emily, I heard that you grew taller even after you turned 20. Was that
true?”

“Huh? No, madame. I’ve been this tall since I was 16. I’ve had the same
height since then!”

“……”

“Madame, you want to grow tall, don’t you? If you eat well….”

“I’m done!”

Marie fooled her. The maids, who have seen Elody since childhood, all
giggled at her cute self.

On the other hand, the new maids looked surprised to see the older maids
treating her in such a friendly manner without hesitation.

It was unusual for servants to play tricks on nobles like this.

But as time went by, they also adapted to the unusual atmosphere of the
mansion.

Unlike other aristocrats who are as cold as ice, the duchess always had a
warm personality.

The servants regarded each other as a family, and the duchess was kind to
them.

Elody’s expression was filled with betrayal, but Marie still grinned
playfully.

‘How can I become taller….’

It was sad and unfair, but it couldn’t be helped. Her growth seemed to
have permanently stopped.

On the bright side, Elody was very rich.

Her red ginseng business with Sirka became a huge success.

Chapter 21

Money was the best consolation.

Her marketing strategy worked successfully, and people from all over the
Friar continent sought the ‘Red Pills’.

Where there is light, there is also a shadow. The pills were so famous
that someone started distributing fake ones.
The culprit hadn’t been found, but the merchant guild kept trying to solve
the problem.

“I’m surprised the temple is so quiet,” Elody said.

“I know, I don’t even know what they’re up to…” Sirka replied in

annoyance.

He didn’t seem to like the temple, and Elody couldn’t agree more with him.

Elody was revealed as the producer of the medicines long ago.

Of course, she suspected that the temple had something to do with it.
Though contrary to her worries, nothing significant had happened.

She thought someone from the temple might visit the mansion. But her days
were surprisingly calm and peaceful.

However, Elody had received several invitations from unknown places.

After Sirka went back, Elody opened each of the invitations on her desk
and read its contents.

‘It’s an invitation from the wives of the warlords…’

Elody frowned and ordered Norman to send a letter of refusal.

On the other hand, Elody still hadn’t heard anything from the vassals who
ignored the order to participate in the war.

‘They’re so shameless that they’ve never even visited the mansion or at

least tried to contact me first.’

The thought of their disgraceful acts was repugnant to her.

But truthfully, she had other things to worry about.

Elody consistently sent medicines along with letters to Caville. However,

there had never been a single reply.

“Why hasn’t he written back?”

“Since he’s in war, it might be difficult for him to exchange letters.

“Madame…. don’t be too upset,” Norman said as Elody nodded with a sad
expression.

Norman let out a sigh, “More than that, I’m worried that the war will drag
on for too long.”

“Yes, I’ve realized it as well.”

“The decree said that the war lasts for 20 years. I hope it doesn’t take
that long…”

“……”

Elody’s face sank at Norman’s words.

Fortunately, the war with the Kingdom of Urta ended in 10 years.

Elody gathered her energy and continued to work diligently.

She invested all the money she had earned in the territory so it would
improve. The avenue was now filled with handsome streets and public
buildings; the streets were occupied by imposing blocks composed of
several new shops and business premises. In a short span of time, the
avenue became the center of trade.

Rhondia also built a new branch within the territory. It was a magnificent
building, erected in a dominant position on the main streets.

Elody welcomed and congratulated Rhondia on their newest branch.

However, there was a downside as well…

“Why are you here again?”

“Madame, please calm down… You should be welcoming me with a happy smile!”

“…yes, well… Welcome to the duchy.”

Elody saw Sirka as often as she saw the servants of the mansion.

‘Is he really the boss of Rhondia…?’

He was never busy, and he rarely went to the capital where the main branch
was located.

Furthermore, he seemed to have settled down in the Cernoir territory and

had always visited the mansion as if he was trying to bother Elody on
purpose.

He would follow her to the lab to see how she developed her medicines and
try to figure out what kind of drugs she was going to make next.

‘How annoying…’

Elody spoke firmly to Sirka.

“The laboratory and the greenhouse are off-limits.”

“Yes…”

Sirka became sullen for a moment, but then cheered right up and excitedly
went to see the knights in the barracks.
He seemed no different from a goldfish, which had a memory span of 3
seconds.

* * *

Elody was currently working in her office.

Suddenly, she heard a knock.

“Come in,” Elody said.

“Madame.”

“Petria, you’re here?”

It was Petria who came into her office. She was responsible for various
projects within the territory.

Although she had a cold appearance, Petria used to be a commoner and

worked as a cashier for a small shop in the market.

The first time Elody saw Petria was two years ago in court. She was
accused of being a thief and, thus, was put on trial by the lord.

“She stole money from my store! This is proof!”

The owner of the store proudly delivered the ledger, supposedly handled by
Petria.

Elody scrutinized the books. As the plaintiff said, the money was gone,
but there was no evidence that the culprit was Petria.

“Do you have any evidence to support your claim?”

“Well, she’s from an orphanage in the slums! Don’t you know how many
crimes the children coming from there have committed on the premises? The
chances of them becoming pickpockets are a hundred out of a hundred! All
of them!”

“……”

Elody was speechless. She was tired of his ridiculous claims.

Once his accusations were over, Petria had the right to speak. It was time
for her to defend herself.

“I was falsely accused. The boss spent the money on his lover without his
wife knowing, and he’s plotting against me to hide the truth.”

“T-that! How dare you accuse me of such foul things?! You liar!”

“Keep talking.”
At Elody’s words, Petria continued to talk with an expressionless face.

“In the second week of last month, exactly 100,000 gold disappeared on the
15th. The total amount that came in that day was 300,000 gold. I remember
all the details. Around 10 am a young man purchased items worth 20,000
gold. And three hours later, an older woman….”

Petria went on like a machine. Stupefied, Elody blinked her eyes.

Petria remembered precisely when the boss was away.

In the meantime, Elody received the ledger of the store handed by the
knight. She checked its contents, and Petria’s words matched perfectly
with the evidence.

‘How can she be so clever?’ Elody thought in admiration.

She wanted to applaud her but held back.

“……”

The plaintiff’s face turned blue when she spoke in such detail, down to
every minute and second.

Elodie immediately checked the soldiers to see if her words were valid.

While waiting, the plaintiff’s facial expression was filled with anxiety.

Soon, a soldier brought the plaintiff’s mistress and the person who bought
the gift.

When the maxims and confessions occurred, the boss glared at Petria with
intensity; it was a look that conveyed a boiling hatred.

After all, it was unexpected for an orphan to be able to memorize the

contents of the ledger.

In the end, it was revealed that the boss took 100,000 gold himself to buy
a gift for his mistress.

Petria was innocent.

Elody eyes glimmered in astonishment as she slowly approached Petria…

“You pass!”

“…?!”

…And hired her in an instant.

* * *

Since then, Petria had been in charge of numerous things and was rewarded
with a generous salary from Elody.
Elody started various businesses on the land with the money she earned
from developing drugs.

Amongst them was the establishment of an orphanage and school. She never
hesitated to spend money on children’s education.

Education for orphans was a necessity. She wanted to eliminate

discrimination and change people’s perceptions.

“Madame, this is the breakdown of the cost of materials for the new
building in the orphanage.”

“Were there any difficulties?”

“No, everything went smoothly as we didn’t spare any expenses. I checked

the construction site myself. The dormitory was nice, the children were
happy. Oh, and I also chose new teachers for the children.”

“Ah… Well done. You picked adults who aren’t likely to abuse the children,
right?”

“Of course. I’ve checked their career thoroughly. I’ve met with the
children and gathered their thoughts. I chose only the best of the best.
My focus was on people with friendly personalities rather than blunt ones.
Of course, their wages are pretty high.”

“Magnificent! You’ve done a great job.”

Elody managed to cut off her words before she went on any longer. Petria
was someone who could spend hours talking.

Petria was the fastest talking person Elody had ever met. She was
expressionless, but she talked so fast that Elody got nervous whenever she
listened to her.

But, the orphanage teachers must have been conscientious, as Petria hired
them herself.

When Elody thought about Petria interviewing the teachers, she realized
that she did not need to worry. Seeing how talkative Petria was, she
should have prepared a lot of questions.

‘They must’ve been so pressured!’

Elody decided to check the orphanage soon.

“Come to think of it……”

At that time, an idea popped into Elody’s head.

‘Where was the location of Caville’s orphanage?’

Elody ordered the maid to bring Norman in.

A moment later, the butler entered the room.

“Madame, how can I help you?”

“Norman, please tell me the location of Caville’s orphanage.”

“Well… it’s a slum located close to Baron Vendos’ estate.”

“Oh, it’s not that far.”

The duchy was quite extensive. Not much had changed since the first Duke
took over the territory.

Baron Vendos was one of the vassals who took part in the war at Caville’s
command.

“So he’s strictly within the duke’s mandate, isn’t he?”

“That’s right.”

“Um…”

“What’s wrong?”

The time for revenge had finally come.

Elody ordered the servant to prepare a carriage immediately.

“Wait, you said the orphanage was in the slums?”

“Yes, madame.”

“Is it still there?”

“Yes… the prosperity of the duchy has increased thanks to madame, but
there are still some places where the situation has not improved.”

It’s heartbreaking that Caville grew up in the slums.…

Elody still had a mountain of work to do. She had worked diligently every
day, but her workload had not lessened.

Managing the land wasn’t as easy as she thought.

“Norman, there will be no more slums in the future.”

“Yes?”

“Until Caville returns, I’m going to take care of this land and develop
every single area.”

“Madame…”
Norman was so moved he began to sniffle.

Elody pretended not to see the state that he was in and averted her gaze.

Truth to be told, what she was doing wasn’t just for Caville’s sake.

Caville would divorce her once he returns, but Elody didn’t want to leave
the duchy.

Elody had grown fond of the duchy, where she worked hard enough to make
the place thrive. She wanted to live here, even if she had to live in the
countryside or the suburbs.

But she didn’t want to go to the slums. The security was poor and it would
be hard for her to live in such a place.

So she planned to get rid of all of the underdeveloped areas, for this was
her future.

Though before that, she had to prioritize punishing the offenders of the
law first.

Chapter 22

‘They’ve been living in this land, yet they condoned such abusive acts?’

Elody clenched her fists and headed for the orphanage. Therion, who was
currently in charge of the Knights, stood in front of the carriage.

“Sir Therion, will you go there directly by horse?” Elody asked, then
added, “You don’t have to do this.”

“It’s alright, for my most important duty is to protect Your Grace.”

Therion looked as solemn as the knights on a battlefield.

“…I see, thank you.”

Elody took Therion’s hand and stepped onto the carriage. Marie followed
after her.

Subsequently, Sir Therion mounted his horse and accompanied them all the
way to their destination.

“Madame.”

“Yes?”

Marie moved closer and whispered into Elody’s ear.

“Sir Therion seems to like you,” she started to giggle.

“Marie, he’s a young knight with a bright future!”

“But the way he looks at you… isn’t it suspicious?” she smirked.

“Marie.”

Elody shot her a stern look, and when Marie met her gaze, she pouted.

“I mean… you’re beautiful, smart, hard-working, and you manage the land
alone,” she told her bluntly. “Well, you are married, but your husband has
gone to war so…”

“Marie…”

“What I’m saying is… he’s very suspicious.” Marie let out a mischievous
smile. “His imploring eyes were fixed on you with greedy expectations.”

“Suspicious and greedy…? That’s a bit frightening,” Elody replied, not

able to comprehend her words.

“……”

Marie sighed in exasperation.

“I have no time for this, I need to strengthen the army and make sure that
the mansion is secure.”

“Yes, yes. Whatever you say.” Marie said, disappointed at Elody’s clueless
self.

On the way to the orphanage, Elody tried to work on the documents she had
packed, but the road was so bumpy that she could not concentrate.

Fortunately, Marie was there to ease her boredom. Then, they stopped by an
inn and spent the rest of the night there.

Two days later…

Elody had finally arrived at the orphanage.

“Are you here to adopt a child?”

“Yes. I’d like to see the children first.”

“…Come this way.”

The staff member that guided Elody was an old man. His breath smelled like
alcohol, and dirt was smeared across his cheek and forehead. Plus, the way
he talked to Elody was impolite.

‘She looks like a noble lady, but why would she come to the slums to adopt
a child?’

The staff member glowered at Elody in incredulity.

“……”
Afterward, the staff showed the children of the orphanage, and Elody was
rendered speechless.

“Did you not feed them? Why is everyone so skinny and frail?”

“Ha! Listen lady, this is the slums. It’d be weirder if the kids were
chubby.”

Elody’s eyes had warped into a miserable black. She was furious.

“Where’s the director? Bring him here!”

“You have a pretty short temper… Please wait here for a moment.”

After a while, the director of the orphanage finally showed herself.

“…..?!”

Elody’s eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned
surprise.

The director was a chubby old woman. She seemed like a lavish spender with
an opulent lifestyle.

Wearing a bright, luxurious dress and expensive jewelry, she flaunted her
riches in every possible way.

Elody was speechless, even more so than before!

“Thank you for coming to our orphanage. What kind of child are you looking
for? A boy or a girl? How old do you want them to be?”

The woman fired questions at her nonstop.

Elody, who had enough of her nonsense, stopped her endless questions.

“About ten years ago,” she spoke, quite bluntly. “There was a seven-year-
old boy, who was very thin, had dark hair and pink eyes. He was much
smaller than his peers and he looked like a five-year-old.”

“Hmm… Well, young lady. There are a lot of kids like that here.”

“You locked him up in a dark room and often abused him. Slapping,
trampling, swearing… Can’t you remember more than one or two children?”

The orphanage director shrugged. Her attitude was impudent and rude,
showing that she didn’t care much for what was said.

“My lady, I don’t know what you’ve heard. but I think you’ve mistaken us
for another orphanage….”

“No, I’m sure this is the place.”

Elody unfolded an old paper that she had kept within her hands.

The paper was something she had treasured ever since she was young. It was
a rough sketch of the evil people that she drew with Caville.

In short, it was her murder list.

“You there! The man with big-nose!”

“Yes?”

The man sitting next to the orphanage director shriveled with surprise. He
seemed to be the husband of the director.

“This is you, right? You’re the one who assaulted Caville the most!” She
growled in anger.

“Wh-what…?! No, I didn’t!”

Elody made a gesture to Therion, who was waiting beside her. He

immediately drew his sword and pressed it against the man’s neck.

Elody spoke, “You’ve committed a treacherous crime within the duchy. I

would’ve tried to be merciful and let you live, but…”

“……”

“I’m afraid you’ll do the same thing again, even if you were deported. So,
your punishment shall be death!”

“No! My Lady! It’s just a misunderstanding! Rather than that, I had the
right to discipline him because I was the director!”

“…And he was the child of the former duke.”

“H-huh?”

“The one you’d been abusing was the Duke of Cernoir himself!”

“Wh-what…?!”

They didn’t seem to know that the child they abused had become the acting
lord of the land.

‘How satisfying.’

This area was located the furthest within the duchy, but fortunately, it
was located nearby one of the vassal’s territory.

Suddenly, Marie barged into the room and shouted, “Madame, they’ve
arrived!”

‘Just in time.’
Elody mischievously smiled.

Behind Marie, a row of armed soldiers came infiltrating the orphanage.

They were Baron Vendos’ guards.

“What on earth is happening?! Who do you think you are?!”

“We are here under the order of the duchess!”

The director tried to run away, but it was to no avail.

On the other hand, the director’s husband and the alcoholic staff kept
denying their crimes.

Elody ordered the captives to be taken away.

Before coming here, Elody had sent a letter to Baroness Vendos, who lived
on the edge of the duchy.

The duke’s mansion was so far away that many might attempt to flee during
the transfer, which is why the criminals would be locked inside an
underground prison in the Vendos’ territory instead.

The Baroness accepted her offer, enclosing a letter stating that she had
not been able to greet the duke in person because there was no time to
empty the manor.

Elody had also refused her invitation before, so they did not harbor any
bad feelings toward each other.

“Madame, what about the children?”

“When the carriage arrives, take them all to the land. Petria will send
them to one of the orphanages she manages.”

“Madame, that’s wonderful news!”

Elody ordered the soldiers to pick up the carriage from the baron’s
mansion.

She also ordered them to buy a lot of food supplies at a nearby market.

Elody gave the food to the children, and when she saw them eating so
whole-heartedly, she let out a genuine smile.

“Once the children are full, we shall go back to the mansion.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

After a while, several carriages arrived. The soldiers loaded the children
into the carriage.
At first, Elody was worried that some children might feel scared or didn’t
want to be taken away. But fortunately, all their expressions were bright.
They seemed content to leave the orphanage behind.

As Elody was leaving, Therion came up to her after calling for their
carriage and helped her in.

“Madame, you are very kind,” Therion said, blush searing right through his
cheeks.

“……”

Elody stared into his eyes. It didn’t look as suspicious and greedy as
Marie said. Rather, his eyes were clear.

“…Y-Your Grace?” Therion flushed, embarrassed at Elody staring so

intensely into his eyes.

“Nothing,” Elody replied with a blank expression.

She climbed onto the carriage, and Marie followed.

“Marie, I don’t think Sir Therion is suspicious. His eyes were quite
clear.”

“…Madame…”

“Hmm?”

“That’s not…”

Marie shook her head and let out a sigh.

Ever since she was a child, Elody had always been different.

Unlike ordinary girls, she did not blush while watching the knights train,
and she did not show interest in popular romance novels.

One time, Marie recommended a romance novel to Elody, but her answer was
cold.

“Those aren’t my cup of tea. Romance novels have repetitive plots.”

The maids had nothing to say about it.

She was such a smart lady.

Strangely enough, she was tactless when it came to love. Or maybe, she was
just not interested?

Even though the knights gawked at her with admiration, Elody’s expression
was indifferent.

Her eyes would only sparkle once in a while.

First, it was whenever she saw the duke.

Second, it was when she studied.

And third, it was when she earned a lot of money.

Marie stared at Elody with worried eyes.

If a person harbored feelings for Elody, she would only realize it after
he confessed.

Marie was worried about Elody. How would she be able to handle such
situations when she was so dense? Furthermore, it seemed that the number
of her admirers had increased a lot.

* * *

Elody had finally gotten revenge for Caville.

But in truth, Caville had already forgotten all those people that had
abused him.

At the age of 17, his trauma had disappeared entirely.

On the other hand, all Caville could think about was Elody’s words, which
gave him strength.

In fear that her tender voice and friendly words might be forgotten,
Caville thought of her every day.

Four years on the battlefield were enough to turn a boy into a young man.

Caville was now 17 years old.

The boy, who worried about Elody because he was much smaller than his age
indicated, became unrecognizable.

“Your Grace, it seems like the meeting is getting longer again,” Brien
reported while bowing.

Ren, who stood beside him, sighed in disappointment.

“It’s just meaningless banter.”

“How many years has it been? If they keep provoking the Imperial Army,
then the empire will soon have an internal dispute.”

Brien nudged Ren’s shoulder as if telling him to take a hint.

“Ren, be quiet.” Brien scowled.

“…Oops.”
The Imperial Army and the temple were unable to narrow down their
differences.

The emperor wanted to advance and seize the Empire of Urta, but the temple
wanted to retreat as far back as possible.

Of course, both sides wanted to destroy the Empire of Urta.

However, the temple did not want their priests and paladins to be wounded.
They wanted the Imperial Knights to take the lead and suffer injuries in
their stead.

But logically, paladins of the temples had to stand in the front. This was
because the steel shields of the Urta warriors could only be pierced with
divine power.

“……”

Caville silently wiped the blood from his sword. Brien and Ren shared
nervous glances.

The knights, including Brien and Ren, were terrified. Caville’s face was
emotionless, his eyes were completely empty, but they showed malevolence
under his unbrushed, jet black hair.

Chapter 23

Over the years, Caville’s physique had changed from a young boy to an
unrecognizable man. He had grown up much more drastically than Ren and
Brien.

It was all thanks to him training constantly.

Brien had never seen Caville rest. It was mysterious how a human could
train for such long periods of time without taking even a single break…

“Has there been any news about the duchy?”

“Nothing, Your Grace.” Brien replied.

Caville’s expression darkened.

“Alright, you are dismissed.”

Brien bowed to Caville and left the barracks. Ever since arriving at the
battlefield, there had been no contact from the mansion whatsoever.

‘She said she’d write me a letter, but….’

Not a single letter had arrived from Elody so far.

Even though Caville felt sad, he was worried that something might have
happened to her in the mansion.
He wondered if he should just kill all those in the Imperial Army and the
temple’s soldiers.

Caville only had one purpose. To end the war quickly and return to his
house, where Elody was waiting.

“You seem to be in a bad mood.”

After he was left alone, the brooch on Caville’s chest let out a puff of
red smoke.

“I’m not in the mood to chat with you today.”

“Giving me the cold feet, I see.”

Caville stared at the red silhouette who seemed offended. The silhouette
that was floating like a cloud soon changed into the shape of a red wolf.

The wolf climbed onto Caville’s fluffy bed and laid down.

“Hey, isn’t the bed cold? I wonder why?”

“……”

Caville clicked his tongue and gave a cold stare towards the grumbling
wolf.

It had already been 4 years since Caville met this so-called mysterious
prick.

Four years ago, Caville, a weak young boy, heard a voice calling out to
him from within his brooch.

“Who are you?”

“I guess you can finally hear my voice. Hmm, hmm… I am the one who can
give you strength!” He exclaimed. “By the way, where is the girl who
revived me back to life?”

“Girl?”

“Yes, a girl with pink hair.”

“Elody? Are you talking about my wife?”

“Are you an idiot? I would have said it before if I knew her name. Anyway,
that pink-haired-girl saved me when I was dying. Seems like her name is
Elody, but why am I in your possession? What’s your name?”

“Why should I tell you my name?”

“Hmm… Seeing your black hair and pink eyes, you must be a Cernoir.”

“My name’s Caville.”

“Yes, Caville Cernoir. Why do you have this brooch?”

“My wife gave me this brooch.”

“I see… Well, anyway, since you have the Cernoir name, you seem adequate
enough to be the successor of this brooch.”

Caville couldn’t understand what the voice was saying.

The unknown entity began to explain.

“A long time ago, I chose to serve the first Duke of Cernoir. He made a
contract with me, and I generously shared my strength with him.”

‘……’

“Now, would you sign a contract with me? You said you wanted to be strong!
Don’t you want to have power?”

“I want to have power.”

“Okay, then sign a contract with me.”

“My wife told me not to take requests from strangers.”

“……”

From that day on, Caville would always reject his words, but the entity
continued to persuade him.

He couldn’t just throw away the brooch that Elody gave him.

Nevertheless, deep inside his heart, he had an urge to tear it to pieces…

Eventually, Caville got irritated by the entity’s noisy requests, so he

gave in and asked, “What happens after I sign the contract?”

The entity urgently replied, “Cernoirs usually have the power to control
mana. You will have to train that power and give it to me.”

“What nonsense is that? Won’t I be better off without it? What’s in it for
me? Why do I have to give you my mana?”

He didn’t make any sense, so Caville pointed out the errors in his logic.

“When I get stronger, you’ll get stronger too! The moment you turn into a
skilled Swordmaster, I will be released from the brooch’s seal. And If I
gain the body of an adult, you’ll be able to use all of my strength!”

“What is your power?”

“Hahaha!” he laughed. “Oh, dear heavens! You don’t know anything, do you?“
Caville was offended by his sarcastic speech.

“I’m not talking to you anymore.”

“Ahhh! No! Why are you upset?!”

“……”

“I’m sorry. Please talk to me. I’ve been alone for too long….”

“.…Who the hell are you?’

“Curious about my name now, aren’t you? Yes, you must be curious. Very
curious indeed.” He said in a mischievous tone. “Then would you be so kind
as to sign a contract with me? Call me by my name, and the contract will
be sealed!”

“…..Nah, I’m not that curious.”

“Argh! You cheeky brat, are you toying with me?”

“I’m sorry, but you’re too loud. Be quiet and let me ponder about my dear
wife.”

Caville was determined, but the entity within the brooch persistently
tried to grow closer to him.

As time passed, he seemed to have learned a thing or two about Caville.

He found out about Caville’s troubles and his greatest weakness.

“You want to go back to your wife soon?”

“…Of course.”

“Then, would you like to sign a contract with me?”

“Why?”

“Because if you release my seal, the war will end in a jiffy.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, I wouldn’t dare to lie. If I don’t sign a contract with you, then
I’ll have to rot in here for the rest of my life! Woe is me!”

“……”

“Even after I’m released, I promise to be your subordinate and obey your
orders for all eternity! Now, isn’t this a good deal? What do you say?!”

“Can you guarantee it on a written contract?”

“Wha… how did you learn this?”

“Of course, I learned everything from Elody.” Caville replied proudly.

The brooch clicked its tongue and complained that he had a lot of doubts
about the young lady.

Eventually, Caville documented all the conditions he wanted.

And signed a contract with him.

“My name is Ifrit, the Spirit King of Fire. Now, call me by my name,
Caville Cernoir.”

“Ifrit. I shall sign a contract with you.”

At that time, a strong light emanated from the red jewel wherein the light
had accumulated. And what appeared in front of Caville’s eyes was…

“….Wh-what have you become?”

Was a little puppy with red fur…

“Behold! This is the body of the spectacular Spirit King, Ifrit!!!”

“……”

He looked like a small, helpless puppy. He was as tiny as a baby.

It had small wings on his back. They were so thin that Caville thought
pulling it too hard might cause it to rip.

“Now… this is what I look like because you’re weak. But the more you
increase your strength and supply me with mana, the better I will grow!”
He said, wagging his tail.

“……”

Caville thought he was scammed.

Four years later… Cavill learned how to properly control the mana in his
body.

As a result of periodically supplying mana to Ifrit, the small puppy, he

had now grown into a huge wolf.

Caville thought he was a dog, but he turned out to be a wolf.

Anyway, Caville didn’t like Ifrit as he often irritated him.

So whenever Ifrit jumped on to Caville’s bed, he would not hesitate to

kick the red wolf to the floor.

“It hurts!” The wolf yelped.

“Why have you been the same for 4 years? I’ve grown up, and I’m constantly
supplying my mana to you. Explain to me why you still act like an annoying
pest.”

“…..”

Supplying mana was quite painful. It felt like drawing his own blood and
shaving away his own flesh.

“This is different from our initial promise. You said the war will end…”

“Hey, master. This is not my fault. You must reach the level of a
Swordmaster to win the war. This is just the beginning.”

“That’s a lot of talk for someone who’s consuming mana without doing
anything.”

“…I’m always grateful for that. I will definitely repay you once I become
an adult.”

“…Get lost.”

“Haa…” he sighed. “You were way cuter as a child.”

Ifrit grumbled and went back to his brooch.

Caville now knew why the brooch was a magic artifact.

The brooch that Elody gave, was an artifact that contained the strength of
a powerful spirit.

Caville let out a sigh while pressing down on his temples. He got up and
went back to training.

His eyes were filled with sorrow.

For the past 4 years, all he could think about was Elody.

He missed her a lot.

* * *

After arriving at the estate, Elody took the children to an orphanage

managed by Petria.

“Make sure that none of the children are sick or injured.”

“Yes, Madame.”

As Elody had expected, a significant number of children had bruises all

over their bodies. There was even a child with a broken arm.

Elody decided to check if there was enough medicine for their treatments.
“Don’t worry too much, madame.”

“Yes. I’m relieved you’re here, Petria.”

After all the inspections were done, Elody went back to the castle.

At that time, a child from the slums ran up to Elody and tugged on her
dress.

“…What is this? Are you giving this to me?”

“Yes….”

It was a skinny little girl.

The child was giving her a daisy.

When the child was given medical treatment, there was a lot of whipping
bruises on her back. Her wounds had reminded Elody of Caville.

Elody secretly wiped her tears while watching the doctor heal her frail
body.

“Why are you giving me this?”

“I wanted to thank you for buying me delicious bread…”

“Why, thank you. It’s very beautiful.”

Elody bent her knees and smiled at the child.

Chapter 24

The girl smiled shyly and fiddled with her fingers. Seeing her innocent
act, Elody sniffed the flower and exclaimed in exaggeration.

“Wow, the scent is really good. Have you tried smelling it?”

The girl shook her head.

Elody gave the flower to the child.

“Do you like the aroma?” Elody asked.

“Yes,” the girl replied.

Elody then smiled and patted the girl’s head.

“I am grateful, thank you for this. I will certainly cherish it.”

“……”

The girl smiled and let out a soft giggle.

She reminded Elody of Caville.

“What is your name?”

“…I do not have one.”

“You don’t have a name?” Elody frowned.

“No, they just called me you.”

“…Will you let me name you then?”

“Really? I’m allowed to have a name?” she asked with sparkling eyes.

“Well, of course.” Elody smiled.

Elody then shifted her gaze towards the flower that the child gave her. An
idea immediately struck her mind.

She spoke, “Ah! Your name shall be… Daisy.”

A pretty smile hung around the child’s lips as she admired her newfound
name.

“Well, till next time, Daisy.”

“Yeah…!”

The child hurriedly returned to the orphanage building, flailing her hand
several times.

Elody decided that she should give names to all of the children who will
come to live in the orphanage in the future.

As Elody got up and turned around, she found Marie standing in front of
the carriage with a proud expression, her hands put together, and beside
her…

“…What’s wrong?”

Was Sir Therion, crying at the heartwarming scene before him.

Sir Therion immediately wiped his tears with his sleeve. Marie looked at
Therion with a tired expression and guided Elody to the carriage.

“Your Grace, I…!”

“Na-ah!”

Terion reached out and tried to escort Elody on the carriage, but Marie
slapped the back of his hand.

After getting on the carriage, Elody sighed in exhaustion.

“Marie, you had a hard time. Let’s just eat red ginseng when we get back.”

“Yes, more than that, Madame… about Sir Therion.”

“Oh, right. Why was he crying?”

“……”

‘Because he’s in love with you.’

Marie stared at Elody.

She was far too oblivious.

“He was so emotional. I guess he really pitied the children. Hmm… maybe I
should let him help around the orphanage.”

“Oh, yes…. Well, go ahead.”

In the end, Marie gave up trying to explain and turned her head. It might
be better for the duchess not to be aware of his feelings.

Moments later, Elody and Marie finally arrived at the mansion.

They were utterly exhausted, but as they were about to get off the
carriage, Norman greeted the Duchess with an anxious look.

“Madame…”

“What is it, Norman?”

“Madame, have you heard about…. the Empire of Brenbell?”

“…Well, yes,” Elody nodded. “Why?”

Brenbell was a small empire located in the west of the Friar continent, on
an island just beyond the Strait of Hroa.

Sirka had spoken about the empire a few times. The empire was known for
its mana crystals, and it was also not far from the duchy.

“The Prince of the Brenbell Empire has arrived. It looks like he

encountered monsters while passing through the Forest of Death.”

“…What?”

The Forest of Death was a forbidden area. Everyone knew that it was
strictly prohibited to enter the forest because of the frequent monster
attacks.

“Where is he now?”

“He is in the parlor.”

“But… is he really the Prince of the Brenbell Empire?”

“Well, it seems like so. The Prince said that he was on his way to the
capital. He also called for a doctor to heal his injured knights.”

“Alright. Well done, Norman.”

After changing her outfit, Elody immediately headed to the parlor where
the Prince of Brenbell Empire was waiting.

* * *

“Why did Your Highness pass through the Forest of Death?”

“I have an urgent schedule. So I chose the fastest route…”

Elody laid down her teacup and stared at the prince.

The blond man introduced himself as Prince Andreas Brenbell.

And next to him was a young man who appeared to be his aide.

“I’ve heard of the monsters in the forest, but chose not to believe it,”
he sighed. “This is the first time I’ve ventured outside of the Empire.”

“Oh….’

“And there aren’t monsters in our kingdom. Hence, why I thought that the
rumor was nothing but a fairy tale.”

The Prince’s remarks made his aide released a breath he didn’t even know
he was holding. His sigh was resigned and weary.

“I have warned you over and over again….”

The prince laughed at the aide’s words.

‘He seems a bit… lacking.’

“I see….” Elody replied, glancing towards the two.

Due to their delayed schedule, the prince and his entourage were said to
have passed through the Forest of Death. They were on their way to the
capital, and their destination was the Imperial Palace.

On the way to the capital, they met a group of monsters, and as a result,
the knights suffered a ton of injuries.

Then, he went to the duchy and came to the mansion for help.

“But thanks to the Duchess, we survived.”

“Well, it was the least I could do.”

“No, I will certainly repay the favor.”

Elody glanced at the Prince’s bandaged arm.

It doesn’t seem like his injured arm was the one he used to wield a sword.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what business do you have with the Imperial
Palace?” Elody asked lightly.

Elody speculated that it might have something to do with war.

But his reaction was quite… peculiar.

‘Why is he blushing…?’

“Well, I’m 17 years old, and I don’t have a fiancé… So I plan to search
for a bride at the ball. Unfortunately, the women in my empire are far
from my personal preference.”

“Oh, alright….”

Contrary to her thoughts, his reason wasn’t that serious. Elody had also
received the invitation, so she immediately understood.

She felt bitter.

‘My baby is struggling on the battlefield, but he’s holding a grand ball
instead….’

“Hmm, but I don’t think I have to go to the capital anymore.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have… a sister?” Prince Andreas gazed at Elody subtly.

He felt it in his bones, his meeting with the Duchess was none other than
destiny!

He had never felt such feelings before. Her smooth snowflake skin matched
her personality – devoid of any warmth. Nonetheless, he was intrigued by
her. The pink-haired-lady in front of him was so ravishing yet so
mysterious indeed…

It was a pity that she was already married.

Elody replied in distraught, “I do not have a younger sister. So, I

suggest you go to the capital instead.”

“…Ah.”

“Rather than that, did you say that you were seventeen?”

“Yes, I did.”
In response to Elody’s question, the prince gazed at Elody with
anticipation.

‘She seems to be uninterested. But she’s asking about my age. Could she
be…?’

Prince Andreas smiled at the thought of Elody showing interest in him.

“If you don’t mind me asking… What do people in your age usually worry
about?”

“Yes?”

Prince Andreas’ expression fell faster than a bird with a broken wing. He
was disappointed and confused. Nonetheless, he swallowed his pride and
began to boast instead.

“Uh…. Well, I usually think about the empire’s situation… like the
citizens, political affairs and… uh, trade?” Prince Andreas said, voice
full of pride even though his answer was doubtful.

Elody, being as dense as she was, widened her eyes in astonishment and
nodded at his words.

When the prince told Elody of such lies, his aide snorted and tried his
best to hold back his laughter.

‘So if Caville had not gone to war, he would have worried about the same
thing.’

“Hmm… I see.”

The aide next to the prince
to apologize to the Duchess
you be so kind as to let us
procedures, and I will also
arrival.”
pretended to cough and spoke, “First, I’d like
for the sudden and rude intrusion. But would
stay here for a few days? I will handle the
contact the Imperial Palace about our delayed

“Alright.” Elodie nodded.

The Brenbell Empire was the only empire that produced mana crystals.

There was nothing wrong with doing a good deed.

Besides, he might return the favor one day.

“Yes, of course. I’ve told the servants to prepare dinner, so take a

rest.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Elody got up, dropped a curtsy, and left the parlor.

“Does the Duchess have a crush on me?”

“Your Highness, please don’t get ahead of yourself. She is a married
woman.”

“The Duke’s in war, right? Won’t he just die in battle?”

“Your Highness! Sometimes you can be very immature….”

“You’ll see, Carlson. It won’t be long until she falls for my charms.”

“……”

* * *

Andreas washed up and came out dressed in nice clothes.

As he entered the dining room, Elody stared at the prince and thought to
herself.

‘His outfit… is very unusual.’

The news about the handsome prince spread all over the mansion, and the
maids gathered to peek a glance at him.

“Thank you for such wonderful treatment. When I return to my empire, I

will send you a hoard of mana crystals.”

“Why, thank you.”

Elody did not refuse.

As she sipped her tea, Elody thought, ‘Are there any mines in the duchy?’

If there was at least a single mine, she would have made more money than
she had now…

“Your Grace’s hair color is stunning. I am mesmerized by your beauty.”

“Thank you for the compliments.”

“How about me? Do you like my blonde hair?”

“Yes, of course.”

Elody’s answer made the prince even more aroused.

She only gave him short answers, but he was not irked. In fact, it only
raised his temptation even more.

“Then… have you heard of our empire?”

“Yes, certainly.”

“In our kingdom, we are very tolerant of remarriage.”

“Ah, I see.”

Prince Andreas thought that she was playing coy to get his attention. He
thought of her as cute.

But the longer their conversation went, the weirder it became.

‘It feels like talking to a wall. Is it just me…?’

“Uh… could you tour me around the mansion tomorrow?”

At the prince’s words, Elody replied firmly.

“I am very busy. I’ll have a servant to show you around.”

“Th-that’s not…”

“I shall leave now. Good night.”

“……”

Unfortunately for the prince, Elody was a girl whose love cells converged
at zero.

Moving into this world, the most important thing for her was parenting
Caville, to be quietly divorced, and then spend the rest of her life
peacefully.

She had never had a relationship in her previous life.

She had never noticed guys who tried to get her attention.

The biggest reason for that was her disinterest in love.

Elody never had much of an interest in the opposite sex.

Their words of affections, sweet nothings, and even the gazes they made.
None of them had ever worked on her.

Caville, of course, occupied most parts of Elody’s brain.

Next was ‘The Management of the Duchy’, then ‘Life after divorce’, ‘Remedy
for incurable disease’, and, ‘Red Ginseng’.

And what occupied a tiny part was ‘Sirka’s annoyance’, ‘Research on new
crops’, and so on.

There was simply no time for her to think about ‘Love’.

Chapter 25

Ever since then, the Prince had consistently expressed interest in Elody.
Unfortunately, he never succeeded in having a proper conversation.

“Your Highness, please just give up,” Carlson said, striking his nerve.

“……”

Elody’s days were packed. She was very busy, unlike Prince Andreas, who
had nothing to do.

“Do be careful, Your Highness.”

“Yes…”

It was finally time for him to leave for the capital, but he still hadn’t
gotten any achievements.

He had been openly courting Elody from day one, but talking to her was
like talking to a wall.

‘Is she not interested in me, or is she misunderstanding something?’

He couldn’t sleep.

Nonetheless, the more he got rejected, the bigger his feelings grew. He
couldn’t help wanting to follow his heart over his head.

“Well, Duchess. I’d like to talk to you for a moment.”

“What? Oh, yes. Go ahead.”

“……”

The Prince glanced towards Carlson and the maids. They took a hint and
immediately stepped back.

Elody, on the other hand, was confused as to why they were backing away.

‘How is she so dense….’ Andreas thought, staring at Elody. ‘Yes, I’ll just
say it directly!’

He was determined.

“Duchess, if by any chance…”

“Yes?”

“If I don’t get a bride by the time I reach adulthood….” he said

nervously.

“……”

“And your husband doesn’t come back from war… Then, will you come to the
Empire of Brenbell?”
Elody frowned.

“My husband will return safely,” she snarled.

“Yes, of course. Of course… But, let’s just say, if he doesn’t-“

“There’s no such thing. He will come back.”

Because that was how it went in the novel.

Prince Brenbell was stunned by Elody’s stubbornness.

“No… It’s…”

“Oh, but I’ll think about going to the Brenbell Empire.”

Unexpectedly, he succeeded in getting a positive answer.

“D-do you really mean that?”

“Well, of course. I’d like to take a look at the Mana Crystal Mines.”

Elody thought of it as nothing more than a usual trip.

But the prince rejoiced as if she had just accepted his marriage proposal.

He waved his hand with a bright face, got on his carriage, and left for
the capital.

“Madame…”

“Your Grace is really…”

The maids, who had listened to their conversation, sighed in

disappointment.

“Prince Andreas invited me to his Empire. Let’s all go together and get
cheap Mana Crystals!” Elody grinned.

“Yes, madame…” Marie faltered.

Even though she felt dissatisfied, Marie thought it’d be better this way.

Because Elody already had the Duke….

* * *

Elody had been writing to Caville steadily over the years. She wrote so
many letters that they could be combined into an entire book.

Unfortunately, not a single reply came back.

‘I guess I shouldn’t dwell on it too much…’

Elody knew it couldn’t be helped. He was in the war for God’s sake!

Caville’s first priority was his mission. So, he could have been exhausted
and stressed, or maybe he just couldn’t find the time.

She knew all of that, but she still felt helpless.

She was sad and hopeless all at the same time.

Elody had always read the daily newsletters.

The temple published the newsletters, so of course, it was biased against

the Imperial Army as well.

Fortunately, Elody had known the truth beforehand.

The report said that the conflict between the Temple and the Imperial Army
had worsened.

The Emperor was to blame for the war.

Besides, there were even stories about the Urtans infiltrating the empire
through the Amur Strait, not through the Catan Mountains.

But the articles had no logic to them.

The Amur Strait, or better known as, the Dead Man’s Strait, was one of the
most dangerous sea routes. The weather conditions were volatile, the waves
were very rough, and there was no sunlight all year round.

Furthermore, there was an alternative route. The Urtans could also cross
the West Coast through the North Sea of Lavlensia. It would take a longer
time, but it was undoubtedly safer.

No matter how stupid the Urtans were, they would never use the sea route.

‘Also… winter is coming.’

Elody pictured Caville shaking in the cold weather.

‘I can’t do anything about it… It’s going to be cold, so I’ll have to make
more winter clothes.’

The West and the East were separated by mountains.

The Catan Mountains, where the ice caps fell, was the only path for
travelers to pass.

Beyond the mountain range was the Empire of Dayev, the heroine’s homeland,
and further east was the Empire of Urta.

‘They’ll meet in a few years…’

After destroying the Empire of Dayev, the Empire of Urta sought to invade
the Western Continent.

The motivations for the colonial expansion were to exploit their resources
to bolster their own economies and expand their land.

However, their coalition forces were weak. That’s why the Urtans kidnapped
and murdered mages and priests.

‘Though the answers are always the same.’

A priest was sent near the border to spy on the situation, but he had
never told any valuable information.

He continued to answer that the situation was unknown, and that excuse had
already been repeated for years.

‘If I could, I’d like to go there myself…’

But Elody couldn’t leave the land empty for so long. She was responsible
for looking after the land until Caville returned.

Elody fiddled her fingertips nervously.

“Huh…?”

Suddenly, she could feel a slight burning sensation on her pinky.

And then, her pinky went stiff and numb.

‘Don’t tell me… is this one of the symptoms of the incurable disease?!’

The novel stated that the disease hardened the body like stone.

‘Why am I already…?

Her illness should’ve begun when she was about to be banished.….

‘What’s happening to me?’

The original Elody tried to poison the princess. It was a poison that
hardened the body like a stone.

As retribution, Elody suffered the same exact disease and died.

Her expression sank.

‘What if I get sick and die before Caville gets back?’

If she died before she could see Caville again….

Fear came over her.

* * *
Ever since that day, Elody began to study the cure for her illness.

‘I was a fool to think that I had all the time in the world.’

She ordered Sirka to purchase all kinds of rare herbs. She had read and
studied books about herbs so much now she could remember every single
sentence.

And so, two years passed by…

Caville was nineteen, and Elody turned twenty-five. There were only four
years left before Caville returned.

Elody constantly studied the disease but found no cure.

She had researched almost all the herbs in the world, but none of them
were the answer to the cure she needed.

Her condition had worsened, and she could no longer move both her ring
finger and pinky.

A few months ago, Elody found a familiar-looking grass while passing

through the ginseng field.

“Anna, what is this?”

“This one? We’ve talked about it before, but madame was busy working on
something else…. I’ve got it set aside, but it’s still growing….”

Elody observed the grass. The stems were green but its leaves were red.
She remembered seeing it somewhere when she was studying red ginseng.

“Anna, where are all the herbs you’ve collected? Can you bring them to
me?”

“Yes, madame.”

In pursuit of hope, Elody studied the unknown herb.

She learned that if she dried the stems and regularly took the meds, it
could be used as a remedy for her illness.

After the symptoms began, Elody, who had been crying to sleep almost every
night, felt like she had just been rescued from hell.

From that day on, she had been taking steady doses of medicine.

And now, several months later, her symptoms were gradually getting better.

However, there was a question still left unanswered.

‘Can I make use of the leaves?’

The grass was of an unknown species, but it was the remedy for her
illness. Thus, she named it ‘Grass of Salvation.’

The grass was very unusual. They were similar to clovers, but the roots
were thinner and longer.

Elody was able to figure out the use of the stem, but not the odd red leaf
which had a similar color to roses.

The ingredients were found to be free of poison.

She found out that the components were safe. However, she was doubtful
because of its bizarre appearance.

Elody fiddled with the tip of her little finger, which she still couldn’t
feel very well.

‘It’s safe so… I’ll just try it!’

She advanced with an unflinching determination.

Elody dried the red leaves, boiled them, and drank them as herbal tea.

And precisely a few days later.

“Cough, Cough!”

Elody coughed to her handkerchief.

But when she saw her handkerchief, she almost fainted.

“Wha-?!”

The handkerchief was covered with dark red blood.

Her mouth hung with lips slightly parted, and her eyes were as wide as
they could stretch. She immediately wiped the blood off her mouth.

Strangely enough, when she vomited blood, she could vividly feel her
fingertips. It was as if the treatment had worked.

‘No way, it can’t be.’

But after two weeks, her fingertips were numb again. That was when Elody
had learned about the perfect remedy.

First of all, dried medicinal tea is regularly taken two or three cups a
day. And the leaves were also made of medicinal tea and had to be eaten
once a month.

“Thank heavens.”

The stem kept the cells in the body active, preventing the paralysis.
And the leaves made one spew out the dead blood that paralyzed the cells.
In short, the symptoms were alleviated every time she threw up blood.

Elody finally smiled at her success, she could finally get a good night’s
sleep.

But… she spent the last two years desperately studying herbs, and she
couldn’t get rid of the bloodstained handkerchiefs.

Elody would’ve never imagined that the handkerchiefs could cause great
misunderstandings among the servants.

Chapter 26

Elody was deliriously happy, giddy even.

The weight lifted from her shoulders felt as if an overly large child had
just leaped off after a satisfying piggyback ride.

She looked more energetic than usual and the servants rejoiced at the
sight of the Duchess.

“Don’t you think that the madame looks happy these days?”

“Yes, I’ve noticed that too! I’m so glad….”

The servants who followed Elody soon began to regain their vigor.

Their days in the mansion were very peaceful, that is… until the
‘handkerchief’ incident happened.

* * *

Caville finally fought his first battle.

The battle ended quickly, and the Empire of Heklos earned their first
victory.

This was all due to Caville’s extraordinary leadership skills. He led his
troops to victory and tore apart the opponents’ shields as if they were
nothing but paper.

After the battle, Caville came back to the barracks covered in blood.

Brien followed him from behind.

“Your Grace, I‘ll prepare your bath right away. Are your injuries alright?
I’m still talking with the paladins…”

“If you still wish to become a paladin, I won’t stop you.”

“…I apologize.”
Brien lowered his head and left the room, he then ordered the soldiers to
prepare water for Caville’s bath.

“What did he say?”

“The same as usual,” Brien sighed.

Caville wanted to quickly finish the war. However, the war was halted due
to the internal dispute between the Temple and the Imperial Government.

The paladins did not follow the High Priest’s orders, even though they had
to be in the front lines. Their display of cowardice decelerated the
battle.

Of course, Caville had improved tremendously. His skills had leveled up to

that of a legendary swordmaster.

However, this war was fought in cooperation with the Imperial Army and the
Temple.

So he couldn’t end the war by himself.

Furthermore, the Urtan warriors were equipped with strong armor.

“Will His Grace be alright?” Ren asked.

“……”

“It’s like he’s no longer human…”

Brien’s expression darkened, but Ren’s words were right.

Brien had watched Caville grow up since he was young, and he knew how
drastically Caville had changed.

The boy, who used to be a crybaby, grew up like an emotionless human

being.

He had multiple near-death-experiences on the battlefield, but his hollow

eyes remained the same. The cold look reflected on Caville’s face gave him
shudders.

“You needn’t worry too much,” Brien said.

“……”

Unlike the past, the vassals were now loyal to Caville Cernoir.

Anyone would have been his loyal subjects if they had seen his heroic acts
on the battlefield.

Everyone cared and respected him.

Caville was a natural-born leader. He strove to do no harm in all he did,
and when it came to the tasks, he always pushed himself to the limits. He
would never give up on a fellow soldier. When someone died, he would kill
ten enemies to avenge the soldier’s death.

Not long ago, Baron Bernard, one of the Duke’s vassals, was taken hostage
by the Urtans. Caville chased the entire army alone. He wiped out all the
small troops and rescued the Baron.

The vassals had finally looked up to him in great respect.

However, his heart seemed to be made of stone. He massacred a troop of

knights without batting a single eye.

Just as Ren had said, his empty eyes seemed to have no sense of humanity.

* * *

But inside the barracks, Caville’s expression was no longer cold.

He only showed his unfriendly demeanor in front of his subordinates

because it was Elody’s advice.

Though… the biggest reason was that he was lazy.

“I have to end the war…” Caville murmured to himself.

“Why are you in such a hurry? Didn’t you say you wanted to murder those in
the Imperial Army and the Temple?” Ifrit asked.

Ifrit was now as big as a human, his red fur was glossy and thick. The
wings on his back had also grown.

“That’s not what I meant. I wanted to kill them because they annoyed the
hell out of me.” Caville clicked his tongue. “But at the end of the day,
the only way to end this war is to defeat the Urta Empire.”

Caville took off his armor and threw off all the clothes he wore.

The constant years of training had gained him a well-toned and muscular
body, but they were filled with battle scars.

He then proceeded to dip his body into the wooden bathtub.

Caville stared at Ifrit. “How much longer do I have to wait for you to
grow? I don’t think I need you anymore.”

Contrary to his harsh words, Caville reached out his hand to Ifrit.

The blue light from his fingertips headed straight to the wolf’s mouth.

“…I told you to wait a bit longer! Eating a lot of mana doesn’t mean that
I’d grow up in a flash! And why are you still giving me your mana?! You’re
gonna tire your body at this rate! Stop it! I’ve eaten earlier!” he
nagged.

“Just shut up and eat.”

“Geez, what amazing temper you have!”

Caville rolled his eyes and continued washing.

A few moments later, he finished taking a bath and came out of the tub.

“Ugh, please cover yourself.” Ifrit grumbled, turning his head.

Caville did not mind his words and continued wiping himself with a dry
towel. Then, he dressed in his garments.

“I don’t need you anymore. I’m going to end the war alone.”

“B-but! You just have to wait a bit longer! Just a teeny weeny bit
longer!”

Ifrit stared at him with puppy dog eyes.

“How long is that?” Caville frowned.

“Uh…. hahaha. About a month…? Why are you in such a hurry anyway?”

“……”

Then, Caville recalled a story that the knights were sharing a few days
ago…

“Hey, do you know the tall, skinny guy, the knight in Count Kimmel’s
troop? The one who’s grumpy all the time!”

“Ah, yes. His wife cheated on him, right?”

‘Wait, what?! Seriously? Tsk-tsk. He’s irritating, but now I feel a bit
sorry for the guy.”

“Yeah, he’s a junkie now,” the knight tattled. “Oh, look! The guy with
freckles! Didn’t his wife commit suicide?”

“Yeah… that’s why people should be like us! Marriage is such a hassle!”

“That’s right… the paladins are still bastards though.”

The paladins were a public enemy to the allied forces who gathered in the
name of the Empire.

The allied forces treated them like cowardly trash, and the paladins
thought to abandon the unholy confederacy.
The conversation between the allied knights and the soldiers usually ended
with cursing the paladins.

Caville’s expression sank when he listened to their conversation.

That’s why he was in such a hurry.

Caville took an old piece of paper out of his pockets and stared at it.

That was the only letter he had ever received from Elody.

He treasured the letter so much. He read it over and over again until the
letters had faded.

“I’m scared…”

“What?” Ifrit stared at Caville, puzzled by his unusual behavior.

“I’m afraid that my wife might have forgotten me. I have not received any
letter… What if she got married to another guy?”

“…You’re scared of that?”

“Yes, or… What if she’s dead?”

“…How about you think about your own death. We are literally in war right
now.”

“Shut up or I’ll rip you to pieces.” Caville glowered.

“……”

Ifrit turned his head in annoyance. He thought it’d be best if he did not
answer back.

“……”

‘What if she’s dead?’

Caville contemplated on comitting suicide if that was true.

‘But how will I find Elody? Will we be able to meet again?’

In the midst of serious thoughts, Ifrit talked his mind at ease.

“Don’t worry! If she was planning to run away with another man, I’ll
definitely find her!” He exclaimed.

“……”

Caville snorted.
“What? Are you looking down on me? You’ll be surprised to know how
sensitive my nose is. I can track everything even if they were at the ends
of the earth!” Ifrit boasted.

“…But you’re so weak. Are you even sure that you’re the Spirit King of
Fire?”

“……”

Ifrit pouted, he was genuinely hurt by his words.

He sulked for a while, and after he calmed down, he launched another

counterattack.

“I mean, I would run away too if I were her! Honestly, who’d wait for
their husband to return from war? Besides, it’s already been 6 years! Not
just 1 or 2 years! It’s 6 years I tell you!”

“You dare speak one more word.” Caville looked daggers at him.

“Yelp!”

Caville wanted to kick the wolf, but his words weren’t entirely wrong.

No matter how talented he was, it was impossible for him to annihilate the
Empire of Urta alone.

He had massacred a bunch of them, but they kept appearing each and every
time! It’s like there was never an end to their army!

They kidnapped priests and mages to study mana. So Caville also did not
know if they had any other tricks up their sleeves.

And so, Caville decided to wait a little longer.

A few months later…

The useless Ifrit had finally regained the power of the holy spirit.

It took longer than a month, unlike what Ifrit had said, but Caville
didn’t bother to argue.

Because the long-awaited moment had finally come.

Caville took the lead and immediately commanded the knights.

He could no longer await the Imperial orders nor the Temple’s orders.

After devising a proper plan, it was finally time to carry out the
mission.

But as Caville went outside of the barracks to catch a breath of fresh

air, a large gate suddenly appeared before his eyes.
There was a woman coming out of the gate, and two Urta soldiers followed
her from behind.

“Argh! Please no!” she sobbed.

The gates were instantly closed.

The Urta soldiers pointed their swords towards the woman.

But Caville was faster. He drew out his sword at an alarming rate and
instantly killed the two soldiers.

“……”

Then, he aimed a sword at the woman.

“Who are you?” Caville asked.

“……M-my name is Larissa Dayev, Princess of the Dayev Empire.”

Chapter 27

Months before Ifrit regained his holy power…

Elody’s days were very peaceful because she had finally developed a cure.

‘I found the cure, so all that’s left is… ’

It was time to start preparing for the divorce.

Elody thought of Caville, who would fall in love with the princess.

There was a silence to her soul. Her heart felt… empty.

‘Is this how mothers feel when their children marry…?’

Elody sighed and looked through the newsletters.

“…What is this?”

Elody looked into the newsletter with a serious expression.

The news said that monsters had appeared in hordes near the south-east
active volcano.

It was quite far from the Duchy of Cernoir.

‘The articles about monster attacks are gradually increasing… ‘

Elody was deeply troubled by the articles.

It was written that the knights would be dispatched soon, and there would
be no casualties.
However, it shouldn’t be simply overlooked as the news about monster
attacks had also increased.

‘I need to pay close attention to articles like these… .’

Elody called the butler and instructed him to speak to Sir Therion.

“Please tell him to strengthen the security of the Forest of Death and
place more guards.”

“Yes, Madame. I will do it immediately,” Norman said while bowing his

head.

As Norman left, Elody continued to drink the herbal tea she made.

“Cough! cough!”

Elody quickly pulled out a handkerchief and covered her mouth.

Then, she immediately ran up the stairs and headed to her room.

She was in a hurry because she didn’t want the servants to misunderstand
the situation.

Vomiting blood was a serious medical emergency. This was common sense that
even children knew.

‘If I ever get caught, what kind of excuse shall I make?’

She had worried about it for a long time, but she couldn’t come up with
the right excuse.

‘I am severely ill, so I have to vomit blood after drinking the remedy to

my illness!’

Who would believe her if she said such things?

Elody washed her blood-soaked handkerchief by hand. It was annoying, but

she couldn’t help it.

Come to think of it, she couldn’t see the handkerchief from a while ago.
She had washed all of her handkerchiefs, but one seemed to be missing.

Unfortunately, Elody couldn’t remember where she had put it.

She was anxious, but soon dismissed the thought and forgot about it
completely.

‘Oh well, it’s no big deal.’

However, contrary to Elody’s hopes, all the servants of the mansion had
already found out that she was constantly vomiting blood.

This was how the ‘handkerchief’ incident took place…

Sylvia, a young maid, was cleaning the Duchess’ bedroom.

Sylvia was a child from one of the orphanages in the Duchy, who had
applied for the position of a maid of the mansion to repay Elody’s
kindness.

Sylvia was thrilled to have finally met her benefactor.

Elody, whom she’d just met, was a gentle and caring lady.

When she told Elody that she would swear allegiance for life, the Duchess
even praised her for being cute.

And that was how her life in the mansion began.

There were times when work was difficult, but all of the servants treated
her very kindly.

At first, Sylvia was afraid of Marie, who became the new Head Maid after
Julia retired. However, she turned out to be kind-hearted and friendly.
She was only strict when she was working.

Sylvia was very pleased with her new life in the mansion.

However, there was something that completely surprised her.

It was how the Duchess treated the maids like they were her own sisters,
and of course, she was the closest to Marie.

‘I want to be friends with the Duchess too…’

She was very envious of them.

Sylvia recalled one of her memories, where the Duchess stroked her head.
Then, she imagined herself walking in the fields hand in hand with the
Duchess.

Sylvia giggled as her imagination ran wild again.

‘Will she treat me like a sister?’

However, Sylvia knew that she lacked skills when compared to the other
maids. Furthermore, she repeatedly made mistakes every day.

In order to get closer to the Duchess, Sylvia had to become a more capable
maid.

Thus, Sylvia acknowledged her shortcomings and tried even harder.

The only thing she could do to show her gratitude was to work hard.

Hard work will never betray you!

That was her motto.

But one day…

‘What is this?”

While cleaning, Sylvia found something that had fallen under the Duchess’
bed.

Sylvia put her hand under the bed and pulled it out.

“What is… Huh?! What the-?!”

Sylvia was so shocked that she stumbled and fell to the floor.

It was a bloody handkerchief.

“I… what on earth is this?”

Her thoughts were scattered for a moment; every part of her froze while
her mind tried to catch up.

‘Is it maybe… that time of the month?’

Sylvia calmed herself, then threw away the bloody handkerchief.

The next day…

Silvia witnessed Elody vomiting blood.

‘M-Madame is ill!’

Her eyes shifted to Elody again and became glazed with a glossy layer of
tears. As she blinked, they dripped from her eyelids and slid down her
cheeks.

‘What to do, what to do…’

She saw everything.

That day, Sylvia was cleaning the garden, and nobody else was there except
her.

She wasn’t really in charge of cleaning the garden, but she still did it
because she wanted to improve herself.

Hard work will never betray you!

So Sylvia was keeping herself busy and doing her best to improve her
skills as usual when suddenly, she saw Elody strolling inside the garden
and then proceeding to sit on a bench.

“Mada-“
But as Sylvia was about to approach her…

“Cough! Cough!”

“…?!”

Sylvia quickly hid behind a tree and witnessed the heartbreaking scene
before her.

She wouldn’t have been so surprised if it was just a normal cough.

However, as Elody took away the handkerchief from her mouth, Sylvia saw
that it was dyed with blood.

‘Madame…!’

Sylvia almost screamed. She bit her lip tightly in an attempt to hide any
sound that wanted to escape from her mouth; her heart sank.

As soon as Elody stopped coughing, she hid her handkerchief inside her
sleeve and went into the mansion.

Sylvia couldn’t stop her tears.

‘Madame must have a deadly disease!’

Sylvia cried and went to the other maids.

“Oh, Sylvia… Why are you crying? Who scolded you?” Tessie asked.

“Did Marie hit you?” Anna probed as she wiped Sylvia’s tears away.

“Big Sister Anna, is vomiting blood dangerous?”

“Oh, isn’t that a sign of a deadly disease?” Anna replied.

“No, no, no…!” Sylvia cried.

“Huh? What do you mean by no…?”

“What are you saying? Spill it out, will you?”

“The Madame… She’s suffering from a serious illness!”

“What?”

And that was how the rumor started.

Sylvia’s sightings quickly began to spread among the servants.

“…The madame is…? No, no… Th-this can’t be…”

“Oh, Marie!”
Marie was so shocked by the news that she even passed out.

“What? The Madame?”

Even Norman had heard about the news. The servants held secret meetings to
talk about Elody’s condition.

Two years ago, Elody constantly studied herbs like she was obsessed.

“I guess it’s been since then…”

“What should we do? Oh, the poor Duchess…”

The maids cried at the fact that the sweet, young lady was sick. Norman
also wept.

Marie cried to the point that her eyes were swollen. She didn’t want Elody
to see her, so she made excuses saying she was sick.

“She seemed so happy these days though… I thought she was fine.”

“Is she really fine?”

“But Sylvia saw it just a few days ago.”

“Oh! What can we do? The madame…!”

They were worried because vomiting blood usually represented something

more serious and required immediate medical attention.

Moreover, her symptoms had definitely worsened, her state didn’t look like
that of a recovering patient.

“Everybody listen. Do not give off any signs of suspicion to the Madame.”
Norman ordered.

The servants nodded while weeping tears.

The Duke’s mansion was engulfed in a gloomy atmosphere.

Then, time passed… and Elody still didn’t know about the grave
misunderstandings that sprouted in the mansion.

* * *

Caville glared at the woman in front of him, giving her a suspicious look.

The woman who had opened the mysterious gate introduced herself as
Princess Larissa of the Dayev Empire.

Caville was suspicious of her words.

A gate suddenly appeared before his eyes, and what came from it were two
Urta soldiers and this dubious woman. Caville was skeptical about the
motives of the intruder.

The knights took Larissa into the tent and Caville ordered the knights to
interrogate her.

* * *

After hearing all the explanations from Larissa, Brien asked her with a
serious look.

“How were you able to summon the gate?”

Summoning a gate was rare ancient magic that existed only in legends.

“This artifact saved me… This bracelet is a memento from my parents.”

Larissa spoke.

She showed Brien the thin bracelet she had in her hand, it was indeed an
artifact filled with ancient power.

Artifacts were artificially created by mages to contain simple magic.

However, the older the artifacts, the more mysterious the ancient magic
persists.

However, artifacts were no longer useful once they had been used.

“Uh… mother…” Larissa sobbed.

The bracelets had been used and they no longer had any value.

However, the treasure was still precious to her.

“……”

The knights looked at the weeping princess with sad eyes.

She was trapped in prison for a long time, and her clothes had become
shabby, but she was still utterly beautiful.

Chapter 28

It was undoubtedly the case that Caville was suspicious of the Princess
and defiant of her interference.

Inside the brooch on his chest, Ifrit whispered, ‘You have a lot of
doubts. Doesn’t she look like a princess to you?’

‘She seems suspicious.’

‘Stop being so stubborn! She is not suspicious.’

‘And how do you know that?’

‘Why you… Could you be careful with your words? I am the Spirit King! I
can see when people lie or not. You dare make light of my words? I am an
adult now!’

‘Shut up, you’re so noisy.’

He forced Ifrit to shut up, giving the Princess another suspicious look.

Princess Larissa glanced at him, afraid of Caville’s cold gaze.

After the fall of the Empire of Dayev, she was taken by the Urta soldiers
and imprisoned in the dungeon of her own palace.

“How do you feel about being trapped in the basement of the Imperial
Palace where you lived your whole life? Is this your first time here?”

“By the way, you’re very pretty, aren’t ya? Hahaha! I’m sure our emperor
would love to…”

They mocked and laughed at Larissa.

After bringing the war to victory, the Urta soldiers declared that they
would dedicate the princess to their emperor.

Princess Larissa was terrified.

“Take this.”

Moments later, the servant of her aunt turned out to be hiding among the
soldiers. He handed over a small dagger and a letter to Larissa.

Her aunt was a traitor who betrayed the Empire of Dayev and swore
allegiance to the Empire of Urta.

She then tried to dedicate her niece, Princess Larissa, to the Emperor of
Urta.

However, her aunt also pitied her, so she sent her a dagger in case she
couldn’t take it anymore.

Larissa cried as she read the letter of apology.

‘Mother, father, I’m sorry. I’ll follow you soon.’

She aimed the dagger at her neck and tried to end her own life.

But suddenly…

A beam of light flashed from the thin bracelet she always wore.

‘What’s happening?’
It was a gift from her mother, so she had thought it was just an old
antique.

But it was actually an ancient artifact that could only be triggered

during emergencies.

After the light faded away, she saw that the artifact had opened a
mysterious gate.

Unfortunately, the gate was so small that she couldn’t pass through it.

“There, it was from there!”

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

Then the gate got bigger and bigger, but the pace it was increasing at was
too slow.

Two soldiers who noticed the strange gate unlocked and entered her cell.

At that moment, the gate was finally completed. Larissa threw herself over
it without any hesitation.

The two soldiers succeeded in following Larissa through the gate and tried
to kill her.

But Caville had chanced upon them.

Larissa greeted Caville, saying she was grateful to him for saving her
life. Unfortunately, Caville did not respond.

“You expect me to believe you?”

“…The Imperial Palace of Dayev is currently occupied by the Urtans, but I

remember the whole layout of the Palace!”

“You say that, but do you have any proof?” Caville retorted.

He was utterly handsome, but his gaze was very cold.

However, she could see that it was filled with an endless depth of ink,
sorrow, and pain.

“In two days, the Emperor of Urta will visit the Dayev Palace. He will
definitely come!”

“……”

“He came to take me himself. I was forced to dedicate myself to the

emperor.”

“In two days….” Caville mumbled.

After pondering for a moment, he ordered Brien, “Brien, you stay here. If
there’s no news in two days, you must kill this woman.”

“Is Your Grace not modifying the plan?”

“How could you easily believe this woman and tell me to revise my plan?”
He glowered.

“…..”

“Do you believe all her words? If she asks you to die, will you follow it
as well?”

Caville glared at Brien.

“I will come back soon.”

As planned, Caville crossed the canyons of the Catan Mountains with only a
few of his knights.

The next morning, all the Urtan soldiers who visited the Dayev Palace were
all murdered.

None of the Urtan soldiers, who were waiting in barracks outside the
palace, noticed the massacre.

And two days later, as Larissa said, the Emperor of Urta arrived at the
palace.

Caville sat on the throne alone, waiting for the Emperor, Heikar II.

And the moment he appeared, Caville cut Heikar and his knights without a
moment’s hesitation.

“Burn them all.”

At Caville’s order, Ifrit came out of the ancient artifact.

The red wolf, who was now the size of a large house, soon spread its large
wings and flew.

As he soared, he left hot flames in his wake.

Caville continued to lead the Knights and advanced to the capital of the
Empire of Urta.

Upon hearing the news, the Allied Forces and the Paladins quickly crossed
the canyon.

However, when they arrived, the Empire of Urta in the eastern continent
had turned to ashes.

And standing in the center was Caville Cernoir, along with his red wolf.
“Oh, dear Lord…”

The priest who witnessed the scene stared at him in wonder. In their eyes,
the appearance of Caville was like the incarnation of Tvekra, the God of
War, himself.

The war, which had been sluggish throughout the year because of the
internal dispute, ended in a sea of fire.

However, Handar’s army still remained.

Caville ordered Ifrit to track them down.

* * *

But not everything worked out so easily. Ifrit had failed to track
Handar’s retreating army.

Caville clearly remembered the story of Ifrit.

“What? Are you looking down on me? You’ll be surprised to know how
sensitive my nose is. I can track everything even if they were at the ends
of the earth!”

He did, but now…

“What can you actually do?”

“……”

Handar, the retreating warlord of the Empire of Urta, and Zendikar, the
son of the emperor.

Ifrit had tracked them for days but to no avail.

Caville glared at Ifrit.

“I can only track those whose faces I remember…”

“….Is that an excuse?”

Ifrit replied, “Don’t worry because I remember your wife’s face. Oh, it
was when she was young though, does she look different now?”

“Different?”

Caville creased his eyebrows.

“Well, of course, she’ll look different. You have changed too, right? Even
so, you were pretty cute as a child.”

“……”

Caville suddenly grew anxious.

‘I’m different from when I was young? I certainly changed. I got taller
and my physical appearance changed too.’

His face had many traces of his childhood, but he was no longer a timid
child.

He was now a hero who led the war to victory.

“…What if I’m so ugly that my wife hates me?”

“Well, that’s more likely to happen, seeing as how she hasn’t sent you
even a single letter.” Ifrit said, earning a glare from Caville.

Ifrit was afraid of being kicked, so he hurriedly hid into the artifact.

* * *

The emperor was greatly pleased to hear that Caville Cernoir made the
Empire of Urta into a sea of fire. The Temple had also welcomed the news
of the victory.

A few days ago, priests and messengers of the emperor came to Caville’s
barracks, but Caville wasn’t happy with them at all.

“Your Grace.”

Caville heard Brien’s voice outside the barracks and ordered him to come
in.

“More priests are looking for Your Grace. What should I do with them?”

“Send them away.”

“…I understand. Oh, and Princess Larissa of the Dayev Empire painted a
sketch of General Handar.”

“Really? Then I’ll be able to find him soon.”

“Yes, the warlord will soon be caught. However, Prince Zendikar of the
Empire of Urta seems to have fled toward the North Sea of Lavlensia, so
it will be difficult to find him.”

“You take care of that. My role is to catch the warlord. Once I catch him,
I’ll go home right away.”

“Understood.”

Brien bowed and went out.

Caville did not like the Temple and the Imperial Government. They fought
over everything, and now they were pestering Caville.
The temple spread a story about Caville. It was said that Caville used the
power of the Spirit King of Fire, just like the first Duke of Cernoir.

“The Duke of Cernoir’s faith was deep, thus the Tvekra God gave him
strength.”

“Caville Cernoir is a child of God.”

“Caville Cernoir is the hero of the Great War of Thysser.”

The rumors were outrageous.

It was also said that Larissa’s artifact used to belong to the Temple.

The bracelet was one of the relics of the Temple in the past when it
suddenly went missing.

Princess Larissa decided to donate the bracelet, a memento of her parents,

to the Temple.

“It would be safer to store it in the Temple. Please keep my parents’

belongings.”

The temple began to praise her as if they were moved by her words.

“They have chosen to side with the Princess who recovered the relic of the
Temple.”

‘The kind princess who had the power to open gates with her powerful
artifact.’

They twisted the truth.

Still, Caville had no interest in them. Whether people praised the

princess or not, all he cared about was to take down the enemy with the
information he got.

However, the temple didn’t stop there. They began to pair the princess and
Caville together.

“The Child of God and the Princess led the war to victory.”

They kept spreading nonsense.

There was also news that the princess was actually the emperor’s niece
amid the war.

‘How much longer are they going to spout bullshit?’

The Princess acted as if she had become a bridge that harmonized the
Temple and the Imperial Government.

It got to her head and she began to speak to Caville without any
restraint.
Caville was running out of patience.

He wanted to throw everything away as soon as possible and return back to

Elody.

Fortunately, in two months, General Handar was caught and he was executed
on the spot.

With his death, the seven-year war had ended.

‘It’s finally over.’

Finally.

It was time to go home.

Chapter 29

Anna grabbed Elody’s arm with a pained expression.

“Madame, you’ve been eating less these days… Please don’t do that.”

“I just have no appetite, is all.”

A year had passed, and Caville would now be 20 years old.

Elody was disappointed that she couldn’t directly congratulate Caville,

who had finally reached adulthood.

Every year on her birthday, she felt like she died a little more. It was a
reminder of Caville, whose birthday was only a few days apart from hers.

When they were children, the servants of the mansion would hold a party
for both the duke and the duchess, and the mansion would be infused in a
lively atmosphere.

However, Elody hadn’t been able to celebrate Caville’s birthday for years.

‘A birthday party without Caville…’

It could never be fun.

Maybe that was why Elody had no appetite recently.

But if it weren’t for that reason…

‘Is it because of the divorce?’

The preparations were finished sooner than she thought. The arrangements
were complete, but Elody had a lot of regrets.

First, she had not finished producing fertilizers for the citizens yet.
New crop seeds were also in development.
‘I can just do it after I leave the mansion, but….’

During that time, she wouldn’t have the time to deal with the land’s
management as she would be busy studying her incurable disease.

Furthermore, after Caville returned and divorced her, she had no right to
deal with the lord’s affairs.

‘There’s still time, I can build a separate laboratory for research…’

She had made quite the fortune to build another laboratory anyway.

‘I have nothing else to prepare…’

Elody was the only one to leave, so all she had to do was just vanish from
Caville’s life.

As if she never existed.

Just like the story…

Elody thought of asking Caville to let her stay in the mansion, or at

least on the edge of the duchy.

But she wasn’t sure if Caville would allow it.

Nonetheless, Elody had raised Caville with all of her heart, so she
thought that he would at least allow it.

‘Does he still remember me?’

It had already been 7 years.

Young children tend to forget their childhood memories. There was a high
possibility that Caville might not even remember her face.

Or worse, her entire existence.

‘That’s probably why I have never received a reply in 7 years…’

“Haa…”

A sigh escaped Elody’s lips as she cast her eyes to the ground, her mouth
drawn in a frown.

“Madame…” Anna spoke as she watched Elody’s gloomy countenance.

“Oh, that reminds me. I haven’t seen Marie nowadays. She said she was
sick. Is she okay? I sent her some medicine, but she still hasn’t come
back…” she continued, “I’m worried… I think I’ll visit her myself.”

Anna replied in a shaky voice, “Ah! No, Madame! M-marie… I mean… Marie has
been missing Sir Vedos lately! That’s why she’s sad.”
“…Oh, is that true?”

Elody felt the same. She also wanted to see Caville.

‘I’ll ask Marie to join me for a drink sometime.’

Then, Elody headed for the greenhouse.

Anna let out a sigh of relief, however, her eyes began to tear up as she
stared at Elody’s back.

She truly felt sorry for the Duchess.

* * *

“Hm, hmm…”

Elody’s gentle humming filled the greenhouse.

It was her favorite place.

The fresh smell of grass always succeeded in making her feel better.

“My wonderful Ginsengs…” Elody smiled as she watched the herb field.

She reached her hand out to check the condition of the soil.

Each of her fingertips radiated a warm green glow which was then imbued
into the ground.

“Magnificent. The soil is in perfect condition.”

Elody had been living in the greenhouse for several years now.

She had been using her mana on the plants every day. Thus, her affinity in
mana had increased tremendously.

After all, magic was about combining multiple elements of nature.

Elody would feel a refreshing energy circulating throughout her body

whenever she infused mana to the soil.

Elody closed her eyes and felt the refreshing flow of mana.

A while later…

It was night time.

As usual, Elody laid alone in her large bed.

As she was about to blow out the candles to sleep, someone knocked on the
door.
“Madame, it’s me.”

“Marie?”

The door was opened, and Marie came to her line of sight.

“Oh, Marie!”

Elody hadn’t seen Marie for a few days, but when she looked at Marie, her
face crumpled.

Marie was like a hollow shell of her once plump and vibrant self. Her eyes
were red and swollen, she seemed to be crying these past few days…

Marie slowly walked up to her bed.

“Madame, you’re not sleeping?”

“No, not yet. What are you doing here at this hour? How did you get so
thin…. Were you horribly ill? Did you take the medicine I sent?” Elody
asked anxiously, caressing Marie’s cheek.

Marie smiled and nodded. Then she climbed into her bed and lied next to
Elody.

“What’s wrong?”

“I want to sleep with you. Like when madame was young… do you remember?”

“Yes, I remember.”

After Caville left for the battlefield, Elody became scared of sleeping
alone, and so, she would sometimes call upon Marie to sleep with her.

“I guess you’re not afraid of sleeping alone anymore,” Marie said.

“Even if I’m scared, I’ll have to bear with it. I’m an adult now,” Elody
replied.

“You’re still like a child in my eyes… How did you grow so big?”

Elody giggled at Marie’s remarks.

Smiling, Marie hugged Elody and patted her back.

Just like what Elody used to do to Caville.

Elody breathed more slowly, her body melting into Marie’s as every muscle
lost its tension to the air. She felt safe and protected in her arms.

‘Is this how Caville felt?’

Elody snuggled in, “Marie, you’re like a real sister to me.”

She could never let another close to her like this, but Marie was
different. They were six years apart, but Marie was like a family to her.

“I also think of you as my little sister,” Marie smiled.

‘If I had a real sister, would she have been like Marie?’

Elody had never met her real family in any of her lives.

But now, Elody knew. People can become a family even if they weren’t
connected by blood.

Everyone in the mansion was her family.

Although some were away… Caville, Marie, Anna, as well as the maids,
butlers, and knights. They were all her family.

“……”

“But Marie, why were you crying? You want to see Sir Vedos that much?”

“…Yes, I miss him so much.” Marie smiled, letting a tear slip down to her
cheeks.

Elody held her close, feeling the warmth in each others’ embrace.

“Let’s stop talking and sleep now, madame.”

“Alright.”

Elody comfortably closed her eyes. It was reassuring to have Marie by her
side.

Marie gazed at Elody and wiped her tears away.

Elody was the duchess, the one she worked for, but now she was her
treasured little sister.

She was so precious, lovely, and kind.

But she was suffering from an incurable disease…

“……”

The pitiful duchess.

Marie brushed a strand of pink hair away from her face and pulled her
closer, tears started welling up in her eyes again.

She stroked her hair and made a decision.

She decided not to grieve anymore.

She would not be sad again.

Marie stared at Elody, who tried to hide her illness from the servants.

She would show her cheerful side so that Elody could be happy as well.

She planned to stay with Elody until the moment she died, and even hold
the funeral herself.

As Elody said, they were family.

‘My precious duchess. How lonely and difficult it must be for you to come
here alone at such a young age.’

From today onwards, Marie vowed to never cry again.

‘Today shall be the last.’

That night, Marie’s emotions were filled with grief, loss, and
devastation. She couldn’t stop her tears until she passed into the
oblivion of unconsciousness.

* * *

“Madame! Madame! Look at this!” Marie exclaimed, bursting through the

office door.

“What is it?” Elody, who was talking with Norman, asked.

“The newsletter is here!”

“What’s the news?”

Marie handed over the newsletter to Elody.

Elody was relieved as Marie’s expression looked brighter than yesterday.

‘But why does her eyes look more swollen than before…? Did she cry again?’

Elody looked anxiously at Marie, then turned to the newsletter.

The news said that the Duke of Cernoir had saved Larissa, the Princess of
the Dayev Empire during the war.

Elody frowned.

‘They’ve finally met…’

There was also news that Caville used the Spirit King of Fire to lead the
war to victory, and that the temple called him as the child of the Gods.

‘Caville was chosen by God because of his strong faith…?’

Caville…? He was highly religious?

Elody had never known that.

Confused, she tilted her head.

Furthermore, the spirit of fire was never mentioned in the story.

In the newsletter, there was also the phrase ‘The child of God and the
chosen princess led the war to victory.’

It also said that the princess was the emperor’s niece…

Elody recalled her memories.

‘The emperor’s niece? Was there such a setting in the original storyline?’

The novel had never mentioned it.

‘Or maybe I’m just forgetting some things…’

Lastly, the article said that the Imperial Army had captured and executed
the high-ranking generals of the Urta Empire that ran away from the
battlefield.

Alas, the war had ended.

‘The war is over? Really?’

The war ended in seven years.

Elody blinked in surprise.

The story said that the war lasted for 10 years. Those were one of the
things that Elody remembered correctly.

This could only mean that… Caville would soon return to the estate.

Simultaneously, it was time for Elody to leave the mansion.

Chapter 30

The servants’ behavior was strangely different these days.

‘What’s wrong with everyone? Why did they look so… lifeless?’

The servants seemed to have no energy. Elody called Norman to ask what had
happened to them.

“Norman, why does everyone look so down? Is there something that I don’t
know?”

“Oh, n-no. Nothing has happened, Madame. Everyone is happy that His Grace
is coming back,” Norman stuttered.
“Is that so…?” Elodie nodded.

Elody was depressed herself, so maybe that was why she thought the others
looked gloomy as well.

Caville would return, she should be the happiest amongst everyone else…
Yet, she was more anxious than ever.

Elody sighed.

Her sigh was softly deflating; it was as if the pressure had been lifted
off her shoulders, yet it had left her with melancholy instead of relief.

The newsletter came a few days ago, so Caville should be on the road
before then.

The distance between the war zone, the Catan Mountains, and the Duchy was
vast.

The road through the capital was the fastest, so it would take about three
months.

Until then, Elody decided to renovate the duke’s mansion.

She had already renovated the mansion before. However, more knights would
return to the duchy. Thus, she had to spare more room for them.

“Madame, the renovation has been completed. I will check it on your

behalf.”

“No. I’ll go see it myself,” Elodie said.

Norman followed her anxiously, fearing that she would collapse at any
moment.

“It’s spotless.”

“Yes, I instructed them to pay close attention to sanitation and hygiene.”

“I like it,” Elody said as she scanned the newly refurbished barracks.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Elody added. “Please replace the blankets and
curtains in the guest room with new ones.”

“Understood, Madame.”

Elody checked the rest of the rooms with Norman, and on the way back to
the mansion, Sir Therion approached them with a bright expression on his
face.

“Madame! What brings you here to our humble abode?”

“I was checking the renovations.”

Elody smiled, seeing his happy expression.

“Yes… Ah! The apprentices are training, would you like to see them?”

“Shall I?”

Therion’s face brightened to Elody’s positive response. On the other hand,

Norman’s expression quickly darkened.

“Ah, please don’t, the madame…”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Oh no… nevermind,” Norman replied with a false smile.

Then, he followed Elodie and glared at Therion.

‘If she sees their brutal fights and collapses…’

Elody’s illness was known only to the servants of the mansion.

It was kept a secret from the knights.

Norman cursed Therion in his head and followed the two from behind.

* * *

“It’s great to see them be so lively and well.”

While watching the apprentices train, Elody had a pleasant conversation

with Therion.

“They’re delighted because the Duchess has come to watch them,” Therion
grinned. “By the way, the war is over, and everyone will be back soon.”

“Yes, you must miss your brother a lot.”

“Yes… I couldn’t join the army with him. I’m ashamed,” Therion said as he
scratched his head.

“You should not be ashamed! You’ve done so well in leading the knights of
the duchy.”

“Does Your Grace really think so?”

“Of course. The knights praised you a lot, and the apprentices respect you
as well.”

“……”

Therion was one year younger than Elody. He was only 18 when the decree of
the war was issued.
Only one man from each family had to join the war, so Therion’s older
brother, William, went to the battlefield in his stead.

Fortunately, Therion grew up to be an outstanding knight. His

extraordinary skills granted him the position of a commander.

Now, no matter what anyone said, he was the Commander of the Knights who
everyone loved and respected.

Therion’s ears turned red from all of her praises.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” after a slight pause, Therion continued. “The
Duke must be all grown up now.”

“I guess so…”

As he brought up Caville, Elody began to feel depressed again.

“Haa…” Elody sighed.

“……”

“I have to go now. Thank you for your time, Sir Therion.”

“Ah! I can escort you to the mansion…”

“Oh, there’s no need, really.”

Elody refused his offer and returned to the mansion with Norman.

Therion was left alone in bewilderment.

‘Could it be….’

The Duchess immediately sighed when he brought up the Duke.

He wondered what it could possibly mean.

* * *

Elody was stuck in her office, organizing documents all day without a
single break.

‘Is the madame planning to go on a trip?’ Petria thought, curious.

Elody seemed tired, so Petria didn’t have the guts to ask her directly.

Once they finished organizing the documents, Petria immediately asked

Norman, “Mr. Norman, is the madame going on a trip?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Isn’t she? Huh… I guess I was mistaken.” Petria replied.

“No, wait. Please tell me in detail.”

“Well, you see….”

Norman’s face turned blue after hearing her story.

‘The Duchess has been acting like someone who will be leaving soon…. Wait,
does that mean that there’s not much time left?!’

Norman hastily ran to the maids’ room to find Marie.

* * *

“Your Grace won’t stop by the capital? Why?”

Caville summoned the Commander of the Cernoir Knights.

Behind Brien Vedos, the vice commander, were two elite knights.

One was Ren’s lover, Solar, and the other was a knight named Heinz.

Ren, who was next to Caville, glanced at Heinz’s abrupt question.

It’s not necessary, but Ren was Caville’s escort.

“There is no reason to stop by the capital.”

Heinz raised his eyebrow.

“But isn’t it an opportunity to impress the emperor? Your Grace saved the
princess too…”

“Why do I need to impress the emperor? Every time I see his face, my urge
to kill him deepens.”

“…A-alright,” Heinz replied, sulking.

Currently, the forces of the Cernoir Knights were divided into two
branches.

One was Solar and her knights, all from the estate, and the other was
Heinz’s troops. All of them were mercenaries that he had met on the
battlefield.

Caville met Heinz and his mercenaries on the battlefield. They swore
allegiance after he saved their lives. Caville also granted them the
honorary knighthood.

Then, he chose Heinz as their leader, therefore promoting him to an elite

knight.

Until now, they were close and never had any quarrels. But after the war
ended, they began to have conflicts.
‘To think he’d refuse to stop by the capital.’

After the meeting, Heinz left the barracks with a dissatisfied expression.

The mercenaries had no hometown to return to, so of course, they planned

to go to the Duchy of Cernoir with Caville.

The Cernoir Knights were the ones to take the lead on the war.

‘The Emperor promised to reward us, but he refused it… What better things
could be waiting for him in the duchy?’

He was dissatisfied. Still, he had no choice but to follow Caville’s

orders.

They were not the original members of the Knights of Cernoir, but their
loyalty was absolute.

Heinz admired Caville to the point that he’d be worth sacrificing for.

He wanted to see Caville, who was ridiculed for being young, directly
praised by the Emperor, slapping the other nobles’ faces….

It was unfortunate.

* * *

The Knights of Cernoir had a common concern. It was Caville’s cold and
blunt demeanor.

Sometimes, he would seem like a person who had no emotion.

The only time he expressed himself was when he complained about the
Emperor or the Temple.

He used to be a small child who worked hard and trained every day.

And now, he was a hero who saved the Empire, just like the first duke.

Caville was a well-rounded leader that all the knights were proud of. They
sincerely wished for his happiness.

They thought it would be nice for him to experience love, feeling various
emotions.

And Heinz thought that Caville was fated to be with the princess.

Furthermore, the princess turned out to be the emperor’s niece.

If he led the war to victory and married the emperor’s niece, there would
be nothing else for him to desire…

‘The princess also seems interested in the duke…’

She often visited Caville.

There were even times where he saw her acting all coy and shy.

‘What could be better than marrying a beautiful woman with a high

background?’ Heinz thought.

But there was a problem, Caville already had a wife.

‘I’m sure she’s spending all her husband’s money alone…’

She would pretend to care about him once he comes back to the mansion.

Just thinking about it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Heinz spat on the floor with a dissatisfied look.

* * *

“Then, are we leaving right away?”

“I want to finish preparing before the sun rises.”

“Yes, I feel the same way.” Solar chuckled.

The knights who left the estate had always missed their hometown.

But Caville was the most homesick among them. He would like to fly on
ifrit’s back if he could.

However, Ifrit was tired because he had used too much power. He said he
was going to rest inside the artifact.

‘How irritating….’

Caville was annoyed by Ifrit, who was eating away his mana without even
trying to help him when he needed it.

Of course, he was of great help in the war. However, it was natural for
him to do that because Caville had constantly been giving him mana.

“Princess Larissa must be sad. She thought we were going to the capital
together….”

Caville glared at Brien and stayed silent.

“……”

Ren and Solar saw Caville’s response and nudged Brien.

Brien shrugged his shoulders.

He was one of those people who wanted Caville to be happy and to

experience love.
A man should marry a woman who’s kind-hearted, beautiful, and loved.

And just like Heinz, Brien thought that his destined lover should be none
other than Princess Larissa.

Chapter 31

‘I feel bad for the duchess, but…’

They were more like siblings than a real couple.

Whoever his partner was, Brien hoped that Caville would actually fall in
love with them, for love was magical.

He would tend to think about them and worry about them, get excited for
them, or sad for them, and feel like he had someone important in his life.

Brien wanted him to experience that kind of love. One that could enable
him to feel nurtured and secure.

However, the current Caville was precarious.

He could only retain his composure when he was sword fighting.

After being on the battlefield for too long, some people started
portraying an unusual behaviour. They could only relax when they saw
blood.

Furthermore, some of them eventually ran wild and murdered everyone around
them.

Brien was afraid that the same thing could happen to Caville.

However, unlike what people thought of him, Caville was downright happy.

‘Does my wife miss me?’

He was planning to leave for the territory at dawn.

Caville was already dressed up and ready to go. He was so excited that he
couldn’t sleep.

‘Should I just leave alone?’

Caville was conflicted.

He missed Elody, but he wanted to go back with the knights so that he

could show them his good side.

Caville stared at himself in the small mirror.

There wasn’t a single scar on his face since he tried so hard to protect
it.

‘My wife must’ve changed a lot too, right?’

Suddenly, a sound could be heard from the artifact.

‘Don’t be so noisy. You’re disturbing my sleep.’

Annoyed, Caville removed the brooch from his chest.

Ifrit was able to read his thoughts when Caville wore it.

“Why do you keep looking at the mirror?”

A haze of red smoke appeared as Ifrit emerged from the brooch.

“Why not?” Caville asked glaring daggers.

“Well, that’s just so unlike you. But as opposed to you, I can control my
appearance since I am now an adult,” Ifrit grinned.

“Go back. I hate seeing you.”

Ifrit snorted at Caville’s criticism.

“How could you say that after seeing a cute animal such as I? You
heartless human.” Ifrit sulked and went back into the artifact.

Caville didn’t have a care for anything else in the world. He just wanted
to get to the mansion as soon as possible.

He also refused to have an audience with the emperor.

He had already fulfilled his duty, so he had no need to visit the capital.

Plus, nobody would blame him.

Though, his actions did cause the emperor to be in a bad mood.

‘Is he looking down on me because he contributed a lot in the war?’ the

emperor thought.

Caville disobeyed his orders, and this was not a good look for the
emperor.

However, he couldn’t rebuke him since Caville had saved his niece.

Thanks to Princess Larissa, the conflict between the Imperial Army and the
Temple was slowly dispersed.

At first, he was satisfied with Larissa being the mediator, but he still
needed to keep the Temple in check.
Caville was supposed to fill in that role.

However, the emperor made a grave miscalculation.

He certainly did not expect Caville to return to his duchy so soon.

* * *

Upon hearing about Caville’s arrival, Elody got very busy.

She made up her mind. If Caville had a hard time divorcing her, she should
be the one to tell him first.

‘Don’t worry, Caville! I’m ready to divorce you!’

“Madame, the lord and his knights have passed through the south gate!”

“Is that so?”

Elody lifted herself with a tense look. She was nervous because her dress
was more colorful than usual.

She met with the servants and went to the entrance of the mansion.

From a distance, she saw Caville approaching while riding his black horse.

‘Is that… Caville?’

…How did he grow so big?

Seconds passed with her brain struggling to just take him in, struggling
to comprehend that he wasn’t the boy she used to remember, that he was a
man and he was real.

The black horse came to a stop, stealing Elody’s breath and heat from her
skin.

Caville jumped off the horse and walked straight towards Elody.

Elody doubted her eyes.

However, he had the same pink eyes and pale skin. He was still slender
despite his years, yet, his body was toned and well-built.

It was him.

‘Caville will turn 20 this year…’

Elody thought that Caville would grow into a beautiful boy.

However, Caville was far different from her imagination.

His prominent jaw curved gracefully around his neck, and he had twining
cords of muscle that shaped his entire body; strong arms, bold thighs and
calves, a firm chest, and abdomen.

He was undoubtedly attractive and captivating.

‘Wh-what kinds of food did he eat… I expected him to grow a lot, but….’

He could barely reach her chest seven years ago. But now…

Elody greeted him awkwardly, “C-Caville…? Is that really you? G-good to

see-“

“My wife.”

Not giving time for her to say hello, he immediately scooped her up into a
tight hug, and before she could draw in the air her body needed, she had
melted into his form.

Elody could feel his firm torso and the heart that beat within. His hands
were folded around her back, drawing her closer.

Unlike Elody, Caville was able to recognize her at first glance.

As soon as he saw her pink hair, he could feel his body shake as he
instantly pulled her into an embrace.

Caville buried his head in the cuff of her shoulder. He had missed her
scent for the longest time.

Her sweet, warm, and gentle scent.

“Hey… Caville?”

Elody was embarrassed. She didn’t know what to do.

The servants stared at the two’s intense reunion. They were so touched
that some of the maids started crying.

‘Oh, our poor madame. What should we do… They finally met… They’ve just
met but she…’

Of course, they weren’t just crying because of the touching reunion. There
was also a profound misunderstanding held within those tears.

“Is that the duchess? I guess she has a good relationship with the duke?”
Heinz asked, surprised by their intimacy.

“Yup. They grew up together you see. The duchess raised the duke since he
was very young.”

“But why didn’t she write even a single letter?”

“Heinz, I will warn you ahead of time. You should never do anything
disrespectful to the duchess. You’re an elite knight.”

“Pfft, what do you mean duchess. It might change soon,” Heinz scoffed.

“Why you….”

“Alright, alright,” Heinz replied in a stern tone.

Heinz would not change his mind.

He was told that the emperor wanted Caville to marry his niece, Princess
Larissa.

Heinz was glad about the news. The duke could finally marry a princess who
was loyal and loved by all.

Caville truly deserved it.

He was already married, but he could easily divorce her. Everything was
possible as long as one had the intention to do it.

Heinz glared at the duchess in disapproval.

“Sir Vedos!”

“Marie…!”

The two lovers who had been separated for a long time had a joyful
reunion. Marie shed tears of sadness in Brien’s arms.

“Caville… I’m sorry, can you let go of me now?”

At Elody’s earnest voice, Caville released her from his hold.

Elody smiled awkwardly and spoke, “It’s been a long time. You must’ve gone
through a lot.”

“Wife…”

Caville bit his lips.

He had longed for this moment each and every day.

Just like how he had changed a lot, did she change too? Or was she still
the same as back then?

Caville finally saw the person he had missed, but he couldn’t think of
anything.

He just wanted to cry in her arms, crying for the missed time they could
never take back, crying to release the tension of these seven long years.

However, Elody didn’t seem as thrilled as he did.

When Caville released her from his arms, Elody took a step back.

“My Lord Duke, welcome back.”

“Thank you for coming back safely!”

The servants greeted Caville and Norman bawled his tears out.

“Your Grace… I can die peacefully now.”

At the end of their emotional reunion, Elody smiled and told Norman.

“Norman, please guide the knights to their new lodgings.”

“Understood, Madame!”

Elody skillfully instructed the servants, looking at those who shared the
joy of the reunion.

“Let’s bring everyone back to their homes and give them what we’ve
prepared. Tell them about the banquet that will be held in a few days.”

“Alright, Madame.”

Then, Elody glanced at Caville, who had a frown in his face.

“Come on, Caville. Let’s go back. You must be very tired. Go to your room
and rest.”

“……”

As Elody reached out to him, Caville grabbed her hand.

“…How did your hands get so small?”

“…Huh?”

‘My hand didn’t get smaller. It was your hand that got bigger.’

“It’s too small.”

“……”

Caville was dumbfounded with the size of Elody’s palm.

He remembered her looking so strong with her big hands. Like he wouldn’t
be afraid of anything in the world as long as he had her hand alone.

But, when he came back, Elody’s hands were smaller than he remembered.

‘Were those hands that held me tightly always this small? Or was it even
smaller than this? How can this be?’
Caville stared at Elody’s pale and pretty hands.

And Elody…

‘He must’ve had a hard time…’

As she looked at Caville’s scarred hands and calloused fingers, she held
back her tears.

It was painful to remember how hard he had worked during that miserable
time.

“Come on. Let’s go in, Caville.”

Truthfully, Elody longed for this reunion as much as he did.

She was desperately holding back her tears, and she could break down at
any moment.

Elody had lots to say too…

‘Welcome back, my baby! Welcome back! I’ve missed you so much…’

She wanted to hug him just as much as he wanted.

But she can’t.

Her baby had grown into a man.

When Elody saw Caville, she could feel her heart pounded. It beat so
strongly that she thought her chest would burst.

Elody was afraid that she would misunderstand the meaning of her throbbing
heart.

‘I mustn’t forget.’

She shouldn’t forget her role in the storyline.

Chapter 32

Elody realized that she would be leaving the mansion soon. There was no
time for her to rejoice.

She climbed the stairs and headed to the bedroom where she and Caville had
been staying since their childhood.

“I’ll prepare warm water right away. You can take a bath and rest
afterward.”

“Are you going to wash me?”

“Huh?”
Her heart pounded at his unexpected words.

Elody looked like someone who had received a slap on their face.

Caville boldly continued, “Wife said that married couples could take baths
together. When I was a kid.”

“Uh….” Elody flushed red.

‘Uh, he’s right. I did say that…’ she thought helplessly.

Yes, it was true back then…

However, the current Caville wasn’t a child anymore. Moreover, Elody felt
unfamiliar with him because of his drastic change in appearance.

Of course, he was still the same Caville she used to wash when he was a
child…

“I’m just joking. I’m embarrassed now after seeing your reaction.” Caville
muttered, his ears turning red.

Elody glanced at Caville.

He had traces of his face as a child, but his features were far sharper
now.

“I-is the room still the same?”

“……”

Elody turned her head away.

“I didn’t renovate it on purpose. I wanted to keep it the way you

remembered it.”

“The mansion has changed a lot. Good work.”

At Caville’s words, Elody smiled proudly.

She used all her efforts to protect Caville’s territory.

“Wife.”

Caville stepped closer and held her in his arms again.

“Oh, uh…”

Elody panicked and stepped back.

Caville pulled her closer and buried his head on her little shoulder.

“I missed you.”
“…Uh, me too.”

Elody reached out and patted Caville’s back.

She couldn’t hug his broad shoulders with one arm anymore, and his back
was now full of scars.

‘It feels weird.’

But this atmosphere was a bit…

‘Am I the only one feeling strange…?’

Elody’s hand clenched as her fingertips trembled. Caville hugged her often
when he was young. That was probably why he could hug her without
hesitation…

But now she was hugging the huge Caville in their bedroom.

Elody’s blush seared through her cheeks, and for a minute, she thought her
face was on fire. She suddenly felt awkward and demure.

Thump thump thump. Her heart was pounding like a blacksmith’s hammer in
her chest.

Eventually, Elody couldn’t stand it and pushed Caville away.

“I-I-I’ll tell the maids to prepare the water!” Elody stuttered as she
left the room.

“……”

Caville, who was left alone in the room, covered his face with both hands.

‘Strange…’

‘What’s strange?’ Ifrit, unable to grasp the situation, spoke.

‘…I guess my wife isn’t happy with my return.’

Usually, Caville wouldn’t answer Ifrit’s questions, but now he actually

responded that too gently.

Ifrit chuckled at his grim words.

Annoyed, Caville took off his brooch and put it on the desk.

Then, he slowly scanned his surroundings.

The bed that used to be so spacious and big, now looked very small.

The old-fashioned wallpaper was still the same, and the fireplace was also
there.
Elody used to do shadow plays in front of that fireplace.

Caville’s chest felt tight.

He was happy and sad at the same time.

It was hard to believe that the place where he was standing was not in the
middle of the battlefield, but the home he had missed.

“Hey, are you crying?”

Caville was staring at the fireplace in tears, and Ifrit, who had come out
of the artifact in the form of a dog, made fun of him.

“I’m warning you. Don’t ever show up without my permission for a while.”

“Meh.”

Despite the harsh warnings, ifrit did not care.

He walked to the window, pushed the glass with his head, and jumped out.

Then, after a while, someone knocked on the door.

“Caville, the water is ready. You can take a bath now,” Elody said with an
awkward smile.

Caville nodded in response.

Even though Elody, who he had dreamed of every day, was in front of his
eyes. He still felt empty as if there was a hole in his heart.

It felt strange.

* * *

Caville sifted himself in the bathtub full of warm water and pondered
about his recent events.

His wife didn’t greet him with a warm welcome.

It was what Caville was afraid of throughout the war.

After hearing the knights’ gossip. He wondered if Elody had died, or maybe
she had another lover and ran away.

But Elody was waiting for him as she had promised.

Nevertheless, he was still anxious.

‘Is she not happy about my return?’

Caville even dipped his face into the water with a sullen look.
He was very upset.

* * *

Dinner was awkward.

Elody and Caville were stealing glances at each other.

Elody ordered the servants of the mansion and took measures so that the
knights who returned could rest and eat well.

She also told the knights to prepare plenty of liquor so that they could
alleviate their negative feelings.

When she was managing the duchy, she had prepared lots of things to say to
Caville…

But she didn’t know how to treat him now.

She wanted to take care of him like she did when she was young, but…

‘What is with this atmosphere… ‘

Things were very awkward. Perhaps it’s because of his expressionless face,
straight nose, and stern eyes.

It wasn’t as cute and adorable as when he was young.

There was a dangerous vibe around him now.

It was difficult to talk to him with the way he looked currently.

After the awkward meal was over, Elody modestly drank her tea.

“We-were you tired? I hope there weren’t any troubles… I heard you
contributed a lot to the war.”

“…Yes.”

“I-I am proud of you, Caville.”

“……”

Caville looked straight into her eyes.

Elody was surprised at how earnest his gaze felt.

She was scared for some reason…

“Oh, let’s go up and rest.”

Caville nodded and followed Elody to their bedroom.

But once they arrived, Elody stopped.

Confused, Caville turned to look at her.

“Uh, take a good rest. I… uh, I’ll sleep in the next room…”

“Why?”

“Huh?” Elody faltered.

“Married couples are supposed to sleep together.”

Caville stared at Elody. His blatant gaze seemed to pierce right through
her words.

“……”

“My wife was the one who taught me that.”

* * *

Ever since they had dinner a little while ago, Caville was in a bad mood.

‘Did she get another lover while I was away?’

It was very likely.

When he left, Elody was 19 years old. His wife was gorgeous back then, and
even now, she was beautiful enough to make everyone’s eyes pop out.

At that time, he could not feel the emotions he did right now because he
was too young.

If one were a man, or at least a human with keen eyes, one could not help
but fall in love with her beauty.

Caville’s mood sank faster than the titanic.

‘Does she really have another lover? But we’re already a married couple…’

They were a real married couple.

After dinner, the two also drank tea together. However, unlike what he had
hoped, they did not have a friendly conversation.

Caville had already predicted it when they climbed the stairs to their
bedroom together. Maybe even before that.

“Oh, take a good rest. I’ll… uh, sleep in the next room….”

He knew this would happen. She didn’t want to be with him.

“Why?”

“Huh?”
“Married couples are supposed to sleep together.”

“……”

“My wife was the one who taught me that.”

‘You taught me that way.’

Caville stared at Elody with unjust eyes.

“Yes… but. Actually, I…”

“Wife…”

Caville desperately tried to stop his tears from coming out.

He hoped that it wasn’t true, but his prediction seemed to be right.

“Huh?”

“I don’t think you’re happy to see me at all.”

Elody was slack-jawed in shock. She was puzzled by his murky voice.

“Ca-Caville. What are you saying… Of course not! You know much I’ve longed
for you.”

“Well, you don’t look happy at all.”

“No! I am happy…!”

Elody trembled, flustered by his remarks.

Caville gazed at their bedroom as if he wanted them to go in together.

Elody unwittingly followed Caville into the room, not knowing what was
inside his head.

As soon as they entered the room, Caville replied bluntly, “My wife hates
me.”

“Caville…”

Elody had never imagined that he would think that way. It felt like her
heart would sink to the floor.

She felt horrible for hurting him, who had suffered for seven years in the
war.

She wanted to think of an excuse, but Caville didn’t give her any time.

“I think I know why.”

“Huh?”
Caville sat on a soft sofa in front of the fireplace. Elody sat next to
Caville, fidgeting her fingers anxiously.

“Caville…”

She was about to put her hand on his forearm to comfort him but retreated
in an instant.

His shoulder… was too hard.

She was unfamiliar with his new figure.

Seeing Elody’s actions, Caville stared at her with a hurt expression.

‘No, it’s not like that…’

“It’s because I’m not as cute as before.”

“What?”

“Because I look like an adult… so my wife hates me now. And I’m not happy
with it.”

Elody was confused by his unexpected words. She blinked her eyes in shock.

Chapter 33

Caville’s shoulders slumped and he cast his gaze down mournfully.

He didn’t just look like an adult, he was an adult. He was a full-fledged

adult now that he was of age.

Elody wanted to point it out, but she held herself back. Her priority was
to solve all the misunderstandings first.

“Caville, it’s not like that. It’s just… We met after 7 years. Caville.
You were really young back then… Now you’re all grown-up, just like you
said.”

Elody tried to choose the nicest words possible to not hurt his feelings.

“It’s true that I feel a little awkward because you’ve become an adult.
But that doesn’t mean I hate you at all. You’re my precious…”

‘Precious… Brother? Baby?’

Elody stopped, Caville stared at her directly.

“My precious… My…”

“I can’t hear you.”

“My most precious person! So you shouldn’t think like that. Yeah?”

“…I also feel strange. I am sure I stayed the same, but I think only my
wife has changed.”

‘What the… that’s nonsense…’

Elody stared at Caville with a stern look on her face.

“I thought I could get along with my wife like I used to, but I guess I
was the only one who thought of that.”

“……”

“My wife’s heart has changed. I’m not as good as before. I haven’t
changed. I’m still the same.”

Caville kept insisting that he was still the same. It was absurd.

First of all, Caville didn’t used to be as big as he was now.

Secondly, the young Caville couldn’t strike his sword at the enemy without
hesitation as he could now.

But Caville wanted Elody to treat him just like when he was young.

Caville had imagined their reunion numerous times…

Upon his arrival, Elody would immediately run towards him, throwing
herself into his arms. And as the warmth of her body meets his cold skin,
she would whisper sweet nothings into his ears. Telling him how pretty he
was, praising him while stroking his head, giving him sweet kisses, and
saying how much she loved him.

Her loving eyes, her warm embrace, and her angelic voice that he had
missed.

But the reality was never sweet.

Elody avoided him…

“Caville, it’s not like that. I… wouldn’t I need time to adjust myself? I
still care about you.”

“……”

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you…”

Elody’s eyes glimmered with watery tears.

Brick by brick, her walls came tumbling down, and as the tears streamed
down from her eyes, Caville’s felt a pang of pain in his chest.

“Don’t cry, wife,” Caville said as he wiped the tears on her face.
Elody smiled at his friendly words.

“I really missed you, Caville. I’m truly glad you came back.”

Caville stared into Elody’s eyes as she smiled with tears.

Her pretty eyes, cute nose, and delicate… his gaze went down to her lips.

So…

Beautiful.

Caville turned his head to the side and hid his face within his palms.

His blush crept to his ears and for a minute, he thought his face was on
fire.

Looking at his actions, Elody called out to him.

“Caville, come here.”

“……”

Elody grabbed his arm and led him to the other side of the room, his face
was still burning.

The place she headed for was a wall that held lots of memories for them.

The marks they scribbled and recorded together were still the same.
Although the traces were fading.

“……”

Caville went silent.

He fumbled the traces with his hands and captured everything in his eyes.

Even after Caville left, Elody continued to measure her height alone.

However, Elody’s height remained the same.

Elody hadn’t recorded her height since four years ago. Her growth had
stopped at 19.

Caville smiled and touched the last mark she recorded.

There was a strange feeling in his heart.

‘Even after I left, my wife’s height remained the same.’

At that time, his wife looked really big and strong…

Elody’s height was the same, but Caville’s view of her had changed.
During those times apart from each other, Elody recorded several more
years, even though she didn’t grow at all.

Caville gazed at the traces on the wall. His eyes were full of affection
and sadness.

He could see that his wife kept measuring her height alone, without
removing his marks.

“The last time you recorded your height, I was this tall,” Caville said,
pointing to the wall.

The last time Elody had recorded her was when she was 22, so Caville would
have been 16.

Elody picked up a pen and left a mark where Caville had pointed. She wrote
‘Year 589, 16-year-old Caville’.

“After that?”

“I can’t remember.”

“Then let’s keep recording. You might still get taller!” Elody exclaimed.

And so, Caville stood against the wall.

But there was a problem.

“……”

Elody confidently stretched out her arms as high as she could.

But…

‘Uh-oh…’

“I’ll do it.”

Caville took the pen from Elody, measured his height, and recorded on the
wall. Elody watched him with an awkward smile.

“Why didn’t my wife grow taller?” Caville asked innocently, looking at

Elody’s marks that stayed the same.

“…Uh, well…”

Elody didn’t know what to say.

‘Is it because I slept late and didn’t have a regular eating schedule…?’

Elody recalled what the maids said as a joke.

“Well… some people stop growing early.”

That was the best excuse she could come up with.

Caville alternated his glances between the traces on the wall and Elody.

“So…”

“Huh?”

“So cute.”

“…… ”

Elody laughed awkwardly.

She never thought she would hear that from Caville… from the child that
she had raised…

“You too, well, you’re not that big.”

Caville laughed at Elody’s counterattack.

He was well over 190 centimeters tall and was taller than the average male
knight.

Caville laughed and gazed at Elody with subtle eyes.

“Is my wife really happy that I am back?”

“Of course.”

“Really?”

“I’m as happy as you are.”

“Then…”

After a while, Elody and Caville were lying side by side on the bed they
had been sleeping together since they were children.

‘How did this happen…?’

She was definitely thinking of sleeping in the next room.

She even organized everything.

A while ago…

Caville spoke, “Then… Please put me to sleep, like when we were children.”

“Wh-what? You see, Caville. I think it would be better for me to sleep in

the next room… “

“Just for today. Please?” Caville begged.

Elody couldn’t say no to his sad expression.

Hence, she decided to sleep with him.

She laid on his side and looked at Caville, who was well asleep.

When she gazed into his sleeping figure, she noticed that his face was
still similar to when he was young.

He was still as pretty as an angel, and his skin was smooth even though he
had been on the battlefield for years.

‘Yes, just for today…’

Elody gently stroked his arm as a lullaby emerged from her lips.

To put him to bed like when he was young, hugging and patting him… she
couldn’t do that.

Fortunately, Caville wasn’t that stubborn/pesky.

Elody remembered their past as she looked at Caville sleeping so

peacefully.

There were many things she wanted to ask, but she didn’t want to bombard
him with questions right after he had come back from such a dreadful
place. She wanted him to rest and take his mind off things.

Elody decided to hold back on the questions for a while.

Not long after, she also fell into a deep slumber.

And so, the night of their reunion passed.

* * *

The next morning, Caville woke up at dawn. It was a habit he had picked up
on the battlefield.

‘What shall I do.’

As soon as he opened his eyes, he was relieved to find himself in his

mansion again. His one, true home.

When he saw Elody next to him, his heart pounded.

Caville lightly caressed her face with his fingers.

So…

So happy.
Happiness flowed through him, warming his skin like the rays of an early
summer sun…

He was as happy as he could be.

But…

He was a bit troubled at the moment.

Elody’s hand was on his chest. He was wearing clothes, but the area she
was touching felt hot.

As Caville slowly extended his arms to keep Elody from awakening, he

stroked her back.

He could easily hug the little girl with one arm and felt the urge to hug
her tightly with all his strength.

However, Caville held back and slowly got up.

He laid Elody upright and gently covered her with a blanket.

‘Cute.’

So cute, so lovely.

Why?

Why was she so cute?

Why was she so beautiful?

How was he able to live with a wife like this?

He might never know.

Truthfully, he might have known.

However, the point was that she looked so cute that he was gonna die from
a heart attack.

‘No, wait! I won’t be able to see her anymore if I died.’

Caville gazed at Elody’s sleeping face for the millionth time.

He had shown his foolish side to his wife before, and he didn’t want to do
it again.

So, Caville quietly left the room and headed for the bathroom. He looked
in the mirror after washing his face.

He wanted to look as pretty as possible and impress his wife.

By the time he came back to the bedroom after checking his face, an
uninvited guest had appeared.

“Where have you been?”

Ifrit, in the form of a small dog, laid on the edge of the bed, whilst
casually wagging his tail.

Caville’s brow was immediately creased.

“Didn’t you leave?” Caville said.

“What? I just came to see my lifesaver’s face. I didn’t come here to see
you.”

“Get out,” he snarled.

Caville’s ugly glances made Ifrit depressed.

He slipped down the bed and quietly whined.

“You think I, the Spirit King of Fire, will listen to you? I’m not doing
this because I’m scared. I wanted to go down in the first place!”

Caville opened the door slightly and kicked out the grunting Ifrit. Then,
he gently went back to bed.

‘……’

Caville smiled shyly and stared at Elody’s sleeping face.

And by the time Elody had woken up, Caville closed his eyes and pretended
to sleep.

“……”

Elody was surprised to see Caville still sleeping.

She was embarrassed to admit, but she really did have a goodnight’s sleep.

After hearing the news that the war was over, she had trouble sleeping,
but now she seemed to have been relieved of the tension.

‘I’m glad.’

Elody was relieved to see that she woke up far away from Caville. Then,
she kept staring at Caville’s sleeping face.

‘How can he be so angelic in the morning when he sleeps?’

Caville was sleeping with an elegant pose, like a sleeping princess.

His hair wasn’t messy and his skin was smooth. After all, he was the male
protagonist.
Chapter 34

After a while, Caville’s eyelids fluttered open.

Elody awkwardly fell out of bed and spoke, “…D-did you sleep well,
Caville?”

“Yes. How about you, wife?”

Caville pretended to blink to get out of his stupor and rubbed the
remainders of sleep from his eyes. He wanted to look like a cute cat but
instead looked like a tiger in Elody’s eyes.

“I-I slept well too.”

There was an awkward silence. Elody stood up and looked at Caville’s eyes.

Normally, Marie would be in charge of waking, dressing, and accompanying

Elody in her daily activities. After she woke up, Marie would help her
take a bath and change her garments.

But… Caville was in the room, so she couldn’t call Marie to change her
clothes.

Fortunately, Caville left the room, saying that he needed to wash himself.

‘He just woke up but his skin looks so flawless! Is it because of his
young age?’

Elody pondered while waiting for Marie to come in.

Moments later, Marie came into the room and helped Elody wash up.

Then, Elody’s usually tied up hair was braided down to her back.

“Why not just tie it up like usual?”

“Because His Grace is here.”

So?

Elody was confused. Her oblivious self couldn’t figure out what her hair
had to do with Caville’s return.

“……”

Marie sighed.

The duke had just returned, so she wanted Elody to look pretty in his
eyes.

However, Elody never felt the need to look pretty in front of Caville.
“Well, it’s just… you know, Madame. Aren’t you tired after all that
yesterday?”

“Not at all. It turned out fine, and I was actually able to get a good
night’s sleep.”

“Then… how was it like with the lord?”

“What?”

“You know… you slept with him yesterday.”

“Uh, it was just a bit awkward.”

“Just awkward?”

“Yes.”

“……”

‘Just awkward… So they only slept,’ Marie thought.

“You didn’t do anything else?”

“What?”

She felt like she was talking to a wall… it was difficult to discuss this
topic with the clueless duchess. So Marie decided to give up.

“I shall dress you now.”

Elody usually wore a white silk georgette chemise, decorated with frills
at the bottom, and tied in a pretty bow on the waistline.

She wore it because the chemise was easy to pair, wasn’t tight, very
comfortable, and flattered her frame but didn’t give too much exposure.

For today, however, Marie chose to dress Elody in more colorful clothes
than usual.

The chemise she wore was richly embroidered with yellow silk, and dainty
lace-like traceries trimmed the bodice and sleeves.

‘It’s quite comfy, but the laces and frills are more than usual.’

“I don’t want to wear this.”

“You have to!”

There was a brief scuffle over the ribbon on her waist.

Elody refused, saying it was cumbersome, but Marie argued that it was the
most important part of the dress.
“Please, madame.”

‘What do you mean, please…’

Marie gave Elody her best puppy-dog-eyes, so she had no choice but to give
in.

Marie smiled proudly and admired the duchess’ beauty.

“You look gorgeous, madame,” Marie said to Elody, who was standing in
front of the mirror.

Elody gazed at herself wearing a pale yellow chemise dress full of frills,
decorated with a large ribbon on her back.

‘This ribbon would definitely fall back and forth in the greenhouse…’

“Marie, is something wrong?” Elody asked.

She had a weird feeling in her gut.

“Yes?” Marie replied in ignorance.

“Did you fight with Sir Vedos?”

“No, not at all.”

“So, when are you two getting married?”

“…Why is madame asking me that?”

“Well, the two of you have missed each other for a long time.”

“Do you want to see me get married?”

Elody hugged Marie’s waist and said, “Of course. You will be the prettiest
bride in the world.”

Marie kept silent for a moment, then nodded.

“I’ll discuss it with Sir Vedos.”

“That’d be great.”

“Ah, that’s right. Your meal is ready. I’ve also told His Grace.”

“Thank you, Marie,” Elody said as she quickly left the room.

After she left, Marie pulled out a handkerchief from her pockets and
pressed the edge of her eyes.

* * *
After eating, Elody declared that she would stay in the next room from
today onwards. She had already moved all of her stuff.

Caville seemed a little dissatisfied, but he nodded without pursuing the

matter any further.

Elody sighed in relief.

‘Will he be okay?’

No matter how oblivious she was with the opposite sex, she knew very well
what a marital relationship was.

But Caville didn’t seem to know.

She had raised him since he was very young; their relationship felt like a
sibling relationship, so he didn’t realize how marriages actually worked.

As a child, Caville was smaller and had delayed growth due to long-term
abuse.

She washed him, put him to bed, and wiped his nose every day. So, he
thought of her as his guardian.

‘Where could the princess be…?’

Elody thought about asking Caville, but she changed her mind.

People said she was the emperor’s niece, so it was highly possible that
she stopped by the capital.

‘When will Caville divorce me?’

In the novel, Caville divorced Elody as soon as he returned…

However, the plot might have changed because her actions had differed
since the beginning.

Even so, ‘Caville meeting the princess’, this event should’ve remained the
same.

Elody drank her freshly brewed tea.

It was the remedy she had made from the Salvation Herb.

Meanwhile, Caville was drinking lemon tea with sweet honey, which he had
always liked since he was a child.

“Caville, now that you are back, you have to manage the estate by
yourself.”

“Yes, my wife,” Caville replied.

Elody smiled after hearing his kind response.

Elody felt nostalgic since he had always answered her obediently since he
was a child.

Elody began to explain step by step how successful the business she had
with Sirka was and what she had done with the money.

As she spoke, Caville listened with his twinkling eyes.

“From now on, I will call my wife the lord of the estate.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I couldn’t have made achievements like you, wife. My wife has done great
in managing the land. You are truly the coolest person I’ve ever known.”

Elody grinned after being recognized for her contributions to the duchy.

It was all because of Caville that Elody had been working hard to manage
his estate.

She was proud to hear that from the person she did it for.

“But, you shouldn’t make me call me lord, Caville. The estate is yours.
You went directly to the battlefield to protect this land.”

Elody explained step by step to Caville, just like when they were
children.

“But the duchy belongs to my wife too.”

“That’s right, but I’m only the…”

“That’s not fair. We’re a married couple.”

“Huh?”

“You said that married couples share everything.”

Elody didn’t know what to say because she did teach him that way.

When he was young, Caville never ate vegetables, so Elody would say,
“What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. Couples share
everything,” and feed vegetables to each other.

It was to prevent him from being a picky eater.

However, why would he bring that up here…

Since yesterday, Caville seemed to be obsessed with the word married

couple. It might be because of the mood.

Anyway, Elody was thinking of giving her work to Caville within a few
days.
‘However, today was devoted to plenty of leisure!’

“Caville, let us stroll around the estate. Ah! I’ll show you the lab and
the greenhouse first.”

At Elody’s words, Caville nodded with a fresh smile.

Then he reached out his big hand to Elody.

“……”

Elody stared at Caville’s hand. They would always hold hands wherever they
went.

‘This is awkward… .’

Elody laughed and grabbed his hand.

Caville grinned in satisfaction and headed to the greenhouse with Elody.

“You will be surprised when you see it.”

Elody wanted to be the first to show Caville her greenhouse and

laboratory.

She was going to show him the ginseng and ask what the effect was like.

On the way to the greenhouse, the two met Brien and stopped.

But…

“Sir Vedos, why is your nose bleeding?” Elody asked.

He stood neatly, bowed his head, and mumbled a bit.

“You can wipe with this.”

“…Thank you, Madame.”

Elody took the handkerchief out of her pockets and gave it to him.

Then Brien took a handkerchief and wiped his nose, making eye contact with
Caville.

‘…What’s wrong with him?’

Caville glared daggers at Brien. He had fought with countless enemies on

the battlefield, but his gaze was never this scary.

Brien felt like a knife was pressed above his exposed neck.

His wife’s handkerchief…

Caville bit his teeth.

Brien swung his head down, avoiding Caville’s menacing eyes.

“I didn’t get the chance to welcome you yesterday but welcome back, Sir
Vedos. It’s been a while indeed. You must’ve had a hard time. I’m truly
glad you’re alright.”

“Yes, madame. I’m delighted to see you healthy as well. You’re not as big
as I… cough. But yes, it’s been a long time.”

Elody’s eyebrows wrinkled when she heard him saying she wasn’t tall.

“…Yes. Sir Vedos also looks older than I remembered.”

It had been a long time since Brien heard one of her insults. And somehow,
he was happy to listen to it again.

Brien let out a chuckle, but it didn’t look as flattering due to his
bloody nose.

Elody frowned and spoke, “Thank you for taking good care of Caville. But
what’s wrong with your nose?”

“…It’s nothing.”

It couldn’t have been nothing, but Brien insisted that it wasn’t anything
serious.

Chapter 35

Brien was sitting on a bench and chatting with Marie.

He was glad that Marie had brought up the topic of marriage first.

While chatting, Brien told Marie about something he had been thinking for
a while.

It was about Caville.

“I am worried about the duke. The cold look reflected on his face gives me
shudders. He is far too emotionless. I don’t think young people should be
like that… When I was his age, it was the best time of my life. He should
be at the age where he can act immature and experience love.”

“So?”

“Ah, and have you heard the story of Princess Larissa of the Dayev Empire?
She seems to be interested in the duke. The emperor was also thinking of
pairing them up. It would be nice if she could melt the duke’s heart.”

“……”

Marie doubted her hearing.

“What? I beg your pardon?”

Brien was confused at her reaction.

“The duke is already married. What are you saying? He already has a wife!”

“I mean, they act like a brother and sister anyway. I know that the
duchess has raised him since he was a child, but…”

“But the two of them are married!”

“I mean yes, but… doesn’t the duchess have a lover as well?”

Marie couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth.

Marriages between nobles were usually done out of convenience, so it

wasn’t a surprise if they had a lover or two.

Before Brien left, Elody was already popular with knights. There were
quite a lot of apprentices that liked her as well…

‘Did she really not meet anyone else?’

There was even a divorce system in the empire.

Brien predicted that if the two grew up, of course, they would divorce and
live like siblings. This was because they had been married since
childhood.

“Sir Vedos, I didn’t know you were so unfaithful.”

“Yes… ?”

“The madame… the madame is!”

Marie began to cry.

“Ugh! The poor madame is…”

She sobbed into her hands, and the tears dripped between her fingers.

“Marie, I was wrong. So stop crying, yeah? Please.”

“Shut up! How dare you think that way about the madame?! I care about her
more than you think!” She choked out her words in between sniffles from
crying, “I feel like a fool! I don’t know why I’ve been waiting for you
these past seven years! I will never marry you!” Marie shouted.

She looked around her surroundings, looking for a weapon. But when she
couldn’t find anything, she stared at him with a hellishly mean glare on
her face.
Her eyes were washed with tears of anger, but Brien was still confused,
unable to comprehend what was making her so mad.

As Marie was unable to find a weapon, she instantly balled her hands into
fists and struck it right to his face.

“Take this!”

Pow–!

“Argh!”

Her fist hit him with such force that blood pooled from his nose.

She was finally satisfied.

‘The madame is suffering from a deadly disease…’

Of course, she knew that the duke had also suffered on the battlefield.

However, the madame had raised the duke with so much love. She managed the
estate alone while waiting faithfully for her husband to return.

The duchy had grown so much now, and it was all because of her.

Marie thought that the duke should take care of her until her death and
that she deserved another life, even after she died.

Brien tried to follow Marie, but she had already disappeared.

Then, he ran into Elody and Caville.

And that was what happened…

“…I keep getting nosebleeds.”

Elody suspiciously looked at Brien as he laughed it off awkwardly.

“My wife, let us leave him alone and proceed on our stroll. I’m curious
about the greenhouse.” Caville urged.

“Alright… Sir Vedos, keep up the good work. Ah, and you don’t have to
return the handkerchief.”

“Thank you, madame.”

Elody glanced at Brien, then took Caville’s hand and headed for the
greenhouse.

Caville turned his head and glared at Brien for a while longer.

“……”

Brien was shocked.

There was no softness in that gaze. It was a look that conveyed a bubbling
hatred ever ready to erupt.

‘Was that really the duke?’ He thought.

He was not the Caville that Brien knew.

That person was cold, emotionless, and heartless.

The Caville he knew was different.

No matter how much he grumbled and complained by his side, he had never
glared at him that way.

In all the time Caville had spent growing up on the battlefield, he didn’t
bother befriending anyone.

He was always alone.

It might be because of Ifrit, who was always with him, but others blamed
it on his cold personality.

But Brien didn’t want to distance himself from him.

‘And what? Leave him alone?’

He had been with him since he was a kid and watched him grow up.

‘Besides, why was he pretending to be so gentle in front of his wife?’

Brien was dumbfounded.

‘In the end, is his wife the only one he thinks he has?’

Brien recalled his memory of them hugging yesterday.

He thought the hug was nothing more than a brotherly hug. A hug he gave to
his sister, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time…

‘Well, the hug was a bit tight.’

Brien scratched his head and looked down at the handkerchief Elody had
handed to him.

A feeling of guilt came over him.

* * *

“Wow… it’s beautiful. It’s bigger now.”

Elody smiled proudly as he looked at the greenhouse in admiration.

Honestly, the greenhouse was one of the reasons why she didn’t want to
leave the mansion after the divorce.

Her touch was all over the greenhouse.

Of course, it cost a lot of money… But the main reason was because of all
the memories she had with Caville.

Elody slipped her hand off his hold.

Caville’s gaze went to Elody’s hand that had escaped his grasp.

“I’ll be your tour guide. First, this is for researching and planting new
seeds. It’s still a long time before we can harvest them.”

Excited, Elody began to explain what each section was.

“And this is a place where only rare herbs in the mountains are grown. The
temperature and climate are controlled by magic.”

“What is this?”

Caville asked, pointing at something he thought was strange.

“Oh, um…”

The area Caville pointed to was where the Salvation Herbs were planted.
Elody was visibly embarrassed.

“Can we eat those?”

“Ah, no! Not yet… It’s a medicinal herb that’s still being studied.”

‘Come to think of it. It’s almost time for my daily dose of medicine…’

She was annoyed by the thought of her vomiting blood.

Every time she vomited blood, her symptoms were relieved, but vomiting
still felt uncomfortable.

And the most annoying part was washing her handkerchief.

‘I can’t ask the maids…’

“Oh! Caville, come over here!” Elody beckoned.

The place where she took Caville was a large ginseng field. Red ginseng
ingredients that made it possible for her to earn a lot of money!

“What’s this?”

“Do you remember the red pills that I sent? This is the ingredient.”

“What do you mean?”

“The red pills that I sent you. Have you not tried it?”

“What’s a red pill?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Elody and Caville looked at each other with puzzled looks.

“The medicine I sent with my letters…”

Caville’s expression hardened at Elody’s words.

“…There was no letter. Apart from this, I have never received any of my
wife’s letters…” Caville said, pulling out the old paper from inside his
arms. It was a letter from Elody when the two broke up.

“You held on to this?”

“Of course.”

The letter was wrinkled and worn. He had read it so many times that the
words had faded.

Caville thought of it as his most precious treasure.

‘Did he held it close to him all this time?’

Elody turned her head away. Afraid her tears were going to betray her.

“More than that… You’ve never received any of my letters? Is that why
there was no reply?”

“……”

“I thought it was because of the war, so it was difficult to reply due to

security issues…”

Caville was silent.

He thought his wife had forgotten him and didn’t send a letter because she
didn’t want him to come back.

“I’m sorry, my wife.”

He felt guilty.

“Huh?”

Caville apologized to Elody, who was worried about crumpling her eyebrows.

“I thought my wife… didn’t send me a letter because she forgot me.”

“……”

Caville took one step closer.

He lifted Elody’s hand and kissed the back of it.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Oh, uh. That’s alright,” Elody replied awkwardly and pulled out her
hand.

Then she took a step back.

The distance was too close, and the back of the hand where Caville’s lips
had touched was tingling.

He kissed it so tenderly that she could never get used to it.

‘Why is he so active in skinship?’

Elody had never spoken with any man at such a close distance.

She decided that Caville was treating her like an older sister.

‘Does he do the same things to the princess?’

What were they like in the original… Elody tried to remember it from the
novel, but her memory was faint.

And while Elody was thinking about needless things.

Caville was also deep in thought.

He was sorry, thankful, and angry that he had misunderstood.

Who the hell stole his letters?

Suddenly, an answer came to his mind.

‘The Temple of Thysser… I’ll just kill them all.’

The temple had monopolized the distribution of letters, newsletters, and

military supplies throughout the continent. So the culprit was none other
than them! Only fools wouldn’t be able to figure this out.

On the battlefield, all documents, including letters, were not allowed to

go outside. It was the same for the items that came in.

They strictly monitored and controlled documents, as well as objects and

information.

But they were flexible enough to tell when the news arrived by saying,
“The newsletter is here.”
There were several times where he asked for the newsletter from the
priest, but every time, the priest replied that nothing had arrived.

The estates in the vicinity of the capital were able to come directly to
them and find out more information about the news.

However, the Duchy of Cernoir was far away from the capital.

Elody said with a serious face, “It looks like someone intended to
intercept it. I heard from the servant. He said he definitely gave the
items to the priest… Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get into much
detail.”

“……”

Caville looked down at his empty hand. The warmth of Elody’s hand had
disappeared without a trace.

How strange.

‘It was like that yesterday, too.’

Caville recalled yesterday when he touched Elody’s arm, but she pulled
back.

Elody’s surprised face was a great shock to Caville. His heart was hurt.

And a little while ago, she pulled her hand out of his grasp.

Caville was thankful and sorry for her, but he was more sorrowful and
angry.

He didn’t care whether the temple stole his letters or not. As long as she
waited for him and wanted him to come home, nothing really mattered more.

So, what was the reason for this heartache?

‘My wife said she was waiting for me. So why does she keep avoiding me?
Why?’

“My wife…”

“Huh?”

“Do you hate touching me?”

Chapter 36

“Huh?”

Elody wore a puzzled expression.

“I used to hold your hand every day. Why can’t I do it now?”

Caville’s voice sounded more hurt than anything else.

Elody didn’t know what to say. Her mind was still surging through
perplexity.

If the relationship between a man and a woman was that of a brother and a
sister, it would clearly be natural for them to bond through physical
contact.

However, these two had been separated for seven years.

Elody didn’t change much, but Caville had grown from a young boy, who was
literally smaller than his peers, to a man who was much larger than others
his age.

They should naturally feel awkward about being intimate with each other,
but Caville didn’t seem to understand that at all.

‘This… How should I explain it?’

How should she educate his naive self?

Caville had never received sex education.

‘Stuff like this should be done with a lover. He should be doing it with
the princess.’

But she couldn’t just say it nonchalantly…

Elody sighed.

She was troubled. Not just because of this, but because of her stolen
supplies and letters too.

But for now, she had to appease Caville first.

“It’s not like that, Caville. I just feel a little awkward sometimes.”

“……”

“Come on, let’s hold hands again.”

As Elody reached out her hand, Caville held it back.

“Let’s look into the issue of the letters later. For now, follow me.”

Elody dragged Caville to the lab next door.

She was upset to hear that he had never eaten the red ginseng. She had
worked so hard to make it for him, but it was stolen by someone else.

Elody handed him the red ginseng, or better known as red pill, to Caville.
“Now, try this.”

“What is this, wife?”

“It’s good medicine for your body.”

Caville chewed and swallowed it without hesitation. However, he

immediately crumpled his eyebrows.

“Bitter….”

“Is it really that bitter?”

‘He’s still such a child,’ Elody thought.

Although his build was huge, he was still childish. Elody couldn’t help
but smile at his cute reactions. She would actually feel a bit sad if his
attitude had changed.

She thought that both his body and mind had matured, but it seemed that
only his physical appearance had grown.

Caville still thought of himself as the same friendly kid when he was
young, so his feelings were hurt when Elody avoided him.

“Here. Eat this, too.”

Elody took out another ginseng. It had better quality and was sliced and
marinated in honey.

“Come, try it.”

As Caville opened his mouth, Elody laughed when she recalled memories of
her feeding him.

“Wife, won’t this taste bitter too?”

“Of course not, it will only taste like honey.”

Caville frowned. He was so cute that Elody began to laugh out loud.

Seeing her laugh made Caville smile too.

However, their fun time together didn’t last for long.

“Madame!” Marie called.

After she saw the two, she immediately bowed her head.

“What’s up?”

“It’s urgent, Madame. A letter came from the Temple. And Mr. Sirka is
here.”
“Really? What does the Temple want?”

“I’m sure the Temple was the one to steal our letters.” Caville grunted,
his jaw tightened and his eyes flashed a warning.

Elody glanced at him. His beautiful smile had disappeared without a trace.

“Oh, uh… I guess that’s to be expected.”

“Let’s go there together.”

Caville reached out his hand, and Elody grabbed it while trembling.

It was the same Caville, but she still felt a sense of unfamiliarity when
she was with him.

‘How strange…’

* * *

‘Madame…’

As she gazed at the backs of the two holding hands together, Marie held
back her tears.

She felt so betrayed by Brien. She had punched him in the nose, but she
still thought that it wasn’t enough.

Of course, as Brien had said, the two were like siblings.

However, they were married, and they had a strong relationship.

Elody was kind and beautiful, and her husband grew up so nicely, and even
better than the servants expected. Everyone should feel grateful and proud
for them.

‘The only thing left is for the madame to be happy… ‘

Her heart ached with unbearable pain, for the madame’s time left was
short…

Marie quietly wiped her nose and followed the two.

* * *

As soon as Elody returned to the office with Caville, she checked the
letter.

“This is ridiculous. What kind of bullshit…” Elody cursed as she read the
outrageous letter from the Temple.

The Temple of Thysser, who worshipped Tvekra, had built temples all over
the west continent.
There was also a temple in the Duchy of Cernoir. However, no priests were
dispatched. So the temple was empty.

There were a lot of priests when the former duke reigned the land. But as
soon as Caville succeeded the sovereign, the priests left.

This was what the letter said.

They would send the commander of the paladins all together with the
cardinal to the Duchy of Cernoir…

And it said that they would visit the mansion to greet him.

They obviously had more intentions than to just simply visit the estate.

The Temple of Thysser wanted to make Caville the war hero in their stead.

It was preposterous…

‘Huh?’

“……”

Elody’s expression sank after reading the last line.

It said that Princess Larisa of the Dayev Empire would also come with
them.

‘Of course, she will.’

Elody hesitated and gnawed on her lower lip.

She knew at first glance that the emperor wanted to marry Caville with his
niece, Princess Larissa.

The reason was also obvious. He wanted to keep the Temple in check.

Elody pitied Caville, whom everyone tried to use.

‘But everything should be fine since the princess is there.’

In the novel, the two were really inseparable.

They were destined to be with each other.

Elody and Caville weren’t exactly married anyway.

Aristocrats’ marriage was only valid when the documents were issued by the
Temple.

If for instance, the couple were married as children, they had to get the
Temple’s approval again after the two had become adults.
The divorce process was a bit tricky if the temple had approved it a
second time, but not if it was only once.

‘When will he divorce me?’

Elody stared at Caville.

‘Maybe after the princess arrives?’

Elody was curious about their relationship, but she didn’t ask.

Elody thought of Caville standing side by side with the princess. Someone
who was as beautiful as a painting.

She should feel happy for them.

But…

‘……’

In the eyes of others, they were indeed a perfect couple.

It took about two months to get to the Duchy of Cernoir from the capital.

However, the letter said that they would stop by a temple in another
province along the way.

‘So maybe about four months?’

Her heart twisted and sunk with nerves when reading the letter, but she
couldn’t explain the weird feelings in her heart.

It was strange indeed…

Elody peeked a glance at Caville.

As he read the letter with an expressionless face, a knock could be heard

throughout the room.

Knock-knock!

“…Come in.” Elody said before Sirka came out from behind the door.

“Oh? My! Who is this?” Sirka said, his eyes expressing delight.

Sirka happily approached Caville. However, Caville’s expression was sour.

“Is that you, Your Grace? I’ve heard about your return… Wow, puberty hit
you real good!”

“Yes.” Caville shortly replied.

The atmosphere was chilly, but Sirka didn’t mind it.

He just shrugged and proceeded to talk to Elody.

“Madame, about the letters you asked before… It was true that the Temple
was behind it. I don’t know about other people’s letters, but yours were
delivered there.”

“I just heard the news. Then the Temple must’ve taken all of my magic
pills.”

“Yes, and since they are already distributed on the market, there’s no
risk of leakage, but….”

Elody knew that she had been under the temple’s surveillance for years,
but they had always been quiet. So Elody concluded that they would do
nothing to her.

Sadly, she turned out wrong.

“Wife, what do you mean?” Caville asked with a gentle tone.

“It’s true. They’ve been keeping me in check ever since I developed and
distributed the magic pills.”

“…I see.”

Caville’s gaze turned to the letter.

Even after the war was over, their time together just had to be
interrupted by the temple.

Elody sighed before asking Sirka, “Is that the only reason for your
visit?”

“No, I’ve also brought the bill.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes, and oh! I’ve also looked into the building you asked for. It’s a
perfect site for the greenhouse.”

“Ah…”

Elody glanced at Caville.

She had requested Sirka to look for a new residence after the divorce.

Caville stared at Elody with a puzzled look.

“We are planning to make more g-greenhouses,” Elody mumbled.

Then, she made a couple more excuses and took the documents from Sirka.
Afterwards, she escaped by saying she needed to go to her study for a
while.
“……”

And after Elody left, Caville observed Sirka from head to toe.

Nervous, Sirka glanced at Caville.

‘He was so cute when he was young…’

Now, he wasn’t as cute as back then.

He looked terrifying.

Plus, Caville was possessive. Sirka still remembered the time when Caville
got jealous at him for shaking Elody’s hands.

“Well, how have you been? I heard that you made a great contribution in
the war. That’s amazing,” Sirka spoke awkwardly.

“……”

Unfortunately, Caville only stared at him without an answer.

He didn’t like him for some reason.

“Yes, long time no see.”

His answer was as cold as ice.

Caville looked sternly at him and an expression of hostility suddenly came

over his face.

It was completely different from when Elody was here!

‘Is it just me, or did his tone drastically change…?’

Sirka wiped off the cold sweat that had started to appear on his forehead.

‘Madame… When will you come back? How could you leave me alone with him?’

Chapter 37

Caville tilted his head while staring at Sirka.

“I strangely don’t like you for some reason. I wonder why?”

“M-me?”

“Yes.”

Sirka had lived as a merchant all his life.

He could immediately know why Caville didn’t like him.

It was probably because of envy. He didn’t like the friendliness between
Sirka and his wife during their conversations.

‘What’s with his personality…?’

Sirka stuck his tongue out.

Caville was easily jealous since he was like a child when it came to
matters of interacting with others, and he still hadn’t realized it.

“Well, maybe it’s just a weird feeling?” Sirka replied with his business-
like smile.

‘Madame… come back quickly. How could you leave me alone…?’

But he inwardly cried for the duchess.

‘Why didn’t I follow after her?’

He deeply regretted his actions.

Caville stared at him without answering his question.

Sirka kept glancing at the door, wiping off his cold sweat.

Fortunately, after a while, Elody, with the papers she had hidden in the
corner of her study in hand, returned to the office.

As soon as Elody came in, Sirka felt like he could finally breathe.

“Madame! Why were you so late?!”

“…What’s wrong?” Elody replied, puzzled.

Caville continued to look at Sirka with a frigid stare, avoiding Elody’s

gaze.

A cold sweat broke out on Sirka’s forehead, and he mopped it away with his
forearm.

But when Elody looked up, Caville’s expression did a complete one-eighty.
He looked like an innocent angel as if he had never glared at Sirka.

The poor merchant didn’t know what to say.

“Oh, and I’ve also checked all the bills.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

Elody signed the documents for the next payment and handed it to Sirka.

Then she quickly asked, “Ah, Mr. Sirka, would you like to go out for
dinner later?”
“Yes?”

Caville immediately interrupted their conversation by saying, “I’ve

already asked, but unfortunately, he already has an appointment.”

“Oh, is that so? I guess next time then.”

He lied so blatantly without an ounce of remorse on his face.

When Elody left, Caville’s expression had turned so scary… He was like a
wolf in sheep’s fur!

Sirka was bewildered by the tremendous change of atmosphere.

‘Whatever happened to his personality after the war…?’

It had been a long time since he last tasted the dishes of the mansion’s
chef… he was really anticipating the meal.

However, seeing the duke’s face made him lose his appetite.

‘I’d rather starve than eat with that scary man.’

Sirka quickly escaped the mansion in case Elody would make him stay for
something else.

‘Ah, come to think of it. I still haven’t asked the duchess why she was
looking for buildings and greenhouses… ‘ Sirka thought.

Little did he know that Elody was planning for a divorce.

* * *

After Sirka left, Elody and Caville took a stroll around the land.

The two walked hand in hand, stopping at the fields near the mansion.

Elody still felt a bit uncomfortable to hold Caville’s hand. Nonetheless,

she didn’t complain.

Because she was more worried about making him sad again.

“Caville, do you remember this place?”

They used to come here with Marie and Anna to dig for medicinal herbs.

“Of course.”

Elodie smiled.

“When I collected the herbs here, you laid down on a blanket and took a
nap…”

“Yeah.”
Time flew by so fast.

Elody stared at what was in front of her standing on these hills that were
so high that even the far-stretching downtown area beyond the mansion
gates could be viewed.

The village was much larger than it was seven years ago.

Elody wondered what Caville would think about the current state of the
duchy.

She was about to ask for his opinion, but he beat her to it.

“I didn’t expect it to have changed so much,” he said with a warm tone.

“……”

Caville looked down the hill, his eyes expressing delight.

Seeing his gaze made Elody feel proud of her accomplishments.

‘Changed…’

In some ways, she also sympathized with his words.

She never expected Caville to have changed so much.

“I have always dreamed of the day when I could meet my wife again.”

“Me too.”

“On the day I had a nightmare, my wife carried me on her back. Do you
remember?”

“Yes, I remember.”

Caville gazed at Elody with a beautiful smile, and she gazed back.

The atmosphere really felt like the warmth of a sibling’s love. Of course,
those were Elody’s own thoughts.

Caville stepped forward, then bent on one knee.

“I’ll carry my wife this time.”

“What? Now?”

“I’ve always wanted to give my wife a piggy-back ride.”

And so, Elody hopped on his back and got carried back home.

His small back was forever gone. He was so huge and strong now that
carrying her seemed like the simplest task.
“Am I not heavy?”

“Not at all.”

Elody carefully wrapped her arm around Caville’s neck. She felt strange.

When they were young, Caville used to have the scent of sweets. His scent
was now different, but it was surprisingly pleasant, and it made her feel
weird.

Elody enjoyed the gentle wind blowing over her hair.

All of a sudden, she thought of the reason for the pounding in her heart.

‘I feel like I’m being served, what is this?’

Is this how a child feels when a grown-up carries them on their back?

Elody was thrilled at the thought and stroked Caville’s head.

Caville, who had unintentionally become her servant, only smiled without
knowing what had just gone through her head.

* * *

“Brien Vedos, come here.”

Late that afternoon, Caville visited the knights’ training ground.

And he called for Brien, who was having a battle with the other knights.

“What happened?”

Brien’s face was sullen.

Marie dumped him, but he still tried to visit her again.

He wanted to change her mind; he knocked on her door and made all kinds of
excuses.

He tried really hard, but Marie still gave him the cold shoulder.

“What’s going on with you?”

Caville glared at Brien, creasing his eyebrows. But Brien was too
embarrassed to face him.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Why was your nose bleeding?”

“…I was talking to Marie, and my nose started bleeding… I have a good
reason.”
“Where’s my wife’s handkerchief?”

“Yes?”

“Do I have to say it twice for you to understand? The war is over but the
militia is a mess,” Caville snarled.

Brien quickly straightened himself up and replied, “I apologize.”

“Where’s the handkerchief my wife gave you?”

“…Uh, I’ve washed it and dried it…?”

“…Dirty nosebleeds. Ugh, how annoying…”

It was unfair.

‘I mean, I am sorry for dirtying the handkerchief… but I literally just

got dumped.’

Caville, however, took no heed of Brien’s mind and coldly responded,

“Bring the handkerchief when it’s dry, and keep out of my sight for a
while.”

“…But, what about the banquet tomorrow?”

Tomorrow was the day when Elody had prepared a banquet for the knights.

Brien had no choice but to participate in it because he was the second in

command of the knights.

“I’ll only allow it tomorrow.”

“……”

He was raised and taught well…

Brien glanced at Caville one more time before he grumbled and turned away.

‘Is it because he just got home?’

Caville was subtly different from when he was on the battlefield.

It seemed like he could see a bit of his past self.

He was like a terrifying person on the battlefield, but now he somehow

looked more relaxed.

“Phew…”

Brien sighed deeply.

It wasn’t the time to care about the duke.

He had a lot of things to do.

First of all, he had to unite the knights who returned from the war and
those who remained in the estate.

The main problem was from the mercenaries who joined the order.

The knights were divided into three groups.

The first group was led by Solar. They were the estate’s original knights
who participated in the war.

Second was the mercenaries led by Heinz.

And last but not least, was Therion’s group. The knights who remained in
the estate.

Brien suffered from a massive headache after trying to join the three
forces together.

He had to solve the task as soon as possible.

By all means, he was hoping that nothing terrible would happen at the
banquet.

‘I’d be in trouble if they made an accident there.’

Fortunately, however, unlike Brien’s worries, the knights did not cause
any problems.

However, something unexpected happened.

The vassals who had ignored Caville before came to the banquet uninvited
and caused minor problems.

The only vassals who got invitations were Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard,
who had participated in the war.

“…What is the meaning of this?” Caville glowered.

“Please forgive me, Your Grace!”

“I beg for Your Grace’s forgiveness!”

He was stunned to see the vassals down on their knees.

Caville knew that they were his vassals, but truthfully, he had no idea
what their respective names were.

“Your Grace, I think they have reflected a lot, so please listen to them
at least once…”
Baron Vendos, a vassal who had participated in the war, persuaded Caville
in distress.

“That’s right. They have been asking for your forgiveness… Please have
mercy on them,” Baron Bernard added.

The vassals who participated in the war and those who did not were
expected to have a bad relationship with each other, but not necessarily.

Cavill spoke with a stern look to the vassals who claimed to be sinners.

“I have never invited you.”

His voice was so cold that it made them feel goosebumps.

“Just trust us! If we talk, he’ll hear your story right away!”

“Yeah, have faith in us! Instead, you must keep what you promised.”

Before the banquet, Caville remembered Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard were
whispering to the vassals and asking them to trust the two who were
currently down on their knees.

The two barons stared at Caville while sweating profusely.

Chapter 38

Unlike their expectations, Caville stared at the two barons as if he was

saying, ‘What nonsense are you talking about?’.

In fact, he didn’t have any reason to listen to their nonsense.

It seems that Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard misunderstood Caville.

They did not doubt that they were loyal subjects of great trust to Caville
and were lost in that delusion.

Baron Vendos was the first to follow his orders.

He cut the enemy with his great abilities, not losing to the young knights
on the battlefield. Caville even rewarded him a medal for his bravery.

In addition, Baron Bernard was one of the vassals whom Caville had rescued
himself.

At the time, the baron was taken as a hostage in the enemy camp because of
a stupid mistake.

He was ready to die.

But then, Caville pursued the enemy by himself, annihilating the small
troops and saving him from his misery.

At that time, Baron Bernard vowed to give Caville his life.

So, of course, they would naturally hold strong feelings for him.

But Caville didn’t feel the same.

He did trust them, but that was it.

He had no intention of offering them anything else under the pretext of

trust.

“……”

Elody, sitting next to Caville, observed the vassals’ expression while

they were kneeling like sinners.

She started recalling the names from both of their family charts in her
head.

‘Their relationship isn’t as bad as I had thought… ‘

Then her gaze went towards those who participated in the war and those who
did not.

Elody looked at the knights with a stiff expression.

The seats were for the knights in the first place.

The knights were supposed to be the main protagonists of the banquet

today, but they were unable to enjoy the party due to the vassals’ sudden
interference.

They groaned in response.

Elody felt sorry for them, but the vassals still couldn’t take a hint.

Suddenly, a short and skinny-looking baron appealed to him.

“But… Your Grace. Please listen to our excuses,” Baron Garcia said.

Caville turned to find Brien. He was going to tell him to kick them out
immediately.

But then, Elody grabbed Caville’s hand from under the table.

“Wife?” Caville asked in confusion.

Elody glanced at him. She was gesturing at him to listen to their stories.

She clasped Caville’s hand and patted it a couple of times.

‘It is a bit late, but I want him to be recognized… ‘

Elody wanted Caville to be acknowledged by the vassals. She wanted him to

be a duke who was proudly respected and honored by everyone. And she
wanted them to compensate for their past mistakes when they neglected
Caville because he was the former duke’s illegitimate son.

‘Of course, Caville doesn’t need their recognition, but…’

The vassals of the Duke of Cernoir could also become a strong force to
face the emperor or the Temple. Elody couldn’t remember the story in
detail, but she knew for a fact that the temple would try to use Caville
in the future.

That’s why the vassals could help him if such a day arrived.

Caville nodded after understanding the meaning of her eyes.

Elody was going to pull back her hand, when suddenly…

“…..!”

Caville grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

The hands of the two were tightly entangled under the table.

He trapped her small hand from escaping his clutches.

Elody’s blush burned through her cheeks, and her face felt like a hot
oven, but Caville still boldly squeezed her palm.

“…Alright, let’s hear your story,” Caville said.

The vassals introduced their names one by one as soon as Caville permitted
them.

* * *

By the time Caville led the war to victory, the vassals who did not
participate in the war were raging in agony.

Baroness Garcia, in particular, was more anxious than anyone else.

“Honey, what if the Duke of Cernoir returns and asks for us to pay for our
sin?” The Baron’s wife said as she bit her lips.

“Darn it! I have to find a way! But how….”

They were the vassals who were given land in exchange for a pledge of
loyalty to the Duke of Cernoir.

Everyone had chosen to ignore that child because he was the former duke’s
illegitimate son.

However, he had become such a great hero that no one would even dare talk
about his legitimacy.
They wouldn’t be able to say anything if the duke confiscated their land
since they failed to obey his orders.

“That bastard…! I thought he’d die…”

Baron Garcia apparently expected Caville to die on the battlefield.

So he sucked up to Count Borque, who would be the new owner of the duchy.

Count Borque was the former duke’s younger brother. Without Caville, the
ownership of the duchy was to go to him.

After the young duke died, the emperor would eventually be forced to give
possession of the estate to Count Borque.

Baron Garcia believed it and did not have second doubts.

‘But how did this happen…!’

There was no time to worry about what had already passed.

After contemplating for a while, Baron Garcia contacted the other vassals
and held an urgent meeting.

Everyone was anxious.

“Whatever happens, we must ask for his forgiveness.”

“That’s right.”

“The former Duke hasn’t gotten rid of the convention anyway! We have
excuses too!”

They put their heads together and worked on the answer.

For now, it was important to bring the two families, Baron Vendos and
Baron Bernard, who participated in the war, to their side.

“But, do they even want to help us?”

“We have to find a way somehow.”

“How?”

“Ah!!! How about this?”

One of the vassals had a good idea.

It was just right for their situation.

And as expected, when they presented their opinions to the two families
who participated in the war, they easily persuaded them.

“Alright, we’ll go ahead and persuade the duke.”

“Make sure you keep your promises.”

Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard easily crossed over sides.

“Good thinking!”

The vassals toasted their drinks, believing they could continue on with
their lives all filled with bliss.

There was a slight disagreement, but in the end, all the vassals had the
same purpose.

With the Duke of Cernoir as their leader, a conference will be held again
to strengthen the duke’s power.

They could become a large force. Far larger than the power of the northern
duke, the southern duke, and even the eastern duke.

In the far past, the Duke of Cernoir was indeed more powerful than the
others.

Their united goal was to regain their power, and to be strong enough to
threaten the Imperial Family.

And in return, what the vassals promised Barons Vendos and Barons Bernard…

Was to put the granddaughters of the two families in the seat of the
duchess.

* * *

Baron Garcia started coming up with excuses to Caville while making his
expression as pitiful as possible.

“Your Grace, unlike Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard, our estates were in
ruin at the time.”

“Go on…”

The kneeling vassals next to him nodded in sync.

“Also, the former duke destroyed the conference and declared that he would
never see the vassals ever again.” Baron Garcia said as he burst into
tears.

“Your Grace! It was our urgent priority to take control of the desolate
land first… Hence why we couldn’t immediately obey Your Grace’s command.
It’s a sin punishable by death!”

‘So then, why won’t you just die?’

…is what he wanted to say, but Caville stayed calm.

His wife might be surprised if he said such scary things.

“But… Your Grace! Please show mercy and give us another chance. I offer
you my allegiance…!”

Elody was listening to Baron Garcia’s excuses with a wistful look on her
face.

When she turned her head, she saw that Caville’s expression was similar to
hers.

She was a bit embarrassed because he repeated the same excuse every time.

However, the look on his face was quite serious. He was desperately trying
to blame the former duke for his mistakes.

In the meantime, Elody wanted to remove her hand from Caville’s tight
grasp, but he seemed to have no intention of letting her go.

Consequently, Elody gave up and decided to watch Baron Bernard and Baron
Vendos closely.

‘What is their reason…?’

Why were they siding with the vassals who refused to obey Caville’s
orders?

Fortunately, Elody was able to find out not long after.

Because Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard came to Elody in person.

* * *

Among the vassals, Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard were the closest to each
other.

When the decree to participate in the war was issued, the two struggled
together.

“I never intended to be loyal to the Count of Borque!”

“Likewise. He’s not worthy of my submission.”

Unlike the other vassals, the two were not on good terms with Count
Borque. That was how they got close.

But later, if the duchy gets into the hands of Count Borque…

It was clear that the two families would see a great deal of trouble.

Therefore, the two participated in the war with the desire to gamble on
the young Duke of Cernoir.
If he couldn’t prove himself, they were thinking of entrusting their
family to the Temple or the Imperial Family.

In recognition of their contribution to the war, they would ask them to

protect their descendants from the hands of Count Borque.

Yet unbeknownst to them, the young duke turned out to be a hero. They were
able to win the war and return safely to their homes.

As a result, their gambling was successful and after returning from the
war, their heart sang for joy.

“It’s a miracle for me to be able to come back alive and meet my

children…”

“Surely.”

The son and daughter of the two families had gotten married at a young
age.

And soon they gave birth to a lovely daughter. The child’s name was Iris,
she was the granddaughter of the two barons.

Chapter 39

For the two grandfathers, their cute granddaughter was an angel who
wouldn’t even dare to hurt a fly.

“Iris, my granddaughter. How pretty you’ve become!”

“How could you have grown so beautiful?”

“Grandpas! You’re all right! Iris has been waiting for you two to return
for so long!”

The two grandfathers, who had just returned from the battlefield, gave
their grown-up granddaughter a warm hug while shedding tears of joy.

These were such blissful days…

They swore allegiance to a duke who became a war hero.

All that was left was to drive out Count Borque and his vassals.

A sneering smile was painted on their faces as they envisioned their long-
awaited revenge on the vassals that had attached themselves to Count
Borque.

The two barons intended to incite the duke to expel the rest of the
vassals. Having not listened to the duke’s orders to participate in the
war, he had every reason to cast them away.

Furthermore, they could also take away some of the other vassals’ lands.
However, contrary to their expectations, Baron Garcia came to visit them
and gave them an offer.

“Now that he has come back as a hero, the duke will regain his former
power.”

“Hmm…”

Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard expressed extreme displeasure at Baron

Garcia’s sly remarks.

“He also deserves a new duchess. The daughter of Count McClair… How can a
fool like that be the duchess?!”

“Cough…”

It was ridiculous for a man who did not participate in the war to say such
things, but what he said was not entirely wrong.

The current duchess was a cold-blooded woman who sent the young duke to
war and never even sent him a letter.

“I’ve heard that Baron Bernard and Baron Vendos’ precious granddaughter is
beautiful and intelligent…”

“……”

“……”

They raised their eyebrows.

“Isn’t it better for her to take the seat of the current duchess?” Baron
Garcia said, giving a cunning smile.

Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard exchanged glances at each other.

It wasn’t impossible.

If their beloved granddaughter became the duchess…

To become the duke’s wife who became a war hero, even the empress would be
envious of her.

As they were the contributors to the victory of the war with the duke,
they would be able to push back the daughter of Count McClair.

The offer was so sweet that they couldn’t possibly refuse it.

It was only natural that the two barons, who were initially known for
doting their granddaughter, accepted the vassals’ proposals.

Therefore, Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard decided to help the other
vassals gain the duke’s forgiveness.
And conspired together for the future.

To regain the power of the Duke of Cernoir so that the whole empire
wouldn’t be able to ignore them!

If that happened, then the vassals would gain control as well.

“Grandpas, is that true?”

Iris felt like she was dreaming when she heard that they would take her to
the duke’s mansion.

‘To be able to go to duke’s mansion…!’

She had encountered numerous nobles who would laugh at her naivety in high
society.

“Even if they’ve contributed to the war, it should be difficult to be

invited to the duke’s mansion. Isn’t that right, Miss Iris?”

When Iris bragged about her grandfathers, the other nobles would snort at
her words.

“You’ve never been to the duke’s mansion before anyway.”

None of those in her social circles had ever been to the duke’s mansion.

But now that would all change.

Iris would be the first.

Her level of happiness rose to ecstatic when she heard of the news.

The duke was a war hero, and he was rumored to be a very handsome man.

A few days ago, the ladies at her tea party chatted about how much they
wanted to see the duke at least once.

Iris could finally brag to the other ladies who had looked down on her.

Iris asked with a curious look, “Grandfathers! Iris heard that the duke is
an attractive man. Is that true?”

“Oh, of course! You’ll be surprised to see how handsome he is!”

“I’m sure His Grace will fall in love with our beautiful granddaughter,
too!”

“Really? But the duke has a wife.”

“Don’t mind that!”

The duke had returned as a great war hero. If he wants, he could even make
a commoner woman his duchess.
But the most important thing was to make the duke fall in love with Iris.

If everything goes according to their plans, then they wouldn’t need to

worry about gaining the support of the other vassals.

“Call the best tailor here immediately!”

* * *

Iris recalled the lyrics of the bard’s song for the duke, which they sang
on the main street.

A smile of joy and satisfaction lit up her eager face.

She had been walking around with her head up in the clouds, thinking about
how the other nobles would look at her in envy.

Iris ordered several dresses and changed them dozens of times.

“As grandfather said, what if His Grace the Duke sees Iris and falls in
love?”

“Then my lady will become the duchess!” The maid replied while combing her
beautiful blonde hair.

The smile of pleasure came upon her face again.

“Will the duchess leave me alone?”

“She has to! If she touches even a strand of milady’s precious hair, then
I won’t let her go!”

Iris chuckled at the maid’s loyalty.

And so Iris held her two grandfathers’ hands and waited, dreaming of the
day when she could go to the duke’s mansion.

* * *

The day after the banquet, Baron Bernard and Baron Vendos visited Elody.

Caville was away with the knights to check the security of the land, and
Elody was handling a backlog of documents.

Elody looked closely at the two barons who waited for her in the parlor.

After a brief greeting, they came straight to the main topic.

“Madame, I’m sorry to say this, but… The duke needs a supporter who can
empower him.”

“Yes, we cannot acknowledge you as the duchess.”

“Hmm…”

Elody laid down her teacup and looked at them.

The two barons continued to talk, “If our two families’ granddaughter
becomes the duchess, I’m sure she’ll be a greater help than you!”

“You’ve been doing a good job of managing the land, but… The two of you
have not received the official seal from the temple, right?”

To put it shortly, what they meant to say was ‘You are not qualified to be
the duchess.’

Elody was embarrassed because they were so transparent in showing what

they want.

These were not remarks that the vassals could recklessly tell to the
duchess.

However, they seemed to have no brain as they were audaciously rude.

At the same time, the two were the ones who sided with Caville on the
battlefield.

It was natural that they wouldn’t favor Elody because they thought that
she had never sent a letter to him.

They knew that they were being rude, but they were still confident. Elody
thought they were at least sincere in their statements.

The duke was young, and the two barons respected him. They must have
thought that the duke deserved the right duchess.

“If you have no intention of divorce, we will go through a formal

meeting….”

Elody, who had been silent all the time, finally opened her mouth and
spoke, “Well, was this something that needed elaborate recognition in the
first place?”

The two Barons blinked in surprise at the unexpected answer.

“Besides…”

“……”

“……”

“Baron Vendos, Baron Bernard. I don’t know if your granddaughter can be a

great help to His Grace the Duke.”

“Wha-what are you…!” Baron Vendos baffled.

“Cough…! Still, she will be far stronger than the daughter of Count
Meclair.”

Baron Bernard replied calmly.

Elody took another sip and smiled a little before saying, “I’m not talking
about me. Did you hear the story that the emperor considers his niece,
Princess Larissa, as a potential bride for His Grace the Duke?”

Elody was dumbfounded at their stupidity.

Caville has the princess, the original heroine of the novel…

Could the granddaughter of the mere baron be greater than the princess,
the emperor’s niece?

“……”

“……”

As expected, the mouths of the two Barons dropped to the floor.

They were embarrassed.

The two barons expected the duchess to cry and insist on never getting
divorced.

However… comparing the princess to their granddaughter. They certainly got

caught off guard with her unexpected reaction.

Elody tilted her head.

She was embarrassed because she felt like a mother-in-law who was choosing
a daughter-in-law for the duke.

She thought when Caville came back with the princess. She would just seal
the divorce papers and end it right then and there.

Elody sighed deeply and said, “And seeing how you take lightly of the
duchess’s position by showing up with your disrespectful behavior… I don’t
think I should give this seat to that granddaughter of yours.”

“Cough-cough…”

Baron Bernard and Baron Vendos were further ashamed.

‘Their relationship had turned out to be like one between siblings. Plus,
she already knew that she would get divorced from the start….’

After their granddaughter and Caville got married, a son’s birth might
later result in more wealth and power.

However, their granddaughter was never an option from the start.

No wealth and no power. She had nothing she could empower Caville with.

As expected, the heroine Larissa was destined for Caville.

Elody smiled and offered them tea. The tea had been cold for a long time
because they hadn’t drunk even a single sip.

The two who thought themselves to be genius schemers had no choice but to
gulp down the cold tea.

However, it was ridiculous when they thought about it.

The duchess was the one who had been sitting on the sidelines during the
war, doing absolutely nothing.

But now she was pretending to be a duchess, telling them that the princess
was better than their granddaughter…

And frankly, they were embarrassed by Elody’s dignified appearance. She

was calm, poised, but terrifying at the same time.

Baron Bernard spoke out angrily, “Well, the more I think about it, the
more ridiculous it is. Do you think you deserve to worry about the duke’s
life?”

Baron Vendos, who was encouraged by Baron Bernard’s words, also added,
“That’s right! I don’t even want to call you madame! After all these years
of hiding from the duke, how dare you suddenly act as if you care now! A
woman who is not even qualified to be the duchess gives us advice!”

It was then.

“What are you talking about?”

The voice was so cold.

Caville came in and looked at the two barons with an icy cold glare that
could freeze hell over.

* * *

A little while ago, Iris, who followed her two grandfathers to the duke’s
mansion, was very excited.

She even dressed up in a beautiful dress that was nowadays popular in the
capital city.

The pampered granddaughter of the two barons began to look around the
mansion with excitement.

And then…

“Where’s my wife?”
“Her Grace is talking to Baron Bernard and Baron Vendos in the parlor,”
Norman replied.

“With my wife? Why?”

Caville took off his gloves and entered the mansion with an anxious look.

Norman then led Caville up the stairs.

He felt uneasy even though his time away from his wife wasn’t that long.

Iris, who was in the hallway on the second floor, calmed her heart when
she saw Caville going up the stairs.

‘What if he really falls in love with me?’

She was thinking about it and was about to say hello gracefully…

However…

“……”

Caville brushed past Iris who was wearing a colorful pink dress as if she
was a nobody.

As if he had seen nothing.

As if she was insignificant.

Iris was flustered and just blinked.

She wondered if she was invisible.

But it didn’t seem so.

“Ah, Oh my gosh! Wh-what the—?”

Someone screeched out of the blue.

It was Heinz who was following in Caville through the stairs.

He was surprised to see Iris while climbing the stairs with his head down.

“Oh, I thought you were a monster.”

He thought a giant pink slime had just come into the mansion. He almost
pulled his sword out of fear.

His actions were unbelievably rude. Nevertheless, Heinz was a former

mercenary, so it was only natural that he did not know the manners of a
knight.

Heinz grumbled a little and passed by Iris with an annoyed look.

Iris was left alone to swallow her shock.

Chapter 40

“Ah, Your Grace!”

Heinz quickly followed after Caville and called him in a hurry.

At the end of the corridor on the 2nd floor, Caville turned towards Heinz,
before entering the parlor.

“Ah, Your Grace! Will you please listen to me?”

“I’ll count three, so make it quick. One…”

“Princess Larissa, the capital…!”

“Two, three,” Caville said as he shook his hand, telling him to go away.

Heinz bit his lips angrily. Caville gave him a cold glance after seeing
him not quickly taking his leave despite being told to.

Eventually, Heinz turned and sighed deeply.

He turned around and tried to go down, but the slime standing near the
stairs irritated him greatly.

Speaking of which…

‘What the hell was wrong with the leader these days… ?’

After returning to the duchy, the duke’s personality seemed a little

strange. At first, he thought it was because of the atmosphere of the
mansion.

However, he definitely found something strange when he was patrolling the

territory at dawn.

Caville suddenly jumped off his horse to pick a flower on the field. Then,
he laughed like a maniac all alone. Furthermore, he was carrying a hand-
mirror and kept staring at his face.

At that time, Heinz really got goosebumps.

It was downright creepy.

After Heinz came to the estate, he had something he didn’t like.

Of course, the duchy was beautiful and rich.

He also liked the knight’s accommodation.

Heinz and his men lived as wandering mercenaries.

He was satisfied with the fact that he could settle down in a comfortable
place.

Moreover, the facilities in the training ground were surprisingly

luxurious.

In fact, it was true that his worries prevailed until he arrived at the
estate.

He was worried that the men who were former mercenaries like himself would
be depressed.

Fortunately, Solar and other knights who fought with them together on the
battlefield took care of the mercenaries. Plus, the servants were kind.

However, there were times when he would feel alienated.

He had no choice but to feel that way because he was not originally from
the duchy.

It had only been a few days since he arrived, so he thought it would get
better.

However, whenever he felt left out, the more he got upset and angry.

Besides, the knights remaining in the mansion had never gone to the
battlefield, yet they took no shame in bragging about their knighthood… It
was absurd.

‘They’ve done nothing but play around and eat luxurious food… .’

Worse of all, Heinz thought it was ridiculous when they talked about their
‘precious’ duchess and praised her.

‘What the heck did the madame do to make the knights like that…?’

Even in the banquet hall, the duchess looked very extravagant.

Her pink hair was luscious and looked as if it was covered with expensive
palm oil, and her skin was white and shiny.

In addition, the dress and jewelry that she was wearing looked quite
expensive.

‘Tch! Braggart… ‘

Heinz had glared at the duchess throughout the banquet.

In fact, before coming to the mansion, he imagined her to be a scary-

looking witch because of the age gap between her and the duke.

However, the duchess looked more gentle than what he had imagined.

So, he felt even more annoyed.

Heinz was sure that she was planning something atrocious behind his back.

‘I hope the princess comes soon… ’

Heinz was excited to hear that Princess Larissa was coming to the estate.

No matter how much he thought about it, the princess was the perfect wife
for the duke.

Even though she was a princess, she did not look down on Heinz and his
crew because of their background as mercenaries. Rather, she respected and
showed them a polite attitude.

Such kind gestures were unfamiliar to him, who had always been told he was
a useless mercenary.

For a person with such a high status as her to care for them…

When she was interested in the duke, Heinz thought that the respected duke
and the kind princess was a fated pair.

Heinz had made up his mind.

He decided to become the stepping stone of the love that would connect the
two!

It didn’t matter to Heinz that Caville was already married.

He was a war hero, so he should have no problem in getting a divorce.

Even if they got divorced, it was better for him to find a better wife.

“Yo-Your Grace! Why are you doing this?!”

“Your Grace!”

Huh?

Heinz, standing still and indulged in thought, turned his head and looked
back.

There was a huge racket coming from the parlor.

* * *

In fact, the two Barons were also feeling a sense of crisis because of
Princess Larissa.

So, before the princess could arrive at the estate, they intended to
introduce Iris to Caville.
Through their eyes which had a rose-colored filter, Iris was very lovely.
Enough that they had expected for the duke to fall in love with her at
first glance.

Before the war broke out, they knew roughly that the relationship between
the duke and the duchess was as close as a brother and a sister… but they
didn’t care about it too much.

For seven years had passed without her sending even a single letter.

So they thought it obvious that the relationship between the two of them
would become sour.

When they came back to the mansion for the banquet, they saw that the
ducal couple were not on bad terms, but they thought it was just a
pretense.

However…

“Baron Vendos, Baron Bernard. Why are you talking about the qualifications
of the duchess?”

The duke, who suddenly barged into the parlor, asked with a very cold
voice.

He seemed to be mad.

The two barons were dumbfounded and glanced at each other.

“Your Grace the Duke. We are just loyal to Your Grace…”

“Yes, as your vassals we…”

The duke’s reaction was disappointing.

Was His Grace the Duke now on the side of the duchess? On the side of that
woman who hadn’t sent a letter in seven years?

They felt betrayed.

‘How dare they say that to my wife?’

Without hesitation, Caville pulled his sword out of his scabbard and
pointed it at them.

“Yo-Your Grace! Why are you doing this?!”

“Your Grace!”

“……”

The two barons were startled and backed away. One of them tripped over a
chair and fell with a loud thud.
Elody was surprised.

“Your Grace!” Elody said with a confused expression.

As soon as Caville saw Elody’s frightened face.

Clunk—!

He dropped his sword on the floor.

For him, who grew up on the battlefield, it was impossible to drop his
sword on the floor.

However, the moment he saw Elody’s surprised expression, he unconsciously

threw his sword to the ground.

“My wife…”

“Please… Calm down.”

“But how dare they…!”

Elody was embarrassed.

Honestly, he didn’t have to get angry like that…

It seems like he had only heard the end of the conversation, but seeing
him angry like this scared her.

If he had heard the previous conversation, he would have already killed

them by now.

“Your Grace! What’s going on?”

Heinz, who ran belatedly, entered the parlor.

“……”

The room was a mess.

The two barons were on the floor, and the duke was standing with the
duchess.

The situation was starting to make sense.

‘Ha! Is she already trying to control the duke and defeat the two barons…?
Unbelievable.’

Heinz still didn’t know why he hadn’t left his wife.

“The two of you, leave now.”

At Elody’s words, the two barons slowly stood up.

Their pride was hurt because they had no choice but to listen to the
duchess’ orders.

“Get out,” Caville snarled while releasing a bit of his mana.

The two barons immediately rushed out of the room, afraid of the duke’s
powers.

“……”

The air was filled with awkward silence.

Elody backed away, clutching her trembling fingertips.

She was terrified of Caville killing the two barons.

She was frightened because it was the first time she saw Caville’s holding
so much killing intent…

“Wife.”

Caville looked at Elody with gloomy eyes.

His heart sank at Elody’s frightened expression.

He had never thought of murdering them in front of her in the first place.
He was just trying to make them beg for forgiveness…

Elody took a deep breath and spoke, “Caville, when punishing the vassals,
you have to go through a formal trial. Of course, it was different on the
battlefield… But you are the duke who rules them… so…”

Killing them would be a natural punishment if this were the battlefield,

but this was a duchy with many rules and regulations.

No matter how high his status is, he couldn’t recklessly punish the
vassals without the right procedures.

“Okay, wife,” Caville replied in a soft voice.

His cold voice that struck the two barons were infinite terror and was far
different from this one. He sounded like an entirely different person!

Elody was mortified because it was the first time she saw Caville’s cold
look.

Although it looked like Caville was sometimes a naturally cold person

because of his appearance, it wasn’t the only reason behind that scary
aura.

“I was wrong, wife. I’m sorry for frightening you.”

“……”
But seeing Caville purely blinking and asking for forgiveness, she felt
strange.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t surprised.”

‘Liar…’ Caville pouted his lips and thought to himself.

He could clearly see her fingertips trembling…

The appearance of his wife, who tried to pretend to be calm, was extremely
cute. But at the same time, he felt bad for her.

“But wife, they insulted you.”

“That’s not really an insult…”

“Well, I took that as an insult.”

“……”

“But Caville, they’re the people who have stood by you on the battlefield.
I know you have bad feelings for the vassals, but I want you to be a duke
who is respected by them.”

“……”

“It would be nice if we could hold another meeting…”

“Alright, wife.”

Actually, Caville had no intention of doing that, for he thought that it

would be useless.

In any case, his main goal was to live with his wife for the rest of his
life.

The support of the temple and the vassals was a different story.

Honestly, it would have been fine even if he didn’t have their support.

“Besides, Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard are vassals who had participated
in the war. Murdering them is bad for your reputation.”

“Yes. Wife,” Caville replied kindly.

He didn’t care about his reputation because to him, his wife was the most
important and his first priority.

However, he did not intend to forgive them.

‘It’s alright as long as I don’t kill them, right?’

Caville smiled gently and reassured Elody.

When she saw Caville’s cute smile, the corner of Elody’s lips also turned
upwards.

Chapter 41

One afternoon…

Caville called the two barons to the commander’s office in the knight’s
building.

He called them to the fortress so that his wife couldn’t meet them.

Caville was already impatient even though he was only away from his wife
for a short time.

‘I’ll get this done fast.’

“Your Grace… W-we are…”

“Your Grace…”

The two barons started making excuses. But Caville hadn’t called for them
to listen to their nonsense. He had called for them to give them his
orders.

“After listening to my wife, I was told to consider your loyalty.”

“……”

“……”

“So, I decided to show mercy and give you more opportunities to show me
your fidelity.”

“What could this…?”

“It’s been a while since we came back from the war, so I’ll give you two
months. In the meantime, I’ll give you homework.”

“Homework?”

“This task is for you to write about the duchess’ qualifications. You
don’t seem to know how much work my wife has been doing these past seven
years. Find out for yourself, write an essay, and report back to me.”

“…Yes?”

“And for those two months, go have fun with your family before saying
goodbye.”

“What? Goodbye?”

“Today, while patrolling the territory, I heard that the number of

monsters in the Forest of Death had increased tremendously.”
“……”

“You must spend the rest of your lives in the Forest of Death and defeat
those monsters. You two have a good relationship, so you’ll probably live
happily,” Caville said as he gave them an eerie smile.

Truthfully, Caville wanted to send them away right at that instance.

However, Elody told him to give them two months, so he had no choice but
to follow his wife’s words…

‘If they suddenly disappeared, my wife might misunderstand.’

But the two barons stared at Caville with a stupid look on their faces.

They couldn’t understand what he was talking about.

Two months? Goodbye? Monster? Forest of Death? Happy life? What did that
all mean?

For those who did not understand, Caville kindly added, “I am grateful to
your loyalty, hence why I made this special order just for you.”

“Your Grace… How could this be?!”

“Please don’t do this, Your Grace!”

Caville frowned at the cries of the two barons who finally understood the
situation.

With emotionless eyes, the two barons slipped away from Caville’s line of
sight.

However, no matter how scared they were, they could never accept this
order.

For it was utter nonsense.

“Your Grace, we have only just returned to our family! There are not many
days left to live…”

“That’s right! Shouldn’t I have to spend the rest of my life with my

family?!”

At the words of the two Barons, Caville replied calmly, saying, “Oh, of
course, you can.”

“What?”

“Just move there with your family.”

“What?!”

“Your Grace!!!”
Caville arched an eyebrow at them.

“Since when have you been so upset about my orders like this? Did you lose
your loyalty because the war is over?”

“……”

“That’s…”

“Hmm? You weren’t talking like that before.”

The two shut their mouths.

The duke was sincere. 100% sincere.

Caville got up from the seat with a happy face when the two finally shut
their mouths.

“……”

“……”

After Caville left, the two barons looked at each other with vain
expressions.

Two months.

They felt desperate as if they had been sentenced to a limited time.

“I can’t do this… How could His Grace tell us to…?!”

“He must have been possessed by the duchess! Like the enchantment of a
Siren!”

“That… wench!”

They grind their teeth.

“We can’t go there.”

“We just came back…”

Both Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard shook their heads.

If they went to the Forest of Death under the duke’s command as it is,
then Baron Garcia and other vassals could get the opportunity to win his
favor.

They didn’t go through so much trouble on the battlefield for the others.

They had made up their minds to stick close to the duke, who had become a
war hero.
No matter what!

Baron Vendos came up with a good idea after much consideration.

“If Iris can win His Grace’s heart within two months, wouldn’t it be
different?”

“Oh, yes, that’s a good idea!”

The last hope left for the two barons was Iris. Their beautiful
granddaughter, whom they had pampered as she was their favorite child in
the house.

There was a good chance for them to come out alive. Though, they had
totally and conveniently forgotten that their plan of making the duke fall
in love at first sight with Iris had failed miserably before.

Nevertheless, to them, Iris was a beautiful and unique child. She was more
than enough to seduce the cold-hearted-duke.

If Iris, who captured the duke’s heart, said that it would be nice for her
grandfathers to stay by her side…

Then they could be saved!

The duke would not be able to do anything.

However, the problem was that the duke was much closer to the duchess than
what they had thought initially.

“Is it possible that His Grace is interested in the duchess?”

“No matter how close their relationship was as a brother and sister, they
still had no contact for seven years.”

“That’s strange.”

“Could she have… made a strange medicine, and His Grace was in a trance
because of that magic medicine?”

It was very likely.

The two decided to monitor the duchess by hiring a spy to figure out what
had happened to him.

They had to find evidence and reveal it because they’re sure that she was
hiding something sinister behind her back.

* * *

Iris was walking in the garden, waiting for her grandfathers.

Iris, who had become an invisible person earlier, still couldn’t escape
from the shock she had received earlier.
“And Iris wore such a pretty dress too…”

It was her favorite pink dress.

She had heard that the design was also popular in the capital…

Yet, she was called a monster.

‘What in blue blazes was that knight talking about? How dare he! To a
noble lady as beautiful as me…’

Iris was upset.

Moreover, she didn’t get the chance to greet the duke properly.

She was supposed to go to the parlor to meet with His Grace the Duke, but
she couldn’t because that lousy knight was blocking her way.

When she finally gathered some courage to reply back to that rude knight,
her grandfathers had burst out from the parlor.

‘Why did my grandfathers do that?’

They didn’t know how embarrassed she was when she saw her grandfathers
running out of the parlor so brashly.

And now, Iris’ grandfathers hurriedly took her back to the parlor, saying
that they needed to take action.

It seemed as if something had happened.

But they didn’t tell Iris anything in detail as the two only talked in
small voices.

Eventually, Iris took a nap using her grandfathers’ murmurs as a lullaby.

And after a while, someone approached and spoke to her grandfathers.

Upon hearing that, the grandfathers contemplated and headed to the

knight’s building. Leaving Iris unattended…

This led Iris to explore the garden by herself. Alone…

If she knew it would be like this, she would have brought her maid to
accompany her…

Iris grunted, remembering the maid waiting inside the carriage.

“Oh… Pretty!”

While grunting, Iris walked over to find a pretty pink rose in the garden.
Pink was Iris’ favorite color. It had always been that way since she was
very young.

The reason was apparent.

A long time ago, when Iris was eight years old, she had a fateful
encounter with a handsome young man who had caught her from falling.

He was definitely a looker, the most beautiful thing she had ever laid her
eyes upon.

And as her eyes landed on his hair, she had to stop. It was the most
beautiful color she had ever seen. It was pink.

Thus, the pink-haired young man became Iris’ first love.

Looking at the pink petals, Iris was lost in her memories, reminiscing
about her first love.

“Are the roses pretty?”

Suddenly, she heard a voice from behind.

Iris was so surprised that she almost fell.

She turned her head with a fiery gaze.

“How could you just suddenly talk to me like that?”

“Ah… I’m sorry for surprising you.”

“……”

Hearing the soft voice, Iris puffed her lips.

‘The duchess…’

There was only one person in this mansion who could dress like that.

Iris glanced at the duchess, who seemed different from what her
grandfathers had said.

Then, she carefully grabbed the ends of her skirt and dropped into a
curtsy.

“So you are the granddaughter of Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard,” Elody
said.

“Do you know Iris?” Iris asked in amazement.

She wondered if the news about her beauty had spread throughout the duchy.

“Who is Iris?”
“……”

“…..?”

“I am Iris.”

“…Ah, I see.”

Elody laughed awkwardly.

Someone speaking about themselves in third person was relatively

unfamiliar to her.

Caville would sometimes do that when he was young…

‘Caville likes his wife.’

‘Caville is full.’

Elody smiled as she remembered those blissful memories.

“……”

On the other hand, Iris stared at Elody’s pink hair as if she was
captivated.

It was pink. Her favorite kind of pink. The prettiest pink ever…

“Your pink dress is beautiful,” Elody complimented, “Well, I must go, I

have a prior engagement to go to. Have a good day, Lady Iris,” she said as
she disappeared into the mansion.

“……”

‘Huh… Was that a compliment?’

Iris snorted.

It was clear that His Grace the Duke didn’t greet her because he was shy
and fell in love with Iris.

However, Elody was the first to praise her after she had come to the
mansion.

Iris unexpectedly felt a little better after being disappointed by the

countless people she had met.

Hence, the girl returned to her carriage with a lighter gait than before.

* * *

Both Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard decided to buy one of the duke’s
servants.
They were in a hurry because they had to reveal the duchess’ true colors
as soon as possible.

But their attempt failed.

“No! It doesn’t make sense that none of the servants want to leak even a
bit of information!”

“It’s like a wall, what is this…?”

The barons secretly contacted some of the duke’s servants, but they flatly
refused.

Even a frail-looking-maid didn’t hesitate to say, “If you touch our

duchess, I will kill you along with your family.”

Their loyalty was terrifying.

Hummel, the baron’s servant who was sent for the errand, returned crying
and tattered as if he had gotten beaten somewhere.

In fact, he did. It was done by the servants of the duke’s mansion, whom
he tried to contact today. They flatly denied Hummel’s offer and beat him
up to a pulp.

They even said that they would come after him until he revealed who his
masters were.

After he barely escaped, Hummel declared that he wouldn’t continue because

he was scared of the servants.

However, if they could bribe a new servant in the duke’s mansion, they
would be able to let their people in…

And yet, they couldn’t even find a single servant who was willing to do
so. Thus, their plans were forced to be put on hold…

The two barons clenched their fists in anger, “She must have given drugs
to all the servants of the mansion!”

“What kind of potion did they take…?”

“Damn. Should we burn it all up? Both the lab and the greenhouse? She’ll
never be able to make weird medicine ever again!”

“Yes! That’s a good idea!”

But that plan also failed.

The greenhouse had fire-prevention magic that Elody had studied for over
several months. So, there was no way they could burn the whole building
down.

The two barons were in huge trouble.

It seemed as if there was nothing left that they could do.

So, for the time being, they decided to find out what the duchess had done
so far and write reports about her suspicious acts.

And leave everything to Iris.

After all, she was the only person that the two barons could trust.

Chapter 42

Baron Garcia and the other vassals who did not participate in the war were
anxiously worried.

It had been a few days, but no news had come from the duke’s mansion.

Also, Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard said that they were busy and could
not meet them.

The vassals didn’t know if they were really busy or avoiding them by
making up excuses.

‘To think I put my trust in them…’

Baron Garcia was so frustrated that he couldn’t even get a single good
night’s sleep.

However, a few days later, the duke issued an edict to Baron Garcia and
the rest of the vassals.

The decree said that the sin of not following the duke’s command to join
the war could not be overlooked.

“Unbelievable…!”

However, it was a compassionate judgment that he would save his life

because he realized his sin and asked forgiveness.

However, since they realized their sins and asked for forgiveness, the
duke decided to be merciful and spared their lives.

[Pass your title onto your child and depart to the Forest of Death as soon
as possible. You must make a lifelong apology by fighting monsters there
for the rest of your lives.]

Shocked and horrified, Baron Garcia fell to the floor. There was no way
for him to survive this ordeal.

* * *

Caville couldn’t just forgive the vassals who did not participate in the
war.
If he let them go, he would be known as a merciful duke. But he knew that
if this happened again, they would probably repeat their mistakes.

Elody also agreed on his decision.

She nodded when Caville said that he would move them to the Forest of
Death instead of killing them.

Furthermore, the number of monsters had increased drastically. He was

worried that the forest could pose a threat to the duchy.

If the vassals go there to defeat the monsters, it will help ensure the
citizens’ safety.

After seven years of war, Caville had only just returned to the land.

The punishment of the vassals was the first thing he handled after
returning to the mansion.

Elody was pleased to see Caville so grown-up and mature.

Still, there were a lot of things that she wanted to tell him.

First, Elody had to teach Caville about the work he had to take care of as
the duke of the duchy before the princess arrived.

* * *

Baron Bernard and Baron Vendos had been very busy lately.

When they heard that the duke’s orders weren’t just given to the two
barons but also to the other vassals, they gritted their teeth.

To be in the same boat as those who did not participate in the war. The
duke was unjust.

And the more they investigated the duchess, the more they felt suspicious.

The duchess had started various projects for the duchy over the past seven
years.

Of course, they weren’t able to dig deeper into them because it was under
the direct control of the duke.

However, she had done something that helped the two barons themselves.

It was about farming.

As advised by the duchess in the duke’s direct jurisdiction, the farming

method had been changed, resulting in a significant increase in
production.
Thanks to that, the estates next to them also gained information and
earned numerous benefits.

It was clear that the duchess had made the duchy grow admirably.

Rather, it was only fitting for them to thank the duchess directly.

However, they felt that something was wrong.

“Is His Grace not intending to divorce his wife?”

“……”

On the battlefield, the duke always spent his time alone except in
battles.

Because of that, no one knew the duke’s intentions. His personality was so
cold that no one dared to ask.

However, the two barons, including the knights, had always expected that
the duke would divorce his wife.

Unexpectedly, the duke who returned to the estate was not willing to
divorce her at all. At least for now.

So does he have no feelings for the princess? Or is he waiting for her to

come?

They had a lot of questions with no answers.

The princess was expected to arrive in the territory in about two months.

It coincided with the time when the two barons had to leave for the Forest
of Death.

So before the princess came, they had to make sure that their plan worked.

The two barons planned to get the duke to fall in love with Iris.

But they couldn’t wait forever. As the date of their departure was
approaching, their anxiety grew deeper.

Baron Vendos first spoke.

‘Wouldn’t it be better to stick to the duchess? My pride hurts, but… it’s

better than going to the Forest of Death.’

‘…. It is. If Iris fails, let’s just leech on to the duchess. Now is not
the time to consider pride.’

The two barons had a conversation with gloomy expressions.

In the end, they decided to stick to the duchess right away if Iris failed
to capture the duke’s heart.
Somehow, they had to avoid being in the same position as the other
vassals.

* * *

Days passed as the vassals kept trembling in fear.

Caville made several attempts to hold himself back for Elody, who could be
frightened by his actions.

After the incident with the barons, Elody was noticeably uncomfortable
with Caville.

It was the first time she had seen him like that, so it was natural for
her to be surprised.

Elody tried not to make it obvious, but Caville could see it in her eyes.

And so, Caville visited Elody, who was filing papers in the study. He went
there while carrying a rabbit doll that she made by herself. He wanted to
show her his lovely side, just like when he was a child.

“My wife, are you very busy?”

“Not at all. What can I help you with?”

Elody was supplementing the data to hand over to Caville.

But when she glanced upwards to face Caville.

“……”

She stared at him, sitting on the sofa with a puzzled look on her face.

‘Why is he holding that doll?’ Elody thought, dumbfounded.

“My wife. Do you remember that time when you told me that I was as cute as
a rabbit?”

“Huh?” Elody asked with a confused expression.

Caville smiled with the prettiest eyes while holding the rabbit doll.

He definitely looked lovely.

Even though he was a grown-up adult, Caville still had a lovely side.

But…

“My wife, how do I look now? Am I as cute as a rabbit?”

“……”
Elody looked at Caville silently. It was challenging to come up with the
right words.

Rabbit… He was as cute as a rabbit…

However, it was hard to say that he looked like a cute rabbit from when he
was a baby with his body’s current figure…

‘More like…’

Battle rabbit, giant rabbit, muscle rabbit…

Elody tried to erase the words that came to mind. Then she replied with a
smile as genuine as possible.

“Yes, yes. You’re still as cute as a rabbit.”

Caville smiled at the awkward answer.

“Is there anything I can do to help you, wife?”

“Yes. I’ll explain it to you when all the materials are ready. It’s what
you’re going to do.”

“Then I shall boil you some tea.”

Caville took the rabbit doll and went out of the study.

As soon as he opened the door and went out, Caville leaned against the
wall with a disappointed expression.

A while ago, Elody answered him with an awkward expression.

Caville felt like his heart was stung by a needle.

“Yes, yes. You’re still as cute as a rabbit.”

It was definitely true.

He wanted to believe that it was true, but it was definitely a lie.

Caville pounded his head against the wall with a sad face.

‘What should I do?’

It was Caville’s biggest concern at the moment. How Elody was

uncomfortable with him.

And just in time, a little puppy wandering along the hallway approached
Caville.

“Why are you doing this? It’s unseemly,” Ifrit said.

Caville looked down at Ifrit with a cold expression.

The appearance of him pretending to be an ordinary puppy was undoubtedly
annoying.

“Where have you been these past few days? And why did you come back now?”

“I’ve been wandering around the estate! I was just thinking of saying
hello to my benefactor, but this is the first thing you say to me?”

“You? Saying hello to someone?”

“Why? Can I not do it?”

“No.”

Caville grabbed Ifrit and carried him in his arms. Ifrit rebelled a
little.

“Why are you doing this?! Let me go!”

“Stay still.”

Elody must have thought of Ifrit as cute when he was in the form of a
small puppy.

Caville would never think of him as something cute for as long as he

lived.

Sadly, however, he was able to witness just that.

“Oh, is that a puppy?”

That’s when Elody opened the door and came out.

* * *

After Caville returned, Elody asked about the Spirit of Fire.

Unfortunately, Caville just laughed awkwardly and dismissed the topic…

However, she couldn’t believe that a spirit was residing inside the
artifact she found.

“So cute….”

Elody smiled as she looked at the little puppy that could fit in both of
her palms.

It was so cute to see it wagging its tail.

She had only seen village dogs, so she was amazed to see one with such
gorgeous red fur.

“But benefactor, how did you save me from dying?”

Elody pondered for a moment at Ifrit’s question.

If Elody honestly said that she used an unknown item she received after
she died in her previous life, would he even believe it…?

“I don’t know. But I’m glad I saved you. Thank you for protecting
Caville.”

“Yes! Finally, someone who actually talks like a normal person! You’re the
benefactor of the Spirit King of Fire! My benefactor! This guy never
talks, so I owe Your Grace the–”

“Wife, how about you put that thing away and have a walk with me,” Caville
said as he shook Elody’s arm.

In Caville’s eyes, Ifrit, who was wagging his tail and pretending to be
cute, was an annoying pest.

Especially his tail. It was very irritating.

“Hmph!”

Perhaps offended by Caville’s words, Ifrit descended from Elody’s lap and
slipped out of the window.

Elody, looking at the figure of the escaping spirit king, stood up and
said, “I’m glad I found the artifact then.”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to my wife.”

“Well then, shall we go for a walk?”

“That’d be great.”

“Ah! How about we go downtown tomorrow? The area has changed a lot. I’m
sure it’ll be a ton of fun!”

“Then, shall we go now?”

“Shall we?” Elody smiled as she left the room, along with Caville.

The maid who was waiting in front of the door slightly bowed her head.

While going down the stairs with Elody, Caville said as if noticing
something wrong about the maid.

“By the way, wife, the servants don’t look too good. What happened?”

“I know, right! Did you feel it too?!” Elody replied aloud and before
covering her mouth due to her eager voice.

It seemed as if they had been having a hard time…

After Caville returned, the expressions of the servants were very dark.

Marie was also different from usual.

Marie, who helped her dress up every morning, didn’t speak the whole time
and had a gloomy expression on her face.

She was very different from before.

‘She used to be such a chatty person…’

When Elody asked what was going on, Marie only told her that it was
nothing, so Elody thought she had a fight with Sir Vedos…

However, the other servants were also the same. Their expressions were not
good.

Seeing that Caville noticed it too, she was sure that it wasn’t because of
the mood alone.

“I guess there’s something we don’t know. Should I ask Norman?”

“You can ask him later after we play, wife. You’ve been too busy these
days.”

Only a week or two had passed since Caville returned.

Elody, as Caville said, was busy organizing papers every day after dinner.

Because of that, she couldn’t even visit the greenhouse for a few days.

Elody thought she had to hurry and complete the research on the crop seeds
she was studying before the princess returned.

But first…

“Come, Caville.”

Her first priority was to play with Caville, who was still a bit childish.

And, as Caville and Elody predicted, something was going on among the
servants that the two had no idea about.

Inside the servants’ lounge…

A secret meeting was being held here.

“Did you take care of it?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I’m sure that we’ll be able to figure it out after we pick up a few
pieces…”
Chapter 43

“Alright. Has anyone else tried to reach out to you?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Let’s prepare in advance next time.”

“Yes, next time, I will pursue those scums to the ends of the earth and
find out the bastard behind all of this.”

The words that came out of the servants’ mouths were quite harsh. It was
like a conversation between members of a black organization.

A few days ago, a strange guy attempted to contact the servants of the
duke’s mansion.

The person in question didn’t reveal his name or who his master was. But
he had asked all of the servants gathered there if they could sell
information in exchange for money.

The servants noticed that he wanted information about the duchess.

He offered a large sum of money, but it was not a tempting amount for the
servants.

They were already given an incredibly high salary from Elody.

The amount he presented was not even close.

Moreover, the servants had no intention of selling information about the

madame to someone they did not know in the first place.

“If I accept the job, will you tell me who your master is?”

One of the servants who received the proposal asked this question, but the
man refused to answer.

Even Olivia, the maid who was recently contacted, tried to track him down.

However, she failed to catch him because he was as agile as a rat.

“I think I scared him… I don’t know if he’ll come back,” Olivia said
bluntly.

She was so angry when she heard his ridiculous offer. She even started to
threaten him.

“If you touch our duchess, I will kill you along with your family.”

As Olivia spoke with eyes full of fury, the man got scared and ran away.

“No, you did a great job.”

Marie patted Olivia on the shoulder.

“But… I could have caught him…”

“If he tries to contact you again, then make sure to catch him,” Marie
said as Olivia nodded in response.

She had been suffering from depression and panic disorder for a long time,
so she was one of the maids that the servants cared about the most.

In fact, she had only been in the mansion for half a year.

She recalled her past…

Olivia, like Petria, first met Elody as a defendant in court.

However, unlike Petria, who had been arrested for stealing, Olivia was
charged with murder.

Her father brought her there on charges of murdering her older brother.

Her older brother was a scoundrel who used violence against her younger
brother, Olivia, and her mother.

The same was true of her father.

Her brother and father didn’t work. Instead, they indulged themselves in
alcohol and gambling.

Olivia and her mother were the breadwinners of the family. And her father
and brother would occasionally beat them up from time to time. They were
treated as nothing but puppets, whose sole purpose in life was to relieve
the two men’s anger and greed.

Still, she endured them with her mother.

It was true that she was stupid for not fighting back. But at the same
time, even if she asked for help, she knew that no one would come.

Ever since Olivia was young, she had been asking for help here and there,
but there was no one willing to save her and her mother.

Olivia worked hard to earn money to nurse her mother, who became mute
because of traumatic brain injury from constant abuse.

Then one day, when Olivia came back from work, she found her mother
collapsed on the floor, all covered in blood.

The blood drained from her face as she saw her brother kicking her poor
mother, who was trembling in fear.
Olivia’s heart turned ice cold and slunk into the shadows as her rage took
complete control over her body. Waves of fury rolled off her as she rammed
into her brother with all her might.

“You crazy b*tch! What the f*ck is wrong with you?! Do you want to die?”

Seeing Olivia aggressively rebelling unlike usual, he decided to act more

violent as well.

Her brother looked around and grabbed a large kitchen knife laying on the
countertops.

Olivia immediately stepped back as her drunken brother glared at her with
a murderous look.

She feared that she might die with her mother.

“I’ll kill you!” He screamed before charging towards Olivia.

Olivia desperately tried her best to stop her brother.

She couldn’t easily win due to their overwhelming difference in strength,

but she had some upper hand against him because of his drunken state.

So she mustered all of her power and slapped the knife away from his
hands.

“Arghhh!”

When she came to her senses, the knife that had been aimed at her neck was
now stuck in her brother’s chest.

At that time, her father, who had just entered the house, saw the scene,
and grabbed Olivia’s hair as he dragged her towards the duke’s mansion.

Olivia’s mother followed her husband with her bare feet chafing against
the harsh pavement. She had vowed in her heart to protect her daughter
even if it meant going against a divine being.

Her father asked Elody, the acting lord at that time, for summary
judgment.

He didn’t want a full trial. He just claimed that his daughter was the
killer and wanted her to be punished then and there.

A young girl who was shivering in fear with blood on her hands.

And a drunk father who wanted her dead.

And then, just like her daughter, her mother cried into her chest, unable
to control her pain and fears.

Elody was appalled.

She heard a loud noise coming from outside, so she ordered the servants to
let them in…

But she hadn’t expected to hear this kind of thing.

Elody called the knights to send them to court and they separated the man
from his daughter because of his display of violence against her. His hand
kept grabbing her hair as her body swayed under his violent tug as if she
was a lifeless doll.

“That b*tch killed my son! My son!”

“Did you witness it yourself?”

“Yes! I saw it when I came home! I saw it myself! Look at the blood on her
hands! When I entered, she was holding a knife… My son was… a-already
dead…!” The middle-aged man said while on his knees, claiming that he was
in despair because of his son’s death.

The knight in control of the man leaned over and smelled the scent of
alcohol.

Elody couldn’t believe in the words of a drunkard.

“I’ll give you a chance to defend yourself. Is what he’s saying true?”
Elody asked the girl.

The girl, who glanced at the floor, slowly nodded.

“Yes. I killed him.”

“See?! That blatant b*tch! I don’t even know why I raised a child as
disgraceful as you! How dare you kill your own flesh and blood!”

“I should have killed you too…”

“You f*cking swine!”

”O… livia… ”

The middle-aged woman, who appeared to be the girl’s mother, continued to

cry and shake her head. She felt sorry for her feet because it was full of
wounds.

Elody asked the girl again.

“What is your reason for committing murder?”

“…if I had not killed my brother, my mother would have died. I could have
died too. It was self-defense…”

“……”
Without hesitation, the girl began to take off her clothes. The soldiers,
who saw her suddenly stripping, turned their backs on her.

The only ones to see her body was Elody, her mother, and her monstrous
father.

Elody witnessed the horrific traces of abuse left on the girl’s body.

Not to mention, one of her shoulders was slightly twisted.

As Elody stared at her, she remembered Count McClaire, who had often
abused her.

“…My mother’s wounds are worse than mine. They have abused us for a long
time. The beatings were so cruel that my mother has lost her ability to
speak coherently.”

“……”

“I accept any punishment that is given to me. I will be fine, even if you
decide to behead me right now. But I will never let that devil and my
mother live together again… Please protect my mother. That is all I ask.
So please…”

The girl knelt and started begging while wearing only her underwear.

“It’s a lie! She’s spouting nothing but lies! I don’t know where those
wounds came from! How dare that b*tch blame me!”

The knights held on to him as he started rampaging as if he was possessed

by an evil spirit.

Elody descended from the platform and approached the girl lying on the
floor.

The proof on her body was enough for her to finalize her judgment.

“What is your name?” Elody asked, sitting with her knees bent in front of
the girl.

The girl replied in tears, “It’s Olivia…”

“Get up and get dressed.”

“……”

At Elody’s words, the girl slowly got up and put on clothes. She thought
it was time for her to redeem her sins.

After the girl got dressed, she turned to her mother, who was sobbing in
tears.

“……”
Olivia’s eyes traced to her mother’s scarred feet.

The girl bit her lips and took off her shoes. She approached her mother
and gently slipped her shoes onto her bleeding feet.

The knights who were watching also swallowed their breath in regret.

They knew that the sentence for murder was the death penalty.

Elody said to the girl looking at the floor with her shoulders shrugged.

“Alright, Miss Olivia. Did you mean to say that you witnessed your father
killing your brother?”

“Huh?”

“Wh-what is this?!”

Olivia raised her head and blinked her eyes in shock.

The man who was held by the soldiers also looked dumbfounded.

Elody casually looked at the middle-aged woman behind the girl’s back.

“The witness had directly seen the crime. And so, the accuser is found
guilty of murder.”

“Wh-what?!”

“Thus, the offender will be sentenced to death.”

At Elody’s command, the knights immediately led the man out.

“N-no! You can’t do this to me! You!!! It’s all your fault!” The man
shouted as the knights dragged him out.

None of the knights questioned Elody’s decision. It was because the man
was a crook and was notorious for his criminal records within the
territory.

But most of all, it was also because they had put their absolute trust in
Elody.

It was against the regulations, but Elody did not regret her decision.

“Make sure you protect your mother,” Elody said as she held Olivia’s
blood-stained hand.

It was a miracle for Olivia.

Her brother and father had finally disappeared from her life.

In addition, the duchess even hired her as a maid of the castle.

She was able to stay with her mother in the building where the servants of
the mansion lived.

A safe space was created for her and her mother, free from violence and
terrible memories. Fortunately, the servants did not feel uncomfortable
and treated them with their utmost kindness.

Everything felt like a dream.

But that wasn’t just it. The duchess even provided a cure for her mother’s
mutism.

Thanks to this, her mother’s condition had improved a lot, and she began
to speak little by little.

For that reason, Olivia felt more indebted towards Elody more than other
servants.

She, who had a somewhat gloomy appearance, always kept her head down and
mumbled to herself every day, vowing that she would pay back Her Grace
with her life.

She was as devoted to the duchess as a pious saint to serving the god they
believed in.

The servants sometimes pretended not to see it, but they still couldn’t
help but feel astonished.

She had shrunken shoulders, a gloomy face, and a skinny body, but her
loyalty was stronger than anyone else.

Therefore, she was as shocked as Marie by the news of her incurable

disease.

“By the way. Among the knights who came back from the war, weren’t there
some who used to be mercenaries?” Tessie said in a dissatisfied voice.

They all agreed and complained.

The reason why the servants’ faces have been dark recently wasn’t just
because of the duchess’ disease.

The mercenaries were also a problem.

The madame told them to be treated as kindly as possible so that they

would not feel alienated, but the servants simply could not mingle with
them.

This was because of their arrogant attitudes of disregarding the knights

that remained in the mansion. They tried to hide it, but it was seen in
the eyes of the servants.

And the same was true of Therion’s knights who remained in the mansion.
Their dislike was mutual.
The cold war lasted for several days among the knights.

And the tension… eventually exploded.

“Hey, you assholes. While you were playing around with the duchess, we
were risking our lives in war! Y’all listening? Have you ever been to a
battlefield? Huh?” Heinz raged.

Therion’s knights jumped from their seats.

Even the knights from the provinces who participated in the war started
complaining, saying that it was not true at all.

They looked around and started looking for Vice Commander Brien, Solar,
and Ren.

However, the three were away.

“……”

Meanwhile, Therion sat still and was cleaning his gauntlets.

“You praise the madame very much… How great she is! Oh, how beautiful she
is! Yadda yadda—what a load of crap!” He snorted, “Don’t you know that the
princess is coming soon? You guys will have to leave the mansion after she
comes, you know? She’ll become the new duchess, and your precious madame
will finally perish!”

The moment Heinz finished speaking, Therion, who was watching silently,
jumped up and ran towards Heinz.

“You son of a…”

Without hesitation, he balled his fist and struck him square on his
disgusting face.

Chapter 44

The duke’s knights were currently separated into three factions, and they
were all under Brien Vedos’ supervision.

Brien was troubled because they constantly fought and argued, but he
couldn’t come up with a solution to mend their relationship.

‘Nothing big has happened yet, so I’ll just wait and see…’ Brien thought
as he sighed.

But unfortunately, he spoke too soon as a bigger problem broke out.

It all started with a conversation the knights had during their break.

Although the knights were said to be divided into three groups, the truth
was that they were only broken into two.
In Heinz’s brain, the knight only consisted of two groups; the pro-duchess
and the anti-duchess faction.

A few of the knights under Solar who participated in the war took sides
with the mercenaries even after arriving at the estate. This was because
of the bond they made on the battlefield. They were proud of their
accomplishments from winning the war as it boosted their already huge
egos.

Fortunately, most of them chose to side with the duchess as they had been
longing for their hometown.

Heinz was disappointed with them. They had fought side by side on the
battlefield together, yet they changed sides so easily.

‘I mean, she sent a 13-year-old kid to war and didn’t even send a letter
to him for seven years…’

However, they seemed to have their own reasons.

“I heard that the duchess had sent numerous letters and supplies, but they
said it was intercepted by the temple?”

“Those bastards, seriously… I knew they’d do this!”

Heinz snorted at them.

‘How could they even know if the temple actually stole her letters? How
could they believe that so easily?’

Honestly, it was a pretty good argument, but…

There was another reason as to why the knights kept praising the duchess.

The duchy, which had always been lacking in both infrastructure and
economy, had been noticeably developed by Elody.

The buildings in the downtown area had changed, and several facilities
were built.

It was astonishing.

However, the most substantial reason was that their families became
prosperous and lived healthy lives.

Most of the duke’s knights didn’t have their own property.

As servants of the lord, they did not own any land and had to wait for the
lord’s orders. Because of that, most of their families were settling in
small villages near the mansion.
Unexpectedly, after they came back, their family were doing quite well.
The farming production had increased tremendously, and the taxes were
reduced by a lot.

And it was all thanks to the duchess.

So, even if they had ‘bonded’ with the mercenaries, they couldn’t side
with them because they felt indebted to the duchess.

Sadly, these facts were completely irrelevant to Heinz and his knights
because they were not originally from the duchy.

After all, the real anti-duchess faction was made up by Heinz and his
knights.

He felt irritated and betrayed, but at the same time, he could understand
their circumstances as well.

Nonetheless, the knights that remained in the duchy couldn’t pass with the
same excuse!

They kept bragging as if they brought honor to the duchy when they didn’t
even participate in war!

The knights who participated in the war were prideful.

They had been with the young duke ever since he was neglected by the other
nobles. They had overcome all sorts of shame and discrimination and led
the war to victory. It was only natural for them to feel proud of
themselves.

However, the knights who remained in the duchy were also prideful.

During those seven years, they protected the duchy without even a single
incident.

Unlike other territories, there were no monster attacks here.

The knights steadily hunted monsters, patrolling the estates diligently,

and devoted themselves to training every day in case of any incidents.

They were also knights, so their families stayed in villages near the
castle.

Needless to say, they received a lot of help from the duchess in the
process. So it was only natural for them to praise her and to feel proud
of their achievements.

However, their pride was insignificant to the knights Solar and Heinz
commanded.

The fight continued with each of the knights holding their own principles
and virtues.
‘I hate this… ’

After Heinz arrived at the manor, he couldn’t escape the feeling of being
isolated.

Whenever his knights, who should be treated respectfully, vented about the
alienation they felt, his frustration soared to the sky.

Solar’s knights also didn’t like how Therion and his knights were so
bossy.

But if the topic were about the duchess, they would not hesitate to praise
her along with Therion’s knights.

Whenever that happened, Heinz would feel isolated.

It seemed that Heinz and his knights were the only ones who hated the
duchess.

And as the compliments increased, so did their hostility.

Heinz wanted Princess Larissa to arrive as soon as possible.

After the princess arrived, he wondered if Solar’s knights could still

praise the duchess.

Heinz knew for a fact that some of Solar’s knights talked about the
princess and the duke as well.

‘But now, all they do is talk about madame this, madame that…’

They were hypocrites.

At first, he was just simply irked… but now, he couldn’t hold his anger
any longer.

Therion’s knights were currently bragging about their fight with monsters.

‘Tsk! Just monsters…’

While fighting the Empire of Urta, Heinz knights were inspected yet
ignored by the wicked temple and the imperial government.

There was never a day where he could sleep comfortably without the anxiety
of not knowing when a battle would begin.

On the other hand, Therion’s knights lived leisurely in the duchy, yet
they dared to brag about fighting monsters…

“So we charged at those monsters and…!”

“Monsters are weak. Don’t spout bullsh*t… ” One of Heinz’s knights

murmured, his voice purposely loud.
“…You bastard, what did you say?” Therion’s knight replied with a
threatening tone.

“How dare you call my knights bastards…?!” Heinz glowered while glaring at
Therion and his knights.

At that exact moment, Heinz burst out in anger.

“Fighting monsters, my ass! What can you even do? Hit it with your lousy
punches? You guys can’t do sh*t!

“……”

“Hey, you assholes. While you were playing around with the duchess, we
were risking our lives in war! Y’all listening? Have you ever been to a
battlefield? Huh?!” Heinz raged.

Therion’s knights jumped from their seats.

Even the knights from the provinces who participated in the war started
complaining, saying that it was not true at all.

They looked around and started looking for Vice Commander Brien, Solar,
and Ren.

However, the three were away.

“……”

Meanwhile, Therion sat still and was cleaning his gauntlets.

“You praise the madame very much… How great she is! Oh, how beautiful she
is! Yadda yadda—what a load of crap!” He ranted, “Don’t you know that the
princess is coming soon? You guys will have to leave the mansion after she
comes, you know?! She’ll become the new duchess, and your precious madame
will finally perish!”

The moment Heinz finished speaking, Therion, who was watching silently,
jumped up and ran towards Heinz.

“You son of a…”

Without hesitation, he balled his fist and struck him square on his face.

After that, a fight broke out.

But it soon ended after Brien appeared.

“You crazy bastards… Are you out of your minds?!” Brien shouted.

He approached Therion and Heinz, the first ones to use their fists.
“You guys are elite knights, and this is how you act around your
subordinates?! Come with me this instant!” Brien said as he took them to
his office.

Solar could only sigh at the incident and began to scold the other
remaining knights.

* * *

“Explain to me why you guys fought.”

“……”

“……”

Brien clenched his fists as the two continued to keep their mouths shut.

“I will not inform this to the duke. So be honest with me.”

“……”

“……”

If Caville knew, it was obvious that things would get bigger.

Brien vowed to handle this by himself.

After returning to the estate, the duke had not been in a very good mood.

He would occasionally laugh and talk during their days on the battlefield…

But now, he had no change in facial expressions, whereas before, he would

show diverse expressions about 12 times a day.

He was like a man who was suffering from manic depression.

So, Brien thought that it was best not to touch his nerves.

“Sir Heinz insulted the duchess,” Therion finally spoke.

“What?” Brien asked, shocked.

He stared at Heinz.

‘Is he crazy? Does he know who he’s insulting?’

Brien knew for sure now.

Last time, when the duchess gave him her handkerchief, he realized
something.

The duke had shown an obsession with her handkerchief. Or rather, he was
obsessed with the duchess herself.
Brien was sure that he had no intention to divorce the duchess.

Caville, just as he was young, still relied on his wife.

For him, the duchess was his only family.

In other words, she was someone that should never be touched.

Heinz glared daggers at Therion.

“Exactly… He said that we were playing around with the madame while they
were having a hard time in the war.”

“……”

Brien was so surprised that his mouth was agape.

Therion continued to speak.

‘There’s still more?’

“He said that the princess is coming soon and we’ll have to leave the
mansion. He also told us that she would replace the duchess!” Therion
fumed.

“……”

Slap—!

A slap stung Heinz’s cheek.

“…?!”

Heinz glared at Brien. He felt betrayed and unjust at the same time.

Therion was also stunned.

Brien grabbed his forehead with his hand.

If this story was told to the duke…

Heinz, as well as himself, could be harmed. The fault of an elite knight

was also the fault of the vice commander.

He could be kicked out of the manor and wouldn’t be able to see Marie
again!

Well, he couldn’t see her now either as they were on bad terms, but…

Brien shouted at Heinz, “Heinz, I will warn you. Those kinds of words
should never come out of your mouth ever again.”

“Why not?” Heinz asked, still being rebellious.

“Therion. You may leave.”

“Alright.”

At Brien’s order, Therion bowed his head and went out of his office.

As soon as Therion left, Heinz grumbled, “Vice commander, what’s wrong

with what I said? Is the duchess even that special to the duke?”

“Are you still out of your mind?!” Brien yelled in frustration.

Truthfully, Heinz was Brien’s favorite knight. That’s why he tolerated him
even if he talked back.

“Never insult the duchess! Ever! Don’t think even for a sec that the duke
won’t kill you. Do you understand what I mean?”

“……”

“The duke will not hesitate to kill you. I assume that you understand what
I mean?” Brien repeated.

Heinz was forced to nod.

He meant that the duchess was a very important person to the duke. So she
wasn’t someone he could mess around with.

Heinz’s right cheek was swollen and red. He felt that he was mistreated.
How could the vice commander slap him in front of that douche, Therion?

He was outraged, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

Heinz decided to wait for Princess Larissa to come and let karma do the
work.

But before that, an unexpected event had happened to him.

Chapter 45

While the knights were quarreling with each other, Elody and Caville were
wandering around the market.

“It’s changed! Wonderfully!”

“Right?”

Just as his wife had told him, the market had improved a lot. Caville
couldn’t stop himself from feeling an endless stream of respect towards
her.

“That’s one of Rhondia’s branches, Sirka’s merchant guild. It’s huge,

right? He’s been staying here in the duchy nowadays…”

“I see.”
Caville wasn’t curious about anything related to Sirka, but he nodded hard
in response. He wanted to show how immersed he could be when conversing
with his wife.

And so, Elody went into the merchant guild with Caville. She needed to
receive a couple of documents from Sirka.

However, he was not there.

According to his secretary, Sirka went to the capital to investigate the

fake red pills.

‘I thought it was already taken care of, is it not going well?’

Elody was worried for some reason.

She thought that the next time she met Sirka, she would have to ask him in
detail.

“Come on, Caville.”

“Yes, wife.”

A wide variety of shops lined the nearby streets. The two came across a
stall which showcased an array of accessories.

“Wife, look at this. I think it will look good on you.” Caville said as he
grabbed a rose-shaped hairpin.

“Really?”

Elody accepted it and pinned it on her hair.

“Do I look good?”

“……”

Caville paused for a moment.

There was a strange, unexplainable feeling in his heart.

It made his heartbeat elevate, and his face felt hot.

He almost hugged his wife! Unconsciously even!

“Or will this suit me, Caville?”

What Elody chose was a rabbit-shaped hairpin.

She thought she would look pretty cute if she pinned her bangs with this.

Seeing Elody’s rabbit-shaped hairpin, Caville laughed. He was happy to see

her show interest in something.
Hence, Caville decided to buy all the rabbit-shaped hairpin sold at the
stall.

“……”

Elody wanted to nag him for his excessive spending but decided to let
Caville do whatever he wanted as they hadn’t gone out together like this
in a long while.

The two went around the market a little more while eating ice cream.

“Caville, you’ve gotten lost here before, do you remember?”

“Yes, I remember.”

That was a traumatic experience for him. It was the first time he had ever
been separated from Elody.

Even after all this time, Caville still felt suffocated whenever he
recalled the fear he felt that day.

His body was huge, but his mind didn’t change much.

“Oh, and I haven’t told you this, but…”

“Yes?”

“You know, the orphanage you lived in? When you were a kid? I went there
and punished them for you.”

Caville stared at her while blinking his eyes. He had never imagined that
she would do that for him.

“……”

“I promised you when I was young, remember? They’re still blatantly

repeating the same thing. So I asked Baroness Vendos for her permission to
use the barony’s dungeon…”

Caville carefully held Elody’s fingertips without uttering a single word.

“Caville?”

Caville couldn’t figure out what to say.

He couldn’t breathe properly because he was strangely overwhelmed with

countless emotions.

As the younger Elody had said, the adults who harassed Caville were
nothing to her.

And thanks to Elody’s continuous affection, all of his scars were now
healed.
But those memories that Caville had long forgotten had instead become an
indelible wound to Elody.

Caville was both grateful and sorry to her.

A surge of unknown emotions filled his heart as a tear slipped down his
cheeks.

“My wife…”

“…You don’t have to say it. I understand everything.”

Elody could see various emotions in Caville’s eyes.

She wanted to hug him and caress his cheeks like when she was younger,
but…

For some reason, her hand wouldn’t go there.

So instead, Elody patted Caville’s broad back.

“……”

Caville’s escort, Ren, was watching the two of them and smiled proudly.

The two didn’t seem to have changed much since seven years ago.

If there was one, it was probably the fact that the duke has become very
tall, and his wife felt awkward about it.

‘This is great.’

It was nice to see the lord, who looked so cold and lonely throughout the
war, expressing various emotions.

Vice commander Brien and Solar said that he looked scary and strange, but
Ren could definitely feel it.

The duke had found stability.

“Your Graces. It is time to return to the mansion,” Ren said as he

interrupted the warm moment and atmosphere the two were in, earning
himself a scathing glare from Caville.

“Let’s go back, Caville.”

“Yes, wife.”

As if he had never glared at Ren, Caville smiled and held Elody’s hand.

The two then headed for their carriage and returned to the mansion.

Then, in a moment, Elody paused and pulled out her hand from Caville’s.
“…Wife?”

“Oh, no. It’s just… my hand feels uncomfortable…”

“……”

While they were touring around the market today, Elody had tried to pull
out her hand from his grasp every once in a while.

Caville was confused. He wondered if his wife was still rejecting him.

But that wasn’t the reason.

Elody couldn’t hide her worries whenever she felt the numbness in her
fingertips.

She didn’t want Caville to know.

All day long, the senses of her fingertips kept disappearing as it

hardened like stone.

The problem was that she had not been able to drink the herbal tea with
dried stalks frequently.

The herbal tea was supposed to be consumed daily, while the medicinal leaf
tea, the one she made from the ‘Herb of Salvation’, was drunk once a
month.

For the next few years, she would have to keep doing this procedure
steadily in order to cure her disease completely.

‘It will be okay…’

Elody didn’t think of it as a big deal. The day when she had to drink, the
medicinal leaf tea was approaching anyways.

* * *

The next day…

Like yesterday, the weather was sunny.

Elody had stopped by the greenhouse with Marie since morning and was now
returning to the mansion.

Suddenly, she ran into Therion.

“Sir Therion?! What’s wrong?” Elody asked, wide-eyed at the bruises on his
face.

Marie also looked at him with a stunned expression.

He had a busted lip as if someone had punched him.

“Madame…”

Therion shrugged, scratching the back of his head and lowered his head.

Elody looked at him with an anxious expression.

“Is there enough medicine left in the barracks? Do you want me to have a
servant send it to you?”

“N-no, that’s alright. There’s plenty of medicine left. Thank you for
worrying though, madame.”

Therion let out a shy smile after hearing her kind words.

“How did you get hurt?”

“……”

However, it was difficult for him to answer that question.

“D-during training, I guess…”

Elody thought that the knights were doing hand-to-hand combat training.

‘Otherwise, why would they have a fight?’

Though, it wasn’t any of her business anyway…

“That must have hurt a lot. Make sure you treat the wound well,” Elody
said, smiling.

As she was about to leave, Therion called out to her.

“M-madame!”

“Yes?”

Elody turned around.

“…Uh, nevermind. I apologize.”

Therion quickly bowed his head and ran straight to the knight’s
headquarters.

He wanted to ask if her generous actions were solely given to him. He also
wanted to ask why she was so kind. But he couldn’t… because it was a
presumptuous question.

“Hmm… Madame, Sir Therion is suspicious, right?” Marie, who was standing
next to Elody the whole time, asked while poking her at the waist.

“What? Ah! That’s right. Now that I think about it, Lord Vedos also had a
nosebleed… Is there something wrong with the knights?”
“……”

‘I was the one who did that.’

Marie turned her body around, playing dumb.

Then, Elody grabbed hold of her arm.

“Oh, well. Let’s just take a walk in the garden.”

“Yes. I’d like that, madame.”

Elody headed to the garden and brought out another topic.

“Have you spoken about your marriage to Sir Vedos?”

Marie decided to answer honestly.

“…Yes. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t think I can marry him
anymore.”

“Why? Did you guys fight?”

Marie replied, hesitantly at Elody’s grievance.

“It’s just… he’s too old, just like madame said. I’d like to meet a young
husband. Like you, madame!”

Elody laughed at her jokes.

“How sweet… though, I’m very sorry about you and Sir Vedos. I guess it
can’t be helped. Shall we search for potential marriage candidates? How
about we start from the pages?”

“…Madame.”

Pages.

At age 7-13, a boy could be considered as a page. He would be sent off to

a lord’s castle and be a servant to the lord as he learned the code of
chivalry and practiced fighting skills.

If she got a page to be her boyfriend, they would be 19 years apart!

“What? They’re young just like you asked… Plus, they should be around ten
years old, it’s perfect!”

“Pfft—!”

Elody definitely succeeded in cracking Marie up.

They continued to stroll the garden arm in arm whilst exchanging jokes
with each other.
Meanwhile, there were people who had been quietly observing the two
ladies…

‘Ah, I’m so jealous…’

The person who was looking at them from the first-floor window was Sylvia,
a maid who was very fond of Elody.

Sylvia was the maid who first noticed Elody’s incurable disease and
informed it to the servants.

‘I want to walk with her arm in arm too…’

Sylvia’s dream was to walk with her, arms folded, just like what she did
with Marie. She genuinely wanted Elody to treat her like a real sister…

Of course, if Sylvia asked her for a walk, the affectionate duchess would
undoubtedly say yes.

Unfortunately, Sylvia had trouble speaking properly. The poor maid kept
trembling whenever the duchess was in front of her, and it caused her to
jumble up her words.

In another place…

‘I envy her…’

Unexpectedly, Olivia was also watching Elody and Marie from the second
floor of the mansion.

‘I want to link arms with the madame too…’

Olivia also had a desire to have a sister-like relationship with the

duchess.

However, since she had already received a lot from her, she decided not to
be greedy. Still, she couldn’t help but feel envious of Marie.

‘I shall protect her…’

If necessary, Olivia was even ready to stain her hands with blood once
again.

Olivia’s eyes shone with joy.

Alas, the last observer…

It was Caville.

Caville had been staring at Elody and Marie gloomily through the third-
floor window.

‘I want to cross arms with my wife too… ‘

Caville was sad.

At first, he thought that she hated him, but that was definitely not it.

‘Then, does she like me?’

He wasn’t sure about that, too.

Sometimes, she seemed to like him the way she used to, but at other times,
she looked uncomfortable with him.

Caville was in great trouble.

He needed someone’s advice.

But he couldn’t ask idiots like Brien, Ren, Solar, or Heinz.

The only person he could talk to was his wife.

However, he couldn’t ask for advice from his wife when the topic was
concerning her!

“Haa…”

As Caville breathed out a huge sigh, a savior came to his rescue.

“What are you worrying about?”

“……”

It was none other than the Spirit King of Fire.

The almighty Ifrit!

Chapter 46

“Why do you care?” Caville groaned as he turned his head.

With a heavy sigh, he began to ponder about his wife.

He got to spend time with her yesterday.

However…

Every time Elody pulled out her hand from his grasp, Caville felt broken
inside.

When that happened, he laughed so that it wouldn’t ruin the mood…

But in reality, he wanted to cry.

Caville couldn’t think of any other reason for Elody’s behavior.

He thought that it was because of the brute demeanor he had accidentally
shown to his wife when he aimed his sword at those vassals.

‘I shouldn’t have done that…’

He was a swordmaster, so he didn’t think of it as anything serious. But it

was different for his wife.

Caville deeply reflected on the notion that he was inconsiderate of his

wife.

However, he couldn’t help but feel sad and upset about it.

Seeing Caville’s gloomy countenance, Ifrit spoke, “Why is your expression

like that? Did you get rejected by your wife?”

“…..!”

Caville looked at Ifrit in amazement.

‘How did he know?’

“Wait, am I right?”

“……”

Caville’s face displayed his unhappiness as his lips thinned into a line.

Ifrit laughed at him, but then regained his composure.

“Ahem! I, Ifrit, the Great Spirit King, will take his precious time to
listen to your concerns.”

“No, that’s a bit…”

Caville stopped his words.

Truthfully, he didn’t have anyone else to talk to.

Ifrit was the only one who could listen to his problems.

He didn’t like it, but in any case, Ifrit was someone who had been with
him like a best friend throughout the entire war.

Caville hated him for laughing at his expense, but he decided to give him
a chance.

“My wife… I think she’s still uncomfortable with me.”

“Of course, it’s only been a week since you came back after seven years.”

“…But I’m not uncomfortable with my wife.”

“Gosh, you seriously don’t know anything.”

“……”

Caville’s pride was hurt.

He didn’t want to hear that from Ifrit.

“So, do you want her to not be uncomfortable with you?” Ifrit said.

Caville pondered for a while.

“I… I want my wife to love me like she used to. I want her to think of me
as cute!”

Caville wanted Elody to act lovey-dovey with him and pamper him, just like
when they were children.

If that actually happened, there was nothing else left for him to desire.

“Hmm…”

Ifrit stared at Caville with a worried expression.

‘This guy is still not aware of his own heart.’

As expected, he should step up in this matter before it gets worse.

Ifrit decided to listen to Caville’s concerns whole-heartedly.

“So all you want is to be called cute?”

“…Yes, is there something wrong?” Caville asked, confused.

Ifrit clicked his tongue at his obliviousness.

“You… Have you seen how your wife acts around me?”

“……”

“I’m cute too.”

“…..!”

Caville widened his eyes in shock.

It was true.

Elody was very sweet to Ifrit since he was an adorable puppy. The little
ball of red fur was so cute that she couldn’t resist hugging and patting
his fur.

Caville became annoyed whenever he recalled the memory.

“Geez, husbands aren’t supposed to be cute.”

“Then?”

“You cannot look cute. Do you still think of yourself as a ten-year-old?

You have to show her a different side of yourself. A different look!”

“What kind of look?”

Caville didn’t ignore Ifrit. Instead, he was a bit impatient to hear his
response.

“You’re manly side, of course! Guys are supposed to be manly since they’re
not cute anymore once they grow up. You do know that, right?”

“……”

Ifrit’s comment struck Caville hard. He simply couldn’t refute.

“And your wife seems to like all cute things. Do you want to be treated
the same way?”

“…I don’t.”

Caville buried his face in his palm. He was confused and flustered.

Looking at his somber countenance, Ifrit spoke in a tone that made him
sound trustworthy.

“Okay, so what you want to pursue is your wife’s heart and attention. Am I
correct?”

“…That’s right.”

Caville raised his head and looked at Ifrit.

Now, his trust in Ifrit seemed to be growing.

He honestly felt terrible, but there was nothing wrong with Ifrit’s words.

He was no longer a child, and he wasn’t as small and cute as when he was
young.

Moreover, he didn’t want to be treated the same way as other cute things.

He wanted his wife to treat him differently from others.

He wanted to feel… special.

“……”

Ifrit stared at Caville.

He knew everything about Caville now.

On the battlefield, Ifrit was the only person that Caville could confide
in. They grew closer to each other because they had always spent time
alone together unless they were in battle.

So Ifrit secretly regarded Caville as his brother.

‘He’s pretty nasty, but thanks to him, I regained my holy powers so…’

Of course, Caville wasn’t his benefactor. His benefactor was someone else.

In any case, he had the desire to take care of Caville like a younger
brother.

In the eyes of Ifrit, Caville was an ignorantly naive and straightforward

guy. Even after reaching adulthood, his innocent side still remained,
especially when it came to gender issues.

And in this world, there was no one else that mattered to him more than
his wife.

He was still not aware of his feelings… but it seemed like it would be
better to let him realize that feeling first.

Ifrit spoke loudly with confidence, “You’re of age now. It’s perfect!”

“…And why is that?”

Once again, Caville stared at Ifrit suspiciously.

“Why? I’m telling you to show your wife your manly side! Are you still at
the age to frown like when you were a kid? How long are you going to hide
behind your wife’s skirt?”

“……”

“Your wife should be able to lean on you when she’s in trouble. So you
have to show her how reliable you are!”

“…How?” Caville asked softly.

“Your abs,” Ifrit said, very confidently.

“What?”

“Show your abs. A man’s dignity is his abs.”

“……”

That’s nonsense.

Caville glanced at Ifrit, creasing his eyebrows.

“You’re not a shabby and weak child anymore. Therefore, you must show her
that your body has become hard and strong. Do you understand?
‘I wasn’t shabby and weak… How annoying.’

Caville wanted to point out, but he calmly asked, “…What if my wife thinks
it’s disgusting?”

“That’s impossible. I don’t like you, but… if I were to grade your looks,
I would give it an A+.”

“……”

Caville looked at Ifrit with an unpleasant expression. He felt somewhat

uncomfortable.

“Trust me. You won’t regret it.”

“……”

“Well, if you don’t want to do it, it’s your loss,” Ifrit snorted.

As he was about to leave, Caville stopped him and asked anxiously, “T-
then! Will my wife like me?”

“…You just want her to like you?”

If he did well, his wife might even do more than just simply like him!

Ifrit cheered for Caville in his heart. He knew that he could do it.

Ifrit told Caville to show his abs. So he decided to try it.

With that in mind, Caville was finally ready for the main battle.

* * *

At that time, Elody was in the greenhouse with Anna.

Elody was planting a new type of seed. It was wheat, something that she
had recently studied.

“Will it take a few months to see the effects, madame?” Anna asked.

“I suppose so.”

Since she had used fertilizers, the growth period should take less than
the amount of time it usually did.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Elody might not finish her research here in
time before she left.

“Madame. Are you tired or sick?”

Anna finally gathered the courage to ask.

“No, why?”

“…Nothing. I was just curious if you were sick…”

“Not at all. I’m a person who doesn’t even catch a cold. Anna, you should
eat red pills regularly too.”

‘How is she so good at lying…’

Anna bit her lips in regret.

However, it was true that Elody was not sick.

She was self-diagnosed with an incurable disease, but she didn’t feel pain
at all. It was just a bit of a nuisance sometimes.

“…Madame, we will check the growth of the seeds together in a few months,
right?” Anna said, holding back tears.

Elody hesitated for a moment and then nodded her head.

But because of that brief hesitation, Anna almost cried.

Lately, the servants had been anxious.

They became even more sensitive because they were afraid that the duchess
would leave this world soon…

In their eyes, the madame was like a reed amongst a dangerous hurricane
that didn’t know when to fall.

But in this case, they didn’t want the wind to sweep her away…

“I have to meet Caville now. He told me to see him soon…”

“Yes, madame.”

When Elody left, Anna’s tears slipped down from her cheeks, and as she
wiped them away, the young maid followed her to the mansion.

* * *

“Caville?”

From today onwards, Elody was planning to hand over her work to Caville.

She actually planned to leave as soon as Caville came home with the
princess, but she was unexpectedly given a little more time.

Elody decided to leave after explaining the duty of a duke in as much

detail as possible to Caville.

However, Caville wasn’t in the office.

When Elody asked a servant, they told her that he had gone to the bedroom
just a little while ago.

Elody headed towards the bedroom, wondering if Caville had fallen asleep.
She didn’t have much time, so she wanted to teach it to him quickly.

Knock-knock.

Elody carefully opened the door. She spent the last seven years alone in
that bedroom, but it had now become Caville’s room.

She wanted him to stay in a room that he was familiar with, so she moved
to another room instead.

It might seem trivial, but Elody wanted to be as considerate as possible.

“My wife.….”

However, when she opened the door, Caville was lying in bed with a towel
on his forehead.

“Caville. Are you sick?”

Elody was startled and approached Caville.

“…I guess… I’m sick.”

Caville glanced at Elody.

According to Ifrit’s advice, he should strip off and stay naked. So, he
was only covered with a blanket on his chest.

“You don’t seem to have a fever…” Elody said as she touched Caville’s
forehead.

Suddenly, Caville’s naked torso came into her sight.

Chapter 47

Elody stood there frozen and bit her lips.

Caville stared at her nervously as he hid his brimming anticipation.

“Wife…?”

All of a sudden, Elody slowly pulled down the blanket that covered his
entire body.

At her unexpected behavior, Caville became puzzled.

Ifrit told him that she would slightly blush and laugh shyly around him
when she saw his abs.

But…
“Caville…”

Elody was crying.

Caville was surprised when tears began to drip from her eyes.

He truly didn’t expect that kind of reaction from her.

Elody slowly raised her hands and touched the wounds on his right chest.

It was the knife scar he had gotten shortly after he had arrived on the
battlefield.

“……”

Elody stared at Caville’s wounds.

His body was marred with gashes. There were so many scars that Elody could
no longer count.

How painful it must have been, Elody felt like her heart was being
crushed.

‘It must have been so painful…’

Elody sympathized with his suffering.

And Caville…

‘No… This isn’t what I wanted.’

He gazed out of the window, searching for Ifrit, with a vain expression.

‘That idiot!’

Suddenly…

“……”

“Wait a minute, wife!”

Elody touched Caville’s wounds.

Caville jolted as his face flushed red in an instant.

“Ah, did that hurt? I’m sorry, Caville.”

“Oh, no, wife. That’s not it. It’s just kinda… itchy. I guess…”

He felt strange.

Caville bit his lips and averted his gaze. It was difficult to look
straight into his wife’s eyes.
Elody stared at Caville and asked, “Why didn’t you ask the priest to heal
you?”

Her voice was filled with sorrow.

“…That wound…”

Truth to be told, Caville didn’t want to show his body to the priests. He
didn’t want them to over dramatize his injuries. So he chose to stay
quiet.

He didn’t care if his wife saw his body, but he would never show it to
others.

“…It must have hurt a lot.”

“I’m okay, wife.”

Each time Caville got hurt, he forced himself to bear the pain.

Of course, it was painful. But as he got more and more wounds, the pain
gradually lessened.

However, the wounds in his heart were much more difficult to mend as he
had longed for his wife for a long time.

“……”

Caville pulled the blanket to cover his upper body.

“My wife, please stop crying.”

He couldn’t hug her, but he genuinely felt sorry for his wife.

“I’m sorry, where did you say it hurts? I’ll bring you medicine.”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“……”

“Actually, I was faking this whole time,” Caville said with a smile
plastered on his face.

“……”

Ifrit’s strategy was a complete failure.

Caville pledged not to listen to that red fur ball anymore.

* * *

After a while, Ifrit came through the window and walked to Caville,
sitting on the sofa.
“Hey, how did it go?” Ifrit asked.

“……”

Caville’s glare was like a beast waiting for his prey.

Suddenly, he captured Ifrit in his arms.

“What?! Why are you doing this?!”

Ifrit struggled to break free, but his grip was too strong.

“I won’t believe in you anymore!”

Ifrit’s intuition told him to run, but unfortunately, he was already

caught, so he couldn’t escape.

“…Did it fail? Then it’s your fault, not mine.”

“I will never trust you again!”

“What? Why?! How could it possibly fail?! That makes zero sense!”

Ifrit could never believe that the power of abs didn’t work.

Caville finally gave up and put Ifrit down.

And so, Caville confessed everything to Ifrit.

“She was crying?”

“Yes…”

‘Why was she crying…?’

Ifrit swallowed a lump in his throat. He wanted to ask more, but he was
afraid of losing his life.

If he said something wrong or insulted his wife, Caville would not

hesitate to cut off his tail!

In any case, his benefactor had a strange side to him.

Caville spoke in a dissatisfied voice, “I’m not going to listen to your

advice anymore. My heart cannot bear the pain of seeing my wife’s tears.”

“…Well, whatever,” Ifrit responded, unempathetic.

“Is that all? Aren’t you going to comfort me? After making my wife cry?”

“Well, what do you want me to do? You won’t listen to me anyway, right?”

“…I don’t know.”

Caville’s shoulders slumped forward in disappointment.

Ifrit clicked his tongue.

‘Weakling…’

However, Ifrit felt bad because he looked really sad.

Ifrit said bluntly, “Just… let it go. Live as you are now.”

“What?”

“Because your wife seems to see you as a flower in full bloom… Just keep
pretending to be weak…. Show off your charms. The day when she finally
notices you will come someday.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, keep pretending to be weak so that your wife will continue to

take care of you. That would be more likely.”

“……”

Caville pledged not to trust Ifrit’s words a while ago, but his ears
immediately perked up.

He felt that everything would be different this time.

The next day, Caville approached his wife with a new strategy.

As Ifrit said, this time, he pretended to be sick.

The result was a jackpot!

Elody took care of Caville without leaving him just like he was young.

But Caville felt that something was missing.

The more he pretended to act weak, the more Elody didn’t see him as a man.

What that feeling meant, Caville hadn’t been able to comprehend.

Now Caville was not aware of his own mind.

He was just a young husband who wanted his wife’s attention.

And while nursing Caville, Elody…

‘Caville is still a baby.’

Became less conscious of him.

‘I guess my parenting duty is not over yet,’ she thought.

* * *

Caville’s outstanding performance ended in one day. It was because Elody

gave him a medicine that could immediately cure a common fever.

The next day, Caville began taking over Elody’s work.

The duty of a duke was more complicated than he expected.

It was easier to wield a sword and to fight enemies in war.

“This is tough… I’m sorry for letting you struggle alone, wife.”

Caville’s affectionate words made Elody feel that her effort over all
these years wasn’t in vain.

She stroked Caville’s head and spoke, “You’ve had it harder than me,
Caville. You’re a hero now. I’m sure everyone is proud of you.”

“……”

Caville smiled proudly.

Two days ago, their relationship went back to normal after Caville showed
off his wounds and pretended to be sick.

His wife became more comfortable around him.

Though, he had never thought that Elody’s kindness was the same as a
parent’s love for their children.

Still, Caville liked his affectionate wife.

* * *

Late afternoon the next day…

After giving Caville a bunch of work, Elody spent the whole day alone
doing research in the greenhouse and the lab.

The maids were also prevented from entering because she needed to focus on
research. Unfortunately, this caused the maids to experience a few anxious
moments as they loitered around the greenhouse to wait for the madame to
come out.

“Madame… But, if you’re alone. What if something happens…?”

“I don’t think anything will happen… I’m just doing some research in the
greenhouse, and I really need to study quietly by myself this time. So you
may go back to the mansion and rest. Alright?”

“…Madame…”
Disappointed, Anna returned to the mansion.

After she left, Elody looked outside a few more times in case someone was
still there. Her study was a safe and secluded place. However, there was
another reason as to why she was extra careful this time. It was because
today was the day for her to drink the medicine from the Salvation Herb.

Elody pulled out a barrel from the storage that was filled with dried red
leaves.

Then, she boiled water and added the dried tea leaves.

The tea had a unique and robust scent.

“Mm… splendid.”

It was a bit bitter, but she was now used to it as she had grown fond of
the taste.

Elody lifted the teacup and took a drink of her tea.

The thicker the tea was, the faster she coughed out blood. It was better
to do it immediately after drinking her tea than to wait until a few days
later and get caught off guard.

And today, Elody brewed her tea darker than usual.

She wanted to cure her disease as quickly as possible and return to the
mansion without causing any suspicion.

After drinking the tea, she carefully set the glass back on the table and
had her handkerchief ready.

However, no matter how long she waited, her fit of coughs did not appear.

And as time passed by, her anxiety began to grow.

“I hope it doesn’t take too long…” Elody spoke to herself while trembling
with anxiety.

Fortunately, the side effects came after a while.

“Ugh…”

She felt a burning sensation inside her throat…

But then…

“Madame?”

Someone’s voice was heard from outside the lab.

“Madame, I’m coming in! Anna told me to bring in snacks…”

It was Sylvia.

Elody jumped up from her chair, looked around, and ran to the greenhouse.

‘I have to hide!’

“Madame…?”

After a while, Sylvia opened the door and looked inside the empty lab.

‘Is she in the greenhouse?’

Elody trembled with anxiety when she heard Sylvia opening the door and
entering the lab.

There was nowhere to hide in the greenhouse. Beyond that thin door was the
lab where Sylvia was.

“Cough-cough!”

Then, her cough began to come out.

Elody stopped coughing and covered her mouth with a handkerchief. The
white handkerchief was gradually stained with red-crimson blood.

“Madame! Are you in the greenhouse?”

Elody immediately headed for the back door of the greenhouse. It was
dangerous to go outside, but she had no other choice.

‘The back door!’

Beyond the back door was an empty backyard that only had one large tree.
No one usually went there.

Elody quickly opened the door and rushed outside.

Then she ran to the back of the tree and started coughing.

“Cough-cough!”

She was seized with a violent cough as she had been holding it back for
some time. Her eyes stung with tears.

It was painful.

But… she didn’t even dream that someone would be sitting behind that tree.

Chapter 48

Sylvia looked at the empty greenhouse and tilted her head.

“Where is the madame? Did she go back to the mansion?”

She carefully scanned the room, but both the greenhouse and laboratory
were empty.

‘I thought I heard something…’

She wanted to get closer to the madame by talking with her alone…

Sylvia became grim and headed back to the mansion with the snacks she had
brought.

Meanwhile…

“Cough-cough!”

Elody was holding onto a large tree and vomiting like crazy.

She bled more than usual. It was impossible to cover the blood with a
single handkerchief.

“Sigh…”

After a while, she stopped vomiting, and Elody looked to see if there were
any blood splashes on her clothes.

Fortunately, there was none.

Though, only on Elody’s clothes…

“……”

Someone else was sitting at the back of the tree, and his outfit was
splattered with Elody’s blood.

Once their gazes met, Elody bounced back out of shock and dropped her
bloody handkerchief to the ground.

The man’s eyes were also filled with confusion.

“……”

She couldn’t remember his name, but his face was very familiar.

He was one of the knights that came with Caville. He was a man with short
gray hair and tanned skin.

“Ah… um, I deeply apologize. May I know your name, Sir…?”

To Elody’s question, the knight slowly responded, “…Heinz.”

* * *

A few days ago, after fighting with Therion, both knights were on
probation.
However, the two did not reflect. Whenever they met, they intensely glared
at each other as if they had a centuries-long blood feud between them.

Thanks to that, the mood among the knights was quite chaotic.

And because of Heinz’s audacious remarks, all of Solar’s knights sided

with Therion.

Thanks to this, Heinz’s knights, who were former mercenaries, had become
completely isolated.

Heinz was constantly complaining.

He thought he could finally settle down and live with the proper treatment
he deserved after his contributions to the war if he followed the leader
to the manor…

The facilities and environment were comfortable, but his heart was empty.

His subordinates felt the same.

That being said, he couldn’t complain.

After all, they were enjoying the most relaxing time of their lives.

Of course, he felt grateful.

But… Still. Didn’t he deserve to be treated more respectfully than those

like Therion who stayed in the estate?

Solar and her knights also agreed with his opinion.

However, the vice-commander dismissed it as utter nonsense.

And it was impossible for him to complain to the leader.

He was indebted to him.

The leader was the man who gave honor to Heinz and his men. There had also
been many times when the leader saved his life.

He couldn’t confide with such childish matters to the leader.

Furthermore, he probably wouldn’t even listen to it in the first place…

‘Even so, the leader does cherish us more, right?’ Heinz tried to comfort
himself.

Still, it was a little sad that the vice-commander slapped him on the
cheek.

Scratch that, he was very sad.

Even if he did start the fight first, to slap him in front of that
douchebag Therion…

He hated the vice-commander after that, and he hated the duchess even
more.

He thought that she was actually the source of all this.

His men were worried about him, but Heinz wanted to be alone.

So, that day, he was taking a stroll alone.

Then, he lost energy and sat behind a large tree next to the greenhouse
where no one was there.

‘Madame this, madame that… Just wait until the princess comes!’

He was complaining and watching the squirrels passed by when…

He heard someone coughing and spilling blood all over his shoulder.

‘What?’

Heinz’s irritated look was now struck with shock.

The duchess was vomiting blood right behind him.

“Sir Heinz. It’s a pleasure to meet you…. I apologize, I couldn’t greet

you properly at the banquet because of the vassals,” Elody said after
wiping the blood off her mouth,

“……”

Then she took out a new handkerchief from inside her pockets and reached
out to Heinz’s shoulder.

“…!”

At that moment, Heinz fell back in surprise.

He seemed really surprised.

Heinz jumped up, biting his lips, ashamed of losing his composure.

“I’m sorry, Sir Heinz… Your clothes got dirty because of me…”

“It’s all right…”

Heinz accepted Elody’s handkerchief with trembling hands. Then he stared

at his right shoulder and arm that was stained with blood.

‘I have a lot of questions… ‘

Elody was confused and worried.

She didn’t even think that someone would catch her!

And it wasn’t even someone she knew well… It was the first time she had
ever conversed with the knight.

“…Is it ‘Siren’s Tears’?” Heinz asked as he wiped the blood with her
handkerchief, raising one eyebrow.

“What?”

Elody was confused and only blinked.

‘Siren’s Tears’ was an incurable disease that many people living on the
beach usually get.

Indeed, the symptoms were similar to the side effects of the Salvation
Herb.

Elody knew this because she had read a lot of books while studying for her
incurable disease.

The ‘Siren’s Tears’ could be healed if treated early with divine power,
but if not, then it could cause death.

Therefore, it was classified as an incurable disease.

Though the name was like that, according to Elody’s research, the disease
had nothing to do with the beach.

But that wasn’t the case, and it would take too long for her to explain
the facts in great detail.

What was she supposed to say? ‘Actually, I have an incurable disease, but
it is not the ‘Siren’s Tears’. I don’t know the name of my illness. But
I’ve found the antidote for it, and it was the salvation herb I have
discovered. Unfortunately, the side effects of the medicine caused me to
vomit blood uncontrollably like this…’

‘……’

No one would ever believe her…

Plus, she had no time to explain everything to him.

“That’s… please keep it a secret. Sir Heinz.”

Elody stared at him with a desperate look on her face.

“……”

Heinz frowned as if he was annoyed.

“Just pretend you didn’t see it. Pretend that nothing has happened today.
Please, I beg of you, Sir Heinz.”

Heinz was dumbfounded.

He expected the duchess to be arrogant and cold, but she was actually
polite.

“Please, please… No one should ever know.”

Elody was desperate. She had a headache imagining how annoying it would be
if people knew.

Once a month, she had to deal with it by herself, just like what she did
now.

“…Alright.”

“Really, really? You shall never say…”

“I always keep my word,” Heinz said, frowning a little.

His words seemed lousy, but he didn’t look like a person who would lie.

Elody sighed in relief. It would be troublesome if someone else came.

“Thank you. Please do me this favor, Sir Heinz.”

“……”

After making sure and asking him several more times, Elody opened the door
to the greenhouse and went back in.

Then, she walked to the sink in the corner of the greenhouse, wiped the
blood on her hands, and washed her blood-stained handkerchief.

‘Ah, my other handkerchief… ‘

It occurred to her that she handed Lord Heinz a new handkerchief and
forgot to get it back.

It would be strange if she went back there just to ask for the
handkerchief back.

Elody sighed.

‘I should’ve locked the door… ’

There were locks in the greenhouse and lab.

She had locked Sylvia out of the way, but she didn’t completely lock her
out in fear that more servants would come.

She avoided that situation but was caught by an unfamiliar knight.

Elody was confused about whether it would be better to be caught by the
knight or if it would have been better for people to flock around the
greenhouse and knock on the door.

* * *

“Captain, no, Sir Heinz. Are you injured? That blood….”

“This is… I got caught in a tree and tore my shoulder. It’s just a small
wound.”

“That’s a lot of blood for a small wound…”

Then, Heinz headed to his room.

The average knights shared a room with two other people. Each room had its
own bathroom; a shower, a sink, and a toilet.

It was an incredibly good facility.

Furthermore, an elite knight room was larger and had better accommodation.

As a mercenary, he spent his whole life wandering for seven years on the
battlefield.

He thought he would be happy as long as he had a house with a roof, but

such a luxurious place…

When he first saw the lodge, Heinz only thought it was a dream. However,
as of today, he had no longer ogled at his lavish room.

Heinz looked down at the white handkerchief he held in his hand.

He was annoyed.

‘I never thought I’d run into the Duchess there… How unfortunate.’

Well, he heard that the greenhouse belonged to the duchess.

Heinz laughed, thinking that even her hobby was very extravagant.

But she was suffering from a deadly disease…?

Though if he thought about it, it was better this way.

The duchess would soon die. Then, the leader and the princess could get
married without any obstacles.

As Heinz himself had wished.

But…

‘Why do I feel so uncomfortable?’

His bloody shoulders had been wiped with cold water. But even after wiping
it, his skin felt somewhat… hot, like it was burning.

‘It’s not an infectious disease, is it…?’

The duchess’ illness was obviously the ‘Siren’s Tears’. The disease that
caused one to vomit blood uncontrollably.

‘Damn it…’

And long ago, Heinz’s sister also died of the disease.

It was when Heinz was very young.

It was a disease that could be cured if found in the early stages, but if
one discovered it too late. It was irreversible.

Her sister only knew of the disease when it reached the point where she
could no longer be treated with medicine nor divine power.

No, she did know it from the very beginning.

But she hid it because they didn’t have money.

Earning money was more important than drinking expensive medicine.

And in the end, his sister died of blood loss.

After the loss of his only family, Heinz became a wandering mercenary.

Now he had earned enough money to get a cure, but his sister was already
dead.

The duchess, on the other hand, had a ton of money.

So why was she…?

‘She couldn’t have known of the disease late, could she?’

Unless she were stupid… she would have started the treatment immediately.

But now, with such a severe injury, she would never be able to cure it
with medicine or divine power.

It was clear that she would die soon.

Chapter 49

Heinz’s eyes scrunched tight as he slouched in annoyance.

The duchess would have to endure it for a while longer, probably for about
several months.
Or maybe she would even die before the princess arrives.

He was delighted about the fact that the duchess would soon die.

But…

‘Is it really something I should be happy about?’

Heinz had thought about it, but honestly, the duchess hadn’t really done
anything to him.

He was confused.

After washing his face with cold water to relieve his frustration, he saw
several of his knights drinking in the lounge on the first floor.

Heinz approached them and took a glass of beer and gulped it all down.

“Captain, what’s wrong?”

Without the presence of anyone else, Heinz’s men would still call him
captain.

Heinz just kept drinking without giving back an answer.

The knights eventually left him alone and started chatting among
themselves.

“Speaking of which, the duchess. Doesn’t she look over the top? She looks
more opulent than the princess!

“Hey, the princess looked shabby only because she ran away. She’s
undoubtedly much better than the duchess!”

“I know, you idiot! Anyway, the princess was beautiful even though she was
wearing rags. Wasn’t she?”

Listening to his knights, Heinz recalled the appearance of the duchess

whom he had seen at the banquet.

Surely the jewelry and gown she was wearing were incredibly gorgeous.

‘Did she dress luxuriously to hide her illness?’

In truth, the real reason behind her lavish appearance was because of
Marie. But that reason was something that only Elody and Marie knew.

Heinz believed that the reason he thought was right.

“Damn it…”

The alcohol tasted exceptionally bitter that day.

* * *
Heklasium, the capital of the Empire of Heklos.

Emperor Albrecht was the one who greatly benefited from the war.

Not only did the war against the Urta Empire ended in victory, but the
empire succeeded in acquiring a lot of the other territories as well.

This was all thanks to the Duke of Cernoir, the hero who led the war to
victory but did not demand ownership of any land at all.

Unfortunately, the capital became very noisy due to the problem of

dividing the territory with the Empire of Urta.

The emperor wanted to divide Urta’s territory and award it to his most
trusted ally, the marquess.

However, the Duke of Ibelin in the north and the Duke of Rehos in the east
wanted to claim ownership of a few territories as well.

‘What did they even do…?’

Of course, they also participated in the war, but their efforts weren’t
enough to be rewarded with a whole land.

In the meantime, Emperor Albrecht temporarily ruled over the Dayev Empire.

Princess Larissa had personally asked for it.

‘How unusual…’

The emperor allowed her to return to her empire. However, Princess Larissa
chose to stay in the Empire of Heklos for the time being.

Apparently, she was threatened by the Urtans for a long time and was
scared to come back because the Prince of Urta had not been found yet. He
was still out there somewhere.

And so, Larissa temporarily handed over the ownership of her empire to the
emperor until the situation in the territory was stabilized.

Emperor Albrecht was filled with joy.

‘I can earn a lot of gold…’

The Empire of Dayev was famous for producing gold.

The emperor planned to collect as much gold as possible while temporarily

ruling the land.

On the surface, Emperor Albrecht pretended to cherish and welcome the

princess, but in truth, he was not very sympathetic.

The emperor didn’t even know that Princess Larissa was his niece.
Or rather, he wasn’t even interested in her.

It was long before the Urtan’s invasion when his cousin became the Queen
of Dayev. The emperor had no qualms about using his own family to
accumulate power. She merely served as a political tool. He wasn’t even
sure if his cousin, whose face he didn’t even remember very well, gave
birth to a daughter.

To the present emperor, the Empire of Dayev was nothing but a weak empire
that was subjugated by the Urta Empire.

However, even though he had no affection whatsoever, it was true that

Princess Larissa had brought great luck to him.

Thanks to the princess, the gritty relationship between the Temple and the
Imperial Government has softened considerably.

This was because Princess Larissa had donated her ancient relic to the
temple.

“Princess Larissa, will you stay in the Imperial Palace until you return
to the Empire of Dayev?”

The emperor was thinking of letting her stay in the imperial city if she
wanted.

But unexpectedly…

“No, Your Majesty. If possible, I would like to repay the Duke of Cernoir
for saving my life.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Princess Larissa seemed to have the Duke of Cernoir in mind.

Then this was even better!

Emperor Albrecht recalled his memories.

‘Isn’t the Duke of Cernoir already married?’

Though, whether he was single or married, it didn’t matter the slightest

bit. The Empire of Heklos had a divorce system.

And even if he was married, the emperor was sure that the duke would
choose to remarry with a beautiful princess rather than to stay with a
wife he had not seen for seven years.

‘I mean, the duke’s a man too! He should have no reason to reject such a
beautiful lady.’

Duke Cernoir, whose power grew day by day, was now gaining more power from
the vassals and from the support of the Temple of Thysser.
As for the emperor who kept him in check, it seemed that it would be best
to make him his nephew-in-law.

Thus, Princess Larissa headed directly to Duchy of Cernoir with the

emperor’s gift.

She headed there with Count DeFore, who was in charge of assisting her,
and a maid called Carolina.

* * *

There was only a month left until the princess’ arrival.

Elody was busy handing over her work to Caville.

Fortunately, Caville was smart. So he was able to adapt to the situation

and workings of the new system in the duchy fast as well. Better yet, he
was able to work more accurately than Elody herself.

Elody could finally relax now that Caville had taken over the lord’s work.
Thus, all that’s left was for her to get back to her research.

Though it was true that she would get divorced soon, she didn’t want to
spend her time in vain. She still had to manage the greenhouse and the
lab.

Furthermore, she had to pay attention to the knights because a certain

someone had caught her vomiting blood.

‘Luckily, he seemed to have kept his promise…’

Heinz had kept his knowledge about her illness a secret.

Still, Elody wanted to check up on him just in case he made a slip of the
tongue when he was drunk.

Elody constantly ordered her servants to check on the knights with the
excuse of making sure that they were doing well.

However, the knights, in turn, felt extremely uncomfortable.

“Yes, how were the knights?”

To Elody’s question, Anna responded, “Well, the same as always. Why does
madame care so much about the knights these days?”

“…Well, some of the knights weren’t originally from the duchy. I just
wanted to make sure that they can adapt well to the atmosphere here.”

“You mean the knights who used to be mercenaries? Ugh, I loathe them.”

“Huh, why?”
‘They talk about the princess every day. I really want to put a sock in
their foul mouths and shove their faces into the gutter!’

Is what Anna wanted to say, but she held back.

Everyone knew about the rumors that the emperor wanted to pair the
princess with the duke.

It was ridiculous. The duke was already married and had no intention of
divorcing the madame.

Nonetheless, the servants were still worried that the two would separate
after the princess comes.

‘What if the duke is really in love with the princess and abandons the
madame?’

In the end, her worries were needless.

The duke still relied on her and followed her everywhere.

Everyone could see the duke chasing after his wife. Every day, he would do
nothing but say ‘my wife, my wife’, follow her around, and stick to her
like glue. No one would even think that he had the intention to divorce
her. Rather, it seemed very unlikely!

However, the knights stayed in another building located in front of the

mansion. Therefore, it was understandable that they didn’t know how much
the lord cherished the duchess as they couldn’t see it for themselves.

Anna was very frustrated as those pompous assholes kept pretending that
they knew everything. But they knew nothing at all!

Thus, the angry servants plotted to get their revenge.

‘Just wait and see, you cheeky bastards…’

Even though they were forced to treat them nicely now because of the
madame…

When the time came, they would not hesitate to punish them.

“Did any of the knights seem troubled?” Elody asked once more.

She wanted to fish for more information about Heinz.

However, Anna completely changed the topic.

“Oh! Come to think of it, Sir Byron married Julia.”

“Sir Byron?”
Sir Byron, one of the knights that remained in the land. He seemed to have
married Julia, a maid who served in the mansion. Hence, Julia decided to
quit her job and went on her honeymoon in a nearby village.

Recently, there had even been news of her pregnancy. Though, thanks to
this, she was refrained from going outside and could not come to the
mansion.

“Julia says she wants to eat peaches.”

“Peaches?”

“Yes. She wants to eat it again, but… the fruit is tough to find. She
wants to eat it while she’s pregnant…” Anna said bluntly.

Peaches were considered rare as they were only grown in the east.
Therefore, it was so valuable that only nobles were able to eat them for
their leisure.

Elody recalled a few years ago when Sirka had given her a bunch of
peaches.

‘It seems that Julia really likes them…’

At that time, Elody shared the peaches with the servants and knights of
the mansion.

‘Only produced in the east…’

She thought about doing some research.

‘I’ll study it! There are dozens of peaches that I had stored from back
then.’

Since she was busy researching the cure for her disease, the number of
items in the storage had steadily increased over the years.

“Then, have one of my men go to Sirka and ask him for more peaches,” Elody
said, causing Anna to giddily clap her hands.

“Really, madame? Then, I want to eat it too!”

“Yes, I’ll ask for a lot.”

“Thank you, madame!” Anna grinned, “Ah! Madame, maybe the fruit in the
legend of the archmage isn’t a peach?”

“Huh?”

At Anna’s words, Elody only blinked in confusion.

“I told you the other day. The story of the legendary archmage.”

‘Ah, she did, didn’t she?’

She couldn’t remember much because she was studying while listening to her
talk last night.

‘And I was also sleepy…’

“Didn’t you say that the fruit was the reason as to why the archmage was
so powerful?”

“That’s right. It’s said that he used to eat a fruit called the ‘Spirit
Fruit’, but nobody knows what the fruit actually was. Could it be a peach
since it’s scarce here in the west?”

“But didn’t you say that the fruit has magical powers?” Elody asked back,
raising an eyebrow.

Chapter 50

“That’s right,” Anna nodded.

Peaches were sweet and delicious, but they had no magic powers in them
whatsoever.

“Madame, have you seen the duke’s spirit?”

“I have. Would you like to know more about it?” Elody asked, smiling.

“Really? They say that its wings are bigger than a human’s! I’m dying from
curiosity!”

Elody wondered if she had heard those stories from the knights, for what
Anna knew was only Ifrit’s adult form.

“Well… I’ll just say that its fur is red.”

Upon hearing Elody’s short answer, Anna became even more curious.

After Caville’s return, all the servants became curious when they had
heard that he could control the Spirit of Fire. However, they had never
seen it before. So, they wondered if there were some sort of circumstances
that made it difficult for people to look at the spirit.

Upon hearing the stories, the knights said that they had seen nothing of
the spirit until the time when the territory of Urta had been defeated.

Elody also saw it for a while, and when she did, it was in the form of an
adorable puppy, not its adult form. And Caville wasn’t particularly happy
when Elody and the spirit met. She thought that he was probably a bit
possessive towards Ifrit.

Elody was a little disappointed by Caville’s attitude, but she chose to

stay quiet.

“I’m going to tell this to Sir Byron. I’ll be back, madame!”

“Yes. Oh, and can you check up on the knights while you’re there?”

“Yes, Madame!” Anna nodded and left the lab.

* * *

Just as Elody was worried about Heinz, Heinz had Elody in his mind as
well.

“Urgh, so annoying…”

Heinz was in great distress. He felt very strange.

He didn’t know why… but he kept feeling very sorry for the duchess.

The more he thought about it, the sillier he felt.

‘Me? Feel sorry for that woman?’

Princess Larissa had been trapped in a dungeon after being kidnapped by

Urta. She was more deserving of his sympathy.

‘But Princess Larissa isn’t terminally ill…’

Princess Larissa only had good things in her future, along with the duke.

On the other hand… the duchess’ fate was death and misery.

Heinz remembered how painful it had been for his sister…

He sighed.

The other soldiers who stood by him started chattering with one another.

“Hey, don’t you think that the duchess is behaving a bit odd these days?”

“The duchess? Why do you say that?”

“Well, the servants kept visiting us, and every time, they would ask if
we’re comfortable with the place or if we had any complaints. I wondered
why they were being so kind, so I asked them. Do you know what they told
me?’

“What? That it was all because of the duchess?’

“Yes! The duchess ordered them to take care of us!”

“Really? Us? What is that wicked woman planning?”

‘Wicked woman? How dare this bastard talk so carelessly…’

Heinz was strangely upset by his subordinates’ words, but he himself did
not understand why they felt offensive to him.
‘Ah, why should this be irritating me? Goddamnit. It’s just a woman!’

But she honestly wasn’t that bad.

The letters she sent to the duke during the war…

The rumors claimed that the letters had been intercepted from the temple.
It was difficult to confirm if it was true or not, so Heinz thought of it
as a lie. However, it no longer seemed like one. Instead, Heinz believed
that it was now a fact.

And he began to think of reasons as to why everyone in the mansion adored

the duchess so much.

He was going insane.

Heinz was too embarrassed and found it quite the feat to change his mind
so abruptly. Now he wanted to defend her and makeup excuses for her.

It was ironic. He was now contemplating on whether he should support the

duchess when he had no compassion for her at the start.

But… whenever he saw her. She reminded him of his sister, who died a
tragic death.

Heinz felt as if a heavy burden had been placed on his chest.

How did she get sick…?

“Argh! This angers me so badly!”

“What’s wrong, captain?”

“Shut up! Don’t talk to me!” Heinz glowered, making his way among his men
and marching away from the training grounds.

* * *

Just as Elody was busy, Caville also had a full agenda.

In the morning, he had to check the security of the territory and went on
his training with the knights.

Then, in the afternoon, he had to perform his duties as the lord of the
land.

“I thought my wife would stay by my side…”

But Elody said she was busy with her research, so she couldn’t accompany
him most of the time.

Either way, Caville couldn’t complain as the relationship between the two
had recovered.
His wife had been very sweet to him and treated him with the utmost
kindness.

These were peaceful days…

It was good that she treated him like when he was a child, but he still
wasn’t satisfied for some reason.

While reviewing some documents, Caville recalled one of Ifrit’s words.

“I know I told you to pretend to be weak… but why are you acting like a
child?! Are you mad?!”

“Tsk! You were the one who mentioned it first. And isn’t my relationship
with her better now?!”

“Argh… seriously, you idiot… you don’t have a single clue about stuff like
this, don’t you?! I told you, a husband shouldn’t be cute and childish!”

It was the same conversation as before.

“…Then what?

“You can’t end up looking cute! How old do you think you are?! Ten? You
have to show her a different image of yourself!”

“Well, what kind of image?!” Caville asked aggressively.

“You have to be masculine! You aren’t as adorable as when you were a kid.
You know that, right?!”

Ifrit had suggested he show his abs before, but it had failed miserably.
Ever since that day, Caville kept staring in the mirror with sadness.

“I’m not adorable.”

He thought about it and got frustrated each time.

He knew he was attractive, but he wasn’t adorable. It was depressing, but

he had to admit it somehow.

Caville wondered about what he should do. How could he become more special
to her?

He thought that maybe if he showed that he could manage the duchy

responsibly…

In fact, after seeing Caville’s efforts, Elody admired and even praised
him. She was relieved that she could leave without any concerns. However,
Caville did not know that.

He, on the other hand, was waiting for the guys from the Temple to come
quickly.
‘So I can kill them all.’

They must pay for taking away his wife’s precious letters and medicine.

However, he could not live with the idea of doing it in front of his wife.
He wouldn’t go back to making that stupid mistake again.

He was thinking of letting Ifrit take care of them. After all, he did have
to follow his orders for the rest of his life. Caville had put all of the
necessary conditions in the contract he made with Ifrit. Therefore, the
spirit king had no other choice than to follow his orders.

That, too, was thanks to Elody’s teachings.

Caville hummed softly.

He thought of taking care of everything quickly and then going to the lab
where his wife was working.

But his efforts soon turned out to be in vain.

In the afternoon, while Elody was experimenting with drugs. Caville was
sitting next to her.

Suddenly, as if she would have remembered something important, Elody told

him, “By the way, Caville… When the men from the temple come, you
shouldn’t take revenge or even think about hurting them, alright?”

“…Why?” He asked with a kind tone, pretending to be understanding and

obedient when he was actually terrified of her discovering his plan. He
was so shocked that he covered his mouth with his hands.

Elody smiled and stroked his head.

“The temple is a very powerful force. It would be better if you ask for
compensation instead. If you take revenge on them physically, then they
will not remain still.”

“But…”

“I want our territory to be in peace, Caville.”

That was something Caville agreed with.

“I’ll try to figure something out, okay?”

“Yes, wife,” He nodded quietly.

Elody was a good person, but she wasn’t the type to let it go. She was
also thinking about how to get her revenge. Sometimes, she would even plot
things worse than death.

“Oh, but you mustn’t let the temple control you. You know that, right?”
“I know.”

The temple wanted to use the power of Caville’s spirit. Thus they spread
rumors saying that he was the son of God. When in truth, they were just
using Caville as a political tool for their own benefits.

If he had to choose, the imperial family would be a better choice because

the temple guys were even more twisted than the emperor himself.

“And when the princess arrives, you have to be kind to her…”

“Yes.”

Elody somehow learned the story of Princess Larissa and her interest in
winning Caville’s heart.

After Caville’s return, Elody had never brought up the topic of Princess
Larissa.

She didn’t dare to talk about her because she was not ready to accept it.

However, she couldn’t ignore this for any longer as she would have to
leave soon.

But to her surprise, Caville’s reaction was cold.

And so, Elody decided to ask him again, “About Princess Larissa… they said
that she has beautiful silver hair, right?”

“……”

Caville was silent.

After a few moments of silence, he spoke, “Wife.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t want to talk about her when I’m with you.”

“Uh … ah, yeah, I see,” Elody nodded, embarrassed.

She couldn’t even will herself to ask more about it as his response was
frigid.

Caville knew well that the emperor wanted the princess to marry him. Even
Brien mentioned it to him.

However, Caville was offended and upset. He was already married. He didn’t
understand why they were trying to separate him from his wife.

Caville would never tolerate them. Anyone who tried to separate him from
her should die by his own hands. Even if his wife asked him not to do it,
he would get rid of them all.
Maybe after that, his wife would be permanently uncomfortable with him,
but it was way better than being separated from her for life.

The thought of never seeing her again…

Brought him so much fear.

No one had any idea how difficult those seven years had been. He didn’t
want to go through that hell again. Those painful memories were like
horrible books; one he left on the shelf to gather dust.

And when he saw her again, he finally had the chance to make new memories.
Divorce was certainly not on his agenda.

Elody glanced at Caville while shaking the solution inside the flask. She
still didn’t understand why he reacted so coldly when she brought up the
princess.

‘Has he not fallen in love with the princess?’

Given that the war ended in seven years, it was not without the
possibility. Otherwise, he would have already admired the princess so much
that he wouldn’t want to part with her.

Elody went on with her experiments for a long time whilst Caville kept
staring at her.

Thus, a month passed by…

And one day, a group of people arrived in the duchy…

Princess Larissa from the Empire of Dayev was finally here.

Chapter 51

The trip took three-months, but Princess Larissa was not tired at all.

After so long, she could finally see the Duke of Cernoir again.

‘I wonder what he’s doing now…’

Princess Larissa could not forget the duke’s expression on the

battlefield.

When she looked into his eyes, it was like nothing was there to behold.
Nothing but an endless depth of ink, sorrow, and pain. She believed that
he knew no warmth and had never shared love. That’s why she told the
emperor that she needed to go to the Duchy of Cernoir.

When Princess Larissa saw the Duke of Cernoir for the first time, she
thought that their meeting was fate.
It was the first time she ever felt that way. She couldn’t deny the fact
that she had fallen for him at first sight.

Hence, Larissa wanted to be closer to the Duke of Cernoir.

It was true that at first, she needed his help for political reasons as
well, but now it was because she desired to mend his broken heart.

But unfortunately, he was colder than the rumors.

‘This time…’

When they met again, she hoped that they could become much closer than
before.

Thus, Princess Larissa clung to her hope, leaving everything in the hands
of fate and destiny.

She felt more alive than ever.

* * *

Many things had happened in the duchy before Princess Larissa arrived in
the estate.

First of all, the vassals who did not participate in the war left for the
Forest of Death.

They felt unjust, but there was no other escape.

Thus, they decided to grit their teeth and plan for a better future.

On the other hand, Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard handed in their homework
to Caville.

For the past month, the two barons had stayed in the duke’s mansion to
write their reports. Caville permitted them to stay with the condition
that they would not come in the duchess’ presence.

Because of this, the two barons had to hide whenever they saw Elody.

“Do you still think that she’s unqualified to become the duchess?”

“No. Your Grace!”

“No way, Your Grace!”

The two barons said as they stared at the duke with a desperate look on
their faces.

Caville glanced over the report with a satisfied expression. The report
was full of gratitude to the duchess.

“Your Grace, if you could postpone our departure…”

“That’s right. I just came back… I want to be with my family for a while
longer.”

“Please…”

Caville looked down at the two barons that were on their knees.

He remembered his wife’s words, who said that he should show mercy and
give another chance to those who sincerely realized their mistakes.

When the barons said that they wanted to be with their family, Caville was
a bit moved.

He knew how painful it was to be apart from his loved ones.

“Alright, I shall give you one more month.”

The two barons faces’ brightened in an instant.

They had made their decision.

Seeing the duke’s reaction to the report, it was clear what their course
of actions should be.

They would have to stick to the current duchess and take her side.

Their last hope, Iris, had been staying inside the mansion for the past
month.

But even Iris seemed to have no intention of capturing the duke’s heart
anymore.

Instead, she kept asking them to find a man with pink hair.

She would often gaze at the pink flowers and stayed there until sunset.

Truthfully, Iris had tried to seduce the duke several times since her
grandfathers did ask her to do it.

However, he treated her like an invisible person every time.

He was too proud of himself even for a duke in Iris’s eyes.

He hurt her ego.

‘Is he playing hard to get? Or is he purposely ignoring Iris? This is much

worse than my first love.’

Iris began to hate the duke for his indifference.

Thus, she started ignoring him as well.

In the end, they eventually treated each other as invisible people as
their relationship completely disappeared, or rather, it didn’t exist from
the very start.

Nevertheless, the relationship between the two was nothing more than
strangers.

* * *

As the date of the princess’ arrival approached, the servants began to

worry.

To the servants, the princess was like an uninvited guest as they knew
that the emperor was trying to tie up the lord with her.

Particularly, some of the maids were watching Heinz’s knights who were
eager to praise the princess.

Anna continued to spy on the drivers while managing the greenhouse.

In particular, some maids kept Heinz’s knights under surveillance as they

had always praised the princess.

At the same time, Anna had been spying on the knights while managing the
greenhouse.

And at last! The opportunity to slap the former mercenary knights had
finally come!

“Hey, Anna. Is the duchess doing well?”

“Yes?”

Sir Therion approached Anna, hesitantly asked, “So… I was wondering if the
lord is getting along well with the madame. Since they’ve been swamped
with work recently…”

‘A chance!’

Anna grabbed hold of the opportunity.

“Why, of course! The duke has been taking care of her with his utmost
sincerity! He goes back and forth to see his wife for at least twelve
times a day, even if he’s busy!”

Heinz’s knights, who were listening to Anna’s words, snorted.

Therion nodded with a sad look on his face.

Because of the mercenaries’ constant chattering, Therion got a bit

influenced and thought that the duke might choose to marry the princess as
well.

‘If that happens, will the madame be alone?’

He had hoped that was true, but unlike the rumors, the lord and the madame
seemed to be getting along very well.

Not long ago, there was a time when he accidentally witnessed them walking
together. Both of them looked very friendly.

Therion was heartbroken but decided to move on instead.

Though it wasn’t long, Elody would forever be his first love…

* * *

The rattling sound of carriages could be heard as the princess’ entourage

neared their mansion.

With hands clasped tightly in front of her stomach, Elody constantly

fiddled with her knuckles, weaving her fingers in and out of each other as
she stared out of the grimy window.

This was even more nerve-wracking than when she waited for Caville’s
return!

‘Why am I so nervous…?’

She would meet the heroine of the original novel soon.

Her memories of the novel had faded, but a rough image remained.

One thing she remembered was that Larissa was an innocent, nice, and
beautiful heroine.

She was innocent enough to keep being bullied by the villain Elody
McClaire…

But…

“Marie, isn’t this too flashy?”

“Huh? What do you mean, madame? I don’t think that it’s any different from
usual.

“……”

It was completely different…

For some reason, Marie was extra sensitive today.

Elody silently watched Marie decorating her with accessories.

After she finished dressing her up, Elody went down to the first floor
with Caville, who was waiting in front of her room.

Elody glanced at Caville’s face.

‘Is he looking forward to meeting the princess…?’

Caville didn’t seem tense, but he seemed eager.

The imperial cavalcade entered the city gates with mountains of gifts in
its carriages.

And as the carriage came to a stop, the servants and knights welcomed the
princess and the emperor’s envoy.

A maid and a young male nobleman got off from a fancy carriage, and soon
Princess Larissa appeared.

“Wow…”

The carriage steps cluttered as the princess was led down, and when the
knights saw her, they couldn’t help but gawk at her gorgeous silver hair.

“…So we finally meet again, Duke of Cernoir.”

Princess Larissa approached Caville straight away. However, Caville was

indifferent.

“…Yes.”

“…….”

Elody stared at the two in awe.

The male lead and the heroine had finally met! They got along better than
what she had expected.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, duchess,” Larissa said as she greeted Elody
with an awkward smile.

“A pleasure to meet you, as well, princess.”

Ever since the Duke of Cernoir returned to the land as a war hero, he had
been the center of all gossip throughout the capital. As such, his wife
was also of interest.

However, little was known about the duchess.

She was known as the daughter of Count McClaire, a mage who made all sorts
of magical drugs.

That was the only rumor that seemed to be correct.

The rest seemed inaccurate, saying that she was bad-tempered, extravagant,
ill-mannered, and so on so forth.

Some rumors also said that her potions were made out of dirty mice and
bugs, but Larissa was unsure.
In short, the nasty rumors out-weighted the good ones.

The rumors also spread around the battlefield. Caville’s knights informed
Princess Larissa of two things; the duke came to the battlefield at a very
young age, and it was a fact that the duchess was a very cold woman.

After hearing the story, Princess Larissa could understand why the duke’s
eyes were full of loneliness and pain.

However, in reality, the duchess was a beautiful woman with gorgeous pink
locks.

Elody glanced over the princess’s shoulder to inspect the carriages and
asked, “If I may ask, princess. Did the priests of the Thysser Temple come
along with you?”

Princess Larissa snapped back to reality and replied, “Oh, the priests
stopped by another temple on the way… They said they would arrive either
tomorrow or the day after.”

“Ah, I see… Well, you have come a long way, so please head inside and make
yourselves comfortable.”

“Thank you for your consideration, duchess.”

Princess Larissa smiled a little and followed the maid’s guidance to the
inside of the mansion.

Maid Carolina and Count DeFore glanced at Elody before following the
princess inside.

They also heard rumors about the duchess in the capital.

In particular, Carolina knew of the princess’ feelings, so she

investigated the duchess in great detail.

And there was one person who witnessed her eyes that were full of
hostility…

‘These people dare… ‘

It was Olivia, one of the maids who cherished Elody a lot.

Olivia’s eyes were clouded with fury.

“Please guide the guests to their rooms,” Elody instructed.

“Yes, madame.”

* * *

Princess Larissa was guided to the best guest room they had and was
resting there.
“How dare they give the princess a room as shabby as this. Right,
princess?” Carolina complained.

But Princess Larissa did not hate the room.

It wasn’t as flashy as the room she spent in the imperial palace, but it
was rather elegant as well.

Princess Larissa liked being here more than the imperial palace. She liked
the mansion of the Duke of Cernoir because it had a more vintage feel and
coziness to it.

‘This place feels homey. It reminds me of the old castle I used to live in
when I was a little girl…’

Indeed, it was similar in appearance as well as the atmosphere inside it.

Chapter 52

Knock-knock!

Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Larissa said.

A few maids proceeded to enter the room.

Shortly after she arrived, Princess Larissa made a small request to Elody.

“Excuse me, duchess. Can I ask for a maid to serve me during my stay in
the mansion?”

“Of course, princess. Will one person be enough?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

She wanted a maid to guide her as she still wasn’t familiar with the
mansion.

The maids approached Larissa and greeted them politely.

Carolina carefully observed them to search for their flaws.

“You can choose any one of us, princess,” Tessie said in a kind voice.

Larissa glanced at the maids one by one.

Then, her eyes came to a halt as she saw a gloomy-looking maid with narrow
shoulders.

The maid seemed to be insecure and uncomfortable.

‘Isn’t it possible that she’s bullied by someone…?’

Princess Larissa suddenly recalled one of the rumors she had heard in the
capital.

“The duchess abuses her maids and makes magic pills from their tears!”

She thought it was a ridiculous rumor, but the story came to her mind as
soon as I saw the maid.

She felt chills down her spine.

Thus, Princess Larissa pointed her finger to the maid.

That maid was Olivia.

* * *

“……”

Caville was staring at the gifts with a long face. The emperor sent
various jewels, gold bars, and silk fabrics as gifts.

‘They should’ve sent only one gift… ‘

Caville was so busy with his duties that he had no time to spend with his
wife, but to think that it was because he had to pay attention to things
like these…

He was irritated.

Caville turned away from the gifts with a dissatisfied expression.

And late afternoon that day…

Elody was stuck in the lab, working on her newest project.

The growth-promoting ampoule used for ginseng cultivation was very rare,
so it could only be made in small quantities.

The ingredients of the ampoule were the root of the rabbit-tailed-grass.

The root itself could be easily obtained, but the ones that could be used
in the ampoule were the deeply aged roots.

Currently, Elody was researching ways to use ordinary roots as an

ingredient for the ampoule.

However, Elody couldn’t concentrate at all that day.

‘Is it because I’ll have to leave soon?’

Elody had packed her things last night as she didn’t have much to take.
However, she still felt restless for some reason.
Before the princess came, she still had the desire to leave.

But when she saw how the princess looked at Caville, she finally realized.

The time for her to leave had finally come.

She really had to go this time…

Elody’s luggage was only filled with a couple of clothes and the dried
leaves of the Herb of Salvation.

The rest of the luggage, the laboratory objects, and the plants in the
greenhouse did not matter much as they could be moved slowly in time.

“Madame, why do you look upset?” Anna asked carefully, noticing Elody’s
rigid face.

“Huh? Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just… the research isn’t going too well.”

“How about taking a break today? The banquet will be held in a few days…”

“I’m alright. I’ll just go to the greenhouse for a while.”

Elody smiled at Anna, who sorted the herbs, reassuring her that everything
was fine, and then headed towards the greenhouse.

‘…Is she in a lot of pain?’

Anna looked anxiously at Elody’s back. It seemed that she was suffering.

It was obvious that she went to the greenhouse alone because she did not
want Anna to see herself in pain.

Anna’s heart ached.

However, contrary to Anna’s expectations, Elody was perfectly fine.

As she approached the plot of herbs, Elody reached out her hand. Then, a
glow of blue energy penetrated into her body.

She felt comforted for some reason.

Suddenly…

“Hello, benefactor. What’s with your expression?”

Elody lifted her head only to find Ifrit in the middle of the ginseng
field.

“…That field.”

So much soil… but the puppy…

Elody bit her lips and lifted Ifrit.

“What?! Let go of me!”

“You shouldn’t be in here.”

“How could you carelessly touch the spirit king’s body! Don’t think you’re
special just because you’re my benefactor!”

Elody didn’t care. In her eyes, Ifrit was nothing more than a small and
adorable puppy.

“Ifrit. You shouldn’t go into this field. Do you know how much these are
worth?” Elody said, pointing to the ginseng fields.

“……”

At Elody’s resolute remarks, Ifrit lowered his head.

Ifrit felt bad, but he was quickly comforted after Elody gently swept off
the dirt from his fur.

“By the way, you seem to have troubles too.”

“Too? What do you mean by that? Does Caville have troubles too?”

Ifrit was stunned by Elody’s sharp intuition.

Caville had already warned Ifrit.

He was told to never talk about Caville in front of his wife.

“No… I mean, humans in general always have a lot of troubles,” Ifrit

replied while averting his gaze.

“…I see.”

Elody wondered if Caville was worried about her and the princess.

What if he couldn’t bring up the divorce because he felt sorry for her?

“Benefactor, what’s troubling you?”

“…Me? N-nothing’s troubling me…” Elody shrugged.

“You’re obviously anxious about something. I can see it in your face.”

“……”

“I shall listen to you. Now tell me.”

Elody looked troubled and hesitated a moment before answering.

“By any chance…”

However, as she was about to speak up.

“My wife.”

The door of the greenhouse leading to the lab opened, and Caville entered
the room.

Caville narrowed his eyes when he saw Elody with Ifrit.

“Caville…?”

“You were with Ifrit?”

Caville quickly approached and carried Ifrit.

Then he opened the back door of the greenhouse, released the puppy, and
closed it back.

He even locked it tightly.

Elody tried to come up with an excuse.

“He was playing around the ginseng field,” she spoke, quite awkwardly.

“…I see.”

“He could accidentally damage the field, so I’ll have to lock the door for
a while.”

“Good thinking, wife.”

Caville hated it when Ifrit was with his wife. The cunning Ifrit was well
aware of the duke’s emotions. He didn’t want him to steal his precious
time with her.

“…….”

On the other hand, Elody felt strange when she saw Caville look so angry.

She was sad, and her heart felt empty, but she didn’t know why.

“Are you finished with your work?”

“Yes, wife. I’ve finished everything properly.”

Caville was diligently carrying out the duties of the lord. Elody’s help
was no longer necessary.

Elody was surprised to see the reports a few days ago. All his judgments
were neat and uncluttered. The principles of a noble would sometimes cause
one to judge in favor of those with higher status. However, like Elody
herself, rather than to dispose of the case with an unruly judgment,
Caville thoroughly considered the circumstances of the weak and made a
fair decision.
When Elody asked the administrator who was in charge of the trial records,
he told her that Caville had found all the records that Elody had tried
and studied them to its core.

Elody was happy that Caville was doing well, but she also felt strange
somehow.

“Then, shall we go back to the mansion?” Elody asked while smiling at

Caville.

“Yes, my wife.”

Previously, Elody had to brush off Caville’s hand several times because of
the symptoms of her disease.

And since then, Caville hadn’t reached out his hands to Elody.

It was because he thought that Elody was uncomfortable with his touch.

However, Elody also didn’t have the courage to reach out to Caville first.
It seemed as if she shouldn’t be doing it for some reason.

Even if she did initiate any physical contact, it was only about stroking
his head or tapping his shoulders.

After the princess arrived, Elody felt like there was a distance between
her and Caville.

Caville also felt that distance.

“……”

Until yesterday, the two acted like a brother and sister, but that day,
the atmosphere was completely different.

The two returned to the castle without saying a single word. The
atmosphere was tense as none one tried to break the awkward silence that
filled up the air.

* * *

“Where is the duke now?”

It had been two days since the princess arrived at the mansion. Larissa
had never been able to see Caville even once.

“He should be in court as of now,” Olivia replied.

“I see…”

At Princess Larissa’s grim answer, Olivia’s heart sang for joy.

After she was assigned as Larissa’s maid, the maids went through a brief
meeting.

“Never let the princess and the duke run into each other. You got that,
Olivia?”

“Yes, Marie. I will even risk my life to stop it.”

Olivia’s eyes were filled with determination. Marie was bedazzled by her
willpower.

“Um… please don’t have to risk your life… But anyways, we can’t do
anything on the day of the banquet, but before then, make sure that the
two will never run into each other. Understand?”

“Yes… I will desperately try to stop it at all costs,” Olivia replied.

The maids looked at Olivia with reassuring expressions.

Nobody knew how concerned they would be if Sylvia ended up being assigned
as the princess’ maid instead.

It would be a nightmare!

Fortunately, the princess chose Olivia.

Olivia perfectly memorized the duke’s daily routine and then arranged the
princess’ schedule in reverse.

“Is the duchess busy, too?”

“Yes, the madame is currently working on a new magic pill.”

“Ah…”

Larissa had a sullen look on her face.

Thus, she decided to take a stroll in the garden.

“What’s over there?”

Larissa asked, pointing to a peculiar building.

“…That’s the madame’s greenhouse.”

“Greenhouse?”

Princess Larissa’s expression brightened when she heard the word

greenhouse.

Before the invasion of the Kingdom of Urta, there was a beautiful

greenhouse in the royal city of Dayev.
Before they were colonized by the Empire of Urta, there was a beautiful
greenhouse in the Dayev Empire, and it belonged to Larissa and her mother.
She felt quite nostalgic all of a sudden.

“I want to see it… is that alright?”

“That’s…”

“Of course, princess! Why wouldn’t we be allowed to? Let’s go and see,
princess!”

Carolina immediately took charge and led the princess to the greenhouse.

Larissa smiled at her cheerful appearance as she followed Carolina from

behind.

“……”

And Olivia, for some reason, followed after the two with a resentful
expression.

“Is it locked? Get the key here!” Carolina shouted at Olivia after seeing
the locked greenhouse door.

“Managing the greenhouse is not my job.”

“What? Did she intentionally lock it so that our princess could not see
it?”

“Carolina, it’s okay….” Princess Larissa stopped her.

“Tsk…” Carolina complained in dissatisfaction.

“Let’s see it next time,” Larissa smiled and led the two maids back to the
garden.

They arrived in a garden full of pink roses. Their heavenly fragrance

invited them to stay, and it’s pink, blooming petals stood out in the
grass.

“Wow… the flowers are gorgeous. Princess, I’ve never seen colors like
these in the capital!” Carolina exclaimed as she picked up the bunch of
roses.

After confirming that the flowers had no thorn, she handed it over to
Larissa.

“They’re wonderful…”

Princess Larissa looked at the rose with an ecstatic expression.

The pink roses danced and swayed in the wind, it’s long green stem was as
fragile as glass. She had never seen such beauty before in the Empire of
Dayev.
But then…

“Who broke Iris’ rose?”

An angry voice came from behind.

Chapter 53

Iris snarled at the three in front of her.

“…!”

Tessa, Iris’s maid, was surprised when she saw Princess Larissa before her
eyes.

She carefully whispered into Iris’s ear, “Milady, she is Princess Larissa
of the Dayev Empire…”

“Oh, really?”

At Tessa’s words, Iris immediately changed her expression. She lifted the
hem of her dress and dropped into a curtsy.

“This is the first time Iris has met a princess in real life! Iris has
only heard about them in fairy tales! It is very nice to meet you, Your
Highness,” Iris smiled.

Iris introduced herself as the granddaughter of Baron Bernard and Baron

Vendos, the duke’s vassals.

Princess Larissa gave her a friendly smile.

“A pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Iris.’

”Yes, of course. Speaking of which, why did you ruin Iris’s roses? The
roses must’ve been in great pain…”

Iris took the rose from Larissa’s hand.

Larissa was embarrassed by her spoiled behavior, but she didn’t lose her
signature smile.

“How dare she take Her Highness’s things…?!”

Carolina glared daggers at Iris, trembling with rage.

“This rose belongs to Iris!” Iris shouted at Carolina.

“I’m sorry, Lady Iris, but… this is the duke’s residence. Doesn’t the
garden belong to the duchess?” Larissa said with a worried expression.
“Still, she’s being ridiculous. How dare you act so rudely in front of the
princess…?! Our princess is His Majesty the Emperor’s niece!” Carolina
yelled as if she was carrying a heavy load.

She was frustrated because the duke’s servants weren’t as hospitable as

she thought they would be.

Of course, the servants were kind but not as kind as what Carolina wanted.
She expected Princess Larissa to get the best treatment. Better than the
duchess herself!

Carolina knew that she was being unnecessarily emotional. But she couldn’t
help it because she knew what it was like to be looked down upon by other
people.

As a maid of the imperial palace, Carolina used to be bullied because she

wasn’t originally from the capital. But when Larissa chose her as her
personal maid, the attitudes of the other servants changed drastically.
Carolina was forever grateful to the princess and had been blindly
following her ever since. She thought that Princess Larissa was kinder and
more beautiful than anyone else.

Carolina did not doubt that the Duke of Cernoir would fall in love with
Princess Larissa.

But to think that the granddaughter of a mere baron would dare to belittle
her princess…!

Iris observed Princess Larissa from head to toe with her hand on her chin.

“The duchess gave Iris her permission! She gave all the roses in this
garden to Iris! That’s why these roses are mine!”

“……”

Princess Larissa laughed at Iris, who was acting like a child, she
genuinely thought of her as cute. It seemed that she had grown up
receiving tremendous love from her grandfathers.

Except for her mother, Larissa had never been loved by those of her own
blood. She unexpectedly felt a little jealous as Iris had grown up
surrounded with so much love, whereas she did not.

“I apologize, Lady Iris. It seems as though I’ve made a mistake,” Larissa

said.

“…Apology accepted, Your Highness,” Iris smiled as if she was never angry.

On the other hand, Tessa breathed a sigh of relief as she wiped the sweat
off her forehead.

Then, the minute she saw Olivia, her heart stopped.

During the month of her stay at the castle, Tessa, Iris’s maid, began to
fear the servants of the mansion.

It was midnight that day, and she had accidentally listened to their
conversations.

One of them said, “Threaten him with a knife.”

“Choke his neck with one arm… you’ll get information as long as you act
tough…”

The conversation was scary and suspicious! Tessa believed that they would
have killed her if they ever found out that she was eavesdropping on them.

The servants were actually looking for information about the people that
tried to bribe them. However, Tessa didn’t know that. She simply imagined
that they were involved with an underground criminal gang.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared from behind her…

“…!”

It was Olivia.

Tessa was so surprised that she fell to her butt. Afterward, Olivia
threatened her to stay shut. If she ever broke that promise, she would not
hesitate to use coercion on her.

Tessa was terrified. She used to think of Olivia as a timid and shy maid.
However, she turned out to be the most frightening maid amongst all the
others!

“Why does Your Highness have to apologize?!” Carolina chastised.

She was becoming both frustrated and angry. She couldn’t understand why
the princess had to succumb to that so-called baron’s granddaughter.

Nevertheless, the princess just laughed it off. Then, she went back to the
mansion whilst trying to calm her maid down.

Before Olivia followed the two back to the mansion, she didn’t forget to
glare into Tessa’s eyes, staring deep into her soul.

‘If you dare say one word. You shall never come back alive.’

Tessa gulped and crossed her fingers. She was so petrified that tears
started welling up in her eyes. She wanted to go home with her lady as
soon as possible, but unfortunately, Iris seemed to have no intention of
doing so…

All of a sudden, Iris broke into a fit of laughter.

“Haha! Iris thought that the princess would be full of dignity, but I
guess not. As expected! Iris is much more beautiful than the princess,
right?” Iris grinned in satisfaction.

“……”

Not minding the silence. Iris continued to hum while admiring the
beautiful pink flowers.

She did not like the duchess; however, she had to give Elody credit as she
did give her the whole garden.

Not long ago, Iris was strolling around the garden with the company of her
grandparents. She asked the barons if it were possible for them to plant
these pink roses at home.

Suddenly, they bumped into the duchess who was also taking a walk.

Elody, being the kind person she is, heard of the story and promised to
give it to her as a gift for when she returned to her residence.

Iris was ecstatic. However, the two barons just bowed their heads and kept
averting the duchess’ gaze.

At that moment, Iris wondered if something had happened between them as

her grandfathers were acting quite odd.

She wanted to ask them, but she was distracted with the joy she felt after
receiving the roses, and well… she eventually forgot about it.

Anyhow, after meeting Elody, Iris was now looking for her first love.

In all her life, she had never seen such a unique hair color that was
beautiful as the duchess’, except for the young man she met from when she
was a little girl.

Once she remembered her first love, it occurred to her that he could be
related to the duke’s wife. In fact, in the beginning, she wondered if the
duchess might have actually been that young man herself. However, the
duchess should have been much younger than him at that time.

‘Then, he might be related to the duchess!’

As soon as she thought of that, Iris came to her grandparents and asked
them to find out more about Count McClaire’s children, for she definitely
wanted to meet her first love.

‘When we meet again, he’ll fall in love with Iris once he sees how
beautiful Iris has grown!’

Iris couldn’t care less about not becoming the duchess. The duke treated
her like crap anyways. So, of course, she didn’t want to waste her time on
someone who’s clearly not interested in her.
A few days ago, when she met the duke, she turned her face before him
first!

‘…And it honestly felt great!’

Of course, Caville didn’t notice at all, but… Iris was convinced that she
had won.

Looking at the duke, she somehow felt very sorry for the duchess.

Even if he was a very handsome man, nothing mattered because her husband
was very cold.

‘Hmph! Love is not all about physical appearance. Iris’s partner has to
have a nice personality and be very kind to Iris.’

Her first love was so much cooler than the duke.

She thought that it would be much better to find her first love than to be
the second wife of the duke, who was still married.

Iris had already visited the duke’s mansion and the duchess even gifted
her the roses in the garden! What more could she ask for? All of this was
enough to show off to the other noble girls.

“Milady, do you know that the princess came here because she wants to
marry the duke?” Tessa asked as she wiped the tears in her eyes.

“Pfft! The duke and the princess? He didn’t even fall in love with Iris!
How could he ever fall in love with the princess?” She snorted.

“That’s true. No one could ever come to par with Lady Iris’s beauty.”

However, Tessa believed that the princess and Duke of Cernoir could end up
marrying each other.

Tessa was sad. She had hoped that Iris could capture the duke’s heart, but
she guessed that wish wouldn’t come true.

* * *

The Temple’s entourage had been stopping at a few temples when going on
their way to the Duchy of Cernoir. This was the last stop, and so they
hurried to embark on their journey again. Awaiting to arrive at their
final destination. The Duchy of Cernoir.

Theodore, the commander of the Paladins of Thysser, got on his horse and
spoke, “We leave tonight. We shall proceed to the Duchy of Cernoir without
any delays.”

“Yes, commander!”

With blonde hair and green eyes, the young man was greatly respected by
the other paladins.
After the previous commander retired, the next commander of the paladins
was chosen solely because of his ability.

Theodore was an excellent man, both in appearance and in sword fighting

skills. Thanks to that, he was always the center of gossip in the capital.

His curls were golden, and his eyes were the glimmering color of emerald,
sparkling in the light like a fresh sheen of morning dew, framed by
graceful brows. He was kind and diligent. Plus, he had a mystical aura
that seemed to be able to captivate every woman near him.

“Do you know why the ladies in the capital come to the temple every day?
It’s not because of their faith, rather… It’s because they want to see the
commander of the paladins!”

Was what the rumors said.

Paladins don’t usually marry, but it certainly wasn’t forbidden.

Theodore was still single at the early age of 28.

Thus, it was understandable as to why many aristocratic women wanted to

have his hand in marriage.

However, recently, the person that was the center of all topics in the
capital was the Duke of Cernoir, not Theodore.

Divorcés are usually looked down upon by other people. However, that did
not apply to the Duke of Cernoir.

The duke had become a war hero! It was undoubtedly better to become his
second wife than to marry a man who had nothing at all.

Had the Duke of Cernoir visited the capital, the civilians would have gone
nuts. Caville Cernoir was a young and handsome man who turned the war to
victory. Thus, his popularity had earned him the attention of numerous
women of marriageable age. And although he wasn’t single, he was married
at a very early age, and the two were separated for seven years. Hence,
everyone thought that he would at most certainly divorce his wife soon.

As long as someone was able to capture his heart, even an ordinary country
girl could become the duchess. His power at present was that great.

Though, if the Duke of Cernoir had visited the capital, the nobles would
have compared him to Theodore, the commander of the paladins.

There was even a poll to see who, between the two, was more popular! Many
young women wanted to see them both at the banquet.

Unfortunately, the Duke of Cernoir immediately returned to his territory,

and the commander of the paladins, too, had to go to the Duchy of Cernoir.
The Temple of Cernoir had been empty for a long time. Thus, the Great
Temple decided to dispatch new priests and paladins to maintain close
relations with the Duke of Cernoir.

Of course, there was no need for the commander of the paladins to come,
but Theodore volunteered to go there himself.

Nobody knew the exact reason.

On the battlefield, the Duke of Cernoir and the commander of the paladins
did not have a good relationship with one another. They had no idea why
Theodore chose to go there.

The paladins and priests who accompanied him also tried to guess the
reason. His men had asked him about it many times, but Theodore had never
given them an accurate answer. He had always beaten around the bush or
diverted the topic itself. That’s why no one knew the answer to those
questions.

However, little did they know that his true purpose… was to pursue Elody
McClair, the Duchess of Cernoir.

Chapter 54

Princess Larissa hadn’t been able to see Caville during her stay in the
duchy.

This was because Caville had a hectic schedule.

Especially today, many of the duke’s vassals and knights visited the
mansion. So he was even busier than usual.

Caville did not like the noisy atmosphere. However, he had no other choice
than to welcome the uninvited guests.

Moreover, Count DeFore, one of the court officials in the imperial palace,
gave him a stack of documents to sign.

“These are documents sent by His Imperial Majesty. Please examine and sign
each one of the papers.”

“……”

The documents stated that he would not claim any property from the war.

‘What a nuisance…’

Caville started checking the papers.

The emperor was a cunning man.

He meticulously prepared the documents to increase the possibility of him

getting all the properties at once.
Thanks to that, Caville had to read each one of them thoroughly.

It was so stressful as Caville couldn’t just recklessly sign them without

reading carefully.

‘That damn old emperor…’

There were even some strange documents in the pile of papers.

‘Is he doing this on purpose?’

In addition, the emperor also sent a special letter to Caville.

[Princess Larissa is quite fond of you. She specifically told me that she
would like to marry you.]

Caville wondered if he could get Ifrit to burn down the imperial palace.

Finally, the emperor’s letter expressed interest in the Spirit King of

Fire.

As soon as Caville saw the emperor’s letter, he immediately wrote back a

response. He ordered a servant of the imperial palace to send the emperor
his answer.

The letter contained a firm answer that he had never intended to get a
divorce and that he had no desire to marry the princess whatsoever.

‘No one has ever asked me for my opinion.’

Nobody had ever thought about Caville’s feelings. They had never asked.

He certainly had never had the intention to marry the princess from the
very start.

The princess didn’t even ask him if he wanted to marry her in person.

Though no one asked, it seemed that it would be better if he spoke about

it first.

But he needed to find a good reason before discussing the topic at hand.

And as he was not close with a lot of people, Caville decided to consult
Ifrit.

“But she didn’t personally ask you to marry her, right? Wouldn’t you be in
trouble if you bring up the topic first? It’ll seem as if you want her to
propose to you!”

Because of Ifrit’s words, Caville became even more confused.

Nonetheless, when the perfect opportunity came. Caville would not hesitate
to crush the rumors about him and set things straight.
Besides talking about Princess Larissa, the emperor’s letters were also
filled with questions about the Spirit King of Fire.

‘Both the Imperial Government and the Temple were yearning to covet
Ifrit’s powers.’

However, Ifrit was already contracted to serve Caville for life. The same
thing also happened to other divine spirits.

He had to depend on Caville’s mana to survive.

Moreover, Ifrit was only able to burn all of the Urtans because his source
of power came from Caville’s mana.

Caville planned to use Ifrit as much as possible since he had already

given him a lot of his mana.

Though truthfully, the useless puppy hadn’t been very helpful nowadays.

“Phew.…”

Caville sighed as he read the reports sent by vassals that had reached the
Forest of Death.

‘I miss my wife.’

Lamenting about his workload, Caville looked at the greenhouse from his
office window.

‘When I got to the mansion, I thought that I’d be able to see my wife
every day…’

Yet, reality wasn’t as sweet as he had hoped for.

Caville thought that his wife would like him more if he did the lord’s
duties as best as he could, but the response he got was not as
enthusiastic as he had expected.

She did praise him, but it was not the reaction that he wanted.

Caville was anxious.

Not long ago, the two seemed to have gotten closer.

However, one day, the atmosphere began to change again, and the distance
between them grew wider.

Caville could feel it.

His wife seemed uncomfortable and always tried to avoid being alone with
him.

He felt like he was going insane as he didn’t know what to do.

Furthermore, he had been apprehensive about the sudden visits of uninvited
guests and his workload had gotten much heavier!

Caville was exhausted.

‘I don’t even have time to walk with my wife. What should I do?’

Caville turned his gaze away from the papers in frustration.

* * *

Elody and Norman were choosing rooms for the guests from the Temple of
Thysser.

“Your Grace, I heard that you were in the lab until late at night
yesterday… How about taking a break from work today?” Norman asked,
worried.

“That’s alright, Norman. I’m not that tired. Thank you for your concern,
though,” Elody smiled.”

After thoroughly checking the rooms, Elody directly headed to the

laboratory with Marie.

Elody was excited to have found a new type of seed to study.

Yesterday, a messenger from Rhondia came to the mansion with the peaches
that Elody had asked for.

“Is Sirka too busy?” Elody asked.

She thought that Sirka would come to the mansion himself.

“Yes, the boss has been busy with work lately. So I think he will stay in
the capital for a while. If something needs to be done, Your Grace may
send someone directly to the branch. We’ll do our best to take care of
it.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank us. Mr. Sirka told us to prioritize the madame first.”

After the messenger said that they would send as many peaches as possible
to Elody in the future, they headed back to the capital.

On the other hand, Sirka was still busy with the investigation of the fake
red pills.

Elody sent some of the peaches to Julia and distributed the rest of them
to the servants, knights, and guests. She also planned to plant the peach
seeds in the greenhouse.

When the shoots grew, she was thinking about improving the fruits using
accelerators.
Thus, Elody decided to go to the lab.

On her way there, she saw a familiar fellow and paused in front of the
knight’s training grounds.

“Madame, is something wrong?”

“……”

Marie followed Elody’s gaze and immediately frowned.

Princess Larissa and a few knights were chatting happily in front of the
training camp. There were Brien and some mercenary knights, as well as Ren
and Solar.

“Huh. They must get along well because of the war.”

“Right, it seems that she has adapted well to the atmosphere here.”

“She’s leaving soon anyway. What’s the need for her to adapt to the
atmosphere of the mansion?”

“……”

Elody did not respond and proceeded to the laboratory with a bitter smile.

Unlike the princess, she felt distant from the knights. Seeing Larissa get
along well with them made her feel strange. She felt alienated and sad.

* * *

A day had passed…

The late afternoon sun shone in a slant through the window, like a wide
bar of gold.

Today was a special day.

It was the day of the princess’s welcoming banquet!

At the moment, Princess Larissa was getting ready for the banquet, and
Olivia was helping her dress up.

“Wait, Olivia. How did you get that wound?” Larissa asked.

Carolina was away to fetch a glass of cold water. Therefore, the two were
the only ones in the room.

However, as Larissa took a glimpse of Olivia’s shoulder, she was surprised

to see the wounds underneath the maid’s attire.

“I got it a long time ago.”

“……”

It didn’t look like an old wound.

Princess Larissa stared at Olivia’s eyes.

She was very gloomy, and her eyes seemed… empty.

“Olivia, if you have something troubling you, please tell me.”

“Nothing is troubling me.”

It hadn’t even been that long since they met. Why would the princess
expect Olivia to speak about her problems…?

Olivia felt very uncomfortable.

“Alright. But if you have any concerns, you can tell me, understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness…”

After a while, Carolina returned to the room with cold water.

“Oh my, Your Highness… How stunning! You look like an angel that fell from
the heavens!”

“Oh, you’re exaggerating!” Princess Larissa giggled.

“Move!” Carolina said as she pushed Olivia to fix Larissa’s dress.

Then, she styled the princess’s silver hair.

“Your Highness, it’s a good thing that we bought the dress from the
capital’s most famous designer! Isn’t that right?”

“Yes. It’s stunning.”

Princess Larissa’s gown was delicately embroidered with bright beads that
sparkled like diamonds. It was a body-hugging silhouette with a skirt that
flared below the knee.

She looked ravishing as the beam of light reflected in her silver strands
of hair, making it seem as if it were glowing from within.

“It’s a welcoming banquet for Your Highness, so you must stand out more
than anyone else!”

Olivia gritted her teeth at Carolina’s impudence.

“I shall take my leave now. I need to get everything ready for the
banquet,” Olivia spoke.

“Alright. See you later, Olivia.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After Olivia left the room, Larissa asked Carolina.

“Carolina, Olivia has a terrible wound on her body… have you seen it?

“Your Highness saw it too?”

“Yes… it seems like a serious injury.”

At Larissa’s words, Carolina remembered something.

“Did the duchess abuse her like what the rumors said? Or are the other
maids harassing her? I used to be bullied by the maids in the imperial
palace too.”

“Did you also suffer from their beatings?”

“It wasn’t as bad as Olivia’s since I only got slapped a few times…”

“Oh no…”

“I think she has more injuries. Perhaps that’s why she keeps shrugging her
shoulders. She must be in excruciating pain!

“How terrible…”

Princess Larissa’s eyes glistened with tears. She felt sorry for Olivia.

“Oh, Your Highness… please don’t cry!”

Carolina immediately fixed her makeup as the princess bit her lips to
contain the tears.

“You have a beautiful heart, Your Highness…” Carolina smiled before

continuing, “Though, it is very likely that the duchess abuses her
servants. Could she really have made the magic pills with their tears?”

“Don’t tell me…”

“I mean, why would she keep the greenhouse and the laboratory locked if
not because of that? She must be hiding something!”

“…Really?”

“I think so! Besides, Olivia is very stiff in front of the duchess. She
kept bowing her head like a sinner…”

“Dear heavens, is that true?”

Larissa was shocked.

The duchess she met face to face did not seem like a tyrant…
Unlike her first impression, the duchess seemed to be strict with the
servants.

Larissa sympathized with Olivia. She was just a young girl, but she had to
receive such harsh beatings.

She wanted to help her, even if it was just a little bit. No, she wanted
to help her to the fullest.

‘I have to get her out of here somehow…’

If the duchess was abusing her, Larissa thought that it would be better
for Olivia to escape the mansion.

Chapter 55

Elody had given Olivia a healing cream that could gradually remove the
traces of her wound. However, Olivia chose to give it to her mother. She
wanted to keep the scars so that she would never forget about the madame’s
kindness for the rest of her life.

Elody was a little embarrassed about it. Still, she had told Olivia that
she could ask her anytime if she needs more cream.

“What do you think, princess? Should I braid it to the side?”

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

Princess Larissa, who hadn’t dressed up for a long time, smiled with glee
as she watched Carolina style her hair into a beautiful braid.

A few days after arriving at the mansion, she could finally see the Duke
of Cernoir again.

Perhaps that was why her heart was beating rapidly with excitement.

Nonetheless, Larissa tried to calm her beating heart.

* * *

‘It’s a banquet to welcome the Princess…’

Caville was stunned. He didn’t expect that he would have to host such a
massive banquet for the princess. It made it seem as if he cared more
about the princess than himself.

Caville would rather hear Elody praising him for doing good at his job
than to prepare a banquet for someone he didn’t even like. He even had to
suffer from his wife’s distant attitude again because of this!

Elody had been avoiding Caville with the excuse of being busy. It was
getting harder to bear. Caville was thinking of having a long conversation
with his wife tonight.
Caville glanced at Elody, who was sitting next to him.

“…Wife.”

“Hmm?”

Elody turned her head to see Caville, but as soon as they made eye
contact. She averted her gaze.

‘See!’

Caville’s heart ached. A bunch of questions just popped into his head.

Why did his wife do that? Was she mad at him?

He was distraught.

Caville leaned towards Elody and whispered to her ear, “Wife, I’d like to
talk to you later.”

“Huh?”

Elody was surprised.

“Make time for me later, okay?”

“…Alright.”

At Elody’s answer, Caville smiled in satisfaction. Then, he offered Elody

a glass of wine.

“……”

Elody stared at Caville’s glass with a grim expression. Caville, whom she
had raised, had begun drinking…

Elody wanted to nag, but she restrained herself. She felt like she wasn’t
qualified to scold him anymore.

Strangely, it felt as if she had been taken to the edge of a cliff even
though she had not left the mansion yet.

* * *

Thanks to Princess Larissa, the atmosphere of the banquet was lively and
full of life. Unlike the ducal couple that sat next to each other,
Princess Larissa sat next to Heinz and his men.

She loved mingling with knights regardless of her status as a princess.

Therion’s knights were also surprised at seeing the princess being so
friendly.
Therion himself, however, could not attend the banquet. Under Caville’s
orders, Therion had to leave for the Forest of Death to look after the
vassals for a few days.

Therion’s knights stared at the princess and the mercenaries with envy.

It was good that the princess seemed to get along well with the
mercenaries. Elody knew that it was a good thing. But somehow, she didn’t
feel as happy as she should have. Elody struggled to find the origin of
her strange emotions.

Heinz’s knights were happy as they got to sit near the princess.

“Princess! Do you remember the count that looked like a duck on the
battlefield?

“Oh my, a duck? Now that I think about it, they really do look similar!”

Princess Larissa laughed and chatted merrily with the knights.

At the same time, she would glance at the duke every now and then.

Suddenly, a knight asked the princess in a quiet voice, “By the way,
princess, are you really going to marry the duke?”

“……”

“Hey, why would you ask that…? I’m curious too, but…”

“But the Duke is already married…” Princess Larissa spoke while covering
her flushed face.

“He’s going to get a divorce anyway! Plus, they haven’t even obtained the
temple’s blessing…”

“But… aren’t the duchess and the duke on good terms?” Princess Larissa
asked.

Her heart was racing for some reason. She was overwhelmed with joy as she
heard the duke’s knights acknowledge her.

“No, not at all!”

“That’s right!”

Heinz’s men responded by waving their hands.

They had no idea that the duke was deeply immersed with his wife. Yet,
they still believed in their own assumptions.

They had heard many rumors about the ducal couple’s great relationship.
However…. They closed their eyes and ears to the truth because they only
believed what they wanted to believe.
And what they wanted was for Caville to marry the princess.

“Princess, you must never abandon our commander!”

“That’s right! Princess is much more suitable for the duke than that
duchess!”

Larissa smiled at the knights’ words.

Suddenly, Carolina clapped her hands as if she had remembered something.

“Ah, that’s right! I almost forgot! I have a question for you, sirs! Is
the duchess harsh with the servants?”

“Carolina…”

Princess Larissa stopped her, but Carolina only stared at her, not knowing
what was wrong with what she had said.

The knights were surprised by the unexpected question and began

contemplating. Was it true? They stared at each other without knowing what
to say.

“I don’t think so…?” Heinz replied after being silent for most of the
time.

“I see,” Princess Larissa responded with a smile.

“……”

Heinz was so uncomfortable that he felt like he was going crazy.

In fact, he was uncomfortable from the start! But it only got worse after
Princess arrived.

He hadn’t been able to sleep these past few days. He would feel abdominal
pain for at least twelve times a day.

He was sure that the princess was very kind, and yet… Why was she doing
this?

As the days passed, Heinz got more and more nervous as he didn’t know when
the duchess would die.

He wanted to tell the duke everything, but he couldn’t just break his
promise!

‘Damn it, since when have I been such a righteous man…?’ He wondered.

Meanwhile, Carolina asked another question to the knights, “Also, the

duchess had never written a letter to the duke for seven years, right?”
In response to her question, several whispers arose, as if she had just
revealed something scandalous. Princess Larissa also listened attentively
to the conversation.

“Rumors said that she did send letters to him, but they got stolen by the
Temple. However, no one has any proof! Who knows? Maybe it’s a lie after
all.”

“That’s right. She should have at least sent one! She probably forgot
about our commander during those seven years!”

“Now that our commander returned as a war hero, she pretends to be a

devoted wife.”

“……”

Heinz was fuming with anger as he listened to his subordinates

disregarding and bad-mouthing the duchess in front of the princess.

He was so upset that he gulped down an entire bottle of alcohol.

Heinz had a different opinion with the others. He didn’t know when it
changed … but, in any case, it was definitely different now.

The duchess had sent so many letters to the commander.

‘Those bastards from the temple must’ve stolen it…’

He had been skeptical about it for a long time… but now he was strangely
convinced.

Heinz stared at the duchess, who sat far away from him. The duchess,
dressed in a sky blue gown, seemed fragile as if she could collapse at any
time.

‘She must have vomited blood again when she was alone…’

When he remembered how the duchess spat blood as if she was about to die,
he got anxious.

Suddenly, a knight entered the banquet hall and ran towards Caville.

He reported the outside situation.

“They’re here? At this time of the day?”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

A deep furrow ran across Caville’s forehead. He was clearly irritated.

Elody stared at Caville and asked, “Caville, what is it happening?”

“Wife, the people from the Temple of Thysser have arrived.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

Elody ordered her maid to tell the princess that she needed to leave for a
while. Then, she and Caville left the banquet hall and headed for the
entrance of the mansion.

“Wife, the wind is cold tonight.”

Caville ordered his servant to bring Elody’s shawl and then put it on her
shoulders.

Elody smiled awkwardly after thanking him.

Afterward, the two stood next to each other while watching the cavalcade
approaching from a distance. The flag of the Thysser Temple waved
haughtily in the air.

After passing the gate, they dismounted as soon as they reached the
entrance of the mansion.

“I’m delighted to see that the duke has personally come to greet us. My
name is Amos, and I am a high priest from the Temple of Thysser,”

The high priest was a thin man who seemed to be in his late 30s.

‘Ah… So they sent a high priest.’

When the Temple said they would visit the duchy, Elody predicted that a
normal priest would come. It would not be surprising, since there were
less than ten high priests at the temple. It was a position that people
would fight over in order to gain power in the Temple and for a normal
priest, after gaining favor with Caville, his chances of reaching a higher
position would become increasingly more.

“This man here is Theodore, he is the commander of the paladins,” Amos

said as the man standing behind him bowed.

He was a handsome young man with stunning blond hair and bright green
eyes.

Then, Elody also gave them a formal greeting.

“We’re holding a welcoming banquet for Princess Larissa at the moment. You
can unpack your things and join us at the banquet hall.”

“Thank you for your kind hospitality, duchess,” Amos said.

It was strange that such a high-ranking priest could act so polite and
formal.

However, Elody would soon find out why.

“By the way, what are all those things? ” Elody asked, surprised at the
endless rows of carriages.

She wondered if the Temple had also prepared gifts for them.

“This is…”

Amos seemed troubled as he cleared his throat a couple of times.

“Actually, these are the supplies and letters that the duchess has sent to
the battlefield during the past seven years…”

Chapter 56

Elody and Caville were speechless. They couldn’t believe his words.

High Priest Amos immediately wracked his brain for any excuses that would
be plausible.

“We kept it for security reasons. We sincerely apologize for causing Your
Graces to lose contact with each other. However, considering the situation
at that time, please try to understand.”

High Priest Amos braced himself for the worst as Caville looked at the
wagons with a menacing stare.

That was a huge amount.

Caville glared at the high priest.

Terrified, Amos immediately made a gesture, ordering the other priests to

lay down the supplies in front of the gate.

Even though the space right in front of the gate was full, the priests did
not stop moving.

And eventually, due to lack of space, the supplies began to pile up in the
corridor.

Caville’s heart felt like it was being ripped to pieces as he stared at

the supplies.

“……”

However, unlike Caville, Elody was dubious.

‘Did I send that many…?’

The amount was massive…

She touched the nape of her neck.

“As a token of our apology, please accept this communication device as a

gift from the Temple of Thysser,” Amos spoke as politely as possible.
Elody’s eyes widened at his words.

A communication device was a divine magic tool that could only be used by
high priests and imperial families.

She heard that there was an outstanding divine magic tool maker in the
Thysser Temple that could make that communication device.

Like a modern phone, the device made it possible to communicate with other
people over a large distance.

High Priest Amos turned to the curious Elody and presented her a small
box.

“May I ask the duchess to check its contents?”

“……”

At his words, Elody carefully opened the box. There were two metal magic
tools the size of a palm.

The design was so astonishing that they could even be considered as an

ancient artifact.

“Thank you.”

Elody truly liked the gift. She was filled with the desire to take it to
the lab and disassemble it.

‘I hope I can succeed in making magic tools too someday…’

Elody also tried to make magic tools, but the results were very sloppy.

All of them were for the red ginseng production, but there were tons of
drawbacks such as the machine producing a very loud noise or its size
being too large.

Elody called in the servants to lead the priests to the guest rooms.

“I have told the servants to send your luggage to your room tomorrow, so
it would be best for you to go in and take a rest first.

“Thank you, duchess.”

High Priest Amos glanced at Caville before following a servant that guided
him to his room.

Suddenly, the man who introduced himself as the commander of the paladins
stood in front of Elody.

“Your Grace, this is for you as well,” he said as he gave another box to
Elody.
‘How did they prepare so many gifts…?’ Elody thought as she opened the
box.

“…These are my letters.”

“……”

“Thank you, Sir Theodore. Please come inside and make yourself at home.”

“…Alright.”

Theodore looked like he had tons to say, but soon turned around without
uttering a single word.

After the priests and paladins who put down the supplies went to the guest
room, only Caville, Elody, and a few servants were left.

“Caville.”

Elody approached Caville, who had been standing there, staring at the
accumulated boxes.

“My wife….”

“It’s late, but at least we got it back…”

“…But… I don’t have the heart to forgive the Temple’s actions.”

At Caville’s resolute words, Elody made an awkward look. She was less
angry after receiving the magic tool.

“Come on, take this.”

“……”

Caville accepted the box that Elody handed to him.

“What is it?”

“Open it.”

At Elody’s words, Caville opened the box.

“……”

The box was full of envelopes.

It was an enormous amount.

“It would be difficult to read at once. You don’t have to read it because
after all, it is already in the past, but… these letters portrayed the
feelings that I had wanted to tell you back then.”

“Wife…”
Caville reached out and squeezed Elody’s hand.

Elody stared at Caville’s intense gaze with a perplexed expression.

“I… Wife…”

All of a sudden, Marie approached the two.

“Your Grace, the people from the Temple said that they wanted to rest.
What should we do with the banquet?”

“Wrap it up,” Caville answered.

Caville held Elody’s hand and headed for the stairs.

“Caville, wait a minute…” Elody panicked as she followed Caville up the

stairs.

He led her to his bedroom.

When Caville suddenly barged into the room with his wife, Ifrit, who was
lying in bed, jumped up in surprise.

“……”

Elody was puzzled and confused.

“…I don’t think I’ll feel better even if I kill all of the temple guys
right now.”

Caville put the box of letters on the table. It seemed that someone had
already read it as the seals were ripped off.

“Caville, please calm down… take it easy. Alright?”

Elody approached Caville and stroked his back.

“……”

“You shouldn’t attack the Temple right now. We could take advantage of
this situation.”

Elody hoped that Caville would not make any enemies after she left.

He spent 7 years on the battlefield alone. She just wished he could live a
peaceful and happy life after all that…

“Caville…”

“…Alright, wife,” Caville painfully responded.

Had it not been for Elody, he would have cut the necks of the priests on
the spot.
“I need a hug.”

“……”

“Can you hold me, wife? Please?”

At Caville’s earnest words, Elody was forced to open her arms to him.

The two enveloped in an embrace. Elody was in his arms, but Caville felt
like he was being held by his wife instead.

“Wha… what are you guys doing?” Ifrit, who was on the bed, suddenly spoke.

“……”

Caville beckoned Ifrit to leave as he was hugging his wife.

“W-wait, Caville… I think I should go down now,” Elody said as she pushed
his chest and broke the embrace.

“I’ll take care of the banquet, so you can just take a rest.”

“……”

At the end of her words, Elody left the room as if she wanted to run away.

“…Is it my fault?” Ifrit asked while blinking.

Caville just stared at the little puppy with an angry expression.

Elody quickly left the room and went down the stairs, and then stopped
walking.

“……”

She took a deep breath and placed her hand on her thumping chest. She felt
strange.

She couldn’t figure out why being alone with Caville felt so awkward and
uncomfortable.

Maybe it was because they had to divorce soon, or maybe it was because
they hadn’t seen each other for a long time…

Nonetheless, her heart was pounding like crazy.

* * *

The banquet was finished after the men from the Temple arrived.

As a result, Princess Larissa and Carolina got very heartbroken and went
right back to their room.
And as the knights left the mansion to return to their lodgings…

“What is all this?”

A huge amount of luggage stopped their tracks.

The amount was so large that it piled up from the first-floor hallway all
the way to the entrance of the mansion.

The chattering of the knights could be heard throughout the halls.

“What the? Are these gifts from the Temple?”

“It must be for the duke!”

“They must have finally come to their senses!”

Furious, Marie blocked their way and shouted, “These are the medicinal
supplies that our madame sent to the battlefield for 7 years!”

“……”

Everyone fell into silence.

“What?”

“All of these?”

The knights began to murmur at the unexpected words.

“The duchess truly cared about the duke! She was worried about him for 7
years!” Marie cried, “These, these medicines… she made them all by
herself! You have no idea how expensive these are… It’s probably worth a
lot more than all of your salary combined!!!”

“……”

Marie sobbed as all of the resentment she had kept hidden had broken free.

After the war ended and the knights returned, Marie and other servants had
been working very hard to explain to the knights that misunderstood the
duchess.

However, no matter what she said, the knights wouldn’t listen! They would
only say yes to disregarding the truth. In fact, it was irrelevant to them
as their thoughts had already been construed in believing what they wanted
and nothing else.

In particular, the knights who used to be mercenaries were the worst. They
had dismissed their explanations as lies and were too busy criticizing the
duchess.

Suddenly, Brien approached Marie.

“M-Marie….”

Marie gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

“You have no idea how much she’s…! How much…!”

‘How much pain she’s in…!’

The heartache she felt was like an insatiable fire that burnt all the
oxygen in her body leaving her listless and empty. However, she couldn’t
even confide about it to her lover.

Marie wanted to, she truly did. But she had to hold back. The duchess’s
secret was something that should never be said.

“Would the temple really steal her supplies and letters? It must be a
lie.”

“I mean… it doesn’t really matter anyways. Even if the madame didn’t send
any letters, at least she has managed the duchy well.”

The knights who had secretly held onto such thoughts were proved wrong
after seeing the large number of supplies.

“……”

Especially the mercenaries who had always been downgrading the duchess,
they were speechless and had nothing more to say.

“Why are you guys still here?! Hurry up and return to your quarters! Go
wash up and sleep, don’t be late for training tomorrow!”

At Brien’s words, the knights began to rush back to their lodgings.

As all the knights started to leave, Brien tried to approach Marie again.

“Marie…? Please don’t cry, yeah? I’m sorry…”

As Brien tried to close the distance between them…

Slap!

Marie slapped him hard.

“What do you think you’re doing?! Get out of my way!” She hissed, not
wanting to be hugged by her ex-lover.

As Marie pushed Brien away and walked to the entrance, she noticed someone
and stopped.

“…?”

‘Why is he crying…?’
After all of the knights went back, there was one man that was standing
alone, weeping in tears.

“……”

That man was Heinz.

Marie passed him, raising her eyebrows as if she had seen something
strange.

“Sob…”

Heinz was crying much harder than Marie.

He sobbed into his hands and the tears dripped between his fingers,
raining down onto the ground.

“…What’s up with you…?”

Brien, who was touching his beaten cheek, also found Heinz in tears.

“Ugh. Sobs…”

He began to approach Heinz and asked, “Hey… why are you crying…?”

“Sniff… Sobs…”

But Heinz just kept crying without a single word.

That day, no one could understand the reason behind his tears…

Chapter 57

Caville had been reading Elody’s letters all night long. He read them so
slowly that there were still plenty of them left.

While watching Caville, Ifrit dozed off beside him.

“……”

Tears were coursing down his cheeks. There was no way to stop them from
flowing as he read each of the letters.

He felt like he was finally comforted after being so lonely in the past 7
years.

Elody recorded her daily life as if writing a diary. It was also filled
with love and affection for Caville.

He was foolish to have thought that a wife like this might have ever
forgotten him.

Caville felt like his heart was torn apart. He would never feel better
even if he ripped all the Temple people to pieces.
“……”

But on the one hand, his heart was full of happiness. It was as if he had
just received an enormous amount of Elody’s affection pouring out to his
entire body like heavy rain.

Unfortunately, Caville looked miserable the next morning as his eyes were
puffy from crying himself to sleep.

“…What in the? How the hell did your eyes get so swollen? You look awful,”
Ifrit spoke.

Caville was startled once he looked into the mirror.

“……”

As Ifrit said, his eyes were incredibly swollen.

‘If my wife sees me like this, she will think that I’m ugly…’

Caville ordered a servant to bring him some ice. He couldn’t meet his wife
looking like this.

Sadly, the ice did not get rid of his puffy eyes.

Thanks to this, Caville had to avoid Elody throughout the day.

He didn’t want to show his swollen eyes, but…

For some reason, he felt really shy when he stood in front of his wife.
His heart was pounding so loud that he started to wonder if he had heart
disease.

* * *

In another place…

Just like Caville, there was also a man who stayed awake last night.

He was Theodore, the Commander of the Paladins from the Temple of Thysser.

The reason as to why he couldn’t sleep was also because of Elody’s letter.

He was also the leader of the paladins on the battlefield.

However, the paladins were fully controlled by the priests of the Temple
of Thysser. In particular, the high priests’ words were the law and they
were absolute.

Theodore was dissatisfied with that, but he never broke their orders.

He was originally the second son of a great noble family in the capital.
When he volunteered as a paladin, people were shocked.

His father was a noble with several titles. It was clear that his second
son, Theodore, would be given a lower title.

However, Theodore knew.

That his father would not give him anything.

It was late, but after realizing that, Theodore suddenly volunteered to be

a paladin.

There were many rumors circulated around him, saying that he was insulated
from his family… and it was unfortunately true.

Theodore’s parents were his biological parents, but the couple’s love was
directed only to their first son.

Theodore, the second son with little resemblance to the couple, was just a
puppet for his older brother.

Even if his older brother tormented him and hurt him, his parents would
never blame him.

Theodore was ostracized by everyone in the mansion. Nobody took care of

him, and even the servants ignored him.

After years of neglect and abuse, he grew up having a cold personality

that knew no affection.

Before becoming an adult, Theodore left the family on his own so that he
would not be hurt by them anymore.

He had never regretted that decision.

Theodore, too, once begged for the love of his parents. But he was no
longer an innocent boy.

He had made up his mind while being isolated from my family. He promised
himself that he would not be greedy for love and affection.

He didn’t want to be hurt by useless hopes and expectations.

That was what he thought…

Until he saw Elody’s letters.

* * *

“Ugh, to think that the Temple would arrive at that time of all days. They
ruined the banquet!” Carolina complained as she brushed Larissa’s hair.

“It’s all right…”

Princess Larissa was sad, but it couldn’t be helped.

Larissa was disappointed that they had to wrap up the banquet earlier than
what they had planned, but she was sadder about the fact that she could
not speak with the Duke of Cernoir.

“……”

Every time Larissa recalled the face of Duke Cernoir, her heart fluttered.

Somehow, her feelings for him seemed to be getting deeper and deeper.

Although she didn’t ask for this, she couldn’t help but feel that way
towards him.

She didn’t even hope to marry the duke.

‘Of course, if that happens, I’ll be very happy…’

She just wanted to be close friends.

But even when he was close, he still seemed so far away. Like he was out
of reach.

“Princess, shall we go to see the duchess’s greenhouse today?”

“But the door is locked.”

“We’ll have to open it somehow! There must be evidence there that could
reveal the duchess’s evil schemes! If we could reveal her antics, she’ll
definitely get divorced by the duke! Right?”

“…But, Carolina…”

“It’s so obvious that she’s abusing Olivia!”

“……”

“We’ll just check it out and come back afterwards! Please? If the princess
is worried, then I’ll go in there secretly!”

“No, I’ll go with you but we’ll have to get permission first.”

“Sheesh, will that woman even allow us?”

“Nothing has been revealed yet, so you shouldn’t doubt her that way.”

“Princess… You’re sweet but you’re way too soft on other people! If you
want to capture the duke’s heart, you have to be more aggressive! Don’t
you know that a lot of young girls are also aiming for the duke?”

“…Yes. Well, he’s a very nice guy.”

“You know what I think? I think that the barons’ granddaughter, Iris, or
whatever, came here to seduce the duke as well! So the princess must try
harder too! Alright?”

“But how…?”

“You must tempt him with your beauty! In my eyes, you are the most
beautiful woman in the whole wide world.”

“……”

“I actually have a plan….”

Carolina whispered into Princess Larissa’s ear with a cunning smile.

At the start, Princess Larissa was curious about her plan. But as the maid
continued on, Larissa’s face grew redder and redder.

* * *

Elody took the red pills that were laid in a small tray and gulped it down
with a glass of water.

She was exhausted because she had been very busy these days.

She wanted to lie in bed all day and sleep, but Elody stood firmly on her
ground because she wanted to do something.

“Anna, do you know what this is?”

“What is it, madame?”

“This is a sacred magic tool. Have you heard of it?”

“Wow, is that so?”

“Yes, and right now… I’m going to dismantle it.”

“What? Something so precious?”

Elody grinned as if she were dying from happiness. Making a magic tool was
definitely in her bucket list.

She thought she would never be able to see it because only the imperial
family and high priests could have it…

When the Temple gave her the communication tool as a gift, Elody’s heart
sang for joy. She wanted to disassemble and study it as soon as possible.

Elody opened a drawer and pulled out a large bottle of blue reagent.

Then she started pouring it into a large basin.

The reagent was a substance that could lower the binding magic power and
eliminate any toxins in medicinal herbs.

This reagent solution was used to break down herbs that were made by
mixing various effects. A drop of it could also dissolve the poison from
toxic herbs.

It was easy to make, but it, unfortunately, had little to no use.

‘I’ve made a lot of them just in case, and look! It turned out to be quite
useful.’

Elody soaked the sacred magic tool into the basin.

After one minute, she took it out and wiped it with a towel.

“It’s finished.”

After confirming that the bond had been weakened, Elody cut the magic tool
in half without hesitation.

Then, she disassembled the pieces of metal and started studying the coding
structure of the mana which was written in an ancient language.

“……”

Anna didn’t know how to do magic, so she could only stare at her in
wonder.

It looked like she broke it… However, she was very serious about studying
the magic tool.

Elody began to write down the codes on a blank piece of paper.

“……”

Anna quietly stepped back.

Elody seemed so focused. So she didn’t want to disturb her.

But suddenly…

Bang bang!

Someone started pounding on the door from the outside.

Anna put her arms on her chest in anger and shock.

“…What the?” Elody raised her head in confusion.

“I’ll go check it out, madame.”

At Anna’s words, Elody grabbed her pen again and began to write. Elody was
someone who could not be bothered once she started doing her research.
“Who in the world…?”

Anna opened the lab door and came out to see the person who knocked on the
door.

The people standing at the door were none other than Princess Larissa,
Carolina, and Olivia.

“As expected! Knocking from this door works!” Carolina exclaimed.

Then, she arrogantly asked, “Why is the door to the greenhouse over there
locked?”

“…We don’t use that door at all. The greenhouse only uses the back door.”

“The back door? Then open the back door!”

“……”

Anna was dumbfounded by her impudence. She glared at Carolina with furious
eyes.

Olivia had been standing behind the princess the whole time. She just
shrugged as if this was how the rude maid acted everytime.

“…I’m sorry, but I can’t. The greenhouse is full of rare plants for
madame’s research.”

“Hmm… Are you sure she’s not hiding something strange? Why can’t you show
it to the princess? Don’t you know that she is the emperor’s niece?”

“……”

She was being ridiculous.

Anna stared at Princess Larissa that stood next to Carolina.

“…I want to see the greenhouse, can you please show me?” Princess Larissa
said kindly.

Larissa actually didn’t want to do this.

However, as Carolina had said before, it would be a big deal if the

duchess was actually hiding something strange.

As the emperor’s niece, if the duchess was exploiting her servants, it was
her duty to uncover the truth.

“…I will ask the madame first.”

Anna eventually turned to Elody.

“See, princess! I told you it would work!”

“…Yes.”

Carolina laughed with excitement. Olivia, who had been silent the whole
time, cursed at Carolina in her heart.

Yesterday, Carolina pretended to follow Olivia all the way to the

bathroom.

Because of the wounds on her body, Olivia hated bathing with other maids.

That’s why she usually bathed alone when the others weren’t using it.

Unexpectedly, Carolina was spying on her.

In the end, she managed to outrun Carolina and took a bath alone, but
Olivia was still offended.

It was because Carolina seemed to be curious about the wounds on her body
and acted so rudely about it.

Olivia was irritated.

“Madame, the princess wants to see the greenhouse…” Anna said.

“…Is that so? Alright. I’ll guide her myself.”

Elody put down her pen and rose from her seat.

As Elody walked to the entrance, Anna pouted her lips.

Chapter 58

Elody guided the princess inside.

“This is my lab, and this is the greenhouse.”

“Wow, this is the lab? It’s astonishing,” Princess Larissa said as she
looked around the lab.

On the other hand, Carolina was scanning the room to see if there was
anything suspicious.

“The greenhouse is this way,” Anna pointed at the door leading to the
greenhouse with a stern look on her face.

Princess Larissa and Carolina then headed for the greenhouse.

“Wow… it’s lovely,” Larissa exclaimed.

As soon as she entered the greenhouse, the aromas of fresh grass lingered
around the air.
“It’s full of plants that I’ve never seen before in my entire life,
princess!” Carolina said.

Then, Elody explained what each of the plants was, from the herbs that
grew in the mountains, ginseng, wheat, and even the peach seeds. She was
genuinely proud of her research.

Meanwhile, Princess Larissa stopped when she saw an area full of beautiful
flowers.

“Oh my god! What is this flower, princess? It’s the first I’ve ever seen
this before…” Carolina pointed at the flower with a curious look.

“It’s the Aperia… right?” Princess Larissa asked, smiling.

“Yes, that’s right,” Elody nodded.

The Aperia flower was a flower that only appeared on the eastern
continent.

Its stem was like the hue of spring grass, and its brilliant blue petals
were so thin that even the air, made dim by the plumes of debris and
smoke, could shine through them, bestowing an unearthly glow.

It also had a sweet fragrance that could prevent pests from coming near
it. Also, the stem of the flower could be used as a hemostatic agent.

Elody thought of planting the Aperia flowers in the pink rose garden after
giving them to Iris.

She wanted to use the stem as a hemostatic agent since it could be useful
in the future.

Plus, the seeds of the Aperia flower were provided by Sirka himself.

“I thought I would never see it again….”

Princess Larissa began to cry.

When she still lived in the Castle of Dayev, the greenhouse she kept with
her mother was full of Aperia flowers.

As her mother loved the Aperia flowers, Princess Larissa grew to love them
as well.

However, after the Empire of Urta colonized the empire, the greenhouse was
burned, and the beautiful castle was also demolished.

It was impossible to reconstruct the castle back.

That was one reason why Princess Larissa did not want to return to the
Dayev Empire.
‘I thought I wouldn’t be able to see the Aperia flowers again but to see
it again in such a distant place… ‘

Princess Larissa loved this greenhouse very much.

The duchess’ greenhouse was much broader and better than the greenhouse
she had with her mother.

If she planted all the Aperia flowers in this spacious greenhouse, it

would surely be as beautiful as her mother’s greenhouse.

“You seem to like the Aperia flowers.”

“Yes… it’s a flower that my mother loved.”

Elody picked a few flowers and handed them to Princess Larissa. Princess
Larissa gladly accepted.

Then she asked carefully.

“Well, the duchess. Can I come to see the greenhouse again next time?”

“Oh… Well, the greenhouse is not always open. So please tell me through
the maid, and I will guide you again.”

At Elody’s words, Princess Larissa slightly raised her eyebrows.

“Why isn’t it always open?”

Larissa’s mother had always opened the castle’s greenhouse for everyone to
see.

Because of that, Princess Larissa could not understand the duchess.

‘Why don’t you want other people to see the greenhouse? Is there any other
reason?’

“Well… I have a puppy running around the entire castle. The ginseng field
is locked so that it doesn’t step on it.”

“…I see.”

Larissa had never seen the puppy during her stay in the castle.

‘She’s obviously lying… ‘

Princess Larissa thought that her assumption was right.

‘Wouldn’t it be nice if I could stay in this greenhouse all day…’

Princess Larissa wanted to smell the flowers there all day long.

She would be so happy to drink tea while recalling the memories she had
with her mother…
“Princess, I’m sorry, but there’s research that I have to continue working
on. I’ll show you more next time.”

“…Yes, duchess. Thank you.”

After returning to the lab with Elody, Princess Larissa paused and looked
around.

“Can I also look around the lab…?”

“Yes, you may,” Elody shortly replied.

As Princess Larissa looked around the room, she stopped to see the magic
tools on her desk.

‘This is a divine magic tool from the Temple of Thysser….’

It was a communication device used only by the imperial family and high
priests. Larissa had never used it herself, but she had seen the emperor
use it.

‘But why….’

Seeing the divine magic tool that was in pieces, Princess Larissa held her
breath.

Suddenly…

“What is this? Argh!”

Carolina spilled a glass beaker while looking at the herbs that had been
dried on one side of the room.

Carolina screamed after seeing the unknown liquid on her arm.

“It’s weird, princess! Ahh! It’s a strange poison!”

“It’s just water…” Elody replied kindly.

Carolina, who was making a fuss, widened her eyes at her words. Then, she
whispered to Princess Larissa’s ears.

“Princess… she’s lying. It must be the tears of the servants.”

“……”

Princess Larissa glanced at Elody with a tense look.

It was definitely possible. She destroyed the divine magic tool… she
locked the greenhouse and also…

Carolina grumbled and wiped her arm with the handkerchief that Anna handed
over.
And then…

Something came into Princess Larissa’s sight. As she reached out her hand
to the suspicious piece of paper…

Tak—!

But Olivia’s hand was faster.

She grabbed Princess Larissa’s wrist.

“How could you touch it so carelessly…”

“Are you crazy?”

Carolina slapped Olivia’s hands away from Larissa’s wrist.

‘I have to punish her for this,’ Carolina thought.

She thought that it would be best for her to educate the maid in front of
the duchess.

“Olivia, we’ve been taking care of you all this time, but how dare you
grab the princess’s hand?!”

Carolina raised her hand and tried to slap Olivia’s cheek.

The servants of the imperial palace were usually beaten for bad behavior
and were strictly educated.

She knew that Olivia had lots of injuries and wounds already, but Carolina
thought,’Is this how the duchess and maids scolded her for being so
spoiled?’

She wanted to test that, so she tried to slap her.

When Carolina raised her hand, Olivia curled up in surprise.

Her father and brother had abused Olivia for a long time, so she would
remember her trauma when someone raised their hand towards her.

Suddenly.

Elody blocked Olivia from harm’s way by gripping Carolina’s hand as she
was about to strike.

“……”

Not knowing that the duchess would stop her, Carolina immediately lowered
her hand and hid behind the princess.

“…I’m sorry, duchess,” Princess Larissa said, concealing Carolina on her

back.
“That’s alright. But, from now on, it seems that Olivia will not be able
to take care of the princess anymore. From my point of view, that maid
from the imperial palace will be enough….”

“…Yes, I got it,” Princess Larissa replied, but Carolina was dissatisfied.

“But…”

“Carolina,” Princess Larissa stared at her as if it was alright.

Elody sighed and asked, “No, princess. Carolina? Tell me. What’s wrong?”

“…Isn’t it right to educate servants who are impudent by at least smacking

them?”

The duchess was abusing the servants and making magic potions with their
tears…

‘But now she’s trying to cover for her?!’

Carolina thought that the duchess pretending to protect Olivia was absurd.
That’s why she was able to confidently ask even if she was a bit afraid.

Elody replied firmly, “I’m sorry, but we never educate the servants that
way. It’s difficult to apply the rules of the imperial palace in this
mansion…”

Princess Larissa looked at Elody with anxious eyes.

In her eyes, she felt as though Elody would oust Carolina at any moment.

She didn’t want that to happen, so she decided to step up.

“I’m sorry, duchess. Please don’t blame Carolina anymore!”

‘I’m not even angry…’

When Princess Larissa put it that way, Elody was embarrassed. It was as if
she was the bad one.

Elody stared at Princess Larissa, looking at her with worried eyes, and
said to Anna, “Anna, take Olivia to the mansion.”

“Yes, madame.”

Anna hugged Olivia and left the lab with growing resentment towards the
princess and her atrocious maid.

A heavy silence fell for a while.

Then, Princess Larissa asked without thinking, “But, duchess… What are you
hiding?”
“Hiding?”

“The moment I was trying to check the paper, Olivia grabbed my arm. Is
there something that you’re hiding?”

“……”

Olivia simply hated that the princess touched Elody’s things.

And so, Elody handed the paper to the princess.

“……”

It wasn’t anything much. It was just a piece of paper that she wrote for
her research.

“Check it yourself.”

Elody handed the paper to Princess Larissa, and the princess checked the
writing with a serious expression.

“…This is in the ancient language.”

But Larissa couldn’t read a single letter. It was because they were all
written in ancient languages.

“Yes, this is a study on magical drugs.”

“…I see. I’m sorry for doubting you, duchess.”

“It’s alright.”

Elody had a headache.

‘How the hell did it come to this…?’

She recalled the details of the original novel, but she couldn’t remember
whether there was a maid with such a terrible personality beside Larissa,
the heroine.

She was tired. She just wanted to study the magic tools quickly…

Unfortunately, she couldn’t get rid of the female protagonist because she
would eventually become the mansion owner.

However, it would be difficult for the other maids to continue serving

Larissa as her maid would condemn the rest of the servants in the mansion.

‘To try and slap another maid in front of the princess…’

It was ridiculous. She would never let a maid like her reside in the
mansion.
After Elody left, she didn’t just want Caville to be happy. She wanted the
servants to live a blissful life as well. Therefore, she could never
condone acts, such as bullying in the mansion.

While she was deep in her thoughts, Princess Larissa suddenly spoke to
Elody, “Well, duchess. If you don’t mind, can I ask for a request?”

“…What is it?”

“Can you teach me the ancient language?”

Chapter 59

“Ancient language?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a bit…” Elody mumbled.

The ancient language was not something that anyone could learn.

Only individuals born with a strong affinity for mana could master the
language.

“Do you have an affinity for mana, princess?”

Based on her knowledge from the book, Larissa was not a mage.

However, Elody’s memories had begun to fade; thus, she decided to ask her
to clarify things.

“…No. Can’t I learn the language without having to be a mage?” Princess

Larissa asked, frowning.

“I’m afraid that you will not be able to understand anything…”

Larissa’s expression was full of disappointment.

She somehow made Elody feel bad.

“.…I see. Then, does the duke know how to speak the ancient language as
well? I’ve seen him use mana on the battlefield….”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Ah, as expected of him.”

Princess Larissa wanted to learn ancient languages so that she could

understand the contents of the paper.

‘Is there really nothing suspicious written on it?’

She also wanted to form a relationship with the Duke of Cernoir through
learning the ancient language.
‘If I knew how to speak the ancient language, I would have been able to
get closer to him…’

Larissa was full of regrets.

“Princess! Then you can learn from the duke!” Carolina said while side-
eyeing the duchess.

She was utterly shameless, dissolute when it came to her non-existent

manners. The duchess had just scolded her, yet she still dared to act so
impudently.

“……”

And Princess Larissa, too, was unexpectedly surprised by the words of her
maid. She then proceeded to pinch Carolina at the waist.

“You shouldn’t have said that…” Princess Larissa said, her face seemingly
troubled.

Meanwhile, Elody was appalled.

‘That’s not it…’

It was not as if she didn’t want to teach her the language. It was just
that the princess would never be able to learn it because she didn’t have
the affinity for mana.

However, this maid spoke as if Elody refused the princess because she
didn’t want to teach her, because of selfish reasons!

Even if she were to ask Caville, he wouldn’t be able to teach her either.
Not in a million years!

To break the awkward atmosphere, Princess Larissa spoke, “Anyway… Thank

you for showing me the greenhouse, duchess. I’ll come to see you again
next time.”

“Yes, of course.”

Thus, Elody saw the two off out of courtesy.

Truth to be told, she didn’t want them to come again. She was already
running out of time. She certainly didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone
while doing her research.

‘…Why are they doing this?’

Princess Larissa bothered her as she acted a bit… odd.

It was weird.

Certainly weird.
* * *

As the two ladies left the greenhouse, Princess Larissa had a lot to say.

“The greenhouse was splendid.”

“Isn’t it? But that lab was so suspicious! Did Princess Larissa notice it
too?”

“……”

Larissa didn’t say a single word, but she did not deny it either.

Up until now, she thought that Carolina was just too wary of her. A
groundless suspicion. However…

The locked doors to the greenhouse, the broken magic tool on the table…

It was hard for her not to feel skeptical.

As a member of the imperial family, it was only her duty to investigate

the duchess a little more.

To do that, he needed the help of Count DeFore, who came with her to the
duchy.

On the way back to the manor, Princess Larissa looked up at the beautiful,
enormous mansion.

‘I wish I could continue living here…’

In more ways than one, this place reminded her of her old home.

The Imperial Castle of Dayev.

The mansion was like a castle. It loomed proudly behind the silver gates,
flanked by rows of trees crowned in green, swaying gently over the warm
wind.

The servants were wonderful, and the knights were friendly, their smiles
filled with only the most genuine of kindness.

But above all, Larissa loved the duchess’s greenhouse the most.

Of course, the princess dearly missed her home, but she had no thoughts of
going back for the castle had already decayed. Or rather, it was destroyed
by the Urtans.

The bricks had crumbled, and the windows gave in to the winds long before.
Inside the rooms, the halls, the kitchens laid burnt furniture. The oak
floors lay strewn with leaves, debris, and ashes, and the roof let in more
rain than it kept out. In comparison, the staircase swept up toward an
upper landing that had fallen away.
The place she had once called home was trampled upon, and could no longer
be reconstructed. And the greenhouse she loved most… was burned without
any traces of its former beauty.

Suppose she were to return to her old castle. She would only feel sadness,
emptiness, and loneliness. The terror she felt when the Urtans had invaded
the castle… she would only be reminded of that misery.

And so… that place had become nothing but a distant memory for the
princess who longed for a place she could call home sincerely.

Therefore, this mansion was different. It made her feel safe and welcomed.
It was as if she had returned to her old home…

But most of all, the Duke of Cernoir was here.

‘If possible… I would like to live in this place my whole life.’

Princess Larissa glanced at the mansion one more time before heading
inside with Carolina.

* * *

“Were you crying?” Caville, who had been hiding from Elody all day, asked
Heinz.

“…N-no… did leader, I-I mean, Your Grace cry as well?” Heinz, who was busy
hiding his swollen eyes, also asked in surprise after seeing Caville’s
face.

“……”

“……”

The two looked at each other’s puffy eyes silently.

‘Do I look as ugly as him?! I couldn’t have, could I…?’

Caville, being as nervous as he was, pulled out a palm-sized hand mirror

from his pocket and stared at himself.

He had used ice that morning to reduce the puffiness. Therefore, it wasn’t
as swollen as Heinz.

“Wha… why is Your Grace carrying a mirror?”

“None of your business,” Caville spoke coldly.

There were many things that Heinz wanted to say, but he simply could not
say it. Or rather, he wasn’t allowed to.

“What are you still doing here? Get out.”

Heinz put down the papers he had brought on top of the table and
immediately left the office.

And when he was going down the stairs…

“…!”

Heinz stopped when he found the duchess passing by in the distance.

“Darn it…”

As soon as he saw the Duchess, the tears began to well up in his eyes
again.

‘Argh! I’m going crazy… ‘

Heinz took out a handkerchief from his bosom. It was the handkerchief that
the duchess had given to him before.

Heinz washed the handkerchief that had been stained with blood.

He had tried to return it to the duchess countless times, but he kept

using it whenever he cried, so he had no opportunity to give it back.

If Caville had seen the handkerchief, he would have flipped and asked
where it came from.

Heinz, who was completely unaware of the fact, pressed the edge of his
eyes with the handkerchief. Then shoved it back to his bosom.

Strangely, he felt an immense amount of pity for the duchess and cried
whenever he remembered her.

Heinz stood on the stairs and stared at the servants who were carrying a
pile of goods.

It was a shockingly large amount.

Heinz was uncomfortable because there were so many misunderstandings he

had about the duchess.

‘She must have cared for the leader a lot…’

The duchess had never forgotten the leader for the last seven years. Not
even for a single moment. That’s why she sent so many supplies.

As the misunderstandings were resolved, he quickly changed sides.

Heinz wanted to apologize directly to the duchess for the horrible things
he had said about her.

But he couldn’t.
‘Pardon me, duchess, no… madame. N-not long ago, I cursed at you and had a
deep hatred towards you because of a misunderstanding. I’m terribly
sorry.’

It was impossible to say this to her!

After witnessing the duchess vomiting blood, Heinz began to sympathize

with her.

And yesterday, the moment the misunderstandings were cleared, his guilt
and compassion blew up like a volcano, and his tears just poured out like
a waterfall.

If anyone were the most concerned about the commander for seven years, it
would have been the duchess.

‘And that was probably why…’

She noticed it too late.

So was his dead sister. His sister was more concerned about Heinz more
than anyone else.

His dead sister was very caring. She was worried about him all her life
and loved him more than she loved herself. That’s why she only learned
about her sickness after it was too late. Thus, leaving Heinz in despair
and loneliness. He could only watch his one and only sister who devoted
her everything to him, as she rotted away in bed, waiting for the time
when she would be taken away from him.

He could finally understand why the other knights defended the duchess so
much.

‘Oh, sh*t… The tears are coming out again.’

Was his tear ducts broken?

The feelings raged out of him like a storm. He tried to pull himself
together, yet he was struck with so much sadness that the tears kept
coming in such generous streams.

Yesterday, after returning to his quarters, Heinz drank alcohol with his
men. And unsurprisingly, he drank a lot.

“In the future, if anyone here talks badly about the duchess, I will kill
you on the spot. Okay?”

“Captain, what’s wrong with you all of a sudden? Are you mad?”

“Tsk! You little… you won’t answer my question?!”

“…U-understood.”

The knights replied while trembling in fear.

Their misunderstanding with the duchess had also been resolved.

However, they were still hoping that the lord would marry the princess.

On the other hand, Heinz was no longer supporting the princess.

That preposterous thought was long gone. It had disappeared without a

trace as if it was never there to begin with.

‘I change my mind so quickly that I can’t even believe myself.’

Now that he knew of the duchess’s illness, he was more desperate to think
that she should be happy with the leader.

‘Wouldn’t it be so pitiful if the duchess dies like this?’

“……”

Heinz fell into thought for a moment and hurried into the barracks.

And he ordered his knights to help the servants carry the boxes
immediately.

* * *

Late at night that day…

Princess Larissa wore a white chemise dress and headed to the garden
behind the mansion.

“Will the duke be here…?”

The reason why she went for a walk this late-night was because of
Carolina’s advice.

“Princess, I grabbed a servant who was passing by and asked her about the
duke! He usually walks in the garden every night.”

“Every night? Why?”

“I don’t know! Though I think it’s a perfect opportunity for you,

princess!”

Carolina dressed Larissa in a sky-white chemise, braided her hair

gracefully to one side, and put her on light makeup.

“Can I really see the duke?” Princess Larissa asked, blushing.

“Of course! You’ve come all the way here, so you should have a proper
conversation! I’m sure that he would fall in love with you, princess!”

At her words, Princess Larissa felt confident.

It would be great if she could become lovers with the Duke of Cernoir, but
she at least wanted them to be friends if that didn’t work.

‘To do that, we have to talk.’

She had never even had a chance to talk ever since she arrived. And as
Carolina said, it was possible that the duchess might be interfering with
her affairs.

Ever since that day at the greenhouse. Her suspicion began to grow as she
kept doubting the duchess’s true intentions.

Tomorrow, she was planning to call Count DeFore to discuss it in detail.

Larissa slowly headed towards the center of the beautiful flower garden.

The garden which she saw that night was more beautiful than she could ever
imagine.

‘How stunning…’

The flowers were bathed in the moonlight, and the pale purple petals were
wet with dew.

Princess Larissa took a flower and breathed into the fragrance slowly with
an ecstatic expression. She was somehow relieved by the subtle scent.

Surprisingly…

Someone had been watching Princess Larissa.

Princess Larissa, a silver-haired princess in a white dress underneath the

moonlight. She looked like a forest fairy from a fairy tale.

The man was captivated by the beautiful sight before him.

Chapter 60

Princess Larissa recalled the conversation she had with Carolina that day.

‘I’ll spruce you up more beautifully than ever for tonight! For you must
have a deep conversation with the duke!’

“…Will the duke really like me?”

“Absolutely! Who would even dare to reject you, Princess? You are blessed
with the beauty of an angel. You might even have your first romantic kiss
underneath the moonlight!”

“Wh-wha…?”

At Carolina’s words, Larissa could feel the warmth of the blush as it

crawled up her neck.
Princess Larissa admired the flowers as she waited for the duke.

‘Can I really meet the duke…?’

She waited there until dawn.

Unfortunately, the Duke of Cernoir never appeared…

* * *

The next day…

Knock-knock!

“Madame, it’s Norman.”

“Come in.”

The butler proceeded to enter the room with a troubled expression.

But before Elody could ask why two other people appeared from behind.

It was Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard.

“Your Grace!”

The two barons knelt in front of Elody.

“…What is this…?” Elody asked, confused.

Norman sighed. The barons had begged him to let them meet the duchess.
However, he didn’t expect them to act like this.

“Oh no, why are you doing this? Please stand up.”

Elody told them to get up, but the two barons continued to kneel.

They even rubbed their palms together and started crying.

“……”

Elody exchanged glances with Norman, wondering if these people were crazy.

Moments later, the two barons calmed themselves down. Then, they sat on
the sofa and began to confide their worries to Elody.

“We don’t want to separate from our family, madame… Please forgive us….”

“That’s all right…”

The two Barons came to Elody after having stood on the edge of a cliff.

The promised date was approaching. In a few weeks, they would have to
leave for the Forest of Death.
They had tried using Iris to save themselves, but Iris wasn’t interested
in the duke. She only kept looking for a man with pink hair.

Thanks to that, the two barons were occupied with investigating Count
McClair’s children.

But they couldn’t tell that to the duchess.

Their goal now was to avoid offending the duchess and to get on her good
side.

“……”

Elody was anxious.

“I apologize, but it’s already been decided by the duke. I’m afraid that I
cannot do anything about it…”

“Please have mercy! Your Grace is the only one who can save us!”

“Yes! Please forgive our sins and tell His Grace the Duke to take pity on
us…!” The two barons cried, saying that they didn’t want to separate from
their family again.

They also said that they did not want to die in the forest, like the
vassals who did not participate in the war.

Eventually, Elody comforted them, saying that she would discuss the topic
with the duke before sending them back.

“……”

Still, she was overloaded with stress.

Elody sighed and stared out the window.

She felt like she was trapped in a maze.

Elody was uncomfortable with Caville, and Princess Larissa was bothering
her. She couldn’t figure out why her heart was doing this or why she was
feeling this way.

* * *

After a long time, Elody finally went out to the field again with the
maids.

She wanted to be healed by digging for herbs in the field without thinking
about anything else.

Thus, they were currently harvesting the herbs on the field, and Olivia
was the most excited of them all.
“Madame, is this a weed or a spirit grass?” Olivia asked.

Elody replied playfully, “You’ll know if you eat it.”

Olivia put a handful of weeds in her mouth.

Startled by her bizarre actions, Elody blocked Olivia’s mouth.

“If you eat so much, you might pass out because of its bitter taste.”

“…I can even drink poison if madame tells me to do it.”

Anna laughed at Olivia’s words.

“I… can also drink a little bit of poison, but… do I really have to?”
Sylvia said in a quivering voice.

Elody chuckled at the two maids’ cute responses.

“Olivia… please don’t do terrifying things.”

“But I…”

Suddenly…

The big sound of a horn came from a distance.

“Looks like the lord is back!”

Anna raised her body and looked at the distance with a gleeful expression.

Caville went out from dawn every day and patrolled the estate with the
knights. It was only his duty as the monsters that came from the Forest of
Death had started appearing in other forests.

“……”

Elody stood up as she watched the procession passing through the city gate
from a distance.

She didn’t want Caville to see her here doing nothing, so she thought of
going back to the lab as soon as possible.

“Come on, let’s go back.”

“Madame, are we leaving already? Let’s play a while more while he’s here!”

“No, let’s go quickly. Hurry up!” Elody hastened the other maids.

Marie, who had been lying down and taking a nap, frowned as Elody dragged
her hand.

* * *
“Oh, Princess. Look over there. It’s the duchess!”

“……”

At Carolina’s words, Larissa stared out the window.

Elody was returning to the mansion while crossing arms with the maids. It
looked like she had just gone for a stroll.

Carolina laughed.

“Hmm, it looks as if she’s close with the maids.”

It looked like that in Larissa’s eyes.

Somehow, the rumor that the duchess abused the servants and then collected
their tears to make medicine seemed to be false.

However, the wound on Olivia’s body was still suspicious.

‘……’

Princess Larissa remembered her past as she saw Elody’s friendship with
the maids.

During her peaceful days at Dayev Castle, Princess Larissa was also
intimate with the maids.

Larissa shook her head, feeling a strange sense of loss.

Princess Larissa was determined to investigate the duchess.

And so, she called Count DeFore to consult with him.

“If she dares to destroy the divine magic tool as soon as she receives it,
then High Priest Amos won’t stand still.”

“Can I ask High Priest Amos to investigate the lab as well?”

At the words of Princess Larissa, Count DeFore nodded.

“Of course! I will go and talk to him on your behalf.”

Count DeFore immediately went to High Priest Amos.

As soon as he heard the news, the high priest was startled and said he
would immediately investigate the case.

Thus, he went to the duchess.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace. May I check the divine magic tool that the
Temple gave you again? There might be something wrong with the
communication device. I think I should inspect it…” Priest Amos said with
a troubled expression.
He didn’t want to go against the duke nor the duchess, but if it was true
that the magic tool was destroyed, it could pose a great deal of trouble.

Elody then ordered a servant to bring the communication device from the
lab.

After checking all the mana codes yesterday, she restored it to its
original state.

“…Ah, turns out that there’s nothing wrong with the magic tool. I
apologize for taking your time, Your Grace,” Priest Amos apologized,
brimming with cold sweat.

“Not at all.”

“That Count DeFore, why would he do this for no reason…?”

Before leaving Elody’s office, High Priest Amos made a slip of the tongue.

And Elody heard it clearly.

‘Count DeFore is one of the princess’s envoys…’

Elody’s expression darkened.

* * *

High Priest Amos returned to the accommodation with an unpleasant

expression. There was no doubt that the imperial government purposely
tried to sabotage them.

‘They want to ruin the relationship between the duke and the Temple! How
ridiculous…’

Even though Amos was a high-ranking priest, he came directly to this place
to get closer to the Duke of Cernoir.

‘Though it’s tough because of the supplies we stole for seven years…’

He had to calm the duke very carefully as if he was walking on thin ice.

However, the emperor’s envoys kept interfering with his plans!

The Great War of Thysser did praise Princess Larissa since she returned
the relics of the Temple, but that was it.

The Duke of Cernoir, who used the power of the spirits, was much more
important than an ancient relic.

It was evident that the emperor was trying to get the duke under his wing
using the princess.
At present, there was bad blood between the Temple and the Imperial
Government. Both were wary of each other and wanted to steal the duke for
themselves.

Thus, High Priest Amos and Count DeFore kept each other in check while
trying to buy the duke’s favor.

‘But do they really have to interfere in such a childish way? Those cheeky
bastards…’

Unlike the emperor who thought that the duke would divorce his wife, High
Priest Amos’s opinion was totally different.

After scanning the duchess’s supplies and letters that she sent for seven
years, he was sure that the duke would never divorce her.

Hence, they planned to win the duke’s favor with the second seal of the
temple.

They had to get his support to keep the empire in check.

And if they failed to get the duke’s political support…

There was also a plan to take away his ‘power’, which would leave him
powerless.

They had ‘the thing’, so it was possible.

But, there was also another way.

It was to gain the duchess’s favor.

The Temple had been keeping the duchess under surveillance since several
years ago.

Elody wasn’t from the tower and had excellent magic skills at a young age.

Since an uneducated sorcerer is capable of that level, the possibility of

hiding her identity could not be ruled out.

Until recently, Elody was the most-watched figure in the temple.

And if they also failed to win her favor…

Then, they would have no choice but to use ‘the thing’ as well…

* * *

After the priest returned, Elody observed the documents.

Yesterday, Princess Larissa went to look around the lab with her, and it
seemed as if she was inspecting the disassembled communication device on
her desk.
Also, her gaze was full of suspicion when Elody told her that she couldn’t
teach her the ancient language.

And today, Priest Amos came to ask her about the communication device!

‘Is she suspicious of me…?’

Her heart sank.

‘But why…?’

Chapter 61

Elody left her office. The princess gave her quite the headache. Thus, she
decided to go to the greenhouse to get some fresh air.

As she was about to go down the stairs, she collided with someone.

“…..!”

“Apologies, is Your Grace alright?”

She lifted her head to see the man’s face.

‘Blonde hair…’

It was Theodore, the commander of the paladins.

“I’m alright,” she replied.

Without uttering another word, Elody proceeded to go down the stairs after
giving him a slight bow.

Theodore stared at her back for a long time.

He had wanted to see her, but it was tough for him to strike up a
conversation.

For the past seven years, Theodore had been holding onto the letters that
the messenger sent to him. Under the direct orders of the high priest,
Theodore was instructed to examine the documents that were sent to the
battlefield for reasons.

At first, he didn’t think of anything when he read the letters. But as the
amount piled up even as the duke had never given back a reply. The letters
still came, and it never stopped. And it wasn’t just the letters! She also
sent numerous supplies such as painkillers, medicine, and even winter
garments.

The Temple had long known that Elody was a mage. Thus, the high priest had
also told him to confiscate everything that she had sent.

‘Is it really alright for me to be doing this…?’

Theodore felt uneasy.

The duchess had written the letters with her heart and soul, so it was
only fair for the duke to read them. And as he kept reading the contents,
his guilt grew bigger and bigger.

However, it would be difficult for him to deliver the letters to the duke
without being caught by his supervisors, more so because he was the
commander of the paladins who drew the attention of all high ranking
officials.

Still, his heart felt heavy.

The letters were very personal, so he thought that he shouldn’t show it to

anyone else. Yet, every time a new one arrived, he would not hesitate to
read them.

‘Will another letter come…?’

Unknowingly, Theodore began anticipating the arrival of Elody’s letters.

It was strange. He felt guilty and burdened, yet, whenever he read those
letters. It felt as if she had sent these letters of everlasting affection
solely for him. However, he knew what the truth was… and the truth was
that she cared for the Duke of Cernoir… not him.

As time passed by, he started thinking about Elody. What kind of person
was she? Why did she care so much about the duke? Why did he keep
anticipating the arrival of her letters? What was this feeling?

And after a while, he realized what it was…

‘I shouldn’t have done this…’

It was envy.

He was jealous.

He was downright envious of her love for the duke.

Theodore recalled his past…

When he was young, he had never had a happy childhood.

Those memories were only filled with feelings of envy towards his older
brother. And the only thing he could recall about his family was the cold
glares they gave him. It was as if they looked down on him. As if they had
never loved him.

Theodore knew that reading the letters any further would only make him
remember things that he didn’t want. But he still had to read the letters
because it was an order from the Temple.
Thus, he tried to get a grip on himself and read the letters without
involving personal feelings or emotions. Or at least… he tried to.

He tried really hard to suppress his feelings while reading each and every
word.

But…

—Elody will be waiting for you.

—Elody’s cheering for you, always.

—Elody loves you.

As he kept reading and reading. He couldn’t deny it any longer.

Yes, it was true. He was insanely jealous.

He envied him so much.

Who was this person that she cared for so much? How could she keep sending
letters to him knowing that he had never replied?

Theodore had always thought that eternal love could only exist between a
parent and their child… and this belief was formed when he saw how great
his parents’ love was for his older brother. Therefore, he believed that
love was something he could never have for his entire lifetime.

However, when he saw how someone could be loved so intensely by someone

other than his parents. He was bewildered…

‘How can I get this kind of affection?’

In this world filled with so much life, Theodore was lonely.

His heart was empty.

There was a void inside him that he couldn’t seem to fill, and the more he
perused her letters, the deeper that emptiness grew.

Consequently, he started to imagine what it would be like if he were the

receiver of the letters. He began hoping for affection as well from
someone named Elody, who he had never even seen his entire life.

‘What am I thinking?’

Theodore was disgusted with himself. It was not right for him to feel this
way. He only read the letters under the orders of the high priest. It
wouldn’t be right if he were to develop feelings only because of this!

He already felt bad enough for the duke and the duchess, he didn’t want to
feel any guiltier than this.
Thus, with that in mind. Theodore vowed to apologize to the ducal couple
himself when he met them face to face in the duchy.

However, he suddenly heard a strange rumor.

“It seems that the emperor plans to arrange a marriage between the Duke of
Cernoir and Princess Larissa!”

Theodore was confused.

‘Why would he do that when the duke already has a wife?’

Even if the ducal couple had not received the marriage approval seal from
the Temple. It was evident that they were still married.

Nevertheless, the gossip and rumors about their divorce spread throughout
the capital like wildfire.

Everyone seemed to believe that the duke was going to divorce the duchess
to marry the princess.

And he also heard that the duke regarded her as his sister rather than a
wife.

Though, in all honesty, he had already guessed that was the case from
reading her letters. But… the two were undoubtedly not real siblings. That
was why he was so surprised to see such affection from someone who wasn’t
even family.

Then, he heard another rumor. It was said that the duchess was a cold
woman who had never even sent a single letter to her husband for seven
years.

When he heard about that, Theodore felt an immense amount of guilt.

To atone for his sins, he pleaded to the high priest to let him go to the
duchy to return the duchess’s letters and supplies. And to no one’s
surprise, the Temple allowed him to go as they wanted to get a hold of the
duke’s power as well.

Thus, Theodore left the capital for the duchy. He intended to apologize to
the ducal couple from the bottom of his heart.

But on the other hand, Theodore kept thinking about what would happen if
the duke really intended to divorce his wife.

Would he have a chance?

He held onto that little bit of hope as he left for the Duchy of Cernoir.

* * *

At the training grounds of the Mansion of Cernoir…

After training, the knights went back to their lodgings to rest.

That is, except for Therion, who had been sitting absent-mindedly on a
chair, thinking about god knows what.

“……”

“Sir Therion, are you thinking of something?” Solar asked with Ren by her
side.

“N-nothing…” Therion said, finally snapped out of his daydream.

Embarrassed, the knight stood up and left the training grounds.

“What’s up with him? He’s been in a daze all day long. Does this have
anything to do with why he was late yesterday?” Ren asked.

“Maybe he saw something strange in the Forest of Death?” Solar replied.

“Is that so…?”

The two eventually dismissed the thought and went back to their daily
lives.

* * *

The knights who had left the training grounds were currently gathered in
the lounge. Some drank beer, while others bet on each other with a game of
poker.

Amongst the noisy chatters, a loud voice could be heard.

“So… is the duke still gonna marry the princess?”

Everyone had been gossiping about the duke and duchess for days.

Heinz, who was sitting in a corner, grunted, “Should he? The duchess had
sent so many letters and supplies to him. If he ignores that and still
chooses to marry the princess, then it would mean that our leader has no
heart.”

“……”

“What’s wrong with Sir Heinz?” Someone whispered.

Everyone was startled by Heinz’s sudden change in attitude.

“Since when did you start supporting the madame?” Therion, who had been
silent the whole time, snorted.

At that sharp remark, Heinz glared daggers at Therion.

“Ooh! Are you two gonna start a fight again? Then, how about we make a
bet?” A knight exclaimed.
“A bet about the duke’s marriage? Are you guys mad?!” Heinz shouted.

Unfortunately, the knights cheered as they would never back down from a
bet.

“Those who think that the duke will marry the princess, raise your hands!”

“Me! I bet on the princess!”

“Me too!”

“Me three!”

Heinz’s knights and a few of Solar’s knights raised their hands.

“Then, those that think he won’t divorce the duchess. Raise your hands!”

“Me!”

“Of course, he won’t!”

A lot more knights raised their hands than before.

Naturally, some didn’t raise their hands to both as well.

Heinz was in a horrible mood.

‘Those idiots don’t know anything!’

“Tsk!” He clicked his tongue while glaring at the knights.

Suddenly, the topic changed to Princess Larissa’s beauty.

“Honestly, though… Isn’t Princess Larissa really beautiful? If I were the

duke, I would have fallen in love with her at first sight!”

“Yeah, and her stunning silver hair…!”

Heinz was furious when he heard the knights endlessly praising the
princess.

But before he could burst out of anger, a knight spoke for him as if he
had read his mind.

“What’s so attractive about her? Our madame is far more beautiful than the
princess! I mean, truthfully, isn’t she weird? Why would she try to marry
the duke if she knows that he already has a wife?”

“That’s right! Someone eventually has to rat out the princess! She isn’t
as innocent as everyone claims her to be!”

At the end of the knight’s words. Heinz’s men had a dark expression.
“No matter how hard you try to praise the princess. We will never
acknowledge her because she is with those imperial bastards! Isn’t she
part of the imperial family anyway?”

Two days ago, after the banquet was over, the knights who had seen the
duchess’s supplies had fully taken her side.

Heinz as well, had wholeheartedly changed his stance. He was now one of
the duchess’s supporters and would no longer praise the princess.

Suddenly, an unexpected person backed the princess up.

“Why is everyone blaming the princess?”

The knights’ gazes turned to Heinz since he used to be the one who vouched
for her the most. But surprisingly, Heinz had never opened his mouth.

Hence, their line of sight moved again, and it finally stopped when it
reached…

Therion.

“It’s funny how you guys criticize the princess when you’ve only
criticized the duchess just a few days before.”

Silence filled the room.

Therion continued, “What sin has the princess ever made? She must have
come to the duchy without any knowledge whatsoever. I mean, if you ask me.
I think that the duke is the heartless one! Seducing a naive person like
her then treating her as if she were invisible after she came all the way
to the…”

Before Therion could finish his words.

Heinz, who had been trying to calm himself, finally burst into anger. He
jumped up from his seat, ran towards Therion.

“You f*cking traitor!”

Then, he balled his fists and punched him square in the face.

Chapter 62

Late at night that day, Therion had just returned to the mansion from the
Forest of Death and went to report about his trip to Caville.

“The monsters have increased. But since the vassals and their knights have
arrived at the Forest of Death, I’m sure that we will see a significant
decrease in their numbers after a while.”

“I see. Good work.”

Then, Caville continued to inspect the documents he received from Therion
one last time before telling him to go back and rest.

On his way back. Therion headed to the garden behind the mansion as a
detour.

It was his favorite place.

A few years ago, the madame had decorated the garden herself with a bunch
of her servants.

At that time, Therion helped them to move heavy rocks and plant flowers.

It was one of his happiest memories.

After leaving for the Forest of Death, he tried to move on from the
duchess. There was even a time where he had hoped for the ducal couple to
get a divorce so he would have a chance to be with her. Yet, he realized
that the duchess had never been interested in him at all.

He was utterly devastated at that time. Still… Therion tried his best to
move on, and eventually, the duchess became someone whom he just simply
admired…

As Therion walked to the garden, he found someone standing among the

flowers.

“……”

‘Who’s that?’

She was gorgeous. She had luscious silver hair that was braided to her
waist, and she was wearing a cute white dress.

Astonished, Therion hid himself so as to not disturb the beauty in front

of him.

At first, he thought that she was a ghost, but he soon remembered the
words from his fellow knights.

They said that Princess Larissa from the Empire of Dayev had come to the
duchy. Plus, he remembered them saying that she had silver hair.

When he heard that the duke would divorce his wife to marry the princess,
Therion was furious.

Though at the same time, he wished for the duke to actually do so, yet he
still had negative feelings about the princess.

But…

‘She looks like a forest fairy…’

Her silver hair shone brightly underneath the moonlight, emitting an
ethereal glow. It made her look all the more like a fairy, like those you
only see in fairy tales. Her charming atmosphere somehow stimulated his
protective instinct. It was the same feeling he had when he fell in love
with the duchess. The feeling that made him want to protect her…

‘It’s like I can’t help falling in love with her beauty…’

Of course, the duchess was beautiful as well, but the feel the two of them
gave off was completely different.

Suppose Elody was a lovely and elegant lady who exudes bright energy like
the sun. In that case, Princess Larissa could be described as someone who
emitted a subtle yet mysterious aura like the moonlight.

Therion felt as if his heart was going to leap out of his chest.

Indeed…

It seemed as if he had fallen in love with her at first sight.

* * *

“What is up with you guys?” Brien asked Heinz and Therion, still shocked
about what had just happened.

“……”

“……”

Therion and Heinz, who had been to Brien’s office for the second time for
being misconducted, stood there in silence.

‘Not even seven-year-olds would repeat this kind of mistake twice…’

Brien was dumbfounded when he heard that the two got caught up in another
fight again.

However, it seemed that it was more like one-sided violence than an actual
fight.

“Wha… what were you guys thinking?” Brien asked, staring at Heinz.

Brien was stupefied when he first saw Therion’s state. He was beaten black
and blue, and his good looking face was all but battered.

“No… why did you beat him up so badly? Why would you do this to a fellow
elite knight? Do you think he’s lower than you?”

“…I hit him because he deserved it,” Heinz replied.

Brien snorted at his words.

He knew well that Therion was an extraordinary knight of good conduct. If
someone were to stir up a problem, it would obviously be Heinz.

“Alright. Then, tell me. What did he do?”

“…Cough,” Therion coughed.

After Heinz did the first blow, he couldn’t fight back at all.

Heinz just kept punching him with his fist, and it seemed as if his hatred
only grew stronger with each and every blow.

Therion had also become an elite knight because of his remarkable skills.
But to be beaten one-sidedly like this… He was ashamed of himself.

“He betrayed the duchess,” Heinz spoke.

Therion was dumbfounded. He was appalled at his atrocious remarks.

He had just said something out of pity for the princess, who was being
criticized by the knights. Plus, he fell in love with her, so it was only
natural for him to do that. However, by no means did he betray the
duchess.

“Betrayed who…? Sir Therion, what does he mean by this?” Brien stared at
Therion, raising his eyebrow.

Therion then gave him an immediate answer, “I would never!”

“Never? You lying bastard. You think I don’t know what’s inside your
head?” Heinz glowered, furious at Therion’s answer.

“Hey, stop it!” Brien warned Heinz.

Heinz only turned his head to the side in dissatisfaction.

“Sir Therion, you may leave. Make sure you get those bruises healed.”

“Yes, vice-commander.”

Heinz glared daggers at Therion as he left.

Now, the two were the only ones left in the room. Brien sighed and
continued speaking, “Do you really want to keep causing trouble? You want
to be kicked out of the mansion?”

Heinz felt that he was falsely accused.

Therion was obviously at fault this time, but why was he the one being
scolded instead?

It was clear that he was discriminated against because he didn’t come from
the duchy.
“The same goes for vice-commander as well! Didn’t you want the princess to
marry the duke?”

“You…”

Brien was speechless.

He didn’t know what other people thought about that matter, but it
certainly shouldn’t be said aloud!

Heinz continued on shamelessly, “It’s so obvious! That bastard must have a

crush on Princess Larissa! I can tell just by looking into his eyes. He
used to have that same look whenever he saw the duchess, but now he turned
sides and betrayed her!”

“Nonsense! Have you ever entered Sir Therion’s heart? How would you even
be able to know that for sure?”

“Vice-commander. Just look into his eyes and you’ll know what I mean. He’s
so easy to figure out!”

“Would you stop looking into other people’s eyes?”

“Why do you keep taking his side? Do you loathe me because I’m non-
native?”

“You scoundrel…”

“Fine. I won’t talk anymore. But that bastard did betray the duchess. Not
long ago he would talk about the duchess like madame this, madame that.
And now what? His head is filled with nothing but the princess…”

“…I find you even more strange. Didn’t you used to be the princess’s
number one supporter? What made you change your mind?”

Heinz ignored his question and only said what he wanted to say, “…He even
insulted the duke, saying that he was a heartless person for treating the
princess as if she were invisible!”

“……”

Brien’s expression hardened at his words. It seemed as if Heinz was not

lying.

“Either way, vice-commander is the same! You’re heartless too!” Heinz

yelled before running away in tears.

“God… I swear. What should I do with him?” Brien said with a sigh.

His head was a mess.

For the past few days. Marie had also been treating him as if he was an
invisible person. Furthermore, when he saw her talking with one of the
apprentices, he was insanely jealous.
Brien contemplated asking the duchess for a favor.

* * *

“Ha…”

Caville sighed.

He couldn’t sleep well last night as he had been reading his wife’s
letters.

Fortunately, his eyes weren’t swollen anymore. Though, he was still a bit
reluctant to meet Elody.

He felt strange.

Whenever he thought of his wife, his face flushed red and his heartbeat
went fast.

Before, he would just feel peaceful and happy, but now, he was insanely
nervous!

He wanted to see his wife’s face, but at the same time, he just wanted to
hide and curl inside a hole.

“But… does she not want to see me?”

Even though they hadn’t been able to see each other yesterday, his wife
never reached out to him. Of course, Caville was the one avoiding her, but
somehow… it felt as if she was avoiding him as well.

Still, he couldn’t avoid his wife for too long. He had almost finished
reading all the letters that his wife had sent to him. Thus, he was
planning to thank her today.

‘But why is my heart pounding so much?’

“Ugh, this is driving me crazy,” Ifrit, who had been loitering around
underneath the desk, spoke.

Caville glared at Ifrit.

“Why are you following me? Go for a walk or something.”

“…Then, can you ask your wife to open the door to the greenhouse?”

“Why?”

“It’s full of mana. Unlike yours, the mana there is refreshing and clean!
Of course, I could just go there and open it myself. But if I get caught
sneaking in, won’t your wife blame you instead?”

“……”
‘How annoying…’

He didn’t want his wife to hate him for something that troublesome puppy
caused.

“Fine, I get it. Now, get lost.”

“Yes, yes. You have to tell me when she opens it. By the way, your eyes
are puffy again today, huh?”

“Get out.”

Ifrit grunted at his remarks before slipping out through the window.

After he left, Caville took out his hand-mirror and stared at his eyes
once again.

* * *

Caville had been inside his office until late afternoon, and now, he
finally chose to get out.

He got himself up and fixed his clothes in front of the mirror.

A while ago, he had asked a servant about Elody’s whereabouts.

‘My wife should be in the laboratory at the moment.’

Elody was in the lab until late at night yesterday, so he was worried that
she might get sick.

Caville couldn’t go on like this. He didn’t come back to the duchy just to
stay away from his wife.

It was clear that she had been avoiding her as well. He didn’t know how it
became like this, but he vowed to meet his wife today.

After reading Elody’s letters, Caville felt strange and confused.

However, he knew that the best solution for his confusion was to have a
heart-to-heart with his wife. He knew that she would give him the answers
he needed.

Thus, Caville headed to the lead with determination.

But on the way there, he ran into an unexpected person.

That person… was Princess Larissa.

Chapter 63

Princess Larissa decided to tour the mansion with the intention of meeting
Elody. She was a bit surprised when she heard about Count Defore’s
investigation on the magic tool. It turns out, the communication device
was not in poor condition and much less shattered.

Though the case was closed, Princess Larissa still doubted the duchess.
Thus, she wanted to gather more information about her by striking up a
conversation. However, as she was about to go to the laboratory, she
accidentally crossed paths with the Duke of Cernoir.

“Your Grace!” Princess Larissa greeted him with a curtsy.

She was thrilled to have met him as this was the first time she had seen
him ever since the welcoming banquet.

The duke was as dashing as ever. He was really attractive. His tall
figure, sturdy physique, luscious red lips, and his mysterious gaze.

Princess Larissa was intrigued to know more about him. The duke was very
charming, but there was a dangerous aura surrounding him as well, and
sometimes… when she gazed into his eyes, she could see a feeling of sorrow
deep inside his heart.

That was why, even if he were a bit cold to her, Larissa still wanted to
get closer to him. She wanted to help mend his broken heart, even if it
was just a bit.

“Ah.”

Unfortunately for her…

“I almost forgot, Your Highness was residing here,” he said with an

indifferent gaze.

Disregarding his previous comment, the princess spoke, “I… was on my way
to meet the duchess.”

“……”

‘What?’

Caville was bedazzled. He wondered if she was the reason why Elody had
been avoiding him these days.

‘When did they become close?’

He suddenly had a bad feeling.

“I am also on my way to meet my wife.”

“Ah…”

Wife…

That word made Larissa’s heart skip a beat.

She imagined what it would be like if the Duke of Cernoir had called her
that instead.

“But why are you looking for my wife?”

“Oh! I wanted to ask her something,” she answered, smiling.

‘Was the relationship between the ducal couple always this good?’

Princess Larissa recalled the stories that Carolina had told her…

“Your Highness! I looked into it. The duchess and the duke sleep in
separate rooms.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! That means their relationship can’t be too well! This is an

excellent opportunity for you, Your Highness! If at some point, you meet
His Grace the Duke, you should ask him to teach you the ancient language!”

Hearing her words, Larissa was filled with hope. It seemed as though
things would work out just fine. She thought that if she managed to expose
the duchess’s corruption, the Duke of Cernoir would finally be able to
escape from his unhappy marriage, forgetting the wounds and sorrows of his
past.

“Your Grace, I have something I wanted to tell you… could you give me just
a little bit of your time?”

“What is it?”

Caville decided to listen to her just in case it was about Elody. Besides,
he had already planned to send the princess back so that he could spend
his time alone with his wife.

He didn’t want anyone to interrupt his time with his wife tonight since it
was finally time for him to have a heart to heart conversation with her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Elody had been staying inside the laboratory all day. However,
she wasn’t conducting any research at all.

Ever since Princess Larissa had come to the mansion, Elody hadn’t been
able to sleep a wink. She was seamlessly anxious about something she
shouldn’t even have to worry about, and she didn’t know why.

The constant feeling of envy and guilt continued to torture her as her
heart felt heavier and heavier by each passing day.

She knew she had to leave soon, but it was difficult to talk with Caville.
Or rather, it was a bit uncomfortable for her to be near him…
Caville seemed very emotional after the Temple returned her letters, but…
he didn’t even try to see her at all yesterday.

Because of that, it was unavoidable that Elody would feel disappointed.

Nonetheless, she had to learn to accept it. The time had finally come for
her to leave since the princess was here. But somehow, she didn’t want to…

Elody’s feet did not seem to want to move even an inch out of this place,
and seeing the princess hold such prejudice against herself made her
desire to stay grow even bigger.

‘Why does she think of me like that? Why is she so suspicious of me?’

Maybe, just maybe…

The princess subconsciously knew that she was a villain. Someone that
could potentially kill her!

But, the thing was that she had changed. She wasn’t the same person as
that villainess from the book. Elody had already taken a different path
from the storyline, yet, the princess still felt some sort of hostility
towards her…

Since then, every day for her was like walking on thin ice. She had
completely lost her appetite, and she didn’t even have the urge to sleep.
Whenever she closed her eyes, she would remember the horrible future where
she would have to leave the mansion and let Caville be happily in love
with the princess.

It was a nightmare.

Thus, today, Elody decided to clear her thoughts in the lab and calm her
anxiety, but… it was to no avail.

‘I should just go back to my room and rest…’

Before her depression worsened, she thought that the best solution was to
discuss this with Caville and quickly get it over with.

Meaning… Elody was planning to leave as soon as possible.

* * *

On her way to the mansion, Elody noticed two familiar people conversing
with each other. She soon stopped her tracks when their figures came to
her line of sight.

‘That’s… Caville and the princess?’

The two were attractive individuals. So when Elody saw them together like
that underneath the enchanting moonlight. She could not help but feel as
if they were made for each other.
‘Ah, they look good together. But…’

However, it was strange.

Her feelings were strange.

The two looked like a perfect couple. Yet, there was this unstoppable ache
deep inside her heart. Why did she feel this way? What was causing her to
feel so much misery?

At that moment, Larissa smiled beautifully and tucked her hair behind her
ear. She was so stunning that those who laid their eyes upon her would not
hesitate to fall in love.

‘Even Caville…’

Her heart sank.

She finally knew what that feeling was…

It was envy.

Elody clenched her fists. She immediately ran back towards the mansion to
hide her overwhelming emotions. She couldn’t stand watching them anymore.

A few days ago, she had also experienced the same feeling when she saw
Larissa getting along quite nicely with the knights.

Elody knew well that the knights hated her, though she did not have the
slightest clue about the reason.

Nevertheless, the young duchess just accepted it mindlessly, thinking that

maybe, it was already her destiny.

On the other hand, the charming princess was loved by all, accepted by
even those with the most stubborn perception of others.

Elody felt terrible.

In her heart crept a fit of jealousy that never slept. Her fears and
insecurities kept consuming her and she didn’t know how to make it stop.

‘What if I become someone that’s just like the original villainess?’

She was afraid.

She was terrified of falling into the depths of the black abyss.

The thought was so terrifying that it started to suffocate her.

Though… unlike the novel. She had loved Caville as if he was her younger
brother.
But, despite everything, she was nothing but a mere secondary character,
and apparently, she had made no difference to the plot of the story.

Elody and Caville had been separated for seven years, and by the time
Caville met Larissa. He must have fallen in love with her on the
battlefield. She was well aware of that, so she thought that she would
naturally come to accept it when the princess came.

But… she still felt uncomfortable. It was difficult to accept facts that
had already been decided. And now, she was afraid of her own emotions. She
didn’t know what she would do if those feelings actually caused her to
become someone like the original villainess.

“……”

At the end of the dark path, she began to see her future; she would make a
potion to hurt the princess. However, it meant that Caville would end up
suffering more than the original male lead. He would have to kill Elody,
someone who was just like a sister to him.

It would have been terribly painful to murder someone he considered

family!

Elody didn’t want that.

She didn’t want to cause misery in his life.

He was her purpose in life in the first place. Everything she had done up
till now was for him. She would never have the heart to make him suffer in
pain.

After a while, Elody finally entered her chambers.

With trembling hands, she carefully checked the luggage she had previously
packed. She couldn’t stay in the mansion feeling like this. If at one
moment, she lost control of herself, she could ruin everyone’s lives.

Therefore, until she managed to calm her mind, she had to leave the
castle.

Being devoured by her anguish, her fate was to become a villain

eventually. And she didn’t want to die miserably at Caville’s hands, who
had adored her all his life.

Thus, Elody walked out of her room with her luggage in hand, leaving a
small note on the desk, reporting that she would be traveling for some
time.

She didn’t know where to go since she didn’t even have any plans, but she
couldn’t keep doing this anymore.

She had to leave.

* * *
“Your Grace, would you be so kind as to teach me the ancient language?”
Larissa spoke, giving him a coy smile.

“……”

‘Ancient language?’

“Why does Your Highness need to do that?”

“I want to learn magic too… So that I could be of help inside this

mansion. I feel uncomfortable staying here without doing anything helpful,
so I was just wondering if—”

“I don’t know. I’m not good at teaching other people.”

At his cold response, Larissa’s expression grew sullen.

“…I see.”

“It’s getting late. You should go back to your room. Should I ask a knight
to escort you back?”

“No, that’s alright. It’s not that far. I can just walk back with my
maid,” Princess Larissa spoke while waving her hands.

“But, if I may ask… Can Your Grace spare me some of your time tomorrow? I
would really like it if we could have tea together.”

Caville stared at her with a serious look on his face.

At first, he believed that the idea of him getting married to the princess
was nothing more than the emperor’s intention to gain more political
power. He thought that the princess was simply a tool for him to use and
did not share the same opinion of marrying him and whatnot.

But it turns out he was wrong.

Of course, during his time on the battlefield, the princess had shown a
tiny bit of interest in him, but he thought that it was just that-
curiosity.

However, now, it was clear that it wasn’t so.

Caville noticed something when he observed the princess. She would

sometimes look awkward, demure, and coy, even going as far as attempting
to hide that obvious blush on her face behind her fingers.

Truthfully, it was a similar expression that Caville had whenever he was

near his wife. It was honestly a bit embarrassing for him when he saw the
princess like that.

Perhaps that was why his wife did not feel comfortable with him.
‘What should I do?’

But first things first, Caville had to make things clear. He had no
intention to marry her whatsoever, and he wanted her to know that as a
fact.

“I’m going to make things clear…” Caville spoke with a frown on his face.

“Yes?”

“I have zero intention of getting divorced.”

Seeing Larissa’s sunken expression, Caville continued his words with a

cold tone.

“Even if I die. I will never divorce my wife.”

Chapter 64

Elody’s baggage was very light. She only packed a set of clothes, scented
candles, and the rest were just documents from her research.

The first thing she planned to do was go to Sirka’s guild and ask him to
find a place for her to stay for a few days.

However, before leaving the mansion, she had arranged to stop by at a

particular place.

The place was near the first-floor corridor that was on the east wing of
the mansion. That corridor was connected to a beautiful outdoor garden
that Elody loved to visit from time to time. She would occasionally go
there because the back-door entrance was a faster exit to get to the
merchant guild.

Suddenly, however, she was struck by multiple voices coming from the
garden. The conversation was so suspicious that she could not help but
listen.

“…What do you mean?”

“I told you!”

The owner of those voices was none other than the priests. When she saw
them, she immediately hid behind a pillar and eavesdropped more on their
talk.

The priests stayed in the east wing of the mansion, whereas the guests
from the imperial palace stayed in the west wing.

“…The Duke of Cernois is still…”

Because of the word ‘the Duke of Cernois’, Elody started paying more
attention to what they were talking about. She walked closer to them and
fortunately, the sound of bees masked her footsteps.
After passing two more pillars, Elody could finally hear their voice
clearly.

The two chatted while staring at the flowers with their arms crossed on
their chests.

“We can’t let Emperor Albrecht do whatever he wants! I’m sick of those
guys from the imperial palace!”

“I heard that the northern and eastern dukes claimed a few territories
from the war.”

“Seriously?! The emperor shouldn’t just carelessly give out territories

like that!”

“It’s true! That’s why the emperor is trying to covet the Duke of Cernoir
to gain more political power! Or rather, he just wants to take advantage
of the duke’s spirit…”

“Hmm… it wouldn’t be good if he somehow gained control of the duke’s

spirit. We must take it away from the duke first somehow!”

“First things first, we must make sure that the duke is on our side.”

“Well, since High Priest Amos is here. There’s nothing to worry about,
right? Oh, and is the meeting still in progress?”

The two young priests who were conversing looked at the stairs in the
middle of the hallway. Perhaps, the meeting place was being held on the
upper floor.

‘Those two are High Priest Amos’s subordinates…’

Elody continued to listen to their discussion.

“High Priest Amos could just kill the duke and take away his spirit if he
wants to. He has the power to do it.”

“Of course, he does… That’s why he even brought the sacred magic tools.”

“…!”

Elody was so shocked at their remarks that she had to cover her mouth to
avoid them from hearing her gasps.

She thought that the Temple came to borrow his power or use him as a
political tool. But it turned out to be much worse than that. They seemed
to have come up with such extreme measures. It was shocking to say the
least!

However, no matter how strong the high priests were, they could never beat
Caville. His swordsmanship skills were extraordinary and the amount of
mana he had was something that no one could ever beat.
She wasn’t able to confirm this herself, but she knew that Caville would
become strong enough to even use all forms of magic with just one gesture.

To compete with a swordmaster like Caville that could possibly beat them
with the lift of a single finger, they had to be at least a high priest or
a holy mage.

However…

‘A holy mage… Does such a person even exist?’

They even seemed to have a secret weapon up their sleeves. Things were
certainly not looking good…

Elody’s heart was filled with anxiety. She was so afraid that it felt as
if her heart might leap out of her chest at any moment. Her heartbeat was
so loud that she was terrified they would hear it even from a distance.

‘They’re planning to kill Caville…’

Elody’s eyes were quivering in fear.

‘But… What kind of magic tool are they talking about? What kind of secret
are they hiding?’

Elody held her breath and continued to eavesdrop some more. However, their
conversation had already ended.

Suddenly, a couple of footsteps could be heard from above the stairs.

Elody could hear them descend from the upper floors.

“Hey… get back to your rooms!”

The voice came from an old priest, though it was most certainly not High
Priest Amos.

At his words, the two young priests bowed their heads and went back to
their respective rooms.

“Sir Theodore, let us rest as well,” the old priest said.

“Alright.”

Having said that, the old priest headed back to his room. Elody, still in
hiding, waited until everyone was ready to leave.

However, the sound of footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer
to her…

Until it stopped.

Theodore, the commander of the paladins, stared at Elody that hid behind
the pillar of the corridor that led to the garden.
He thought to himself about the meeting he attended from before.

Somehow, the chances of the duke divorcing the duchess were very low.
However, High Priest Amos still thought of killing the duke if he had to.

Once again, he hoped for something he knew he shouldn’t hope for.

The first time he saw Elody, he felt something deep within his heart. It
was an unknown, shameful desire. He wanted her to become his. He wanted to
propose to her.

During the past few days, Theodore had wanted to approach the duchess.
Unfortunately for him, he had never dated nor even had deep conversations
with women, so he had no clue on how he was going to get closer to Elody.

But to see her at such an unexpected place…

The young paladin’s heart pounded hard.

“……”

He slowly walked toward Elody, and after standing in front of the pillar
in which she was hiding, he spoke gently, “Your Grace, what are you doing
here at this hour…?”

“……”

Elody, who was still in hiding, turned around in shock with her hand on
her mouth.

Every time the sound of footsteps approached her, she found it very hard
for her to breathe.

What’s more, the man had never even seen her, and yet, he knew who she
was…

‘How does he know? Does he have a weird ability? It was said that knights
who had passed certain heights in their training would be able to figure
out where their enemies are in just a few seconds! Is that how he found me
out?’

Elody felt as if her heart was in her throat.

Then, she mustered up the courage to talk.

“…I’m just t-taking a stroll.”

“I see. The garden here is beautiful indeed.”

Theodore was trying his best to hide his feelings and this awkward tension
between them. As he stared at Elody, his eyes drifted to her gorgeous pink
locks.
Her calamine hair was braided to the side and flowed to her shoulder. Her
lips were carefully tinted red and her ivory skin was flawless. She was
stunning. To him, Elody was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in
his entire life.

Even her surprised expression was cute. How easily startled she was, how
she looked like a small, defenseless animal. He thought that perhaps this
was what the foxes felt when they hunted those tiny, cute rabbits.

Then, his eyes laid upon a leather bag that she was carrying around.

“What’s that?”

“……”

Elody shook her head.

“I-it’s nothing. Just…”

As Elody was about to leave…

“Wait, please!”

Theodore grabbed her by the hand.

The young duchess turned around in bewilderment. Seeing the discomfort in

her eyes, Theodore quickly withdrew his hand, as if he had finally
realized what he had just done.

“I apologize. I just… wanted to talk to Your Grace for a while longer…”

Suddenly…

“What do you think you’re doing?”

A cold voice came from behind the two.

Stunned, Elody turned her head to look at the owner of that cold voice.

It was Caville.

* * *

After talking with the princess, Caville headed directly to Elody’s lab.
However, the place was empty.

Thus, he proceeded to go back to the mansion and ran straight to her room.

He was hesitant at first. It had been a long time since he last visited
her bedroom. But he couldn’t wait any longer, so, with trembling hands and
a loudly pounding heart, Caville knocked on her door.

After a while, the door opened.

“…My wife, I need to talk to—“

“Your wife is gone.”

His wife was substituted by Ifrit.

“Wha—? Why are you here?!” Caville snarled.

Ifrit just shrugged in response.

“The window to your room was closed, so I went to your wife’s bedroom
instead.”

“…and where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

Caville immediately barged into the room.

It was empty as the wind.

‘Where did she go?’

Caville became anxious.

“There’s a note on the desk. It said that she was going on a trip for a
few days.”

His heart immediately sank into his boots.

‘A trip?’

What kind of nonsense was that? What sudden trip?

“……”

Caville stared at the note that was left on the desk.

He spoke to Ifrit, “Track my wife’s whereabouts right now.”

It was finally time to confirm his so-called ability that he had been
boasting about.

“Hahaha!!! I knew you would eventually need my help!”

“S-shut up! Just get to work!”

Too excited to mind his words, Ifrit instantly started sniffing for
Elody’s traces.

‘Is he going to track her down in his… puppy form?’

Caville’s expression worsened, though in all honesty, he didn’t really

look that unreliable.
“This way! The east wing! But… isn’t that where the guests from the Temple
were staying?”

Afterward, Caville immediately ran to the east wing and was able to find
Elody there.

However, the situation was strange. His wife was carrying a leather bag
while talking to some random guy.

‘Is that… the commander of the paladins?’

Caville remembered his face because he wasn’t very fond of him on the
battlefield. He was quite annoying to say the least.

Then, his eyes drifted to Theodore’s hand which was holding his wife’s
arm.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

He slowly approached the two.

Theodore withdrew his hand straight away, but Caville’s gaze was still on
Elody’s wrist that he had previously touched.

In an instant, his heart burned with rage. And the fire was spread all
over his body until he eventually exploded.

Caville grabbed Theodore by the collar and threw him against the pillar.

“Caville!”

Elody was astounded and held back his arm.

Caville only stared at his wife in confusion.

‘What in the world is going on?’

Caville’s eyes were filled with fury.

Why was his wife taking this bastard’s side? Why was she carrying a
suspicious leather bag in the east wing where the Temple people stayed?
With this bastard even…

He began putting the pieces together, and it eventually clicked.

‘Is it what I think it is…?’

Caville felt as if his world had just broken down and crumbled to pieces.

Chapter 65
“Caville, please… It’s not what you think…” Elody begged as she held onto
his arm.

She panicked because he had misunderstood her motives.

“Please, Caville…”

“What exactly am I misunderstanding?”

“Caville…”

She stared at Caville anxiously.

Theodore stared at the two in shock.

“Caville, just go back to your room and take a rest, okay?” Elody pleaded.

“……”

At her words, Caville was forced to let go of Theodore.

“Ha…”

Theodore was finally able to breathe.

On the other hand, Elody stared at the paladin with an apologetic look on
her face.

Suddenly, Caville dragged Elody away from Theodore by holding her hand to
who-knows-where.

In all honesty, he really wanted to punch that guy’s face. But dealing
with him could be done later. Right now, his wife was his utmost priority.

Still holding hands, the two turned towards the garden before finally
disappearing from plain sight.

‘He’s insane…’

Theodore clicked his tongue in fury. Somehow, he was really angry after
the two left. Or rather… he was jealous of the duke that could casually
hold the duchess’s hand.

Theodore smiled a little.

The two didn’t seem to have a good relationship with each other. It was as
if only the duke was one-sidedly chasing after the duchess. If this were
true, then Theodore thought that perhaps he might have a chance.

* * *

“Caville! Please wait…!”

“……”
Elody, still being dragged by Caville, was unable to keep up with his pace
and ended up pulling her hand away from his hold.

“……”

The two stopped in silence with Caville staring at his wife coldly.

Unexpectedly, the duke just lifted her up, took her in his arms, and went
along his way.

“Caville!”

No matter how loud she shouted, Caville just continued to rush up the
stairs.

Carrying his wife was just a mere problem. He proceeded to carry her until
they reached his bedroom. The place where they used to sleep together when
they were kids.

After slamming the door open, Caville put Elody down on the floor.

However, as they finally faced each other face to face, the young duke
didn’t know what to do…

“Caville…”

Caville was confused and frustrated. There were so many emotions in his
head that he didn’t know what to say.

The first thing he blurted out was, “Where were you trying to go…?”
Caville asked, trying to sound calm.

Elody surprised by his question, hesitated for a moment before answering,

“I… can’t be here anymore, Caville. In fact, I should’ve left before you
returned from the war…”

Caville slowly approached his wife. The corner of his lips unexpectedly
rose, forming a twisted smile.

“While I was fighting on the battlefield, you were prepared to run away.”

“……”

“So, that note you left me was just a lie? You never meant to come back?”

“No, that’s not it…”

He started wrapping her waist with his big hands and looked straight into
her eyes.

He was smiling, but his eyes were burning with intensity.

“Caville…”
It was as if his pink eyes had turned red. The anger reflected from his
orbs like an ethereal fire. He was certainly filled with rage.

“Is he your lover?” He coldly spoke.

Elody knew who he was talking about.

He was obviously talking about Theodore.

It had been less than seven days since the guests from the Temple had
arrived, and during that short span of time, her husband hadn’t seen her
at all.

Elody vowed to clear up the misunderstanding and resolve things as fast as

possible.

“……”

But…

Caville’s face was far too close to hers…

He was so close that it seemed as if his lips could touch her s at any
moment!

Embarrassed, Elody gave him a little push, and contrary to her

expectations, Caville stepped back from her immediately.

She sighed in exasperation.

It was finally time for her to be honest with Caville.

“Sir Theodore and I are strangers. He’s a nobody to me. Please don’t
misunderstand him…”

“…I believe my wife’s words.”

Caville wasn’t actually suspicious of Elody, but when he saw that gaze in
Theodore’s eyes, he could not help but think of the worst. Even if his
wife had no relationship with that guy, he was still clearly interested in
her.

Elody spoke calmly, “I… I was actually thinking of running away. I felt
like I had to leave the mansion for at least a few days…”

She had lost all reason. She feared for the things that could happen to
her in the days ahead of now. That was why she wanted to run away.

However, after listening to the priests’ conversations, she decided to

come back to her room. Elody feared that if she were absent, she might not
be able to prevent them from plotting Caville’s murder.

“You see… there’s…”

“……”

“This is your home. Where were you planning to go, wife?”

Caville’s eyes trembled in fear. Strange emotions were dwelling from deep
inside his heart. He was once again confused by not being able to
understand the meaning behind his emotions.

“…I want a divorce. Let’s prepare the divorce papers, Caville.”

Elody thought that divorcing him first would be the best option to take as
of the moment. After that, she could go ahead and take care of the guys
from the Temple. That way, things would be less uncomfortable for both the
princess and Caville himself.

Or so she thought…

“Why?!”

Caville’s response surprised her greatly.

“Uh.. I mean… You and Princess Larissa…”

“What does that woman have to do with me?”

“Aren’t you going to… marry her?”

“……”

Caville stared Elody in the eye as if trying to read her thoughts…

Elody frowned, something seemed wrong. The atmosphere was weird and his
response was certainly not what she expected.

“You… have to marry the princess.”

Their perception of the situation clearly differed from each other.

Elody genuinely thought that the two were close. However, Caville seemed
to have no knowledge regarding that whatsoever.

“…I do not have the intention of divorcing my wife.”

“……”

“You can try to divorce me over my dead body. Even if I have to die, such
a thing will never happen!”

“Caville?”

“You told me you loved me.”

Elody stared at him, stunned.

His eyes started tearing up before his tears fell to his cheeks.

“I…”

“……”

“I do! I already told you, I will always love you!”

Elody was confused, how did it come to this? Caville seemed to have no
desire to marry Princess Larissa, which meant that they weren’t lovers.

Those two had spent so much time together on the battlefield. Yet, he
didn’t even hold the tiniest bit of feelings for the princess. Was that
even possible?

And yet, he was able to talk to her with that look on his face. A look
filled with so much passion, with the tone of his voice that made her
think that the two of them were the only ones in this world.

Still, she doubted that maybe he didn’t understand what love was.

When they were children, Elody used to tell Caville that she loved him.
She told him those exact same words in her letters as well. But… it wasn’t
something that she had thought about deeply. She didn’t know that it could
have caused his feelings to distort so much from the original plot.

‘It’s all my fault!’

Elody bit her lips. All those affections were for him. Though, she should
have given it up before it was too late…

“Caville, you’re not thinking straight…”

“You think I don’t know my own feelings?”

“You… You’re misunderstanding your love for me from familial love. You
think of me as your sister… not a lover.”

“And where is that sister? I don’t have a sister so I have no idea what
you mean by that. The only family I have here is my wife.”

“Caville.”

“My wife, you can’t leave me! You can’t leave me for the rest of your
life! We’re married!” He cried.

Thanks to Elody’s words, Caville finally realized how he actually felt

about her. Caville loved his wife as much as he did when he was a child,
but that feeling was subtly different from that in the past. As he said to
his wife, it was not the affection he would feel for a sister.

“……”
He silently gazed at his wife’s face. Her rosy cheeks and luscious lips…

He was in love with her.

“Caville, you and Princess Larissa are bound by fate.”

But the words that came out of her lips were the last thing he wanted to
hear.

“No. You are my fate.”

“……”

Elody had finally confessed that Caville and Princess were destined for
each other. Unfortunately, Caville’s answer had made it clear: she had
ruined the plot of the novel way too much.

And she noticed it too late.

* * *

That night, Elody returned to her room. Meanwhile, Caville sat on the
hallway floor, keeping guard of her room due to the fear that she would
change her mind and run away again.

It seemed that it would not work as they could not continue sleeping in a
separate room.

He used another room because his wife felt uncomfortable, but it was weird
when he actually thought about it.

Even if she was uncomfortable, it was better for them to sleep in the same
room. Furthermore, the two were married and he was deeply in love with his
wife.

But Caville was aware that Elody didn’t feel the same. He still remembered
what his wife had told him last night, “Caville, you and Princess Larissa
are bound by fate.”

He would blindly believe anything she told him, but not that.

He was greatly irritated. Why was everyone trying to pair him up with
Princess?

If she was indeed his fate, Caville had no qualms about fighting fate or
destiny or whatever head-on just so that he could spend the rest of his
life with his wife.

“Oh, my Lord…!”

Early the next morning, Marie went to Elody’s room and was surprised to
see Caville sitting in the hallway.

“What is Your Grace doing here?”

“……”

The night had finally passed. Caville got up and without giving her an
answer, he immediately headed to his room.

After washing his face with cold water, Caville changed clothes and went
to visit Count Defore and the princess.

* * *

“Your Highness! His Grace is looking for you!”

“Wha-what?”

At Carolina’s words, Larissa stared at herself in the mirror in

excitement.

“Your Highness is as beautiful as usual! Now let us go see His Grace!”

“Yes…”

Princess Larissa opened the door and went out, calming her beating heart.

But contrary to her expectations. The duke didn’t come to see her alone,
Count DeFore was with him and the duke’s expression was as cold as ice.

“Count DeFore…? What’s happening…?”

Caville parted his lips.

“Your Highness, Count DeFore, and the other guests from the imperial
palace. As of today, you must leave the Duchy of Cernoir immediately.”

Chapter 66

Caville spent the whole night pondering.

‘Since when did things start to go wrong…?’

He realized that there had been a lot of obstacles in the relationship

between him and his wife.

From the start, Caville had planned to live the rest of his life in peace
with his wife after returning from the war. However, everything turned
into a disaster because of other people’s interventions! From the Temple
to the Imperial Government, none of them did any good for him!

Caville just couldn’t take it anymore. Therefore, he shooed all those

unwanted guests away from his residence. The documents from the emperor
had already been signed anyway. So, they had no more reason to stay here
in the mansion any longer.
“But, Your Grace…! We were sent by His Majesty here to—”

“Have I not already signed all the documents the emperor requested me to?
There is no more reason for you to stay here in the duchy.”

“H-how can His Grace say those things to the emperor’s envoys…?” Count
DeFore murmured.

Caville didn’t care at all.

He had even fulfilled the promise of participating in the war with the
emperor. There was literally nothing else that connected Caville to the
emperor anymore! He had already done enough!

“Your Highness, Count DeFore, and the other guests. You may return to the
capital.”

“……”

At his words, Princess Larissa almost collapsed due to shock.

That night, Larissa wasn’t able to sleep a wink. She could not believe
that the Duke of Cernoir had rejected her right after he told her that he
had no intention of divorcing the duchess. After hearing those words, she
knew that she should just give up, but she still wondered why her feelings
for him kept growing stronger and stronger instead.

Larissa thought that if she were able to expose the duchess of her evil
schemes. The duke might change his mind.

But to think that he instantly told her to leave… It was as if her world
had just broken apart.

“But, Your Grace…”

“Your Highness does not have a reason to stay here any longer. Your
belongings will be sent back to the capital immediately. So, please
leave.”

“……”

“……”

* * *

After forcing the imperial envoys to leave, Caville proceeded to kick out
the guests from the Temple of Thysser.

The priests had originally planned to reside in the mansion until the
renovation of the Cernoir Temple had been finished. But Caville just
couldn’t wait any longer.

He spoke to High Priest Amos, “One of your paladins touched the duchess’s
body without my permission.”
“What…? Who is that man if I may ask?”

“It’s Sir Theodore! How dare he touch my wife’s arm?! Is that the kind of
education you teach in the Temple?!”

“What does this mean, Sir Theodore?”

“Hmph! Whatever it is, after you return to the Temple, you may discuss it
amongst yourselves.”

“……”

Thus, Caville finally finished cleaning all the rats inside the mansion.

* * *

“Your Highness! What on earth is happening? Why are we leaving so

suddenly?” Carolina asked as she looked at the mansion through the
carriage window.

Princess Larissa didn’t answer. She only wiped the tears on her face with
a broken heart.

Everything felt unfair. The duchess had everything she didn’t; a huge
mansion, a beautiful greenhouse, stunning flowers, friendly servants,
trustworthy knights, and even the Duke of Cernoir!

Princess Larissa finally admitted her true feelings. What she felt was
greed.

Her home, the Castle of Dayev, was destroyed to bits and pieces. She was
devastated when that happened, though she still kept the memory in her
head as a place full of happiness.

It wasn’t as if the duchess had taken away the things she owned, but
Princess Larissa still felt as if she did.

“Your Highness… please don’t cry. We can come back again later, alright?”

“…Yes.”

Princess Larissa promised to guard the duke’s castle in her memory and
heart, hoping that maybe she might be able to return to that beautiful
place one day.

Count DeFore, who was sitting on another carriage, also stared outside the
window, glaring at the mansion while gritting his teeth.

‘How dare he ignore His Majesty’s orders…!’

Even if he was a war hero, he shouldn’t have done that!

Count DeFore was one of the most powerful aristocrats in the capital, and
he had earned the emperor’s trust. So when the emperor told him to go to
the duchy to gain the duke’s favor. The count had vowed to finish his task
successfully. But to think that he would kick them out instead…

‘I shall report all of this to His Majesty,’ Count DeFore thought while
clenching his fist.

The emperor only wanted to maintain a good relationship with the duke, but
the duke himself refused his kind offer! He’d have no choice but to pay
the price.

Both Count DeFore and Princess Larissa stared at the mansion from a
distance. However, what was going inside their minds wasn’t the same at
all. While Princess Larissa imagined coming back to the beautiful mansion,
Count DeFore wanted the place to burn in hell.

* * *

Since she couldn’t sleep early that night, Elody ended up falling asleep
at dawn and wasn’t able to wake up until evening came.

And surprisingly, the first news she heard from Marie was that the guests
from the Temple and the Imperial Palace had left the territory.

“Wha-what did you say?!”

Elody was so surprised that she began to choke on her drink.

“Cough, cough!”

“Are you alright, madame?! Should I call a doctor?” Marie said as she
patted Elody’s back.

Then, after taking a deep breath, Elody spoke, “They all left?! So
suddenly?”

“Yes, His Grace kicked them all out this morning.”

“But why?”

“I’m not sure either… Oh! And I think that His Grace spent all night
sitting in the hallway in front of madame’s bedroom…”

“What?”

“When I arrived in madame’s room this morning, I saw His Grace sitting in
the hallway. His eyes were red, so I guessed that he might not have slept
at all yesterday.”

“……”

Elody sighed.
He seemed to have been keeping an eye on her in case she tried to escape.
Moments like these made Elody think of him as a child.

‘But to think that he actually got rid of the guys from the Temple and the
Imperial Government.’

Elody wasn’t too worried about the case since the priests were supposed to
go to the Cernoir Temple and the Emperor’s envoy had no reason to stay
anyway, but…

‘Did he do that because of me?’

She had a headache.

Even Princess Larissa was gone. Caville must have been really angry
yesterday.

“Caville, you and Princess Larissa are bound by fate.”

It was all her fault.

‘I mean, what was I supposed to do?’

She had genuinely thought that the two would become lovers!

And the temple…

“Is it because of the Commander of the Paladins?”

When Caville caught her yesterday with him, Elody’s heart was racing, was
it because of Caville’s expression? She really felt as if he had caught
her having an affair.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to doubt her, but… seeing as how he threw the
Temple people out, he must have been quite annoyed.

“I have to clear things up with him.”

It was necessary to speak again now that she had a clear mind.

Thus, Elody began to wash and change her clothes with Marie’s help.

* * *

Caville was contemplating his next plan with joy, and it was all because
he had expelled the unwanted guests.

Ifrit was once again counseling Caville.

“I love my wife,” Caville said with a stern tone.

“Yeah, I know,” Ifrit replied.

“In the past, when I thought of my wife, my heart was calm… but it’s
different now.”

“Yeah… you said it before, you said that it burns.”

“Yeah, it feels hot, I feel this weird pressure on my chest. And it felt
like a fever since my whole body was burning.”

“So you finally realized that the feeling is called love.”

“But… I don’t think that my wife feels the same,” Caville said with a
gloomy face.

Ifrit only chuckled in response.

“That’s called an unrequited love.”

“I hope my wife loves me as much as I love her…”

“Can I do anything to help you?”

At Ifrit’s words, Caville looked at him in disbelief. As if that tiny

puppy could do anything to help him progress his relationship with his
wife.

Seeing his disgusted expression, Ifrit only grumbled in annoyance.

Caville laughed and spoke, “Are you gonna talk nonsense again?”

“That… was your fault, not mine.”

“……”

“You’re too innocent and simpleminded, so I don’t think you’ll achieve

much. But starting tomorrow, I’ll bring you a few books about love. So
study them.”

Ifrit knew that Caville was too pure for his age, so he thought he needed
an educational book. Caville knew nothing of what a man his age naturally
knew, that’s why he didn’t get along with knights at all, except when they
fought and trained on the battlefield.

Like the self-proclaimed older brother he was, Ifrit pledged to educate

Caville well.

“Anyway, you don’t have to be like before! If you want your wife to love
you, it’s important that you don’t go on behaving like a child.”

“……”

Caville agreed to his words as he knew at least that much now.

“And don’t whine.”

“……”

“Don’t force yourself on her.”

Caville’s forehead began to wrinkle.

“You cannot be too pushy. Don’t say things like ‘Oh! I love you so much,
but why don’t you love me?’ It’s embarrassing, so stop it, okay?”

“……”

“It’s all on you though. Think wisely.”

“Alright. Then what do you think I should do?” Caville asked, frustrated
by his words.

Ifrit replied, “…First, you have to let her fall in love with you!”

“How do I do that?”

“Well… I mean …Just look at yourself in the mirror! Your appearance is the
number one priority!”

Caville followed lfrit’s advice and pulled out a mirror from his hand.

Then, Ifrit inwardly apologized when he saw Caville touching his face.

‘Sorry kid, I actually don’t know how to court girls either…’

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

“Caville, are you inside?”

It was Elody.

Chapter 67

Creak—!

She opened the door.

“My wife…”

Caville’s expression was surprisingly brighter than yesterday. He seemed

cheerful.

Though on the contrary, Elody was still uncomfortable over the things that
had happened between the two of them.

“I need to talk to you…”

“Alright. I have something I want to tell you as well.”

Elody nodded in response before proceeding to enter the room and sat on
the couch.

Caville followed her from behind and stared at her with a gleam of light
shimmering in his eyes.

“I shall take my leave now, madame.”

Marie was able to take a hint about the atmosphere between the two,
therefore she scurried herself out to not interrupt them any further.

Now, the married couple and Ifrit were the only ones left in the room.
Amongst the awkward silence, Elody just kept fiddling her fingers while
Caville glared at Ifrit, gesturing him to leave through the window.

After a while, Elody finally mustered up her courage to speak and broke
the silence.

“Caville… Why did you tell the guests to leave?”

“It’s about time I did that. I should’ve done it a long time ago.”

“But still, it’s way too sudden…”

“My wife, do you really want me to marry Princess Larissa?”

“Huh?”

Elody didn’t know how she should respond to his question.

‘I mean… They ended up together in the novel. I never expected things to

go like this…’

Of course, she could have just told the truth and said yes. But somehow…
she couldn’t say a single word at that moment. The words just wouldn’t
come out of her mouth!

First, the princess seemed to hold some sort of grudge or suspicion

towards her, and now even her husband refused to accept his fate!

“I mean, you can if you want to…”

“What if I don’t?”

“……”

Elody stared at him with a puzzled expression, on the other hand,

Caville’s eyes were full of certainty.

However, if Caville truly didn’t want to marry the princess… then she
shouldn’t force the idea on him.

‘They’re destined to be together anyway… I don’t think it’s my place to

intervene in their relationship.’
Elody was still confused, she didn’t know why Caville felt like this.

‘Could this have happened because I treated him differently than the
original novel?’

But then again, she had never intervened in Caville’s meeting with Larissa
either.

After growing up, Elody thought that Caville would naturally fall in
Larissa, not with her!

He was like a duckling that had just hatched from its egg and the first
thing it saw was its mother.

‘But that feeling isn’t love. He’s just obsessed with me because I was the
first person to give him affection to…’

“I love you.”

“……”

Caville was surprisingly straightforward.

“I am in love with you.”

This time, he said with the most tender voice and held his hand on his
chest.

Elody felt as if she had just been hit in the back of her head with a
large iron hammer. She wasn’t able to think rationally.

She parted her lips and spoke, “Caville, you’re…”

“You think I’m mistaking my feelings for you as a brotherly love?”

Elody was speechless. He took the words right out of her mouth.

“……”

“There’s no one in this world that could make me feel the way I feel about
you.”

Caville smiled at his own words.

“……”

‘Oh, my word…’

Elody had goosebumps all over her body. It felt as if there were
butterflies in her stomach.

“Were you really thinking of getting a divorce? Where would you even go if
that actually happened?”
“…I’ve tried searching for a place to reside in.”

“Is that why you’ve been talking to Sirka these past months?” Caville said
as he recalled his memories.

“Ah, that’s right! I’ve looked into a few properties, and I found one
that’s perfect for Your Grace to build another greenhouse!”

Caville pretended to dismiss his thoughts about Sirka’s words at that

time, but in all honesty, he had been thinking about it nonstop ever
since.

“Yes…” Elody replied with a nervous expression.

She thought she was ready for a divorce… but her husband clearly did not
have any intentions of doing so.

“And after that? What were you planning on doing?” Caville said, creasing
his eyebrows before continuing, “Were you thinking of searching for
another man and getting married to him?”

“…W-well, I have never thought of that. But I guess it could happen…?”

Caville bit his lips.

“I have no intention of forcing my feelings onto you, but…”

“……”

“Don’t divorce me. Please just give me a chance…”

“Caville…”

“I will do my best so that your feelings for me will change. Just wait
because I will put in all of my efforts to make you mine. But… if even
until then you still want a divorce, then I will have no choice but to
accept.”

Caville looked sad when he said that.

“…Alright.”

Elody agreed to his terms as she knew that he wouldn’t back off anyway.
Plus, she still thought of him as a child.

He had only reached adulthood recently, and at that age, people tend to
get confused about their obsession with love. Or at least, that was what
Elody thought.

She found it hard to believe his words.

‘We parted when we were young, he had just barely returned, and now he
says his feelings are those of a man. As time passes Caville will know…
that his feelings aren’t real.’

“……”

At her response, Caville’s lips curved upwards. Elody said that she would
wait until his efforts reach its end. Though… Caville actually lied. He
had no intention of giving up even if she did not love him back.

However, if she really wanted it… He might have to fulfill her wish even
if it hurt him.

Still! Even if they were divorced, it didn’t mean that he would have to
disappear from her life. Caville promised to always be with her throughout
his entire life. No matter what.

Elody considered Caville’s confession to be nothing but a sudden impulse,

but the same couldn’t be said for what Elody was about to say.

“Caville, I think that the Temple is trying to aim for the power of your
spirit.”

“……”

Caville blinked, feigning ignorance.

He was already well aware of that fact, though he decided to ignore it

because he couldn’t do anything anyway…

“I accidentally heard the priests’ conversations last night.”

“……”

The word “last night” made Caville squint his eyes. However, Elody
continued on, “I wanted to tell you this before I left… the priests were
talking about you. They said that High Priest Amos had brought a magic
tool that could potentially kill you…”

“Really?”

Elody wanted to protect Caville at all costs, she wasn’t going to let the
Temple hurt him.

Ever since she met him, he had become her most important person.

“So I want to know how strong you actually are.”

“……”

She had simply asked how strong he was as a swordmaster. However, Caville
felt that he had come to an opportunity to apply those tips that Ifrit had
given to him.
“You have to make it so that your wife can see you as someone she can
depend on! A strong and reliable figure!”

He thought that this was what he was talking about, so after a short
pause, he spoke confidently, “I can protect you! You’ll be surprised to
see how strong I’ve become!”

“……”

The answer he gave was very similar to that of an elementary school

student, so Elody resisted the urge to laugh.

No matter how he looked, Caville was still as cute as a child.

When he started talking about how strong he was, Elody couldn’t resist
smiling at his enthusiastic explanations.

‘So I guess I should stop preparing for the divorce.’

At the moment, her priority was to protect Caville from the Temple and the
Imperial family.

To do that, she had to increase the power of the duchy first.

* * *

Ever since the guests had left, the servants’ felt as if a weight had just
been lifted off their shoulders.

“Hey, you know… The princess’s personal maid came to me yesterday. She
shamelessly asked me if the duke and duchess were sleeping in separate
rooms.”

“What? How did she know?”

“She must have eavesdropped on one of the servants’ conversations!”

“Are you serious? And why does she care if they use separated rooms?”

“She must have been spying for the princess!”

Tessie and Emily were resentful about everything that had happened thanks
to the guests.

“But, why do they use separated rooms?” Sylvia asked.

“Are you an idiot?! The madame is sick! Do you think she would want to let
her husband see her in such a state?”

“Ah, you’re right!”

Tears accumulated in Sylvia’s eyes and Tessie sighed as she looked at her
in exasperation.
“Our poor madame, I hope she recovers soon… What kind of disease is it?”

“I don’t know either. But people who vomit blood always end up dying…
Ahh!”

“Oh my Lord!”

The maids yelled in surprise at the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar

knight.

“Wha… why are you here, Sir?” Emily said to the man.

“……”

The man who suddenly appeared was Heinz. Then, he spoke, “…The madame’s
illness is called the Siren’s Tears.“

“Siren’s Tears?” Tessie asked while blinking in surprise.

After all, the knight in front of them was a mercenary who was known to
have a huge hatred towards Elody.

“How does Sir Heinz know about madame’s illness?”

“It’s a disease that makes you vomit blood and die painfully. It cannot be
cured with any medication or even divine magic.”

“……”

Tessie, Emily, and Sylvia stared at Heinz in shock.

Not minding their painful expressions, Heinz just walked away with a
gloomier look.

And that late afternoon…

Heinz suddenly went to Elody’s lab. As soon as she saw his face, she tried
to ask him what was going on.

However, before she could ask him, Heinz already approached her without
hesitation and knelt to the ground so loudly that the sound rang
throughout the whole room.

Chapter 68

After talking to Caville, Elody returned to the lab.

As the emperor’s delegation and the people of the temple left, the mansion
went back to its calm and harmonious atmosphere once more.

The familiar atmosphere made Elody feel at peace again.

However, she somehow felt indebted to Princess Larissa.

If Caville didn’t love her, then he shouldn’t be forced to marry her.

But…

‘Why am I doing this?’

Caville and Larissa were fated to be a pair. No one should have been able
to drift the two apart!

It was as if Elody had interrupted their relationship herself!

Elody had been hearing those kinds of whispers in her head, and it wasn’t
just once or twice.

Recently, there had been times when her head spun, causing her to feel
dizzy.

She was clearly under a lot of stress.

Though, Elody eventually dismissed the thought and cleared up her mind.

‘First, I must find out what the Temple is plotting.’

To do that, she had to gather as much information as possible.

Thus, Elody called Marie over.

“Marie, I need you to send someone to Rhondia. When Sirka returns, please
tell him to contact me as soon as possible.”

“Yes, madame…!” Marie exclaimed as she nodded her head and left the lab.

And Elody, who was left alone, unfolded the documents of the herbs she had
researched so far.

It was important to reveal the secret of the magic tools that the Temple
had, but fundamentally, it was also important not to rely too much on the
Temple and the Imperial Government.

She had to garner the power of the territory so that she would not become
a victim of the tug of war between the Temple and the Imperial Government.

Initially, the Duchy of Cernoir had maintained its own independent power
when the first duke reigned the land.

Now, Caville had made great strides in the war, therefore, it was
certainly plausible to get them both on his side.

However, Caville himself didn’t really need to side with anyone.

‘Because the land has its own province in the first place.’
But this alone was not enough. Economic power was needed to affect the
entire Friar continent, including the capital.

In a word, money was important.

‘I have to earn much more than now.’

Elody had studied all about medicinal herbs in the past few years.

It was not an exaggeration to say that she knew all the herbs in the
Western continent.

These were the things she studied to get the antidote for her incurable
disease after all.

When she was struggling to find some sort of relief, Elody found out about
a lot of good things to use as business items.

But there was no time. She was too busy just selling red ginseng, and at
that time, she was dedicated to researching her illness.

‘But now is time to start.’

Now was the time to unfold the business ideas that had been sleeping in
the dark.

‘What should I do first?’

As she was pondering for a while, someone knocked on the door of the lab.

Elody thought it was Anna, since she ordered her to bring back some tea.
Thus, she let them in.

However…

“……”

The person who entered the room was not Anna.

It was someone she had never thought would ever come to visit her.

That person was Heinz.

His expression was very dark.

Elody panicked and tried to ask what was going on.

‘Did he tell someone?’

Heinz came in front of Elody and boom!

He immediately kneeled on the ground.

“…!”
‘Ouch, his knee must have hurt… Is he alright?’

Elody stared at Heinz’s knee.

But surprisingly, he did something even more shocking!

Slam! Slam!

He was slamming his forehead to the ground!

No one could imagine how surprised Elody was when he did that.

‘What the? Why is he doing this?! Is he crazy?!’

“Si-Sir Heinz! What are you doing? Please don’t do this! J-just…! Let’s
just stand up and talk, alright?”

“I… Forgive me.”

Heinz raised his head and apologized.

Blood flowed down his forehead.

‘Has he really gone mad…?’

“…Did you tell someone about my illness?” Elody asked, seemingly anxious.

“……”

Heinz seemed to be pondering for a moment at Elody’s question.

The duchess told me not to tell anyone about her illness, but the servants
already knew.

So, of course, he naturally informed them about the name of the disease
without having second thoughts.

‘I don’t think the madame knows…’

The servants seemed to be hiding the fact that they knew about the
madame’s illness.

There must be a reason as to why they kept it a secret.

Elody had an impatient look on her face.

“Go ahead, tell me, who did you talk to?”

“That’s not it…”

In fact, she was right, but Heinz pretended he didn’t as he didn’t want
Elody’s resentment.
The servants were keeping it secret anyway, so he thought that this would
be for the best.

“Then why are you doing this?”

Elody’s eyebrows were crumpled.

‘I didn’t tell anyone, why would I kneel for that? Besides, it’s just a
bleeding forehead.’

But he was still uncertain.

Heinz lowered his head and spoke, “I have misunderstood madame… and even
blamed you.”

“……”

“I wanted the princess to marry the lord as well. I thought madame was an
extravagant and insidious person.”

Elody had nothing to say.

‘…Why is he telling me this?’

She was well aware that the mercenary knights, including Heinz, hated her.

But… to think that he thought of her as an extravagant and insidious

person… There was a bitter taste in her mouth.

“And… I also thought of madame as grotesque and nasty….”

“Alright, you can stop talking.”

Heinz was silent for a moment, he realized that he had said too much.

“It was my misunderstanding. I came because I wanted to apologize.”

“It’s alright… Now hurry up, my maid, Anna, will be coming soon.”

At Elody’s words, Heinz felt like a huge mess.

Elody frowned as she saw the blood flowing from his forehead. It must have
been very painful…

As Elody thought in her heart, Heinz said, staring at her.

“I swear my loyalty to the duchess. I will bear true faith and allegiance
to you, madame.”

Elody couldn’t say anything because of that determination in his eyes.

“Why…?”

For some reason, Heinz couldn’t answer that question.

“I hope that madame… will live happily with the lord.”

Actually, it was because he felt sorry for the duchess, but he couldn’t
just say that.

Just for that reason, he was willing to swear his allegiance to her.

Heinz wanted to be a good person, but he felt strange somehow. Was it

because she reminded him of his sister? He truly wanted the duchess to be
happier than anyone else.

“…That doesn’t seem to have anything to do with loyalty.”

Elody still looked at Heinz with suspicious eyes. But Heinz didn’t care.

“…If you have anything you want me to do, please tell me. If you have
someone in mind that you want to kill…”

“N-no! That’s not needed! Just calm down, alright…? Can you please go
back?”

Elody was anxious. It seemed as if Anna could come here at any moment now…

Heinz and Elody had absolutely no reason to talk alone.

Elody was afraid that her illness might be revealed if people became
suspicious of the two.

She was not suffering from a terminal disease, and she was regularly
taking her medicine.

“Go! Fast, fast!”

“Then… do you know when you will die?”

‘What? What is he…’

‘Is he doing this to get through me when I die?’

But there seemed to be no malice in his expression.

Elody said firmly, “I’m not dying! I couldn’t tell you last time, but my
disease is not the Siren’s Tears. It’s not a deadly illness.”

“……”

Heinz stared at her in disbelief.

“I’m not lying. So, please forget about all of it, please.”

“But…”

“Can you please leave?”

“Are you really not dying?”

“……”

Elody glared at Heinz. Did he want her to die quickly, or what…?

However, Heinz’s expression brightened. He laughed cheerfully even though

there was still blood on his forehead.

He raised his voice and asked, “Is that true?!”

“Ah! Please do not speak so loudly!”

“…Alright. But I’m still going to devote my loyalty to madame. If there’s

someone who offends you….”

‘Argh! He’s making me lose my mind!’

“Go out quickly! Go get treatment!”

Elody eventually began to push his back. Though he was unexpectedly

strong.

Heinz was pushed out of the lab by Elody. Elody shut the door tight.

“…!”

And then.

Heinz wandered away from the lab and ran into Anna.

As soon as Anna saw Heinz, her eyes turned to that of a beast.

“Why did Sir Heinz come out of the duchess’s lab?!”

“…Well, I had something I needed to ask her,” Heinz panicked and

immediately ran away.

Heinz felt as if a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders! It
was so refreshing to confess his sins to the madame!

And the best thing was that she wasn’t dying…!

“Madame! Madame!”

Seeing Heinz snarling past her, Anna went into the lab in a rush.

“Madame! I saw that brute-! I mean, Sir Heinz, leaving here! He didn’t
harm you, right? There was blood on his forehead! Did you hit him?”

“…No, I’m fine.”

“Why was he here? I should really kill that loser… Oops! I’m sorry, that’s
not what I meant. What were the two of you talking about?”

“Just, well, he hurt his forehead, but he couldn’t go to the barracks

because of the lack of medicine.”

Elody made a rough excuse and calmed Anna down.

Anna wondered about what happened but soon went back to the greenhouse.

Elody, who was left alone in the lab, looked again through the list of
medicinal herbs.

‘A drug that could gain a lot of money… ‘

Elody’s gaze stopped in front of the name of a herb.

‘Peropesia Herbs!’

It is made by a magical combination of the ‘Peroa’ herb, which is a common

wound-healing herb, and ‘Persiak’ herb, which is a nerve stabilizer.

Before looking for salvation herbs, Elody tried to combine multiple herbs
directly into her frustrated heart to create a new one.

When the two herbs and Elody’s mana fused together, the herbs were born as
separate things with completely new effects.

‘Of course, there were cases where it became ordinary grass or poisonous
grass without any function…’

Anyway, this medicinal herb, which fused two completely irrelevant

medicinal herbs with mana, had an unusual performance.

It became a drug for hair loss.

Chapter 69

Elody checked the memo she wrote.

The area where the Peropesia herb was produced…

‘It’s near Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard’s mansion… They were in front of
me the whole time!’

Speaking of the two barons, it suddenly occurred to her that they had
requested Elody to forgive them for their past mistakes.

“It would be great to test their loyalty.”

It was a great opportunity to listen to their requests while checking the

efficacy and side effects of the drug she was about to market.
After experimenting with the two barons, if a successful result came out,
she shall properly promote the two barons.

Thus, Elody went straight to Caville.

* * *

“I was also planning to send them to the Forest of Death, why?” Caville
replied casually.

“Will there be a problem if we don’t send them away?” Elody asked.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter, but….”

He didn’t want to forgive them.

Reading Caville’s expression, Elody slowly persuaded him saying,

“Actually, I wanted to ask you about something…”

“What is it?! I’ll listen to any of my wife’s requests!” Caville said in

an ambitious voice.

“Um… not you. You won’t be able to do it.”

Elody looked at Caville’s hair.

His hair is too luscious…

“…Why not? I want to help my wife too.”

“Yeah, but…”

Elody then explained to him about the research she was going to do. She
was going to study hair loss treatment, and she wanted to use two people
as experimental subjects.

“Alright. I’ll do whatever my wife wants. I hope there are no side

effects.”

“……”

Elody laughed awkwardly at Caville’s innocent answer.

It seemed that Caville still loathed the two barons.

‘But still… they fought alongside each other on the battlefield… ‘

Caville said that Elody was a lot more precious to him than they were.

Elody, who left Caville’s office and returned to the lab, suddenly
remembered his confession yesterday.

“I love you.”
“I’m in love with you.”

“There’s no one in this world that could make me feel the way I feel about
you.”

“I will do my best so that your feelings for me will change. Just wait
because I will put in all of my efforts to make you mine. But… if even
until then you still want a divorce, then I will have no choice but to
accept.”

Caville confessed to her with such confidence and passion.

Elody shook her head.

‘It can’t be.’

She couldn’t believe Caville’s confession at all. She could only think of
it as an obsession from a young child.

Suddenly…

“Ah….”

Elody touched her forehead as it throbbed painfully.

“Madame! Are you okay?” Anna said as she supported Elody’s back.

But Elody couldn’t hear a single word.

Because another loud voice echoed inside her ear.

‘He doesn’t love you, his love is fake. You can’t accept it!’

Someone was shouting inside her head.

It felt like someone was using magic to control her. But she had never
heard of such magic.

Elody paused for a moment and took a deep breath, clutching her throbbing
head.

* * *

The next day, Elody called Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard.

“Thank you, madame.”

“Thank you…!”

When Elody told them that they didn’t have to go to the Forest of Death,
the two barons hugged and shed tears of emotion.

The two barons had long thrown away their pride. They truly didn’t want to
leave their family.
Because of that, the two Barons thought of the duchess as their
benefactor.

“I have something to request from you.”

Elody carefully spoke to them who were delighted to have escaped from
death.

“Anything! We’ll do anything! Please tell us!”

“That’s right! We’ll do anything!”

Elody pulled out a small bottle from the drawer. The bottle was full of
small pills.

“This is a hair loss treatment that I developed.”

“Then…!”

It was a medicine that they had never heard of.

Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard had their eyes widened and alternated
between Elody and the medicine.

“This is…”

“Hair loss…”

Hair loss was one of the two’s biggest concerns. If it weren’t for their
hair, They would have looked 10 years younger…

On the battlefield, there was a time when they gently asked the priest if
it was possible to fix their hair loss with divine magic?

They thought it might be possible because the root of divine magic was
healing. But the priest said that it was impossible.

The two were disappointed. There were also some priests who were bald…

They thought that it couldn’t be helped and decided to accept it.

But now…

“There may be side effects though…”

At Elody’s words, the two barons’ faces suddenly darkened.

“Side effects…”

“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt nor will it kill you.”

“Um… Is Your Grace sure?”

Baron Bernard was suspicious.

‘Was she actually planning to kill us all along?!’

“If I wanted to kill you, I would have just sent you to the forest. It’s
really nothing more than hair loss treatment.”

She wasn’t wrong. After all, the two of them were old people who didn’t
have long to live.

Baron Vendos spoke, “If so, then what are the side effects…?”

“Well, that’s your job. To find out the side effects,” Elody smiled.

“……”

”……”

Baron Vendos and Baron Bernard stared at each other’s faces.

They were happy that they did not have to go to the Forest of Death after
receiving forgiveness from the duchess…

They could even solve their problem for hair loss, which had long been
their dream! There was no reason to reject her request!

The two grinned. As long as it wasn’t dying, they could endure any kind of
side effects.

Elody kindly explained the dosage to the two happy people.

And when she was about to see the two off…

“Ah! Madame, do you have a brother with pink hair like yours? Does Count
McClaire have a son?”

“And why do you want to know about that?”

“That’s… Actually, the man Iris fell in love with when she was younger was
said to have the same pink hair as Your Grace. She insisted on searching
for him…”

Elody recalled her memory.

The memories of her childhood before she turned 13 were faint…

Count McClaire had many children.

Among them, two children, including Elody, were born with the same pink
hair as her. But she wasn’t sure.

“I think there was one brother with pink hair among my other siblings,
but… I don’t remember in detail.”
“I see, I see.”

“Yes, then come to me when you feel any side effects.”

Elody laughed and waved her hand at the two barons who were leaving.

It is a medicine made using mana, so the medicinal effect will appear

soon. Side effects will also appear…

Based on the results of the experiment with the two, Elody thought to
compensate them for the trouble she forced upon them.

She also asked the two barons to bring more herbs as ingredients for the
medicine.

* * *

After the guests left, Elody left a bit of her time to have lunch with
Caville.

And after eating, they drank tea and talked.

“……”

Caville glanced at Elody.

After his passionate love confession to Elody, Caville was working on a

way to win her heart.

And Ifrit was helping him.

Caville read a variety of love books, including essential liberal arts

books for teenagers, brought by none other than the Almighty Ifrit from
the library.

「The Unstoppable Duke」

「The Crown Prince’s Secret! 101 Ways to Seduce the Crown Princess」

「One Seduction per Day, Simple Dating Skills 365!」

「Twenty Years old? Start Dating right now!」

「The Lord of Courtship」

「My Duke is Different」

「I’m Ready to Seduce ♥」

The titles were… certainly unique.

Caville thought that most of the book was filled with bullsh*t, but one or
two of them were okay.
And what he read yesterday was one of the things he thought pretty useful.

Give the lady a flower!

Do women really like flowers?

“Would she really like it?” Caville asked.

“…Of course!” Ifrit answered.

Thus, Caville decided to go with the idea.

He glanced at Elody after recalling yesterday’s conversation.

“Ahem! My wife,” Caville called her in a low voice, trying his best to
sound sexy.

“Huh?”

Elody turned to Caville and saw that her husband had brought a pink rose
for her.

“These flowers are beautiful, aren’t they? I brought them for you, my
wife.”

“……”

Caville looked confident.

When giving flowers, he said the point was to hand only one flower.

But Elody’s expression wasn’t very good.

‘Could it be? Does she hate flowers? Or is she disappointed because I only
brought one?”

Caville carefully looked at Elody’s eyes. Elody hesitated and opened her
mouth.

“The flower belongs to Iris…”

“…?”

“I’m sorry, but that flower is owned by Iris.”

‘What is she saying?’

Caville didn’t understand and only blinked.

Who was Iris?

He hadn’t got a clue.

Elody looked troubled. She almost forgot that she had promised Iris to
give all the pink roses to her.

‘I have to pick out all the roses from the garden tomorrow, too.’

Elody smiled as he looked at Caville with a blank expression. And accepted

the rose.

“Thank you, Caville.”

“……”

Only then did Caville’s mouth draw a pretty smile.

‘But why are you giving me this flower?’

Elody looked at the pink rose and thought.

Caville doesn’t know yet, but Elody was a person who had zero intellect
regarding love.

She was far worse than Caville.

Elody put the flowers down in wonder.

Caville chuckled, thinking that maybe, the feelings in his heart had
reached her.

“…Ha.”

And Marie, watching the two dense souls, shook her head in exasperation.

Caville had been endlessly courting Elody for days. Unfortunately, the
latter still had no idea at all.

Since then, the servants of the castle have been very sorry for the duke.

* * *

A few days later, the two Barons arrived with Peroa and Persiak herbs.

Their bald heads were no longer there.

Instead, they had full, luscious hair, as if they were wearing a wig.

Indeed, the effect was great.

“Wow! It’s perfectly splendid!”

Elody clapped her hands when she saw the two barons’ hair.

The expressions of the two barons were also bright.

“But, madame…”
“We did find a few side effects…”

“What is it?”

Elody waited nervously for the next word.

The two barons lifted their bangs.

“…..!”

“The efficacy of the drug is enormous and my hair started growing. But….”

“The day after that, our eyebrows disappeared.”

“Yes. It disappeared… without a trace.”

“……”

Thus, the two barons ended up looking like the male version of Mona Lisa
with their seemingly bald eyebrows.

Chapter 70

“Don’t worry. I’ll figure out a way to get rid of the side effects,” Elody
said to the two eyebrowless barons.

“That’s alright. We can just draw our eyebrows.”

“That’s right. Men also wear makeup these days. I’ve been trying to
improve my makeup skills lately.”

“…Oh, I see,” Elody nodded.

Truthfully, the side effect could have caused them to live the rest of
their life without eyebrows…

Though, seeing their happy expressions, it seemed that the two barons
couldn’t care less.

“If you need our assistance, please feel free to call us again.”

“Yes!”

Elody nodded once again.

In her entire life, she had never seen people who were so eager to become
experimental subjects…

‘Now that I have found out the side effects, I can further improve the
medicine.’

Elody then sent the pink roses she had in the garden to both barons as
they returned to their estates.
“Madame, what are the replacements for the flowers in the garden?”

“.….”

At Anna’s question, Elody pondered for a moment. Initially, she wanted to

plant Aperia flowers…

But she felt irked because it reminded her of Princess Larissa.

“How about tulips?”

“Tulips?! Alright!”

Anna clapped her hands at Elody’s suggestion. They seemed to be Anna’s

favorite flowers.

Elody immediately called the servants to order and buy the tulip seeds.

“Oh, madame, will you plant them yourself?”

“You’ll get hurt! We’ll do it, so please just take a rest, madame.”

“Uh… it’s alright.”

Despite the servants’ words, Elody still decided to sow the seeds with
them.

She was now used to the servants’ overprotective actions which had become
even more severe over time.

But… the servants weren’t as gloomy as they were before. In fact, they
looked incredibly happy.

‘Are they that happy to see the guests leave…?’

Well, they weren’t ordinary guests, they were guests of the Imperial
Palace and the Temple… The servants’ should have had lots of workload at
that time.

‘I have to give them more bonuses.’

After planting the seeds, Elody reached out and began injecting mana into
the ground.

The purpose of that was to even out the energy of the earth.

She couldn’t infuse the energy of mana into the entire land, but her power
to fuse a small garden or greenhouse was more than enough.

As she closed her eyes and infused more and more mana, Anna’s voice could
be heard from behind.

“Oops! Madame, it’s a sprout!”

Elody immediately opened her eyes and looked at the garden.

Surprisingly, the sprouts were growing right away. All the servants were
surprised and looked at the garden with their mouths open.

‘What?’

Elody was also surprised.

She stretched out her palm and looked down. Elody was born with the mana
of land and wind properties.

She felt that her magical power was increasing every time she planted new
plants in the greenhouse or the garden…

If there were levels corresponding to her power, it would initially start

from 0 and that increased 1 by 1. But now… it felt as if her level had
increased by 10 all at once!

This was a great improvement for Elody. As her power increased, she could
make a lot of medicines that are way more effective than the ones she had
made before!

Elody then headed to the greenhouse to try other plants.

And…

Something very shocking was waiting for her in the greenhouse.

* * *

Meanwhile, Caville had been unable to sleep properly these past few days.

When he closed his eyes to sleep, he kept seeing his wife running away
from him. His worst fear was that he would be abandoned by Elody forever.

‘This is insane…’

If his wife knew of this, she would get bored of him for being so obsessed
with her!

Caville sighed.

“Your Grace, did you not sleep well yesterday?” Lewis asked while bringing
him his hot tea.

“I’m fine.”

“Is there something on Your Grace’s mind? Please do not hesitate to tell
me.”

Lewis was Caville’s aide.

Since Caville was also the leader of the Order of Knights, his workload
was far too excessive.

Therefore, to lessen his burdens. Elody asked Caville to choose an aide to

help him with the job.

Among the candidates that Elody gave to him, Caville selected Lewis.

Thus, that was how Lewis was appointed to be the duke’s aide and would
often take over the duties of the lord.

A good thing about him was that he was fast at doing his job and was quick
to notice his mistakes.

Caville also liked the fact that he, unlike the knights, had never
complained about the workload.

“If you have any concerns, I will help you solve it!”

Lewis was a handsome man with light brown hair and gentle eyes. Although
he was a bit short, he was surprisingly popular with the young maids for
some reason.

“Alright, now get out.”

“……”

At Caville’s answer, Lewis left the office a bit dismayed.

‘I’m afraid that my wife will leave me and run away.’

This was not something that he could recklessly tell to his subordinates.

Caville groaned and leaned over the desk.

He couldn’t live like this forever.

These days, not only at night but also during the day, he was endlessly
afraid that his wife would run away.

‘But I can’t be in a slump like this every day…’

He was fortunate enough to have meals with her three times a day.

But it wasn’t enough.

He wanted to make his wife small and just carry her in his bosom.

Or maybe he could become smaller and live in his wife’s pocket forever.

“……”

Caville agonized for a while and then ordered a servant to call in the
elite knight, Solar.
“The madame’s escort?”

“Yes.”

The castle was safe, but something could happen. No one would ever know.

Solar was the most reliable escort for his wife because she was a woman
and she had excellent skills.

“Understood.”

Solar’s mouth was twitching.

She couldn’t believe it.

‘Finally! I can become that cute madame’s escort!’

In Solar’s eyes, Elody was just a cute girl like her younger sister.

“If my wife plans to go anywhere, then you must report it to me right

away.”

“Yes? Go where?”

“Everywhere.”

Solar’s eyes narrowed.

“…Is Your Grace trying to spy on the madame?”

Caville’s eyebrows wrinkled at Solar’s question. He wanted to say no, but

truthfully, her guess was right.

“No, I want you to protect her.”

“…Alright.”

Caville was relieved. His first problem was solved.

Now, all that was left was to finish the main problem.

‘I have to combine our rooms.’

To prevent him from having anxiety at night, he had to stick to his wife’s
side.

All the time.

* * *

After entering the greenhouse, Elody was left agape over the shocking
scene she saw.
“What in heaven’s name is….”

The peach tree seed which she planted a while ago had grown tremendously
large!

It was so large that it was ridiculous!

But it did not just solely grow, the peaches were ripe as well. The fruit
was so big that it was probably as big as a child’s head!

“Holy mother of…”

‘Am I dreaming right now?’

Elody pinched herself while blinking like crazy because she didn’t believe
what she saw was real.

‘It was nothing but a small sprout yesterday, so I injected a lot of mana
to help its growth…’

She used only one drop of the growth promotion ampoule. And the ampoule
was not supposed to help them grow this fast in the first place.

And what’s also surprising…

“Ifrit…?”

Was the puppy lying on the ground underneath the peach tree.

“……”

Ifrit was currently sleeping, but weirdly enough, he looked… chubby.

Next to him was a bunch of peach seeds.

In Elody’s eyes, Ifrit looked like a stray dog’s dung. Except for the fact
that he was red.

‘Ah! I completely forgot to lock the door yesterday!’

“Ifrit, wake up,” Elody spoke, contemplating if he were the one that
caused the peach tree’s insane growth rate.

“Hmm…”

“You sh*tty dog, get up!”

“Wha…?”

Soon, Ifrit opened his eyes as Elody kept poking his stomach with her
fingers.

“Hey, benefactor. What did you just call me?”

“I called you a sh*tty dog. Don’t go into the greenhouse without my
permission next time. Understood?”

“……”

“And this, did you make it grow this big?”

“You mean this peach tree?”

“Yes. Did you make it grow with magic power?”

“No? You’re the one who injected mana into the soil.”

“But… it wasn’t that much.”

“It must be because your power has increased.”

“So suddenly?”

“I don’t think it’s sudden. It could have just been blocked for some
reason in the first place.”

“……”

Elody glanced at Ifrit.

Was there a connection between her incurable disease and magic power?

As her health got better, her magic might have also grown significantly.

Elody fiddled her fingers.

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since her fingers felt numb
as a rock.

Meanwhile, Ifrit picked up another peach that fell to the ground and took
a huge bite.

“This peach is fantastic! I don’t need that nasty guy’s mana anymore.”

Ifrit was a spirit king who regained his powers, but he had to live his
entire life dependent on Caville’s mana.

After coming to the estate, Caville had an annoying expression whenever

Ifrit visited him because he needed mana.

When he thought about that time, Ifrit would cry out of misery.

‘How dare he do that to me?! My poor self…! Boohoo!’

Recently, he even had to give him love advice just to get on his good
side.

However, this fruit was his savior!

The peaches were more than enough to become a replacement for Caville’s
mana.

‘Freedom…!’

“You try it too, benefactor!” Ifrit said with an ecstatic expression.

‘Sweet and soft… This peach is the best!’

Elody looked at Ifrit’s tail that was shaking constantly.

Thus she decided to pick up a peach.

Then she wiped it with her sleeves and took a bite.

“…!”

The sweetness of the peach juice was spilled all over her mouth. The taste
that hovered on her tongue was ridiculously sweet. And the texture was
much sweeter and softer than other existing peaches.

“I want to change my contractor with you, benefactor,” Ifrit said while

eating a big peach with his small mouth.

Elody stared down at the peach she had created with her mana. It was
addictive indeed.

‘Won’t this make a lot of money…?’

Chapter 71

“I can’t believe it! I can finally eat this peach every day! Bwahahaha!”
Ifrit exclaimed.

“Wait a sec.”

“…Hmm?”

Elody glared at the puppy.

“Who said that you’re allowed to eat it every day?”

“…!”

Ifrit’s mouth was agape after hearing the shocking news.

“Y-you cheapskate…! Both you and your crazy husband are really unmatched
when it comes to pettiness…!”

Ifrit still remembered the day when Caville made him sign a document just
to guarantee their contracted relationship.

And apparently, it was Elody who taught him that…

Ifrit was furious.

“What are you going to give me in exchange for the peaches?”

“…….”

Elody turned out to be worse than Caville. He, at least, had never asked
for money.

Caville didn’t criticize him so much either…

“If you would take, you must first give, Ifrit.”

Elody said, stroking Ifrit’s red fur.

Her strokes were annoyingly pleasing, so Ifrit stopped complaining and

pondered about the issue.

“…I have nothing to give. But if you ask me to burn something, I can burn
it to the ground.”

“…I don’t really want you to burn anything.”

“…Would you like this instead, then?”

As if he weren’t confident, he raised his fluffy paw for her to take.

Elody stretched out her hand and held his paw. It was as if she was
training her pet to take out his paw when she said ‘hand!’

Plus, his paw pads were so soft! It felt like she was pressing on cotton.

And then.

Something seemed to sparkle out from Ifrit’s soft paw.

And what fell on Elody’s palm was…

“…!”

A small, red gemstone.

Elody blinked in surprise.

No matter how much she stared and examined it, it looked just like a
magical crystal.

“The only thing I can give you is this….” Ifrit said in a bleak voice.

“…What is this?”

“It’s an elemental crystal. It’s as good as trash for me… I mean, it’s not
that useless, but this is all that I have!”
“……”

Elemental crystal?

Elody tried to recall where she had heard that before.

She had seen it in a book she read about an Archmage that was in Caville’s
great-grandfather’s study.

An Elemental Crystal was mana itself, concentrated into a stone.

It was similar to Brenbell’s magic crystal, but it contained much more

concentrated mana.

“This is garbage?”

“Well, it’s not really trash…”

“Uh… how many more of these can you give me?”

“…After you finish using it and throw it away, I can give you new ones
periodically.”

“……”

Elody shouted inwardly, ‘I’ve finally found a treasure!’

“Okay then, in exchange for the peaches, you can give me these elemental
crystals.”

“Really? Do you mean that?” Ifrit said while innocently blinking his eyes
in astonishment.

“Yes.”

“I knew it… you’re a nice person, after all! You’re definitely my

benefactor!”

Thus, the deal was sealed.

Elody would receive a month’s worth of Elemental Crystals from Ifrit, and
she would, in exchange, give him peaches.

After acquiring a successful deal, Elody took the Elemental Crystal to her
lab and began to study it, to compare how it was in contrast to Brenbell’s
magic crystal.

Brenbell Empire’s specialty lay in the production of magic crystals.

‘I heard they had a mine, but no one knows about how the production is
done in detail…’
It was assumed that there were veins of magical crystals in specific
places in the continent, and lords and rulers of those places kept them
hidden from the public eye.

However, in reality, no magic crystal mines could be found within the

continent.

The same was true for the Duchy of Cernoir.

Thus, everyone assumed that magic crystals could only be obtained from one
place; The Brenbell Empire.

And that was how the small island empire was able to gain an enormous
amount of wealth.

However, the one in control of shipping the magic crystals from the
Brenbell Empire to the capital was…

‘Count Borque.’

The land in the northwestern part of the Friar Continent with a port
closest to the Empire of Brenbell was the Borque County.

Elody’s duchy was also regularly purchasing and using the magic crystals.

They were a source of energy used to supply warm water or for other tasks
like lighting a fire.

Mages also used it to create magical artifacts.

‘It’s true. It contains more concentrated energy.’

Elody had just finished inspecting the Elemental Crystal.

From tomorrow onwards, she was planning on experimenting in earnest to see

if it could be used in real life.

If it could and if Ifrit could supply it regularly then…

‘We’ll no longer have to buy magic crystals.’

It wasn’t just that. This crystal could also be utilized for another one
of her business plans!

Elody stored the Elemental Crystal in a safe place and headed for the
greenhouse.

Ifrit was still eating peaches.

Elody approached and gazed at Ifrit, who was holding a peach and rubbing
himself against the dirt.

‘Isn’t he just like a goose that lays golden eggs?’

It couldn’t be denied because with how much he had been eating, Ifrit’s
belly had turned into a chubby ball of fur.

“Ifrit, what you gave me earlier, how many more can you make?”

“I just gave you one before, though?”

“Well, I need more.”

“…Hmm. I can’t make it by force. As long as I consume mana, it naturally

forms bit by bit.”

“Is that so? Well, I can’t help it then.”

Anxious that Elody might rob him of the peaches again, Ifrit added.

“Yes, but you’re a mage too, aren’t you? How much do you know about mana?
The mana contained in this fruit is extraordinary. However, humans like
you can not increase their magical power just by eating it.”

He was right. When she ate the fruit earlier, the only thing she felt was
just how delicious it was.

Other than that, she did not feel any increase in her mana.

Perhaps the Elemental Crystal was special because it was created with the
addition of external mana and the power of a spirit.

“But I still find it delicious…”

“S-so… you’re planning to give it to other people too?”

“Of course. You want to keep them all for yourself? You’re one greedy
little puppy, aren’t you?”

“That’s…!”

Seeing Ifrit writhe again in anger, Elody spoke, “I think I can grow other
delicious fruits besides this peach.”

“…Really?”

As Elody nodded, Ifrit’s eyes began to shine, and his tail was wagging
like crazy.

“Then, let us both try our best.”

Elody grabbed Ifrit’s paw and shook it as if they were shaking hands. She
had gained a new business partner.

* * *

Elody headed to Caville’s office, carrying a tray that the maids provided
to her.
On the tray were a bunch of peaches, fruits, and plates.

Caville was the first person she thought of when she was craving to eat
something delicious.

Also, Elody told Anna to share some with the servants and the knights.

Ifrit was a little dissatisfied with that, but he did not have the right
to object.

This was because the peach trees showed no signs of shrinking; it was
instead flourishing with rapid growth.

Knock-knock!

After knocking in front of Caville’s office, Elody carefully opened the

door.

“Caville…”

As she entered the room, a gust of wind came from the opened window.

Caville was sitting with his eyes closed.

‘Is he sleeping?’

Elody slowly approached Caville.

The white curtains fluttered in the wind from the window. Because of that,
Caville’s usual neat, black hair became messy.

Elody smiled as she looked at the papers piled up on the table and the
documents he held in his hand.

It seemed that he fell asleep while working.

‘I feel strange. Is it because he’s sleeping?’

Certainly, compared to when he was young, Caville had a different aura

around him. But when he smiled, she could see traces of him from
childhood.

When he was young, he was as pretty as a girl, but now he looked

masculine.

‘……’

Elody approached Caville, carefully removed the papers from his hand, and
put them on the table.

‘How did he grow up so fast?’

Nonetheless, Elody was proud of what he had become.

Elody felt relieved because Caville was doing really well.

A few days ago, when Elody came to his office, she saw Caville working
skillfully and thought that he was amazing.

Some say that when people were working hard on their job, they would look
cool.

Elody thought Caville was cool too.

But that was all. There was nothing deeper to her feelings.

As if she was brainwashed, Elody believed so in her mind and refused to

think otherwise.

Caville’s confession was a lie, and she could never love Caville.

But whenever she was with him…

“I feel weird… Is it because I’m comfortable around him?”

When she looked into Caville’s eyes, she would sometimes think that he
might actually love her.

Elody quietly reached out and swept Caville’s hair.

‘When we were young, I used to stroke his hair just like this… .’

Suddenly…

Caville opened his eyes and grabbed her arm.

“…!”

Elody was startled as he pulled her waist when she tried to release his
grip from her hand.

“C-Caville…!”

Thus, she fell onto his lap.

Caville stared at Elody without answering and hugged Elody’s waist

tightly.

“Wife.”

“……”

‘Since when was he awake?’

Elody’s ears started to turn red. She was shy, embarrassed, and couldn’t
even think straight.
“Why are you so surprised? In the past, I used to sit on your lap like
this.”

“……”

“What my wife did for me, I’ll try to give it back.”

“Caville…”

Elody was embarrassed by Caville’s brazenness.

When he confessed and when Caville did stuff like this, Elody couldn’t see
him as a child anymore.

“……”

He was like a strange man…

‘It’s uncomfortable and weird…’

Thump-thump-thump!

Elody could feel her heart beating intensely. She bit her lips, feeling
her cheeks burning like fire.

Caville’s ears were also red.

He whispered in a subtle voice, “My wife…”

“N-no!”

“…?”

Elody pushed Caville, stood up, and looked at him with a stern expression.

“Y-you! I’m, uh… I-I’m not doing this with us being adults!” Elody
shouted, bewildered over what had just happened.

“……”

Then, she turned her back and stormed out of the office.

Chapter 72

Believe it or not, Caville wasn’t that pampered when he was young.

Ever since he turned 10, Elody had raised him strictly.

Whenever Caville did something wrong, she would severely rebuke him so
that he could learn from his mistakes.

Just like what she did now.

“I’m sorry…”
Caville admitted that he was in the wrong, he pouted his lips and kept
bowing his head, feeling guilty over what he had just done.

Elody was flustered to a great extent. She had never blushed this hard in
all of her life. The amount of awkwardness and embarrassment she felt
could not be explained with simple words.

“Wife! Please don’t go, my wife!”

Caville jumped up and followed his wife.

As Elody ran to the stairs, Caville stopped her by grabbing her hand.

“Wife! I was just kidding! I went too far… Please don’t leave! I was
wrong!” Caville exclaimed, still holding her hand while in panic.

“……”

Elody’s heart weakened at his words.

This was just like when they were children. Her scolding him whenever he
made a mistake, and him apologizing his heart out to avoid being abandoned
by his only family.

Though in the end, she would always forgive him. That pitiful expression
of his had never failed to melt her heart.

When she thought about it, Caville’s appearance might actually be her
weakness.

‘I always remember that time when he cried in the market, telling me not
to leave him…’

After seeing Elody’s weakened expression, Caville held her hand tighter.

“Let’s go back, alright? Please…”

“……”

In the end, Elody chose to let it all go. She couldn’t help it. This dumb
idiot was too cute for her to stay mad at.

Plus, she was also weak whenever she saw his charming smile.

* * *

“An escort?” Elody asked, watching Caville skillfully shearing the peaches
with a chopstick.

After the quarrel, Elody was back in Caville’s office again.

“Yes. I know that we have lots of guards here in the mansion, but… There
are many knights that both of us are unfamiliar with. Plus, I’m afraid
that something might happen since lots of merchants keep entering and
leaving the mansion.”

“That’s true, but…”

“My wife, you have to agree with me on this one. Please?”

“.…Alright,” Elody nodded.

Dame Solar was uncomfortable when listening to the conversation between

the two…

Dame Solar was a knight who would joke with Elody and tease her endlessly
ever since she was young.

However…

Elody stared at Caville who was still slicing the peaches. The cuts he
made were perfect. Every slice was flawless and had no rough edges
whatsoever. Furthermore, the peaches were cut into pieces of the exact
same size! How was he able to cut them with such precision?

“By the way, Caville, when did you learn how to cut fruit?”

“This is my first time.”

“What?! But how are you this good?”

“I handle knives well,” he grinned, “All kinds of blades to be exact.”

“……”

To think that he would say such words with those pure, innocent eyes.

Elody gulped.

Well, Caville did grow up on a battlefield.

“But what’s up with the sudden increase of peaches in our stockpile?”

To answer Caville’s question, Elody stabbed a piece of neatly-sliced-peach

with a fork.

And brought it to Caville’s mouth.

“……”

Caville stared into Elody’s eyes and took a bite.

‘Why are his lips so pretty?’ Elody thought as she looked at Caville’s
luscious, red lips.

“It’s sweet.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Elody replied awkwardly, looking away from Caville’s
lips.

She explained why she was growing peaches in the greenhouse and also about
the elemental crystals she obtained from Ifrit.

After seeing his wife’s excitement, Caville smiled whilst saying that it
tasted good.

“You’ve finally made good use of Ifrit.”

“Caville, are you mad?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“I thought you didn’t like me being close to Ifrit.”

“…I mean, yeah, I guess I do hate it.”

“Well, you don’t have to. I have never intended to take Ifrit away from
you.”

“What?”

The temple was aiming for Ifrit’s power. Thus, Elody thought that Caville
would be overprotective of Ifrit.

Caville was confused for a while, before finally understanding what she
meant and sighed in exasperation.

“……”

His wife was incredibly dense.

He even confessed to her about how much he loved her! Had she already
forgotten?

‘…Am I not attractive?’

Caville thought he had to quickly merge their rooms back.

“My wife, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“That, uh… Our rooms…”

As Caville was about to continue…

Knock-knock!

“Madame! Are you in here?”

Marie’s voice was suddenly heard from outside the office.

“Yes, come in,” Elody said as the maid came in.

“Madame, I got a call from Rhondia. A letter from Sirka!”

“Really?”

Elody jumped up from her seat.

“Caville, let’s talk later if it’s not urgent.”

“…Yes, wife.”

Elody quickly left the office. Marie took a glimpse at Caville who was
somewhat depressed before following Elody outside.

* * *

“…This is bad.”

Elody read Sirka’s letter with a stern look on her face.

Sirka was now in the capital to solve the problem of the fake medicine.

It just started with fake pain relievers, but now… they even had to deal
with fake red pills being sold in the market!

「 The more I investigated, the more strange it became. It seems that

there is a greater force involved in this issue. Sooner or later, I will
visit the Cernoir mansion and explain in greater detail. I think I will
need your help, madame. 」

After reading the last sentence, Elody sighed.

Counterfeit drugs were full of all kinds of side effects. It was purposely
messed up!

‘Worst of all, it looks the same as the real ones…’

She didn’t know why someone was trying to mock the medicine she had made.

‘Or… they could just be aiming for easy money.’

“Madame, are you alright?”

Elody smiled at Marie.

“Don’t worry. He said he will come to the estate soon.”

“Phew, that’s great. Oh, Madame! Everyone told me that the peaches are
delicious!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! And as you’ve ordered, I gave extra packages to Lord Byron. I’m sure
Julia will love it!”

“Haha! Well done.”

Elody pondered for a moment. She remembered that Caville really loved
fruit tarts when he was a kid…

“Marie, shall we make peach tarts?”

“Tart? Oh, that sounds good! It will be very tasty!”

Elody headed to the kitchen with Marie.

* * *

Elody was currently baking tarts with the maids.

“Wow, madame! It looks perfectly splendid!”

“Doesn’t it?”

After the tarts were finished, Elody gave a few for Caville and then
distributed the rest to the knights and servants.

Caville was immensely touched, saying, “Are these from you, my wife?”

When he was young, Elody made it quite often… However, it was the first
time she baked one ever since he returned.

Elody felt bad as she didn’t really care for him as much as she did
before.

“It looks delicious!”

“Next time, I’ll make it with your favorite fruit.”

“Thank you, my wife,” he grinned.

Seeing Caville’s pretty smile, Elody left the office with pride.

She was now able to treat him affectionately again, that is… until she
realized the feelings in her heart.

Whenever she was with Caville, her heart throbbed and she would feel all
sorts of unknown emotions.

But as soon as she left Caville’s office, a small voice kept whispering in
her head.

‘He doesn’t love you. Because his destiny is to be with Princess Larissa…’

Yes, that’s right. She shouldn’t be swayed so easily.

Elody nodded as if she was brainwashed.

On the other hand, Caville’s head was filled with rainbows, clouds, and
happiness.

‘My wife baked these herself for me…’

He hoped that maybe his wife would love him too. He had butterflies in his
stomach.

Caville emptied all the tarts that Elody had made.

As a child, he liked sweets, but as he grew up, he did not enjoy sweets.

But if they were made by his wife, he would not hesitate to gulp them all
down.

These were blissful days for Caville.

* * *

On his way to the afternoon training, Caville accidentally eavesdropped on

the knights’ conversations.

“Then, did the lord and the princess break up?”

“I see, I was wondering why the duke still hasn’t divorced his wife.”

It was a conversation between the knights who heard the news late because
they have been home for a while before returning to the mansion.

At the word of ‘divorce’, Caville jumped at the knights like a beast

pouncing on its prey.

Then he called Brien and asked, “The knights are spreading out lies! Why
do they keep saying that I’m going to divorce my wife?!”

“…T-that’s.”

Caville actually did not have as much interest in the knights before or
after returning to the estate.

So he didn’t know what they were thinking, and he didn’t even try to pay
attention to them.

But now, when he heard the word ‘divorce,’ he could not help feeling that
his veins would burst from the increased blood pressure at any moment now.

Divorce…

Caville still couldn’t forget the shock he had gotten from when Elody
tried to divorce him…

He immediately summoned the knights and warned them firmly.

“If I ever hear you guys talking about me and my wife’s divorce again, I
will cut your necks and hang it in front of the gate!”

“……”

The knights were shocked and confused.

What in the world was he talking about?

Some of the knights had only just returned to the estate, so they
genuinely didn’t know what he was talking about…

Ever since that day, the knights had to undergo an intense amount of
training.

It felt like hell.

And after that terrible training…

“The duchess made these peach tarts?”

“Yes,” Caville said as he showed off his wife’s generosity.

Caville, who was usually infamous for giving the cold-feet, was actually
boasting about his wife in front of the knights!

Caville recalled what Brien had said.

“Well, Your Grace had never said anything to us… So how should we know? Do
you actually have a good relationship with the madame?”

“Are you saying that it’s my fault?!”

“N-no! That’s not it, but… Please try to understand and think of it from
our perspectives. We just want what’s best for you, Your Grace.”

Truthfully, his words did make sense to some extent.

Caville decided to confide his worries to the knights from today onwards.

Mostly about how much he loved his wife.

The knights also needed to know. It would be better if they all watched
together to prevent his wife from running away.

“The tart, we were…”

“Shh! Quiet.”

The knight was about to say that they ate the tarts because they thought
the maids made them. Fortunately, Heinz’s hand was fast enough to cover
his mouth and prevent him from his impending doom.
Heinz quickly spoke to escape from the duke’s wrath.

“Ah! So the madame made these by herself? She’s incredibly skilled!”

“Of course! Who do you think she is? My wife is the best at… Wait, what’s
wrong with your forehead?” Caville said as he stared at Heinz’s forehead
while raising an eyebrow.

Chapter 73

The wound on his forehead was still red.

“I… accidentally rammed into a wall. Please don’t worry about it, Your
Grace,” Heinz said, dripping in a nervous sweat.

He slammed his forehead to the ground so that the duchess would forgive
him. But he could never say that to the duke, for it would lead to his
demise.

‘I mean, the reason I apologized in the first place was because I cursed
the madame behind her back!’

If Heinz told him the truth, there’s no guarantee that he would ever make
it back alive.

“……”

On another side of the room, a gloomy Therion could be seen.

“Why did the princess have to leave?” Therion asked after being silent the
whole time.

Caville’s eyes then turned to him.

“How could Your Grace send her away like that?” Therion’s added.

Hearing his atrocious words, Heinz gave Therion a death glare.

“I didn’t want to keep the emperor’s envoys in my residence for too long,”
Caville answered coldly.

The knights, who did not like the Imperial Government nor the Temple,
grinned in satisfaction at the refreshing answer.

‘That damn traitor!’

Therion hadn’t committed a major sin but not in Heinz’s eyes. If looks
could kill, Therion’s would’ve died ten times over, just by his glare.

After wrapping that up, Caville paced back and forth in front of Elody’s
lab.

‘How do I bring up the topic of sleeping together in the same room with
her? How do I phrase it so that my wife doesn’t refuse?’
Fortunately, Caville was finally able to come up with a good idea after
much consideration.

* * *

The next day, Elody woke up early in the morning, washed up, and left her
chambers.

“Good morning, madame.”

Dame Solar was waiting for her as it was her first day as the duchess’s
escort.

There was a hint of a gentle smile in her gaze as she greeted Marie, who
stood beside Elody.

“From today onwards, I shall be your escort. I look forward to working

with you, madame.”

“…Ah, yes. May I ask why you are here so early?”

“I’m hoping to match your schedule with mine. Will madame be going to the
lab now?”

“Yes.”

Fortunately, Solar was able to escort Elody without any trouble.

Elody thought that she would feel uncomfortable if someone followed her
everywhere she went. But surprisingly, she did not feel that way with Dame
Solar at all.

It was probably because Dame Solar wasn’t as mischievous as she was when
they were young.

* * *

After arriving at the lab, Elody quickly started doing her work.

First of all, she had upgraded the machine used to make red pills.

Because of the Elemental Crystals, Elody was able to use them to reduce
the machine’s noises and increase the efficiency of the magic tools. It
was a great outcome.

It was confirmed that with Ifrit alone, there would no longer be any need
to purchase mana crystals.

‘What else can I do with these Elemental Crystals?’

Her curiosity as a scholar overcame her. Elody took out the sacred tools
that the temple had left behind.
“I think I can make something like this….”

This divine magic tool was made by one of the high priests, and the
material used was probably from a magical crystal.

There was a tight connection between divine power and complex magical
formulas.

Elody did not think that pure mana obtained from nature was any less than
divine power.

Instead, she thought that maybe the power of this mana created nature,
might be stronger than divine power.

‘I need to look it up a little more in that book.’

Elody headed for the mansion, recalling the book she had found in
Caville’s great-grandfather’s study.

Then, as she went down the stairs with various books from the study, she
ran into Heinz who had a bright expression on his face.

“Madame…!” Heinz exclaimed.

“….!”

“Why is Sir Heinz approaching us?” Solar asked, puzzled.

She was confused as to why the knight looked so happy to see the duchess.

Elody shook her head, telling her that she didn’t know the reason as well.

Heinz approached the two with an awkward smile.

“Madame… I saw that you weren’t in the laboratory.”

“What’s going on, Sir Heinz?” Elody asked.

“I have something to tell the madame…. Will you please excuse us both Dame
Solar?” Heinz spoke, looking at Solar.

“Unfortunately, I cannot. From today onwards, I have been appointed as the

madame’s escort. So I must guard her at all times,” Dame Solar responded.

“Huh? Why did the duke choose you to be the duchess’s escort?”

“Why not? Do you have a better choice?”

“Well, I think I’m a good choice,” Heinz grinned at his words.

“…I think not. I mean, the lord has entrusted me with this position.
Therefore, he trusts me more than you.”

Heinz’s eyes narrowed at Solar’s answer.

“Whatever… I need to have a word with the duchess, so please leave us be.”

“A word? With the madame? What could you possibly even talk to her about?”

As Dame Solar was unwilling to cooperate, Heinz shifted his gaze at Elody
to plead for help.

“…Dame Solar, please give us a minute….”

“…Understood, madame.”

At Elody’s words, Solar sighed and went back a few steps.

Elody stared at Heinz anxiously, fearing that he would bang his forehead
to the ground again.

The bruise on his forehead was still not healed.

‘He’s insane…’

“Madame, it’s about Sir Therion!”

“What about him?”

“It seems that he’s in love with Princess Larissa!”

“Huh?”

“I saw him drooling at her this morning! Plus, he kept saying Princess
this, Princess that… That basta-! I mean Sir Therion is a traitor!”

“Ah, I see. But why would you…”

Then, Heinz got straight to the point.

“That guy stood up for the princess in front of the knights! He took her
side! Not Your Grace’s!”

“….”

‘So what…’

Elody blinked and stared at Heinz.

“Aren’t you the same? Didn’t you take Her Highness’s side as well?”

“Yes?”

“You said it with your own mouth. You hated me… You wanted Her Highness
and His Grace to get married.”

“That’s not….”
“Are you here to frame Sir Therion?” Elody asked while creasing her
eyebrows.

Heinz was confused when hearing her response, and his mouth was left
agape.

“That’s….”

Elody sighed and left.

Dame Solar quickly followed her.

As she glanced back, she noticed Heinz’s sullen expression. The other also
maids passed by while groaning and avoided him.

“Madame, Sir Heinz can be a bit rude sometimes. But please understand.
He’s a mercenary, so he hasn’t gotten the opportunity to learn about
etiquette.”

“Is that so.”

‘Sir Therion likes Princess Larissa…’

Therion was quite popular among the maids because of his handsome
appearance and well-manners.

Sir Heinz, on the other hand… was quite the opposite.

It seemed that the maids were scared of him as they avoided him every
time.

However, Elody paid no mind to that and went back to the lab to continue
on her research instead.

Then, as she read more books, she learned that elemental crystals were
used to create ancient artifacts.

The brooch that belonged to the first Duke of Cernoir was also made of
elemental crystal.

These days, artifacts were created by mages with simple magic.

But what Caville had was an ancient artifact. A rare artifact that
contained ancient magic.

The Temple’s relics were also ancient artifacts.

Ancient artifacts were made by legendary mages that dealt with all spirits
a long time ago.

Elody also began to study what the elemental crystals can do.

‘What if I combine these with the magic pills or some herbs?’

She would be able to make potions!

And maybe…

‘It might be possible to cure my illness completely.’

Elody’s heart leaped for joy.

* * *

After his morning duties, Caville took a break before having lunch with
Elody.

He and his aide, Lewis, left the office and headed for the parlor on the
first floor.

Along the way, Caville saw a bunch of maids gathered in one corner,
muttering about something.

He approached them quietly and saw a piece of paper they were looking at.

“My lord!”

One of the maids was surprised when she saw Caville.

“Ah! We deeply apologize, my lord!” She said whilst bowing her head.

“What is that?”

Caville pointed to the paper.

Having no other choice, Marie carefully handed over the paper to him.

“……”

There were the knights’ names written on the paper. And they were written
in order… like a popularity vote.

“What is this?”

“Umm… That’s… It’s just a joke between us. Please keep it a secret from
the butler, my lord!”

If Norman ever finds out, he would scold them nonstop!

“Is this a popularity vote?”

“…Yes.”

Caville slowly looked through the rankings.

In first place was Therion. Solar and Ren were tied for second place, and
Sir Heron, who was famous for his handsome looks, placed third on the
list.
Unfortunately, Brien and Heinz weren’t even named at all.

Come to think of it, his wife really cared for the servants. Furthermore,
the maids that she was close to were given so much care and attention that
even Caville started to get jealous.

“……”

Suddenly, a good idea ran through Caville’s mind.

* * *

Elody headed to the mansion to have lunch with Caville.

Throughout lunch, Caville kept staring at Elody with a nervous expression.

Unfortunately, his wife paid no mind to that, or rather, she did not
notice it at all. She was far too busy thinking about the Salvation Herbal
Tea.

‘Would I be able to find the remedy if I combine the stem of the Salvation
Herb and elemental crystal together?’

If she finds the cure, she wouldn’t have to vomit blood anymore.

It was not that she had not made numerous medicines with the herbs.
However, the leaves and stems of the Salvation Herb only showed positive
results when consumed with tea. That was why it had side effects.

“Um, my wife.”

“Yes?”

“Look at this.”

Caville pulled out the paper he had hidden. It was the result of a
popularity vote that he took from the maids earlier.

“It’s a ranking of the knights that the maids made according to their
popularity. Oh, and they told me not to tell Norman.”

“Alright?”

Elody smiled and looked at the paper.

“Why is Lord Vedos’s name not here?”

“Of course not.”

“As expected, Sir Therion is number one…”

“…’As expected?’ What do you mean by that?”

Caville furrowed his eyebrows.

‘Does she really think that he deserves first place?!’

“Because he’s handsome.”

“……”

Caville tried to picture Therion’s face in his mind. However, he still

couldn’t understand which part about his face was attractive.

‘Is Sir Therion my wife’s ideal type?!’

“Do you like Sir Therion, my wife?”

“What? Of course not.”

Caville stared closely at her expression to make sure that she wasn’t
lying.

‘Well, she does look honest.’

“There’s something else that I wanted to talk about with you, my wife…”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the maids. They seem rather anxious these days…”

“What? Why?”

As expected, Elody was bewildered.

“Because we sleep in separate rooms, people still think that we might get
a divorce… I’m afraid that others might spread false rumors about us.”

Chapter 74

“What?” Elody asked.

“Especially Marie… She’s been crying a lot. The knights were also worried
about us,” Caville responded.

“Even the knights?”

Caville nodded with a serious expression.

“Actually, there was a rumor that the emperor wants me to get married to
Princess Larissa. Besides. It might be because we use separate rooms….”

“Ah….”

“We started sleeping in different rooms as soon as I returned to the

duchy, so it’s natural that the servants are worried about us…”

“I… guess that’s true.”

His words made sense. She even began to feel bad for making Marie cry.

“At times like this, shouldn’t we show them how good our relationship is?
As the ruler of the duchy, I want to give faith to the servants, the
knights, and the citizens as well.”

“… Yes, you’re right.”

When Elody nodded to his words, Caville’s heart leapt for joy.

But on the outside, he pretended to look as if he were anxious.

“If the rumors keep circulating around the duchy, it could pose a problem
in the future as people will look down on us. Besides, the Temple is also
trying to hurt me… What if I get assassinated while sleeping at night?”

At those words, Elody’s expression was stained with shock.

“I mean, I’m strong so you don’t have to worry about me too much. But they
might mistake my room for yours and hurt you instead! I’m worried about
you and I can’t sleep at night because of that.”

Actually, the reason he couldn’t sleep was because he was afraid that
Elody might try to run away again.

Of course, Ifrit had been guarding Elody every day because of Caville’s
command, but he was still worried nonetheless.

“You haven’t been able to sleep?”

Elody stared at Caville’s face. It seemed that he was honest since his
eyes were red.

“Yes, I have nightmares because my wife isn’t next to me,” Caville said as
he tried his best to look as pitiful as possible.

Elody bit her lips.

“So, my wife… How about we sleep in the same room again, like we did when
we were young? I promise that I won’t do anything to make you feel
uncomfortable.”

“……”

Elody pondered for a moment and then nodded her head.

If rumors spread that the ducal couple was not on good terms, then it
would pose a threat to the duchy.

And when she thought that in the middle of the night, assassins might come
for Caville’s head, fear came over her.

‘I have to protect Caville,’ she vowed to herself.

“Alright. But let’s put two beds in the room instead,” she said.

“…Yes,” Caville spoke as he reluctantly nodded his head.

* * *

That afternoon.

Elody was also busy that day.

She used elemental crystals to transform the seeds of a fruit. Then, she
planted it on a plot of soil in the greenhouse. During the process of
planting, she injected a small amount of mana into the soil.

Suddenly, there was a gleam of light that flashed before her eyes.

“…What?”

Elody lifted her head and looked around her surroundings while blinking
her eyes.

She had been having hallucinations lately, and often got dizzy sometimes…

‘Was it just my imagination?’

“What just happened?”

Ifrit, who was lying underneath the peach tree, wandered over and asked
her.

“Just now? Did you feel it too?”

“.…The ground certainly vibrated lightly.”

“I planted the seeds that were made out of elemental crystals. Is it

because of that?”

“If you injected mana there, then probably yes. It’s alright though since
the air actually feels a lot fresher!”

Ifrit’s expression was bright. Fortunately, nothing bad seemed to have

happened.

“Well, that’s great. By the way, this plant is something that you might
like, Ifrit,” Elody smiled, pointing to where she planted the seeds.

“Really? How long will it take for it to grow?!”

“I don’t know for sure. It can grow as fast as the peach tree… Or it can
take longer.”

Ifrit stomped to where the seeds were sown.

“Calm down, Ifrit,” Elody said as she stroked Ifrit’s fur, “Let’s come
here again when it sprouts. Okay?”

“…Okay.”

Her warm strokes made Ifrit feel a bit better.

Although Elody was a far more nasty contractor than Caville, she was at
least more gentle than Caville.

Ifrit liked the greenhouse and the owner of it very much.

Suddenly…

“Madame!”

Someone called out her name.

“Anna, what’s going on?” Elody asked

“Sir Vedos is here to see you,” Anna answered.

“Sir Vedos?”

As she walked out of the greenhouse, she met a gloomy-looking Brien.

“Madame…!”

“Sir Vedos, what are you doing here? If you have something to say, do come
in…”

“You have to come with me quickly, madame! There’s no time!”

“What is it?”

Unlike usual, Brien made a huge fuss.

Not only Elody but also Anna and Solar, who were watching them from
behind, seemed surprised by his actions.

“You two don’t have to come!” Brien said to Anna and Solar.

“But…!”

Before Anna could continue, Solar stopped her by giving her a gesture
saying that Elody would be fine.

Thus, Elody followed Brien.

The place that Brien led her to was the forest behind the greenhouse. The
place where she had gotten caught on vomiting blood by Heinz.

“Look over there!”

Elody looked at where Brien was pointing.

“Marie?”

Marie was there.

And she was talking…

To an unfamiliar-looking man.

“……”

Elody glanced at Brien with a sympathetic expression.

“…Marie doesn’t even want to see me, and now she’s seeing an apprentice.
She left me…”

Brien was the vice-commander of the knights whose family had been loyal to
the Duke of Cernoir for multiple generations.

But to think that he would lose to an apprentice. Brien was utterly

frustrated.

Elody looked at the man standing next to Marie. He was a handsome boy with
a shy expression.

‘Marie is being courted…?’

Elody patted Brien on the back.

“Cheer up, Sir Vedos.”

“…Ugh, sniff.”

“But what did you do to get dumped?”

When she asked Marie in the past, she only replied to her saying that Sir
Vedos was too old. She said that ever since he left for the battlefield,
he had always looked twice his age.

“I… madame… to Marie.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I made a mistake by talking bad about madame to Marie.”

“Did you curse at me behind my back, Sir Vedos?!” Elody asked,

flabbergasted.

‘Did the knights hate me that much that even Sir Vedos started talking
about me?’

Elody felt betrayed.

“N-no! Rather than cursing at you… I just said that the two of you were
going to divorce and that I wish the princess and the lord well…”

“I see… I thought you were having an affair.”

“I would never cheat on Marie!”

“Yes, whatever you say…” Elody nodded.

She had nothing else to say. He thought that Caville and Larissa were
going to marry each other, but she also thought the same in the past. So
she couldn’t really blame him.

“Marie’s very angry at me… Madame, can you please forgive me and help me
speak to Marie? Please?”

“……”

Seeing his expression, Elody felt a bit sorry for him.

However, Marie was far more precious to her than he was.

“Sir Vedos. Love is so short while forgetting is so long. However, an old

love can be replaced with a new one. Let go of Marie and find another
woman instead.”

“But…”

“There are a lot of other single women here in the duchy. You could just
go to the market right now and search for one. Also, do something about
your appearance.”

“Madame…”

“Would you like me to give you some red ginseng? It’s good for your skin.”

“…I, uh…”

Elody comforted him by patting Brien’s back.

‘Speaking of which… Was the forest always like this?’

Elody began to look around her surroundings.

The forest was a bit…

‘No, it has changed a lot.’

It seems that there were a lot more trees than before…

Elody walked away from Brien.

The fresh air entered her lungs through her nose.

‘Did the forest grow by itself?’

Elody was puzzled as she passed through the small forest.

Suddenly, a beautiful sight came to her eyes. She was agape as she saw the
unfolding scene.

Originally, there was only an empty field with a murky river behind the
small forest.

But now, the field was filled with yellow flowers in full bloom, and the
water was no longer murky. In fact, it was translucent and sparkly clean!
There seemed to be a lot of fish swimming inside it as well!

‘Surely…’

Elody looked down at her palm.

A little while ago, when she planted a seed that was combined with an
elemental crystal, a gleam of light suddenly flashed before her eyes.

Ifrit said that it was because of her mana.

‘He also said that the peach tree grew fast because my magic powers had
increased.’

If so, could it have caused this as well?

It was clear that something had changed.

Elody headed back to the forest. She observed the forest more closely than
before.

Then, she found something strange.

‘What in the world…’

The place where Elody stopped was in front of a pine mushroom tree.

‘It’s not even autumn, but there are matsutake mushroom trees!’

It was definitely a pine mushroom tree. Elody picked the matsutake

mushrooms and smelled them.

She sniffed the scent of the mushrooms and it was amazing. Furthermore,
the tree was much larger in size than an ordinary pine mushroom tree.

‘I have to harvest them and grill the matsutakes.’

Elody turned her head and looked at the trees around her.

There were various trees with mushrooms in them that came into Elody’s
line of sight.
‘Impossible…’

It was still spring.

Of course, there were numerous types of mushrooms that grow in the spring
or summer… However, the mushrooms in front of her were all those that grew
in autumn or winter!

And…

‘It’s a raspberry!’

There were ridiculously many raspberries hanging from the rosewood. And
next to it, were trees full of blackberries and magnolia berries.

Elody picked the raspberry and ate it.

‘It’s sweet…’

Elody looked at the raspberries, the matsutake mushrooms in her hand, the
various mushrooms grown on other trees, the blackberries, and the magnolia
berries in turn.

This was it.

The same feeling she had when she discovered ginseng a few years ago.

It was… the beautiful smell of money.

Chapter 75

Elody quickly ran back to the lab with the matsutake mushroom in her hand.
She glanced at Brien but soon ignored him.

“Madame, what’s going on?”

“Madame, what were you doing?”

As soon as Elody entered the lab, Anna and Dame Solar bombarded her with a
lot of questions.

“You two! Come with me, quickly!” Elody said as she brought a few baskets.

The two were confused, but they still followed Elody nonetheless.

“Vice-commander, what are you doing there…”

“Quickly this way!”

On the way to the forest, they passed by Sir Brien who looked like he had
been crying. Solar raised one of her brows as if she had seen something
strange.
She wanted to ask him about what had happened, but Solar was forced to
pass him by because Elody was her first priority.

“Oh, the forest….”

“…!”

Anna and Solar looked around their surroundings in wonder. The forest had
drastically changed!

“Now, the two of you will be harvesting these mushrooms and berries! I’ll
have to test if the mushrooms are poisonous, so you only have to pick one
each.”

“…Yes, madame!”

“Understood.”

Elody gave the two baskets and began to gather mushrooms and berries
together.

There were many big rocks along the way, but Elody skillfully walked on
top of them.

She observed the mushrooms one by one to see if any of them were
poisonous.

Fortunately, based on Elody’s knowledge regarding mushrooms, none of them

were.

“It’s a reishi mushroom!”

Like ginseng, reishi mushroom was one of the things called elixir grass.

This mushroom is good for high blood pressure, so if you mix it with
mulberry leaves that have the same effect, you will be able to make a high
blood pressure medicine with excellent effects.

‘I’ll be able to earn as much profit as I did with the red ginseng!’

Elody’s heart shouted for delight.

* * *

As soon as Elody returned to her laboratory, she began testing the

toxicity of the mushrooms right away.

‘I have to make it as good as possible before Sirka comes.’

She would make drugs beforehand and when Sirka returns, she would sign
another contract with him right away.

The hair loss pills were already being mass-produced with upgraded magic
tools. Of course, the side effects had already been eliminated and they
were now made into small pills to enable long-term use. That way, the
medicine would surely sell for a long time.

“Madame, are all these fruits different? Can I eat them?” Anna, asked with
her curious look on her face.

“This is raspberry, and this is black raspberry. They look similar, but
their effects are a bit different. This magnolia berry, on the other hand,
is good to drink with tea or alcohol. Would you like to try it?”

Elody was excited to be able to obtain fruits with different effects.

“Wow, it’s so sweet!” Anna exclaimed after eating the raspberries.

“I want to try it too,” Dame Solar said.

Then, Elody put a raspberry in her mouth.

“You’re right. It’s sweet!”

“I’ll call the maids tomorrow so that we can make different types of
drinks with this. Oh, and let’s make jam too!”

“Jam? Alright! I think it will be fun!” Anna said while clapping her
hands, “But, madame, there are a lot of huge rocks in the forest. Don’t we
have to remove them first?”

“I’ll call the apprentice knights and ask them to get rid of the rocks!”
Solar replied enthusiastically.

Elody could only laugh at the two while nodding her head.

* * *

After dinner, Elody told Caville all about the forest while drinking tea.

Caville smiled at Elody. His wife looked so cute whenever she was excited.

“There were a lot of fish in the river! I’ll have to tell the servants to
go there tomorrow!”

“To catch fish?”

“Yes!”

“Shall I catch one for you, my wife?”

“You want to go fishing? Aren’t you busy?”

The servants were able to have fun with Elody, and Caville didn’t want to
be left alone.

So Caville nodded, saying he wasn’t busy tomorrow.

If Lewis had seen him right now, he would have scolded him for running
away from his duties.

Caville was motivated to impress Elody by catching her a huge fish.

And today…

“My wife, shall we go to our bedroom now?”

“Huh?”

“From today onwards, we promised to sleep together in the same room,”

Caville said with a chuckle.

Seeing her bewildered expression, his wife seemed to have forgotten.

“Come.”

“Ah… uh, alright.”

Elody got up awkwardly and headed to the second floor with Caville.

Marie’s eyes lit up after hearing the sentence ‘sleeping together in the
same room.’ It seemed that she had been planning something.

* * *

At the moment, Marie was helping Elody take a bath.

However, something was strange.

“Why the rose petals?”

Instead of answering, Marie smiled and kept sprinkling more petals over
the bathtub.

What was she trying to do…?

It wasn’t just that. Marie dripped a few drops of perfume on her skin as
well.

“Madame. You may have been educated since you were young by the Count, but
you’re still lacking in a lot of areas, so I’ll tell you this one more
time.”

“What do you mean?”

Marie whispered into Elody’s ear, sending her subtle glances.

As Marie continued, Elody’s expression began to redden.

“Just don’t worry about it too much, alright? It only hurts the first
time,” Marie said, gently patting Elody’s arm.
“Marie, are you insane?”

“What?”

Elody bit her lips, her blush spread from her face to her neck and ears.

“Ca-Caville is just a child!”

“Oh, no. He’s not.”

“Yes, he is!”

Elody was stubborn about it.

‘Caville’s fate is to be with Princess Larissa. Not you!’

Again, a small voice echoed inside her head.

“My destiny does not intertwine with his.”

“What?”

Marie was surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere.

“Ah…”

Elody furrowed her eyebrows when she felt a throb in her head.

She heard it again. That voice…

“Madame, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Anyway, Caville is still young, so don’t say things like
that.”

“…Yes, madame.”

Marie was confused at Elody’s sudden pale complexion.

‘What was that?’ She thought.

* * *

Despite Marie pressuring her to wear a nightgown, Elody flatly refused.

Thus, she ended up wearing pajamas instead.

Even though the pajamas were the same ones she used when they were young,
she still felt a bit awkward.

They weren’t that exposing… Rather, it was a comfortable pajama that

covered every inch of her body from her neck to her wrists and ankles.

Nevertheless, she was still anxious.

‘This is all because of what Marie said…’

Elody ended up blaming Marie for her nervousness.

After entering the bedroom, Elody found out that Caville was still
bathing.

Thus, Elody opened the window to cool her red cheeks.

Even though years had passed by, the room was still the same as it used to
be. Except for the fact that it had one more bed.

However, the two beds were almost joined together with only a small gap.

‘Isn’t this too close?’

Elody was worried about it, but Elody decided not to express her feelings
out loud.

“……”

While waiting for Caville, Elody recalled her husband’s passionate

confession.

But then, a weird voice plunged into Elody’s head again.

‘Caville Cernoir’s fate is to be with Larissa Dayev…’

Elody had been hearing weird voices ever since Caville’s confession.

‘He doesn’t love you…’

Click.

The voice disappeared the moment Caville opened the bathroom door.

As Caville approached, Elody finished her thoughts and looked at him.

“Wife.”

Caville was likewise dressed in comfortable clothes.

He wore soft pajamas instead of his usual attire, and his chest was more
clearly revealed than usual.

‘He’s grown a lot…’

“Caville, I’ll use the bed that lies near the window.”

“Yes, my wife.”

Caville smiled as he knew why Elody chose the one by the window.
She wanted to protect him in case an assassin invaded their room through
the window.

If they went through the door, they would probably be spotted by the
knights, that’s why she thought that the window was more dangerous.

But of course, the window was completely safe.

Because Ifrit was guarding it.

‘How cute.’

Caville was desperately trying to protect her but Elody was acting so cute
and lovely. He genuinely wanted to bite her nose.

But on the other hand, he was also nervous and anxious.

His wife was not an object that he could monopolize to stay by his side
forever.

As Ifrit said, he should look more like a reliable man that she can trust…
If things kept going like this, the possibility of her liking him back was
slim.

It seemed as though desperate times call for desperate measures.

Caville laid on his bed and scooted near Elody’s bed as close as possible.

“……”

Meanwhile, Elody glanced at Caville while lying in the middle of her bed.

Caville was sleeping sideways facing her.

“Caville, are you comfortable sleeping while looking at this side?”

“Yes. I’m more comfortable this way.”

“I see…”

Elody looked at the ceiling with her blanket covering her body all the way
to her neck. She could feel Caville’s intense stare at her but pretended
not to know.

“My wife, good night.”

“Uh… Caville, you sleep well too.”

Elody closed her eyes and Caville did the same.

But she couldn’t sleep.

After a long period of tossing and turning and rearranging the pillows,
Caville asked Elody if she was having trouble sleeping.
“My wife, you can’t sleep?”

“Huh?”

“Shall I sing you a lullaby or give you a hug?”

“Oh, no! It’s okay.”

Elody remembered that those were the exact same words she used to say to
Caville whenever he had trouble sleeping.

“Caville, would you like me to sing you a lullaby? Or do you want me to

hug you instead?”

Caville had always wanted to grow up fast, and look at him now. He became
a tall, handsome young man, and quite a bold one too.

But…

“……”

Every time she saw Caville, her heart would start beating like crazy.

Elody turned her head and looked at Caville who was staring at her.

His eyes…

Caville’s gaze towards her was full of affection. It seemed like he really
loved her.

“Oh, no. Come on. Let’s get some sleep, Caville,” Elody said as she turned
her back to the other side again.

After a while, Elody was barely able to fall asleep.

And the night passed.

Unlike Marie’s wishes, the two had a peaceful first night.

Thus, it was natural that Marie felt resentful about it the next morning.

“Does His Grace have some sort of problem with his…?”

Chapter 76

“What do you mean, Marie?” Anna asked.

“Cough, nevermind,” Marie said as she shook her head.

“Anyway, it looks like madame’s condition has improved…”

Marie recalled the name of Elody’s illness that she heard at a meeting
with the other servants a while ago.
The Siren’s Tears.

“I heard it from Sir Heinz! How the hell does that guy know about madame’s
disease?”

Heinz was the leader of a faction of the knights that used to be

mercenaries. Everybody knew that they held some sort of prejudice against
the madame.

Because of that, most of the servants dismissed Heinz’s words as nothing

but a mere lie. They couldn’t trust someone who disliked the madame. And
Marie also held the same opinion.

‘I should talk about this with the lord…’

Marie decided to continue watching the situation more for the time being.

* * *

‘Ugh, I don’t think I’ll have time to sleep again…’ Caville thought as he
walked up the stairs to his bedroom after having breakfast.

Yesterday as well, Caville was forced to stay up all night due to the
never-ending amount of paperwork. Thus, he was only able to sleep a little
at dawn.

Caville sighed as he watched Elody sleeping quietly. Though he was

terribly sleep-deprived, he was still grateful to be given a beautiful
sight to see every morning when he woke up. He loved seeing his wife’s
peaceful expression as she slept and would do anything to keep seeing it
again. Even if it meant he had to give up sleeping his entire life.

He was so happy he could die.

Of course, he was still greedy for more. But he decided that it would be
best to appreciate the fact that he didn’t have to sleep separately from
his wife anymore.

‘You used to hug me to sleep whenever winter came…’

Caville believed that over time, Elody would be able to love him the same
way he loved her.

At first, Caville thought that even if his wife couldn’t reciprocate his
feelings, he would still be fine with it. As long as she didn’t hate him,
he would always be satisfied with what he had.

However, he found that he started becoming more and more greedy.

Caville looked at the window and saw that it was already dawn.

Caville, who wasn’t able to sleep at all last night, watched the sun as it
slowly rose from the window. Then, he slowly reached out to Elody.
He held Elody’s tiny pinky and glanced at it for a moment.

The feeling of him holding her finger at that time was still vivid. He had
only touched her little finger, but Caville was happy enough to be given
the chance to touch her again.

* * *

Elody was surprised to see Heinz visiting her in the lab so early in the
morning.

‘Why does he keep visiting me?’

Elody was still worried about his forehead as the scars hadn’t fully
healed yet.

‘Has he not used the medicine yet? It should’ve been healed by now unless…
he’s doing this on purpose. But why? To show off to the others?’

“May I help you, Sir Heinz?”

“I heard that madame needed someone to get rid of the rocks in the forest.
So I called my subordinates here to help!”

“…Oh, that’s alright. You don’t really have to…. The apprentices or
squires would suffice.”

“No! We’ll do it instead!”

Elody glanced at Dame Solar who stood next to her with a troubled
expression. Solar shrugged her shoulder and replied by whispering into
Elody’s ear.

“Just let them pamper you. They’re really strong.”

“……”

However, Elody was uncomfortable with the mercenary-knights.

She remembered them glaring at her wherever she went, and their eyes were
full of hostility… In addition, they seemed to have a close relationship
with Princess Larissa.

However…

Today, the knights were… not as hostile to her as she thought they would
be. Rather, they seemed to look a bit… dispirited.

“Alright. Then, can you start by moving that boulder over there?”

When Elody spoke reluctantly, Heinz replied by telling her not to worry.
Then, he dragged his men to the forest.
“Madame, why is Sir Heinz doing that for you?” Solar asked, confused.

“I do not know…”

She was also curious about it herself. What in the world made him act like
this?

“How suspicious… He used to despise you, but now he acts as if he’s your
number one supporter. I wonder what made him change his mind… You must be
wary of him, madame,” Dame Solar warned.

Elody nodded her head in response. He was definitely suspicious to say the
least.

* * *

The boulders were too heavy to be carried alone, so several knights had to
work together to destroy the pieces first.

Elody felt bad for the knights since it looked very tiresome.

They already hated her, but the fact that they had to do this made her
feel even worse about herself. What if they hated her even more after
this?

Well, it didn’t really matter if they actually did, but she still couldn’t
help feel but uncomfortable at the thought.

As Elody watched the knights, she suddenly thought of something.

“Ah!”

“Madame, what’s wrong?”

Then, Elody had her servants bring a large bowl and packs of ice from the
castle.

“I’m going to make a fruit punch.”

“Oh, fruit punch?”

“Yes. I think it would be great if we’re all able to drink it together.”

Elody started making fruit punch with the peaches she had from the
greenhouse and the raspberries she harvested from the forest.

Anna lifted her thumb up after she tasted it.

“Delicious! Shall I give these to the knights?”

“Yes. Everyone has had a rough time carrying those rocks. This is my way
of thanking them for their hard work.”
Anna thought that it was a waste to give them to the knights, but in the
end, she thought that they deserved it since they had been suffering for
quite a while.

Seeing the maids distribute the fruit punch to the knights made Elody
smile. She was happy to see such a lively atmosphere in the mansion.

“My wife.”

“Huh?”

Caville called her from behind.

“Caville, what’s going on?”

“I was supposed to catch you a fish from the river.”

“Do you really want to? You must be busy with work…”

“I’ve finished them all.”

The knights and servants glanced at the ducal couple having a friendly
conversation.

Elody personally guided Caville across the forest. And the person
following behind them was none other than Sir Brien.

“Sir Vedos, are you alright?”

Elody asked after seeing his terrible complexion.

“Yes…”

Truth to be told, none of them looked fine. Caville had dark eye-bags
underneath his eyes while Sir Brien looked as if he had been crying all
night.

“Don’t cry, you’ll make other people feel bad…”

“I’m sorry.”

Elody looked at the river. The water seemed to be denser than yesterday.
Just the mere sight of it made her feel refreshed.

“See you in a minute, my wife,” Caville said, kissing the back of her
Elody’s hand.

Elody was startled and immediately ran back to the forest.

“I’m gonna die from excessive cuteness,” Caville murmured while staring at
Elody’s back, while Brien creased his eyebrows in return.

* * *
“Well done, everyone.”

Elody wanted to express her gratitude to the knights who had worked hard.

“Thanks to you guys, we were able to finish our work quickly as well.
Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank us. It was nothing,” Heinz replied, blushing and
grinning at the same time.

The men who stood behind him glanced at each other. They thought it was
strange that the duchess had personally thanked them herself.

“By the way, madame. The fruit punch you gave to us was really delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Do you want more?”

“Can we?”

Elody only said that for courtesy’s sake, but Heinz’s eyes were shining so
brightly it was hard to refuse.

Thus, Elody nodded her head and instructed Marie.

“Bring more peaches from the greenhouse to make the fruit punch.”

“Yes, madame.”

Marie glanced at Heinz before heading to the greenhouse with her maids.

Now it was time to start working.

Elody rolled up her sleeves and began harvesting the berries and mushrooms
with the maids.

‘Did the trees grow again?’

The tree where she picked the mushrooms yesterday was now growing with new
mushrooms.

Just like the peach tree in the greenhouse.

“The duchess, she’s so kind.”

“Yeah, she’s not like the rumors.”

“She seems to have a good relationship with the leader….”

Heinz’s men were sitting under the shade of a tree while enjoying their
time off.

They chatted while drinking the fruit punch that the maids gave them.

It was really refreshing.

Drinking the sweet fruit punch while the cool breeze of fresh air swept
away their sweat.

Ah yes, this was life.

The sun was shining, the flowers were blooming, the birds were singing,
and the atmosphere was lively.

Everything was perfect.

They thought that the duchess was a cruel and cold-hearted person. But she
gave them fruit-punch and even thanked them in person.p

They thought she would ignore them and looked down on them for being
former mercenaries, but the duchess had no such expression on her face.

Today, they had finally felt like they had actually settled in the estate.
That feeling made them very excited.

There was only one thing they had always wanted. It was to be recognized
and accepted.

They were those who returned with the young lord who was discriminated
against on the battlefield. They had helped him fight in war, so they
wanted to be recognized.

However, the knights who remained in the manor disregarded their hard work
and secretly discriminated against them for being a mercenary.

They thought that the duchess would be the same.

However, Elody actually acknowledged their hardships and treated them

fairly from the very beginning.

“This sounds like a nice place to live.”

“Yeah.”

The knights ended their conversation with a smile on their faces. They
thought that it was a good idea to have come here to the duchy with the
leader.

Elody set aside her harvest and headed for the river, carrying the fruit
punch she had left for Caville and Brien.

“Madame! I’ll hold it for you. Why are you carrying these things by
yourself?” Heinz said as he took the tray from her hands.

Elody purposely brought it herself to let the maids take a break…

Heinz smiled and looked at Elody.

“Why don’t you use the medicine I gave you for the wound on your
forehead?”

“This is my proof of loyalty to you, madame,” He answered proudly.

Did he pick up the wrong medicine somewhere and ate it?

‘I heard that when a person suddenly changes, it’s likely that they are
dying… ‘

“I’m sorry, but you should give that loyalty to Caville. He deserves it
more than me.”

Elody again took the tray from Heinz and headed to Caville.

But after a few steps, Elody stopped her tracks.

“My wife!”

Caville smiled when seeing his loved one in front of him.

The bucket by the river was already full of big fishes.

But…

‘Why is he naked?’

Elody bit her lips as she looked at Caville’s naked torso.

It was the second time she saw Caville’s grown-up body.

But last time, she was too concerned about Caville’s wounds, so she felt
nothing when she saw him shirtless.

But now…

Elody, feeling her cheeks burning, turned around and handed the tray over
to Heinz.

“Madame?”

She immediately ran away and headed for the forest again. Her cheeks,
ears, and neck felt hot, it was as if she was burning from fire.

It was the moment when Ifrit’s advice to show his abs finally worked.

“My wife!”

However, Caville only blinked and looked at Elody’s back without knowing
what had just happened.

“Why is she running away from me…?”

Likewise, Heinz, who did not know a thing about love, was confused by
Elody’s bizarre actions.

Nonetheless, he disregarded it as an impulse and approached the duke who

stood in the river.

“Leader, this fruit punch is made by the madame. It tastes amazing. The
vice-commander should try it too!”

“……”

Caville ran out of the water with a gloomy expression.

“Gosh, it’s hot.”

Heinz took out a handkerchief from his bosom and wiped the sweat from his
forehead.

And at that moment…

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

When Caville’s low voice sounded a bit grumpy, Heinz raised his head with
a dumbfounded look on his face.

“…L-leader?”

When Heinz saw Caville’s terrifying expression, he got chills all over his
body as if a bucket of ice had just fallen on top of his head.

Caville parted his mouth and spoke, “Why do you have that handkerchief?”

Chapter 77

“… I-I picked it up from the ground.”

Heinz showed tremendous wits.

“Really?”

“Yes, I saw it lying on the ground in the forest near the greenhouse. Is
there something wrong…?”

“Give it to me. No, wait. Wash it till it’s squeaky clean, then bring it
back to me.”

“…Understood, Your Grace.”

Heinz gulped.

He barely escaped from death.

* * *

As promised, Caville caught a bucket full of fish.

Thanks to that, all of the servants were able to enjoy excellent fish
dishes made by the mansion’s chef.

In the late afternoon, Elody was trying to make various types of alcohol
drinks with her maids.

Peaches, black raspberries, magnolia berries, mulberries, raspberries, and

mushrooms were used as ingredients to make the alcohol.

She also decided to make jam with the raspberries tomorrow.

“Finally!”

“I’m so excited for this, madame!”

“Me too!”

Marie was really excited because she really liked alcohol.

“Shall I make the plants grow quickly again with my magic?”

“Yes! Good luck, madame!” Marie exclaimed.

“What do you want to eat the most?”

“That!”

What Marie pointed to was a large bottle of black raspberry.

‘She sure is a drinker, she knows what kind of wine tastes the best…’

Elody laughed inside and took a reagent out of her drawer. It was a
reagent used to speed up aging in herbs and to ripen fruits faster.

She opened the lid of black raspberries and added a few drops of reagent.
The black raspberry quickly ripened and gave off a sweet scent.

The maids who remained in the greenhouse enjoyed the black raspberry wine
with Elody.

“Madame, does this wine have health benefits? If so, what are they?”

“Huh?”

Elody paused at Anna’s question.

The black raspberry had lots of effects. However, it was well known to
reinvigorate…

Virility.
In Elody’s previous life, the wine was called “Bokbunjajoo” which means
Korean Raspberry Wine. There was an old saying that said the black
raspberry wine could make one’s manhood very powerful.

‘It’s insanely embarrassing to say though…’

“That…”

“……”

Everyone stared at Elody with anticipation.

A sweat dripped down from her forehead.

“Men, it’s good for men.”

All the maids giggled as Elody spoke in a shy manner.

“For men? Good how?”

“Uh, well… I-I’m sure you guys know! B-but it’s good for women too!”

At Elody’s answer, the maids laughed all the more.

In the meantime, Marie’s eyes glimmered with hope.

* * *

The next day, someone knocked on the door of Caville’s office.

“Come in.”

It was Marie who opened the door to Caville’s office.

“What’s going on? Is there something wrong with my wife?”

“No. The madame is perfectly fine. However, I have something to give to

you, Your Grace.”

Marie laid down a bottle of black raspberry wine on top of Caville’s desk.
It was one of the bottles she got from Elody yesterday.

“What is it?”

“Your Grace the Duke.”

“……”

“As your humble servant. I kindly ask you to drink this… No, you must
drink this at all costs.”

“…?”
“This is crucial for your future, my lord.”

Caville could only blink his eyes out of confusion.

* * *

Meanwhile, the reconstruction of the Temple of Cernoir was barely

completed.

After returning to the temple, Priest Amos immediately summoned Theodore.

“Sir Theodore, how dare you lay your hands on the duke’s wife… What were
you thinking?”

“……”

Priest Amos clicked his tongue.

Sir Theodore was famous as a cold ice-block when it came to treating or

dealing with ladies. Most women in the capital had tried to seduce him,
but many failed. Everyone knew that talking to him was like talking to a
brick wall. He was… very closed-off and guarded.

But…

‘Why is this apathetic paladin suddenly showing interest in women? And in

the duchess at that!’

Priest Amos just couldn’t understand.

‘Hmm…?’

But then again, it wasn’t a bad thing.

One of the Temple’s goals was to take away Caville’s spirit.

Meanwhile, the duchess was a mage who was being watched by the Temple. She
wasn’t from the tower but had outstanding talent in magic…

The Temple didn’t want the Duke of Cernoir to get involved with Princess
Larissa…

However, even if the Duke and the Duchess continued to be together, there
was nothing they could gain from it.

If so, then it would be better to bring the duchess to side with the
Temple.

‘Well, we had another goal in mind anyway, so it should be easier this

way…’

Priest Amos had received another order given by none other than the High
Priest.
Priest Amos glanced back at Theodore who stood silently with a blunt
expression on his face.

He was definitely good-looking. Handsome enough to make women fall in love

with only his face. Furthermore, if Sir Theodore also had feelings for the
Duchess…

“Sir Theodore, have you fallen for her?”

“……”

Theodore with his eyebrows creased stared at Priest Amos.

The corners of Priest Amos’s mouth curled up viciously.

The Commander of the Paladins was the perfect chess piece he needed to
use.

In the distant past, there were five high priests.

They sealed the power of the spirit after the death of the legendary
archmage, Magnaponithesia.

After using all of their divine powers to seal the spirits, all of them
died at the same time.

The Temple of Thysser carved massive statues on their grounds to pay

respects to their lost souls.

But why did they seal the archmage’s spirits?

Well, it was simple.

It was to hide the spirits’ powers and to further enhance their divine
power.

But that was just an old story.

The current high priest was a man called Zion, and he, unsurprisingly, had
different views with the old high priests.

He thought that rather than sealing the spirit’s powers, it would be

better to use them to enhance their divine power.

If he knew how to break the spirit’s seal, he would have done so earlier.

However, the Duke of Cernoir suddenly summoned a spirit on the

battlefield. And what’s even more shocking was the fact that the spirit
was ifrit, the Spirit King of Fire!

To think that the spirit would appear once again…

High Priest Zion had always been visiting the statues of the five high
priests every day. Not to pray for them, but to curse at their idiocy.
‘Those fools…’

They should have tried to control the spirits, not seal them away!

High Priest Zion truly wanted to covet that power.

Furthermore, he knew that spirits can create elemental crystals.

This was confidential information that even the emperor didn’t know.

If that greedy emperor knew of this, he would go crazy and do everything

he could just to take control of the spirit’s power.

‘But such power should never be taken by someone like him…’

High Priest Zion decided to take the power of the spirit for himself.

He did not know that Ifrit and Caville were connected to each other and
were bound by mana. He simply thought that he had to kill the duke to get
the spirit.

Thus, Zion sent a top-secret divine magic tool to Priest Amos.

The magic tool was made by taking and remodeling other magic tools they
had gotten from the war with the Empire of Urta.

‘Those barbarians have finally proven to be useful.’

Zion immediately used it to create a more powerful magic tool. Then, he

experimented the efficacy of the tool on a junior priest.

“Ahhhhh!”

The junior priest screamed loudly in pain before quickly becoming a

lifeless corpse.

High Priest Zion showed no guilt whatsoever. Instead, he smiled at the

fact that his magic tool had worked perfectly on his lab rat.

“Magnificent! Hahaha!”

Thus, a powerful magic tool was born. One that was able to suck the life
and magic out of the most powerful mages and priests.

In order to elevate the name of the gods throughout the continent, this
was something that High Priest Zion had to do.

He recalled the order he had given to Priest Amos.

“Be sure to take the spirit’s power from the duke, and absorb the
duchess’s magical power into this magic tool. Do you understand?”

“Yes, High Priest.”

Caville Cernoir wasn’t the only one he needed to use the magic tool on.

Elody McClaire was also their purpose.

* * *

The next day.

Elody cooked and ate pine mushrooms with Anna and Solar.

“How’s the taste, Anna?”

“Ha…. it’s insanely good, madame!”

“What about you, Dame Solar?”

“It’s delicious…!”

The juiciness of the well-cooked pine mushrooms was truly splendid. Anna
and Solar couldn’t stop telling her how much they liked the taste.

After eating, Elody worked on her research again.

From today onwards, she would be busy with work.

She had to make various medicines from the mushrooms and fruits she
collected.

Elody had just finished making a medication to decrease blood pressure and
even made a strawberry flavored cold medicine for young children. She had
also made several more magic tools but most of them still had to be
massed-produced.

Next to her was Anna and Solar who were making jam from raspberries.

“Are you selling this too, madame?”

“Well, there’s no harm in selling it.”

Elody intended on raking in a lot of money from all over the continent.

After Elody was done doing research, she headed to the greenhouse.

She was there to see the growth of the fruit seeds she modified using
elemental crystals.

But someone had already come before her.

“Ifrit, what are you doing here?”

“You said that something better than peaches was growing here. But why
aren’t they growing?”
“Hmm…”

Because of the mushrooms, she was distracted and didn’t have time to care
for the seeds.

Elody reached out her hand and blasted more energy into the place where
she had planted the seed.

Ifrit watched silently.

“It seems that the growth is a little slow…”

“…….”

Ifrit was utterly disappointed.

However, he looked cute, so Elody started stroking him again.

But then.

“Huh?”

Tiny sprouts began to grow through the soil. It was growing so fast that
Elody could not believe her eyes.

“What the?!”

Ifrit was startled and stepped back.

The shoots began to take shape. And before long, the fruit she had been
waiting for finally appeared before her.

Elody blinked as she watched the red strawberry.

It was huge. The strawberry was as big as her palm.

And then, Ifrit quickly ran to the field and began to bite the strawberry.

“Delicious!”

It tasted different from peaches.

Ifrit began to gobble down the strawberries like a starved dog.

The purpose of making this seed in the first place was to develop it as a
special product of the duchy.

But looking at Ifrit… it seemed that she might have to plant more of these
soon.

‘I’ll plant more.’

Elody then experimented on planting only the ordinary strawberry seeds

that weren’t enhanced with elemental crystals.
Likewise, a large strawberry plant grew.

To Elody’s taste buds, it tasted the same. But Ifrit’s reaction was
completely different from hers.

“This one’s mine!”

Ifrit was madly obsessed with the strawberries that were enhanced with
elemental crystals.

Fortunately with this, Elody knew that it was unlikely that ifrit would
seek for more strawberries by scouring the whole area.

Elody began to mass produce the regular strawberry seeds.

If she distributed it to the younger people and promoted it as a specialty

of the duchy, the younger people would also be able to earn a lot of money
from it.

In order to make the duchy rich, the number of the citizens had to
increase.

‘That’s why I’ll need to reinforce more soldiers and knights.’

Ever since that day, Elody had been busier than ever.

Elody’s goal was to make as many pills as possible before Sirka returned.

Meanwhile, Caville was worried about Elody, who worked late every day.

As if fainting, he fell on the bed and rolled around while watching Elody
sleep.

In the meantime, he couldn’t sleep because of the black raspberry he drank

every day. He didn’t know why, but he felt energized whenever he drank it.
So he would have trouble falling asleep.

But one day, when everything seemed to be going smoothly…

A big problem arose.

“The strawberries! All of my strawberries are gone!”

Chapter 78

“All the strawberries are gone!” Ifrit shouted frantically.

“What?”

Elody immediately ran to the greenhouse.

As Ifrit said, all the elemental strawberries that had been planted in the
greenhouse had disappeared.
On the other hand, the ordinary strawberries remained the same.

“What’s going on?”

Elody was dumbfounded at the sight.

Of course, strawberries should grow back in a few hours, but….

Could it be that the strawberries weren’t able to?

Or did someone else steal them?

“Was the door to the greenhouse open?”

“Yes! It was open! Why didn’t you lock the door? You have no fear, do
you?”

Ifrit yelled at Elody, blaming her.

Elody looked down and stared at the other crops to see if they were all
right. Fortunately, the only thing that had disappeared was the elemental
strawberries.

“Ifrit, are you sure you didn’t eat all of them?”

“No! I saved some for breakfast this morning!”

“What about last night? You weren’t sleeping here, were you?”

“…W-why you!”

Ifrit quivered indignantly.

Ifrit was actually guarding the windows of their rooms because of

Caville’s orders last night.

But Caville had told him to keep it a secret, so he couldn’t say a word.

“I don’t know! It wasn’t me! You have to find them! My precious

strawberries!” He fussed as he laid on his back.

He looked like a little puppy that was surprised by the first snow.

After barely calming Ifrit, Elody returned to the lab.

She honestly thought Ifrit had eaten it all.

Unlike peaches, the elemental strawberry could not grow until at least 12
hours after all the berries had been harvested.

Elody dismissed the problem, thinking it was just Ifrit’s silly mistake.

But the next day, the strawberries had disappeared again.

And the next day again.

Ifrit, who had promised to regularly provide the Elemental Crystals,

eventually declared a strike.

* * *

Caville came to Elody’s lab after work.

“A strawberry thief?”

“Yes.”

Caville looked serious.

“Maybe it’s one of the knights.”

“……”

At Caville’s words, Elody stared at him.

“Caville, would you really suspect your own knights?”

“Well, I don’t trust anyone here but you.”

“But…”

“You’re the one who taught me not to easily trust others and that I should
doubt all of their intentions.”

“……”

’Why is he so good at talking?’

Elody shut her mouth because it was all true.

“So, wife, how are you going to catch the thief? Would you like me to do
it for you?”

“It’s okay. I made a new magical device.”

“What does it do?”

After Ifrit declared a strike, Elody noticed that it was not his own
doing.

Arriving at that conclusion, she started making tools to catch the

criminal.

It was a device that fired a dart tipped with a hypodermic needle and
filled with a dose of tranquilizer solution that was a sedative. The
device would automatically shoot whenever it detected any activity at the
plot where the elemental strawberries were planted.
In short, it was a tranquilizer gun.

However, there was a problem.

“I’m afraid that the anesthetic is too strong…”

She needed to test it on someone… But she couldn’t think of anyone

deserving to be a lab rat.

“Shall I call Baron Vendors and Baron Bernard, wife?”

“…It’ll take a few days for the two to come. Furthermore, they are too
old. If something goes wrong and they die…”

“That’d be great⁠—cough!”

‘What did he say?’

Elody narrowed her eyes at Caville.

Caville blinked innocently.

“Shall I do it?”

“Huh?”

“I’m strong, wife. I’ll be fine.”

“No way.”

‘How could I shoot a gun directly at Caville?’

Ifrit, who had been silent the whole time, shouted in frustration, “What
do you mean no?! Aren’t you going to catch him?! Hurry up and shoot!”

Ifrit had been very sensitive for the past few days.

“Give me that!”

“Wait a minute…!”

It happened before Elody could stop him.

Ifrit quickly took the tranquilizer gun and ran with his fluffy feet.

Then, he pointed the gun at Caville.

And bam—!

The dart flew off straight to Carville’s shoulder.

But, it didn’t get stuck and bounced off instead.

“……”

Elody blinked and looked at Caville.

Caville muttered, “Huh. It seems that the needle is too weak.”

‘What? Is his skin made of stone or something?!’

Elody wanted to ask but held back.

Indeed, Caville was one of the best swordmasters on the continent. Having
a much higher physical ability than the average person…

In the first place, Caville could not become the subject of her
experiment.

In addition, he said he had more magic power after returning to the land,
and he had been training every day.

Ifrit fired a few more shots at Caville, each time asking if something was
wrong with the gun.

Elody’s brows crumbled and she took the tranquilizer gun from Ifrit.

“I’ll take care of the medicine myself.”

At Elody’s words, Caville answered yes, kindly. On the other hand, Ifrit
complained.

“What a monster…”

That night, Elody set up a new tranquilizer gun and returned to the
mansion.

* * *

The next morning, Elody got up early and headed for the greenhouse. But
the criminal was not caught.

“Did he run away?”

The elemental strawberries and tranquilizer device remained the same.

‘Ifrit must be happy.’

Elody deployed the tranquilizer gun as soon as she came so that Ifrit
could eat them.

After checking out the other crops, Elody headed to the lab in the next
room.

And right after Elody disappeared.

The faint shadows began to move slowly.

After the shadows had eaten all the strawberries, it approached Elody with
a dismal walk.

* * *

Meanwhile, meetings were still going on in the capital city of Heklasium.

It was decided that the territory of Urta on the East Continent would be
shared little by little. However, the Marquis took the largest territory.

Despite the conclusion, the reason why the meeting still continued was
because of the Duke of Cernois.

“Maybe it’s not the time for us to do this. But I feel uneasy about the
Duke of Cernois. He acts as if he doesn’t want ownership of a certain
territory, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll continue to act this way,”
The Duke of Ibelin, who occupied the northern part of the continent,
claimed.

“That’s right. We don’t know when he’ll claim ownership. I’m not sure
about the certificate alone. Now that he has the power of the Spirit King,
he may even try to get ahold of the throne,” Duke Rehos of the East said.

The emperor showed signs of discomfort.

In the emperor’s mind, if someone had the power of the spirits, that
person would have sought the emperor’s seat.

“Hmm…”

“That’s what I’m saying. In the first place, the current Duchy of Cernois
is the richest territory on the entire continent!”

“Yes. There’s also the Forest of Death, but it’s not far from the County
of Borque.”

Although the agreement on the territory of Urta was over, they were greedy
for something bigger.

It was the power of the duke’s spirit.

“Why don’t you ask the tower for help, Your Majesty?”

The emperor, who had been silent all along, snorted and said, “Have you
ever seen them meddle in political affairs?”

“But… isn’t this related to spirits?”

“……”

Emperor Albrecht had a sour look on his face. In the first place, there
was no need to look upon the tower.
For they were not willing to intervene in matters from the outside.

“We must join forces to ask the Duke of Cernois to return the spirit.”

“I think we need to make a treaty and take precautions.”

“……”

Emperor Albrecht remained silent at the nobles’ claims.

In the first place, the territory of Cernois was not granted by the
emperor, but by the first duke himself.

It was said that all of the former Cernois were loyal to the imperial
government, but that could not be guaranteed for the current Cernois.

As the Duke of Ibelin said, he may have pretended to be uninterested in

power till now, but they don’t know when he would turn his back on the
empire.

‘That’s why I sent Princess Larissa to him…’

The marriage of Princess Larissa and the Duke of Cernois meant that he
would promise loyalty to the empire.

But Princess Larissa was kicked out…

‘Useless woman…’

Emperor Albrecht wanted the Duke of Cernois under his wings before the
Temple by any means possible.

But if he failed…

He would have no choice but to start a war and take over his territory.

But before that, he needed a way to take away the power of the duke’s
spirit.

‘The temple must also be searching for ways to do that….’

After the meeting, Emperor Albrecht ordered three of his spies that
infiltrated the Temple to contact him.

And Princess Larissa, who returned to the palace, was in a significantly

different position.

“How dare you let the princess stay in a room like this?”

Carolina murmured in a voice filled with indignation.

Of course, this room was as fancy as it was then, but it was much duller
than the room she had in the old Crystal Palace.
When the rumor spread that Princess Larissa had been driven out of the
Duchy of Cernois, the servants of the palace began to ignore her.

It was the same for Carolina, she was also ignored.

The empress, the crown prince, and even the princess began ignoring her.

‘She used to be so kind to me… She treated me as if she had found her lost
family again. I can’t believe she’s treating me like this now.’

Carolina looked at Princess Larissa with a stuffy expression.

Princess Larissa still loved the Duke of Cernois.

Even though she knew she had to give up, her feelings had relentlessly
grown to be bigger than before.

Thus, as the days passed by… the princess found herself to be much deeper
in love than she was ever before.

* * *

“My strawberries!!!”

A little while ago, Ifrit could be heard screaming hysterically inside the
greenhouse.

Then, he ran to Elody in the lab.

“Strawberry?”

Elody, who was in the middle of studying, stared at Ifrit in bewilderment.

“Not today too! Did you even catch the criminal?!” Ifrit cried.

“But I’m sure the strawberries were here before…”

“What do you mean they were here? There weren’t any! They’re gone like the
wind!”

Elody muttered, “That’s impossible…,” and headed for the greenhouse.

“What in the world…?”

Who could have stolen the strawberries in such a short period of time?

Elody sighed in despair.

Chapter 79

“Ifrit, what’s wrong?”

Ifrit stared at Elody without saying a word.

It was definitely the scent of a spirit.

‘But, how is that possible?’ Ifrit pondered.

In the distant past…

There lived four spirits kings, who were described as the most powerful
spirits of all—water, fire, wind, and earth.

One day, those spirits were sealed by five high priests from the Temple of
Thysser.

Fortunately, Ifrit didn’t get sealed along with the others. However, after
knowing what had happened to his fellow friends, his days were filled with
sorrow and pain. The five priests tried to hunt the remaining spirit king,
but Ifrit was nowhere to be found.

Of course, there was a reason as to why the priests could not find him.

Ifrit, the Spirit King of Fire, was born in the fire of an active volcano.
And that volcano had now turned into the Forest of Death.

The Forest of Death was a very dangerous place, hence the name. The only
ones who would dare to go there were maniacs who were seeking death.

Thus, for many years, Ifrit had been sleeping underneath the deep grounds
of the forest. He first came to the world after the first Duke of Cernoir
found him.

Unlike Caville, the first duke did not reveal his powers.

Nonetheless, Ifrit fell into a deep slumber again after the first Duke of
Cernoir died.

The artifact, a relic created by the legendary archmage, was his tomb and
home. It carried ancient magic that could contain spirits. Though as time
passed, Ifrit’s existence was slowly disappearing from the artifact…

Fortunately, Elody came and brought him back to life once again. And ever
since he came out to the world, Ifrit has never felt the presence of
another spirit.

After the spirit kings were sealed, all of the other spirits, including
the low-rank ones, became extinct.

‘But… Why am I smelling the presence of other spirits now? And it’s coming
from…”

His benefactor.

‘Impossible! Did she give birth to a spirit?’

Spirits were born out of powerful magic that laid in nature, and each of
their powers was different depending on where they were born.

Ifrit looked around the greenhouse.

Elody had been taking care of this greenhouse for years.

A place where Elody, a mage born with wind and earth attributes, planted
life.

The greenhouse was definitely filled with strong and pure mana. That’s why
ifrit also liked this space.

‘But why now…? Is it because of the Elemental Crystals?’

After thinking about it for a while, things began to make sense. With the
combination of her strong magic and elemental crystals, the greenhouse
would have sufficient conditions to become a spirit’s habitat.

“Ifrit, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”

Elody crouched down, looking at Ifrit anxiously.

Suddenly…

A small shadow could be seen emerging from Elody’s back.

“You rascals!!!”

“……?!”

* * *

Caville smiled all day long.

For last night was a miracle.

“Caville, you have to cover yourself with a blanket. Otherwise, you’ll

catch a cold.”

“Yes, wife.”

It felt great to see his wife nagging at him for the tiniest things again.

This reminded him of the old days…

‘Yes, this is life…’

At Elody’s words, Caville covered himself with a blanket.

And when he woke up for a while in the middle of the night.

He saw his wife, sleeping with her blankets kicked to the floor.
‘How cute…’

It was ironic since she was the one who got mad at him for not using the
blankets.

Caville held back his laughter.

Then, all of a sudden…

Elody rolled over and came into his arms!

Well… not really. There was a gap between their beds. However, the gap was
very narrow so he could get a hold of her arms.

Thus, Caville, being the sly beast that he is, pulled his wife closer and
captured her within his hold.

‘My wife hugged me first, so she can’t blame me,’ Caville thought as he
covered her with his blanket.

Hence, the two ended up hugging each other in their sleep.

And then, dawn came…

Caville got out of bed cautiously and moved himself to lay on Elody’s bed.

If his wife ever found out that they were sleeping together, she would go
crazy.

That was why he wanted to make it seem as if he had been sleeping on her
bed the whole night.

And a few hours later, Elody woke up.

She was surprised to find herself on the wrong bed.

Elody’s blush seared through her cheeks, and as Caville began to explain
what had happened. She became even more embarrassed.

“I woke up at dawn and found that my wife was sleeping on my bed. So I

decided to take yours,” he said with the most innocent expression.

Elody, flabbergasted by her own actions, quickly apologized to him.

Caville only laughed, saying that it was okay. But unbeknown to her
knowledge, he was overjoyed. He could only wish that she would do it every
so often so that he could snuggle with her every night.

Nonetheless, he still had to wait for the day when his wife would
reciprocate his feelings…

After Caville finished his work for the morning, he headed to the lab to
have tea with his wife.
But the lab was empty.

‘Is she in the greenhouse?’

As he walked to the greenhouse and opened the door…

He saw the most outrageous scene.

Caville’s nose wrinkled in disgust.

Weird creatures were clinging to his wife!

And his wife…

‘What in the world…?!’

Was stroking them with a face full of love!

* * *

A while ago…

Ifrit yelled, “You rascals!!!”

“Ifrit! Did you just shout at me?” Elody asked in anger.

Before Ifrit could explain, the creatures jumped from behind Elody’s back.

Elody stared at them in surprise.

What appeared before her eyes were tiny baby animals.

“Oh my…!”

“Chirp chirp–!”

One was a blue baby bird. An adorable baby bird.

The hatchling flew to Elody and rested on her shoulder.

Suddenly…

“Meow…”

A kitten with black fur and yellow eyes jumped into Elody’s arms.

“Rowr–!”

And last but not least, a cub with fur as white as snow crawled into her
lap.

Everyone was stuck to Elody like glue, meanwhile, they were staring at
Ifrit with frightened expressions.
Elody asked, “Ifrit… are these your friends?”

“They’re not my friends!” Ifrit screamed.

Then, he sighed and began to explain.

After listening to Ifrit’s story. Elody learned that the priests in the
past had sealed the spirits to increase the value of divine power. She
also learned that these low-rank spirits were born out of her own magic.

“They are low-rank spirits, so they can’t understand me if I speak to them

as I do to you?”

“Yes, they’re very stupid.”

“Chirp chirp!” (no!)

The baby bird protested. For some reason, Elody could understand what they
were talking about.

“Huh, they’re complaining?”

“…You can understand them?”

He glanced back at Elody as she nodded her head.

“Well, it’s probably because you speak the ancient language. The meaning
can be conveyed to the mage who speaks the ancient languages.”

“I see.”

Elody stroked the baby polar bear. Its white fur was so soft.

“The strength of a spirit is different depending on where it was born.

Even if it was a low-rank spirit, it might have strong powers.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but no one can keep up with me! I am the most powerful spirit king
there is! The almighty Ifrit! Although, I am tied up to your pesky husband
right now…”

Ifrit, who was pretending to be proud, quickly became grim.

After he signed a contract with the first Duke of Cernoir, Ifrit was
allowed to use his power only with the contractor’s mana.

He said that unlike Caville, the first Duke of Cernoir did not have such
powerful magic.

“Then what type of spirits are they?”

“You guys, quickly gather in front of me.”

When Ifrit spoke sternly, the baby animals swiftly moved.

In Elody’s eyes, ifrit was also nothing more than a mere puppy, it was
funny to see him act like a big brother.

“This guy here has wind attributes.”

“Chirp!” The baby bird nodded its head.

“You’re an earth spirit.”

“Rowr…” (Yes.)

Suddenly, the cub reached his hand out.

‘Does he want to give me something?’ She thought as she stretched out her
palm.

“Ung!” (Take it!)

It was dirt that fell into Elody’s hand.

Elody, who wanted an elemental crystal, was disappointed but not

surprised.

She chuckled at the cub’s bizarre actions. The other spirits, including
Ifrit, also giggled at the scene.

“You’re a playful one, aren’t you?” Elody said as she pouted her lip,
trying to seem bitter.

“Okay, back to work,” Ifrit interrupted, “This little guy here is a

lightning spirit.”

“Meow–!” (Lightning!)

The kitten raised his paws and stirred it. Then, a small spark of
lightning burst out of it.

“Now that the culprit is revealed. Give me back my strawberries, you

rascals!”

“Meow! Meow-meow!” (I already ate it.)

“Chirp-chirp, chirp!” (I’m still hungry!)

“Rowr.” (I need more.)

Because they were newborn baby spirits, they get hungry easily.

Elody quickly headed to the lab to bring more of the elemental strawberry
seeds.
Then, she sowed her extra seeds into the soil where she planted the rest
of the elemental strawberries.

Before, she didn’t plant a lot of the elemental strawberries because they
taste the same as the regular strawberries.

Ifrit was the only one eating them.

But now that circumstances have changed…

Like last time, Elody planted her seeds and infused her mana into the
ground.

As soon as the strawberry was produced, the baby animals rushed in like
crazy. Ifrit was tired, so he ate the strawberries in a relaxed manner.

Though, that resulted in him getting the smallest portion out of all the
others…

Furthermore, after discovering the elemental strawberries, ifrit no longer

yearned for the peaches.

“Make more strawberries!”

“Did everyone eat all of it already?”

Ifrit’s expression was sad. It seemed that all of them were stolen by the
baby spirits.

Elody hesitated, then inflicted mana into the elemental strawberries

again.

But the strawberries did not grow, only the stalks were left…

“They aren’t appearing…?”

“……”

Ifrit’s expression was so pitiful, so Elody tried a few more times but to
no avail.

On the other hand, the baby spirits were full as their faces were filled
with satisfaction.

“Chirp-chirp!” (I like you.)

“Roar!” (A person who gives something delicious.)

“Meow-meow!” (Let’s stick to this person!)

The baby spirits clung to Elody.

“Ifrit, I’ll find another way, I promise. Don’t be too sad, alright?”
Elody said as she stroked the baby bird’s belly with her fingers.
But before Ifrit could answer…

“Wife!”

Caville ran through the lab door.

“What is this…”

Caville creased his eyebrows when he saw the baby spirits.

He was hoping to have afternoon tea with his wife alone. But now, the
company had been increased by three!

“Caville, I have finally found the strawberry thief! It’s these baby
spirits!”

“…Yes, that’s great,” Caville said in a monotonous tone as he sat next to

Elody.

“Rowr…? Roar… Roarrr!”

The baby bear seemed to have felt something different about Caville as it
immediately ran to him.

It could sense powerful mana from him.

The spirits instinctively approached Caville and rubbed their bodies on

him.

“……”

But Caville paid no attention to them. His gaze was fixed on Elody with a
sullen look. Ifrit was also sulking.

Elody felt bad for Ifrit. She got a bunch of elemental crystals from him…
but could give nothing to him in return.

Even if the other spirits were babies… seeing Ifrit so sad broke her
heart.

“Now, then. Since you guys have eaten so much. Shouldn’t you pay for the
meal?” Elody said to the baby spirits.

Chapter 80

Ifrit was delighted. He stared at Elody with anticipation.

“Meow?” (What?)

“Can you guys make this?” Elody asked while showing them a piece of
Elemental Crystal.

“Roar.” (We can’t do anything like that)

“Then, do you have any other abilities?”

“Ha! They can’t even make elemental crystals! What could they possibly
do?” Ifrit snorted.

“Chirp! Chirp!” (Just watch! Let’s join forces!)

The baby bird said to the polar bear as it nodded in response.

They proceeded to sit on Caville and Elody’s lap. Then, as the baby bird
chirped…

A gleam of light surrounded Elody’s body! It was so bright that the light
obscured her vision, and before she knew it… everything went dark!

Fortunately, the light immediately flashed again and Elody regained her
vision. But as she opened her eyes, the sight she saw was something
remarkable.

“My wife!”

Scared she would disappear from his sight, Caville rushed to hug his dear
wife.

“This is… unbelievable,” Elody muttered in surprise.

Elody and Caville were in the greenhouse. But somehow, they got teleported
into their chambers!

“Chirp!” (It was a success!)

“Roar!” (Yeah!)

The baby bird and the polar bear were proud. Suddenly, their sights
flashed again.

“Wait! You guys!”

They came back to the greenhouse again.

Ifrit screamed in surprise.

“Wait, what?! Did you just use teleportation magic?! You can do what high
wind spirits and earth spirits do?!”

“Chirp-chirp, chirp!” (We joined forces!)

“Rowr! Roar!” (Yeah! We are strong!)

“My wife, are you alright?”

“Yes…”
Caville examined Elody’s complexion.

Elody’s eyes were stiff, she wasn’t able to comprehend what had just
happened.

“Oh, dear lord. The soil must be too good. I can’t believe that a low-
ranking spirit has such a strong ability,” Ifrit muttered in shock.

“…But if the soil is that fertile, then why were only the low-ranking
spirits born? Why not the high-ranking ones?” Elody asked.

“Hmm… I think… in order for more spirits to be born, the seals of the
spirit kings should be released first.”

Meanwhile, Caville was struggling with the baby animals. They stuck to him
like glue and he was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

“Can’t you guys go somewhere else?”

“Chirp!” (No.)

Elody’s expression brightened. Even if they weren’t high-ranking spirits.

Having such an incredible skill is already a blessing.

‘Then, the kitten…’

“What are your abilities, little one?” Elody asked.

“Meow!”

The kitten raised its leg and suddenly…

A small bolt of lightning burst out of its paws!

“…Can you make it stronger?”

“Meow! Meow-meow? Meow!” (Of course I can! Shall I try? But all of you
will die!)

He said he could do it, but that last sentence was concerning…

Then Elody began to think. If lightning were to strike in the greenhouse,

her crops would turn to ashes!

Thus, to avoid the worst possible outcome. Elody shook her hand, saying
that it was alright.

But then she thought of a good idea. Elody planned to use the power of the
lightning spirit for later.

“Well, I guess I have no choice but to grow a lot of strawberries now.”

In order to borrow the power of baby spirits, it was necessary to feed

them food.
“…Tsk.”

Ifrit laid down with a dissatisfied expression. Elody looked at the

spirits that clung to Caville.

“Caville, it seems that the spirits are very fond of you,” Elody giggled.

“…I don’t like it.”

“Why? They’re very cute.”

Caville pouted. In his eyes, his wife was much cuter.

Elody turned to Ifrit.

“Ifrit, I’ll give you a special mission. Teach these kids to speak.”

“What? No!”

“I’ll give you more strawberries than the others.”

“…Alright.”

Elody smiled at Ifrit’s answer. He was really easy to bribe.

“That’s right, Caville. I still had something to show you.”

“What is it?”

Elody stood up to show what she had made.

Caville left the baby spirits to Ifrit, and he proceeded to follow his
wife.

Elody handed him a blue jewel that laid on her desk.

“Look at this.”

“…Is it a gem?”

Caville looked closely at the tiny jewel that Elody held. Elody worked
really hard to make it.

Caville’s ability to handle the duchy’s affairs allowed Elody to focus

solely on her research.

She knew that he had been struggling with work, so she wanted Caville to
be the first to receive it.

But there was another reason.

“This is what I’ve been working on every day while making magic pills.
You’re the first to receive it.”
“What is this?”

Elody smiled.

“Our revenge for the Temple.”

“Huh?”

“The temple gave us a communication tool as a gift of apology. Remember?”

“Yes. Wait… no way, is this?”

Seeing his response, Elody laughed and nodded her head.

What Elody made was a magic stone for communication.

She made it by copying the communication tool’s magic formula and modified
it into a more efficient code.

After she crushed the elemental crystal into tiny pieces, she synthesized
the particles and ordinary gemstones.

“Are you planning to commercialize this, my wife?”

“That’s right.”

‘As expected, he understands right away.’

Elody smiled.

Communication tools were known to have only been used by high priests and
the imperial family.

‘But what they provided to the emperor was probably less functional, and
maybe even wiretapped.’

Fortunately, the magic tools she received as a gift weren’t bugged.

The Temple used this magic tool to monopolize the network, a system that
delivers all mail and newsletters to the entire continent.

The newsletter was issued by the Temple to inform the political situation
of the capital and the news of the border.

However, they even went so far as to steal Elody’s letters and supplies,
and they did so in pretext of managing the security of the battlefield!

‘What nonsense. I will never forgive them!’

Elody would never forget that the temple had stolen her letters for seven
long years.
She vowed to get her vengeance. However, she didn’t want a typical
revenge.

Thanks to the elemental crystals given by Ifrit, the time of her revenge
was accelerated.

Elody thoroughly synthesized the communication manastone to prevent the

Temple from using divine power to disassemble the tool.

‘No one will ever be able to learn the secret of my communication

manastone.’”

And Elody was planning to commercialize this at a very high price.

Starting from the nobles of the capital, to the imperial family.

This would no doubt weaken the Temple’s power.

‘They have been pretending to be the only ones who can make communication
tools. But with this, I can change everything.’

“This will be a good revenge,” Caville smirked.

“Isn’t it? Ah! One more thing, I’m trying to find a craftsman. If we
process this with pretty ornaments, we’ll be able to sell it at a more
expensive price.”

The magic tools of the Temple had the shape of a rectangle and the size of
a palm. It was uncomfortable to carry and unpleasant to look at.

But what if there were attractive-looking communication tools?

The nobles of the capital would rush to buy it without a second thought.

“You want to process it into a ring, a bracelet, or a necklace?”

“That’s right.”

“That sounds like a great idea!”

Caville tucked Elody’s hair behind her ears. Then, he put the blue
gemstone on Elody’s earlobe.

“It would look beautiful as earrings.”

For a moment, Elody was embarrassed by his sudden touch, and Caville’s
finger felt hot.

No, in truth, her ears were the one that felt hot.

Thump-thump-thump.

Her heart was racing.

Elody averted her gaze to avoid Caville’s stare. She strangely found it
difficult to make eye contact with him.

“Shall I wear earrings too?”

“Huh?”

Raising her head, Caville was smiling with the gemstone on his own ear.
Seeing his exceptionally pretty smile, Elody felt her throat burning.

Elody nodded her head awkwardly.

Caville with piercings… Just by imagining it, she could already know that
he would look good in them.

“But I think it’s better to get rings, right? Because we are a married
couple.”

Caville put the jewelry down and intertwined his fingers to hers.

Elody looked down to her own hand.

Caville then kissed her ring finger. His lips felt soft and ticklish.

“…D-do as you please.”

Elody pulled out her hands in embarrassment. Her cheeks were as red as
roses.

Caville laughed. Sometimes he wondered if she was actually seducing him on

purpose.

* * *

The next day, Elody asked Norman to send someone to the merchant guild,
Rhondia.

They were going to introduce her to an outstanding craftsman.

Then, she locked herself in the lab. She was researching a way to create
an infinite amount of elemental strawberries.

‘What’s the difference?’

The spirits really ate the strawberries constantly. So she couldn’t afford
to make more without infinite refills.

Elody observed the peach tree that could be generated infinitely. She then
infused the mana there into the strawberry seeds.

She also included a small amount of elemental crystals and some reagents
she used for the rejuvenating ointment.

As a result of the experiment, the infinite regeneration failed.

Fortunately, Elody was able to achieve results after her seventh try. It
was not infinite regeneration, but the elemental strawberries could grow
back once every 5 minutes.

‘It’s not what I wanted. But it’s not bad.’

Elody believed that the spirits would be able to be patient for 5 minutes.

Though on the contrary, the spirits ate all of the strawberries in one
minute.

“Chirp!” (Oh no!)

“Meow…!” (I’m hungry.)

“Grr…” (Give me more.)

Elody let out a deep sigh.

“Why do they eat so fast…”

“They eat a lot. Especially that polar bear over there. He’s seriously not
a joke,” Ifrit said, glancing at the baby polar bear.

“That guy took all of my strawberries…”

Elody stroked Ifrit’s head, telling him to stay strong. Sadly, Ifrit
wasn’t the only one who struggled to teach the spirits.

“Those guys… If they want to learn how to talk, they’ll have to grow a bit
more. Though, if they eat like this, they’ll be able to grow up quickly.”

“Then will their appearance change?”

“Only if they can! From what I know, only the almighty spirit king Ifrit
can change forms! Those little guys have to live with that insignificant
form all their lives.”

“What’s your real form?”

Ifrit snorted at Elody’s question.

“Then shall I show it to you?”

“Yes, please.”

Ifrit began to brag, saying that Elody might fall in love with him when
she sees his huge wings.

But then. An uninvited guest appeared.

“Madame! A guest is here,” Anna reported.

“A guest?” Elody said as she raised from her seat.

“The Commander of the Paladins came from the Temple. He requested to meet
you, madame.”

Chapter 81

What's Hiding the Paladin? Elody took Solar and Anna waiting outside the
greenhouse to the castle. "Your lord? Have you come back yet?" "Yes, not
yet." When Elody asked, Anna looked up.

Nodded. Cavill was not going to patrol the walls with the knights. Elody
was forced to open the door of the reception room alone. As soon as I
entered the reception room, the floral scent came. Theodore, the leader of
the Paladin, awaited her, greeted Ello Dadi with a tense look. “I'm seeing
you for a long time. How are you?” He handed the bouquet of red tulips to
Elody. Elodie is shaking

Crab flowers accepted. In the eyes of Elody, the shrines were villainous
villains who were aiming for the breath of Cavill's neck. Naturally,
Theodor also looked disgusting. Theodore handed out another pretty box to
Elody. "what is this?" “It's a dessert I bought from the downtown area.
Women say they like it.” Elody opened the small box. Beautiful colored
macarons and eclairs

It was aligned. It was definitely a pretty dessert. 'It may contain

poison. "Elo Dee did not look back on the dessert again and said thank
you." What is the reason you came today? "" In our temple, we are here to
tell you that we will help the policing of Yeongji. In addition, we want
to immediately open a healing cow that provides healing magic to young
people. ""i See. "

Elodie replied by taking a cup of tea by picking up the mug that Marie had
brought. "And." 9 9 "If the Duchess has a divorce doctor, I'd like to
help." He recalled a conversation he had with a priest Amos a while ago.
"Sir Theodor, do you ever do Duchess?

Well, did you put it in?” 9 Then, Theodore could not answer. Amos fuse is
cloudy. Then he nodded. "However, it's harder to be cold and a violent
duke than a violent duke, so you'll have a much better sense of husband."

Moreover, the Duke was angry with an eerie anger, holding her rump in
front of her. Apparently, the Duke of Serno will act violently on her and
force her mind. It was a man who didn't suit her, a man who did not
deserve it. “Last time, I was very worried after breaking up,” Elody
blinked. This is the last time you were caught trying to escape without
permission.
"Have he ever used violence against you?" “Yes?” Theodor asked Ellodi
without taking his attention. After he returned to the temple, he missed
El Lodi all the time. The feelings I felt as I read the letter grew even
more. Every day she dreams of her. She is not good at dealing with women,
but at least she will make her happy rather than the Duke of Sernoir.

There was a god. Dear and affectionate, I was able to keep it safest in
the world. Theodor spoke to Elodi with a clear, low voice. "I will help
you divorce your duchess. I will surely protect you..."9. "

Meanwhile, in front of the reception room, Anna, Marri, and Solar gathered
together and had a conversation. "Marie, how was the mood? Why do you
think it came?" A little while ago, Anna threw the car and Anna asked a
question. Marri said, shaking her shoulders. "I bought a dessert with red
tulips?" “What? Red tulips and desserts?” Anna and Solar's expressions
were crumpled. It was a gift that I felt

All. “It's obvious that you have a different heart to your mind.....”
“Even a red tulip….” Anna muttered as if she was anxious, so Solar asked
what the red tulip was anyway. He said with a firm expression that he
wasn't familiar with herbs and flowers. "The flower language of the red
tulip is a confession of love. It's no wonder that it has an ear." "If you
bring it, it makes sense

A flower... I have no choice but to doubt it? “Solar nodded at the horse,
saying that she was anxious, but Marie was in a calm look. Anna caught her
and asked.” It's popular in the capital, and it's not that you're here to
seduce your maiden. How to? "". Shouldn't we be telling the lord? "In the
conversation between Anna and Solar, Marie was still expressionless.

Marie said with her arms folded. "Is there such a thing? There is no tree
that can't be overtaken ten times." 9" My maiden is different. He is the
one who will never pass even if you take a life. No way I noticed it.
"It's a problem that I can't go over to the lord, but Marie flutters her
head and asks Solar.

“Have you ever heard of Kyungki? About the Ebon Iron Wall.” The Ebon Iron
Wall was a legend entangled in a shield created by a magician in the
distant past. A powerful shield that could not penetrate any magic or
weapons. "That's our maiden." Even in Marie's resolute words, Solar was
completely uncertain. Anna also seemed uneasy. Marie reassured Anna and
Solar by tapping her shoulders.

“My maiden is just a bouquet even if I look at the bouquet, will you do
it? After seeing the dessert, what poison does it contain? "No way" "There
was no way the Mister would have noticed that much." Marie's insight was
great.

Elodie doubted his ear. It's divorce or violence, so I don't understand

what the hell I mean. Were you entitled to discuss violence on the subject
that, in the first seven years, used their power to steal letters? "There
seems to be some misunderstanding. The lord is not an abuser of violence."
It was unpleasant to condemn Cavill in front of me.

"And why is she helping my divorce?" “I don't have the intention to

divorce right away, and I don't have much more intention to get help from
Sir,” Elody said in a cold voice. In a tight heart, Theodor clenched his
fist. It was incredibly cold-hearted to say that the person who wrote the
tender and desperate letter was the only woman who could tell a single
person.

It is only affectionate. Cavill Sernoir, only to him. I envied it. It was

even more thrilling to see him take his side in front of him. At the end
of greed he knew well that there was always misery, though. Even if I was
hurt by useless expectations and hopes, I wanted to greedy that woman's
love. "I came to find the wrong time

You see. "But anytime, please contact me if you need me." I will help
anything for you. "Elodi looked at him with a doubtful look. He had a
serious expression and a trustworthy look, but he was an unknown person.
It might have been a sequel from the temple. Elodi treated him with a firm
attitude to the end.

During the conversation, there was nothing strange, but I looked closely,
but nothing special. When I stared at my eyes with a stuffy heart, my
voice trembled a little. Somehow it was awarded. Something strange has
happened since last time, so you might be planning something in the
temple. "Let's throw away this dessert. Poison

It may be in! Let's throw away the flowers, because they are suspicious.
"After Theodor's return, Anna and Solar, who came into the parlor, stared
at Marie at Elodie's words. Marie shrugged in the shape of her mouth and
said,'Is that right?' Madam, flowers are also a gift of confession that a
man gives to a woman. The same is true for this pretty dessert. "What
confession"? Confession of assassination? "

"No" Anna and Solar put their tongues on Elody's iron walls. And cheer up
the duke inside, and sent a message of cheer to Cavill. Elody returned to
the lab. And looking at the schedule, I started taking notes. Once we
studied nitrogen fertilizers
All stopped. I came up with a better way. And the growth-promoting ampoule
was also successfully tested some time ago. It was planned to be used here
and there. Before Sirka returned to the manor, he had to make more special
and meaningful drugs. 'If you're a king, it's unprecedented... 'Elodie
headed to the greenhouse thinking about new ideas. In the greenhouse,
Efrit was waiting for the creation of the elemental strawberry with the
baby spirits.

"Nya Nya. Nya Nya Nya?" (When will you wait another 5 minutes?) I stared
at the three baby spirits, and soon the strawberries began to spawn.

I was thinking. In particular, in the land-white polar bear with pure

white fur, the red strawberry in the mouth looked just like it. Elody
shook his head and headed for a peach tree. Since yesterday, something
unusual began to grow next to the peach tree. 'Is this also the influence
of mana?' The unidentified plant was growing very slowly. No matter how
much mana

It didn't grow up fast. Growth-promoting ampoules also had no effect.

Elody observed the mysterious plant and returned to the lab. I had to
diligently produce a communication manastone, and I had to do it one by
one because I couldn't use the hemp tool. 'You have to hire an excellent
craftsman and sell it expensive,' said Ron Dia at the top of the top,
saying he would look for three talented constructions.

And tomorrow, along with Cavill, the seeds of the strawberry of the Great
King would be delivered to nearby farms. The palm of the hand, the Great
Strawberry, is a special product produced only in Serno Territory and will
be sold and eaten throughout the continent. Being rich was not only
himself, but also the young Jimin. The next day, Elodie wagons with Cavill
for a tour of the nearby territory

I rode on. "By the way, Madam." "Huh?" "Why did you bring that?" Cavill
looked at something on Elody's lap, questioning it in question.

Chapter 82

Elody's arms had a black-haired baby cat. Cavill stared at the baby cat.
It was very annoying. As soon as Elody sat down, the baby cat flickered
into the arms of Cavill, blinking yellow eyes.

“I brought it because I had to use the power of the lightning spirit.” In

response to Elody's answer, Cavill looked at the cat sitting on his lap
with a disgruntled look.” I'm glad the spirits seemed to follow you well.”
"I'll do that," Cavill replied with an unfortunate expression.
Meanwhile. Just as Princess Larissa of the capital suffers from a sergeant
and misses Cavill in the distance, there were people who missed Princess
Larissa as well. "After" it was Terry On. Terry On sighed and looked at
the training knights." Why not send it to the capital? "The only reason
Terry On is so difficult

It wasn't. It was also because of Heinz who was struggling without a try.
"The traitor bitch. Are you human?" "Be courteous. Sir Heinz." Terry asked
with a courteous attitude, but Heinz didn't mind." ""What are you talking
about?" "I know guys like you just by looking at your eyes. You change
your mind one morning, and your loyalty is good."

"Why did you say that Lord Heinz was loyal to his lord from when? Wasn't
it that you were blaming the lord?" Heinz screamed and pointed at his
forehead. "So I apologized to my lord directly. Now I'm accredited. What
is the most trusted article for me? By the way, what are you? Why is the
traitor's cub still in Serno's territory?" One of the important things was
to crave Terry.

He really did his best. “Hey, are you doing this again here?” Bryen, who
appeared late, grabbed Heinz's ears and pulled strongly. "Recently, Brien
was very sensitive after being cared to Marie. Brien put her ears in her
ears and asked for it." Right now, both the Lord and the Lord are going to
go visit the nearby territory. I'm going to go together, so be sure to
keep training. "

Heinz raised his hand in the words of Brien. "I want to go!" "No! It's
simple with Marie!" “I still want to go!” Terry On spit out, looking at
Heinz's back, following Brien. In fact, not all of Heinz's words were
wrong. It was true that as soon as I touched my heart, I loved the
princess.

Because. Terry On missed the princess and had another idea. 'I wondered if
I was lost in the moonlight... 'When you get away from your body, your
mind also goes away... . Couldn't you have loved other people for seven
years while you were away from him? Why wasn't it me? 'You may have met
another woman on the battlefield... 'Most male soldiers did that, so Terry
On is, of course, the Lord

I expected it. Terry On sighed deeply. Whenever I saw my maiden, I felt

strange. Strange guilt, compassion, resentment. Various emotions were
heard. In the meantime, the coveted pink-haired hair looked so beautiful.
Probably, while loving Princess Larissa, it seemed that she still had a
regret. Terrion sighed in the distance, looking at the wagon train leaving
the castle.
So the carriage started with a bunch of strawberry seeds and special magic
pills. Elodie created a special magic potion that could cause the seeds to
grow only in the Sernoir Territory in case the seeds would leak. 'Now I
have to be careful about everything.' Is it possible that Elo Dee became
very thorough when he was hit by a back in the temple and had a fake
medicine case?

While riding on a wagon to the nearby farmhouse. Elodie and Cavill looked
out the window and talked with their childhood. The secluded area, which
had only rare family houses, was built with large buildings, showing a
more advanced appearance than before. On the other hand, farms, orchards,
and fields remained the same. It is still peaceful, but it was a more
lively and rich landscape than it was then.

“Madam, I have arrived.” Upon arriving at a village near the farmhouse,

Elody and Cavill got off the carriage and rode on the horse. Elodie looked
ahead at Carville's wide back on horseback. 'When I was young, I couldn't
ride a horse, so I had to drive it... 'To the young Cavill, Elody gave a
sense of responsibility. I wasn't happy because I seemed to be carrying a
large burden on a young child.

gave. Elodie's chest was overwhelmed. "Madam, this is where you came
before?" "That's right," said Ello Dee with a laugh. Elody, who fell in
front of a large field, looked closely at the condition of the farmland.
Currently, Young Jimins are using the 4 crop rotation method that Elody
has spread widely. As there was no need to break the net, production
increased significantly.

But still in the land where the wheat was planted, the same year, it could
not be planted. This is because wheat, a staple food, consumes a lot
of'intelligence (n)'. And it was Hyundai's "nitrogen fertilizer" that
solved the problem, but Elody stopped the study of nitrogen fertilizer for
a while. It was because of this lightning spirit. Elody held the baby cat
in Cavill's arms. The castle's servants simply cast a lightning spirit

I knew that my maiden was a new baby cat. It has been a secret for a while
to have the powers of the baby spirits. Elody said, stroking the baby's
cat's head. "Can you do well?" "Nya Nya! Nya Nya Nya!" (Wow! Trust me
only!)Cavill stood next to Elody and looked at the lightning spirit with a
grumpy expression. "Now, it's now!" Baby cat at Elody's signal.

I lifted a small forefoot and stroked it. Like swinging a punch. And then.
The sky flashed, and glowed. And.… . Kwa Kwa Kwang !!! Thunderbolts struck
the field with great sound from the dry sky. It was loud enough to make
the earth ring. Soon after, after all, raindrops began to fall. The
waiting Cavill unfolded the umbrella he was holding and put it on Elody.
All. "Oh! Madam!" “Lord, are you okay?!” The servants and knights who
stood far behind Elodie and Cavill were startled.” Are you okay? How dry
is the day after day… … ! ""It's okay. “In response to Norman, Elodie
pretended to be surprised and replied.” "(One more time?)" No, this is
enough."

"Yeah, nya, nya, yang?" (Strawberry sure?)"Yes. When I went back, I set it
aside so I could eat it immediately. The thundering fields bloomed, and
the sizzling smoke rose. The owner of the field, who heard the sound late,
was utterly ignorant. Lack of intellect means that there is a lack of
nitrogen. 'And naturally getting nitrogen

The way is to thunder.' It means that if there is a lot of lightning, it

will take a good year. That was not a superstition, but a scientific
basis. "Norman, go and tell the owner of the field. Next year, where you
planted the wheat, plant it again." "Yes? But." "Please tell me to do what
I say." Of course, you will plant wheat anyway, but... .

By that time,'nitrogen fertilizer' will be completed. Elodie smiled

proudly and stroked the head of the lightning spirit. Now Elody was able
to easily create “nitrogen fertilizers” that he hadn't been able to make
for years. Today I brought you to see where the power of the Lightning
Elemental is. Now it's time to figure out how to make it. Elodie thought
to use the power of this lightning spirit to make ampoule-type
fertilizers.

Sprinkle the finished fertilizer ampoule all over the field of the
manor… . 'Our manor will be able to produce a tremendous amount of wheat
each year.' Even other manors are still in the process of making three
guns, which will make a huge difference by more than three times. It was a
matter of time before the people of Young became wealthy. And, that wasn't
all. "Now let's go hand out strawberry seeds!"

"Yes, Mrs.," Elody delivered a special ampoule and the strawberry seeds of
the king to the neighboring farmhouse. The ampoules were made by the
servants and sown directly, and the seeds were generously given to the
farmers. 'Even if you buy or steal strawberry seeds from another province,
you're in vain. "Anyway, those seeds will not sprout anywhere other than
in the Sernoir Territory. Thanks to this ampoule that you sown yourself."

'Ser Noir Yeongji's own special product, the Great Strawberry!' The great
strawberry will be of great popularity to people. You will fall in love
with the addictive sweet taste. Sell it with jam, sell it with liquor,
sell strawberries with cream on it, make a sweet cake… All kinds of
strawberry desserts. The Duke of Sernoir will be a sweet strawberry
republic.
Elody has already made plans for the Strawberry Festival every summer. 'I
have to hold a strawberry contest at every festival to make a big prize.
"The tourism revenue will be huge. Elody was planning to build a lot of
large and luxurious inns for the nobles who would go sightseeing every
summer. It was time to raise the estate in earnest in order to trample the
temple to dare to touch our cavil. .

Raindrops started getting thicker than I thought. "Madam, let's avoid the
rain for a moment over there." “Yes.” At Cavill's horse, Elody drove the
horse and headed under a large zelkova tree. But when I got off the horse
and looked around, the servants were all back in the carriage. "Where are
the servants?" "I told you to go first and wait

Yo. At Cavill's words, Elody died blankly, blinking only. Then, the
reddening Cavill's ear was noticed. 'Is there anything to say?' Cavill's
hair was a bit rainy, and the tip was wet. Red ears, moist lips as if
holding petals… Somehow Cavill looked sensual. Elodie swallowed the saliva
with the tension that was being pushed away.

Thump thump. My heart was beating loudly.

Chapter 83

Elodi and Cavill silently looked at the rain that had been falling for a
long time. And then. Cavill's finger touched Elody's fingertip. Elody is
coming from your fingertips

The exhilarating sense was puzzled. Is it because of the lightning spirit?

I just rubbed it, but my whole body was frowning. 'Strange.' Why are you
so nervous? Elody held his hands together and bowed his head. "Madam,
isn't it cold?" "What?" He took off the cloak he was wearing and wrapped
it around Elody's shoulders. "It's okay"

"I shouldn't be caught in the cold." Cavill meticulously tied the cloak.
The relationship between the two was a little closer. I couldn't stand the
tension, and Elody asked first.". Do you have anything to say? "Just." I
wanted to watch the rain for a moment. "Cavill gently wiped the wet
Elodie's hair. Only Cavill's finger touched his forehead for a while, and
again, electricity was turned on.

It was a feeling. Cavill stared at Elody's face. The wife who was hit by
the rain was like a pathetic rabbit and was beautiful like a fairy of the
rain. Cavill carefully wiped the drops of comb on Elody's forehead with
his thumb. 'It's too close... 'Elodie stopped breathing as Cavill's face
seemed to be getting closer.
And… . Cold lips touched Elody's forehead and fell slowly. "I'm only
greedy for now." "I want to kiss my cheeks, but I also want to kiss my
lips." "Kah, Cavill." I'll take it until your wife loves me. "Elodie felt
the cheeks flare up. He struggled and shook his head.

The thumping heart sound was so loud that it seemed to be heard even in
Cavill's ears. Elody was confused. Whenever I was still away from Cavill,
two people would hear me. The shrill voice continued. You and Cavill are
not destiny … . It's a lie that he loves you, but Elody feels every time
he sees Cavill's eyes. It was a fact that I wanted to turn away. When I
was next to Cavill,'Is it the original hallucinations?'

Did not lose. Thanks to you, I was able to fall asleep at night. Maybe
such days continued, Elody died when he was with Cavill. 'It's just like
any shield,' Elody said, unlike Lee's shouts and Cavill's confession. It
was a kind of stereotype. That Princess Cavill and La Lisa are inevitable

The thing.. but Cavill smiled happily as if no answer was needed. 'Isn't
even the answer confessed, is Cavill happy?' Elody stared into Cavill's
eyes. Countless emotions were packed in the pretty eyes. Elodie suddenly
realized that the feeling of happiness in his eyes was similar to the
feeling he felt.

Elodie, too, gave affection to Cavill, never wishing for a reward. Even
though he couldn't be rewarded, Elody was happy enough. As if Cavill is
happy now. "Now shall we go? Norman is almost crying," said Cavill,
looking at Norman, who rolled his feet in the distance with an umbrella.
"Norman is very toxic and overprotective."

“Everybody in the castle cares for his wife. And among them, I am the
best.” Elrodie laughed smallly at Cavill's mischievous words. The two wore
a large umbrella and went back to the wagon side by side. "My maiden is a
cat? I'm a kid, cute. Isn't it a baby yet?

Inz said, twisting his body. Heenz, who came along endlessly, was not
satisfied. Anyway, it doesn't matter that Len is going to train, but... .
"Marie, what's the name of this cat?" "I don't know." Heinz, who was
talking to Marie casually, was unhappy. "Yeah, boy, look pretty.
Sweetheart. I'm going to meow ~ Meow. Huh?" Heintz stroking a baby cat
with a runny nose. Knights and servants nearby

I was very impressed as if I had seen it. "It's disgusting," Heinz stared
at her blatant criticism. Then he looked at the cat again and squeaked.
"Oh, I'm pretty. Should I kiss my brother? Yes? Can I?" And then." "(Go
away!) The lightning spirit set a sharp claw and punched at Heinz.
Eventually, he had a flag on Heinz's face that day.
Three lines of scars remained. Elodie and Cavill returned to the territory
by wagon. The interior of the wagon was quiet. It was because the tension
was pushed out when he was left alone in a small space with the cavil.
Elody was feeling hot with her forehead touching the lips of Cavill. Maybe
it's really fever

Did not know. On the other hand, Cavill was stroking the baby cat sitting
on his lap, in a good shape. Elody, who got off the carriage, hurried to
the castle. "Madam, was it raining? What should I do...!" The "maids!"

I shattered the hook, I could not press it. Today, most of the maids were
serious. Their eyes seemed to fall as Elodori right now. "Do you think it
would be stunned? Would you like to move to the room?" Heinz was one of
the people who floated it. But the maids seemed to have to raise him. "Why
are you moving my wife?" Cabil said to a annoying tone. Heinz has a head
to get out.

I bowed down and noticed. "Get warm water right away." "Yes, lord!" Marie
bowed her head at the order of Cavill and went up to the second floor.
"Cavill, why are you doing that?". At Elody's words, Cavill smirked his
lips as if he were what. "Oh, sir, sir. Sir Carr is at the top of Ron
Dia." “What?” Anna's words brightened her face.

"Where are you?" "Here it is," Elody said, Sirka, who was in the corner,
raised his hand and replied. "Sir Ka!" "Madame," Sirka approached Elody
and bowed her head. "It was a lot of lean face." "Yes, it was quite
difficult." After going to the capital to solve the drug, the hardship
wasn't the only thing.

All. Elody looked at him with a worried look. Why do you think it's a bit
old and "Is the lord good too?" First, wash it and talk again, ma'am.
"Cavill replied to Shir Ka with a disgusting eye. Elrody nodded and said
sorry to Shir Ka." Sir Ka, I'm sorry, but please wait. "" Anyway. "

Sirka looked up at Elody and Cavill, climbing the stairs side by side.
After a long absence, the two now seemed perfectly married. It's not like
siblings like before... . Shirka looked at the two men, and followed the
servant's instructions to the reception room. Elodie washed with warm
water with the help of Marie and then changed her clothes.

All. "Madam, you also wear this," said Marie, who may have a cold, and
even took a thick brush. Elody could not beat Marie's torch, put on a
shawl, and headed to the office. Shirka was talking to Cavill, who came
first."What happened to the fake medicine? "As soon as Elo Dee sat down
and asked the question, Sirka sighed first.
Marie has brought the car for three. It was strawberry tea made by Elody
with her maids. Sir Ka asked in surprise. "Oh! It smells good. What tea do
you wear?" "It was developed by me. You think it will be expensive?".
You're all a merchant, madam. "In response to Sir Ka, Elodie smiled small,
and asked Marie to leave the car and leave.

"Marie, bring me the tea I've been drinking every day." "Yes, madam." I
had to eat it now because I couldn't drink the tea with red candles this
morning. "As I was trying to find out about the fake drug case, I had some
problems and it was late." "What problem?" "These guys are moving very
carefully, so it took quite a long time to figure it out. I only found out
in cooperation with the power-saving people in the capital.

Joe. "Are you some sort of shoulder brothers? Elody died by breathing and
listening to Sirka." There was friction with a very secretly moving
organization. "What organization?" ""It is a kind of criminal
organization. "Have you ever had a fight? Elody waited for Sirka's next
words. It was then. Smart-

The sound of knocking on the door of the reception room, El Lodi ordered
him in. "Madam, I've brought out the tea." Marie puts the tea on the
table. "Elodie immediately lifted the mug and drank the warm herbal tea.
And the moment. Elodi's hand stopped.'This is not a stem, but a leaf tea.'

The taste was bitter than usual. I couldn't doubt it because it had the
same scent, but it was certainly leaf tea, but it was already over the
throat. Elodie looked down at the mug with amazement. We seemed to be
quite dark. The darker the tea leaves, the sooner the symptoms of bleeding
came. The stem tea left in the castle ran out and seemed to come out.
Could it be that both were drinking by Elody? .

"Wait a minute." Elody woke up seeking both years to escape. "lady?"

“Madam, are you okay?” Elody said, with a tingling throat, she hurriedly
pulled the handkerchief out of her arms. Last time, the symptoms that were
coming late even if I waited all the time started to appear immediately.
'No... !' "The breath."

It was definitely a signal. Elody died with a handkerchief, with a

tickling feeling coming from under the neck. “Cock Coke.” But eventually,
the cough broke out. The handkerchief started to stain with red blood.

Chapter 84
Sirka saw Elody coughing blood, made a commotion, all the maids and Norman
came in. Maids started crying when they saw their duchess covered in
blood.
Marie said that Elody doesn't need to expalin anything, everyone already
knows that she's ill. Elody turned to Caville but he's in stupor.
Then Heinz came in and made things even worse by saying it's like his
sister's disease and it's terminal.
Elody started explaining that it's not like that and coughing blood is but
a side effect from her anti-paralysis medicine. But nobody seemed to
believe her.
Then she realized that Caville's hand she was holding this entire time
turned cold, she looked up and noticed tears streaming down his pale face.
She hugged him, said that he doesn't need to worry since she's not going
to die. Seeing this scene, all servants left the room.
Caville started to cry even more, he was afraid.
"If my wife dies, I'll die too"
"Caville, please don't say something so scary"
He never felt such despair in his life, even when he thought Elody is
going to leave him.
They slept together that night because Caville had trouble falling asleep.
She decided to lie with him but when he fell asleep she couldn't get out
because he was hugging her tight.
Elody found his arms very comforting. She reflected on how she had to
fight the disease alone, how everybody reacted when it became known and
realized that she's loved by many people and wanted to reciprocate.
Elody swept sleeping Caville's hair "Would it be okay for me to take you
away from Princess Larissa?"
She felt guilty for thinking this, but still wanted to be greedy when it
comes to Caville. She fell asleep after staring at his face for a while.
Next day, she once again explained that she's not terminally ill (like
Heinz's sister), and that the tea is a cure for her own illness.
Caville believed her but from this day on started to treat her like a
child, even spoon fed her during breakfast. Elody was shocked that
servants reacted to it like it's only natural (lol).
After the meal, he wiped her mouth and wanted to carry her to the office
but she refused.
She went to the office on her own two feet, resumed meeting with Sirka,
explained her condition and even sold him hair loss pills (good job!).
Caville had a sour face the whole meeting though.
Anyway, back to business, someone sells fake red pills, clues lead to the
capital and someone has to do something about it.
Elody thought that since her spirits have teleportation magic, it wouldn't
be an issue. (I guess she's going there herself? I didn't get that part so
only next chapter will tell.)

Chapter 85

Caville is worried about Elody coming to the capital and wants to deal
with counterfeiters himself. Elody proposes they go to the capital
together later this week.
Sirka is surprised because travel usually takes way longer than that, so
Elody tells him about teleportation magic.
Then she asks him about custom bracelets with magic stones she ordered,
and reveals that they use communication magic (basically works like
telephone).
Sirka is thrilled because he can make a lot of profit from this so he
tries to shake Elody's hand but Caville intercepts his attempt, just like
he did when he was a child (ch.12). Sirka thinks that at least Caville was
cute then.
Caville is worried about Temple noticing their untimely arrival if they
use teleport but Elody says it'll be fine since only few people in the
capital know their faces.
Sirka talks about rumor going around in the capital, apparently Emperor
and some Dukes were interested in spirits. That made Elody nervous.
She talks to spirits about teleportation and they decide to all go
together (4 baby spirits and Ifrit). Elody thinks she'll need to plant
more strawberries when they return.
They decide to travel in secret from servants because if any information
leaks, it may lead to an armed conflict. They'll leave at morning and come
back before nightfall.
aww, the next scene is so cute
Apparently, the day before they're supposed to leave for the capital, one
of the servant's wife has given birth.
Caville gave him vacation for the occasion. He and Elody were discussing
this during tea break.
Caville asked Elody if she has seen the baby and she starts talking about
how cute the child was.
At these words, Caville stared at her and asked "We will have children
someday, right?". Elody chocked on her tea.
She remembered when they were little, she used to read him fairytales. At
the end of one story, there was an epilogue that said "A child was born
and two lived happily ever after."
So innocent Caville asked Elody about how are babies made. She made a lame
excuse that fairies bring kids to happy couples.
Elody thinks he still believes this story so she asks him "Caville, do you
know how babies are made?", he's still a kid in her eyes.
Caville smiled and tapped the tip of Elody's nose "Wife, don't tell me you
still believe that fairies bring children?"
Elody: o_0

Chapter 86

Suddenly, Elody's expression turned serious "How are they made then?"
Upon asking that, Caville's ears turned red.
"Tell me how they are made." Elody asked again, afraid that he got
incorrect knowledge somewhere and planning to correct him if that's the
case.
"L-later" Caville hid his face "I'll tell you later"
Elody saw that he got shy, she thought that he does indeed know so she
started sipping her tea to hide her embarrassment.
Caville heaved a sigh of relief, he thought that although his wife seems
innocent, sometimes she can throw him off balance. It's difficult to
predict her reaction.
***
Next day, they're going to the capital.
They blindfolded Sirka beforehand for security purpose. After
teleportation, spirits hid in Caville's brooch.
Elody is surprised to see that things in the capital aren't going well, a
lot of poor people, bandits, prostitutes and drunks are out on the
streets.
Caville is holding her hand tightly the whole time. A strange man started
to approach Elody but when he saw Caville, he stepped back in fear.
They arrived to the merchant's guild to meet with the boss of secret
organization who got poisoned by fake pills.
Elody asked Caville to be careful, Sirka said that he glad Caville's here
because they will need his help. Elody was afraid a fight would take
place.
Sirka asked Elody to pretend to be Duchess's servant to avoid
confrontation, she agreed.
Although Elody was expecting boss to be a scary man, but it turned to be a
tall redheaded woman (still scary!).
As soon as she entered the room, she stared at Elody with killing intent
so Caville used his powers to restrict her.
Boss realized that she faces the Duke himself and promised to behave. She
demanded compensation for the damages, saying that she purchased the pills
from authorized distributor.
Elody refused so boss lady threatened to get wizards involved and destroy
the business if they don't provide her with a tonne of magic crystals and
10 chests of gold.
Elody once again refused but said that she'll cure her illness instead, if
she provides the fake drug and helps them catch the culprit. Boss lady
agreed.
After the meeting Caville told Elody that boss lady is a wizard (from a
'wizard tower' in a foreign land). Sirka warned them about scammers,
pretending to be wizards.
Elody promised to provide Sirka with anti hairloss pils and he got happy.
Too happy. Elody started to suspect that his hair was a wig.
Then Ducal couple went home right away, without even sightseeing. Sirka
stays in the capital for the time being.
***
Next day they met with the boss lady again to learn more about her
illness. She took off her gloves and ta-daa! her hands were stiff like
stones...
Spoiler:

Chapter 87

sometime before the meeting

Elody spent all her time in the lab. Elody focused on research and Caville
focused o Elody.
"Caville, aren't you bored?" - "No, it's fun" - "How is it fun to observe
me?"
He didn't answer so Elody turned back to research to hide her
embarrassment.
Turns out, boss lady lied! Fake drugs had no effect on her illness. It was
a mere placebo.
***
So next day, after checking boss lady's condition, Elody was shocked. She
told the woman that red pills wouldn't have cured her anyway.
Finally, we learn boss lady's name. It's Sarah and she spent a hundred
years in the tower to cure her illness to no avail.
She believes that this illness is actually a curse. It suppresses magical
powers. Suddenly Elody realized why her mana has not increased until she
started taking salvation herb.
Sarah said that hundreds of thousands of wizards died from the curse.
Sarah believes that spirits cursed wizards after priests sealed them.
Still, there's a black market to close. Elody said that she'll cure Sarah
if she catches the culprits.
But Sarah already did an investigation and knows where the base of the
gang is.
Elody wonders,why she hasn't dealt with them herself then Caville calls
out her bluff on 'wizards' she threatened them with yesterday, that was a
total lie (lol). She doesn't even have much magical power because of the
illness.
He decided to deal with the gang himself, he can't subject his wife to
such danger.
Elody's worried so Caville calms her by kissing her hand and whispering
that he'll come back soon.
And he actually does! An hour later, with a cut in his arm. Elody inspects
the wound and asks him about details.
Sarah, who was following Caville as a guide tells her that he cut through
his enemies like a knife through butter, even without using his powers.
After seeing Cavville's skills in person, she decided to be polite to him
from now on.

Chapter 88

So they got to the main boss, who wasn't actually the main boss and died*
right before spilling out actual leader's name.
Sarah deduces that man was a pirate because of mark on his hand.
They hear a scream from the basement, go on to investigate, suddenly a man
jumps out and cuts Caville's arm but dies* immediately after, just like
the fake boss. *
*(I'm not sure how they died, description said that their eyes turned
black and then heart stopped beating. Seems like they were under a
drug/curse because Caville didn't kill them.)
Sarah wonders why he hasn't dodged the attack but Caville does not answer.
***
Elody treats Caville's wound, it's not deep but she still feels pain just
from looking at it. She didn't want Caville to get hurt after suffering on
the battlefield ever again.
Caville notices her mood, "Please don't be sad, I'm sorry, I should've
been more careful" - "But" (E) - "It's just a scratch." (C)
Sarah looks at this scene and thinks "At least this bastard has
conscience", she knows he got a little wound on purpose so Elody would
worry about him.
They talk more about the gang and their connection to the pirates. Now
Sarah asks about her reward.
Elody says that this illness is not a curse but an incurable disease.
Although she has a treatment for it because she also got it.
Elody reveals her true identity and removes the hood that was on the whole
time.
Sarah gasps in shock, "This hair color!". Elody is confused, she doesn't
think that her hair color is something special.
"By any chance, do you have a brother?" (S) - "I do, but I don't remember
him well. Caville, have you you heard anything from him?" (E) - "I'm not
sure. He's a strange person." (C)
Then Elody proposes they go home for today but Caville wants to stay in
the capital for a bit longer.
"Shall we go sightseeing then?" (E), - Caville refuses, "In fact I want to
buy something" - "What is it?"(E) - Caville laughed, "It's a secret".
Elody looked at him blankly for a moment, then said "You might get lost,
ask Sirka to come with you".
"Okay", Caville had to agree with his wife who still treats him like a
child.
***
Sirka and Caville went to a bookstore. Caville wants to give Elody
scientific books as a present.
He goes through shelves and chooses ones he hasn't seen in their castle.
He memorized the catalog after looking for romance novels he used to read
to seduce Elody.
After picking the books and giving Sirka money to pay for them, Caville
decides to stroll through bestsellers section. And guess who he meets
there?
Yes, it's princess Larissa.
***
Meanwhile Elody, feeling left out, decides to go thrift shopping.
She stumbles upon an antique store and finds "dragon eggs". Not actual
dragon eggs, seller explains to her that they got this name for their
durability.
Nothing can break or even scratch them. Elody thinks that these might
actually be seeds and decides to buy them to plant in greenhouse.
On her way back, she meets two orphan girls and overhears them singing a
rhyme:
"Duke's wife has died
Her body whole petrified'
Elody's heart sunk.
Girls kept talking: "Let's go see the play!" - "Alright, but I"m going to
be Larissa today!" - "What? Nooo, I don't want to be the duchess"
Elody tried to follow those girls, doubting her hearing. But just around
the corner she stumbles upon a young man. She apologizes, looks up and
what do you know, the guy has the same hair color as her!

Chapter 89

In the bookstore Caville completely ignores Larissa's attempts to grab his

attention. Luckily, Sirka finishes the deal so they both quickly leave the
store.
Larissa tries to catch up but strains her leg in the process.
***
Meanwhile man Elody stumbled upon, calls out to her, "Elody?"
Elody deduces that the man is her long lost brother. But her memories are
blurred so she can't remember anything properly.
***
When Caville and Sirka return to the office, Elody and her brother are
already here. Sirka guesses that the man is Elody's brother.
But Caville is suspicious, he whispers to Elody, "Isn't this guy a
scammer?" - "Hey, I can hear you!" (bro)
Brother's original name was something like Leathon but he changed it to
Ray.
He's been observing Elody and her production of magic pills.
Caville leans to Elody, "He's a scammer, all right!" - "I still can hear
you", Ray said with a fake laugh, "How can I be a scammer when we look so
alike?"
And their similarities were obvious, same pink hair an turquoise eyes.
"By the way, Duke, why are you stuck with my sister?" (R) - "Why,because
we're a married couple", Caville said, holding Elody's hand tightly.
"Married, huh... But the rumors I heard..." (R) - Sirka suddenly
interrupted, "Wow, ahahah, it's such a pleasure to meet you..."
Elody thought about what little girls said earlier. It was clear that
Sirka knew about the rumor.
Ray glared at Caville, "I heard that you got married but I was stuck in
the magician's tower so I couldn't greet you."
Elody wasn't too thrilled about meeting her brother. They decided to meet
up the next day because Ray had a business to finish - he's looking for
someone in the capital.
Аfter Ray left, Elody started questioning Sirka about the rumor.
He hesitantly started confessing that after Princess Larissa returned to
the capital, there's been strange stories about Duchess abusing the young
Duke and even attempted to kill Larissa.
Stories turned into novel, novel into play and so the rumor spread. Sirka
said that Elody should file a formal complain.
Caville asked about the author with a worried expression. But publisher
refused to reveal their identity.
Suddenly Caville noticed that Elody's hands started trembling, her face
pale. She asked Sirka to bring the book in.
Novel's title was "Western Wind'. She quickly starts scrolling through the
pages.
The content of the novel is the same as in her previous life.
Duchess abuses poor Caville, he goes to the battlefield, meets the
princess, falls in love with her. Then duchess tries to poison the
princess but gets caught and kicked out of the castle.
[...Elody fell to Caville's feet. She pleaded for her life but he did not
forgive.
"I'd wish to put you down with my own hands but I can't, for the Princess
is here."
"But Caville..!"
"Get out of my property this instant!"]
Elody met her end all alone on the street. Her whole body turned into
stone.
"Milady, are you all right?" - Her breath became rough and eyes got
blurred. - "Wife..."
In the end, she gave in to tears, her trembling hands still holding the
book.
Her head was spinning with questions. 'Who wrote that book? Why? How do I
know about this?'
At some point, her vision turned blank.
"Wife!" - Caville supported her weakened body - "Call the doctor!"
***
When Elody came to, first thing she noticed was a bright light leaking out
through the curtain.
'How long was I out?', she thought, before noticing that she wasn't alone.
Caville was napping beside her and Ifrit and baby spirits were all
sleeping on the chair. (might be the other way around, I'm not sure lol)
It was such a peaceful scenery that it brought tears to Elody's eyes.
"Wife, are you awake?", Caville woke up noticing her condition.
"How did I get here?" - "Doctor said it wasn't serious so I brought you
home right away."
"How long was I passed out?" - "Two days."
Elody was surprised, she looked at Caville's face and he was looking
rough.
Despite crying so much the other day, tears welled in her eyes once again.
"It's all right", Caville hugged her, patting her back lightly, "Wife, you
don't have to hold back your tears."

Chapter 90

"Caville, you don't have to hold back your tears", Elody remembered all
the times she comforted baby Caville.
Now his big hands were caressing her own back. Elody realized that
unconsciously she's always been worried about the flow of the story and
even regarded herself as the villainess.
"It's all right", Caville's embrace was so wide. And very warm. For the
first time in her life, Elody cried with ease.
***
After a long cry, Marie helped Elody wash up and dress up. She was a bit
trepidatious to see Caville but his expression did not change at all.
She asked him about Ray and Sarah but he didn't know anything about their
whereabouts. He's very indifferent to people other than Elody.
Then Elody wanted to go to the capital to meet Sirka but turns out Caville
already met with him yesterday to pick up books he bought for her.
Elody was excited about the gift, she smiled and Caville was happy to see
her like that.
- Oh, but we still have to investigate the novel...
- The novel does not exist anymore.
- Huh?
- I burned it all. Burned the books, bookstores. Everything's gone.
(yandere be yandere)
Turns out, Ifrit tracked down all the copies after Caville threatened to
cut his mana supply. Yes, he can track objects too now.
- That's not all, I caught all the bards and burned the stages where the
novel was played.
Elody was shocked, but in the end she was also relieved. If the book was
still out there, she couldn't help but be anxious.
- Thank you.
- Don't worry about it, my wife.
- ...well, the only thing's left now is to meet with brother and Sarah.
- Let's go together.
- Okay...
***
Meanwhile all the servants were outraged about the novel. Norman launched
an investigation into the publishing company.
Maids were gossiping about the recent events and Heinz overheard them. He
learned about the rumors and Madam's collapse and started crying, feeling
it was all his fault.
***
After talking to Caville, Elody was relieved and decided to check the
greenhouse.
But on her way there, she was constantly stopped by servants who all
professed their love and loyalty to her.
Then she met Heinz. When he noticed Elody, he dashed to her side and
knelt. He proclaimed Elody to be his sister and said he'd kill anyone who
threatens her.
Elody was stupefied and ran away as soon as she could.
In the greenhouse, she showed dragon eggs to Caville and asked him what he
thinks it is.
To her surprise, he guessed that it were seeds right away. He smiled
awkwardly, "I guess, this is the power of love."
Embarrassed Elody decided to plant more strawberries, as she promised to
spirits.
She wanted to pick some berries to make jam that Caville liked but baby
spirits all threatened war if she did so. (very scary!)
***
In the capital, Elody met with Sarah and brewed her the Salvation herb
tea.
Sarah drank it right away, without even listening to Elody's warnings.
Just as she started coughing blood, Ray came in...

Chapter 91

Ray was in a hurry to see Elody after her collapse.

He ran into the room but stopped when he noticed Sarah. She recognized him
as well but couldn't speak because of the cough.
Elody gave Sarah her handkerchief, she thought it was natural that they
knew each other since they both stayed in the Tower.
Ray was worried, "Sarah, what is it? Have your curse gotten worse?"
After Sarah stopped coughing, she glared at Elody, "I knew you are a
scammer. Look at all this blood, I'm sure my condition got worse! Now
wait..."
Sarah got quiet because she could now feel her hands again. Elody finally
got a chance to explain the side effects.
***
Elody told Ray about their meeting with Sarah while Sarah was glaring at
him the whole time. Seems like they disliked each other.
Ray asked Elody to tell him how she discovered the cure.
Elody went deep into her thoughts. She couldn't tell him that she read
about it in the novel.
In fact, Elody started doubting her own memories. To have thie novel
appear in this world as well was too much of a coincidence.
She suspected that her 'previous life' was planted inside her mind via
magic. That would explain the voices she heard as well.
Elody could only remember herself after transmigration at 13, everything
before that got faint.
She asked Ray, "Before we got separated when I was 13, did I suffer from
any accidents?"
He scratched his head, "{something about the Count} I haven't heard
anything about you since you got married. Have you forgotten everything?"
"It's not that, I have some memories but they're faint.", Elody thought
that those the memories of a 'real' Elody but she wasn't so sure.
She turned to Sarah, both her and Ray studied magic so they're ought to
know something.
"Is it possible to manipulate memories using magic?", at her words Sarah
and Ray looked at each other with a serious expression.
"...my wife", Caville took Elody's hand. She was getting anxious but this
gesture calmed her down greatly.
She looked at his big hand holding her small one and wondered since when
Caville, whom she always regarded as a baby, started to feel so
reassuring.
After a while, Ray spoke, "Memory manipulation is forbidden. But since you
were a child, I think we can recover them. There won't be any good
memories though", he added bitterly.
Elody understood his meaning, 'When I got abused by the Count, it's
probably because of being hit.'
"I know what you mean, but it'll be fine", Elody said, still holding onto
Caville's hand. Feeling his warmth, she felt that everything will turn out
all right.
They agreed to meet again in two days and then Ray asked Elody to supply
suffering wizards with Salvation herb.
She agreed, under the condition that they'll come to her aid if she asked
them too.
Sarah made a snarky comment about her 'virtuousness'. Elody replied,
"Well, beggars can't be choosers."
For a wizard, mana is their life force. So since Elody is their lifesaver,
she might exploit them a little.
Wizards are an independent from both Temple and Empire so they can become
her trump card in case of emergency.
***
Back to the duchy, Elody had a meeting with Sirka about craftsmen for her
communication bracelets.
He presents her with two candidates, one is an old man with a lot of
experience and the other is... a little girl.
She once made a beautiful tiara for an Empress who didn't like it and
ordered to cut one of the girl's fingers.
This only furthers Elody's dislike of Emperor's family. She picks the
girl.
Sirka is worried that it will cause Emperor to be displeased with Cernoir
duchy but Elody knows that Emperor is investigating them anyway so she
doesn't care.
Next comes a big political think from Elody.
She wants to use communication devices to weaken the Temple. (as you
remember, they have a monopoly on post)
If nobles get the means to avoid Temple's interference, their opinion will
sway into her favor.
This might also drive a wedge between Emperor and the Temple.
There's also some thing about the spirits but I can't quite get the gist
of it. I guess it'll become clear later.
In short, Emperor wants the spirits and Cernoir has them so conflict is
inevitable.
Elody thinks about all the people in the duchy she wants to protect and,
as if reading her thoughts, Caville says:
- My wife has people she wants to protect. Go on.
- ...
- Because I will protect my wife.

Chapter 92
Elody handed Sirka a small sample of mana crystal. It could only
communicate on short distances.
"Make the jewelry, using only high quality materials. Regardless the
price", since the stakes were so high she couldn't be cheap.
Then she asks about hairloss medicine. Even though marketing hasn't
started yet, it already made a huge stir in the capital.
She proposes they promote it as a hairloss prevention drug as well.
Sirka is thrilled, seems like there's a hairloss epidemic in the capital
so they can make a ton of money.
Looking at his head full of hair, Elody finally couldn't contain her
curiosity, "Do you suffer from hairloss as well?"
Sirka denies her accusation and seems offended by it so Elody backs down.
***
Next day, Elody decides to make strawberry jam with Caville. They finished
all the work in advance so now it's time to relax.
She went to the greenhouse to pick fresh strawberries and had to suffer
under intense glare of baby spirits.
5 minutes she was doing it seemed more like 5 years.
"My wife, please stop", suddenly Caville put his hand on her back and took
a basket from her.
He quickly backed down but Elody's heart was pounding like crazy, she
thought she's going to be embraced.
Caville's low voice still reverberated through her ears. And the areas he
touch still tingled.
She looked at him, but he was already heading out. Seemed like she was the
only one affected by this.
Ifrit decided to keep an eye on the too and quietly followed them.
***
The strawberries were washed and the large ones were cut in half.
All this was done by Caville, Elody just sat back and watched.
"I'll do it, wife", he said, still in overprotective mode.
"Now should I crush them?", Caville wore thin gloves and started messing
the strawberries.
"Don't crush them too much, we still have to boil them."
Then Caville decided to try some of the fresh ones. He picked a bite-sized
one, "Now say aaaah."
"...", Elody carefully opened her mouth to receive a strawberry. It was as
sweet as she expected, her tongue almost melting.
Caville looked at delighted Elody and laughed, he also helped himself to a
strawberry.
Because of his gloves, a little piece of fruit got stuck near his mouth.
Without thinking, Elody reached out.
She started to wipe Caville's mouth and then... Caville placed his lips on
Elody's finger and sucked it.
Elody's arm froze in the air. 'What is this strange feeling?'
She blinked and Caville moved away. Elody looked at him, for a moment she
was tempted.
'Did he do this on purpose?'', she thought. But then looking into his
innocent eyes she decided to laugh it off.
'No way', last time when they had sex ed talk, he couldn't even tell her
how babies are made. He was still a child himself.
The scene just now now seemed like an illusion, 'My innocent baby'
Meanwhile, Ifrit was keeping an eye on the two, 'Damn, he improved a lot'.
This was just like a scene from a romance novel he once read.
***
Next day, they went to the capital to meet with Ray. The day before he was
busy escorting Sarah to the Tower.
She was a head magician there but when her illness got worse, she decided
to run away. Ray had to come out to find her.
It was strange. Seemed like Sarah was uncomfortable around Ray but when he
turned away, here eyes were filled with affection. (or his eyes, it wasn't
clear to me)
He described the memory recovering process to melody. Basically, he had to
look for a part of her brain that was 'damaged' and inject his mana into
it.
Once they got back, they had to find the most comfortable place for the
operation.
Caville whispered in Elody's ear, "My wife, let's use our bedroom!"
She felt sorry, but the place she picked wasn't the bedroom. It was
greenhouse.
***
To get back, Elody had to use the teleport. Ray was very interested in it
so he started questioning her.
She didn't want to reveal the existence of spirits so she asked him
whether he had ever seen one (teleport).
He said that the research on it is still ongoing in the Tower. It's in
early stages, they required a large mana crystal to make it work.
Elody asked him whether Tower intends to sell teleports for commercial
use.
Ray said that although it seems like it, they're not short on money. It's
just that all of it goes into research.
Elody suggested they start a business together, she can provide the
materials. That piqued Ray's interest even more.
When they arrived to the greenhouse, Ray felt ecstatic, "So full of mana,
it feels like I'm breathing it."
He immediately noticed the Salvation herb that was growing near ginseng.
Seems like it provided energy for Salvation herb to grow.
Ray wanted to examine the greenhouse more but Elody refused to give up her
research (at least, for now) and dragged him into the lab.
Elody gave him elemental crystal to research for teleport. Seeing his eyes
flaring up with enthusiasm, she felt that they were indeed connected by
blood.
"Now, about my memory".
Ray made a stern face and told Caville to leave. He was now anxiously
waiting in the next room, but at least spirits were still there.
Ray warned Elody once more, "As I've said before, memory manipulation is
very unstable so it's forbidden. The memory may not return and you'll be
subject to strange delusions."
'Strange delusions, huh... Like transmigrating into a novel?', Elody
thought that there were not that many wizards who could do that.
Elody decided to proceed, but she didn't think side effects would come
this soon.
About half an hour later, Caville heard a loud bang from the lab.
He dashed into it to confirm Elody's safety. But instead...
"What is this?"
Instead of his wife, a little girl with pink hair greeted him.
Chapter 93

As it turns out,one of the side effects of memory manipulation was age

regression.
And so now 5-year old Elody was standing in a pool of her own dress.
Physical changes were the only ones, her mind still of an adult Elody.
Ray explained that she'll grow 1-2 years/day until she hits 13, and then
it'll speed up to 2-3 years/day until she's her old self. (also seems like
it'll slow her aging a bit after that point, nice!)
The whole process should take around 10 days, and the memories will return
gradually along the way.
Now all she has to do is eat well and sleep well to grow up healthy.
Dumbfounded Caville was standing there still, like a statue, the whole
time. He asked Ray to stay until Elody is back to normal.
After dealing with Ray, Caville stood there with a palm on his face for a
while. He wanted too call for Elody as usual, but felt that it was awkward
to call a 5yo his wife.
Ray also gave Elody a necklace to ward off voices in her head. She
remembered that it all started after she heard Caville's confession.
After pondering for a while, Caville took Elody to their room. He decided
to record her height, just like she did when he was a child.
***
Caville explained to all the confused servants that Madam's changes were
due to a scientific experiment.
But their trouble didn't end there.
Now all the servants in the mansion are doting on Elody!
Maids decided to sew her cute dresses every day, and Marie called for a
painter to record her growth.
Elody was annoyed at that and said that inside she was an adult, but still
every time she ate sweets...
- Madam, do you like sweets? Good girl! But you know, if you eat too
much, a cotton ghost will appear!
- Madam, did you wipe your hands? Oh, come here i'll just do it for you.
and even Caville...
- You ought to have balanced meals, don't skip the carrots. Carrots are
good for you.
Elody wanted to make a scene but everyone looked so happy that she didn't
have the heart to.
She decided to go to her greenhouse with Anna to get some work done.
But Anna suddenly decided that Elody is getting sleepy and ran away to the
castle to get blankets.
And now a wild Heinz appears!
Using his outstanding intellect, he deduced that girl before him is
Elody's illegitimate child who was dumped here all alone by the father.
He wanted to take her away with him to avoid Caville's anger.
Already riled up, Elody kicked him in the &!#$, and then Anna came and
kicked him some more.
***
As days went by, Elody's growth went smoothly and marks on the wall
multiplied, to Caville's amusement.
But with growth, memories came back along with nightmares.
Count McClair abused his daughter physically and mentally. It was
horrifying.
On the day she turned 13, everything came back.
Now she realized.
She did not transmigrate into the novel. She was reborn.
Life of 'Villain' Elody McClair wasn't just a story.
It was her own life.

Chapter 94

Elody's first memory of this world was sitting in a carriage on its way to
Cernoir duchy.
Norman was sitting across her, smiling reassuringly and then she met
Caville, who was afraid of adults.
And now she got her memories back. There was an accident before she came
to the duchy.
At that time Ray just ran away from home and Elody got marriage proposal.
She didn't want to get married and decided to flee.
But when she first attempted to, Count caught her.
He raised his hand in anger and she backed away, falling down a flight of
stairs.
After the accident she spent several days bedridden and there was one
strange thing.
She vividly remembered a figure sitting on that bed, staring at her.
She realized that she wasn't living inside a novel, the novel was written
with intention to manipulate her.
Elody was thinking so much, she got dizzy 'I need sugar....'
At that moment Caville came in with a knock. In his hands, a tray with a
cup of warm milk with honey and fresh berries.
After Elody got small, he decided to sleep in the other room to avoid
awkwardness.
But still, he's been bringing her breakfast in bed every morning. Elody
was delighted.
Looking at her like this, Caville laughed, "Now you look just as I
remember from when I was a kid. I'm happy to see you like this again. It's
a miracle that I'm able to see your growth that I missed out on during the
war."
Then they talked about Ray. He basically occupied castle's library and
because of his looks got a lot of attention from people.
Back to business, Elody asked Caville to have a meeting with local Barons.
There's also the issue of castle renovation and, of course, the Temple.
Since she can't do anything, Elody asked Caville to take care of things as
the Lord.
Looking at 13 years old Elody, Caville felt like turning into his 7 year
old self.
Back then, she was so strong and reassuring. When she defeated all the bad
adults, she looked like a hero.
And she did so much for him, and the duchy. All those things with her
small hands...
Caville's eyes got sore and throat parched. He didn't want to cry.
So he smiled.
***
Later that day, Elody was surprised at the amount of admiration Ray got.
All the servants, male and female, were gossiping about him in hushed
tones.
She decided to have a tea together in the greenhouse and told him about
her accident.
Ray felt guilty about it and apologized for running away.
Elody didn't blame him for in the duchy her life improved a lot.
She changed the topic to all the gossip, she thought he showed servants
some magic trick to get attention.
But it's all just because they want treat their beloved Madam's brother
well.
Ray praised the duchy and told her that he didn't believe all the rumors
in the capital, "A bad person would not sell essential medication for
pennies."
He promised to research more about memory manipulation in the Tower.
Next they talked about voices in Elody's head.
Ray believes that they were caused by Caville's mana. Since his feelings
are so strong, it got out of control and affected Elody.
***
Then they discuss the teleport, Ray can craft them using Elody's mana
stones and she will sell the end result.
Aaand onto another political big think from Elody!
With all the Tower wizards in her sleeve, she wants to create an
intelligence division.
With all the money from selling magical artifacts, she wants to make
Cernoir duchy untouchable.
With all the strawberries she planted, she will make spirits heed to her
every wish.
Sinister laughter was heard from Elody's office that day, but it didn't
last long.
***
Now Elody, in her new made frilly dress was sitting still in the chair.
Proposal to invite a painter was rejected due to security threat but Marie
found an amateur painter between the servants.
Now he got to paint Madam every day. Her portraits were now decorating the
hallway.
This day, Caville decided to paint Elody too. Elody was excited to see the
end result.
However when she actually looked at it, 'Huh? Is this some monster? Do I
really look like this?'
He looked very proud, which made Elody remember his childhood paintings.
His skill did not improve at all.
"You did well", Elody said in the end.
Caville started boasting to the maids who all had fake smiles plastered on
their face.
'When will this end?!'
***
Meanwhile, in the garden of Cernoir castle, a meeting occurred.
Iris, who followed her grandparents, noticed a pink haired man.
It was a moment Iris reunited with her first love.

Chapter 95

Iris dashes to Ray's side

- Do you remember Iris?
- Who's Iris?
- That's me.
Ray suddenly remembered a girl he reflectively saved from the fall once.
It was nothing special really.
But Iris's bright head registered him as "The Hero Who Saved Iris"
Which is why she spend the remaining day on pursuing Ray.
At the end of it, he begged Elody to return to the Tower.
***
That night, Elody had a dream.
She was sailing down a river, and when she looked into the waters, several
scenes unfolded.
Count McClair beating her.
Pink haired woman holding a crying baby
Little girl playing all by herself.
Then river turned black, seems like there was something sticking out of
it. Elody tried to take a closer look and...
...
Woke up in cold sweat. She felt like she just missed something important.
At the end of the bed, Ifrit was sleeping soundly. Caville dispatched him
to guard Elody.
But still, large bed seemed to spacious.
Elody tried to fall asleep but ended up staring at the empty spot next to
her until the dawn broke.
***
A few days later Elody went back to normal, and somehow stronger than
ever!
With all the supplies Elody gave him, Ray, who was being harassed by Iris,
escaped to the Tower right away.
Caville went to escort him so Elody returned to their bedroom.
Elody looked at the marks on the wall. During these days, Caville has been
diligently recording her height.
Then her eyes fell onto the bed, 'From today, Caville will be staying
here...'
In fact, these few days without Caville, Elody couldn't sleep properly.
The nightmare that kept her anxious seemed to dissipate when Caville was
near.
***
Even though Elody was now an adult again, maid still treated her like a
child.
When Marie tried to bring her milk with honey, Elody requested tea. Plain.
Tea. With empathize on plain.
Now she had to catch up on the paperwork. She looked over Caville's
reports on castle renovation and felt proud.
He picked the most competent people for the job so there was nothing to
pick on.
Caville was a good Lord.
***
And while Elody worked hard, maids gathered in secret.
Topic of today's meeting? Fixing their master's marriage.
After looking at small Elody these few days, maids longed for a cute
child, just like her, to be born soon.
Their Lord's intentions were clear, but when it came to love affairs,
Elody was as dense as rock.
After the incident with the painting, maids came to conclusion that she
was still treating Caville like a child.
"The Lord is a grown man now, it's not healthy for things to stay this
way", Marie said with a serious look.
Next step of sneaky maids masterplan was to steadily make their masters
drunk on Bokbunjaju* and let things take their course.
So Anna entered Elody's office with a sweet drink with ice on a tray.
Days were getting hotter so Elody gulped it all down.
Anna tried to make her jealous, saying that all the unmarried women in
vicinity were thirsting over Caville.
Elody felt it was only natural, she was just proud of her baby.
Mission failed.
* Bokbunjaju - Korean fruit wine, mild aphrodisiac ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
***
Contrary to maids' worries, Caville and Elody were getting along just
fine.
After the long day of work, they decided to take a walk in the forest.
Spirits tried to follow but Caville gave them a death glare so they backed
down.
The two came to a cherry tree and Elody decided to collect some to make a
pie.
Thinking, about cherries, a trick Marie used to perform came to mind.
She took a cherry stem, put it in her mouth and somehow tied it into a
knot this way.
Elody tried to recreate it to no avail.
Looking at her strange actions, Caville got curious, "Wife, what are you
trying to do?"
Elody explained Marie's trick to him so Caville tried to follow.
He put a cherry stem in his mouth and after a moment of grinding,
"Like this?", showed Elody the end result. It was a perfectly tied knot.
However his wife's reaction was strange.
Her whole face got red, she dropped the basket and ran to the greenhouse.
Caville was shocked, "Wife, wait for me!"
He picked up the basket and followed her.
It was a peaceful day.

Chapter 96

Ducal couple went to the capital to check on communication devices

production.
The items are paired so if you want to communicate with more people, you
have to buy more.
Elody ordered Sirka to rise the prices. She intends to dry all the capital
nobility's pockets dry.
***
Back in the duchy, Elody gave out communication devices to selected
servants.
Caville gave one to Solar since she worked as his wife's escort. Brien got
offended that he didn't get one when even Heinz did.
Heinz started boasting that he's basically Elody's right hand. But in
reality, a couple of hours ago he was begging Elody on his knees for one
until she gave in.
***
Elody got one for Caville as well. He was hoping for a ring but it was
only an earring.
Elody put it on and started admiring her husband to the point of drooling.
Caville caught her gaze, "Does it suit me? It looks very pretty on my
wife," he stretched his hand to touch Elody's ear, decorated with a
matching earring.
"You, you look pretty too," Elody replied, slapping his hand off.
Caville blinked in confusion, then grinned, "Am I pretty?"
"..." Elody made a strange sound and ran away to hide in her greenhouse.
Caville watched her run away and then immediately pulled a pocket mirror
from his sleeve.
"What a cheap trick," Ifrit sighed.
***
For the next few days the castle was very busy.
Caville worked on improving security while Elody conducted her research
and
Another great news came from the farmers, there's been a great strawberry
harvest! Elody planned to distribute it via Ray's teleports.
Because things in the duchy were doing well, people from other Estates
fled to Cernoir.
Now Elody had to develop infrastructure and build institutions.
In the midst of things, Caville got a letter from Larissa. Without even
looking at its contents, he threw it into fireplace.
Then Marie came with a cup of iced """tea""", "My Lord, you have to drink
it all."
She stayed there until the cup was empty. Caville looked at her
suspiciously but she didn't bulge.
And so that night, again, Caville had trouble falling asleep.
He lay on his side to stare at sleeping Elody's profile. How could she be
so cute, pretty and adorable?
Caville smiled, hugging his pillow while imagining it was Elody.
But after a while, Elody began to pant. Seemed like she was having a
nightmare.
He got startled and carefully approached her.
Elody was having the same dream as last time, she was desperately trying
to make out the imagery, playing out in dark water.
And in that reflection Elody was dying. Bloody tears streamed from her
eyes and although she couldn't see properly, she desperately tried to
reach for someone.
Then out of nowhere, black shadows emerged from the waters. They opened
their mouths and tried to swallow her.
"Wife!" just before being swallowed, Elody opened her eyes. "Wife, are you
okay?"
"Caville?" after having a nightmare, Elody was wet from cold sweat and
tears.
She started crying, her small shoulders trembling. Caville comforted her
until she fell asleep.
Next day, Elody woke up at dawn and looked at Caville sleeping right next
to her with amazement.
She remembered what happened last night and her heart ached.
She got out of bed and stroked Caville's hair. She wanted to kiss his
cheek too but just couldn't.
She felt that Caville was still very much like a child, but at the same
time he had the charm of an adult man.
'No wonder all the women in vicinity are in love with him,' Elody
pretended to ignore her pounding heart.
***
After the breakfast, news of the teleport completion came in. Elody
immediately asked to send in the wizards.
Before emperor or Temple made their move, she had to increase the security
so even if assassins were sent, she'd just kill them all.
And as Elody was predicting, Temple was preparing to make their move.

Chapter 97

Just like Barons Vendos and Bernard, Temple was struggling to recruit one
of the duke's servants. (ch 41)
With production of communication devices, Temple's authority diminished.
High priest Amos heard that ducal couple was recruiting a lot of talented
people, he had to move fast.
***
Meanwhile Tower was in uproar. They finally got the cure to disease. And
elemental crystals became a revolution.
And now, wizards, infamous for their reclusive tendencies, were lining up
to meet their savior, Elody.
***
Unlike spirit's teleportation magic, which worked everywhere, portals had
to be placed in certain places.
Elody chose a place outside the castle.
When Caville saw arriving wizards, he whispered in Elody's ear, "My wife,
they look suspicious."
He used to tease her like this from time to time. Elody laughed it off,
scratching her ears and neck.
Every place, touched by Caville's breath was burning and tickling.
Elody commanded two wizards, Neo and Nemil to build the road. They said
they'll be done in a few days.
Wizards are truly powerful, Elody was pleased because there's a lot more
to do.
When ducal couple returned to the castle, Caville asked Elody whether she
intends to place more teleports.
She wants to plant one in the merchants guild. Caville suggested their
bedroom.
He smiled innocently but Elody felt this smile very sensual, perhaps of
those bewitching eyes of his.
Unable to read her feelings, Caville was scared when she showed hardened
expression each time he laughed.
He secretly looked in his pocket mirror, he couldn't openly ask if Elody
disliked his appearance for he was afraid her answer would hurt him.
***
Meanwhile in the capital, communication devices were selling like hot
cakes.
Sirka warned Elody that she'll get contacted by the Imperial family soon.
Since trade was going well, Elody decided to build a port.
***
And so, with the help of wizards and gold flowing from the capital, duchy
started blooming.
Elody developed infrastructure, built parks, schools, playgrounds,
shopping streets.
Farmers from other provinces started applying for jobs in the duchy.
Everything changed. The only old thing in Cernoir estate was the Temple.
Chapter 98

High priest Amos was going insane.

The duke of Cernoir swindled all the money from nobles using magic devices
and drugs.
Somehow, he even got wizards on his side.
Amos wanted to do a background check but security was too tight.
He was very nervous for Temple's relationship with the Imperial family
also started to show its cracks.
The root of it was in Emperor's relationship with Crown Prince.
You see, first Empress was thrown out of the castle and locked in the
Temple's monastery.
There she discovered she was pregnant (with Emperor's child) and fell in
love with one of the priests.
They raised the Prince until he was 10 years old and his resemblance of
the Emperor was impossible to deny.
So Emperor took his son back, while his mother and stepfather died under
suspicious circumstances.
Unlike his siblings (from the second Emperess), who only cared about
luxury, Crown Prince was outstanding.
He gained a lot of support from aristocrats so Emperor was afraid.
Emperor knew he was despised by his son, who also blamed him for his
mother's death. And because of his upbringing, he naturally sided with the
Temple.
So Emperor wanted to get the emerging power of Cernoir on his side.
***
Meanwhile Cernoir duchy kept growing.
They even accepted peasants who fled from other vicinities.
All the other Lords couldn't to anything about it because they knew that
going against Duke of Cernoir meant war.
Despite a huge influx of people, there were no beggars.
Everyone knew, if they worked hard in the duchy, they would be able to
live their whole lives in peace.
Security also increased because a lot of bandits tried to get into duchy.
Elody developed a fingerprint database to track everyone.
Caville took unto himself the most important matters of security. He
worked hard to train and appoint new knights.
Despite all the reports he had to fill now making him grind his teeth, he
endured it all for his wife.
'If I work hard, it'll take some burden from my wife's shoulders.'
Thanks to this system, the crime rates were very low.
Caville leaned back on his chair and sighed. He was too busy. He missed
his wife.
He touched the earring Elody gave him. It activated after scanning his
fingertip. (Elody's idea)
- My wife, I miss you so much.
- We'll see each other later.
- But we can't even talk properly when night falls.
Because she was busy during the day, Elody fell asleep as soon as her head
touched the pillow.
On the other hand, Caville was getting sick because of his... physical
condition. *ahem*
He was worried about Elody but couldn't even talk to her.
- The renovation is almost over, we'll be able to talk soon.
- Well, can I go see you now?
- Oh, no!
- Why is that?
- I'm conducting my research.
After fruitlessly trying few more times, communication was cut off.
Caville bit his lip and looked towards greenhouse. Why was his wife
avoiding him?
And at the greenhouse, Elody had struggles of her own.
Caville's suspicion was correct. She didn't know why, but she was now
avoiding him.
When she stood in front of him, her body tensed and breath stopped.
Caville looked so bewitching, she was afraid something was wrong with her
eyesight.
For a couple of days now she couldn't even look him in the eye so she
pretended to be asleep right after getting into bed.
"Hey, I think I can tell what troubles you," Ifrit folded his arms.
Elody thought he looked very cute like this so she laughed.
But when she heard the words coming out of his mouth, she stiffened.
"You. You seem to have fallen in love."

Chapter 99

"No," Elody denied with a calm face.

"You know I'm right..."
"And what do you know? You don't even have a girlfriend!" (K.O!)
Elody kicked stunned Ifrit away. But his words didn't leave her mind.
To her, Caville was like a little brother. Of course they were married,
but...
Elody was always busy so she couldn't analyze her feelings properly. To be
more honest, she was running away.
But in fact, after Larissa returned to the capital, the word 'divorce' was
gone from Elody's mind.
At some point she even wanted to steal Caville away from Larissa. She felt
so much guilt then.
But now, knowing that her fate wasn't predetermined by the novel, that
feeling melted away.
Even so, would it be fine to keep Caville all to herself forever?
It was selfish. She didn't even love him as a man but still wanted to
spend the rest of their lives together.
To love him as a man... Elody's heart was thumping so much it hurt.
Actually, ever since Caville returned, she...
"Madam!" at that moment, she heard Anna's voice. Sirka has returned.
***
Renovation of the castle has now been complete.
Because merchant guild was now under threat from Imperial Palace and the
Temple, Sirka asked to move its headquarters to Cernoir castle.
It won't be an issue because of the new teleport system.
Then Petria came in with reports about orphanage. She started to go on and
on about how well things were going.
After Elody cut her off, she asked for communication device. Elody refused
because Petria talks too much as it is.
Elody felt bad about Petria's secretaries, she wouldn't be surprised if
they came to her one day with blood flowing out of their ears.
On her way back to the lab, Elody noticed a familiar face, "Sir Heinz,
what are you doing here?"
Heinz was a mercenary, and an elite mercenary at that! So what was he
doing, standing here dressed in plain clothes and holding a broom instead
of a sword?
He laughed awkwardly, his mouth covered with a mask.
Some time ago, he was boasting to knights about communication device he
received directly from Madam.
Naturally, knights got envious, "Milady must be an angel. Forgiving
someone who badmouthed her so much..."
"Yes! Feels like only yesterday he sang the praises of Princess Larissa,
claiming Duchess will be thrown away once Princess comes to the castle."
When Caville heard that story, Heinz's life was hanging on a very thin
thread.
Only Brien's intervention saved him, "My Lord, please calm down. Once I
also wished for my Lord and Princess to end up together, but to take
someone's life..."
"You too?"
Brien realized that he made a fatal mistake.
In the end, with Solar's intervention, their lives were spared.
Heinz's titles were stripped by Caville. Seeing that, Brien voluntarily
gave up on his year's worth of salary.
Knights who criticized Elody in the past felt cold sweat flowing off their
backs. Being caught now would be equal to a death sentence to them.
Caville wanted to expel Heinz from the duchy, but he begged so pitifully
to stay here as a humble servant that Caville gave in.
Despite trading his sword for a broom, Heinz still looked happy. He wanted
to protect Madam~, no! his sister, for the rest of his life.
"Alright, I understand," Elody sighed, "but what about the mask? Are you
sick?"
"Oh, no! My Lord said I have a bad mouth, so I must keep it covered. Ahh,
please don't tell him about this conversation!"
Speaking of devil, "Heinz!" hearing Caville's voice, Heinz quickly
retreated.
Elody thought she saw something similar in historical dramas in her
previous life.
Looking, up, she saw Caville happily waving to her from the open window.
At that moment, time for her stopped.
It was summer but a cool breeze blew, messing Caville's hair. His fresh
smile reminding her of blossoming flowers.
Elody turned bright red, bit her lip and ran to the lab.
Akin to pure maiden falling in love for a first time, her heart was
fluttering.

Chapter 100

With all the innovations in the duchy, the old Temple building was
abandoned.
Only Leaser of Holy Knights, Theodore, remained. His obsession with Elody
kept growing.
He managed to keep one of her letters and read it twelve times a day,
putting his name in stead of Caville's.
Theodore wanted to make Elody his by killing Caville.
But after reading all her letters, he knew.
If he kills him, she will never smile again.
***
An incident occurred in the duchy. Someone opened an illegal slave market.
Caville went to investigate. Elody wanted to stop him.
Her nightmares made her anxious and she was getting paranoid about
possible assassination attempts.
She wanted to tell him she'd go with him, but... she couldn't even look
him in the eye.
Remembering his confession (ch 67), she felt like a coward.
He felt like this now, but what if one day his feelings change and he asks
for divorce?
Elody didn't want that. These days she finally started seeing Caville as a
man.
She couldn't even sleep at night, her heart pounding wildly.
'A little bit more...', she didn't have the courage to confess right away.
As if reading her feelings, Ifrit glared at Elody. He still held a grudge
against her.
When she called him out for not having a girlfriend, he felt so shocked he
couldn't refute it.
Caville's mission didn't last long. Someone else caught the slave trader
first.
"Sir Theodore!" Caville gave the man a warning glare.
"My Duchess," Theodore ignored Caville, came straight to Elody and bowed
to kiss her hand.
Caville blocked his attempt, "Are you in cahoots with the slave trader?"
Theodore explained that he investigated a priest and found out he was
involved in human trafficking.
Theodore reported the matter to Temple and decided to deal with the slave
trader personally.
'He's not as bad as I remembered,' Elody thought.
Noticing her approving gaze, Theodore rejoiced. Maybe there's still hope
for him.
However when her gaze moved to Caville, he felt an intense heartbreak.
Before, he believed that Duke's feelings were one sided. Elody regarded
his as a little brother, nothing more.
But now, when she looked at Caville, her eyes lit up. She was in love.
The ship has sailed, there was no room for Theodore's feelings.
***
Despite castle renovation, Ducal couple's bedroom remained intact.
Elody wanted to keep all the childhood memories they experienced there.
But now, for security reasons, they decided to move to another room. It
was strengthened up to withstand an attack.
There were two doors in their new bedroom, one led to Caville's office,
other to Elody's. No one could come in from the hallway.
Inside was also sectioned in two parts, each built to suit its master's
needs.
Despite being luxurious enough to open people's mouths,
It only had one bed!
"It's very big," Caville said apologetically. It was him who ordered for
only one bed to be placed.
It was true, the bed was big enough for Elody to roll over several times
without issues.
However the possibility of touching Caville in her sleep made her anxious.
She just realized her feelings, the stimulation was too much too handle.
Elody's face turned red as a beet and she fled the room.
Caville went through the same feelings a long time ago but still couldn't
understand his wife.
'Is prospect of sleeping with me this terrible?' his expression turned
grim.
At that moment, Sirka came in with the report about the novel.
All the people involved in its production suddenly vanished.
Caville ordered him to keep an eye on it, in case rumors resurface.
***
Wizards who visited the duchy got used to it so much, they didn't want to
return to the Tower.
But there was still a lot of research to be done. They started discussing
it with ever enthusiastic Elody.
Anna and Marie looked at this scene in puzzlement. How can research be
exciting?
They resumed their important talk of continuing Ducal line.
Now that the couple shared a bed, the second generation should only be a
matter of time.
The only thing they could do is to set up the right mood.Next
Elody looked at conspirators with suspicion but her thoughts were
interrupted.
"My Lady, you should check the newsletter right away!"

Chapter 101

The newsletter contained a message about a priest and a wizard being

kidnapped.
It could mean that Empire of Urta was regaining its strength.
"Caville please, be careful," Elody panicked. She felt like everyone was
trying separate her from her husband.
Contrary to his wife's worries, Caville was calm. He could just kill
troublemakers all over again.
He wrapped his hand around hers. Seeing her overprotective side was fun
but he couldn't be a little kid forever.
Caville carefully kissed the back of Elody's hand,
"I'll be fine. I won't leave my wife. I plan to remain by your side my
whole life."
At his words, Elody nodded. She felt relieved.
Caville held her hands for a while to calm her completely.
It should take several months for Urta army to reach the duchy, it would
be better to meet them first.
Caville smiled innocently at Elody while thinking how he will deal with
Urta soldiers.
***
That night was their first night in the new bedroom.
As soon as Elody entered the room, she felt restless, 'What the hell is
this?'
The mood in the bedroom changed drastically since the last time she saw
it. Must be a sneaky maids' idea!
In the daytime, the room felt so secure. But now, with a dim lightning and
sweet scent flowing in the air...
In addition, the bed was decorated by a red curtain and rose petals were
sprinkled all other white sheets.
The intention of decorators was clear. Elody felt chocked at the thought
of staying alone with Caville in such an atmosphere.
She wanted to clean things up a bit before Caville returned, but at that
moment the door opened and Caville came in.
He glanced at the room, then approached Elody with a casual look.
Seeing him being so unaffected, she felt that maybe she was the only one
feeling weird.
"Shall we go to sleep, wife?" Caville blinked slowly.
Elodie swallowed a gulp. Hey, why do you flutter your eyelashes like this?
The usually cute Caville looked very sensual at that moment.
Her throat parched and she struggled to answer so she just nodded and
headed to bed.
Caville looked at her unusual behavior, feeling amused.
He really wanted to play some nasty joke on her but just didn't have the
heart to. His wife was extremely embarrassed as it is.
Moreover, he decided to give Marie and Anna a little bonus for their
efforts.
After laying on the bed for some time, Caville turned to Elody.
She was sleeping on the edge of the bed, her delicate back turned to him.
Having spent countless nights on the battlefield, Caville only had one
wish.
If he came back alive, he wanted to live happily with his wife, just like
in good old days.
But path to that future wasn't a simple one.
When he recalled her trying to leave him*, his vision turned black. He
felt like he was being suffocated.
Since that day, fear crept into Caville's heart.
But it will be fine. Whatever happens, he will never let her go.
So for now he was happy just staring at her back. However, man's heart is
greedy.
Next day, he woke up holding her arm tightly.
She looked so pretty that for a moment he forgot how to breathe.
Why was she getting prettier day by day? It was too much for him to handle
as it is.
He stared at her sleeping face for a while but when she showed signs of
waking up, he regretfully left the bed.
Rather than sleeping late like a child, he decided to show her a wonderful
image of a husband who wakes up at dawn to work hard.
* I'm not sure whether that refers to her running away or passing from
illness
***
Anna and Marie were called into Caville's office.
"Please take care of my wife in the future," their Lord bribed them with
gold and gems.
Maids exchanged knowing looks. Seems like their plan was a success!
"We need to call the doctor soon!"
"Ah, I hope it'll be a baby girl who resembles the Duchess. I'm so happy!"
It was a big misunderstanding.
***
In the lab, Elody was working on a nitrogen fertilizer.
She thought she can call the lightning spirit when she realized that she
has not named baby spirits yet.
But as always, Ifrit was one step ahead of her.
Chapter 102

Ifrit said confidently, "They are: subordinate 1, subordinate 2 and

subordinate 3!"
That won't do. Elody named baby spirits herself:
cat spirit - Nyan; bear spirit - Ung (Woong); bird spirit - Chirp.
Nyan spoke "Nyan", seems like she approved this name so Elody gave her a
strawberry.
Seeing this, two other baby spirits began shouting their names as well.
Elody took Nyan to experiment on fertilizer (simultaneously training her),
to a great success.
On her way back to the castle, she got intercepted by Marie and Anna.
The two fussed around her all the way to the bedroom, which made Elody
very suspicious.
She was afraid that maids' attitude changed because they got an inkling of
her feelings towards Caville.
Elody went to Caville's office just as he was about to drink his dose of
bokbunja.
"My wife!" Caville smiled happily and put his glass down. Marie quickly
took it away.
The atmosphere in the bedroom, attitude of the maids and even this drink
made it hard for Elody to meet his eye.
"Wife, shall we have a meal together?" Caville asked in a friendly tone.
"Oh, yeah," Elody replied awkwardly. She then turned around and left the
office.
Somehow her retreating figure reminded Caville of a rabbit that just
escaped a predator.
***
Next day, Elody struggled to keep her eyes open. That night she barely got
a wink of sleep.
Due to maids' blatant intent to see Ducal couple's offspring, she began to
feel even more conscious around Caville.
'My innocent Caville, he's so pure and yet these two served him bokbunja.'
Apart from her personal struggles, things were going well.
In the greenhouse, Caville helped Elody to apply fertilizer to plants.
Combined with her mana, the wheat they just planted grew right before
their eyes and was now ready for harvest.
It was a great success! Elody started thinking about mass producing the
fertilizer.
"Good job," Caville said, shaking his hand from dirt. In Elody's eyes that
gesture looked very cool.
It felt like warm spring breeze was blowing on her heart.
Suddenly, temperature around them dropped.
"What's this?" Ifrit asked, urgently staring at one place.
However Caville was faster.
He shielded Elody behind his back and released some of his mana.
Elody's heart sank. Goosebumps formed all over her body.
Just a few steps behind Elody, there was now standing a man in a pitch-
black robe.
His surroundings were strangely blurred.
This scene was familiar to Caville.
The same thing happened when he first met Princess Larissa. (ch 26)

Chapter 103
Without wasting any time, Caville attacked the intruder.
The man screamed painfully while holding one eye, however no screams were
heard.
When the man noticed Elody, he was visibly shocked. She noticed that his
black cape was drenched with water.
The moment Caville tried to grab his neck, the intruder dissapeared
without a trace.
Surroundings returned to their natural state, and so did the temperature.
"What was that? A ghost?" Ifrit asked, baby spirits trembling behind his
back.
Caville used his mana to search the surroundings, there was nothing.
"Wife, are you okay?" he approached Elody and wrapped his hands around her
shoulders.
After a moment of shock, reality began to settle in and fear overcame her.
"Caville, are you okay?", it was a situation where he could get hurt.
Her vision turned black. The castle she thought was their safe space, was
compromised.
"Wife?" Elody grabbed Caville's collar and took a deep breath.
Caville supported her weakened body and ordered Ifrit to search the area.
Ifrit told Caville that intruder wasn't exactly human, it was something
extra-dimensional, like a ghost.
Elody felt helpless at that notion, there was nothing she could do against
such a threat.
At that moment, Caville's sweet and calm voiced reached her ears "Don't
worry, I will protect my wife."
Elody was afraid that a day would come when Caville gets hurt trying to
protect her.
At that moment, a scene from a nightmare resurfaced in her mind.
When she was dying with blood streaming on her face, she reached out
desperately for Caville...
And just like her, he was on a verge of death.
***
After the intrusion, Elody immediately contacted the Tower and asked them
to send in wizards.
She was still haunted by the vision of dying Caville from her dream.
In order to avoid such an outcome, she needed to focus.
When wizards arrived, they set up a protective barrier throughout the
perimeter. It was enough to stop even a high ranking priest.
After investigating further, they discovered that there was no intrusion
from the outside.
It was a strange situation since no traces of teleport or gate were found
in the vicinity.
***
Wizards decided to stay in the castle for a few more days for security
reasons.
Although that was their excuse, they ended up spending all their time in a
greenhouse and a library.
Elody tried to work on her experiments but anxiety didn't leave her so she
had to sip on herbal tea throughout the day.
"Ifrit, where's Caville?"
"He's in the office."
Caville ordered Ifrit to guard Elody. Since Ifrit was so powerful, she'd
prefer him to guard Caville but at least now she could always know where
her husband is at any given time.
"If you're so curious, why don't you just cling to him?"
Elody honestly wanted to follow this advice but Caville had work to do and
she had her own research.
She pouted, "Don't grunt. It's not like you'r doing anything important
around here."
Ifrit: >.<
While Ifrit was guarding Elody, baby spirits were guarding Caville.
They didn't like being away from the greenhouse but with hourly strawberry
supply they could live with it.
Elody decided to check on "dragon eggs" she planted, there was no visible
sign of growth.
She got afraid that she buried actual eggs there, so she injected some
mana into them.
They didn't react to it, however she felt as if they'd grown a bit since
the last time.
The next day Ducal couple went to the village to decide on distribution of
fertilizer.
However they were met with an unpleasant rumor going around.
- What? He said that Duchess abused Duke when he was young?

Chapter 104

- He really said that?

- Yep, that fella from the capital told me about it.
The moment Elody overheard commoners' talk, she immediately looked around
for Caville.
Thankfully, he was busy talking with one of his subordinates, or there
could be a bloodshed.
Elody went back to eavesdropping.
- Isn't that a story from the novel?
- Yes, but he kept telling me that this novel was based on real life.
- Huh?
- Not only that, allegedly last time when Princess came here, Duchess
tried to poison her!
Elody felt her legs giving out. Although the novel was gone, rumors kept
spreading by word of mouth.
It was so unfair. All she wanted to do is to help Caville, but this novel
kept her in its clutches for over a decade.
Elody did everything to protect the duchy and its people, and yet..!
She was about to collapse when...
- So you just stood there?
- Why would I stay still? I grabbed him right there and punched him in
the face!
- Well done! Can people in the capital even think for themselves? How can
they believe that novel is real?
- Don't they know anything about our Madam?
- Where else can you find such an amazing person? There's no one to
compare her to.
- If rumors keep spreading, we have to shut them down. We have to protect
our Duchess!
Elody tried to suppress her bubbling emotions to no avail.
"Wife?", Caville approached, grabbing her by the shoulder. When he saw her
eyes filled with tears, his face hardened.
Thankfully, by then commoners switched the topic. Now they were singing
praises to Elody.
Caville gently hugged Elody's shoulders and tried to catch her gaze but
she turned her head to avoid him.
He stubbornly kept trying until Elody whispered, "Please stop". Caville
smiled and hugged her gently.
Lewis, his subordinate, was watching this in awe. He didn't expect to see
such a sweet scene from a Duke who was always so cold.
He glanced at Marie but she just laughed sinisterly, "As expected, second
generation is coming soon."

Elody was still disturbed so Caville kept soothing her.

She was thinking about heavy burden she was forced to carry on her
shoulders all these years.
Sometimes it was so overwhelming that she felt herself standing alone on
the edge of a cliff.
But it was her mistake, she was not alone. As she protected people around
her, they protected her in return.
"Wife," Caville called her with a gentle voice.
Looking at his eyes, it felt like he could read all her inner thoughts.
- Dee, I love you.
At these words, Elody could not contain her tears any longer.
It was as if Caville was saying, 'Don't try to carry that weight alone. I
love you more that anyone else so please don't blame yourself.'
In Caville's arms, Elody made a vow. She will protect people who are dear
to her.
And to do that...
* T/N: Dee - short for Elody
***
In the carriage back home, Elody was contemplating something with her
mouth shut tight.
Caville was afraid that Ifrit was bothering her because baby spirits for
sure bothered him.
After worrying for a while, he reached out and grabbed her hand.
Elody, who was deep in thought, turned her head up and looked into
Caville's eyes.
Before he could ask what was she thinking so hard about, she gave him a
dazzling smile.
Caville's face froze so Elody got self conscious, 'Is my smiling face
weird?'
It didn't help that after that, Caville buried his head in his palms.
He thought his heart would stop. He already loves his wife enough to die
for her so how could he fall in love with her all over again? What can he
do when she smiles at him like this?
But Elody didn't notice his reddening ears and fell deep into her thoughts
again.
She wanted to completely escape from the Temple and Imperial Palace.
And for that, Cernoir duchy had to declare independence.

Chapter 105
Upon arriving to castle, Caville got out of carriage with his cheeks still
dyed red.
"I'll go first, wife'," he went to their room as if he was running away.
Marie: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
After he was gone, Elody started asking maids if there was something wrong
with her smile.
Maids made some weird joke, Elody didn't get it (and neither did I).
She thought that maybe he was shy because of confession he made earlier.
At the thought of it, her heart started beating so fast as if it was about
to jump out of her chest.
She wanted to convey her feelings for him as well but didn't have the
courage.
However, the thoughts of securing the duchy soon overwhelmed her mind.
***
Wizards decided to stay for a little longer. Elody wanted to prepare a
banquet for them.
They refused since they just wanted to focus on their research.
Elody understood this feeling very well so she conceded.
Next day in the office, she had a meeting with Sirka.
He noted that Elody's complexion wasn't good. He thought that it was
because of the intruder.
But Elody was worried about Caville who suddenly became very shy around
her.
They didn't make eye contact since yesterday. She thought it was because
of her smile so she asked Sirka about it.
At his puzzled look, Elody tried to force a smile to showcase but just
couldn't do it because it wasn't sincere.
She coughed heavily and decided to switch the topic.
Strawberry business was doing so good that Sirka wanted to hold a
strawberry festival.
Then topic switched to building a port.
Elody thought that timing couldn't be any better because port could help
them gain independence.
Next topic: nitrogen fertilizers! Very exciting. Elody told Sirka about
baby spirits.
She wanted to reveal them to the world soon. Both Temple and Imperial
Palace only knew about Ifrit so it was bound to cause some confusion.
And while they're confused, they won't attack. Elody wanted to gain more
time this way.
Sirka was excited to meet baby spirits, he imagined them to be fairies
from fairy tales.
After meeting was over, Elody decided to arrange a tea break.
There were so many things to do starting tomorrow that she just wanted to
spend some time leisurely drinking tea.
***
While Elody was enjoying herself, someone was restlessly moving around.
Prince of Urta, Zendikar, infiltrated port on the northern side of the
continent.
Shortly after newsletter was published (ch 101), his army was already
crossing the mountain.
Zendikar wished to avenge his father's death by destroying his murderer,
Caville Cernoir.
Moving through capital was too risky so they decided to go through Forest
of Death.
It wasn't an issue for Zendikar, who crossed the sea full of monsters just
to reach the continent.
In his hand, he held an ancient artifact. It was a tool that extracted
magical power from priests and wizards.
By using this artifact, over the time he was able to accumulate some mana
for himself.
He wanted to accumulate more until they reached the destination.
"Of course, my prince," his henchman, Pettis, the most powerful wizard of
Urta, bowed his head.
Zendikar put the artifact back on his neck. In his heart, he made a vow.
Caville Cernoir.
Soon I will kill you and everyone you love.

Chapter 106

A few days later...

Preparations for Strawberry Festival went smoothly thanks to wizards'
help.
Main draw of the festival was a cooking competition.
They would design a special menu, limited to their duchy.
Sirka even wanted to make a giant sign in a shape of a strawberry. It's
all very serious to him.
He asked Elody to participate as a judge but Solar, who was tasked with
guarding her, refused.
Caville was still on the edge from recent incident, so it was a necessary
security measure in case the food was poisoned.
Solar proposed to appoint someone from the castle as a judge.
And so, the story that Elody was looking for a cooking contest judge
spread.
Applications from servants and knights of the castle flooded Elody.
It's not that position was something special, everyone just wanted to try
delicious food!
"Madam, I definitely want to try it. You know how much I like
strawberries!" Marie pleaded, clinging to Elody's arm.
"Oh, Marie, don't be noisy! I'll do it, ma'am!" Anna came just in time and
clung to Elody's other arm.
And it didn't end at that.
"Milady, just leave it to this old man," even Norman chimed in.
"Madam!" Heinz, who was just reinstated as a knight, dashed to Elody as
soon as he saw her.
Then he dropped on his knees in front of her, "Madam, let me be the judge!
I'll pick the winner even if it costs me my life!"
You don't have to go this far though...
In the end, Elody was unable to appoint anyone so she decided to consult
with Caville.
When she nervously entered his office, he put aside his work to talk to
her.
She explained the situation, in hopes of passing the burden of choice on
him.
However after listening to her, Caville made a suggestion, "My wife, let's
hold a cooking contest between judge candidates."
It was a good proposal, so Elody happily accepted. In her mind, she was
very proud of her husband's abilities.
And so, mini cooking contest was held in the castle. The judge this time
was Elody.
"But isn't it unfair if our Lords participates?" Brien asked.
Caville glared at him, "Is it wrong for me to cook for my wife?"
"N-no, of course not!"
Anyway, Elody wouldn't know who made the dish and will only judge by its
taste.
Even with that, Caville was certain he'd take the first place!
Despite not being talented in cooking, his wife would surely taste the
love and affection he'd put into making the dish.
Caville had no doubts about it.
Of course, since he didn't aim at position of a judge, he'd generously
give his prize to a second place winner.
Recently, relationship between him and Elody took a turn for the better.
He felt ticklish, as if countless cherry blossoms were flowing around him,
carried by a warm spring breeze.
Caville grabbed his chest and took a deep breath. Every time he thought of
his wife's smile, his heart was raging.
The reason for his disordered feelings was change in Elody's attitude.
He could tell by looking in her eyes that she didn't view him as a a
little child any longer.
When their eyes met, he felt ecstatic because nowadays her gaze at him was
always filled with affection.
It was clear that day of her confession was drawing near.
Watching his Lord immersed in a fantasy world with flushed cheeks, Brien
couldn't help but groan.
The contest has begun.
Since festival was dedicated to strawberries, everyone had to find a
creative way to use it.
The results were disastrous. (For Caville).
"Wow! I can't believe I won!!!"
"Huh? So this one was made by Caville, not you?"
The cake Elody thought was made by Heinz and therefore gave 0 points to...
was actually made by Caville.
Everything from its shape to taste was the worst. Even the bottom was
burned!
Heartbroken, Caville looked down. His broad shoulders dropped, "You know,
usually, I'm quite good at it, it's just today I was a little nervous..."
He glared at happy Heinz, who took the first place. Yep, he should've
kicked this bastard out when he had the chance.
From that day on, Caville started taking cooking classes from castle's
head chef.
***
Due to cooking competition, things in the castle became hectic.
Head chef created a new strawberry dessert so all the servants, knights
and wizards were now enjoying their sweet time.
Everyone but Therion, who looked around feeling out of place.
He felt very strange when he saw Elody enthusiastically discussing
something with Heinz.
It wasn't like this before.
The image of Larissa, who he fell so deeply in love with was now faint.
He remembered one time, when their Lord was still at war.
Therion caught a big fish and when chef prepared it, everyone enjoyed a
warm meal in a homely atmosphere.
And most importantly, that day Elody flashed a bright smile at him.
Reminiscing about good old times, Therion bit his lip.
He was dissatisfied but he had to bear with it.

Chapter 107

As Elody predicted, rumors about nitrogen fertilizer and spirits began to

spread.
Neither Imperial Palace nor Temple or other Dukes could move recklessly
now.
The Emperor sent his agent to Cernoir duchy to investigate.
Every day he had nightmares about Crown Prince staring at him from the
throne.
As time went on, Prince's gaze became heavier and heavier so Emperor had
to find a way to bring him down as soon as possible.
Flashback:
Ever since she was kicked out of duchy, Larissa was depressed.
She was still obsessed with Caville and wanted to save him from cruel
hands of the Duchess.
Carolina wanted to help her princess (and herself).
To do that, she needed the power of Duke of Cernoir.
At the time, there was a legend about Caville and Larissa, who met on the
battlefield and fell in love.
It was spread by a word of mouth and via bard's songs. Carolina wanted to
use it to spread rumors.
But legend's popularity was already on decline, and Larissa's exile did't
exactly fit in the picture.
So Carolina decided to make this legend more thrilling. She suggested
Larissa to write about Duchess's corruption.
Larissa got very excited at that notion and so villainess Elody McClair
was born.
With Carolina's guiding hand, Larissa's novel grew with many more details
about Duchess's abusive tendencies.
And when it came to the ending... Larissa remembered a fairytale from her
childhood, where villain was subjected to heavenly judgement.
"The Duchess, after she tried to kill me, she got sick and died all
alone."
Another image came to her mind, the one that scared her greatly when she
was a kid.
One day, a wizard came to their castle. He was sick, and when he died, his
whole body turned into stone.
In Larissa's mind, Elody was a horrible villain, so it was a fitting end.
Although it was just a novel she wrote, Larissa desperately wanted it to
become reality.
But for now, it would be good if the rumor spread and then she'd ask
Emperor to formally investigate the Duchess.
As she wished, the novel with such an excited concept quickly spread in
the capital.
However things didn't exactly go as Larissa wished.
The rumors that said that novel was based on real events died down.
And instead, news about Duchess having spirits on her side started going
around.
Larissa felt defeated. Duchess took everything that should've been hers.
She recalled how some time ago, she met Duke at the bookstore.
She hoped that he came to see her but there was no contact.
Her heart was getting more and more sick.
Carolina suggested a visit to the Temple and there Larissa met an
unexpected benefactor.
***
High Priest Zion was glad to hear the news about new spirits.
He made a magic artifact, similar to what Prince Zendikar used, and
sacrificed lower priests to unlock its full potential.
Zion's final goal was to rule all the spirits.
And the first step was getting his hands on spirits from Cernoir.
***
The Strawberry Festival was a grand success!
A lot of tourists arrived so duchy received a lot of profit.
But the more people arrived, the more security was required.
The Ducal couple held a meeting with Lewis, Caville's aide, who suggested
to hire mercenaries.
Caville decided to call for Heinz, who might still have some connections.
Heinz arrived, still dressed in the judge's gown.
He lost most of his contacts by now but recommended Rain Odan group.
He couldn't tell more so Caville made some rude remarks, but Heinz
perceived them as friendly.
On his way out, he thought that Caville was much sweeter around Elody.

Chapter 108

Lewis was set on investigating the mercenaries and quickly left the
office.
Now there were only two people left, Elody felt incredibly awkward.
"Well then, I shall take my leave."
"Wife, wait." Caville slowly approached Elody.
"Before the festival's over, shall we go see it together?"
Because of a huge workload, the two were forced to stay inside the whole
time.
"And let's have dinner together."
"Okay"
Caville looked down on her trembling eyelashes.
Her eyelids were so pretty that he wanted to kiss them but he had to
resort to a simple touch.
He was satisfied with that but Elody was astonished as if she just saw a
ghost.
Caville was going crazy because of her change in reactions.
He was very pleased with that, but at the same time he missed the days
when he didn't have such urges.
The book he read recommenced to be proactive when it comes to skinship,
but it was still difficult for him.
While he was deep in thoughts, Elody quickly slipped away.
Caville remembered Ifrits's advice about showing off his abs.
It didn't work then but things were different now that she was conscious
of him as a man.
With a hand on his chin, Caville grinned.
***
Temple's secret organization, Judgement of Light, reached the Cernoir
duchy.
Their rank was even higher than Amos's, who was a High Priest.
Unlike their name, they were all dressed in black robes and their eyes
were blank without a hint of emotion.
Hayden, the head of organization, ordered Amos to bring in a map of the
duchy.
Amos was relieved, Judgement of Light will surely solve everything
quickly.
He grinned at the thought that cheery atmosphere of a festival was ought
to be ruined.
However unlike what Amos expected, Hayden took his time. The festivities
went on as planned.
Angered, Amos lashed out and went to his room with heavy steps.
There was a figure quietly watching him.
When Judgement of Light arrived, Theodore knew their purpose.
'They're here to assassinate the Duke.'
Theodore was conflicted. There were times when he wanted to kill Caville
with his own hands.
But when he remembered Elody's letters, his determination was all for
naught.
He couldn't destroy her happiness.
***
Hayden's fist struck the desk in a fit of anger.
He wanted to complete his task as soon as he arrived but couldn't make it
through established magical barriers.
Amos din't inform him about wizards' presence.
"Well, I thought you already knew, being a Judge of Light and all that,"
Amos said with a sneer.
Hayden immediately called his henchmen. He instructed them to find a mole
in Duke's surroundings.
"One who has darkness in his heart, find him."
***
Caville was full of anxiety.
Yesterday, he prepared a dinner for Elody himself.
She was delighted, and praised the meal for being especially delicious.
Remembering her pure smile, his chest hurt.
And so that night he decide to sleep with his shirt unbuttoned.
Caville was waiting for Elody, who upon arrival declared that she wanted
to read a book before bed.
Caville wanted to wait for her but accidentally fell asleep.
When he woke up, she was already gone and he was covered by a blanket up
to his neck.
He was so upset that later in the morning, after greeting his wife, he
didn't even notice that her ears were flushed red.

Chapter 109

Last night, Elody felt the urge to run away as soon as she entered the
bedroom.
Caville, whose muscles peeked out from his unbuttoned shirt, looked very
tempting.
Elody's heart pounded so she quickly made an excuse.
She felt sorry for innocent Caville, who didn't know how tempting his
appearance was.
With his toned body, kind heart and sharp mind, it was no wonder that all
the women in Empire lusted after him.
Elody thought that he was the coolest man in the world.
When she noticed that he fell asleep, she carefully approached the bed and
tried to button his shirt.
However he suddenly turned away so she couldn't do it.
When Elody woke up in the morning, she found herself inside Caville's
strong embrace.
She looked at him, who was sleeping so peacefully (even drooling a little
xD) and swiftly got out of bed.
Stroking his forehead, she felt like she saw this scene in her dream once.
Since when did you become my everything?
Elody thought that her mission was to protect this child, however it was
quite troubling when he turned out like this.
She pulled the blanket all the way to his neck.
***
Elody got a reply from King Andreas of Brenbell Empire. (formerly Prince
Andreas - ch 24)
Earlier she sent a letter, pretending to have in custody one of the
pirates, who distributed fake drugs.
And Andreas took the bait so Elody conducted that Brenbell Empire was
behind the counterfeit production.
Now diplomatic mission was on its way to Cernoir duchy.
The only thing Elody didn't get was the motive. Brenbell Empire was the
main exporter of magic crystals so they didn't need money.
After pondering about it for a while, she decided to go to the lab.
Ifrit, her guardian, was sleeping on her desk all that time so Elody took
him in her arms and went out.
Since the secret was revealed, she started showing off spirits to people
in the castle.
When she descended from the stairs, she noticed there was a commotion in
the hall.
Elody decided to investigate and in the center of it was Caville, who had
baby spirits clinging to him.
The servants were all excited but Caville's expression was full of
annoyance and tiredness.
He didn't understand why he had to babysit those little sh*ts.
When Caville noticed Elody, he rushed to her side. He wanted his wife to
scold these monsters.
In the greenhouse, Elody told Caville all about her dealings with Brenbell
Empire.
Caville promised her to increase the security before mission's arrival.
Next, Elody wanted to talk about declaring their duchy a principality.
She felt guilty that she decided everything on her own, without even
consulting with him.
Elody carefully brought up the topic and explained her position to
Caville.
He was surprised but after thinking for some time, replied in a low voice.
"If we do that, my wife will become my Queen."
It was very embarrassing for Elody to hear these words coming from his
mouth, but he didn't stop at that.
"If my wife asks, I can do anything. I can even become a King of Hell."
In Elody's eyes he did look like a King of Hell. Not a ghastly type
though, but a dangerous, seductive one.
"Umm... Caville, I'm sure we'll be able to make it just fine."
Caville nodded and with that, the two continued their spontaneous tea
break while looking after baby spirits.
It was an extremely precious break for Caville.
But on his way back to the office, he was intercepted by Marie, who had
the face of a real King of Hell.
She was mad at him for skipping his usual bokbunja time. But that wasn't
the only thing.
Marie told him about the time Prince Andreas first visited the duchy and
how he tried to woo Elody.
It didn't work out, of course, but now King was still unmarried and Marie
was afraid it's because he couldn't forget about her Madam.
Caville was now filled with murderous intent so Marie tried hard to calm
him down.
Caville himself realized that killing a King wasn't a good move.
Still, some retribution had to be collected.
His wife said that she wanted to be the Queen...
So wouldn't an island be a perfect gift?

Chapter 110

Caville was brought back from his delusions by Marie's pleadings.

She reminded him that Elody hated wars. And the main reason was him.
Wasn't he separated from his wife because of war?
When he realized how precious he was to Elody, his steps back to the
office became light as feather.
In the office, he met with Ifrit. Someone attempted to breach the
perimeter but was detected by Ifrit's barrier.
Ifrit identified the person as someone from the Temple and it made Caville
anxious.
Then who the hell was the first intruder?
***
The mission from Brenbell has arrived.
"They came pretty quickly," Caville whispered to Elody.
He pretended to be calm but was furious inside. Did the guy miss his wife
this much?
They came out to greet the King in person.
"It's been a while, Duchess."
"Your Majesty, it is an honor to see you."
Elody instructed the servants and asked Norman to investigate something in
private.
"There were no magic crystals on the list of things they brought," Norman
reported to her later.
Now their motive was clear. Production of magic crystals for some reason
halted.
'It means I will have an upper hand in tomorrow's negotiations,' Elody
thought and headed to the bedroom with light steps.
However, in the bedroom, a gloomy Caville was waiting.
She carefully approached him and sat on the bed.
"Wife, do you like King of Brenbell?"
Staring at dumbfounded Elody, Caville recalled their first meeting after
the war.
His wife was extremely awkward and it took them such a long time to get
close again.
But there was a strange feeling of longing in her eyes when she met King
of Brenbell.
"No way!"
"But you smiled at him. I know, he's pretty."
"I did?"
She indeed laughed, but it was because the King was dressed up like a
peacock!
Elody told Caville about her little investigation.
But Caville was still suspicious, "So that's why he came right away? Not
because he wanted to meet with you?"
"Of course. Why would he want to see me anyway?"
'My innocent wife,' Caville thought.
When Prince first came here, he must've fallen in love with her at first
sight.
Caville wanted to gouge this guy's eyes out, for he had been with Elody
when her husband was away.
"I have negotiations tomorrow, so let's go to sleep early," Elody
proposed, lightly stroking Caville's wide back.
At her movements, he tensed, "Wife, if you touch me like this... it's a
little sensitive."
"Huh? I'm so-sorry."
"Because I'm not a child anymore."
"Huh?" Elody was confused and looked into Caville's eyes, filled with
heat.
"You know, I'm a man now."
Elody was confused... Of course she knew that he was a man.
Looking at his red cheeks, she suddenly realized something.
She jumped up with a speed of light and quickly rolled under a blanket.
That whole night her cheeks were even redder than Caville's.
***
Just as expected, Brenbell's true purpose was money.
King Andreas confessed his sins and apologized, desperately avoiding
Caville's intense stare.
Of course he heard rumors about duchy's wealth and spirits.
So when an invitation from Elody came, he canceled his schedule and rushed
to his first love.
After a long time, she was as beautiful as ever.
"If you help my Kingdom, I will be forever indebted to you."
Andreas bit his lip, he could already imagine his aide's nagging if this
negotiation failed.
"I'll help," Elody said with a friendly smile.
Andreas heaved a sigh of relief. She must be an angel from heavens.
But she had such a threatening man by her side! Of course, a gentle lover
like himself would suit her much better.
So when the opportunity arrives and his kingdom regains its wealth, it was
possible to make her his Queen.
In return, Elody asked for permission to build a port on their territory
that was a center of all trade.
"Ah, and of course, there is a matter of counterfeit production. You will
have to pay for it separately."
Elody said with a gentle smile, however corners of her mouth quirked as if
she were a true villain.
Only then Andreas realized.
He was at complete mercy of this woman.
Chapter 111

When Caville saw how easily Elody wrapped Andreas around her finger, he
grinned.
Her villainous appearance was cute and lovely but at the same time elegant
and sexy.
He imagined entering the throne room, kneeling before his intimidating
Queen and kissing her instep.
This image sent shivers down Caville's spine.
While her husband was stuck in a fantasy land, Elody continued the
negotiations.
Since Brenbell was now lacking in magic crystals, the Emperor won't look
lightly on their criminal activity in the capital.
Andreas' face turned pale. He was definitely deceived by her angelic smile
that made him confess his sins.
The only thing he could do now is to comply to her demands.
"As you wish. I'll do my best at helping you build the largest port in the
continent."
Actually, at this moment, doubt appeared in Andreas' mind, 'Is there
actually any evidence that links that gang to us?'
But under Duke's intense stare he couldn't do anything.
Unlike Andreas, who was brought up in peace and prosperity, Caville was
raised on a battlefield and even burned down Empire of Urta.
Andreas was very scared but still brought the question up. At that, Elody
swiftly switched the topic.
"More importantly, tell us why did magic crystals suddenly disappear?"
It was the main reason why Andreas came here. He believed that only the
Duchess, who obtained spirit's powers could help him.
Decades ago, a large meteor landed in the eastern sea of Brenbell.
After it was discovered that this meteor contained magical power, then
King of Brenbell broke it down in small pieces and made his Kingdom rich.
However, those pieces were not infinite. Despite people's prayers, no more
meteors fell from the sky.
When Andreas became King, he took it upon himself to solve this crisis.
His plans on strengthening the economy were hard to implement because
everyone in the kingdom already got a taste of rich life and wasn't ready
to settle for less..
"So, will you provide us with infinite crystals?" Andreas asked with
anticipation.
Elody was stupefied. The only place that produced magic crystals was now
Duchy of Cernoir and she intended it to stay this way.
"You will have to make money the other way."
Since Brenbell Kingdom and Duchy of Cernoir were neighbors, a new port
would benefit them both.
But construction of the port will take years so Andreas was desperate.
"But what should we do until then?"
At his plea, Elody grinned. With help of wizards, it will be done within a
month.
Looking at hist first love with a devilish smile plastered on her pretty
face, Andreas thought that after living with a monster for a while, she
had truly gone insane.
***
Andreas sent a letter to invite engineers from his kingdom to begin
construction as soon as possible.
During his stay in the Cerboir estate, he felt like he was on vacation.
Despite getting goosebumps every time he encountered the Duke, Andreas
thought that if circumstances were different, he'd stay here all his life.
Then, two weeks later Duchess said a very strange thing.
"The port is finished."
Dumbfounded, Andreas and his aide, Carlson, followed the Ducal couple.
The road was neatly paved so they quickly arrived at the scenery.
Before them stood the largest port of this continent. And as if that
wasn't enough...
"Your Highness, is this..?"
The whole haven was made of gold. Was Duchy really this rich?
"Back then, I should've done my best to bring Prince and Duchess
together," Carlson said regretfully.
Andreas kept quiet. He looked at the Ducal couple, who were happily
smiling at each other.
They really looked like an illustration from a fairytale.
Next, Elody presented him with a set of documents. It was a business
agreement, settlement for a fake drug incident and most importantly...
A non-aggression pact in case Heklos Empire declares war!
Andreas was a bit suspicious but Elody assured him that this was just a
hypothetical situation.
In any case, Duchy of Cernoir was the only thing standing between Brenbell
Kingdom and Heklos Empire.
Andreas was ready to sign, and at that moment Norman barged in...
"Madam, some suspicious people are storming our gates!"

Chapter 112

Andreas paled, "W-what's going on?"

"I was told that militias arrived from the east and demanded that we open
the gates!"
Elody wrinkled her forehead. Armed forces, really?
Their Duchy did take in refugees from other territories but on condition
that they drop all their weapons.
"They said they can't drop their weapons because they are being pursued...
they're the mercenaries... Rain Odan..."
Elody remembered Heinz's description of this group. Judging by his words,
they are not a group that moves easily.
They also worked under some nobleman for a while now.
Elody excused herself to Andreas and went to inform Caville.
***
In Caville's office, he was already informed of this incident by Lewis.
"I'm going to see it for myself. My wife, you should stay in the castle
for safety. I have warned Ifrit."
Caville said while holding a sword.
"But Caville, those are the Odan mercenaries."
Seeing his wife's bright expression, Caville's intent to kill the invaders
dissipated right away.
***
Ducal couple, followed by knights, headed directly to the east gate.
And there, the guards were still arguing with the mercenaries.
Caville on his white horse approached the leader of mercenaries, Berenice.
At this sight, Berenice ordered her comrades to drop their weapons.
Looking at mercenaries coming through the gates, Elody was shocked.
They looked like they just came from a swamp, all covered in mud.
If their bodies weren't stained with blood from the wounds, it would be
hard to believe they were mercenaries at all.
And they were all women!
"Please take care of this child," Berenice asked.
A mercenary came from the back of the group, carrying a girl who could
barely breathe and had a wound on her ankle, loosely covered by bandages.
Seeing how those wounds bled without stop, Elody immediately called for a
doctor.
She wanted to check girl's condition herself but Caville stopped her.
"Who are you?" Elody approached the group's leader, dressed in flashy
clothes
"My oh my, isn't that the famous Duchess?" woman said with a smile, "We
are from Count Borque's territory."
That man was Caville's uncle! Elody remembered their unfortunate
encounter. (chapter 12)
Was Count Borque really the nobleman Odan mercenaries swore loyalty to?
Berenice said that the man is pursuing them because they took something
precious from him.
"I promise to you that even if Count comes looking, we won't hand you
over."
Elody was planning on hiring their group for herself so she smiled
brightly.
Berenice heard that Duchy of Cernoir welcomed everyone but was still
suspicious because the Count and the Duke were relatives.
"Duchy of Cernoir is a land of opportunity. Would you like to start anew
in this beautiful place?"
Elody's smile became even brighter. Berenice thought that it sounded
exactly like an advertisement.
'But didn't they say that Duchess was a vicious woman?'
"So... what do you want from us in return?"
Elody laughed, "We'll discuss it later."
"My wife, will it be fine?" Caville asked, his eyes full of worry.
"Don't worry." Elody patted Caville on his back.
Soon she'll obtain the best security guards in the continent.
***
The mercenaries were shocked at warm welcome they received in the castle.
All of them were treated as if they were of noble birth.
Soon, Duchess invited Berenice for a tea.
Berenice felt weird when she held a small teacup with her callous hand,
far more suited for a sword.
"By the way, what happened between you and the Count? We need to know the
circumstances to protect you."
"I cut off his penis."
At these words, Elody spilled the tea she was drinking.
She wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and stared ant Berenice with wide
eyes.
You. Cut. What. Now.
"The injured girl. He tried to lay his hands on her so I cut his penis
off."

Chapter 113
Elody started trembling. She took a sip of remaining tea to calm herself.
"So he's dead."
"No, he's still alive."
Elody didn't know whether this was fortunate or not. Since Count was a
noble, Berenice would face a harsh punishment either way.
"The girl's ankle was severely injured, was it Count Borque's doing?"
"Yes, he cut her ankle when she tried to run away."
This is craziness...
Before this conversation started, Elody went to check on patient's
condition.
The wound was so deep that it could've easily led to her death.
Thankfully, Elody's medicine worked quickly. But there was another
problem.
"She has another illness, you know?"
"Damn it. The lung disease must've gotten worse because we rushed so
fast".
Berenice clenched her fists, feeling miserable.
So she doesn't know...
Earlier, as soon as girl regained consciousness, she started coughing
blood.
The symptom of Mermaid Tears.
When Elody was looking for her own cure, she found some herbs that could
potentially cure this illness.
But she wasn't able to test it until now.
Elody informed Berenice about girl's condition. Turns out, girl's sister
already died from this disease.
"I have herbs that can cure it."
Berenice slowly raised her head to look at the Duchess. At that moment,
Elody was her savior.
Suddenly she recalled a rumor about Duchess trying to poison Dayev's
Princess.
Although woman in front of her eyes didn't look threatening, Berenice
didn't have a choice anyway.
Leaving the Duchy meant certain death for her.
Elody offered Berenice and her group to stay here as knights but Berenice
refused.
She didn't feel worthy of such a high position.
Elody decided to give her more time to think. They all could stay in the
Duchy until the girl was healed.
***
Berenice didn't trust people. Especially nobles.
All she believed in was her sword and her sisters-in-arms.
Only thing nobles were good for is money. But one day...
One of group's members fell into huge debt after her lover swindled all
her money.
She should've been expelled from the group but Berenice didn't want her to
live the life of a slave.
Berenice knew how hard it was because her mother was a slave too.
So she decided to trade the debt for group's services. And benefactor of
this was Count Borque.
Now Odan mercenaries that always valued freedom were forced to stay in his
territory.
Among all nobles, he was the worst. He often beat his servants and laid
hands on maids.
Berenice always stopped him when he tried to approach her sisters.
She patiently endured it all herself until the same thing almost happened
to Greta.
Greta was a half-sister of a man who once saved Berenice's life.
In her brother's absence, Great was brought up in an abusive environment.
Feeling indebted to her savior, Berenice decided to take the girl under
her wing until he came back.
And so when Count tried to assault Greta, Berenice finally lost her temper
and fled immediately after.
She felt that all nobles were trash and Duke of Cernoir would be no
exception.
Moreso, since he was so strong, he must be even worse.
It didn't take Berenice a long time to realize that she was wrong.
***
Mayola, the youngest of the mercenaries, quickly befriended all the maids
her age.
Unlike servants from Borque estate, who treated mercenaries with disdain,
everyone here was friendly.
She got especially close with Olivia.
When Olivia confined in about her dark past, Mayola couldn't believe it.
Duchess's actions in Olivia's incident were even more surprising.
Mayola felt like she was listening about a heroine from some book.
And then one day Duchess invited her for a tea.

Chapter 114

"M-m-me? Why me?" Mayola was so surprised that she stuttered.

If she went to see the Duchess now, she might get scolded by the leader
later.
Olivia, on the other hand, was very casual.
"There's something she wants to discuss. Let's go together."
While Mayola was deep in thought, Olivia grabbed her hand and led her to
the Elody's office.
For a girl with such a small stature, her grip was surprisingly strong.
When Mayola came to, she was already sitting across Elody and eating
delicious cookies.
Duchess smiled lightly and said, "Your name is Mayola, right?"
"Yes..."
"I called you here because I wanted to hear about your experiences in
Count Borque's estate. Just tell me your story."
While worrying about this and that, Mayola started complaining.
Everything, from their rooms to their weapons was old and rusty.
Wounded people didn't receive any treatment.
Food was left rotting on the floor.
Servant's harassment was horrible...
Throughout the conversation Mayola kept peeking on Duchess's face.
Her expression was very dark.
***
Rest of the mercenaries were also enjoying the stay.
It wouldn't be bad to spend the rest of their days here.
One day, there was a commotion among servants.
They were deciding on who should deliver mail to the Duchess.
It would be understandable if maids tried to win favor of the Duke, who
was tall, handsome and on top of that, wealthy!
But did they really fight just to see Duchess's face? It was very strange.
Despite their treatment, mercenaries were feeling uneasy.
They didn't believe in Duchess's charitably.
Berenice was worried so she asked her sisters, "Has anyone here
encountered the Duke?"
One member saw him but was too scary to even make eye contact.
The memory of Count Borque's advances was still fresh in their minds.
But despite their fears, Duke's gaze was focused on only one woman, his
wife.
Berenice decided to interrogate the servants but couldn't get much out of
them.
The only words that came out of their mouths were praises directed at the
Ducal couple.
Berenice suddenly remembered the advert Duchess spewed on their first
meeting.
"Duchy of Cernoir is a land of opportunity. Would you like to start anew
in this beautiful place?"
And judging by the state of the Duchy, those words were not empty.
Berenice decided to check on Greta, but she was already taken away by
Duchess for treatment.
Berenice clicked her tongue and set out to find the girl.
She was worried because although her wound was almost healed, Great was
still too afraid to walk.
And when she finally discovered Greta, the girl was walking hand-in-hand
with the Duchess.
Berenice smiled. It was a slow pace but there was no fear on Greta's face.
Maids, who were standing nearby also cheered on.
"Madam, the girl is so cute, isn't she?"
"Yes, Greta is charming." Elody replied, patting on Greta's head.
"When Madam gives birth, I'm sure her kids will be adorable as well,"
Marie said with an ecstatic expression.
"..."
"Oh, I'm looking forward to that day!"
"Me too!" the rest of the maids chimed in.
Elody was in trouble.
"Anna is already making clothes for the baby."
At these words, Elody muttered to herself, "You're all insane!"
Berenice was surprised. Greta was a bit of a gloomy child so how did she
get acquainted with everyone so fast?
She couldn't comprehend everyone's obsession with the Duchess.
***
Berenice woke up in the middle of the night.
She was thirsty but her kettle was empty so she decided to visit next
room, where Greta was staying.
But something was wrong.
The door to girl's room was slightly opened.
Berenice cursed herself. She got too cozy in this castle and got caught
off-guard.
She looked inside and unsurprisingly, the Duke was already there.
'That bastard...'
Seems like the blood in this family was cursed.
Berenice barged in the room..
Chapter 115

T/N: sorry , I misunderstood a bit. Correct last sentence would be:

Berenice was about to barge in the room when...
"The treatment goes well. It will take more time to cure the disease
completely but her condition improved a lot."
She heard the voice of the Duchess who was hidden by the door.
"My wife, isn't it a bit excessive?" Caville's hand has been quietly taken
by Elody.
"You know, when I first saw this girl, she reminded me about your
childhood. How much you've suffered, how lonely it was for you... My chest
still hurts when I think about it."
"I am fine now."
"I know, but still... When I see an injured child, I can't just walk
away."
"My wife." Caville gently kissed back of Elody's hand.
She kept healing the wounds he couldn't even remember about. And will keep
doing it until the rest of their lives.
It was annoying having someone peek on their private moment but Caville
endured. It was a mercenary his wife wanted to get hands on for the
longest time.
He rubbed his cheek on Elody's palm. His spoiled gesture reminded Elody of
a kitten so she smiled.
It was a time to enjoy the sweet atmosphere.
***
Next day, Berenice finally agreed to become the knight.
But first, she wanted to meet someone. Elody allowed her to use the
teleport.
Although Berenice now realized that Duchess wasn't like other nobles, she
still didn't understand why would Duchess want to knight some poor
mercenaries.
Elody explained that she heard a lot of good things about their skills.
So while Odan mercenaries protect her people, the title of Cernoir knights
will protect them.
She held Berenice's hand an promised that she will personally make sure no
one comes after them.
Berenice looked at Duchess's pure soft hand holding onto her rough callous
one, once covered in a dirty blood and wondered...
How can such fine hands protect me?
Despite the disparity in her mind, Berenice knew that Duchess would indeed
protect her,
Berenice smiled. Elody was the first one to reach out her hand to a guilty
sinner like her.
It didn't matter if rumors about the Duchess were true, Berenice won't
ever turn her back.
Seeing determination in Berenice's eyes, Elody smiled victoriously.
It was the moment when the greatest Order of Knights in the history was
born.
***
Brien's expression was crumpled upon hearing the news but he still
followed the orders.
There was a small backlash from original Knights of Cernoir but it didn't
last long.
When they started complaining about sharing their title with mercenaries
again...
"Again? What do you mean by 'again'?" all the former mercenaries instantly
rebelled.
It could've turned into a huge fight if not for Heinz.
"I will personally kill anyone who rebels against Madam."
Heinz, who was holding a wet broom in his hands, looked very threatening.
The knights bit their tongues. No one was willing to die by Heinz's broom.
They were still shocked at his new founded devotion for the Duchess.
But no matter what they were thinking, Heinz's expression was bright.
'Madam took my words to heart and even fetched the mercenaries herself!
Woohoo, I didn't realize that she trusts me this much!?'
He smiled, immersed in his fantasy world. He was so proud of himself he
was about to die!
Still holding onto his broom, he thought about inviting Odan's leader for
a drink.
Although he was reinstated in his original position, it was still his duty
to clean around greenhouse for the rest of his life.
Caville intended this as a punishment but it was no punishment for Heinz.
Rather, he was quite proud of it.
***
Wizards built a new building for Odan mercenaries.
Elody was very honored to get their help and wizards were very honored to
get to her library.
On her way to check the new training grounds, she was informed by Norman
about mixed reaction to her decision.
Elody thought it wouldn't be bad to have a healthy competition between two
knights factions.
Brebell's mission also went well. King Andreas should already be home by
now.
Flashback:
Elody kept their treaty in the vault in the bedroom.
When she went to check it, Caville took a peek at other items she kept
there.
"Wife, what is this?" Caville took a small box and opened it.
There were faded sheets of paper stored inside.
"You don't remember? Those are all drawings we made as kids."
She took a small card out of the box, "Look, it's so cute!"
There was something written on it with a child's sloppy handwriting:
[Thank you. I love my wife the most.]*
It was a letter Elody received from Caville on her birthday when they were
kids.
"Is this my wife's treasury?"
"Yes, those are my most precious things."
Elody carefully put the papers back in the box.
Suddenly, Caville hugged her from behind.
Elody gasped in shock so Caville buried his head on her small shoulder and
hugged her even tighter.
His sudden actions made Elody tense. She soon managed to calm herself and
put her hand on Caville's thick arm that was wrapped around her waist.
Seems like he got excited when he saw how much she cherished all their
childhood memoirs.
She stroked his arm with relish and he buried his face in the nape of her
neck.
Caville closed his eyes for a moment. It was a feeling that filled his
heart with warmth.
His wife always managed to make him feel helpless.
"Caville, I know you also keep all my presents."
"But my greatest gift is my wife. The treasure that I will keep for a
lifetime."
His blatant words made Elody blush.
"You... you are also my greatest treasure."
At Elody's small reply, Caville's hands around her waist tightened a
little.
* T/N: I assume it's the letter from chapter 6 but it's not certain
because MTL doesn't pick up on what's inside the [...]

Chapter 116

If maid didn't knock at that moment, who knows what could've happened back
there...
Recalling that incident, Elody's cheeks turned red.
Norman and Marie started worrying that their Madam was sick but she just
shook them off and hastened her step.
***
Elody quickly inspected everything. She wanted to entrust Odan knights
with securing the downtown area.
Soon, she was approached by Berenice, who was sporting a brand new
uniform.
Odan knights, draped in black cloaks and riding black horses was like an
image from a fairytale.
Berenice told her that everyone was amazed by new faculty.
Next, Elody visited Cernoir knights.
She was soon interjected by Brien. When he approached, he gave Marie a
pleading look but she didn't bulge.
Elody was worried about new knights but Brien told her that a certain
idiot promised to kill anyone who dares to rebel.
At words 'certain idiot', Elody immediately recalled Heinz's face.
Then Therion ran to them with a bright expression.
"Oh my, sir Therion." Elody greeted him with a bright smile.
Marie carefully inspected Therion's expression, which has become
particularly bright.
"Madam, you seem to have lost some weight," he said in a worried tone.
Norman and Marie's expressions darkened.
"Is that so?" Elody smiled awkwardly, "I'll ask my Lord about it. Please
take care of Odan mercenaries. Help them to adapt."
Brien assured Elody that everyone was looking forward to their joint
training.
He was also curious about Odan knights' rumored skills. It was his
responsibility to manage both branches.
Elody thanked him for his hard work and walked away.
Therion stared at her with regret.
Lately, he couldn't find any opportunity to talk with Madam tet-a-tet.
When Duchy of Cernoir expanded so rapidly, Therion felt that he had become
completely useless.
It was but a passing thought but it was enough to make lonely Therion
depressed.
***
In the greenhouse, Ifrit was sulking. He was used to being in Elody's arms
but...
Caville prohibited him from touching his wife so he could only follow hew
from a distance.
Elody, who was oblivious to his suffering, wrinkled her forehead.
"Soon Count Borque will start moving about."
"Oh, the guy who lost his #&@! ?"
"..."
The knights that were pursuing Odan mercenaries were turned back at
Cernoir gates.
The should've arrived back at Count's territory by now. And when he hears
the news, he will surely freak out.
Elody's thoughts were interrupted by loud noises coming from the
strawberry field.
Baby spirits abandoned their duty and were now messing around in the
greenhouse.
Ifrit looked at them with disdain. He felt himself like a mother who
couldn't discipline her kids.
From night till morning, when Caville and Elody were together, spirit's
duty ended.
But it was a hard time for Ifrit, who had to to look after the babies.
Elody wanted to lure baby spirits back to Cavile's office but they loudly
protested.
...well, at least they learned new words.
It was strange. At first they loved Caville because his mana was even
stronger than Elody's.
So what happened?
"We were bullied by him," baby bear spoke.
Elody realized that she could now understand them easier. But still
couldn't get the meaning behind his words.
Ifrit laughed, "Of course he would bully you guys. Are you stupid? Maybe
if you annoyed him less..."
The expressions of baby spirits darkened.
Elody started defending her babies so Ifrit snapped.
"You! How could you do this to me? I'm always by your side and yet you
betray me like that?!"
If only she knew what havoc these troublemakers threw every night!
Ifrit got upset and decided to switch jobs. He took a mouthful of
strawberries and left.
"Go away! We hate Ifrit!"
"Yes, we only like strawberries!"
Now Elody was left one-on-four with baby spirits.
She decided that she was being too neglectful of Ifrit and should pay more
attention to him from now on.
Elody looked at baby spirits. What exactly did they do to harass Caville?
He was such a kind, pure and affectionate man. He wouldn't bully them for
no reason.

Chapter 117

Long story short, little sh*ts were shamelessly begging Caville for more
strawberry treats.
He refused every time and glared at them which caused a deep psycological
trauma (or so they say).
Elody was confused. How could Caville be scary?
Of course at first she was a bit uncomfortable around grown up Caville.
But overtime, the image of young Caville overlapped with his new
appearance.
Now Elody once again found him adorable.
Even his scary expression was cute.
Elody smiled imagining a sulky Caville.
***
Meanwhile, a great storm descended at Count Borque's estate.
He ordered to imprison the knights who failed to catch Odan mercenaries.
Count sent several complaints to Duchy of Cernoir but received no reply.
Still, he couldn't risk going into war with his nephew, who destroyed the
Empire of Urta.
So he sent letters to Imperial Palace as well but seems like the Emperor
decided to stay neutral on this issue.
To add fuel to the fire, neither the most famous doctors nor priests
couldn't fix his 'damaged parts'.
Count Borque was seething.
Flashback:
Before that, he was already upset at news about peace and prosperity in
Cernoir Duchy.
He wanted to vent his frustration on one of the servants as usual but
picked a wrong target to mess with.
The girl was under protection of Odan mercenaries' leader.
He felt no remorse about what he's done because he viewed his people as
property to be used.
In a midst of his struggles,a package from the Emperor arrived.
In it was a letter with apology for staying neutral and a consolation
gift, an old artifact in form of a dagger.
When Count Borque unsheathed the dagger, a rusty blade was revealed.
And inside, there was a small note.
When Count read its contents, he started laughing like a maniac.
"Seems like Emperor won't abandon me after all..."
***
Suddenly, Elody became curious about how other people view Caville.
She was taking a stroll with Marie so she asked about it right away.
Marie thought that Caville was a good boy who took his shouts of bokbunja
diligently... but she couldn't say it.
"The Lord is cold and strict."
Elody was surprised. At that moment, Olivia came from the distance.
She asked for permission to join the stroll and held onto Elody's arm.
Elody thought that usually gloomy Olivia became somewhat brighter
recently. Did she get a boyfriend?
Elody asked for her opinion on Caville.
Olivia recalled a moment she saw on the training grounds.
The Lord was beating down Heinz as if he was just a rag doll. If
circumstances were different she'd think he was trying to kill him.
"The Lord is... scary. But he's a good person," Olivia answered
respectfully.
Although she was a bit scared, she still recognized his strength. Such a
man was worthy of protecting her Madam.
Back in the office, Elody was greeted by gloomy Ifrit.
He was rejected by Caville and returned to his original post.
Elody decided to soothe him a little, "I'm sorry Ifrit. I didn't mean it
like that... of course I'm on your side."
Ifrit's expression brightened.
"Anyway, why are you going around asking about your husband?"
"I'm just curious how other people see him. What about you?"
"He's a very simple guy. It's the first time I met someone like him in the
human world."
Elody realized what Ifrit and Caville were somewhat similar. Both of them
were so blunt.
"And he's very dangerous."
"Caville is..?"
"Yes. His threats are top notch. Do you really think that your husband is
all nice and cute? That's all artificial, all fake!"
Ifrit's sudden revelation felt like a joke to Elody.
"Yes, he only pretends to be cute in front of you!"
"Caville is a good man," Elody refuted.
Ifrit started grumbling and at that time someone knocked at the door.
"Wife," Caville came in.
Since they were just discussing him, Elody felt like she got busted.
After coming into her office, Caville gave Ifrit a strict glare.
Self proclaimed King of Spirits trembled and slowly retreated towards the
window.
"Caville, did you scold Ifrit?"
"Yes. I'm more relieved when he's by your side so I sent him back."
"Is that so?"
"Yes," Caville replied with a small smile.
Ifrit, who was preparing to leave through the window, trembled in anger.

Chapter 118

"My wife, let's have a meal."

"Yes," Elody took Caville's outstretched hand. It was so warm and gentle.
In the dining room, Elody constantly snuck glances at Caville.
He was elegant enough to be a King or an Emperor.
She thought about what could've happened if they never met as kids.
If her first meeting was with adult Caville, she'd probably fall in love
at first sight.
"Wife, is there something on my face?"
Elody's indecent thoughts got interrupted.
"Oh, it's nothing," she smiled awkwardly.
Caville started at flustered Elody and laughed.
"By the way, I decided to erect a statue in your honor in downtown area."
"Pheeew....." Elody spewed her tea.
Caville approached Elody and gently wiped her mouth with his handkerchief.
"Just like a child... Should I feed you myself?"
"Oh no!" she only spilled her tea once and he was already treating her
like a baby!
"So what were you saying about the statue?"
When Elody asked, Caville, with the most proud expression in the world,
told her about his plan.
There was a man in Lewis's command, his name was Peter. He was a very
sincere and diligent man.
He came up with an idea of building a statue of Duchess holding a basket
of strawberries.
'A sincere man..? DId he sustain a brain injury at some point?'
"It was a great idea so I told him to proceed. I've already allocated the
funds."
Caville's eyes glistened. He was just like a small child who wanted adults
to praise him.
Apparently wizards were already ready to proceed.
Elody's head hurt just by imagining it.
But on the other hand, it was obvious that no one but her knew the real
Caville.
He was such a kind, sweet and innocent man!
She had no idea that he would soon break this mold.
***
Next morning.
It was such a nice sunny day, accompanied by birds' singing.
Elody was working in the lab while humming something to herself.
Ifrit was sleeping on his back next to her, snoring.
Aaand they were interrupted. Apparently Caville needed to consult with
Elody so he send Anna to fetch her.
Elody was worried. Caville was such a good Lord. What could've happened?
She woke up Ifrit and went to Caville's office right away.
First thing she noticed upon her arrival was... clutter. There was a lot
of weird stuff piled up.
Long story short, after people heard the news about Peter building a
statue, they came up with their own merchandise.
Following Lewis's advice, Caville decided to ask for Elody's help in
sorting through all of it.
There was a postcard with Elody's portrait by Sirka, an embroidered
handkerchief from Marie and even a poem... by Heinz.
Caville wanted to turn the poem into song and spread it throughout the
capital.
Elody was irritated. She thought he was drowning in work and yet..!
Caville asked her opinion about badges with her portrait. He wanted to
distribute them among the knights.
"What the hell is all this... No!"
Caville was surprised at his wife's rejection. He thought she was just
being shy so decided to proceed on his own.
Elody sighed and looked at Lewis who was about to get very busy.
Everyone's going insane...
***
Elody's peaceful afternoon was also interrupted.
While she was making medicine for Greta, Marie barged in and started going
on about Forest of Death, monsters... and the Lord.
Blood drained from Elody's face. She grabbed snoring Ifrit and headed to
the castle.
After ordering the remaining knights, she asked Norman about Caville.
"As soon as Lord heard the news, he ordered to keep Madam safe and
immediately leaped through the portal."
Since Duke left the castle, Duchess had to take his place. But Elody was
anxious.
She went to her office and prayed for his safety. She couldn't stay still
while he gone.
Wouldn't it be fine for her to come along as long as she had Ifrit?
Elody made a decision.
She went to the greenhouse to get baby spirits.
"You want to go where? You know, your husband will be very angry. I'll get
scolded too!"
Ifrit tried to persuade Elody to no avail.
Only seeing Caville could help her in this state.

Spoiler: Children
They will have twins named Roel and Miel. Roel is boy and he looks like
Elody while Miel is girl who looks like Caville. Ifrit will be their
godfather :>

Chapter 119

"I'll just take a look and come back right away. You can stay with Caville
if you want."
"Ha! So you need me after all, don't you?" Ifrit said triumphantly.
Elody ignored his remark and started persuading baby spirits who were also
against her plan.
"If something happens to Caville, I'll die. And when I'm gone, all my mana
that supports this greenhouse will disappear. So where are you going to
get strawberries?"
The threat worked. In her head, Elody apologized to the knights who were
guarding her outside the greenhouse.
She embraced the spirits and closed her eyes.
When she came to, she was standing on the outskirts of the Forest of
Death.
Elody heard soldiers screaming. When she noticed smoke rising from the
area, her anxiety reached its peak.
She held baby spirits close and came in to search for Caville.
Soon, she was discovers by Heinz.
"Madam? You're the real Madam? What are you doing here?!" Heinz asked with
a stupid look. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"Caville, what about Caville?" Elody asked worriedly after looking at
Heinz's blood-stained armor.
"Oh, you better not see him."
"Lead me to him!"
Heinz glared at Elody but in the end covered her with his bloody cloak and
led her to the battlefield.
Soon, Elody learned the meaning behind Heinz's words.
She hid behind the tree to assert the situation.
Monsters were running around like crazy. And in the center of their riot
stood Caville.
Chill ran down Elody's spine. He looked completely different from the man
she knew.
His eyes flared red and his armor was drenched in monsters' blood.
At first glance, by the way he lightly swung his sword, it seemed like he
was having fun.
His steel cut through monsters like a knife through butter.
It was a slaughter.
This was the first time Elody felt this scared around Caville.
Baby spirits clung to her body. They were terrified as well.
Elody looked around to meet Heinz's gaze.
"I told you it's better not to see him in this state."
"What's going on with these monsters?"
"I don't know really. When I came here, they were already running around
like that. This is the first time it happened."
That was strange. Did someone do something to agitate them?
Suddenly, spirits in Elody's arms started trembling. Surprised, she looked
up.
After dealing with all the monsters, Caville came to her with blood still
dripping from his armor.
Heinz got scared and tried to run away but Caville caught him and threw
him on the ground.
Caville looked very upset so when Elody felt her husband's murderous
intent, she called him out.
"Cav... Caville..."
His gaze instantly fell on her. He looked down on his blood covered attire
and clicked his tongue.
"Who brought you here?" his voice was cold. Elody has never heard him
speak like this before.
"T-t-that is..."
"What if something happened to you?"
"C-C-Caville..."
"Damn it!" he swept his hair in frustration.
Elody has never seen Caville so angry. It was as if he was scolding her.
So she held her tongue and looked down.
Caville bit his lip and shouted at Heinz.
"Did you bring her here?"
"No, no, of course not!" Heinz bowed his head and shook it in denial.
"...First, I have to send you back," Caville, who was holding his breath
for a while, said in a low voice.
"Yes, Yes... sure! I'll take my leave now," Elody spewed and ran away.
She commanded the baby spirits and a moment later was already standing
inside the greenhouse.
Upon arrival, she immediately got scolded by Ifrit, who was glad to be
proven right.
"Remember I told you not to go? Do you still think that your husband is
cute?"
Baby spirits enthusiastically joined in bashing Caville.
"Caville isn't cute!" - "He's so scary!" - He said we'll be punished!"
Elody recalled Caville's angry expression. She thought that she actually
didn't know him better than anyone.
She didn't know the sides of him that he only showed to others.
Scary, cold, strict...
"Are you terrified of him now? Is he still your cute and adorable
husband?" Ifrit spoke without any concern for her feelings.
Elody's face crumpled. Of course Caville would be shocked that she
appeared out of nowhere. But still...
"Madam! Madam! What's going on?!" Marie shouted from outside the
greenhouse.
Elody said that everything was fine and then... her legs gave out.
She sat down the floor. She needed a moment to catch her breath.
'Anyway, I'm glad.' Above all else, she was happy to see that Caville was
unharmed.
"Seems like he got quite mad..." she whispered.
At these words, Ifrit snapped.
"Of course he did! Your safety is his highest priority. Why do you think
he attached this King of Spirits to your side? He values you more than his
own life!"
Elody had no response to Ifrit's scolding. Still, she couldn't help it.
Every time she recalled Caville's appearance from her nightmare, her heart
pounded.
So even though her actions were impulsive and reckless, she had to go.
What if this nightmare was a foreboding or a warning sign?
Fear momentarily overwhelmed her mind.
Ifrit got a kick out of teasing Elody so he kept going.
"Remember his angry face? You're in a lot of trouble now. He might even
say that he wants to divorce you!"
At these words, Elody's expression darkened. Surely that wouldn't
happen... right?
She felt anxious when she recalled emotions, reflected in his eyes. Fear,
despair and worry...
All that helplessness because he was afraid she might get hurt.
"How angry he must've been!" - "So angry!" - "I was scared!"
To Ifrit's amusement, babies kept adding fuel to the fire.
Tears welled in Elody's eyes.
"So you must listen to Ifrit from now on!" - "No! Don't listen to him!
Ifrit is an idiot!" - "Hey, you!"
After a brief brawl, Ifrit shut little devils down with strawberries.
Then he looked at Elody. He was having a lot of fun but it wasn't the case
for her.
'Did I tease her too much?'

Chapter 120

Looking at Elody's crestfallen appearance, Ifrit had a thought.

'By the way, it must've been the first time I've seen this guy so angry.'
Ifrit was the only one who knew how much Caville valued Elody so he could
somewhat understand his feelings.
Every time he opened his moth, it was 'Elody this, Elody that...'
If someone could read his thoughts, they would probably be filled with E -
L - O - D -Y.
Ifrit patted Elody on her back, "You know, he's a simple guy. He was just
worried that you could get hurt."
Even with his belated comforting, Elody was still gloomy.
It was fun to tease her a little but looking at her pale complexion, Ifrit
felt uncomfortable.
He decided to make up for his mischief with producing more elemental
crystals.
Elody thanked him, still sulking.
"Hey, do you hear me? I just wanted to tease you a little. How would this
guy ever abandon you? For him to want a divorce... not gonna happen."
In fact, Caville ordered Ifrit to tell him if there was any sign of Elody
wanting to leave.
But it was a secret.
"In this whole world he only cares about you. Nothing else matters to
him."
Elody stayed silent. It was a fact she knew all too well. So she felt
sorry for Caville.
Eventually, after hiding in a greenhouse for a long time, Elody headed
back to the castle with a grim face.
The servants and knights were all puzzled by her look.
Norman informed her that situation in the Forest was under control and no
one was seriously injured.
Elody nodded and headed to her room with heavy steps, leaving confused
Norman behind.
'Just what's going on with our Madam?'
***
Caville didn't return to the castle until late at night.
Between burning all the corpses in the Forest and looking for cause of the
incident, Caville's head was filled with image of Elody's surprised face.
He regretted leaving such an impression on her and therefore was
depressed.
Caville didn't know what went through is head when he saw her standing
there, behind the tree.
He felt as if he was falling from the cliff.
His destiny was to protect his wife.
Although she never asked for it, he thought that as long as he could be
her guard, she would stay by his side.
If he ever let her get hurt, she would think of him as nothing but a
burden.
Looking down his blood stained armor, Caville felt sick. It was even worse
since his wife also saw it.
He took a long bath to erase all traces of blood.
Afterwards, he carefully inspected himself in the mirror for any leftover
spots. Thankfully, there was no sign of them.
Nonetheless, he was afraid. His wife might still remember his terrifying
appearance.
Caville buried his face in his palm, 'What do I do if she says she hates
me?'
He didn't want to imagine what he would do to her if she really said that.
He stood before the bedroom door, pondering about how he should act around
his wife.
"Damn it," Caville sweared and pressed his head against the door.
He felt like he was back to being his child self, who was afraid of being
around adults.
In the end, he decided to be courageous and carefully opened the door.
"Caville..." Elody , who was waiting for him on the bed, jumped in
surprise.
But Caville didn't respond. He couldn't even look her in the eyes now.
He thought about asking to sleep in separate rooms again, or saying that
he would take his leave now, or...
No. He didn't want to run away like he used to.
With eyes full of fear, Caville slowly looked up.
"Caville," Elody stood before him, "Caville, I'm sorry."
His eyes widened in confusion, his expression showed that he didn't
realize what she apologized for.
Elody grabbed Cavile's hand. She truly felt sorry for him, who had to hold
the sword with his hand and protect everyone.
"I'm sorry, Caville. I was so worried about you... Are you hurt anywhere?"
Elody anxiously looked over his body. Then she heard his voice...
"Wife..." he looked down on her with sad eyes. Just what was she
apologizing for... Did she want to leave again?
Tears started dripping from Caville's eyes. He hugged Elody close. It was
a desperate gesture.
"Wife, I was wrong. I shouldn't have shouted at you. I was just afraid
that you might get hurt. So I was wrong. I was wrong..."
"It's okay, Caville. I understand. I'm sorry too."
Caville silently pressed his head against Elody's neck, his tears wetting
her nightgown.
Elody gently stroked his wide back.
"I'm afraid my wife will leave me. Are you going to abandon me?" Caville
confessed in a small voice, filled with desperation.
Elody realized. Caville, who everyone thought was so scary, was actually
such a fragile person inside.
She slowly pulled out from his embrace.
Caville looked down on her in confusion. His whole face was messy with
tears so he got embarrassed.
He tried to quickly wipe them away but when Elody reached out and cupped
his cheeks, his hand stiffened.
"Caville, I will never leave you. Never."
"Wife..."
"And you know, I actually... I... you..." Elody hesitated and pursed her
lips.
Caville's eyes flashed. His thumb traced all over Elody's lips, which were
about to confess something.
It was as if he was trying to stop the words that were about to spill from
her mouth.
Elody got confused at his sudden change and stepped back.
Caville quietly approached her and soon she fell the wall right behind her
back.
Feeling trapped, Elody looked up at Caville. He looked somewhat
overwhelmed.
"Caville..."
"Don't say it."
Elody bit her lip. So Caville didn't want to hear her confession? Her fear
soared.
His expression was dark as his big palm stroked her cheek.
"If I hear it now, I won't be able to hold back."
"Caville..."
"You drive me crazy."
Elody held her breath. His eyes were glistening with heat.
"My wife, you don't know how much I... how crazily I want to..."
"Caville."
"So now is not the time."
Elody's cheeks burned red at his warning. Caville's low voice could no
longer contain his passion.
So Elody decided to be brave. She cupped Caville's face with her shaky
hands.
Her voice was trembling but she gathered all her courage...
"You don't have to hold back. I..."
Their lips overlapped. At this moment, they sought each other.
The first kiss had a taste of sorrow.
Tips of their noses met in a very lovely manner.
Caville felt like he was melting but he endured and slowly swallowed her
lips.
Elody felt tears dripping down his face so she carefully wiped them off.
Suddenly, their slow and sweet kiss got heated.
Caville tightly embraced Elody and swept his fingers through her hair.
They separated for a moment to catch a breath.

Chapter 121

It was then when a knock on the door interrupted their sweet moment.
In the hazy atmosphere the whole situation felt like a dream.
Caville frowned at the unwelcomed visitors.
Looking at his gloomy appearance, Elody burst into laughter.
***
Norman and Brien were waiting for Caville in his office.
Suddenly, they heard a loud bang coming from the bedroom and soon Caville
came in.
His eyes were so threatening that Brien's breath stopped for a moment.
Did he have a quarrel with Madam?
"What is it?" Caville asked, glaring at Brien. His murderous intent was
obvious.
Brien gulped even though he was just following his Lord's orders.
He instructed them to inform him on any developments from the battle.
And now they found a clue in the Forest of Death. It was a small dagger,
covered in mud.
Soon, Elody came to join them. Her eyes were wet which didn't go unnoticed
by Norman and Brien.
It was definitely an aftermath of an argument between the Ducal couple!
The mood was really low, they didn't even look at each other!
Besides, Madam, who was checking the dagger made a noticeable effort to
avoid the Lord.
Brien thought that he could use this situation as pretext to finally talk
to Marie.
"Was this found in the Forest?" Elody reached out to touch the dagger but
her hand was smoothly intercepted by Caville.
"Don't touch it. It might be dangerous."
After releasing her hand, Elody quickly hid it behind her back.
'It definitely was a lovers quarrel.'
Norman and Brien's eyes were scrupuosly monitoring the situation.
Elody concluded that item was an artifact. She quickly summoned Marie,
changed clothes and headed to the lab.
Caville soon followed her.
***
In the greenhouse, Elody woke up Ifrit and asked for his help.
He was surprised to see Caville by her side.
"Why did you come?"
"Is it weird for a husband to be by his wife's side?" at his blunt answer,
Ifrit giggled and followed Elody.
She told him the story behind the dagger. Which was hard for her to do in
this current situation.
She felt chocked just by being in the same room as Caville.
It was too embarrassing to even look at him. Thankfully, Ifrit was sitting
between the two.
Ifrit said that this artifact had a weird mana that could only be detected
by him.
When Elody asked what it meant, Ifrit just stared at her.
"You, your eyes are swollen. It means that you were crying. Hm... your
lips are swollen as well."
Elody quickly covered her mouth so Ifrit turned his gaze to Caville.
"Hey, your eyes are swollen too! Did you cry again?"
'Again???' Caville glared at Ifrit. But he just giggled as if he already
knew everything that happened.
Elody bowed her head in shame.
"You're both grown up and you still fightl?! Even baby spirits don't fight
anymore! Ugh."
Fortunately, seems like he didn't figure it out just yet. Elody sighed in
relief.
Back to the subject in hand, Ifrit told her that this artifact was used to
control people's will.
But the artifact was broken so monsters started rampaging.
The artifact itself was useless now because it was messed up with
monsters' mana but it was still possible to extract magic crystal out of
it.
Elody started working. It was a long process but Caville's eyes never left
her figure.
When their eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze. She remembered their
kiss.
Her heart was beating so loud that she was afraid the sound of it could be
heard by others.
Ifrit, who was napping on the desk, decided to comment.
"Hey, did you two really fight? Elody, what did this guy do wrong? Why
does he look at you as if he's about to eat you?"
Elody wanted to forcibly shut his mouth.
And Caville, who indeed was looking at her like that, felt irritated.
He did not like the current situation but he couldn't help it.
His body cooled down but fire inside his chest just kept growing stronger.
He couldn't take his eyes off his wife.
He wanted to hug her again, kiss her lips and whisper sweet nothings into
her ears.
He wanted to get closer.
"Hey you, stop staring at my benefactor!"
Caville sighed. He was very annoyed.
Ifrit proudly turned to Elody, 'Did you see that? I'm on your side!'
In the end, they only returned to castle at dawn.
Caville had to go on a patrol right away and Elody decided to take a short
nap.
Elody felt sorry for her husband but it was just a part of the course for
him.
"I'll be back soon, wife," he bowed down and kissed her cheek before
leaving.
This kiss brought up memories of their previous mischief so Elody, with
her cheeks dyed red, couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
And when she woke up, the whole castle was already in uproar.
'The Lord and Madam had a fight!'

Chapter 122

It was raining since early morning so most of the servants were stuck
inside.
It was a great atmosphere for an exciting rumor to spread.
And the source of it was Brien. When he woke up that day, first thing he
did was to go meet Marie.
He was immediately stopped by Silvia, who knew that Marie didn't wish to
see him.
But this time he had a good excuse.
Since it was something regarding the Madam, Marie agreed to meet up with
him in the common room.
He told her about last night's events and tried to lure her somewhere more
private to discuss things in detail but Marie pushed him away.
Marie ran away to consult with Norman while Brien stood there dumbfounded.
He really wondered if this was the end.
The servants gathered on an emergency meeting. The opinions on who was in
the wrong there were divided.
Some outright blamed the Lord and some thought that their Madam was way
too oblivious.
But conclusion was uniform. The two must be reconciled. By force, if
necessary.
A sudden inspection would be a nice excuse for them to make up but Marie
was more extreme.
She wanted to lock them up together.
***
Elody was working on magic crystal she extracted from the dagger.
She determined that it most likely belonged to Count Borque.
He only sent formal complaints so far so she didn't think he was able to
do something like this.
'Anyway, it didn't go as planned so I better go back to work.'
But she couldn't get his image from her mind. And the more she thought
about what a lowly being he was, the more she wanted to applaud Berenice.
Caville deployed more troops to the Forest of Death but Elody was still
nervous.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Marie, who told her that there was a
problem on a wheat field.
Looking at her Madam frantically collecting her herbs, Marie grinned.
***
In the carriage, Elody curiously looked at Caville siting across her.
"What are you doing here?"
"Whenever my wife goes, I shall follow."
And so, the two embarked on their date that wasn't a date.
"It's raining quite a bit," Elody commented while looking in the window.
And Caville looked at Elody. His attention was fixed on her red lips.
Because her hair was tied, her ears and nape of her neck were also exposed
to him.
In an instant, his face flushed red. Caville covered his face with his
palm to hide the reddening cheeks.
Meanwhile, Elody wondered what could've happened on the field.
But when they arrived, everything seemed to be fine. Rather, wheat was
growing very steadily.
Marie, who was following her inspection with a big umbrella, declared,
"Ooops, I guess I was wrong. Sorry," and giggled shamelessly.
On their way back, while Elody was lost in thought, the carriage rattled
strongly.
Caville easily caught his wife, who was startled.
The coachman came to apologize. Seems like wagon's wheel broke and they
had to stay inside until it was repaired.
Elody sighed and leaned back against her seat. It was a weird situation.
Caville seemed to know more about it,
"You know, servants has been acting weird all day."
"What might you mean?"
"Seems like they misinterpreted our mood from yesterday. It's all Brien's
fault." he replied while stroking his chin.
Elody clenched her fists and sighed. Sir Vedos...
"But thanks to that, we finally have some alone time," it didn't seem like
Caville was mad at Brien at all.
Elody glanced out of the window. The coachman and Marie were discussing
something in the distance. Both were laughing.
The knights also dispelled to guard the surroundings.
"It feels like we got caught," Elody said as Caville moved to sit next to
her.
Surprised, Elody turned to look at him. He was bowing his head to hide
hide his shyness but it was hard to hide anything when he was as red as a
beetroot.
Elody decided to take the initiative and reached out to take Caville's
hands. They were warm.
Then Caville looked up, "I wish I could be alone with my wife like this
forever."
At his confession, Elody hesitated for a moment and replied, "Me too."
Caville smiled. It was the truth. Elody also wanted to be alone together
but the situation they were in didn't allow many moments for that.
They faced so many enemies that they had to be on guard at all times.
"I wish things would be more peaceful," Caville fell silent at Elody's
words.
Both knew that peaceful moment they had going on couldn't last forever.
Although, if Caville really wanted, it could be done. Burn the Temple,
burn the capital. Break the neck of the Prince of Urta.
Caville wanted to destroy everything that disrupted his wife's life.
If she wished, he could even deliver her a crown from Emperor's head or
sacrifice a living deity in front of her.
Caville didn't think of those things as blasphemous.
In the first place, for him, she were both the Empress and a Goddess.
So he had a strong desire to burn all the heretics down. But she never
wished for it so he could not.
He also didn't want to separate from her ever again.
Elody and Caville sat in silence for a while, just holding hands and
watching the rain fall.
After a long time, Caville called out, "Wife."
Elody looked up at him, wondering what he wanted.
Caville's smile was like the usual, but now she felt that it was somewhat
sensual.
"When we go back, we won't have much time."
Caville pulled Elody in his arms. Their faces were so close that Elody
took a deep breath.
"Actually, I've wanted to do this for a while..."
***
Back in the castle, Elody cleared the misunderstanding with Marie.
Although Norman was also present back then, Elody put all the blame on
Brien as a revenge.
After that, she went back to work.
She had to divide the magic crystal given by Ifrit into small pieces. By
doing this, they could receive more profit.
She thought that she should soon build a machine to do this work.
"Ifirit, get your tail off!"
"You're acting suspicious."
"What do you mean?"
Ifrit narrowed his eyes, "Why are your lips swollen again?"
Elody was speechless. She wanted to say that she developed an allergy and
then...
A loud bang reverberated from outside the greenhouse.

Chapter 123

Marie instinctively embraced Elody to protect her.

Elody glanced at Ifrit, afraid another intruder came in but it wasn't the
case. The explosion was done by some wizard.
Elody came out to check and Caville with his knights were already there,
forming a ring around someone. So fast!
And in the epicenter of it was a happily smiling woman...
"Hello hello! Long time no see... Uhh, sorry about that. Can you please do
something about your husband?"
It was Sarah, head of the Wizard Tower.
***
Soon, Ray came in to apologize for his boss's actions.
Caville glared at Sarah so she made a lame excuse about checking the
barriers.
At her words, Ray sighed. He had the same expression as Ifrit who was
forced to care about baby spirits.
As for actual reason behind her sudden visit, Sarah proposed to continue
this conversation in private so Elody led them to the castle.
On their way there, Sarah started secretly whispering to Ray...
"Why do they even need protection spells when this monster is here? Did
you see it? I almost died back there."
"You... Keep quiet."
Sarah grumbled a little and looked at Caville, who was walking ahead with
Elody.
"Ray, do you know what's really scary? That guy could've killed me, but he
didn't. In an instant I couldn't move anything but my mouth."
Ray's expression became serious. After Elody's treatment, Sarah recovered
most of her powers and was considered the strongest wizard in the whole
Tower.
To suppress her at once... Ray stared at Caville's back.
"And you know what's even worse? That monstrosity pretends to be a
weakling in front of your sister. Isn't it scary?"
"Sarah, stop it."
But Sarah didn't pay any heed to his complaints and continued whispering
all the way up to the castle.
***
So the main reason why they came was forbidden magic.
When Ray was looking into Elody's memory manipulation, he found out that
there were records of it, made by heretics.
But Temple intercepted and destroyed most of them.
The Temple wanted to use forbidden magic to obtain power of the spirits so
Ray suggested to lay a trap for them, using Elody and baby spirits as a
bait.
"No," Caville, who was sitting quietly throughout the conversation,
interjected and intently glared at Ray.
"Please understand, I'm not trying to put Elody in danger."
"No."
Elody also opposed this plan. As long as she was the Duchess, she couldn't
move recklessly.
Next, she asked Ray about the dagger.
He told her the story about Blade of Creation, an artifact made with
forbidden magic.
The rumors said, that it was in possession of the royal family...
Elody laughed out laugh.
So the Emperor was behind it after all!
***
Meanwhile, Count Borque, who was disappointed that his plan failed, wrote
a letter to the Emperor.
The response he received was very cold. Emperor won't help him even in
case of civil war.
The Count clenched his fists and looked at his ruined groin. He couldn't
rest until he got his revenge.
Count's aide suggested to plant a mole in Cernoir estate using one of the
Odan mercenaries.
Even if this plan failed, Count had nothing to lose.
"Call Ariana here immediately!"
***
In the capital, Larissa visited the Temple every day to clean her mind.
The Emperor wasn't pleased about it but ultimately didn't care. He lost
all interest in his niece a long time ago.
Larissa was praying earnestly. In her mind there was no longer any
distinction between reality and fiction.
She was still suffering from the trauma left by destruction of her home.
And now Cernoir castle that was supposed to cure her wounds, was taken
away from her.
It was all stolen by that witch! Larissa prayed for that vicious person to
be removed.
She had to take back the happy future she envisioned.

Chapter 124

High Priest Zion was studying magical artifacts.

He found out that when mana and divine power inside the artifact reach its
capacity, the power exerted from it will be explosive.
But it could only be used once so he had to be careful.
He planned to kill the Duke and Duchess of Cernoir and take the spirits
but found it a bit wasteful.
He wanted to capture the couple alive. Well, at least one of them.
Their fates should've never been intervened.
So, Zion filled the artifact with power day by day. He was abducting
junior priests and unlucky wizards and killing them without any remorse.
Then, one day...
"Who is that woman? She comes here every day, crying and praying
earnestly."
"Oh, that's Princess Larissa. She's originally from Dayev Kingdom."
She donated holy relics to the Temple. Zion also heard about rumors
surrounding her.
Some people were saying that she was an author of a famous novel that
targeted the Duchess.
Although most people didn't believe its contents to be true, some of them
still considered the Duchess to be an evil woman.
Zion looked at Larissa's sobbing figure and smirked.
She was as beautiful as a fairy but unlike other high ranking priests, who
regularly played around, he wasn't interested in her as a woman.
He decided to have a meeting with her, which surprised Larissa greatly.
Following Carolina's urging, she quickly came to his side.
Zion offered to pray on her behalf, saying that God will surely answer his
call. He promised her to get rid of the wicked woman.
Hearing that, Carolina's eyes lit up with hope.
She knew that Princess was going insane but didn't report it to anyone.
If Emperor learnt about it, he would surely sent his niece far away for
treatment.
And Carolina didn't want to be deprived of comfortable living she got
accustomed to.
In her mind, the Princess had to either win a favor of the Emperor or make
the Duke fall in love with her.
But now, there seemed to be a third way...
Seems like High Priest Zion knew something so Carolina started whispering
to Larissa's ear that everything will be fine.
She was a beautiful and a kind person so she will get everything she
deserves.
Carolina had no doubt of that.
***
In High Priest's private room.
Zion started grooming Larissa by playing into her delusions.
Larissa gladly responded to his tactic and told him everything about abuse
she, and all the citizens of Cernoir suffered from the hands of the
Duchess.
She truly believed that Elody was going to kill everyone with her magic.
Zion listened attentively and nodded as if he believed in her story.
But inwardly, he was laughing. Who knows, maybe he could use this woman in
the future.
"The castle that my mother cherished, the greenhouse, the flowers...
Because she took it all away, I have nothing. The past is wrong, this is
all wrong. I have to expose her corruption!"
At Larissa's confident words, the corners of High Priest Zion's mouth
quirked up.
***
To Caville's relief, Ray and Sarah left right after greeting other
wizards.
He expressed his strong dislike of them to Elody.
"Caville, do you really hate them so much?"
"I do. Remember, Ray turned you into a baby and Sarah..."
He didn't like rats. He couldn't say it so he bit his lip.
"I think she hates me," he said with resentment.
Elody hurriedly took Caville's hand.
"How can anyone hate you? There's no one who could hate you after knowing
you better."
Her words were filled with affection so he smiled.
And at that moment, Ifrit showed up.
"No, you absolutely can hate him. I surely do."
"Ifrit," Elody sighed.
Caville glared at Ifrit and then they both started staring at Elody as if
asking her to pick a side.
Thankfully, Norman came in to save his Madam once again.
He came to report that vassal from the Forest of Death just arrived, along
with a soldier who rang the alarm.
He was the first one to respond to the monster's sudden attack and was
barely able to recover from shock.
And then he gave a strange testimony...
"Before the attack, there was a man with a big scar on his cheek. He was
dressed in black but his face was not covered so I could see him clearly."
The soldier tried to follow this man but couldn't catch up to him in the
end.
Baron Garcia dismissed that report, saying that the soldier was
delusional.
Elody sighed. So that was the man who planted the dagger?
Berenice, who came in for report, suddenly asked, "This guy's wound, was
it shaped like this?"
"Yes, yes! It was exactly like that!"
"One of the Count's men had a scar like this. He was the one, who managed
the mercenary group."
Now, Elody understood.
The Emperor reached out to Count of Borque to enact his revenge. They were
colluding behind her back.
Elody clenched her fists.
Count's words calling Caville an illegitimate child and a trash came to
her mind.
Now was the time for her own revenge.
His dick was already gone so it was the time to cut off his dirty hands
and mouth.

Chapter 125

Caville and Elody decided to wait for Count to make the next move.
Elody was worried. The Temple in Cernoir Duchy was suspiciously quiet and
she didn't like it.
While she was deep in thought, Caville came in with a cart full of sweets.
Elody greeted him with a happy smile and the two sat side by side to have
a small tea break.
After losing the cooking contest, Caville started preparing treats and
brewing teas for his wife from time to time.
Elody discussed with him her plan to increase the security near the
Temple.
Since Brien was too busy, they decided to appoint Sir Ren and Sir Therion
for this duty.
Then they talked some more and soon they both had to leave for work.
However before Caville left the office, he suddenly turned back and came
to Elody.
"Wife... Please kiss me."
Elody blushed. He never hesitated to kiss her but when he asked to do it
herself she grew stiff.
Caville shamelessly leaned over so she could reach him easier and Elody
lightly pecked his cheek.
Only then Caville was satisfied and left the office with a happy grin.
"Haaa..."
Elody put her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.
***
But it wasn't the time to laze around so Elody headed to her lab.
And there was Heinz, sweeping the floor in his knight uniform.
Elody felt weird at this dissonance but he just greeted her with a happy
smile.
Looking at his foolish face, Elody remembered about the poem he wrote.
"Sir Heinz. About the poem you gave to the Lord..."
"Oh, what about it?"
"That..."
"Ah, you don't need to praise it."
She wasn't going to praise it though... But Heinz kept going.
"That's right, the Lord already praised it enough. But I want my prize."
A prize?
"Ahhh, but since Madam praised it like this, I don't even know what to ask
for. Wait, I know! Instead of a prize, can you please fulfill my wish?"
It was so stupid that Elody didn't know what to say. Heinz took her
silence as an agreement.
"Can you please let me be your escort? (since Solar had to step down) I
know I'll do a better job than that dog over there."
Ifrit's eyebrows crumpled. He looked at Elody with anticipation. She had
to pick a side now or he'll get mad at her.
"Sir Heinz, Ifrit is great... You know, he's a good puppy."
She could hear Ifrit squeak. Did she make a mistake?
But Ifrit just snorted and went ahead to the greenhouse.
"Anyway, this poem was too much. Please don't write anything like that in
the future."
"All right. Really, I'm a little embarrassed because Madam praised it so
much."
Where was the praise? Elody decided to ignore him. For now, she had to
somehow appease Ifrit.
After Elody went in greenhouse, Marie called out to Heinz.
"Sir Heinz. Did you really write it?"
"Yes, why?"
Marie pondered for a moment. When she discovered this poem at her Lord's
desk, she was really touched but didn't realize who the author was.
She then noticed Brien, who was looking at her from a distance. Perhaps
because she was standing too close to Heinz, Brien's eyes burned with
jealousy.
Wanting to get back at him for spreading a baseless rumor, Marie took
Heinz's arms and asked him to tell her more about the poem.
***
When Elody came to the laboratory, Ifrit wasn't there.
It was her second mistake so just as she was afraid, he got upset and went
into hiding.
Seeing baby spirits coming in, ready to mess with her work, Elody knew
that she had to make up to him.
"I made a mistake. The King of Spirits, Ifrit, is simply the best," she
looked at baby spirits, who were staring at her with wide eyes, "Don't you
think so as well? Is there a King of Spirits that is kinder and smarter
than our Ifrit?"
"That's a lie!" baby bird chirped dissatisfied.
"If it wasn't for Ifrit, you wouldn't be eating all the delicious
strawberries," Elody sighed.
Baby spirits started whispering about something but seems like her tactic
worked.
"Do you really think so?" Ifrit slowly revealed himself. His expression
was dark but his tail was fluttering.
"Earlier, I was wrong. It's just that Sir Heinz said something weird."
"Yes, this guy's a little weird. Isn't it great that I am the one who
protects you?"
His whole expression showed that he wanted her to answer quickly.
"Of course. I am also grateful that you protected Caville for such a long
time."
Those words came from Elody's heart. She started stroking Ifrit's fur and
his tail wiggled.
Elody smiled, enjoying the peaceful moment.
***
Meanwhile, Ren and Therion changed into plain clothes to monitor the
Temple.
Although they weren't fighting together on the battlefield, Ren still
admired Therion for protecting the land.
Knowing that he was stuck in the castle for a long time, Ren suggested
they go for a drink after work but Therion refused.
During their surveillance, Ren decided to try to strike a conversation
once again and asked Therion if there was a woman he liked.
Therion's answer was strange...
"There is... Have you ever loved two women at the same time?"
Ren tilted his head. Sir Therion was quite handsome so many maids liked
him, but is it really like this?
"I don't think I ever had. So there are two girls that you like?"
"I think so."
Ren swallowed a curse. What is wrong with this guy?
They couldn't continue the conversation because Therion noticed a
suspicious person wearing a white robe.
They went to investigate but couldn't find anything.
And in the evening, when it was time to come home, Therion discovered the
same person in the stable.
When their eyes met, Therion couldn't move.
The pupils of that person were blurred and it sent chill down Therion's
spine.

Chapter 126

"Sir Therion!"
Thankfully, Ren came back just in time and broke Therion out of his
stupor.
The moment the eye contact broke, the man wearing a robe disappeared
without a trace.
When Ren asked if he saw something suspicious, Therion shook his head.
There was no one who could move that fast.
***
Out of nowhere, Heinz got dragged into Knight's building by Brien.
He was mad about their recent interactions with Marie.
But at Brien's interrogation, Heinz only blushed.
"Why won't you answer me? You bastard!"
Brien started dragging his rival into his office and Heinz followed him
with a smile.
When the door to the office got shut, Heinz started laughing. He found the
whole situation very funny.
"Vice-manager Vedos, when me and Marie... when the two of us were talking,
she warned me that it'd end up this way."
Brien was fuming. 'The two of us?!' When the heck did they become so
close?
"When exactly did you become 'us'?"
"Uhh... from the beginning?"
At Heinz's response, Brien grabbed his neck.
"Wait, wait, vice-manager, if you do this, I'll tell on you to the general
manager... No, to the Lord himself!"
"Answer me. What did you talk about?"
Marie warned him about this question too, so Heinz knew what to say.
"It's a secret."
"What?!"
"Marie told me to keep it a secret," Heinz laughed as Brien was about to
explode.
He knew that she was getting close with the knights lately but he could
imagine that Heinz would be his love rival.
He honestly thought that this crazy dog wasn't in Marie's taste at all.
To make things worse, Heinz started making teasing him.
"Vice-manager Vedos, I warn you, if you hit me, I won't stay still. You
know that Madam trusts and cherishes me greatly?"
"What a load of... You think Madam trusts you?" Brien laughed.
He knew Elody from her childhood. She definitely trusted him more that
this guy. Same with Marie.
Speaking of which...
"If you don't believe me, go ahead, hit me" Heinz shuddered.
Brien, who was enduring for a while, finally lost it and punched Heinz
right in the face.
***
It was the first day of joint training between the Cernoir and Odan
knights.
Odan group was famous for their outstanding skill so knights of Cernoir
were a bit nervous.
Caville, who also joined the training, noticed Heinz's black eye.
When Caville asked him about it, he quietly pointed towards Brien.
Caville's gaze fell onto Brien. He looked very sure of himself.
'Heinz probably deserved it,' Caville judged and clicked his tongue.
But Heinz was disappointed. The Lord praised his writings just a few days
ago so how could he betray him like this?
After all, the only person he could rely on was Madam.
As soon as training was over, Heinz decided to go to her and tell on
everyone.
During the training, Heinz ran into Berenice.
The were acquaintances back in his mercenary days so he decided to go and
say hello.
Berenice clearly didn't expect to see him there so he quickly told her his
story.
Berenice had no idea. She thought that he died after they lost contact
during the war.
Even though she still didn't repay him for saving her life...
"Hey, why are you just standing here?!" Brien stepped in and smacked
Heinz's head.
He grumbled and soon went away while Berenice stared at his back for a
long time.
She recalled the face of step-sister Heinz had no idea about.
Greta.
***
After training was over, Berenice went to find Heinz right away.
He asked her out for a drink to reminisce about good old days but she
refused.
"I have something to tell you about your father."
Heinz's expression crumpled at the word 'father'.
"He found himself another woman, married her and had kids."
"What are you even saying? I don't believe you," Heinz was annoyed.
He wanted to believe that his father died long ago. So when Berenice
suddenly brought him up, he felt dirty.
When Heinz was just a child, his father abandoned him and his sister and
ran away.
So Heinz didn't even want to acknowledge this trash as a parent.
When he was working as a mercenary, he stumbled upon him one day in a
casino.
Berenice was his partner at the time so Heinz told her about his family.
And now he wished he hadn't. However words that came out of Berenice's
mouth were unexpected.
"You have a younger sister. She's only your half-sister but she looks very
similar to the portrait of the older sister you showed me."
Heinz laughed, "Why do you think this trash's child is my sister?"
"She has the same disease as your older sister."
Heinz's body hardened. He remembered his late sister, who was dying in
pain.
He felt like blood was slowly draining from his body.
After Heinz got quiet, Berenice proceeded to tell him everything about
Greta.
Looking at his astonished expression, Berenice's heart also grew heavy.
"But Madam found the cure. She said that it can completely eradicate the
disease."
Heinz's knees gave out. He didn't care that his father had other children.
But when he learned that the kid was suffering from the same disease as
his late sister...
If their bloodline was cursed, he should've been the one who got sick.
His chest hurt. The strong shoulders of a hardened mercenary started
trembling.
Berenice sat there for a while, comforting him in silence.
***
Elody was harvesting cherries with Marie, who seemed to be in a good mood.
"Marie, did something happen?"
"No..." Marie remembered Brien's expression and started giggling.
She picked a cherry and put it into Elody's mouth. Elody chewed it
quietly.
Then Marie thought of something.
"Madam, do you remember the thing I told you about cherry stems?"
"Huh?"
"The maids heard it from the merchants. In some provinces it's believed
that people who can tie a knot from the stem are the best kissers!"
"Mhm..."
"It's just a joke, Madam."
Elody swallowed hard. Seems like Marie's tactic was successful.
"But I'll tell you what. In my experience, this was always proven to be
correct."
Marie giggled as Elody's cheeks gradually turned red.
Elody bowed her head in shame when she remembered how skillfully Caville
tied the cherry knot.
Looking at it, seems like Marie was right. Elody's whole face burned when
she remembered her first kiss.
And Marie just thought that her Madam seemed a bit too shy.
Their peaceful time was interrupted by Heinz.
"Madam!"
He ran to them with a face that was smeared with tears... and a shiner.

Chapter 127

"Madam!"
Heinz's attempt to cling to Elody was promptly stopped by Marie.
Just as she wanted to admonish Heinz for his improper behavior, he plopped
down on the floor and started wailing.
Elody told Marie that it was fine and proceeded to awkwardly comfort the
troublemaker.
After crying for a while, he started to tell his story.
About how his father abandoned him.
About how his sister died because she couldn't get medicine,
About how even on her death bed she pretended that everything's all right
because she didn't want to bother him.
About how he promised to make enough money to buy the medicine and bring
it to her grave.
He planned to visit his hometown next year to fulfill this promise.
But news Berenice brought shook him.
When he thought about how his second sister was now dying from the same
disease, he felt like someone stabbed him in the heart and twisted the
knife.
"Madam..."
The gentle lady in front of him was his only salvation.
He was unable to lift his head when he remembered the fact that he once
used to hate such a kindhearted person.
It was shameful. It was sinful.
Elody's expression grew heavy after he finished his story. She couldn't
even comfort him because she felt his pain like it was her own.
She carefully suggested to go and see Greta together.
After hesitating for a moment, Heinz agreed.
***
Unfortunately, at the time Greta was asleep.
Heinz just stood there, watching her breathing peacefully for some time
and after he came out of the room, he knelt before Elody once again.
Elody tried to stop him. Isn't it weird for a knight to spent so much time
on his knees?
"Sir Heinz, please stand up."
Heinz replied with a stern face, "I will repay your Grace's kindness with
my own life. Surely, with my life I..."
"Please stop scaring me and get up!"
At Elody's request, Heinz finally stood up and shrugged like he couldn't
help it.
He took a vow to protect his newfound sister.
Elody looked at Heinz's wounded face with worry.
"But Sir Heinz, what's wrong with your face?"
"Oh, this? This is... vice-manager Vedos," he replied lightly.
Marie's expression crumpled. Perhaps because they just witnessed Heinz's
crying, she and Elody felt a bit protectorate towards the man. To beat up
such a pitiful person...
"Sir Vedos is such a bastard! I'm glad I broke up with him," Marie started
whispering to Elody.
Elody agreed.
***
Caville heard bits of what transpired that day through Ifrit.
So that night, looking at Elody's serious expression, he asked her to tell
him everything in detail.
Watching her talk about this and that, he felt a strange satisfaction.
He even felt jealous towards Heinz, Marie and Ifrit.
Noticing that his possessiveness grew day by day, he felt depressed.
'If my wife ever learns about my feelings, she'll be horrified.'
He felt very grim inside but tried to appear affectionate on the outside.
"It must have affected you a lot too."
"Maybe a little."
Caville laughed at his wife's cute reply. How could she be so adorable?
He slowly pulled her into his arms, "So now I will comfort you."
He sat Elody down on one of his thighs and hugged her.
"Wha.. What are you doing?"
"I'm comforting you."
Caville hugged her waist tighter and started gently sweeping her back with
his big hand.
Elody's cheeks burned. Even since they got closer, their skinship also
increased.
Before, she could only think of him as an innocent child...
"My wife's story affected me a little too, now that I think about it."
Elody looked at Caville, who made a pouty face. He was such an emphatic
man!
She started slowly stroking his head in order to alleviate his sorrows.
"Now, it's my wife's turn to comfort me."
"Uh, how?"
Caville grinned without answering. His appearance was so fascinating that
Elody's imagination started running wild.
"Oh no no no!" she jerked and pushed Caville away.
He looked at her with confused face, "What the hell did you think of?"
"..."
"Well well well, my wife's imagination seems to be very erratic."
"Oh no, I..."
Elody couldn't refute Caville's words so she just shut her mouth tight.
***
Therion was walking alone on a dark road.
He couldn't forget the eyes of the man he saw yesterday.
During his duty surveilling the Temple, he saw the man again several
times.
The moment their eyes met, Therion decided to lure him out.
He was walking through a dark alley when he felt someone's gaze on his
back.
Therion put his hand on his sword but before he could pull it out, the
man's face came right in front of his.
Therion tried to push the man away but he didn't even bulge.
The man said nothing. He didn't try to attack or do anything, just kept
staring into Therion's eyes.
And Therion couldn't look away.
Soon, his pupils began to change.
"Sir Therion, can you hear me?"
"Yes..."
Therion's pupils turned white for a moment, before returning to their
original color.
"Will you obey me from now on?"
"Yes," Therion answered with certainty.
The man in white robe smiled and whispered something into knight's ear.
Therion nodded right away and returned back to his post.
Head of the Judgement of Light, Hayden, look at this scene with a joy.
The one who had darkness in his heart was finally found.
And just as he wished, that one was quite close to the Duchess.
Heyden's maniacal laughter reverberated through the quiet streets.

Chapter 128

Brien was inspecting equipment when something unusual came into his sight.
"Hey, what's wrong with your face?" Brien approached Heinz with suspicion.
His shiner was still in full view and his eyes were swollen like he cried
all day.
"It's all because of vice-manager..." Heinz, who was washing his gauntlet,
replied in a shaky voice.
"You cried because of me?"
"I didn't cry!"
"Then why does your face look like you did?"
Heinz didn't reply and just looked away.
"Hey! Sir Therion! What are you doing here?"
He wasn't supposed to be in the castle that day so Brien furrowed his
brows.
He approached Therion, who looked ecstatic, and put an arm on his
shoulder.
But Therion struck his arm and walked away with an expressionless face.
While Brien was confused about this strange behavior, he got approached by
Heinz.
"It looks like Sir Therion finally revealed his true nature. I knew about
it long ago though..."
"You, bastard!" Brien was about to throw his helmet at Heinz when he got
stopped by Elody.
"Sir Vedos."
"Madam? What are you doing here?"
"Seems like Sir Heinz suffered a lot of damage lately."
In fact, Marie was concerned about it so Elody decided to go see for
herself and seemed like her judgement wasn't wrong.
If she didn't come just now, Sir Heinz could've gotten a serious injury.
"Sir Vedos, what did Sir Heinz do to deserve your wrath?"
"What?" Brien looked shocked so Elody continued.
"I'm not aware what kind of training you put your knights through... but
this is too much."
"That's right!" Marie, who was sticking to Elody, tuned in (to Heinz's
delight).
"I won't tell the Lord but please be more mindful about excessive use of
force, Sir Vedos."
Elody spoke coldly and turned her back on him. Ifrit, who was sitting in
her dress pocket was very amused so he laughed out loud.
Brien glared at Heinz with bitterness, which made Heinz laugh... and then
frown from pain.
***
For some reason Marie seemed to be overly concerned for Sir Heinz since
yesterday.
"I feel so sorry for Sir Heinz," she muttered in a small voice, "Don't you
feel the same, Madam?"
"Yes, he's a very pitiful person," Elody nodded.
In the greenhouse, Elody was checking her plants when she noticed
something strange near the peach tree.
There was a plant, similar to blueberries but with darker fruits. It
looked toxic so Elody decided to study it.
Then Marie joined her and started talking about Heinz again so Elody asked
if she was interested in him.
Marie denied it, saying that she was already seeing a 20 year old knight.
Apparently, she simply felt sorry for Heinz so Elody just shrugged and
proceeded to study the plant.
***
"Useless... You're so useless!" Count Borque threw an empty bottle at the
wall and it shuttered.
His daughter Ariana was kneeling before him.
Since Duchy of Cernoir accepted everyone, he wanted to send his daughter
there as a spy.
She would claim that she was abused by the Count to gain everyone's trust
and collect intel on spirits.
But she was too meek.
He couldn't send his other kids there but she was an illegitimate child so
he didn't care.
In a fit of anger, he was about to whip her (the scars would also serve as
an evidence of abuse), when he got stopped by the butler.
Apparently, a guest from the capital arrived.
***
Count Borque was expecting to see a messenger from the Emperor so when he
saw Princess Larissa, he felt disappointed.
He heard all the rumors surrounding her and couldn't understand why she
came here.
But Princess still carried herself with dignity and asked for his help in
uncovering the Duchess's corruption.
Count got an idea, "Well, then..." he started whispering with a cackle.
When he finished, Princess's eyes were burning with righteous fury.
***
A few days later Caville and Elody received a report about Count's
daughter asking for asylum.
She claimed that she got abused by the Count so she ran away on her own.
She came here with only one maid, and the bodies of the two were covered
in scars.
After listening to report, Caville looked at Elody and she nodded.
So Count Borque finally decided to move.
In fact, a couple of days ago, Berenice gave Elody a warning.
She told her that Count would most likely abuse their hospitality to try
and plant a spy.
Elody smiled. Seems like Count still saw them as little kids who wouldn't
see through his trick.
Back then, she only teased him a little. This time she was set on revenge.
"Should I just kill them?"
Unlike Elody, who was excited, Caville sounded more annoyed.

Chapter 129

"Oh no, you can't do that! We should bring them here for now."
Caville nodded to Elody's hurried words and then said, "If we let them in,
we should attend to their wounds first."
Just then, his wife seemed to be surprised by his thoughtless words so he
wanted to make up for it.
"Yes, let's do that!" Elody smiled at his generosity.
'As expected, Caville is such a gentle and good mannered man.'
She started petting him because he was so cute, not knowing what was going
on through his mind at all.
'If we treat their wounds and then break their legs, they won't be able to
escape. Then they'll start talking.'
Despite his dark thoughts, his smile directed at Elody was as pure as an
angel's.
***
Ariana, who was escorted by knights to the Cernoir castle, was anxious.
A couple of steps behind her stood her maid. Her hair was dark and her
whole face was covered with severe burns.
When Elody came to greet them, she was shocked.
She thought that Count would imitate the scars so they would seem more
believable, but those wounds were real. And more severe than she thought.
Elody couldn't believe that Count would do such a thing to his own
daughter.
In addition, maid had some old looking scars and more than half of her
face was scorched.
Elody ordered to call for a doctor.
Ariana awkwardly tried to greet Elody but Elody told her to sit down and
interrogated her before the doctor arrived.
Listening to Ariana's story about Count's abuse, Elody was confused. She
honestly couldn't tell if she were acting or telling her the real thing.
If their aim was to exploit Elody's altruistic nature, they were half
successful.
Elody allowed them to stay for a couple of days and ordered the guards to
keep an eye on Ariana's room.
On her way to Caville's office, Elody asked Ifrit if he felt anything
suspicious but he did not.
When she came to Caville's office, Berenice was also there.
She told Elody that Ariana was an illegitimate child and was especially
hated by Count.
Berenice never saw he being abused but it was true that Ariana was limping
from time to time.
Then Elody asked her about the maid, Isabella. Berenice couldn't tell much
but there was indeed a maid with a big burn on her face in Count's estate.
And finally, when Elody asked her whether Ariana's claims were true,
Berenice couldn't give a clear answer.
And neither could Caville. He thought that it would be easy to find the
truth if he just tortured them.
It was a method he had to resort to many times on the battlefield and he
found it quite effective.
"Do you want me to torture them?" Ifrit asked, seemingly reading Caville's
thoughts.
"How can you torture an injured person?!" Elody asked with a frown on her
forehead.
Even Count Borque wouldn't stoop to this level!
"For now, let's try to figure out his plan."
***
When Ariana and the maid were left alone, Ariana finally expressed her
worries.
"Is it really fine..."
The maid turned her head to Ariana and shushed her. They had to keep
quiet.
She took out a paper and a pencil and started writing.
[The Duchess is a cunning woman. Be mindful of your words.]
Ariana nodded, wiping her tears. She was trembling in fear.
When her father ordered her to go, she refused even after he threatened to
whip her.
But she was persuaded by Princess Larissa, who told her that a lot of
people are dying by Duchess's hands and she had to find evidence of her
corruption and pass it onto the High Priest.
Larissa asked her to be courageous but Ariana was even more frightened
after coming here.
She was afraid she'd get poisoned by Duchess even though Larissa convinced
her that God will always protect them.
In fact, Larissa was also here.
Count didn't believe that his useless daughter would succeed in her
mission so he asked Larissa to join her, disguised as a maid.
Larissa was already set on infiltrating the Cernoir estate with High
Priest Zion's help but promptly switched her plans.
They found a master who specified in makeup and he was able to transform
her to appear as one of the maids.
She had to dye her hair black with drugs and wear an artificial skin but
results were worth it.
This way, she could use her original plan as a backup if it became
necessary.
[For a few days we should stay idle, without doing anything. SO when we
finally move, they'll be caught off guard.]
Then Larissa wrote another note and showed it to Ariana.
After reading it, Ariana nodded in her earnest and Larissa burned all the
notes.
Before she fell asleep, she prayed for their righteous plan to succeed.
***
Elody was nervous. The new guests were staying in their rooms without even
showing their faces.
Ifrit proposed to break their fingers one by one so they would start
talking but Elody once again refused.
Maybe because he was the spirit of fire that sometimes he was too hot to
handle.
Elody wondered how Caville, who spent his childhood with Ifrit, grew up so
pure.
"If they want to keep sitting in the room, you have to pull them out."
In fact, the knights were ordered to provoke the guests from time to time
but there was no response.
So Elody agreed to Ifrit's suggestion. She decided to invite Ariana to the
greenhouse.
After a while, Ariana arrived, accompanied by her maid.
"Miss Ariana, please come in. I was afraid you'd get bored in your room so
I invited you for a walk."
"Yes, yes, thank you, Duchess," Ariana greeted Elody with a frightened
expression.
Throughout Elody's tour, Ariana's face was so pale that Elody was afraid
she could pass out at any moment.
'I'm not sure if she's like that because she was abused or that's just how
her personality is...'
While Elody was concerned about Ariana, she missed an important clue.
At some point, the maid separated from them and stood before the bush with
pink roses for a long time.

Chapter 130

Elody showed the guests her greenhouse and even her study room.
After the walk was over, she invited them for a tea but Ariana refused,
saying that she's not feeling well.
Her face looked green, like she had a sea sickness. Her maid made an
excuse and they both went back to the castle.
During the tour, Elody noticed that the two were acting suspicious when
they got to her lab.
She ordered the knights to loosen the security on purpose and deliberately
left the door to the greenhouse open.
And a couple of days later, the maid took the bait.
She only looked around the castle a couple of times so Elody ordered to
reduce the number of knights patrolling it.
In their place she appointed several knights who excelled in stealth to
watch the maid's every action.
***
Elody discussed this situation with Caville, who cave to visit her in the
lab in the afternoon.
"I think she tries to find out about the spirits. Because that's what
Borque and the Emperor are after."
"I'm sure you're right," Caville answered calmly.
If things were done his way, after a small torture session they'd already
reveal all their secrets.
Caville thought that in this moment his excited wife looked as cute as a
cat going after a mouse.
He reached out and swept his hand through her flowing hair. At this
gesture, Marie almost dropped the teacup she was holding.
Recently she noticed that the atmosphere between the two underwent subtle
changes.
But it wasn't anything major so she couldn't point it out exactly.
She cast a suspicious stare as her Lord wiped crumbles from Madam's mouth
with his hand.
'I think the Lord has grown a lot...' Marie wondered if she was making him
drink bokbunja for nothing.
Thinking about it, if up to this point the Lord was acting like an cute
innocent animal, now the roles were reversed.
Marie felt like her Madam looked like a small rabbit about to be devoured
by a big bad wolf.
"Madam! I'm going to the castle."
"Why?"
"I need to fetch something quickly," Marie shouted on her way out of the
lab.
She decided to increase the amount of bokbunja.
After Marie left, Caville started at Elody peacefully eating cake.
Baby spirits were stuck in the greenhouse and Ifrit was nowhere to be seen
so...
Caville glanced at his wife and touched her pink lips.
"Wife, can I kiss you?"
Elody, who was drinking her tea, started coughing and spilled her tea like
a little baby.
Caville clicked his tongue and moved closer to wipe her mouth with his
handkerchief.
It was one of the things that Marie embroidered with a small portrait of
Elody.
Elody could only sigh when she looked at it.
"You keep spilling the food all over, so I'll just feed you myself,"
Caville cut a small piece of cake with a fork and brought it to Elody's
mouth, "Come on, say aaaaah."
Since the treat was right in front of her, Elody opened her mouth and
chewed the dessert in shame.
When she looked at his shameless face, she felt resentful.
So she took the fork, scooped up the cake and brought it to Caville's
mouth, "You should get some too."
Now they were equally embarrassed.
Caville smiled and took her by her wrist.
Next moment, his lips fell just next to Elody's lips. He licked the cream
residue from her face and then took her hand and ate the cake she was
holding out.
Elody's whole face turned red and she bowed her head in shame.
Looking at his wife like this, Caville's ears were also burning.
It was a moment of peace before the storm.
***
Next day, Caville woke Elody up early in the morning.
This night,the maid rummaged around the greenhouse and attempted to run
away.
She was quickly intercepted by the guards and was now in custody.
Elody sighed. Those girls were so good at acting!
***
According to guard's reports, the maid left her room around 2am wearing a
black robe and headed for the lab. She must've memorized all the guard
routes.
The original routes were irregular, but after the guests arrived, the
guards started patrolling by the clock.
After arriving to the lab, the maid searched for something, escaped
through the servant's gates and hid in the merchant's carriage that was
headed for the Sirka's guild.
Merchants from there were the only ones who could cross Cernoir borders
without inspection so the maid definitely didn't expect to get caught.
But when the carriage arrived to the guild headquarters, she was
immediately imprisoned in the basement.
The guard also brought documents that she stole, there was nothing
important in them because Elody kept all the valuable documentation and
materials locked in the vault.
The only thing that stood out in those documents was that all of them
contained an ancient language.
Elody was afraid that Count Borque and the Emperor wanted to somehow use
it to control the spirits.
All the while Ariana was still sleeping soundly in her room. Elody asked
Caville to keep an eye on her and went to interrogate the maid with Ifrit,
who was still having a nap inside her pocket.
She left the castle, escorted by Solar... and Heinz, who appointed himself
to be her personal guard without asking.
***
In Sirka's guild, Elody asked to see the maid right away. The girl was
crouching in the corner of the dark basement.
"Miss Isabella, I don't want to hurt you. Just tell me what Count Borque
ordered you to do."
At Elody's gesture, Heinz approached Isabella with a bright smile and
threatened to remove her robe.
"Sir Heinz, that's too..." Elody thought he was being too rough.
But the moment she saw the girl's face...
The woman who was sobbing on the floor of the dark room wasn't Isabella,
It was Ariana.
'But if miss Ariana is here, then who is staying in our castle?!'

Chapter 131

Elody became dazed for a moment and couldn't even utter a word.
"Madam, should I kill her?" Heinz asked.
Was this question a standard line for Cernoir knights? Caville was like
that too...
"No. Wait a minute..." Elody responded, breathing heavily.
"Madam, are you okay?" Solar supported Elody.
Elody nodded and slowly approached Ariana.
"Miss Ariana, right?"
"Yes, Duchess... Please, have mercy on me..." intimidated by Heinz's
words, Ariana fell on her knees and started to plead for her life.
Elody bent her knee to meet Ariana's gaze, "What's the true identity of
your accomplice?"
"Oh, I can't say... I... I... I..." Ariana started crying and soon fainted
before Elody could ask any more questions.
"Welp, seems like she's dead, Madam. Should I bury her?" at Heinz's stupid
question, Elody could only sigh.
Elody ordered Sirka to take care of the prisoner and went back to the
castle.
She was afraid that Count Borque hired a wizard.
***
Upon arriving, Elody asked about Miss Ariana's whereabouts. Apparently
she's been staying in the room the whole time.
Elody went to see Caville. She asked him if he felt any strange mana in
the castle. He did not.
Elody told him about what happened in the guild and Caville's expression
grew heavy.
He wanted to lock up the impostor right away but Elody said it's better to
wait and see what she does next.
She was afraid that this woman was somehow related to the intruder, who
appeared in the greenhouse out of nowhere.
No prison could restrain such power.
***
Elody went to Ariana's room with Ifrit still sleeping peacefully in her
arms.
Suddenly he woke up and yawned lazily, which earned him a disapproving
glare from Caville.
"Don't worry," Elody told Caville and went in. He had to stay outside to
avoid suspicion.
And inside, Ariana was already waiting for her anxiously.
"Duchess, my maid, Isabella, she's gone," she clutched her hands tightly
and had a look like she was about to cry.
Elody frowned. Upon scrutinizing this Ariana, she looked exactly like the
Ariana before.
"Perhaps my father kidnapped her..."
Ariana proceeded to tell Elody that Isabella stole an artifact from him.
And now she was afraid that the Count would go after her as well.
Elody tried to reassure the girl, but her mind was spinning like crazy.
Looking at Ariana before her, she started doubting herself. Maybe the one
imprisoned inside Sirka's guild was an impostor after all...
After leaving the room, Elody ordered guards to keep a close watch on the
door.
She then asked Ifrit whether he felt any magic incoming from Ariana in the
castle. He did not.
And he couldn't remember much about Ariana in the basement because he was
too sleepy.
"So useless," Caville clicked his tongue at Ifirt's response.
Ifrit didn't like the accusation so he glared back at Caville.
"First of all, I'll go to the lab and try to figure out what's missing."
"Sure, wife."
***
Late afternoon, Ariana who was locked inside the room, carefully looked
outside the window.
When her gaze fell upon greenhouse, she clenched her fist.
She sat on the bed and after touching the necklace, she transformed back
to Larissa in a blink of an eye.
It was an artifact she received from High Priest Zion.
It could transform you into anyone as long as you had a detailed memory of
their appearance.
She remembered when High Priest told her that it could only be used by
people who had no mana or divine power.
Larissa was afraid to borrow something so precious but Zion assured her
that this artifact is only given to people who have a righteous cause.
In fact, it has never been given to anyone so far. However Zion decided
that woman in front of him would be more useful than Amos.
Furthermore, this artifact was dangerous because it fed on the soul of the
user, slowly draining it.
"I believe that Princess will surely return with evidence of Duchess's
corruption," he smiled kindly.
"Yes, High Priest..."
Larissa sighed, recalling High Priest's generosity.
The necklace was priceless but it was hard for her to use it all the time
because she felt dizzy, as if her soul was being pulled out from within.
So she had to return to her original shape from time to time.
'I can't disappoint the High Priest,' Larissa bit her lip.
In fact, she originally planned to sneak to Cernoir castle using this
artifact but promptly changed plans at Count Borque's suggestion.
Larissa thought that her plan on stealing Duchess's documents was
successful and real Ariana was already far away.
At first, she wanted to sneak away together but decided to stay back a
little longer.
She missed the castle greatly.
She also wanted to get closer to the Duke, but he seemed to be infatuated
with Duchess.
'Was he being brainwashed?' if that was really the case, the Duke was also
a threat to her.
There was no one to protect her inside the castle.
At night, she dreamed about her peaceful days in the Dayev Kingdom.
In her dreams, she was surrounded by loving parents, friendly attendants,
and maids...
However their faces were now blurry. So she grew anxious.
Larissa felt like the souls of those, who died during invasion of Urta
were returning here because this castle so closely resembled her home.
She had to take it back as soon as possible.
So all the souls could come here and finally find rest.
So this beautiful land and all the poor people in here could be saved...
And, if possible, she would like to save the Duke of Cernoir as well.
***
Because the laboratory was in such a mess, Elody couldn't get anything
done.
She wanted to go to the merchant's guild and talk to Ariana again, but now
she had to be more careful.
Marie, who was watching on Elody, suddenly excused herself and headed for
the castle.
On her way, she met Anna, who was planning on cleaning the greenhouse.
***
Marie quickly grabbed the bottle of bokbunja and headed for the Caville's
office.
However, her Lord wasn't there. In fact, there were no servants waiting at
the door either, but...
"Anna, what are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
Why was Anna here, organizing the Lord's papers?

Chapter 132

When Elody was left alone in the lab, Ifrit wriggled out from inside of
her robe's pocket.
"Your complexion is horrible. You look like a ghost."
While Elody was organizing her thoughts, Ifrit asked her about baby
spirits. Apparently she send them to look after Caville.
Ifrit couldn't believe that she was still worrying about her husband, even
after watching him slaughter a field of monsters.
He decided to tease her about it but Elody refuted his words, saying that
it was done to protect people in the Duchy.
And Ifrit gave up.
Elody was annoyed with his behavior so she left him in the lab and went to
pick some herbs in the greenhouse before leaving for the Sirka's guild.
"Anna, what are you doing?"
She saw her maid standing still in the middle of greenhouse. Her face
couldn't be seen.
"It's nothing, Madam," Anna replied lightly and started arranging seeds.
Elody thought it wasn't a big deal, took her herbs and left the
greenhouse.
And after Elody went out, Anna returned to her previous position and
stared at the pink roses.
Soon, tears began streaming down her face.
***
"Anna, what about the greenhouse?" Marie was confused when she saw Anna
cleaning up the Lord's office.
Before she came to the castle, Anna said that she would go to work in the
greenhouse, so why was she here now?
"Oops. Right, the greenhouse! I have to dig medical herbs today," seemed
like Anna forgot about her duty.
Marie was still confused and asked Anna for whereabouts of their Lord.
Anna laughed, knowing her friend's bokbunja efforts.
She told Marie that Caville left for the Knight's faculty and promptly
left the office.
Marie soon followed her and headed to intercept the Lord.
***
At merchant's guild, Sirka tried to figure out how some woman ended up
being locked up in his basement.
He approached Elody and took her by the arm but got confronted by Heinz
and a small brawl ensued.
"Madam, this thug is calling me a peddler!"
"Madam, this peddler is calling me a thug!"
Seemed like Elody had to pick a side once again. But frankly, she didn't
care.
She went to see Ariana, who was asleep.
According to Sirka's report, she hasn't done anything besides crying,
eating, crying, sleeping, and then crying some more.
So Elody had to go back to the castle.
***
After getting back, Elody headed straight to her lab.
She got stopped by Anna, who was worried about her condition.
"I'm fine, I just have a lot to think about."
"Please don't worry too much."
Elody asked Anna to report on Ariana but seemed like she never left the
room.
The guards were taking turns on surveilling the room.
Elody sat blankly for a while with an ambiguous thought that she forgot
something important.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she got interrupted by
Caville.
"Wife."
"Caville, what's wrong?"
"Let's go for a walk together," seeing her gloomy expression, Caville
reached out and gently touched her cheek.
The soft sensation of his thumb sweeping through her face made Elody feel
at ease.
"Let's go," Elody extended her hand and Caville gladly took it.
Anna, who stood behind, smiled as she observed the atmosphere between the
two.
'Uh-huh, seems like the second generation is coming sooner than Marie
expected.'
***
After visiting the greenhouse as Anna, Larissa went back to her room.
The whole time she observed the roses she was afraid that she'd get
caught.
To her relief,the artifact's power was truly enormous. It's just that
suddenly she got a severe headache...
But after resting for a while, her strength returned to her to some
extent.
Larissa got out of bed and looked through the window. Her expression
darkened.
Below, she saw the Ducal couple entwined. They were taking a stroll
together.
Larissa now firmly believed that the Duke got brainwashed to the point of
no return.
She knew that she had to save him but felt heartbroken instead.
No, it wasn't the time to despair.
'This place is dangerous.'
Larissa was sure that Duchess would manipulate the Duke to hide her
transgressions and persecute the people of this land.
Just like Urta soldiers ruined the Dayev Kingdom.
She vividly remembered Duchess's menacing face when she tried to poison
her.
It never happened in reality, but delusions already took over Larissa's
mind. And her symptoms got even worse because of the artifact.
Then, an idea came to her. If she turned into the Duke of Cernoir,
wouldn't it be possible to protect the land?
But no. She had to stick to the original plan. That was the only way to
reveal Duchess's corruption, just like in the novel.
Larissa tried to recall the moment of Caville's confession but failed.
Seems like Duchess brainwashed her as well...
She changed her appearance to Anna and went to look around the castle.
She felt sad. Seems like everyone here was already brainwashed by the
Duchess.
So this is it? She had to leave the castle now, before it became too late.
Maybe one day she'll be able to return.
Larissa halted her steps. She wanted to see the appearance of the Duke
smiling and telling her that she is loved once more.
Wouldn't it be okay to recover at least one stolen memory?
'At last...'
She hugged herself in attempt to stop her tears from falling.
***
Just before nightfall, Caville received an unexpected knock on the door.
He said to come in and turned his gaze back to the papers.
The visitor was Elody.
"Wife."
As soon as he realized it was her, he got out of his chair and approached
her.
"Caville..." Elody called out to him with a sad expression.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing. I just missed you," Elody replied with a small smile and
carefully hugged Caville's waist.
"Wife," Caville gently stoked her back.
But just a moment later she felt a cold steel pressed against her neck.
"Cav... Caville," Elody spoke in a trembling voice and looked up at him.
There was no emotion in Caville's eyes. He looked like a doll, devoid of
any humanity.
Then his low voice crept into her ear.
"Who are you?"

Chapter 133

Elody's eyes shook, "What... Caville, what's wrong...?"

"If you were attempting to fool me, you should have done a better job."
Despite Elody's desperate pleas, Caville dragged her out of his office.
All the servants that witnessed this scene were shocked. They couldn't
believe their eyes.
And when second Elody came out of her office next door to see what was
going on, the situation became even more messy.
"KiyaAAA! Ghost! There's a ghost!" Ifrit, who followed Elody, calmly
stated his judgement.
***
"Real! I am the real one!" exclaimed Elody who was being dragged into the
dungeon by Caville.
When they arrived, he pushed her into the prison cell and shut the door.
"Caville, Caville.... Please!" she begged. But Caville didn't even bat an
eye.
The maids, who witnessed the scene, started whispering...
"How can our Lord be so sure of who is real?"
"As if you don't know! They're a married couple, it's only natural."
Caville shot a quick glance at Norman and the butler quietly took maids
out of the dungeon.
Elody stared at her identical copy being locked behind the bars. To make
things worse, the impostor couldn't stop wailing.
"My wife," Caville gently hugged her shoulders.
"Who the hell is this? Who is this..."
"We'll find out soon enough."
He could figure it out right away if he just tortured the woman. But
currently she had the same appearance as his wife, so he had to wait until
she returned to her original form.
Elody, who was still confused, asked Caville how he figured out that the
woman was a fake.
Turns out, there was a hidden door made via magic that connected Caville
and Elody's office. The two communicated through it most of the time since
it was more convenient than going through hallway or the bedroom.
Elody casted a suspicious gaze towards Caville. That's it?!
Without answering, he bowed down a little and touched her right earlobe.
There was a communication artifact in form of an earring.
"I guess the impostor didn't see it," Elody looked towards the imprisoned
woman.
She didn't feel any mana incoming from her...
"So this is it?" at Elody's imploring question, Caville nodded.
"I can't help but recognize my wife."
Was it an instinct? Caville felt that the air around her was somehow
different from the moment impostor entered his office.
Elody stared inside the prison cell for a while, until Caville asked her
to stop.
It was already late at night so Elody took small steps towards the cell.
"...diavol."
The woman looked at Elody with eyes full of hatred. Unfairness, sorrow,
resentment...
Receiving such a gaze from someone identical to her, Elody felt uneasy.
"You're the devil! It must be you..."
The words coming from the impostor's mouth were so vicious that Caville
was forced to shut her up using his powers.
Elody stepped back.
Was this really Ariana's maid?
***
After Elody returned to her room, Caville ordered the knights to bring in
a chair.
He put it right in front of the prison cell and sat down. The woman looked
at him with worried eyes.
"I don't know what your original identity is but it would be better if if
you returned to it nicely. I don't like it when you look like that..."
Larissa's eyes lit up, "You don't like it?"
"Yes," he meant that it would be difficult to interrogate her if she
looked like his wife, but Larissa took it differently.
"So you've been holding out too... What a terrible woman!"
Caville raised his brow at her .
"I knew it! You've been acting all along, right? I'm so glad, that's very
fortunate..."
The woman crawled to the door, grabbed the iron rods and looked at Caville
with sad eyes...
"It's me..."
"And you are..?" his voice was still cold.
Larissa was shocked that he still couldn't recognize her and a moment
later her gaze at him changed into a resentful one.
"You... are you still brainwashed?"
"You're insane," Caville swept his hand through his hair in frustration.
Larissa shed tears at this injustice. She realized that Caville's cold
gaze wasn't caused by the Duchess's appearance.
"You're mistaken," Larissa sobbed and glared at Caville. She won't be able
to save him after all.
She remembered the time she was trapped inside Dayev castle during Urta
invasion.
Although she couldn't save her home back then, this time it would be
different.
Larissa wiped away her tears. She had to brace herself.
***
The whole night Elody couldn't fall asleep.
And when the morning came, she was greeted by Marie.
After yesterday's incident, all the servants became paranoid and
reaffirmed each others identity several times.
Marie even doubted that Ifrit, who was sleeping peacefully beside Elody,
was real.
Elody felt anxious. If Ifrit stayed here, does this mean that Caville
spent the night all alone in the dungeon?
She was afraid that the woman might've said something that would leave a
wound in her husband's weak heart.
Elody quickly changed her clothes and quickly headed for the dungeon.
As expected, Caville didn't get a wink of sleep and his expression was
dark.
When he looked at Elody, he seemed a little embarrassed.
The woman kept Elody's appearance throughout the night but finally fainted
from the exhaustion a couple of hours ago.
The magic was released and she turned to her original self. Looking at her
desperately grabbing onto the necklace, Caville speculated that it might
be a magical artifact.
Ta-daa! It was Princess Larissa all along!
Elody was shocked. After learning that novel was fabricated, she
completely forgot about her existence. So why...
Caville carefully wrapped his hands around his wife's trembling fists.
***
When Larissa finally woke up, she was greeted by the furious Ducal couple.
"What did you come here? What for? And how did you change your
appearance?"
"Without mana I am no match for you," Larissa suddenly replied in a strong
tone.
Elody furrowed her brows so Caville quietly told her about the necklace.
Larissa noticed their gazes and crouched, trying to hide the necklace from
their view.
She was scared they would attempt to take it from her.
At this moment, although she knew that the novel plot was fake, Elody felt
herself like a real villainess.
"Is this necklace an artifact? Who gave it to you?" at Elody's question,
Larissa shut her mouth tight.
Caville was totally out of it. He just wanted to torture the Princess now
that she was back to her original form.
"Are you friends with Count Borque? Did he give you the necklace? Or was
it the Temple?"
Larissa flinched. She didn't want to betray High Priest Zion, the only
person who believed in her.
Rather than that...
"Was it the Emperor?"
Larissa gave a small nod.

Chapter 134

Elody didn't know whether she could believe Larissa.

Since an ancient artifact was involved, it was either the Emperor or the
Temple, and they both had a grudge against Duke of Cernoir. Elody bit her
lip.
Larissa prayed for her deception to work.
"I was forced to do it," she started mumbling, "I just did what the
Emperor and Count Borque told me to. They threatened me..."
Caville looked at Elody but she herself wasn't sure if she could trust
Larissa's words.
Elody didn't want to blame Larissa, who lost everything in the war.
Of course it didn't mean that she would let her go easily.
***
Caville decided to increase security around Larissa's penitentiary in case
the Emperor or Count Borque attempt to break in.
All while Elody was studying the necklace. It contained ancient magic
which meant it was a Holy relic.
She instructed Sirka to ask around about it in the capital. It was a
possibility that Temple was involved, or even...
Elody looked through recent newsletters. Not long ago there were news
about string of murders of priests and wizards, believed to be a work of
Urta remnants.
Could it be that Larissa was involved with them?
However, the Temple couldn't be ignored so Elody began to scrutinize the
surveillance reports.
***
Meanwhile it was Therion's turn to guard the dungeon.
He heard rumors about what happened but fine details were still a blur.
So when he got a chance to confirm the identity of the prisoner, his face
turned pale.
'It doesn't make sense,' the beautiful visage of Princess Larissa was
still lingering in his mind.
The fellow knights were confused about Therion's condition.
There were times when he stared blankly at empty spaces like he could
actually see something there.
After looking into the situation more closely, Therion felt resentment
towards the Madam.
Princess Larissa was sitting there in the corner of the prison cell,
hugging her knees.
Her maid uniform was in shambles and her beautiful silver hair was
tangled.
Therion felt he would be better off never seeing her like this, however he
frequently stared towards the prison cell to check on her.
And the more he looked the more his heart ached.
***
Elody sent a complaint to Count Borque but he replied that he had nothing
to do with this situation.
She laughed heartily reading his letter. He will have to contact them soon
anyway.
All the ships that were entering the continent through the port in
Borque's territory were now coming through the port in Cernoir.
They also got news from the capital.
There were rumors that instead of current Crown Prince, who was raised in
the Temple, the Emperor decided to appoint his 4th son as successor.
For some reason, Caville's expression turned grim. Did he feel pity for
Crown Prince because they both were shunned by their parents?
"Caville..."
"Yes, wife?"
Elody wanted to console him a little but couldn't find the right words.
"You..... umm. I... I think you'll be a great father. Unlike the Emperor
or previous Duke of Cernoir. You will be a responsible and loving father.
Everyone believes in you."
She wanted to say that he deserved to be loved but her words conveyed a
different meaning to him.
When Caville started staring at her, Elody got embarrassed and promptly
shut her mouth.
"Do you want to have children?"
"Huh?" Elody's face turned red when conversation took an unexpected turn.
"How many? Honestly, I hate the though of my wife suffering so I never
thought they were necessary..."
Elody quivered at Caviile's serious answer, but he still persisted.
Actually, Elody have never thought about it properly. She thought Caville
would be the same, but...
"But if my wife wants one, I'd be happy."
"....oh, I'm.... uhh...."
"Don't worry, I know how kids are made. So wife, we can..."
"I just remembered! I have something to study... I have to go now! Marie
is probably waiting."
Elody spurted out an excuse and ran out of the office in a flash.
Caville laughed as he stared at her back.
***
Hayden, the head of Judgement of Light, rejoiced as he read through
reports.
Sir Therion was now under their control. His ego was divided in two.
He was akin to marionette at night, moving according to their will.
And when sun rose, he couldn't remember anything.
Soon, these two egos will collide. So Hayden had to move quickly.
But then he received news about Princess Larissa. He immediately reported
the matter to High Priest Zion.
Zion clicked his tongue but still thought that he could make some use of
this girl. He ordered Hayden to rescue her, if possible.
And that order was then passed to Sir Therion.
But before his controlled self could act on it, his actual self made the
first move.
Hayden's worries were all for naught because the two egos already collided
deep inside Therion's consciousness.
He still performed his duties diligently during the day but couldn't
recall anything after he left the castle.
No one said anything to him but he still felt anxious.
On the days when he didn't have to spy on the Temple, he spied on Larissa
instead.
Everytime he saw her small body curled up in a dark cell, Therion felt
like his heart was being torn to shreds.
At late dawn, when Larissa began to cry, Therion ran away because he
couldn't handle it.
"Poor girl..."
Although his Madam wasn't especially cruel, the Lord was different. He
could kill Larissa without hesitation.
'I have to rescue her.'

Chapter 135

Therion struggled on his own but it was unnecessary.

When both of hid egos collided, a plan was born.
The prison where Larissa was trapped was guarded by 3 regular and 1 elite
knights.
Who at the moment happened to be Sir Therion.
After he managed to send his subordinates away, he bowed down to Larissa
and gave her the prison key.
"In 5 days time, in the late afternoon there'll be a disturbance in the
castle. Try to use it to escape from here."
"...why, why me?" Larissa blankly stared at him and quickly grabbed the
key.
Therion felt dizzy. He couldn't figure out why he said what he said...
What's going to happen in 5 days?
Those words spilled out of him unconsciously, he didn't realize that he
was driven by his two egos.
When knights returned, his head was throbbing.
Therion remembered someone telling him, 'That day you must succeed. This
is your last chance.'
His headache got so bad that he made an excuse to the concerned knights
and left the dungeon.
Therion climbed up the stairs and leaned against the cold wall. And soon,
he began to calm down.
In 5 days time... He didn't know what was going to happen but he had to be
extra careful.
Therion returned to his post. According to knights, nothing happened while
he was gone.
But somehow when his gaze met with Larissa's, he felt an extreme gratitude
coming from her.
It felt like something warm was spreading in his chest.
***
Elody and Sirka were discussing an event that was supposed to occur in 5
days...
Merchant ships passed through the Hroa Strait and were on their way to
Cernoir port. (T/N: see the map)
"Count Borque is bound to have a migraine."
"Just a migraine? His whole port will be empty!"
Elody laughed. The Count wouldn't even know what hit him.
Due to Brenbell's cooperation, the passage through the Hroa Strait was now
safe.
And the ships that were supposed to arrive through Borque port were now
coming through Cernoir!
Sirka also brought news about Larissa's artifact. According to his
sources, the Imperial Palace had no such thing.
He promised to investigate the matter further Thankfully his network
included many old-school nobles and retired priests.
And because Sirka's business was blooming, they were more than willing to
talk.
Ariana's matter was still hanging in the air because of her unstable
condition.
Elody asked Sirka to take care of the girl and he left off.
***
5 days later...
Elody was preparing to go to the port from the early morning.
"Wife," Caville came in, trying to pass on Ifrit to Elody, "please take
him with you, I can't carry him around like that."
Elody laughed at his words. Ifrit wriggled uncomfortably in Caville's
arms.
She asked Marie to bring in the robe so she could carry Ifrit in her
pocket. Right after she put it on, Ifrit dived straight into it.
Caville looked sullen. He wanted to go with Elody but he had to inspect
the Forest of Death today.
"Please be careful."
"You too, wife," Caville bowed down and lightly kissed Elody on her cheek.
Behind Elody's back, Marie gave him a big thumbs up.
And Elody rubbed her cheek awkwardly and reminded Caville to always carry
baby spirits with him.
He clearly wasn't enthusiastic about it but still gave her a slight nod.
Looking at it, Ifrit giggled.
Elody's escorts today included Sir Heinz and Sir Therion.
The former was still salty about his encounter with Sirka and the
latter...
"Sir Therion, is everything alright?" Elody asked anxiously.
"...yes," his expression was especially bad today and his answer was just
as cold.
As Elody's carriage departed, Caville was being briefed by Brien.
Although situation in the Forest of Death stabilized, yesterday they
noticed a strange pattern in monster's behavior.
It was the matter of utmost urgency.
Caville looked at the back of the leaving carriage for a moment and
mounted his horse.
***
On the way to the port, Heinz tried to have a talk with Therion but got
ignored.
Sir Therion was extremely worried and tried to avoid this mission if
possible for today was the day he advised Princess Larissa to run.
Suddenly he got a splitting headache and started hearing the voice from
before.
'The moment the moon swallows the sun, be ready.'
His pupils turned white for a moment, before reverting to their original
color.
As his moon swallowed the sun, he looked forward with an expressionless
face.
His real self fell asleep and only self that was controlled by Hayden
remained.
And today it was supposed to carry out the orders it received the day
before.

Chapter 136

Larissa bit her nails anxiously.

Today was the day the knight told her about.
At first, Larissa thought that he was someone sent by the Temple, but on
the second glance, he was a high-ranking knight...
And Larissa never saw him on the battlefield so did this mean he was loyal
to the Duchess?
Was it a trap? She was afraid that if she attempted to run away and got
caught, Duchess would try to poison her again.
Could it be that he was a righteous knight, who decided to rebel against
the vicious witch?
Or maybe her prayers finally got answered and he was an angel?
Larissa crouched in her cell, pondering about possibilities.
She clutched the key tightly.
The time was nigh.
***
In the Forest of Death, Caville received a report on the recent
developments.
According to vassal's testimony, a large group of monsters headed east,
towards the living areas.
Caville felt puzzled. Such movement wasn't organic. Were they under
someone's control?
He had to observe the situation himself. He took the reinforcements from
the west front and hit the road.
The monsters had high fertility so it would be better to deplete their
numbers now, until they spread like rats.
But when Caville and his troop arrived, there was no sign of monsters.
After checking the trails, he turned to the vassal who gave the report and
pulled him down from his horse.
"Tell me. Tell me who ordered this."
"...no no, I'm just..."
Caville was annoyed. Soon, a black shadow came from his sword and
strangled the vassal's neck.
"Do I have to hunt your whole family down for you to talk? Sir Vedos!"
"Yes, my Lord."
"I'll take some knights back to the west front. You, go back to the castle
and check for any surprises."
"Will do."
"And throw that bastard in the barracks," Caville grabbed the fainting
vassal and threw him to Brien.
An uneasy feeling swelled in his mind.
The current situation could be a distraction from something big happening
on the west front.
Caville touched his earring before taking off. Soon, he heard Elody's
voice.
[Caville, is something wrong?]
[No. What about you?]
[I'm still on my way to the port.]
The portal to the port was located quite far from the castle.
[Take care of yourself, wife.]
[Alright, see you soon, Caville.]
When communication was cut off, Caville stood there for a moment and
looked up at the sky.
It was cloudy, but sun still floated high in the sky. So why was he
anxious?
He suppressed his worries and headed for the west.
***
It was late in the afternoon when knights, who were guarding Larissa
started whispering about something.
Three of them left, but one still remained. Larissa took a closer look at
his face.
It was one of the knights she met at the battlefield. She didn't remember
his name, but...
"Sir Knight?"
When their eyes met, the knight flinched and looked away.
"You remember me, don't you? I saw you on the battlefield..."
It was one of the knights, who monitored Larissa after she came through
the Gate.
In fact, he was more like a personal guard for her because she provided
important information about Urta.
"Dear knight..."
However, an indifferent answer came back, "You can't talk to me."
Larissa grabbed the cage door with tears in her eyes.
"I'm not going to run away but can you please bring me some water? The
water I received earlier got dirty..."
The knight sighed. Back on the battlefield he lost his only brother so he
understood Larissa, who lost her entire family and was sympathetic towards
her.
When she first came to Cernoir castle, she greeted him with a smile and he
was relieved to see her even brighter than before.
But he never thought he'd ever see her again.
"I'm so thirsty... please..."
Her words stabbed his conciousness. She didn't ask for him to open the
door, but for a mere glass of water.
Eventually, he told her to wait for a bit and left the prison.
Without losing any time, Larissa used the key to unlock the door with her
trembling hands.
Then, employing her special stealth technique, she swiftly got out of the
dungeon.
She got into maids' dormitory and changed her clothes.
Her heart was pounding just like it did on the day she escaped from Urta
soldiers.
'God must be helping me.'
Larissa pretended to be busy to avoid suspicion but she soon noticed that
expressions of the servants were strange.
Something serious must've happened but she couldn't afford to care about
it.
Larissa decided to focus on safely finding her way out.
***
Halfway to the port, Elody got out of the carriage and climbed on to a
horse.
She lifted her head and looked at the sun shining down on her.
"The weather is nice, Madam," said Heinz.
Elody nodded but then Ifrit showed up from her pocket.
"The weather is strange."
It happened when ELody began to see the outline of the port.
"We're almost there!"
Elody turned her head and saw...
The knights who were escorting her all started fainting one by one and
fell from their horses.
Only Sir Heinz and Sir Therion were still standing.
While Elody was staring at the scenery blankly, Heinz was still on guard
and immediately drew his sword.
And then the sky turned black. Elody looked up and saw the moon shining
brightly.
It was an eclipse.
"Ifrit?" the body of Ifrit, who was sticking his head out of her pocket,
almost fell out.
Elody took him in her arms. Seems like he passed out.
Come to think of it, she remembered a book she once read in the castle
when she was a child.
[In a short moment when the moon swallows the sun, all magic ceases to
exist and only divine power remains.]
A wind started twirling around, the sand blocking their view.
"Madam, be careful," Heinz got closer to Elody to warn her.
And a moment later she heard a gut wrenching sound of a blade piercing
through flesh.
Elody looked at Heinz in shock.
"Madam..."
Blood started pouring from his stomach and soon he fell off the horse.
"...Theri..on..."
Therion laughed when he saw Heinz crashing down. Blood was dripping from
his blade.
He began to mutter, looking at Elody with eyes full of hatred.
"In the name of God, the moment the moon swallows the sun, I..."
He didn't finish his sentence. His lifeless body fell down, spilling blood
everywhere.
As the eclipse ended, the sun started beaming through the darkness.
"Cav..!" Elody's legs gave out and she also plopped on the ground.
When her surroundings became brighter, the wind also stopped.
Elody fruitlessly tried to stand up when someone came up to her.
"...we finally meet again."
Zendikar, the Prince of Urta, was standing there with his eyes shining.

Chapter 137

Hayden, the head of Judgement of Light, was nervous.

He purposefully set up a distraction in the Forest of Death so that Duke
of Cernoir wouldn't stand in the way.
His plan was to kidnap the Duchess during the eclipse.
However, none of the subordinates he sent to the port have returned.
Hayden decided to go and check the situation himself.
***
"It's been a while."
"What..?"
Although Elody has never seen the man before, she immediately recognized
who he was.
Blazing red hair, dark skin, and large burn marks covering his face and
neck...
It was clear that the man was the surviving Prince of Urta, Zendikar.
Although they have never met, for some reason Elody knew it for sure.
Zendikar covered her face with a damp cloth and soon her body went limp.
The last thing Elody heard before fainting was Zendikar's menacing laugh.
Somehow she felt like she already heard it once.
Prince's subordinates quickly took Elody's body away while his wizard,
Fetis*, extracted the divine power from the fallen priests.
After he finished, Zendikar took the artifact and felt its full power.
The Judges of Light who came to kidnap Elody all looked drained because
artifact consumed both their divine power and vitality until only lifeless
shells remained.
Zendikar decided to keep the Knights of Cernoir alive. Someone had to
deliver the news to the Duke...
"I wonder what kind of expression he's going to make," Zendikar laughed
and got on his horse.
It was the time to move to their secret base.
*(T/N: I previously translated his name as Pettis but it just sound silly
so I'm shamelessly changing it.)
***
After some time Knights of Cernoir woke up and grasped the situation in
horror.
Their Madam was gone and two elite knights were lying down in the pool of
their own blood.
Besides, they noticed that the handles of their horse rains were all
covered with some blue substance.
It made people faint after holding it for a certain amount of time.
Heyden ordered Therion to do it before the group left for the port.
The knights divided into two groups. First one searched the area and
uncovered several corpses in priest robes.
Second one took wounded Therion and Heinz back to the castle.
Because of their timely return, Larissa managed to pass through the gates
safely.
And the castle was in uproar. Norman even wanted to go and search for the
Madam himself.
But first, he had to contact the Lord.
***
Upon hearing the news, Caville entrusted baby spirits to Brien.
Looking at his Lord's furious face, Brien started mumbling.
"But... My Lord, I think these babies fainted during the eclipse. What the
hell is going on?"
Brien didn't know what happened yet. He was afraid that monsters attacked
the castle.
Under Brien's anxious gaze, Caville couldn't say anything. He was too
afraid to even open his mouth.
His wife was gone....
Caville took baby spirits back and woke them up.
Although they had no strength in them, after looking at Caville's scary
face just once, they quickly reenergized.
He instructed Brien to bring knights back to the castle.
And after his Lord disappeared with the baby spirits in hands, Brien
quickly guided the knights to the portal.
***
The servants in the castle all held their breaths when their Lord suddenly
came back.
He looked like he was about to explode so they all bowed their heads to
avoid accidentally making an eye contact.
And Caville felt like his whole body was drained of blood.
"Ifrit."
The King of Spirits quickly ran to him.
"You..." He was about to reprimand Ifrit but stopped himself.
It wasn't Ifrit's fault. It was all Caville's responsibility.
Stupid, so stupid...
His chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. If he could, he would've
slit his own throat.
"Go track her now," Caville gave a brief order.
Ifrit, who was about to say something, headed to Caville's office to find
a quiet place to settle in.
"Is it far?" Caville followed him, urging him on the way because Ifrit
looked troubled.
"It's strange. It's going to take some time for me to recover my mana
after the eclipse."
The same thing happened to baby spirits. Someone was definitely planning
to target them during the eclipse.
But who?
Caville tried to control his breathing by putting both hands on the wall.
His whole body was numb with fear.
He should've predicted this. He should've been there with her instead of
Ifrit.
Terrifying possibilities ran through his mind.
When he imagined that he would never see her again, he felt like his heart
was going to stop.
They already separated before, when he went to the battlefield.
But then he at least had hope that they'll see each other again one day.
Now there was only despair.
Ifrit knew Caville's heart better than anyone so he put his all into
regaining his mana.
***
Elody woke up in a dark prison.
After looking around, she realized that she was inside a cave but there
was no one guarding her.
She checked her earlobe but someone already removed communication device
from her.
Elody carefully approached the iron bars and looked outside.
She could see several people gathered and one of them made an eye contact
with her. It was Zendikar.
He quickly approached Elody, "What's with that look?"
"...How do you know me?"
"Ahahahah, yeah. You put me through Hell and now you don't even remember
my face."
Zendikar grinned and touched his necklace.
'Is it an ancient artifact?'
Elody felt nauseous when she saw the necklace, Even without inspecting it,
she knew that it contained a lot of magical power inside.
"Don't worry, your mana will soon be here as well. I wonder if your
spirits will listen to me when I get my hands on it. I'll also put that
guy's magical power here so you'll be reunited at last. What do you think?
Aren't I merciful?"
Elody didn't answer. Looking at him, his eyes were full of hatred. But one
of his words stood out to her.
"How do you know me? I don't remember ever seeing you."
Zendikar just shrugged at Elody's question.
"Your Highness, you don't have to deal with it. Wait until you're ready,"
Fetis warned him as he walked over but Zendikar raised his hand to stop
him.
"No, no... Isn't it unfair? That I'm the only one who has this painful
memory."
Zendikar laughed and lifted the pendant.
"This thing holds a strange power. It can capture mana and divine power
intact. One day, when I fed it the divine power of some priest, I
remembered."
"Wha~"
"Stupid bitch, we've met in another life! Back then, Caville Cernoir's
sword put a hole in my chest right here."
Zendikar touched his chest to demonstrate it.
"And my sword pierced through the hearts of you two."
"..."
"I must avenge my parents for the second time. Only this time, I will
win."

Chapter 138

Zendikar laughed at Elody's pale complexion.

She couldn't understand what he meant. Her past life was completely
different that this so how could've they met?
And then a short memory passed through her head. It was like a dream.
She was alone inside a dark river. She was dying but she still stretched
her arms desperately to reach someone.
There was Caville, his body was covered in blood and he was on the verge
of death, just like her.
A mountain of corpses piled behind his back.
Then she saw Zendikar with a sword pierced through his chest. His gaze
directed at her was full of hostility.
Elody tried to remember more but there was only darkness.
"It's all right, you can stop now," Zendikar laughed.
After scaring Elody, he and Fetis went away for hunting. Elody watched
their backs until they left the cave.
He's going to kill Caville.
No... Elody shook her head. It wasn't the time to indulge in fantasies.
Caville will surely come looking for her and then he will be in danger.
She remembered Ifrit who fainted during the eclipse. When he regains his
power, he will be able to track Elody with ease.
And Caville will follow him.
Elody looked at men who were guarding the cave. All of them looked like
skilled warriors.
She wouldn't be able to escape on her own, but if Caville came here, he'd
be defeated by the power of Zendikar's pendant.
'There must be a way,' Elody tried to remain calm and rubbed her freezing
hands.
It seemed like her body temperature was dropping rapidly. Was it because
of her trepidation or just because not a single sunbeam reached this
corner of the cave?
Elody put her hands in her pockets... and there she discovered toxic
blueberries that she harvested earlier.
Ifrit stored them in her robe under pretense of studying them later.
According to her research, the fruit wasn't toxic per se, but it cold be
used to create a powerful drug.
Suddenly Elody got an urge to taste it... or should she feed it to the
guards?
But there was no time for her to ponder about it.
***
Ifrit moved to a small forest behind Elody's greenhouse.
This place was full of delicious mana and it could help him regain his
powers faster. But there was one problem...
Caville was staring at him like the world was ending and it made Ifrit
tense.
When some of his magical power returned, Ifrit transformed into his adult
body.
He was now the size of the desk in Caville's office.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. Soon, he could sense Elody's mana. It
took some time to discern it, like untangling a knot.
"I found her," Ifrit opened his eyes.
***
Elody was trembling from fear.
Because neither Caville nor Ifrit were by her side at this time, she felt
like she was the only person in this world.
She wasn't afraid of death, she was only scared for Caville's sake.
But this fear helped Elody realized the full extend of her love for him so
she was able to brace herself.
Without hesitation Elody put the blueberry in her mouth.
As soon as she swallowed it, her chest burned and she started coughing.
It was the same feeling as when she vomited blood after drinking her herb
tea.
The guards came to check on her. At first they thought that she was just
pretending but changed their minds when Elody collapsed on the ground.
"...Did she die?"
Her body that was gasping for breath, turned stiff.
The guards were about to open the door to check her condition when Elody
suddenly raised her upper body.
She could feel the rapid circulation of blood in her. It was like she was
struck by lightning and got reenergized.
Elody didn't feel good or bad, she just sensed the power flowing through
her fingertips.
She slowly stood up and approached the iron bars in a daze and put her
hands on them.
And the guards looked in shock at how a slender delicate woman who nearly
died just a moment ago, was now bending the iron bars with ease.
When the distance between bars became wide enough for a person to fit
through, Elody looked down at her hands with excitement.
No way, no way...
She instinctively knew that the power was decreasing minute by minute so
she had no time to spare.
She raised her fist and knocked out the soldier that was closest to her.
The power of her punch was so strong that the man flew all the way to the
cave wall.
Seeing that, the remaining guards surrounded Elody with spears.
"Fet~ Fetis! Bring Fetis here!"
But Elody was faster. Seems like all her physical attributes increased
just as much as her strength.
She took the spears from the soldiers and pushed them away.
When space around her became more clear, she ran out of the cave without
looking back.
Her powers were weakening.
She saw Zendikar and Fetis standing on the hill in the distance.
"How did she get out?" Zendikar's expression crumpled when he discovered
her presence.
"That crazy bitch," Fetis clicked his tongue and started casting the magic
spell.
It was forbidden magic, an ancient curse.
However the downside of chanting such a magic spell was that it was quite
long.
Elody's fist worked much faster.

Chapter 139

When Elody saw Fetis chanting a magic spell, she ran at full speed to stop
him from completing it.
Gathering the remaining power, she raised her hand in fist and punched
Fetis right in the face.
He flew away and hit the stone with his head. His neck was broken as a
result and he died instantly.
"Just what is this..?" Zendikar couldn't believe his eyes.
He instinctively pulled his sword as magic power started to flow through
his pendant.
Looking at it, Elody gasped. She wanted to stop him but the fruit's effect
was already exhausted.
She spent it all on getting rid of Fetis.
Still, the potential danger for Caville was reduced by half.
But on the other hand, that other half was now directly threatening Elody.
Zendikar approached Elody, grabbed her by the neck and slowly lifted her
off the ground.
She couldn't even resist.
When the tips of her toes rose in the air, Elody struggled in pain.
Zendikar didn't let go and put even more force in his hand.
"I was going to leave you some of your mana if you stayed still but you
rushed just like a moth to the flame for this guy."
"...khhh... Caville... hhh... never..."
She wanted to say that he could never kill Caville but Zendikar increased
his hold on her neck.
"Because you're such a stupid bitch, I'll go through the hassle to erase
your whole soul from..."
Zendikar didn't finish his words.
His head was cut off right in front of Elody.
Shee closed her eyes when she saw splashes of blood.
When she fell down, Elody put her hands on her neck to restore her
breathing.
And when she slowly raised her head, she saw Caville, whose face was
distorted in anger.
"My wife..."
Caville knelt down and hugged her.
"It's all right. You're safe," he was mumbling while frantically checking
her condition.
When he was sure that she wasn't hurt, he put his head on Elody's little
shoulder and began to weep.
She couldn't even lift a finger so he embraced her tightly.
And at that moment...
The pendant that fell from Zendikar's body began to rattle intensely.
Zendikar's decapitated body started crawling in direction of his head.
Still holding Elody in his arms, Caville quietly reached out and directed
a black shadow coming from him into direction of Zendikar's body.
Elody, knowing nothing, buried her head in Caville's chest and sobbed.
Zendikar's corpse that was wriggling like a worm, was caught by Caville's
powers.
Soon, the black shadow started tearing it to shreds.
Ifrit fully transformed into his King of Spirits form and looked an the
scene from above while fluttering his wings.
He was frustrated. There was no horror scenes like this in the romance
novels he read!
When Zendikar's body became a mere pile of ashes, Ifrit came down and
looked at the pendant that was left.
He could feel the dark power that was contained inside.
It was too dangerous to ignore so Ifrit gathered the power of fire and
began to purify it.
"Ifrit, let's go back," Caville shouted while holding Elody who was so
exhausted that she fainted.
"Wait a minute, I'm going to get this."
Ifrit absorbed the purified power and pointed at the empty pendant.
"Don't you think that your wife would like to study this thing?"
Caville gritted his teeth. He was annoyed at Ifrit who spoke like he knew
his wife better than himself.
'That bastard,' Ifrit grumbled inside and grabbed the artifact.
He didn't even want to give Caville a ride back home.
But when Ifrit saw his master's tired expression, he changed his mind and
graciously granted an access to his back.
***
When Hayden arrived at the scene, all the disciples he sent to kidnap the
Duchess were already dead.
Moreover, their corpses were deformed like their vitality was all sucked
out.
Hayden had already seen a similar scene.
High Priest Zion had a tool that he used to punish young priests.
But his tool was only an imitation of one that was used by the Prince of
Urta.
"Damn it," Hayden cursed. His boss would surely reprimand him for this.
***
But on the contrary, Zion looked intrigued.
Just like Zendikar, he planned to kidnap Elody to extract her mana.
But since Prince failed, he had to avoid making the same mistakes.
In a way, Zion was even grateful to Prince. He had no intention to let the
magic power he's been collecting go to waste.
Zion looked down on his magic tool. It was beautiful. Much better than the
thing that was created in Urta.
And he had only one chance to make it work. Be it taking the Duchess's or
the Duke's life or making one of them submit to him.
'I must get at least one of them.'
Another great news was then Princess Larissa managed to get back safely.
When she was passing by, Zion got an idea.
'...I guess it could work,' he laughed grimly.
***
All the servants in Cernoir castle who've been anxiously waiting for their
Madam to return, could finally rejoice.
After confirming her safety, they hastily began to move about.
Two days later, Elody finally woke up.
In her unconscious state she finally realized what happened between them
and Zendikar.
He was right, it wasn't the first time they met.
Before Elody's life was taken in a traffic accident, she already lived
once.
It wasn't a clear memory, more like her vague guess.
"Wife!" Young Caville gave her a bright smile and extended the letter he
was holding in his small hands.
"When will you come back?"
Back then, Elody also had to send young Caville to the battlefield.
But there was a difference.
She couldn't awaken Ifrit. And from that point on she spent all her life
learning ancient language.
And another difference.
Prince of Urta succeeded in his revenge.
His sword was pointed at Caville's chest so Elody threw her body forward
to protect him.
But the sword pierced through the hearts of both of them at the same time.
And Zendikar died by Caville's hand.
Elody slowly opened her eyes, recalling those faint memories.
When she was dying, she said something to Caville... What was it?
"Wife," as soon as she realized that she was awake, she heard Caville's
voice.
And the memories that just came back to her, dissipated in the depths of
her mind.
"Wife," tears fell from Caville's eyes as he hugged Elody.
His broad shoulders were shaking. He wasn't able to sleep these past few
days and stayed beside Elody the whole time.
Elody reached out and lightly patted his back. A warm feeling surged in
her chest.
"From now on I will never stray from your side."
Elody nodded, agreeing with her husband's words.
By the way his strong body trembled, she could sense how nervous he
must've been when she disappeared.
He was shivering just like the dog who had lost its owner.
At that moment Elody has not realized yet just how serious his intentions
were.

Chapter 140

Caville couldn't stop crying as he embraced Elody tightly in his arms.

"You were really worried about me..."
"Yes."
Instead of talking, Elody decided to just quietly stroke Caville's back.
It wasn't just worry. He loathed himself. Looking at his wife who couldn't
wake up, he felt like he was being suffocated.
He was so sick and tired that he was afraid his body was going to fall
apart.
He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat. He could only stay by his wife's side
the whole time.
"Caville, can you please let me go?," it was a bit difficult for her to
hug his huge body for a long time.
Startled, Caville released his hold on her.
Elody chuckled and wiped his cheeks which were wet with tears.
"You still cry just like you did when you were a kid."
"I'm sorry, wife."
"What, for crying?"
"No. Because of my negligence you got hurt. In the future, I will protect
you myself."
Elody nodded again.
She was relieved because her precious Caville was safe.
Although it seemed like he's been through a lot...
"From now on, I will always stay by your side," Caville looked into
Elody's eyes, urging her to give him a permission.
"Sure, you can do so," Elody couldn't help but nod one more time.
Caville smiled. He really had no intention to separate from her ever
again.
And since he's been given permission...
'Now it's all up to me.'
Caville had a big realization. Now he could live the life he dreamt about
when he was on battlefield.
To stay with his wife all day long.
After coming back home, he did his best in doing his duty as the Lord to
impress her.
'If I follow her all the time, she'll be bothered. She might even come to
hate me.'
Women hate clingy men. Caville learned it from the books and he also heard
stories.
There was a knight who had a secret affair with a maid.
"I've been following her around, asking if she needs anything and I almost
got dumped!"
"Girls don't like it when you bother them all the time. Only show up when
you have to. This way you won't end up being dumped like Sir Vedos."
There was a rumor going around that this was the reason why Brien got
dumped by Marie.
After hearing about it, Caville got cautious.
He couldn't count the times he found himself approaching greenhouse before
suddenly getting cold feet for this very reason.
At least then he could entrust her safety to Ifrit.
Because their magical powers were connected, when Ifrit absorbed the mana
from the greenhouse, Caville was getting stronger as well.
That's why he though that situation like this couldn't happen.
He couldn't trust Ifrit anymore. He had to protect her himself.
***
During mealtime, Caville fed Elody himself. He did his best in becoming a
dedicated servant.
However there was something he couldn't do even with all his
determination.
"Lord, Madam, the bath is ready."
Caville followed Elody up to the bathroom. After she went in, he stood in
the corridor, listening to every sound that came from the room.
Thinking that there was only thin door that separated them at the moment,
Elody felt embarrassed.
But Marie saw this as an opportunity, "Seems like our Lord cannot bear to
separate from you."
Of course Elody gave him permission but she didn't think it would come to
this...
"Perhaps he should bathe you instead of me."
At Marie's words, Elody's eyes opened wide in shock.
"Hmm, I will have to bring this up with the Lord himself."
"No..!"
"Don't worry, Madam," Marie stroked Elody's arm with a soft sponge which
instantly killed her resistance, "Your skin is very soft, our Lord is
truly blessed."
Elody's ears flushed red and she closed her mouth. It wasn't wise to
retaliate against Marie's teasing.
When Elody finished her bath, she went to the dressing room. Caville was
already there.
He turned away when Elody started changing her clothes but she still
couldn't help but glance at him from time to time.
She didn't think he would peek at her but his presence made her tense.
Would it kill him to wait in another room?!
After Elody finished, she wanted to go and investigate the incident right
away but Caville insisted on calling the doctor first.
He even made a sad puppy expression that he knew his wife was especially
weak to.
Caville only allowed her to go out when he heard from the doctor that
Elody was in good health.
First things first, Elody decided to check on Heinz who was brutally
stabbed by Sir Therion.
On their way, they were intercepted by Brien.
Apparently, Sir Therion just passed away.
Strange thing was, on his death bed his pupils turned white and he died
with his eyes wide open.
And another thing, it was him who helped Princess Larissa escape from
prison.
'So Princess ran away?!'
Elody was stunned at the amount of information she received all at once.
She wanted to call for Ray to investigate the matter further.
Fortunately, Heinz was recovering swiftly.
"Madam," he cried out as soon as he saw Elody coming in.
His waist was swathed in bandages and his pitiful imagery made Marie tear
up.
"Sir Heinz, are you feeling well?"
"No. I knew something like this would happen. I knew but I still didn't
expect it to be so soon."
"What might you mean?"
"Therion, that bastard! From the start, there was something strange with
his eyes. I should've killed him then."
Heinz clenched his fist so tight that it was a miracle that he didn't
break any bones.
"Wife, you confirmed that he's alive. Now let's go," Caville was worried
that his wife's gaze stayed on Sir Heinz for way too long.
"Madam, I'm glad that you're safe. When I woke up I blamed myself so much
for failing to protect you. From now on, I'll always be by your si~"
Seeing how Caville grabbed the pillow, Heinz slurred the end of his words.
The Lord was about to choke him!
Wishing Heinz speedy recovery, Elody and Caville left the room.
Heinz scratched his head when he looked at Marie, who was still weeping.
'Why does she cry everytime she sees me?'
***
Ifrit was resting in the greenhouse so Elody decided to pay him a visit.
There was a lot she had to ask him about. Caville agreed and turned to
Norman and all the servants who were following them.
His gaze was telling them that everything was fine and they could return
to their duties.
Everyone was shocked by the incident but since their Lord followed Madam
everywhere, there was need to worry.
"Ifrit," Elody finally walked up to the puppy and stroked his head.
"This is the first time I've experienced a solar eclipse so I didn't
know," he made a small excuse.
[In a short moment when the moon swallows the sun, all magic ceases to
exist and only divine power remains.]
The prophecy was very ancient but since wizards have never experienced any
issues during eclipse, it was deemed to be false.
However no one realized that it only related to spirits.
Only Temple knew. They used this trick in the past to seal the spirits.
And so they chose this day to target Elody.
Now there was an issue of getting back at Count Borque, the Emperor and
the Temple.
Was there any way they could be targeted all at once?
Elody clenched her fists.
Suddenly, she remembered about the toxic blueberries...

Chapter 141

When Elody came to the greenhouse to inspect the plants, she got swarmed
by baby spirits.
They got so scared during the eclipse that they even forgot the words they
just learnt.
Elody had to console them until Ifrit came and scolded the babies.
When she finally got to the blueberries, she explained to Ifrit and
Caville what happened.
Ifrit told her about the pendant he found and what kind of power it held.
Elody stroked his head, telling him he did well.
She heard Caville sigh behind her back and it made her tense.
Because of Marie said earlier, she became more conscious of him.
***
Although Elody had so many things to solve, her main concern was Caville.
Before, all she wanted to do was to take care of him...
"Wife, please sit down."
But now his attitude changed. He kept clinging to her, holding her hands
and each time their eyes met, she shuddered.
His mysterious look made her feel like he wanted to eat her.
When they entered her lab, he occupied Elody's chair and tapped on his
things, shamelessly telling her to sit on his lap.
"Can you please leave?" She smiled, trying to ease the tension.
"No can do. You gave me permission earlier so I'll be here. You said I can
do whatever I want."
But she didn't think it'd be this extreme...
Instead of arguing, Elody pulled out the chair that Marie used.
With sullen face, Caville gave up on his mischief. He sat down on a simple
chair and looking at his depressed appearance, Elody patted his shoulders.
She started inspecting the pendant but couldn't find much because Ifrit
absorbed all the mana from it.
Elody was surprised so Ifrit puffed his chest and bragged about being all
mighty.
But she had more urgent matters so she set the pendant aside from now.
The Temple must be plotting something right now. She had to prepare for
their next move.
"We should contact the Crown Prince."
According to Sirka's report, the Emperor considered him a threat. And the
enemy of my enemy...
Elody turned to look at Caville, who was bickering with Ifrit.
"Caville, but what about your work?"
"Lewis can handle the reports."
Your aide will surely be busy... Before Elody could scorn him, Caville
made an excuse.
"I will never leave my wife."
Seeing his determination, Elody nodded.
"And one more thing.."
"Huh?" she looked up at him in surprise.
"If you need to go somewhere, I can always carry you."
"What the..."
Caville moved his chair closer to Elody and leaned his cheek against her
shoulder. Then he smoothly wrapped his arms around her waist.
"If you behave like this, what will people say?"
When she imagined all the gazes she'd receive if Caville really did carry
her around like that, she became flustered.
"I'll do as I please."
His determination felt threatening so Elody gulped nervously. Caville's
firm hand hugged her closer.
"You even said I can do so."
"That..."
"You told me that one should stick to his promises," Caville teased her.
Elody couldn't refute him. She was the one who raised him after all.
***
Elody could barely get a wink of sleep at night.
Caville bothered her all night but fortunately she could compromise by
holding his hand.
"Wife, did you sleep well?"
"Yes..."
Elody looked up at Caville. Not long ago, a little kiss could make him
shy.
She even felt guilty about seducing such an innocent young man.
But now, the atmosphere between them changed.
Far from being flustered, right now it felt like she was about to get
eaten by him!
knock-knock
Marie informed them that Ray came with a visit. Elody quickly changed her
clothes and came out to greet him.
First thing first, she asked him about Sir Therion's condition.
After examining his body, Ray concluded that he was influenced by
forbidden magic.
In fact, Ray just got his hands on a book about this topic. In Cernoir's
port, one of the merchants from a faraway country was selling a variety of
ancient texts...
While Elody was passed out, a big market opened near the port. He must've
found it there.
But the problem was that Ray only had half of the book. The other half was
sold before Ray arrived.
And now he couldn't find the merchant. The only thing Ray remembered about
the man was that he wore a black robe.
But from the text that he owed, Ray found out that people when people who
are influenced by forbidden magic die, their pupils turn blank and their
eyes can't be closed even with force or magic.
Elody felt like she was missing something. Her memories about kidnapping
were faint so she tried to concentrate.
Before Therion got stabbed by Zendikar, he said something...
"In the name of God..."
It was definitely Temple's doing. But what did they want? The spirits?
"Elody, by the way..." Ray's voice reached Elody, who was lost in thought.
He looked sternly at the entwined couple sitting across him. They were
holding hands the whole time.
"I hope you two get a divorce."

Chapter 142 Divorce.

The moment the word was spelled out loud, Caville increased his hold on
Elody's hand.
"What do you mean?"
Ray took a deep breath before answering his sister's question.
"I'd like you to get a divorce and come live in the Tower with us. I can't
let you stay in danger any longer."
"But..."
"Elody, it's too dangerous. They're aiming at you. You never know when a
situation like this can happen again. Let's go to the Tower together,
you'll be safe there. I have an obligation to protect you."
Before Elody could answer, Caville raised an objection.
"You're disqualified."
"What?" Ray furrowed his brows.
"You ran away, leaving my wife all alone."
Ray wanted to refute him but there was no lie in Caville's words. It was a
critical hit.
"Just because you're blood related, it doesn't make you a family."
The two men glared at each other.
Elody squeezed Caville's hand and said firmly, "Actually, I was ready for
divorce."
Caville's expression darkened. And Ray's became as bright as day.
"Elody, then..."
"It was a long time ago, I was mistaken. Brother, ever since I got there,
Caville became my family," Elody's warm gaze turned to her husband,
"Everyone here is my family now but back then there was only him."
"Elody..."
"We were the only family to each other."
She remembered the first time they met. Caville, who was so small and
delicate, had to endure so much in the orphanage... And she was the same,
escaping from her abusive father.
Someone to heal their wounds... What they needed the most at the time they
found in each other.
Elody's next words shook Caville.
"Since the first moment I saw him, I knew. I was born to protect this
child."
Ray, who was quietly listening to her, sighed. Isn't Caville just like a
little brother for her?
But Elody's gaze at her husband was too sweet. They were already married
and seemed just like a real couple.
"Well, then there's nothing I can do."
Elody smiled when she saw Ray's dejected face.
All the while Caville was shedding tears with his cheek on Elody's
shoulder.
Then, he glared at Ray, his gaze saying 'Get lost.'
Ray clenched his fists and trembled. He was furious.
'I don't like this one bit...' But what could he do? The Duke was right,
he had no right to intervene.
Unable to overcome Caville's stare, Ray left the drawing room.
"Wife..." Caville was embraced by Elody like he was some small fluffy
creature.
Elody wanted to tell him that she loved him but neither the time nor a
place were right.
But she definitely wanted to do it soon.
Caville wrapped his arms around her waist and rubbed his eyes, wet with
tears, on her small shoulder.
Instead of confessing, Elody conveyed her heart by gently stroking his
head.
***
When Ray came out of the room, he stumbled upon a maid.
"Hey Mister, are they getting divorced?"
Apparently she was about to come in when she heard his words, but stood
back in shock.
She already told about it to all the surrounding servants and now they
were fidgeting all over the hallway.
Ray looked at the whispering maids. Remembering the Duke's glare, an idea
cam to his mind.
"Yes, they do. You can thank your Lord for that," Ray threw a bomb at them
and disappeared just like that.
He felt sorry for the maids but the situation was just too good to pass
on.
***
Meanwhile, Larissa was on her way to the Temple's building in the capital.
With her she carried a book about forbidden magic that she received from a
priest in Cernoir territory.
High Priest Zion was very pleased when he heard about its contents.
One of the Temple's important duties was to collect the ancient texts.
This way they obtained a lot of information that even wizards didn't know
much about.
Zion decided to bring either the Duke or the Duchess on his side. But to
do it, he first had to separate them.
The spell from the book should help him achieve his goal.
That's why he was eagerly waiting for Larissa's arrival.
To pass the time, he decided to read the book that she wrote.
He remembered her words about Duchess taking everything from her.
"The past is wrong..."
If that was the case, all Zion had to do is to correct it a little.
He smiled grimly and looked at the artifact in his hand.
He couldn't miss his chance by making stupid mistakes like those savages
from Urta.
***
The last few days were strange.
Caville noticed that all the servants were staring at him in secret and
whispering about something.
"Wife, what's wrong with the servants?"
"You also noticed?"
It was like this the last time as well, Elody murmured quietly. Caville
shrugged it off and left the office with her.
"Now," before going down the stairs, Caville extended his arms to Elody.
She hesitated and looked around for help.
Each time Caville declared that he will carry her from the castle to
greenhouse, Elody managed to make excuses.
Honestly, it was too much. It's not like she was injured or anything...
She thought that he would give up soon but his persistence was admirable.
"From now on, I'll hold you like this."
Elody was forced to approach him.
No, I must be heavy! She couldn't help but imagine the knights and
servants' giddy faces.
But in the end, Caville's stubbornness won.
"You smell good," he said while holding his wife in a princess carry.
Elody held back her embarrassment and wrapped her arms around Caville's
neck.
"Wait, me too!" Ifrit, who was chasing after them, jumped onto Elody's
shoulder.
Caville wanted to tell him to get off but held back his tongue.
At this moment he was so happy that he decided to let it go.
'It's not good to be so narrow minded,' he thought. And, holding Elody in
his arms, he headed for the greenhouse.
Seeing this scene, the servants started whispering between themselves.
They all rooted for their Lord to fix his act so Madam would generously
forgive him.
Another emergency meeting was held.
Norman warned everyone not to spill that they know anything about what's
going on between their masters.
Because of that, Anna and Marie, who were closest to Elody, were forced to
keep their mouths shut.
Norman also warned the knights, but it couldn't stop the rumor from
spreading.
Eventually, a bet was made.
Naturally, the vast majority bet against the divorce. Everyone knew that
their Lord was obsessed with Madam. He had no interest in anything else.
When the bet didn't come through, the knights started grumbling, saying
it's no fun.
A certain knight who only just recovered, was shocked to hear this story.
"What?! They're getting a divorce?"
As soon as Heinz heard about it, he stormed off the training grounds.
He didn't know that for several days now the mere mention of the word
'divorce' was a taboo.
Heinz headed straight for his Lord'd office.
And there, Caville was checking the reports brought by Lewis while Elody
was taking a bath.
"My Lord, my Lord! They say that you're getting divorced!"
Heinz barged into the office and cried on top of his lungs.
Spoiler: chapter 143
"What?" Caville's mood fell instantly.
"...oh, mother," Lewis's hands started trembling and all the papers he's
been holding dropped on the floor.
Caville picked up the papers and handed them to his poor aide. Not taking
any chances, Lewis quickly left the office.
This small incident gave Heinz a chance to gather his thoughts.
Not long ago, he would've been the most vocal supporter of a divorce
between the two. But now, he had to talk to his Lord.
"Umm... Yeah, I knew this was going to happen..."
His words irritated Caville. Knew what exactly?
"You seem to be under a wrong impression that I'm not going to kill you."
Heinz was a loyal soldier. He was a bit annoying but nonetheless useful
due to his outstanding skill.
And now Caville started to believe that his ability couldn't make up for
his blabber-mouth. After all, he couldn't even protect his wife from Sir
Therion.
"My Lord, I know you won't kill me. You must know how much Madam trusts
me..."
"Ha!" Is he being so cocky because he sincerely believes this? But still,
it wasn't something that Caville could ignore.
"So you claim that my wife trusts you?"
"Of course."
Caville furrowed his brows. The matter was very serious to him but Heinz
kept on going.
"My Lord, what are you going to do if Madam divorces you?"
"Divorce? Who's talking about divorce?" Caville's voice was filled with
annoyance.
Each time he heard this word, he felt like he was on a verge of nervous
breakdown.
Ever since Ray brought it up, Caville kept having nightmares. Of course
his wife always comforted him but...
The time Elody tried to abandon him was still vivid in his mind.
"Don't worry, you can trust me. I know everything."
"What?"
"My Lord, there's a rumor going around about you getting a divorce.
Haven't you heard?"
Caville's veins popped up. That can't be true. Come to think of it...
Marie hasn't served him bokbunja for a couple of days now.
Caville bit his tongue. He was well aware of the effect this drink had on
his body. And now the supply has been cut off. He couldn't overlook this
matter.
"My Lord, did I struck a nerve there?" looking at how disturbed Caville
was, Heinz decided to double down.
"...get out."
Sensing that his Lord was about to deliver a fatal blow to him, Heinz's
self preservation instinct took over and he ran out of office, just like
Lewis did not long ago.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Ifrit came through the window just in time.
"You..." Caville tried to calm himself down.
'She told me I was her only family.' But...
'Maybe she wanted to say that I'm like a little brother to her'
Did she mean it like that? Was she still secretly thinking about divorce?
This can't be...
The news that Heinz brought up, unnerved Caville.
"So what is it?" Ifrit repeated himself.
"Have you heard anything from my wife?"
Caville knew that his wife trusted Ifrit. Naturally, she trusted Caville
the most but...
Perhaps because of anxiety, everything Caville believed in began to
falter.
Of course he believed her when she said he was her only family but what if
he was mistaken?
'No, that can't be,' just yesterday they shared a kiss that's only
possible between lovers.
But she never attempted to do anything beyond kissing.
Even though desire inside him has been boiling and was about to spill
over, he still wanted to wait until his wife was comfortable enough.
'Doesn't she want more?'
When Caville imagined himself approaching his wife with this offer, the
imaginary Elody shoved him off with disgust, 'Uh, Caville, what are you
doing? We're family, remember?'
Even though she was fine with kissing him!
Despite this scene never taking place in reality, Caville became
depressed.
"Tell me. What is it?" Ifrit chuckled, looking at his master's crestfallen
appearance.
Caville composed himself and pushed Ifrit away.
***
After taking a bath and changing into her nightgown, Elody headed for the
bedroom.
'What's taking him so long?' Recently, Caville managed to finish his work
and wash himself while Elody was taking her baths.
It was all a part of his plan to spend as much time together as possible.
Elody sat down and began to read. Soon, Caville entered the bedroom.
But something was strange. Instead of his usual pajamas, he was wearing a
gown that showed off his muscular chest.
His hair was still wet and his lips were bright red which made it hard for
Elody to concentrate on her book.
"Wife," Caville sat on the bed and called out to her.
"Huh," Elody replied, still keeping her eyes on the book.
"Do you want to divorce me?" his words were even stranger than his
appearance.
"What do you mean?" Elody looked up at him, puzzled,
"There's a gossip going around that you're ready to divorce me."
"That's not true."
"Everybody knows except me. Even Marie..."
Marie stopped bringing him bokbunja. That's what he wanted to say but he
felt so miserable that he couldn't even speak.
Caville looked so pitiful that Elody closed her book and sat beside him.
"Divorce? What do you mean?"
"So you're not going to?" Caville asked, looking her straight in the eye.
His red eyes twitched like he was about to cry.
Elody felt her heart beating wildly at this sight. She finally got her
chance to confess.
"Actually, Caville..." she gently held his hands that were cold from the
tension, "Sorry that I couldn't tell you it earlier."
"..."
"I love you."
"Wife."
"I'm in love with you."
Just like you are... Elody bowed her head after whispering her last words.
She remembered the first time she tried to confess to him and the
passionate kiss they shared that time.
But Caville's reaction was strange.
"Caville?"
He bowed his head, She was expecting him to be happy but this reaction
made her flustered.
Elody tried to peek at his face but he turned his head, not wanting her to
see his expression.
Elody got even more embarrassed. At that time, tears welled up in
Caville's eyes.
When she tried to ask him what was going on, he finally opened his mouth.
"It's different. You love me like you would love a younger brother."
I love you the same way you love me. Didn't she say that? What's
different?
"My wife still sees me as a child."
No, it wasn't like that. Of course sometimes she found him adorable but
from the moment they shared their first kiss, she was aware that he was
already a man.
So that's what he meant... How ridiculous!
After all the kisses they shared... Elody now realized why he wore such
revealing clothes. tonight.
The temptation made her heart pound. It was beating so loud that she
thought he could hear it too.
Finally, Elody managed to give him a reply he was eagerly waiting for.
"It's not like that."
"I'm no longer the little boy you used to put to sleep. But well, when it
comes to me, I still can't sleep without my wife."
Caville raised his hand and stroked Elody's cheek. She felt like
electricity was coming through his fingertips.
Elody braced herself and stroked his cheek in return.
"I'm no different from you, you know. I don't see you as a child anymore.
We're a couple now. Besides, you are already a grown man. And I'm in love
with you, Caville."
"Then..." Caville lowered his head and whispered close to Elody's ear.
When she felt his hot breath on her face, she stiffened.
"..."
"You can love me... The adult way."
It was an irresistible temptation.
Elody chuckled because she thought that Caville's straightforward attempt
in seducing her was very cute.
His ears flushed red from the embarrassment. To hide his shyness, he poked
at Elody's waist so she'd stop laughing.
Of course she was a little embarrassed as well but there was no reason for
her to refuse him.
Elody couldn't ignore the heat inside her chest any longer. She decided to
enjoy the moment to its fullest.
When she wrapped her hands around Caville's neck and kissed him, Caville
fell in stupor.
Like a traveler who found an oasis in the middle of the desert, her kiss
conveyed to him her outspoken craving.
With his wife's explicit permission, the thin string that was tied around
his heart, finally snapped.
Caville kissed Elody wildly, like a beast.
"Wait..."
Because she didn't expect his attack, Elody got surprised and tried to
pull back.
But Caville just pushed her on the bed and kissed her again.
At that time, she heard the sound of her nightgown being ripped apart.
"Haa... Caville, wait... Don't tear this..." Elody was stunned and tried
to stop him but it was no use because he was too busy kissing her.
Caville coveted her body all night long.
He was as greedy and persistent as a creditor, who came to collect the
love that he lent.
And that night, Caville received all the interest he had accumulate over
the decade.
T/N: this is the first time I hear such an analogy kek, almost killed the
mood for me.
***
Next morning, Marie came to her Madam's office as usual.
She knocked on the door to the bedroom and waited patiently.
After a while, the door opened.
"Madam?"
However, the one who greeted her was the Lord.
What is it? Is Madam still sleeping? Marie looked at Caville, wondering
what was going on.
She noticed that his face was somewhat different from the usual. He looked
more... confident.
"My wife is still asleep," Caville answered coldly.
"Oh well, please call for me when she wakes up."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
Caville looked at bewildered Marie.
"You don't have to help my wife take a bath from now on. It will be my
duty."

Chapter 143

"What?" Caville's mood fell instantly.

"...oh, mother," Lewis's hands started trembling and all the papers he's
been holding dropped on the floor.
Caville picked up the papers and handed them to his poor aide. Not taking
any chances, Lewis quickly left the office.
This small incident gave Heinz a chance to gather his thoughts.
Not long ago, he would've been the most vocal supporter of a divorce
between the two. But now, he had to talk to his Lord.
"Umm... Yeah, I knew this was going to happen..."
His words irritated Caville. Knew what exactly?
"You seem to be under a wrong impression that I'm not going to kill you."
Heinz was a loyal soldier. He was a bit annoying but nonetheless useful
due to his outstanding skill.
And now Caville started to believe that his ability couldn't make up for
his blabber-mouth. After all, he couldn't even protect his wife from Sir
Therion.
"My Lord, I know you won't kill me. You must know how much Madam trusts
me..."
"Ha!" Is he being so cocky because he sincerely believes this? But still,
it wasn't something that Caville could ignore.
"So you claim that my wife trusts you?"
"Of course."
Caville furrowed his brows. The matter was very serious to him but Heinz
kept on going.
"My Lord, what are you going to do if Madam divorces you?"
"Divorce? Who's talking about divorce?" Caville's voice was filled with
annoyance.
Each time he heard this word, he felt like he was on a verge of nervous
breakdown.
Ever since Ray brought it up, Caville kept having nightmares. Of course
his wife always comforted him but...
The time Elody tried to abandon him was still vivid in his mind.
"Don't worry, you can trust me. I know everything."
"What?"
"My Lord, there's a rumor going around about you getting a divorce.
Haven't you heard?"
Caville's veins popped up. That can't be true. Come to think of it...
Marie hasn't served him bokbunja for a couple of days now.
Caville bit his tongue. He was well aware of the effect this drink had on
his body. And now the supply has been cut off. He couldn't overlook this
matter.
"My Lord, did I struck a nerve there?" looking at how disturbed Caville
was, Heinz decided to double down.
"...get out."
Sensing that his Lord was about to deliver a fatal blow to him, Heinz's
self preservation instinct took over and he ran out of office, just like
Lewis did not long ago.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Ifrit came through the window just in time.
"You..." Caville tried to calm himself down.
'She told me I was her only family.' But...
'Maybe she wanted to say that I'm like a little brother to her'
Did she mean it like that? Was she still secretly thinking about divorce?
This can't be...
The news that Heinz brought up, unnerved Caville.
"So what is it?" Ifrit repeated himself.
"Have you heard anything from my wife?"
Caville knew that his wife trusted Ifrit. Naturally, she trusted Caville
the most but...
Perhaps because of anxiety, everything Caville believed in began to
falter.
Of course he believed her when she said he was her only family but what if
he was mistaken?
'No, that can't be,' just yesterday they shared a kiss that's only
possible between lovers.
But she never attempted to do anything beyond kissing.
Even though desire inside him has been boiling and was about to spill
over, he still wanted to wait until his wife was comfortable enough.
'Doesn't she want more?'
When Caville imagined himself approaching his wife with this offer, the
imaginary Elody shoved him off with disgust, 'Uh, Caville, what are you
doing? We're family, remember?'
Even though she was fine with kissing him!
Despite this scene never taking place in reality, Caville became
depressed.
"Tell me. What is it?" Ifrit chuckled, looking at his master's crestfallen
appearance.
Caville composed himself and pushed Ifrit away.
***
After taking a bath and changing into her nightgown, Elody headed for the
bedroom.
'What's taking him so long?' Recently, Caville managed to finish his work
and wash himself while Elody was taking her baths.
It was all a part of his plan to spend as much time together as possible.
Elody sat down and began to read. Soon, Caville entered the bedroom.
But something was strange. Instead of his usual pajamas, he was wearing a
gown that showed off his muscular chest.
His hair was still wet and his lips were bright red which made it hard for
Elody to concentrate on her book.
"Wife," Caville sat on the bed and called out to her.
"Huh," Elody replied, still keeping her eyes on the book.
"Do you want to divorce me?" his words were even stranger than his
appearance.
"What do you mean?" Elody looked up at him, puzzled,
"There's a gossip going around that you're ready to divorce me."
"That's not true."
"Everybody knows except me. Even Marie..."
Marie stopped bringing him bokbunja. That's what he wanted to say but he
felt so miserable that he couldn't even speak.
Caville looked so pitiful that Elody closed her book and sat beside him.
"Divorce? What do you mean?"
"So you're not going to?" Caville asked, looking her straight in the eye.
His red eyes twitched like he was about to cry.
Elody felt her heart beating wildly at this sight. She finally got her
chance to confess.
"Actually, Caville..." she gently held his hands that were cold from the
tension, "Sorry that I couldn't tell you it earlier."
"..."
"I love you."
"Wife."
"I'm in love with you."
Just like you are... Elody bowed her head after whispering her last words.
She remembered the first time she tried to confess to him and the
passionate kiss they shared that time.
But Caville's reaction was strange.
"Caville?"
He bowed his head, She was expecting him to be happy but this reaction
made her flustered.
Elody tried to peek at his face but he turned his head, not wanting her to
see his expression.
Elody got even more embarrassed. At that time, tears welled up in
Caville's eyes.
When she tried to ask him what was going on, he finally opened his mouth.
"It's different. You love me like you would love a younger brother."
I love you the same way you love me. Didn't she say that? What's
different?
"My wife still sees me as a child."
No, it wasn't like that. Of course sometimes she found him adorable but
from the moment they shared their first kiss, she was aware that he was
already a man.
So that's what he meant... How ridiculous!
After all the kisses they shared... Elody now realized why he wore such
revealing clothes. tonight.
The temptation made her heart pound. It was beating so loud that she
thought he could hear it too.
Finally, Elody managed to give him a reply he was eagerly waiting for.
"It's not like that."
"I'm no longer the little boy you used to put to sleep. But well, when it
comes to me, I still can't sleep without my wife."
Caville raised his hand and stroked Elody's cheek. She felt like
electricity was coming through his fingertips.
Elody braced herself and stroked his cheek in return.
"I'm no different from you, you know. I don't see you as a child anymore.
We're a couple now. Besides, you are already a grown man. And I'm in love
with you, Caville."
"Then..." Caville lowered his head and whispered close to Elody's ear.
When she felt his hot breath on her face, she stiffened.
"..."
"You can love me... The adult way."
It was an irresistible temptation.
Elody chuckled because she thought that Caville's straightforward attempt
in seducing her was very cute.
His ears flushed red from the embarrassment. To hide his shyness, he poked
at Elody's waist so she'd stop laughing.
Of course she was a little embarrassed as well but there was no reason for
her to refuse him.
Elody couldn't ignore the heat inside her chest any longer. She decided to
enjoy the moment to its fullest.
When she wrapped her hands around Caville's neck and kissed him, Caville
fell in stupor.
Like a traveler who found an oasis in the middle of the desert, her kiss
conveyed to him her outspoken craving.
With his wife's explicit permission, the thin string that was tied around
his heart, finally snapped.
Caville kissed Elody wildly, like a beast.
"Wait..."
Because she didn't expect his attack, Elody got surprised and tried to
pull back.
But Caville just pushed her on the bed and kissed her again.
At that time, she heard the sound of her nightgown being ripped apart.
"Haa... Caville, wait... Don't tear this..." Elody was stunned and tried
to stop him but it was no use because he was too busy kissing her.
Caville coveted her body all night long.
He was as greedy and persistent as a creditor, who came to collect the
love that he lent.
And that night, Caville received all the interest he had accumulate over
the decade.
T/N: this is the first time I hear such an analogy kek, almost killed the
mood for me.
***
Next morning, Marie came to her Madam's office as usual.
She knocked on the door to the bedroom and waited patiently.
After a while, the door opened.
"Madam?"
However, the one who greeted her was the Lord.
What is it? Is Madam still sleeping? Marie looked at Caville, wondering
what was going on.
She noticed that his face was somewhat different from the usual. He looked
more... confident.
"My wife is still asleep," Caville answered coldly.
"Oh well, please call for me when she wakes up."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
Caville looked at bewildered Marie.
"You don't have to help my wife take a bath from now on. It will be my
duty."

Chapter 144

"You don't have to help my wife take a bath from now on. It will be my
duty."
"Oh my!" Marie exclaimed when she got the meaning behind the Lord's words.
She felt breathless. No wonder he looked so brazen!
Caville tried to close the door but stopped midway.
"Oh, and by the way, the drink you used to serve me... Go back and bring
it again."
In fact, Marie didn't bring bokbunja for a last few days as a petty
revenge against the Lord, who she presumed did something to make Madam
upset.
But now she wondered if her actions were too insensitive. Marie assured
Caville that he has nothing to worry about and ran off to the kitchen to
get bokbunja.
On her way, she thought about how cute the future children between the
couple will be. The mere thought made her excited.
***
Elody woke up late in the afternoon. It was the first time she overslept.
And as soon as she woke up, she felt Caville's intense gaze on her. It
made her remember their nightly endeavor and she got embarrassed.
It was all his fault that she overslept! Besides, at the moment she felt
like she had no strength to move.
But Caville just smiled and kissed her like the usual, as if he wasn't
tired a bit.
"Caville, call for Marie. I have to wash up," Elody muttered, trying to
endure the shame.
But Caville was adamant, "I sent her back earlier. From now on, washing
you will be my duty."
Wait, what? Elody stared at Caville in shock. But Caville didn't mind.
"You don't have to be ashamed. When I was a kid, my wife used to wash me.
Now it's the opposite."
Elody didn't think it worked this way but she couldn't win against
Caville's stubbornness.
***
After many twists and turns, Elody finally called for Marie to help her
dress up.
She was trepidatious because she expected Marie to make a fuss about the
rosy red marks on Elody's neck.
However Marie seemed to not care about it at all and skillfully dressed
her up to have the neck covered.
Then, Marie gave her a reassuring smile and Elody noticed that her maid's
expression was especially joyous for some reason. Did something good
happen recently?
After dressing up, Elody headed for the office with Caville, who's been
already waiting for her. For obvious reasons, she couldn't meet his gaze.
In the office, Elody sneaked glances at Caville, who was being briefed by
Lewis. Every time she looked at her husband, her chest burned.
Soon, Ifrit snuggled at Elody's side. He thought that she and Caville
fought because she kept staring at him.
Elody thought that what they did last night could be considered a fight...
between their bodies.
'What am I thinking?' she blushed and covered her face. Her reaction made
Ifrit think that there was indeed a big fight between them.
(T/N: or he's just trolling, it's hard to tell lol)

He tried to console her by saying that Caville was still a child and she
should go easy on him.
Elody felt thankful but couldn't agree with his words. She now knew for
sure that Caville was all grown up.
And besides, what child has such a large body? Elody bowed down to calm
herself a little.
"Wife, are you all right?"
Elody quickly replied that she was fine. She remembered that last night,
he asked her the same question.
But unlike now, his voice then was hoarse and passionate...
Just when Elody felt when she couldn't handle it anymore and she had to
shift her thoughts on something else, Sirka came in.
As a result, Elody greeted him more happily than usual which in turn made
Caville burn with jealousy.
And poor Lewis, who still was standing there with his papers, didn't know
what to do.
***
Sirka came with a report on the Imperial family.
Although the Emperor did everything in his power to appoint his second son
as an heir, some nobles still supported the Crown Prince.
And it wouldn't be easy to discharge him without a valid reasoning. At
least for now...
Elody pitied the Crown Prince, who was only 16 years old. According to
Sirck, he also had a good reputation.
Smart, likable, kind... Elody truly couldn't understand the Emperor, who
wanted to throw away such a treasure.
Of course there was a possibility that he was being controlled by the
Temple, since his stepfather was a priest. But insofar, no one could gauge
Prince's relationship with them.
Elody ordered Sirka to contract the high ranking nobles. Her plan was to
help Crown Prince seize the throne so that later he would sign a peace
treaty with the Duchy of Cernoir.
And by 'contact' she meant 'bribe'. Elody was the richest woman in the
continent after all.
The recently built port has been a great investment so next Elody planned
to establish a network of portals throughout the continent.
Her plans always brought immense happiness to Sirka, however this time he
couldn't fully enjoy the moment because he felt Duke's threatening glare
on the back of his neck.
Thankfully, Marie came just in time with serving of drinks.
When Sirka noticed that Caville got a special drink (bokbunja), he
demanded one too.
"I'm sorry, but this is a special drink for the Lord."
Marie's resolute answer made Elody and Sirka stare at her in bewilderment.
In this tense situation, Caville just kept sipping his drink as if it was
the most natural thing to do.
And Elody stared at the cup in his hand with suspicion.
Wait a minute... That can't be...!

Chapter 145

When Elody realized that the drink he was holding was bokbunja, she got
terrified. Why was Marie still serving him this?
Elody immediately took the cup from Caville's hand.
'Please stop drinking it! I'm already tired as it is!' That's what she
wanted to say but the words got stuck in her throat.
Caville was bewildered at his wife's actions but Elody couldn't explain
herself so she just helplessly glanced st Sirka.
Because of this, Sirka wondered if this was some new product but Elody
shook her head and put the glass back. When she saw Caville taking it and
continuing sipping on it, she couldn't hep but sigh.
Talking about new products, Elody thought what she could do with the
blueberry she discovered.
She decided to make a tonic for women out of it, to Sirka's delight.
By the end of the conversation, Caville's glass was completely empty.
***
In the capital, High Priest Zion was eagerly waiting for Larissa's
arrival. In preparation, he reread the ancient book that dealt with
ancient languages.
To his disappointment, Larissa only had half the book. However it didn't
matter because the spell he was looking for was in it.
Zion planned to change the past to separate Caville and Elody. Thankfully,
he didn't have to think hard about a way to do it.
Larissa's novel was the answer. If things went according to the novel, the
Duke would abandon the Duchess.
Zion laughed, imagining the scene.
Forbidden magic was taboo because it required a lot of human sacrifice to
complete. The spell was very powerful but his artifact could handle it.
To complete the spell, and invade Elody's timeline, Zion needed an item
that contained the target's memories.
In addition, there must be a person who would completely devote oneself to
the cause. A fanatic.
His thoughts were interrupted by Princess Larissa coming in for a visit.
As soon as he looked into her eyes, he started laughing.
How can a person with such a strong desire be so gullible?
Zion told Larissa about his plan and asked her to visit Count McClaire's
estate to retrieve an item that Elody held dear.
He told her that he couldn't send anyone else because it'd attract too
much attention.
He also told her that the knight who helped her escape was now dead.
He didn't tell her what happened exactly so Larissa believed that he was
killed by the Duchess.
After hearing the story, Larissa couldn't sleep because of all the guilt
and resentment that were eating her from the inside.
Before Duchess could commit more atrocities, Larissa had to stop her.
When she was discussing the plans with High Priest Zion, Larissa had a
thought.
Wouldn't it be better for her to go back in time and prevent the invasion
of Urta in the first place?
But she soon shook those thoughts away. Even if she managed to prevent
this invasion, there could be another one.
Instead of focusing on protecting her homeland, Larissa opted to find a
new home somewhere else.
When she thought about how Duchess tried to poison her, Larissa was filled
with anger.
'If I don't make up my mind now, everyone in Cernoir will die. It's all
for the greater good.'
Larissa clenched her fists. The scenery of Cernoir castle, which was even
more beautiful than her own home, unfolded in her mind.
A safe land where she didn't have to worry about the invasion from Urta.
Beautiful fields, flowers, good-natured people...
The home that was stolen from her.
***
Zion appointed a guard for Larissa and they set off for Count McClaire's
estate.
Meanwhile, Elody successfully managed to establish contact with Crown
Prince.
Seems like it would be easy for them to join hands because of the common
enemy, the Emperor. It even seemed like Prince didn't plan to ally with
the Temple.
Caville stroked Elody's hair, proud of her achievement. But when she spoke
about how he pitied Crown Prince, his eyes lit up with jealousy.
He couldn't express his true feelings because he was afraid of his wife's
reaction.
In reality, Caville felt like he was obliged to destroy everything and
everyone that came in contact with her.
He knew that it was childish and pathetic and that he should never let
this ugly feeling come out.
Not long ago, Ifrit advice him on this matter, "Hey, don't be so jealous
of everything! It's a big turn off!"
Caville was speechless. A turn off?
"Women don't like that! It's terrible! Ugly!"
"But..."
"You're a grown up man, you should be able to bear it. When you talk with
other people, it doesn't mean that you cheat on your wife now, does it?"
At Ifrit's blunt remark, Caville shut his mouth, He himself couldn't
understand why he was feeling this way.
Even though his wife already confessed to him, his jealousy was only
growing stronger day by day.
And even though they finally started loving each other like a proper
couple, it was still not enough.
He felt a painful twisting in his stomach. Sometimes he wanted to become a
blanket and envelop his wife's whole body.
Caville's jealousy made his eyes burn and his head spin to the extent that
he was dizzy.
He knew this condition wasn't normal so he bit his lip.
"Crown Prince is indeed pitiful," he replied and pulled Elody in his arms.
"Caville, we're in your office right now!" Elody started protesting so sat
her on his lap and hugged her waist tightly.
He couldn't help it. Ever since they started embracing each other in the
bedroom, his thirst grew stronger.
He felt irritated when they had to separate, even for a moment. And even
when they were together, he was aching to get closer.
Caville wanted to hug her and release his desire somewhat by kissing her
deliriously.
He was akin to a beast.

Chapter 146

Elody knocked on Caville's arm but it didn't move even with all her
effort.
"I think I'm still more pitiful though. I only have my wife in this whole
world and she might abandon me."
Elody stared at him. What kind of nonsense is that?
"The moment you're gone, I'll stop breathing just like that." I won't
survive, Caville said with a wretched face, as if he's already been
abandoned.
Elody was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe he said it. Even though he was
being so loved at night!
Despite his jealousy being incessant, she still though that it was cute.
She could fell how important she was to him.
So Elody started stroking his head as he rubbed his cheek against her
shoulder, gradually moving closer to her neck.
Even though Elody felt that his jealousy was cute, Caville knew that the
truth was far off from her expectations.
"Wait!" Caville began to kiss Elody's neck wildly.
knock-knock
Elody jumped from her spot in surprise and invited Marie to come in. She's
been waiting outside with the refreshments.
While Elody was fidgeting around, Caville just sat there and sipped his
bokbunja.
It was then when Elody got curious. She asked Marie when she started
serving the drink to Caville. Marie answered (it was shortly after the
incident when Elody turned into a little girl).
Elody shut her mouth. She knew the efficiency of this fruit all too well.
Because of her mana's influence, the products made from it were selling
like hot cakes.
She heard from Sirka that a lot of couples in the capital managed to
repair their relationships due to it, and even produce children at old
age!
"Don't you think it would be better if you stopped drinking it, Caville?"
"Why?" Caville responded, seemingly surprised.
Elody fumbled around for a while, agonizing on how to answer.
"If you consume too much, there might be side effects... I mean..."
Caville grinned a little at her answer, "Okay. If you don't like it, I'll
stop. It doesn't matter to me."
"Huh?" Was he saying that he had enough confidence even without it? Elody
blushed.
"But you should drink it even more than I do. You're much too weak..."
Elody tried to refute him but quickly shut her mouth. She couldn't have
such an intimate conversation when the sun was still up high in the sky.
Suddenly, Caville moved next to her, "Wife. Because you're so naive, I'll
teach you everything you need to know."
Looking in his eyes, she could understand the meaning behind his words.
Elody furrowed her brows. Since when did he become so shameless? His shy
face that blushed at any form of skinship was still fresh in her mind. Was
it all just acting?
"And how do you know it?" she managed to ask.
"I think it's an inborn trait," he answered, seemingly a little shy.
However he didn't look embarrassed at all in Elody's eyes.
She couldn't respond so she just sighed. And Caville locked her in an
embrace.
It reminded Elody of times when baby spirits ganged up on her all at once.
***
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace.
Crown Prince's valet, Sean, felt desperate.
He served the Prince from the moment he came to the capital so he knew all
about Emperor's hatred towards his son.
But it was really getting out of hand as of late. Because Emperor couldn't
find any actual flaws in Prince's behavior, he started critiquing his
appearance.
And now, even a slight eye contact could make the Emperor go into a fit of
anger. These days it was hard for the Crown Prince to even lift his face.
What's worse, Prince's youngest half siblings completely disregarded him.
Usually it would be unthinkable to treat the Crown Prince this way,
however it was possible now because Emperor turned a blind eye on their
behavior.
Just a little while ago, they passed by and laughed right in the face of
their brother, the Crown Prince.
Sean looked at his master with worried eyes.
And Prince Allen was recalling the first time he came to the palace. At
the time, the Emperor was even more affectionate towards him than the man
he considered to be his father.
But that attitude didn't last long. When the new Empress started bearing
children, Emperor's feelings for his first born son quickly cooled down.
The Emperor expected Crown Prince to join hands with the Temple when he
ascended the throne, however Allen had no such plans.
The temple he grew up in was poor and never received any support from the
temple in the capital. So Allen never held any warm feelings towards the
organization.
In addition, the shrines in the capital extorted all the profits his
hometown's temple made.
Allen also believed that people from the Temple were responsible for his
mother's death. After all, it were them who revealed to the Emperor her
whereabouts.
But Allen couldn't do anything about it. He held no power in the Imperial
Palace.
Because he had no support, until recently, Allen didn't even want to
ascend the throne. Then, he received a letter.
The writer claimed that he could make Allen the next Emperor.
After thinking the matter over, Allen agreed to a meeting.
Sean smiled. The Prince finally made up his mind so he had to move quickly
to relay the message to the merchant.
***
Meanwhile Princess Larissa finally reached Count McClaire's estate with
Collin, High Priest Zion's most trusted guard.
They asked the maid about things Elody was attached to as a child. Maid
told them that there was a teddy bear that she left behind before leaving
for Cernoir Duchy.
And the Count himself was already destroyed by alcoholism so much that he
couldn't even remember his daughter's name.
He sold off all of his children and the only thing in his possession now
was his mansion.
Larissa felt disguised when the man looked at her with sultry eyes and
ordered Collin to bribe him.
They looked for Elody's room one by one. The place has not been cleaned
for a while so there were rats swarming around and a pungent smell flowing
in the air.
Because it was the place that Duchess grew up in, Larissa expected it to
be this way. But she still felt awful.
Soon, Collin found a plush toy in the depth of one of the room's closet.
Larissa rejoiced. It was exactly as maid described. A teddy bear with a
small necklace that had Duchess's name on it.
Unexpectedly, seems like the Duchess was somewhat pure when she was small.
Larissa wondered where it all went wrong.
Since the toy was found, Larissa was ready to go back to the Temple. But
Collin said that he still had some business to finish.
Larissa understood that by that he meant that he had to kill the
witnesses, the Count and the maid.
She pitied the maid but oh well, it couldn't be helped. Her mission was
too important. And the Count was a scumbag anyway.
Larissa now truly realized that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
It couldn't be compared to her sweet and good-natured parents.
Larissa waited in the carriage for Collin. She imagined that in a few
days, when she opens her eyes, the world will return to its natural state.
When Collin returned, Larissa noticed a small stain of blood on his
sleeve.
Was it Count's blood? The dirty, smelly, McClaire blood. She got
goosebumps when she thought that the same blood flowed through Duchess's
veins.
But on the other hand, the thought that the Count was now dead made her
feel better.
Larissa felt that the world became a little more clear because of her
actions.
'And soon I'll get my beautiful castle back!'

Chapter 147

While Elody was studying blueberries, Caville naturally stuck to her. And
baby spirits stuck to Caville.
At some point, Marie brought Lewis in. He had to deliver some papers but
since he has never seen baby spirits before, he stood there watching the
scene in awe.
Babies didn't like strangers so they soon fled and Lewis noted that it was
weird that babies were so fond of the Lord, which caused Marie to comment.
"Looking at how well my Lord takes care of baby spirits, I'm sure that
he'll be a good father."
The atmosphere quickly turned cold. For everyone except Marie, who
radiated joy.
Lewis tried to tell that it was not what he meant so Caville quickly told
him to return to his duties.
Lewis didn't take any chances and hurriedly fled, thinking that if Madam
wasn't there, his Lord would've just throwed him out.
And Elody was tense. Every time Marie made comments like these, the
atmosphere always turned strange.
It wasn't like these words upset her, it was just embarrassing to listen
to them.
After Marie went out, Caville sneaked closer to Elody's side.
"What do you think?"
"About what?"
"Will I be a good father?"
Elody looked at Caville, who was unusually serious. He continued, "Because
I'm not so sure."
He looked very sullen when he said that. Perhaps because he remembered his
father, who abandoned him when he was little. Elody felt heartbroken and
reached out to take his hand.
"You can do well. Don't think about your father, steer your way. Some
apples fall far from the trees."
Caville smiled as he listened to his wife's sweet words. But after she
finished talking, she started to feel shy. Wasn't this talk a bit
premature? Elody gulped and removed her hands from his. This gesture was
soon deemed useless because he caught her hands once again.
"I think I can become a good dad."
Not knowing how to respond, Elody just nodded with a smile and attempted
to return to her work. As she concentrated on her research, she tried to
ignore the hot gaze that was directed at her.
"Whew, it's hot," Caville said and took off his jacket, making Elody raise
her head.
Underneath the jacket he was only wearing a thin silk tunic. Elody found
it too revealing at tried to avert her gaze when...
"Oh my..." When Caville moved a little, the shirt that was tied with a
string, came undone. Why were his clothes so impractical?
Elody wanted to point it out but Caville just pretended to be oblivious.
"Come on, get dressed." By the tone of her voice Caville realized that his
scheme failed. He puffed his cheeks and put his jacket back on, "But it's
really hot here..."
Elody knew that for some time now, Caville did everything to ramp up his
sex appeal. So she just ignored him and went back to her research.
But her work was interrupted again, this time by Ifrit.
"Heh. He was pretty good. Now you understand what I was saying? Abs are
the best."
Elody wondered where he learned all this nonsense. She sighed when Ifrit
continued chatting incessantly.
"So what's going on between you two? Why aren't you getting closer? I
guess this guy really doesn't suit my benefactor's taste."
Ifrit teased Caville to no avail, "You're wrong. I know for a fact that my
appearance suits my wife's tastes."
Elody sprang to her feet and shoved Caville away. Then she tool his chair
and moved it to the farthest corned of the lab. Although Caville pouted
his lips, he obediently followed his wife's unspoken command.
Only then Elody could finally study in peace. Sike!
Sirka rushed in with the message from the Crown Prince, who agreed to a
meeting.
Elody smiled. Finally!
***
"Would it really be alright, Your Highness?"
As Prince and his valet were sneaking out of the palace for a meeting,
Sean grew more and more anxious.
He heard all the bad rumors about the Duchess. And although recently the
rumors about her changed for the better, he suspected that it was all just
a part of her scheme.
Anyhow, they needed the Duke's power so he couldn't complain.
And Allen decided that he rather than judging someone based on some
rumors, he'd rather meet them in person first.
In truth, he was looking forward to meeting the Duke. After learning about
his abuse in the orphanage, Allen hoped that the man would empathize with
his situation.
The Crown Prince desperately needed someone he could rely on.
***
The designated place turned out to be one of the Sirka's buildings that he
used for appointments like these.
Upon arrival, the two got guided by the man himself into the drawing room.
The Ducal couple was already waiting inside.
When Duchess removed her white robe and came out to greet Allen with a
bright smile, he got momentarily dazed. It was the first time a woman
smiled at him like this ever since his mother died.
At that moment Allen sensed the Duke's disapproving gaze but thought that
it was just an illusion.
When the greetings were done, Sirka got to the point right away. He
already bribed all the important nobles, pointing out to Prince just how
ridiculously wealthy the Ducal couple was.
Allen looked ant the Duke, who seemed strong but just and at the Duchess,
who seemed sweet, contrary to the rumors.
If he really got their support, it would be easy for him to ascend the
throne. So what was the catch? Allen voiced his concerns, afraid that the
Ducal couple intended to use him as their puppet.
"What will you require from me when I become the Emperor?"
Elody's eyes went round at his explicit question. She smiled gently.
"Are you willing to hear me out?"
"...perhaps."
At this moment Sirka knew. The Prince was already being wrapped around
Elody's slender finger.
"I wish Your Highness would join me in reforming the Temple."
Prince seemed surprised at Elody's request, but soon nodded, "I want it
too." Fortunately, their interests overlapped. To bring down the Emperor,
to break down the Temple...
Sirka brought out the detailed plans and the discussion ensued. Throughout
the conversation, Allen kept stealing glances at Elody. She wasn't like
the rumors described her at all. Rather, she seemed like a warm and a
gentle person.
When she sympathized with his unfortunate situation, he almost burst out
in tears. He felt fortunate that there was someone who could lend him a
hand. And now he was worried that the Emperor would retaliate against the
Duke of Cernoir.
But Sirka assured him that it won't be an issue. He joked that Prince
should think of the Duke as an ordinary human, to Caville's dismay.
Elody laughed. She thought that the meeting went well. Although Crown
Prince seemed weak, she could sense a great potential in him.
And then she got a sudden headache.
A familiar voice reverberated in her mind...
[Caville Cernoir's childhood was a continuation of abuse.]
It was the beginning of the novel.

Chapter 148

Larissa and Collin finally arrived at the capital.

They immediately came to High Priest Zion's office to deliver the teddy
bear.
And Zion already made all the necessary preparations for the ritual. He
only had one chance to change the past.
In order to get the spirits, he had to rearrange all the pieces from the
beginning. But the cost of forbidden magic was enormous...
He looked at Princes Larissa. She was already unable to think properly,
completely immersing herself into the novel. Her mind was only accepting
information that aligned with her worldview. There was no turning back
now.
High Priest Zion averted his gaze. If the plan succeeds, in addition of
getting rid of the Duchess, he'll even get the chance to marry Larissa.
(T/N: not sure if that's what he meant here exactly but oh well, we're
almost done anyway)
But if it fails... Larissa and Collin will gradually rot and die. That was
the price.
Zion looked at the amulet in his hand. It was the point of no return.
***
In the basement of the temple, there was stream of water that led to a
narrow cave.
High Priest Zion placed a teddy bear doll in the center of the magic
circle and began chanting the spell.
His voice was menacing but to Larissa it sounded like a voice from
heavens. She put her hands together and began to pray earnestly.
A mysterious energy began enveloping Larissa and Collin's bodies. When
they opened their eyes, they found themselves sitting on a small boat in
the middle of a dark river. Larissa looked into the river, feeling uneasy.
She was afraid that something would pop out of the river and drag her
down.
But she soon shook off her anxiety and began rowing. A thick book was
laying on her lap. It was the only thing that could help her change the
past.
Soon, a small passage emerged in the waters. It was big enough for a
person to get through.
When they jumped down the passage, they found themselves in a familiar
place. It was Elody's room in the Count McClaire's estate. Unlike what
they saw last time, it was clean and cozy. And on the bed laid the
Duchess. She was injured from falling down the stairs and looked like she
was on a verge of death.
Elody looked like a kitten who barely learned how to open its eyes. But
Larisssa didn't feel sorry for her at all.
"Wouldn't it be easier if you killed her now?" She asked Collin.
"No. If we break the rules, the whole plan will collapse."
At his firm answer, Larissa nodded helplessly. Collin assured her that if
everything goes right, Duchess will meet a miserable end anyway. So
Larissa opened the book and started reading.
"Caville Cernoir's childhood was a continuation of abuse."
As soon as she read the first sentence, the expression of the girl that
was lying in the bed, began to change. And Larissa's eyes lit up.
When Collin congratulated her on her success, Larissa felt like she had
become an exorcist, cleansing the world from evil spirits.
After a successful start, the two returned to the boat and began rowing
slowly. The river that used to be muddy, turned transparent so they could
see the scenes from Elody's life unfold right before their eyes.
Larissa kept reading the book, staring at Elody in the river with eyes
full of hatred.
"The war lasted 10 years. Princes Larissa helped Caville achieve victory
and he gradually fell in love with her."
Larissa saw the image of Elody spending her days peacefully in the castle
and trembled with anger.
As advised by High Priest Zion, she stopped reading from time to time to
sow turmoil in Elody's mind whenether she was alone.
"He's not in love with you. His destiny is Princess Larissa."
"He doesn't love you. Those feelings are false. You must not accept them."
Larissa became more and more aggravated as tears began to mingle in her
voice.
Collin tried to calm her down but it was hard for him because the stream
got more intense. He felt that they were about to reach their destination.
All the while Larissa was mumbling the story with great difficulty. And
suddenly, a storm descended on them. The transparent river turned black.
Neither Larissa nor Collin could understand what was going on.
All they knew was that something was wrong. Their boat started swinging
from side to side. And when the especially big wave hit wave hit them,
Collin's upper body fell into the river.
When he came to, he couldn't believe his eyes. The Duchess was right
before him, looking at him in astonishment. He couldn't understand where
he was but he saw baby spirits hanging around her. And then the Duke
grabbed his neck.
Collin quickly raised his body back. The river, which was fluctuating like
crazy, turned calm. However, due to the rapid current, now the boat was
moving backwards.
"Something is wrong," Collin grabbed the paddle with the hand that was
holding his bloody eye, "We have to go back, quickly!"
Larissa tried to object but gave up at Collin's urging and continued
reading the book. However she couldn't do it properly because she was
nervous. Her voice shook and her tongue twisted.
In order for the plan to succeed, they had to arrive at the destination at
the same time as Larissa got to the end of the story.
But neither of them was in the right state of mind to care. They were too
afraid that the river would swallow them.
Surprisingly, Collin managed to come back to his senses and urged Larissa
to read faster. His words made her snap back and she hurriedly finished
the book by the time they arrived.
"So now..." Princess Larissa stood at her destination and looked at the
large hall at at the exit.
"When you go there, everything will change," Collin grabbed his bleeding
eye and reached out to Larissa.
She looked at him, feeling melancholic. The two of them had their ups and
downs but in the end they always believed they would succeed.
However when the two reached the exit, they were greeted with the sight of
the furious High Priest Zion.
"You... you useless idiots!" He looked at them as if he was ready to tear
them to shreds.
"Why, what..." Larissa couldn't continue talking. She felt strange. She
looked at her hand and saw that the tips of her fingers were turning
black. The same happened to Collin, who was standing right next to her.
In their journey, they made two mistakes.
First, they should have never revealed themselves.
Second, because Larissa was scared, she skipped a good chunk of the novel.
The perfect plan fell apart because of stupid mistakes.
High Priest Zion began screeching like a demon as Larissa and Collin
fainted from shock.
And...
A day later, Elody, who lost consciousness, opened her eyes in Caville's
familiar embrace.

Chapter 149

Awakened from her sleep, Elody blankly stared at the ceiling.

When she was unconscious, she managed to realize what Temple tried to do
to her. This realization helped her to gather enough mental strength to
make the dark waters of time waver.
"Wife," Caville called out to her with teary eyes.
"Caville," Elody looked up at him, blinking off the remaining sleepiness.
Now she knew perfectly well the reason why she believed this world to be a
part of the novel. All the pieces fell in place. The discrepancy between
the reality and the plot, the voices, the man in a black robe who invaded
the greenhouse...
Elody managed to get up and hug Caville. As he supported her body, she
started shivering from fear so Caville ordered maids to call for the
doctor.
"Your body is so cold, wife... wife?!"
She was terrified from the fact that someone tried to manipulate her whole
life. Besides, she finally remembered the person who started at her with
such hatred when she was sick in bed after falling down the stairs when
she was a kid.
"Wife... wife!" Caville hugged Elody's ice cold body and started rubbing
her back. She trembled in his embrace for a while and passed out once
again.
***
'Damn it! Damn it!' Zion looked at his minions who fell down on the floor.
He should've never entrusted such an important task to these two idiots.
However, on the other hand, he was glad that he didn't go there himself.
He was afraid that something like this could happen.
'Another way...' Of course he had a plan B in mind. But to execute it, he
had to gamble with his own divine power.
'Still, I can't help it.' Despite the failure, his desire for power has
not decreased one bit. It was only getting stronger.
Zion bit his lip. The next step of his masterplan was to take away the
spirits and rule over them. It was finally the time to bring everyone into
submission in the name of God.
He called in two new recruits and ordered them to carry away the bodies
(still alive). Then, he went into his office and ordered to bring a device
that was his last chance to achieve victory.
The priest who brought in the small vial, was hesitating to give it away.
However since High Priest Zion saved his life once, he could not disobey
his orders.
"It will be alright," he tried to convince himself.
***
When Elody woke up again it was already morning. Surprisingly, she woke up
completely refreshed. There was no sluggishness in her body. She wondered
if that was because no one was trying to mess with her consciousness now.
"Are you finally awake?" Ifrit, who was waiting under the bed, jumped onto
Elody's lap.
"He's been up the whole time and just fell asleep," upon Ifrit's comment,
Elody turned on her side and saw Caville peacefully sleeping on the chair
beside the bed. She wondered why he didn't just lie down next to her, but
didn't want to wake him up for no reason
Elody reached out and stroked Ifrit's head and he asked her if she was
alright. To that, Elody nodded. Her whole body was light to the point that
she felt like she would be able to fly like a bird. Besides, her head was
clear as if her mind was washed from all the impurities.
There was only one thing that mattered most to her. Caville... Last time
she lost him because of Prince Zendikar, but now that the man was dead,
there still remained a threat. 'High Priest Zion.' The Temple will
definitely aim for their lives.
But for now, Elody had to wash up. She stretched a little and came down
from the bed, being careful not to wake Caville.
When she got to the bathroom, she heard rumbling noise coming from the
outside. Did Caville wake up? As she was about to open the door, it burst
open. And there stood Caville with his eyes red.
Elody asked him what was going on but he just hugged her tightly.
Honestly, she wasn't that weak but for some reason she's been fainting a
lot lately.
Caville buried his head on Elody's shoulder and began to sniff. Realizing
how worried he was, Elody began slowly sweeping his back.
***
After having a meal with a Caville, whose eyes were still swollen, Elody
listened to the story of what happened after she fainted. Just in time,
Sirka came in and assured her that their deal with Crown Prince went
smoothly.
"His Highness must've been very worried when I suddenly collapsed."
"I was the most worried," Caville's remark surprised Elody and she took a
sip from her cup of tea. She was going to explain to him what happened
when she was out, but decided against it. She just wanted to forget
everything that happened like a nightmare.
Besides, it wasn't important now. She had to plan for the future.
"While I was thinking about how to punish the Emperor and Count Borque, I
was backstabbed by the Temple," at Elody's sudden words, Caville and Sirka
looked up at her in surprise, "And while I rubbed the wound, I was hit by
them one more time."
Elody still felt terrible when she thought about how Temple tried to
change her past with forbidden magic. And just as she was about to avenge
the Emperor!
She ordered Sirka to make sure that nobles switch to their side. But even
if she got rid of the Emperor by helping Crown Prince take the throne,
there still were the Temple and Count Borque.
Elody couldn't deny the possibility that despite mutual hatred, Emperor
and the Temple could join forces to attack Cernoir. If war broke out,
Count Borque, who was their neighbor, would be a problem. The man would
never side with his nephew so she had to take care of him first.
Despite Cernoir port being the most advanced, Borque's port still had the
best strategical position. It was more convenient for countries from
outside the continent to do business through there.
"Caville, it was your grandfather who gave the territory to Count Borque.
When the man's gone, it's all yours."
"Yes, wife," Caville nodded, understanding the meaning behind her words.
"It was Count Borque's fault that monsters ran wild in the Forest of
Death. He also tried to sabotage us by sending his daughter here."
"Madam, do you want to go to war?" Sirka, who was listening quietly, asked
with concern.
"What a scary thing to say! I'm just getting back something that should've
been rightfully ours. Just what Count Borque tried to do himself."
'Besides, if we want to declare independence, it would be better to expand
our territory first.'
Elody grinned. Although it was a little late, it was finally the time for
Count Borque to receive his punishment.

Chapter 150

Count Borque wasn't a proper lord anyway. He squeezed the people of his
land dry to the point that even profits of the port didn't help to improve
the situation in there.
Elody asked Sirka about Ariana. The girl was getting better so she was
offered a trip back home. However at that notion Ariana pleaded and begged
to stay at Sirka's. And Elody took pity on her so she was allowed to
remain in the guild.
There was no time to spare. The Temple could make a move any day now. And
although Caville was deemed to be the strongest man of the continent
(thanks to the contract with spirits), High Priest Zion's divine power
couldn't be ignored.
"Caville, you're going to storm Count Borque's territory tomorrow."
"Yes, wife," Caville replied, kissing Elody's hand, "I can bring the whole
continent to your feet if you wish so." His expression showed that for him
there was no one but Elody in this whole world, so she replied with a
small smile...
"...I don't need that much. I just want to spend my life here." Elody just
wanted to protect the land, the castle and her precious husband.
"So am I, wife," Caville responded, rubbing his cheek against Elody's
palm.
"Hey... You kids... I'm still here, you know." Sirka, who was sitting
across the table, wondered when did the two of them got so close. They
treated each other like lovers. He could feel that their feelings were
very deep.
"You haven't left yet?" Caville gazed at him and Elody laughed shyly.
"Oh no no no, I'm leaving now," Sirka scratched his head and left the room
in a rush.
***
Next morning, before the dawn, the Odan Knights were already waiting in
front of the gates. When Berenice heard that Elody wanted to bring down
Count Borque, she volunteered to personally lead the knights.
"Would you really be fine, my wife?"
"Sure," Elody and Caville agreed to go together. But since Elody lost
consciousness several times, Caville treated her as if she was terminally
ill. When the knights were ready, Caville helped Elody to mount the horse.
At first she wanted to ride on her own, but since Caville was so afraid
that she could faint, she decided to ride with him. Elody was very
embarrassed about Caville's overprotection because she believed herself to
be quite healthy. And she was in an even better shape now.
She was sitting in front of Caville in a large warhorse and because of
that she could vividly feel his chest touching her back. Elody started
wriggling to find a more comfortable position.
"Wife, sit still," Caville whispered in her ear and wrapped his arm around
her waist. He took the reins and moved even closer to Elody. And she
couldn't help but gulp at the rising tension.
"Wouldn't the carriage be better?" He spoke worriedly.
"Hey, Caville, did you forget? I was the one who taught you horse riding."
Caville laughed in response, "Yes, my wife taught me."
"Solar even said I was good enough to participate in horse races."
"Yes, you're good at everything."
"So don't treat me like a kid. It was you who was afraid of horses back
then," Elody grumbled. But Caville found her words adorable and kissed her
ear. His actions startled Elody and she attempted to shrug him off.
"Madam, please promise to us that you'll be careful," Marie, Norman and
the remaining servants came out to see her off. Heinz even offered to
escort her. So Elody assured them that everything will be fine and she'll
be back soon.
"We don't have to worry since the Lord is coming with her," Norman said,
dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. Elody was really touched when she
saw how everyone was worried about her.
And Caville held Elody tight and pulled the reins. When they left for the
Count Borque's territory, the day began to break.
***
When they reached the border, Berenice said to knights who were guarding
the gates to drop their weapons or be killed.
A small fight ensued, but after Caville joined the battle, all the Borque
soldiers stepped back in fear.
And as Cernoir party moved deeper into the territory, a strange thing
occurred. The locals from young to old, joined the procession, ready to
bring down the Count. They followed the Odan Knights with cheers.
It showed just how bad the Count was at managing the land. Everyone wished
their province to be as prosperous as Cernoir so they deemed the Duke to
be their savior.
Meanwhile, when Count himself heard the news, he quickly became a mess. He
ordered to bring in reinforcements but it was too late.
He heard strange noises coming from the hall and when he came out to check
it, he saw all the servants running around in confusion. Then, someone
pushed him from behind. It were Borque's beloved wife and children. They
were running away with their hands full of jewels.
"Where are you going? How dare you leave me? How dare you?" Count shouted
at their backs.
Even the mention of name of the Duke of Cernoir, the hero who brought down
the Empire of Urta, instilled fear in the hearts of everyone in the
castle. And Borque was afraid too. He ran to his office to contact the
Emperor.
***
When Odan Knights arrived at the Borque's castle, it was already empty.
Thankfully, Count himself didn't manage to escape that far.
"You are betraying your master! You scoundrels will die! Get out of my way
now!" he cried as his own soldiers surrounded him.
In the end, the Count was brought onto his knees in front of Caville.
"I am~ I am your uncle! You can't kill me! Don't you know? You have no one
else in the world!"

Chapter 151

Caville started at Count blankly, "Since when did you and I became a
family?"
In the first place, it was Count Borque who denied their blood relation.
Caville accused Count of disrupting the monsters in the Forest of Death
and sending his daughter to Cernoir castle as a spy.
But Count denied the allegations. He promised to provide proof if Caville
spares his life.
At this point, Elody stepped in and agreed to his condition. She even went
on as far as to swear on Cernoir's name that they won't kill the Count.
After that, Borque told soldiers where the evidence is and they went to
retrieve it. What they brought back, brought smile to Elody's face. There
was a letter from the Emperor and several items that belonged to the Royal
family. The Emperor wouldn't be able to deny this evidence.
When Elody finished reading the letter, Count demanded to be released, to
which Elody agreed. But then she said firmly...
"Wait a moment. I said I'd spare your life but I didn't promise anything
else. I saved you so instead you'll be stripped off your title and
property. This is Cernoir's territory now."
"What are you saying? Do you think the Emperor will stay still?"
"Don't you know that the Emperor has no right to intervene in conflicts
between provinces? The winner takes all."
This was the reason why all the other Dukes were afraid of Cernoir. If war
broke out, the Emperor wouldn't be able to stop it, his only option was to
mediate.
Elody ordered the knights to throw the Count out of the castle and Caville
asked if it was really fine to spare his life. Elody replied that they
didn't have to do anything and Count will pay for his crimes regardless.
And she was right. When the Count was dragged out out, he was surrounded
by the peasants and the soldiers who were holding stones, soil and farming
tools in their hands.
Soon, Count's screams resonated through the land.
The people took justice in their own hands.
***
Elody set up a portal near Borque castle. She intended to send competent
officials to take over the port business and management of the land.
On their way back home, Elody complained to Caville, who held her tight,
"I'd rather not ride the same horse in the future."
"Why?" Caville flared up.
"It's quite uncomfortable and on top of that, you keep..." Elody abruptly
shut her mouth. It was embarrassing that he kept kissing her neck and ears
but she couldn't say it out loud. In addition, she felt distressed since
their bodies were pressed together so tightly.
When she stopped talking, Caville nodded, "Then let's ride the carriage
together next time."
He pulled Elody closer and she straightened her back in response. It
didn't seem like riding a carriage would make Caville less clingy. He
would probably stick to her even more. Was that how lovers were supposed
to behave? If that was so, she should probably get more accustomed to it.
After confessing to him, she felt like those little mischiefs of his
became more and more frequent. Sometimes she felt awkward, but in the end
she thought that it was natural because they finally became a real couple.
That didn't mean that Caville was always this lewd. At times, he was
extremely gentle, but sometimes she really wondered whether he was a man
or a beast in a human form.
Well, he certainly possessed the strength that was on par with beast's...
The thought of it made Elody's heart pound hard. She thought she was ought
to give him a warning of sorts.
At first, she wanted to say that he shouldn't show too much affection in
front of the servants. But in situation where others were present, he
usually only held her hands or wiped stains from her cheeks.
Elody thought that she was getting unreasonable. There was no reason to be
this sensitive. He only was this clingy because there was danger around.
So why was she so fretful every time their skin touched?
She looked at him and he met her gaze, "Is something wrong?"
Elody trembled when his low voice reached her ears. A manly, deep, sensual
voice... At this point, Elody finally realized that her distress was
caused by her being more aware of Caville as a man. As soon as she got it,
her ears flushed red.
Caville noticed the change in her behavior, not saying anything. But soon,
a small grin was plastered on his face.
***
Upon returning to the castle, Elody received a warm welcome from the
servants, who were unnecessary worried about her. Marie even tempted Elody
by saying that she'd rub her back in the bath. But when they got to the
bathroom, Marie suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no, I completely forgot! It's
Lord's duty now, isn't it?"
"No no no... Marie, please help me wash up," Elody asked her and hurried
into the room.
'Did they fight again?' Marie though while massaging Elody's body. 'Or is
it just because she's tired?'
After washing up, Elody got to bed early. It's been a while since she rode
a horse so her back and her butt were aching. Everything was throbbing.
Soon, she head the door opening. When Elody saw familiar figure coming in,
she unknowingly gulped.
"Wife..." When she heard Caville's low voice, she frowned. By his tone,
Elody understood what he wanted. But when she turned to look at him, his
expression was strange.
"Caville, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just feel lonely because I feel like my wife is avoiding me,"
he said with a sad expression. But in the meantime, Elody's eyes were
stuck to his exposed chest. However it wasn't the right time for this so
she tried to shake it off.
"Avoid... What?" Elody asked, grabbing his hand. Caville didn't answer and
kept his gaze down. His eyelashes were trembling.
Elody was afraid that he was shaken by what happened with the Count.
Although they had no personal relationship, they were still flesh and
blood. She cursed herself for worrying about some nonsense and ignoring
Caville's feelings. Now he may really feel that he's all alone in the
world.
"Caville, you have me."
"But you are avoiding me," he pouted. His sulking look was so cute that
Elody couldn't help but stroke his head.
"I was thinking about something else. I'm sorry," she apologized. At times
like this she really felt like a baby who didn't know what to do. But she
realized that her responsibility grew. She was the only family for
Caville, so she had to take care of herself better. She had to make a
commitment.
"Wife," Caville's eyes flared up as if he wasn't dispirited just a moment
ago.
Before Elody could realize what was going on, she was pinned down by
Caville. When his lips fell upon her neck, she realized that she was
thoroughly deceived once again.
But it was already too late.

Chapter 152

"Caville, wait... it tickles..." she whimpered when he suckled strongly,

leaving a red mark on her neck. She took a deep breath and tried to push
him away.
But when her hand touched his firm and hot chest... Boom Boom Boom She
could feel his rapid heartbeat through her palm and the sensation stunted
her.
"You like my body this much?" Seems like Caville got a wrong idea when she
didn't remove her hands for a while.
Caville smiled seductively and took off his silk nightgown. Elody blushed
from head to toe. She couldn't refute what he said. His body was so
different from her own. She felt that it was amazing that he was born with
such a large frame and athletic body.
"I'll let you touch it," Caville grabbed Elody's hand and put it on his
chest. Then, he pulled her hand down, making her feel his lower abdomen
and firm abs.
Elody felt like she was touching a heated stove. Caville's whole body was
scorching hot and his breath was sultry.
"Haaa... Caville, stop."
Was he making fun of her? Just a moment ago he looked like he was about to
cry. And now the desire in his eyes was so clear that Elody felt like a
prey being chased down by a predator.
When she fell silent, Caville spoke with a sullen expression, "So it's
true that my wife's been avoiding me. Something changed since we came back
to the castle. You refused to take a bath with me so I was nervous that my
wife'd try to run away again"
"Caville, you don't have to worry about it anymore."
"I know, but I can't help it. So I need to make sure. I need you to
confirm your feelings... the adult way."
When did he become so eloquent? Now he couldn't beat him neither by words
nor by strength. It felt like all this while she was under illusion that
the boy she raised was a small puppy when in reality he grew up to be a
ravenous beast.
"You don't think I'm cute anymore?" Caville asked, seemingly reading her
thoughts.
"It's not like that," Elody answered after bracing herself. And Caville
rubbed his face on her neck, leaving a small kiss. Noticing that he wanted
to be spoiled, she rubbed his head, "Caville, your're still cute."
He was still adorable, but it was a little different since he'd grown so
big. Both his body and mind were too much for her to handle. Elody
wondered why he wanted her to find him cute but decided to leave this
question for another time.
She wrapped her arms around Caville's neck. His body had a refreshing
scent.
It was hard but soft at the same time, hot but warm.
***
Next day Elody opened her eyes when it was already past noon. Caville was
already dressed up , reading documents at the bedside table.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I thought you were tired."
Elody anxiously fiddled her hair, thinking that it was embarrassing that
she was the only one who overslept. At that moment, Caville came up to her
and pulled her into princess carry.
He wanted to take her to the bathroom but Elody started fluttering her
legs in protest. She wanted to walk on her own.
After she disappeared behind the door, Caville started laughing. His wife
was too adorable.
Besides, this morning he was in an extremely good mood. Contrary to
Elody's worries, he didn't care about Count Borque's death one bit. No, to
be honest, he felt relieved. And it was nice that his wife worried about
him because of it.
Caville tried to come into bathroom but Elody strongly rejected him so he
just started pacing around the bedroom until his eyes fell on the big
mirror. He stood in front of it, examining himself.
The words his wife said last night, calling him cute, came to mind.
Caville looked closely at his skin. He was so loved by his wife yesterday
that his whole face was glowing.
'I hope it doesn't go away,' he lowered his collar and looked at the
hickey that Elody left on his neck last night. He was ecstatic ever since
he discovered it earlier this morning.
I should show it to my wife later, Caville mumbled, looking at the mark on
his body over and over again.
***
And in the bathroom, Elody clicked her tongue when she discovered numerous
red spots on her body. After quickly washing and changing clothes, she had
a meal with Caville.
Today his face looked especially bright, to the point that it looked like
it was glowing. Elody thought that she did a good job last night when she
soothed Caville, who had just lost his only blood relative.
After the meal, they went to the greenhouse. These days it was the only
place where they could meet up with Ifrit.
When Elody reached the lab, she heard strange noises. It was baby spirits
fighting over a huge strawberry! Elody laughed but reprimanded Ifrit for
not looking after the babies properly.
"Why would I stop them? They're idiots, they're always fighting," he
retorted angrily. Elody looked at the strawberry in question. Certainly,
it was larger than the usual ones... The babies are so greedy!
"All the big strawberries are mine. But I was feeling full so I left one
for them to fight over," Ifrit giggled.
Elody fumed. She accused Ifrit of being irresponsible and he ran off to
Caville for consolation. But when his master rejected him, Ifrit laid down
with his pawns crossed, pretending to be an innocent pup.
After Elody scolded the baby spirits and chased them out of the lab, she
asked Ifrit if he was upset. He snapped at her, saying that he doesn't
want to talk with her so Caville kicked him out of the lab as well.
Elody started scolding Caville but when he retorted that he just wants to
be left alone with her, she could not go on. He was like that since he was
a little boy, always sticking to her. Elody didn't dislike it, but it
became more complicated now.
"Wife," Caville called out to her in a husky voice, "look at this."
He suddenly lowered his collar and showed her a red mark near his
collarbone, "It's a mark made by my wife. I was so embarrassed when I
discovered it this morning."
Elody's face flushed red. She was ashamed that in fact, she left even more
marks on his body.
(T/N: alternatively, she was ashamed because there were similar marks on
her body, I'm not sure.)
"My wife, what should I do if it never goes away? Everytime I see it, I
don't know what to do. It's so embarrassing..."
But his little act couldn't fool Elody, "I'm sorry. I won't do it from now
on, Caville."
"Huh?" When unexpected answer came from her lips, Caville's expression
turned blank. "No, wait a moment. I think I was mistaken. The mark is
already gone. Wife, even if you make a dozen more, they'll be gone in a
flash."
So you can keep kissing me, he added in a small voice. His sudden change
in behavior amused Elody so she chuckled.
"Please take a closer look, it's all gone," he sat at her desk and leaned
over, his refreshing scent tickling her nose.
Elody looked up at Caville, possessed by his charms. When her gaze fell
upon his lips, she felt a strange heat rising in her chest. Although she
wanted to discuss the important matters, the only thing she could think of
now, was his lips. She propped herself up and kissed him.
His eyes went round, "Wife, if you keep doing it..."
Elody pretended that she didn't understand him and Caville laughed happily
and pulled her by the waist.
Meanwhile in the capital, Larissa was stuck in the room that was provided
by the priests. She looked down on her rotting hands. It was the price she
had to pay for failing to execute the forbidden magic.
'No..!' It was all Duchess's doing! She must've cursed Larissa to avenge
her father's murder!
'First, she took away my beautiful castle and now she wants to make me
suffer for killing that scumbag!'

Chapter 153

The more she thought about it, the more resentment she felt. Remembering
how pure and soft her hands once were, Larissa began to sob. Then, she
heard a knock on the door.
Larissa was startled and rushed to cover her arms by wearing gloves that
came up to her elbow. After that, she opened the door.
"Carolina!" It was a long time since the two saw each other. Last time
they met was before Larissa went to Count Borque's territory. That's why
Larissa couldn't hold back and wailed in Carolina's arms, recalling all
the horrible things that happened to her ever since they separated.
"Princess, you're very thin," Carolina said, stroking Larissa's back, "But
I'm here to get something."
"To get... to get what?" Larissa stared at her blankly.
"Ever since you went away, the maids in the Imperial Palace have been
giving me a hard time. But I believed in you, so I waited patiently.
However now I see that there's no hope for you."
Larissa was surprised by her words. When she looked up, Carolina's face
turned cold.
"I considered you to be my manna from heaven, but you turned out to be
just a burden. You're not even a Princess anymore", Carolina pushed
Larissa away. She was even more annoyed because she got assigned to Crown
Prince's palace. Everyone knew how Emperor hated the man, so the place was
considered to be a tomb. And all the workers there got bullied
relentlessly.
"I didn't want to work for you from the start! You're just a penniless
fanatic!" Carolina felt so wronged that she took Larissa's necklace as
retribution.
Next, she tried to take Larissa's gloves, that were made from expensive
material. Larissa was so weak that she couldn't even fight back.
And when Carolina saw her rotten hands, "Oh my God, are you possessed by
the devil?" She exclaimed and backed away.
Larissa realized that her former maid would run away and reveal that
secret to everyone. She couldn't let that happen. As soon as Larissa
grabbed Carolina's arm with her rotten hand, the woman started writhing in
agony. Her arm melted like metal melts when it gets in the furnace.
"I trusted you, Carolina... How could you do that? How could you utter
such horrible words?" Larissa felt as if her heart was breaking. She had
no choice but to strangle Carolina.
"It's your fault, you brought it onto yourself!" Larissa sobbed as she
watched how Carolina was fighting for breath. A moment later, the maid was
dead.
Larissa criied and cried until she noticed that the black trail on her arm
was spreading even further.
'I just killed someone.' At this realization she jumped up in fear and ran
out of the room.
She needed to see High Priest Zion.
***
"Can't you just stay still?" Zion asked coldly. If he knew ahead that
she'd be this bothersome he would've killed her long ago.
Larissa apologized and asked what happened with Collin. Zion responded
that the priest locked himself in the room, prayed earnestly and the rot
eventually dissipated. It was a lie. Collin's body's been long disposed
of.
Larissa wondered if God could really forgive murder so Zion assured her
that it'll be all right since it was a self defense situation.
Indeed, it was like that... in Larissa's mind. She chose to believe that
Carolina was sent here by Duchess. So she deserved to die. Larissa was
just a judge.
Zion looked at how Larissa's expressions kept changing and called for a
priest to see her out. When she left the room, he clicked his tongue, 'Bad
girl'.
But unlike Collin, the Princess could still be useful so Zion decided to
keep her alive. He already sent orders to Amos in Cernoir's temple.
When Larissa got to her room, she just stood there absent mindedly for a
while and then climbed onto her bed. She looked at the place, where
Carolina's body was laying not long ago, and hugged her knees.
'Carolina betrayed me. I was just a victim of circumstances. How did she
dare to do this to me? How did she dare to side with the Duchess?"
Larissa felt sorry for herself. Does Duchess really have no mercy? She
started sobbing until...
A beam of light came through the curtains. Larissa looked at the beam like
she was possessed. The light felt special to her. It was a message from
God.
Larissa looked down at her rotting hands. The black marks were gradually
spreading upwards. Come to think of it, a mysterious power came through
her hands earlier, when she 'judged' Carolina.
'No way...' Larissa felt her heart racing. Soon, her face filled with joy.
'God gave me this power. He gave me a chance to deliver this world from
evil.'
Larissa bend her knees a began to pray, tears streaming down her face.
But contrary to her delusion, those powers were a part of the curse.
The dark magic was slowly eating her alive.
***
Elody barely managed to soothe Ifrit before returning to the castle with
Caville. Then they went to Caville's office to review the documents left
by Sirka. Elody occupied Caville's desk so he had to sit on the sofa.
Elody was studying the documents thoroughly. Though not yet apparent, it
was clear that the support for the Crown Prince was growing.
She felt a bit bitter at the thought that it was so easy to bribe the
nobles. Was money the most important thing to them? But it was fortunate
that she had a lot of savings.
Then Elody heard something clattering. When she looked up, she saw Caville
drinking iced tea... Bokbunja. Elody pretended not to see it and continued
sipping her Salvation herb tea. Although her symptoms were elevated to the
point that she didn't have to drink it anymore, it already became somewhat
of a habit.
"Wife." Caville sprang to his feet and approached her, "I can't
concentrate without my wife."
"What do you mean? I'm sitting right in front of you."
"I know," he answered shamelessly and pulled her arm. Eventually, Elody
picked up some papers and headed for the sofa.
"You can sit here, wife" Caville said and pointed on his right thigh.
"Caville, it's difficult for me to do such things in a broad daylight."
At Elody's scolding, Caville pretended to be oblivious, "What do you mean,
wife? I just asked you to sit on the sofa."
In the end, she sat down next to him, squinting her eyes in suspicion when
she saw Caville pouting his lips.
Then, there was a knock on the door. Elody was glad she didn't give in
temptation just now.
She told the person to come in. It was Norman.
"Madam, there's a man from the Temple. His name is Theodore. He said that
he came to see you."

Chapter 154

Caville furrowed his brows when he heard the name. Norman's complexion
wasn't good either. Turns out that Sir Theodore came in all covered in
blood.
Hearing this piece of information, Elody rushed to the drawing room.
Walking down the hallway, she asked Norman about Sir Theodore's condition.
Norman replied that although the knight was limping, the blood on his
uniform wasn't his own.
***
Sir Therion brought in urgent news: the High Priest brought a contagious
disease in the Duchy of Cernoir. It started with the temple, so the mass
spread was imminent.
Elody got so surprised that she collapsed in her seat. Caville was no less
shocked.
***
A few hours ago... Sir Theodore was training as usual. During his break,
he breathed in fresh air in satisfaction. He honestly liked this land. He
could find traces of Elody everywhere he went.
There was a big statue of her holding the basket of strawberries and even
small dolls made in her image. The land of Cernoir experienced a
remarkable growth in a short time all thanks to her. Theodore could see
the changes with his own eyes.
He felt guilty about the letter that he kept for himself. But even if he
gave it back, he wouldn't be able to get even a piece of her heart. He
thought that one day he'd be ready to return it, but his cowardice and
greed only grew with time.
His only consolation was being able to stay in this land, so close and yet
so far to her.
But Temple was forcing Theodore to come back to the capital. He didn't
want to go so he found a substitute. After the training, he went to find
Amos to inform him of this decision.
However, no matter how much Theodore knocked on the door of Amos's office,
no one has answered. So he opened the door, which caused one of the papers
that was lying on Amos's desk to fall on the floor.
Theodore picked it up to put it back, but when his eyes fell on its
contents, he stopped.
It was a letter from High Priest Zion. It contained orders for Amos to use
his divine powers to spread a certain disease in the Duchy, using the
small vial that was included with the letter. The disease only affected
people who didn't have special abilities so all the priests would be safe.
Theodore grabbed the letter and left the room. Soon, he found Amos in the
prayer room outside the temple. Without hesitation, Theodore drew his
sword and approached the priest.
Several knights came to stop him but Theodore didn't spare them. The
moment they decided to kill innocent people, they ceased to be Theodore's
brothers in God's name.
He cut them down and went straight to Amos. However, he was too late. The
vial was already empty. The disease has spread. So Theodore killed Amos as
well.
Then, Theodore, all covered in blood, left the temple and headed for
Cernoir castle. On his way, he saw people collapsing on the streets.
He didn't know what kind of disease it was, but seemed like it drained the
infected of their life force.
***
Elody couldn't believe the story she just heard. And Caville's expression
turned serious. He was afraid that the Temple would pull off something,
but he didn't expect a damn plague.
The tension reached its peak when a loud thud was heard from the hallway.
When Elody went to check it out, she saw Marie sprawled on the floor. She
was alive but limp.
After ordering nearby servants to bring Marie back to her room, Elody
returned to the drawing room.
She urged Caville to find the antidote and Theodore said that it must be
in the capital. Elody thanked the knight for his actions. If it wasn't for
him, the situation could've turned out much worse.
While Elody and Caville were rushing to the greenhouse, the people all
around the Duchy were dropping like flies.
Their life energy was being absorbed by High Priest Zion. The disease only
affected ordinary people because there were much more of them, compared to
people with special abilities.
Zion smiled as he felt the power pouring into his body, "Finally,
everything is in my hands."
It was the time to destroy everything in Cernoir and claim the power of
spirits for himself... in the name of God, of course.
***
Caville and Elody arrived in the greenhouse and explained the situation to
baby spirits and Ifrit. Caville was worried because Elody's body was
turning cold but there was no time to spare.
They teleported to the capital and Ifrit guided the party to the place
with a high concentration of divine power, the Temple.

Chapter 155

Elody kept staggering so Caville carried her in his arms. With her heart
pounding in anxiety, Elody prayed as she held onto Caville's neck. She
prayed to make it in time.
Fortunately, Sirka's guild (where they originally teleported to) and the
Temple building were located in a close proximity. But when they reached
their destination, the knights that were guarding the Temple blocked their
path.
Apparently, this day the Temple was closed. Since it was an emergency
situation, Caville used his powers to defeat the guards. But as our heroes
moved deeper into the building, more and more knights appeared. There was
definitely something going on.
Ifrit decided to handle the situation. So when the knights saw a little
puppy in front of them, they began laughing out loud. But when the pup
started growing into a beast, their laughter quickly stopped. Instead,
their faces got distorted in fear.
While Ifrit was busy fighting the knights, Caville, Elody, and baby
spirits all moved forward. When more knights showed up, Caville drew his
sword.
One of the elite knights threw his sword at Elody but Caville blocked it
without breaking a sweat. When another knight tried to sneak on Elody from
behind, he got zapped with the thunderbolt by the kitty spirit.
"Yay! I will protect the strawberries!" Wait, was Elody just called a
strawberry?
While she was dumbfounded, Caville took her hand and led her downstairs.
The flight of stairs seemed endless so he soon picked her up. Elody felt
relieved because she was afraid she might fall down.
When baby bear started making some noises, Caville stopped walking. He
also sensed a dreary aura coming from the room at the bottom of the
dungeon.
Caville put Elody down and shielded her. Then, he ordered baby spirits,
"Guard my wife no matter what happens."
"Strawberry!" - "That's ours!" - "We'll protect our strawberries!"
At that moment Elody realized that baby spirits were calling her a
'strawberry' behind her back. She wondered if they'd call her 'rice' if
she gave them rice.
"Wife, I want you to stay here."
Elody put a stop to her absurd thoughts and nodded.
Caville kicked the door with his foot and it thumped down with a loud
noise. Elody was surprised at his strength so she peeked from her cover.
When kitty spirit called Caville a monster, Elody covered its mouth.
Then, a laugh resounded from inside the room. Caville tightened his grip
on a sword.
"You're already here... I knew you'd come!"
Elody carefully sneaked into the room and saw a large statue of a deity
carved on the wall. Dozens of candles were lit as High Priest Zion kneeled
in front of it, like he was praying.
But something was wrong. His arms were open wide and Elody could see the
veins bulging through his white robes.
"Ahahahahah, I can't believe you came all the way here while your people
are dying."
"Shut up and give me the antidote," the black shadow escaped from
Caville's sword and headed towards Zion until it bumped into a transparent
barrier.
"I knew in advance that you'd come so I put up a shield. No one can
interfere while I am absorbing all the life force."
"Absorbing life force?"
"Ahahah, yes! All the life force from the people dying in your land is
flowing to me. It's amazing how powerful it is. Ha ha, I should've used
this method a long time ago."
Zion stretched out his arms and flinched, feeling the life force passing
via his fingertips. It was grotesque. The force could be seen moving
through his bumpy red veins.
"Watch! This is the moment when I become God!" At Zion's words, Caville
snorted and pointed his sword.
"No matter how strong you are, you will never be able to penetrate this
barrier. There's nothing that can overcome the power of God~"
Not letting Zion finish his words, Caville pushed his sword through the
barrier and it cracked.
"What... What is this?"
There was one thing Zion didn't realize. Caville never relied on the power
of the King of Spirits. It was the other way around. It was Caville who
supplied Ifrit with mana. And from the moment when Ifrit didn't need to
feed on it anymore, Caville got even stronger. He just hid his powerlevel.
"Noooo, this can't be happening! Stop!" Zion began to scream. And Caville
kept pushing the sword. When the gap was big enough, he threw the sword on
the floor and began tearing down the barrier with his own hands. It
required a lot of power so soon his arms started trembling.
"Wife, spirits!" When Caville shouted, Elody shook baby spirits in her
arms. But perhaps because of the strange aura created by the divine power,
the babies were in a daze.
Elody couldn't waste any time and picked up Caville's sword from the
floor. It was so heavy that she had to hold it with both hands.
"Wife, it's dangerous," Caville stopped his actions for a moment and
looked back at her.
"Die!" Although Zion's body was motionless, the flow of force through his
veins began to speed up. He raised his arms.
But Elody was faster. She pierced the sword through the gap in the
membrane. A black shadow began to spread from the Caville's sword the
moment it punctured Zion's body.
Not losing the momentum, Caville exerted more of his power and shattered
the barrier. Then, he took the sword that was stuck in Zion's chest and
cut his throat.
The body of the fallen priest began to writhe in a bizarre manner. All the
force that was streaming into him got cut off.
But before dying, Zion managed to utter his last words.
"It's all over anyway. All the people.. dead... The land is cursed...
forever!"

Chapter 156

Caville decided to burn Zion's body and started throwing candles on his
corpse. Elody watched the scene in a daze while baby spirits finally
recovered from their stupor.
"Wife, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Elody answered and looked down on Caville's hands. They were
all covered in small cuts. "Are you alright, Caville?"
"It's just a scratch." At his mature answer, Elody gently stroked the back
of his hand. And Caville pointed at a small vial that Zion has been
clutching in his hand. That must be the antidote.
They decided to go back, and after climbing a set of stairs, Caville once
again carried Elody in his arms because she kept falling behind.
When, they reached the top, they were greeted by Ifrit who already
returned to his puppy form. Elody regretted it a little because she found
Ifrit's true form to be extremely cool.
Caville decided to spare the Temple's knight's lives as long as they
cooperated. And Elody lightly tapped on his shoulder as a reminder to put
her back on the floor.
But when they headed for the exit, a figure suddenly rushed in front of
them. It was none other than Princess Larissa! Elody looked at her in
astonishment.
"God... This is the opportunity that God has bestowed on me!" Larissa
muttered. Her eyes were uncanny. Those weren't the eyes of a normal human
being.
"I can feel the darkness," said baby bird, alerting Ifrit. When Caville
shielded Elody with his body, Larissa became overwhelmed with sorrow.
"You... you betrayed me! You sold my position to that woman! How could
you..." At her incoherent words, Caville and Elody exchanged confused
glances. But Larissa kept going, "My Kingdom, my parents... How could you
take it all away from me?"
When Larissa glared at Elody with resentment, Caville tried to subdue her
using his powers. But Elody stopped him and shook her head. She didn't
want Larissa's death to be on his consciousness.
Of course she didn't forgive all the misdeeds committed by Larissa. Elody
simply didn't want to even come close to someone, who had such vicious
look. At that moment, Larissa's eyes were even darker that Zion's.
"God gave me the power to judge you," Princess Larissa looked straight at
Elody and reached out her hand that she's been hiding all this time. Elody
got startled at that sight.
Suddenly, Larissa's expression changed to one of disgust.
"DIE DIE DIE!" She shouted as she stretched out her rotting hand and
rushed towards Elody.
Caville frowned and hugged his wife as baby spirits came forward and
blocked Larissa. At that moment something amazing happened. Baby spirits
grew into large spirits. The baby spirits recognized the threat to their
master and instinctively unleashed their full potential.
The lovely goofy babies were now nowhere to be found. In Larissa's eyes
they were nothing but demons straight from Hell. It was the judgment time.
Spirit's eyes lit up and they began biting the rotten soul. Larissa's
screams resounded through the Temple.
Elody tried too look but Caville hugged her tightly. He didn't want his
wife to witness such a horrible scene.
At last, a lightning bolt broke through the ceiling ans struck Larissa.
Larissa met her end at the hands of the spirits. From the start, she tried
to appropriate the life that didn't belong to her. Her miserable death was
the price she had to pay for trying to destroy someone's soul because of
that greed.
"Way to go," muttered Caville when baby spirits returned to their original
form. Her released his hold on Elody but all she saw was a pile of ashes
where Larissa once stood.
Chill ran down her spine when she thought about how much Larissa must've
hated her. She really thought that Elody was the culprit who destroyed her
life and took everything away from her. How did things even come to this?
With these sad thoughts, Elody along with Caville and the spirits, finally
left the temple. They had to hurry up to save people in the Duchy.
Zion's last words were stuck in Elody's head and made her anxious. She was
afraid they'd be too late and, as luck would have it, the baby spirits
were too exhausted so they couldn't use them to teleport.
Caville calmed his wife and bought a horse from the nearest stable to get
to the teleport at Sirka's as fast as possible. He used one of the buttons
from his shirt as payment (for it was encrusted with a jewel).
"Don't worry, wife. We'll get there in time."
Elody nodded in agreement and hugged baby spirits tightly.
But by the time they arrived to the castle, her face was as pale as death.
There were corpses lying everywhere on the streets of Cernoir and people
were crying over the bodies of their loved ones.
Elody shut her eyes. This must be a dream... no, a nightmare. Were all
these people really dead? She couldn't even breathe properly as despair
overwhelmed her.
"Damn it," Caville drove faster when he observed the situation.
And inside the castle, the situation was even worse. After getting off the
horse, Elody began to stumble. With each step she took she felt like blood
was being slowly drained from her body.
She saw a pile of corpses piled up in the vicinity of the castle. There
were quite a few survivors from the Knights Order who had a small amount
of mana in them. They were the ones who piled up the bodies.
"Oh no..." There were more than a hundred people who died in the castle
alone. Elody's legs gave out and she dropped the vial that she's been
clutching so desperately.
"Madam!" Heinz and Berenice approached her. The despair was written all
over their faces. "There are some people who are still breathing, but most
of them are already..."
"No no no! Marie! Anna!" When Elody noticed familiar bodies, she rushed to
their side. Next to them laid Norman, Olivia, Sylvia...
Elody sat beside them and began to wail. Her cry was so breathtaking that
all the survivors looked at each other hopelessly.
Caville couldn't believe his eyes. Even though the High Priest was dead,
it was already too late. Or was it because he killed the High Priest?
Perhaps, he shouldn't have done it after all. Caville couldn't even
breathe with the sense of guilt that overtake him.
The scene reminded him of the battlefield. Especially since there were
people who were still moving dead bodies.
Suddenly, Elody began to gasp.
"Wife, wife! Breathe! Wife!" Caville supported her trembling figure. Elody
already knew she was going to faint.
And then...
<Would you like to save 3,529 lives by using undisclosed items that were
transferred? (will require 3,529/5,732 items)>
It was the same display she saw the day she activated Ifrit's brooch.

Chapter 157

"Wife, are you alright?"

Elody blinked in surprise. Seems like she was the only one who could see
the display. She had to think fast. Miracles like this don't happen oft~
10, 9, 8, 7...
<If answer is not selected, the items (3,529) will be used automatically.>
Elody's heart started racing. It was just like in that day in the past.
She raised her trembling hand and pressed |Yes|.
<You succesfully used the item: Feather of Phoenix (3,529).>
When display disappeared, the red feathers started falling from the sky,
landing on the bodies of people who got affected by the curse. The
survivors looked at the scene in awe.
The feathers glowed and slowly dissipated into the corpses all over the
Duchy. It was a miracle. As soon as feathers dissipated completely, people
everywhere started to wake up from their deathly slumber.
"Madam?" Marie opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. Elody
hugged her maid tightly and began to sob. She was afraid that it was all
an illusion.
"Oh, Madam! What's going on? Why are you crying all of the sudden?" Marie
wondered as she hugged Elody back.
The rest of the resurrected people were confused as well. Especially when,
seemingly out of nowhere, the survivors started shedding tears of joy.
Next moment everyone was hugging each other. Caville wasn't exception as
he embraced Norman tightly in his arms and wept.
But there was someone who was in no mood for celebration. When feathers
started falling from the sky, Ifrit felt an overwhelming surge of mana. He
asked baby spirits about it but they felt nothing. And Ifrit couldn't even
breathe, feeling like the whole Universe was trying to consume him.
Before his conciseness drifted away, the last thing he heard was...
"Yay! Ifrit is dead!" - "He's really dead!" - "Hooray!"
***
Half a day later, when Ifrit opened his eyes again, he already skipped the
most of commotion that was happening inside and outside the castle.
The resurrected people did not remember what happened. But the survivors
did. It took everyone some time to pull themselves together after
experiencing such a traumatic event.
The same was for Elody, who was listening to Norman's report. He was
telling that a total of 3,526 people died and were resurrected that day.
But Elody was more surprised to see the old man going on as if nothing
happened.
Norman suggested Elody to take a rest and Caville escorted her to the
bedroom. When they got there, Elody hugged him.
"Caville, this is not a dream, right?"
"It's not. This is all real."
"I was so scared."
"Me too, I was so afraid..."
Caville and Elody embraced each other tightly in order to relieve their
feelings. When everything happened, Caville was shocked no less than his
wife. It was hard.
For him, her existence was the most precious in this entire world. But
people of this land were also precious to him.
He didn't understand it before, but now he knew the full meaning of the
words his wife told him when he was a kid. She told him that all these
people are his family and it's his duty to protect them. Back then, he
felt like he could bear anything as long as his wife was by his side,
guarding him.
And she was right. He was no longer a lonely little child who was
abandoned in the orphanage. Now he had a wife, his safe haven, and he also
had a family.
Caville began sweeping down Elody's trembling back to calm her down.
***
Due to the lack of distress between people who've been directly affected
by the curse, the Duchy quickly returned to normal. The only one who still
suffered from after-effects was Ifrit.
After he woke up, he felt like something has changed. When he checked
himself in the mirror, he got stunted. His beautiful red eyes turned gold.
But while Ifrit pondered about the change, they reverted to their original
color.
"Ifrit, are you still sleeping?" When Ifrit turned his head to look at the
owner of the voice, Elody, he noticed another strange thing. Something he
has never seen before.
It was the sign of the second awakening of the King of Spirits. Because he
got so overwhelmed with mana, he obtained the power of omniscience.
The lives from previous lives of Caville and Elody unfolded right before
his eyes.
"Ifrit, are you alright?" Elody came up to him and petted his head gently.
"Wife, you see that he's awake now so let's let him be."
Normally Ifrit would've been furious if he heard those words but not now.
"I guess he was shocked as well," Elody said, fiddling with his fur. And
she was right indeed. He was shocked because of what she just witnessed.
Ifrit got lost in thought.
***
Meanwhile in the capital.
When Emperor heard the news about an epidemic in Cernoir, he decided that
it would be the perfect opportunity to invade them. Of course he haven't
yet heard about the miraculous blessing that descended upon the land.
He explained everything to Prince Allen and ordered him to lead the
invasion.
"...Yes, Your Majesty," the Crown Prince bowed and left the reception
room. His heart thumped. What the hell was going on?
Thanks to the Ducal couple's help, all the nobles supported him now. But
since there was an epidemic, did that mean that their agreement was over?
But the most puzzling thing was why the Emperor decided to entrust this
mission to him. Allen sensed that there must've been a hidden motive.
And his suspicion was correct. When Allen left, the Emperor summoned an
assassin and ordered him to kill Crown Prince on the way home.
Although Allen was his first born son, now he became a thorn in his
throne. So the Emperor had no choice but to get rid of him.
***
While his servants were busy preparing his armor set, Allen secretly
sneaked into his room and used the communication device he got from Elody.
The communication speed was unusually low so Allen bit his lip. But before
long, he finally heard the welcoming voice of the Duchess.
Allen asked about the epidemic and Elody assured him that it was under
control. When he told her about the orders he received from the Emperor,
Elody suggested that perhaps His Majesty was aiming for the Prince's life.
Allen got silent for a while so she asked him if he was alright.
"I'm fine. If His Majesty is really trying to kill me, I have no choice
but to strike first."

Chapter 158

When the call ended, servants brought in Allen's armor. All of them were
Emperor's dogs who ignored the Crown Prince whenether they could.
Allen looked at them in disdain. It was clear that they did not expect him
to return from this mission. They openly snickered about it while helping
Allen get dressed.
After putting on the armor, Allen wielded his sword. It was given to him
by the Emperor at the time when Allen still foolishly thought that there
was a familial bond between them.
At that time, a great disturbance was heard from outside the Imperial
Palace. The servants ran around trying to figure out what was going on but
only Allen knew the truth.
The Shadow mercenaries dispatched by the Duchess finally arrived. The
Prince turned his back on the servants and walked away. When he rises to
throne, everyone will regret ever ignoring him.
The members of Shadow mercenaries were already waiting outside. Together,
they headed to the throne room.
***
Meanwhile, after finishing the call, Elody gave Caville a worried look.
She didn't know about Crown Prince's plans so she was afraid that he was
already on his way to Cernoir.
"Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll clean it up nicely," Caville
raised up as Elody nervously bit her lip. "Wife, I'm going to be away for
some time so please stay here with Ifrit."
He promised that he'll be back soon and kissed the back of her hand before
leaving. Elody was sure that as long as Caville was in charge of the
Cernoir Knights, they would never lose to the Emperor. She stroked Ifrit's
fur to collect herself until she heard a turmoil coming from outside the
castle.
Elody looked out of the window and her office and her jaw slacked in
surprise. A large crowd of locals surrounded the castle and cheered. Seems
like they heard about Emperor's invasion because a lot of them were
holding hammers, farming tools and sticks to defend themselves and the
land.
Their sincere actions touched Elody's heart. She never wanted to see these
people get hurt again.
Fortunately, her earnest wish came true.
The Crown Prince refused to follow the Emperor's orders and beheaded him
right in the reception room. That day, Allen finally ascended the throne.
He immediately kicked the Empress and her kids that persecuted him away
from the Palace.
All the nobles were already under influence of the Ducal couple of Cernoir
so they portrayed Allen as a hero who raised up against the tyrannical
Emperor.
And the now Emperor Allen granted the Duchy independence and signed the
non aggression pact.
It was yet another miracle for the citizens of Cernoir.
***
The news quickly spread and a large feast was held at the Cernoir castle.
All night long people sang songs praising the Duke and his wife (and their
wealth).
"Madam, I'm truly fine." - "Me too. Please stop calling on us." - "Yes,
we're very busy."
As her maids complained, Elody truly felt sorry. Nut after what happened,
she had to constantly check on them to keep her anxiety at bay.
"Don't worry so much, Madam." Eventually Marie gave in and opened her arms
wide so Elody could fall into her warm embrace. Marie smiled awkwardly as
she looked at Caville gloomily standing in the corner. As jealous as he
was, it was impressive that today he decided to patiently wait for his
wife's heart to calm down.
"Stop crying, Madam," Marie lightly patted Elody's back, "It's time for
the Lord to comfort you. We're too busy."
"But Marie..." Despite Elody's whining, Marie gathered the maids and
hurried down the corridor. Elody looked at their backs in tears.
"Wife, it's fine now. It'll never happen again," Caville tried to reassure
her. And when she gave him a small nod in response, he added, "Now let's
go back to our room. We have a lot to do tomorrow."
When they were about to enter the room...
"Duchess!" they heard someone's voice from the end of the hall.
"Oh my, Sir Theodore!" Elody exclaimed, wiping her tears away. Caville
furrowed his brows but Theodore didn't care.
"I'd like to talk to the Duchess tet-a-tet."
"Huh?" Elody looked up at Caville in surprise, "Caville, wait a moment!"
She noticed that he was about to say something but he just pouted his lips
and backed away. However he couldn't leave his wife with another man so he
just stood a little far off and watched the two.
Elody truly didn't know what Theodore would want to talk to her about so
when he gave her a piece of paper, she thought that it was a proof of
crimes committed by the Temple. But that wasn't the case.
"This is the letter I couldn't return earlier. I'm sorry."
"Ah, I see. Thank you for giving it back to me."
"Actually, I..." Theodore started talking but promptly stopped. Elody
patiently waited for him to gather his thoughts.
"I really wished this letter would come to me. You see, I don't have a
family or a lover. So no one has ever wrote me. I wanted this letter to
belong to me but I realized that I was holding onto an illusion."
"Sir Theodore..." Elody didn't know how to respond.
"I love you."
Elody's eyes opened wide when she heard his unprompted confession. She
never realized that he felt this way.
"I wanted to say that I love you more than anyone else in the world but I
know it's not the case. I'm afraid I have lost. But in the next life, if
there is another life, I'll definitely find you first."
While Elody pondered on how to respond, Caville clenched his fists. 'Seems
like divine power got to his head as well.' Caville wanted to get rid of
the guy right away but was scared that it would distress his wife even
more and he could not allow that. She needed to rest for today.
Theodore glanced over Elody's shoulder, "I will be praying to become the
owner of such a letter one day." Then he bowed his head and retreated down
the stairs.
"Wife, let's go." Caville wanted to ask what she and Theodore talked about
but held back. Elody pulled herself together and followed Caville into the
room.
Theodore left the Cernoir castle early in the morning. In his pocket there
was a piece of paper that he found under his door. Theodore mulled over
the contents of the note over and over again.
[I pray that one day you'll receive a love letter.]
Theodore instantly recognized the familiar handwriting of the Duchess. But
there also was a phrase looming right below her writing.
[I pray that our paths never cross again.]
Such an impudent tone... The author could only be the Duke of Cernoir.
Theodore smiled and put the note back to his pocket. He was thankful for
Elody's blessing but there was no need for it to come true.
He will hold onto her short letter for the rest of his life.

Chapter 159
Those were the peaceful days. It's been few weeks after the dramatic
events occurred and the sky was ever so clear.
Late in the afternoon, Elody finally received documentation confirming
Cernoir's independence. Along it was a peace treaty between two countries,
Heklos and Cernoir.
Elody and Caville scrutinized the documents and everything seemed to be in
proper order. Elody, who was obsessed with legalities, could relax at
last.
She looked at the document with joy. And Caville looked with joy at Elody.
***
Meanwhile Allen, who unexpectedly rose to the throne, quickly adapted to
his new responsibilities. He kept in touch with Caville throughout the
process.
The Temple's role in spreading the epidemic became known so Allen decided
to close it until the scandal died down. At the rate things were going, it
could take years.
Elody studied the antidote they found just in case. And Caville was always
beside her. Because of that, the majority of his work had to be done when
she was around. That included handling the aide's reports.
Lewis was especially happy with this arrangement. When Madam was around,
the Lord couldn't kick him out as he pleased. Consequentially, Lewis was
feeling less stressed and his performance improved.
"What got into him today?" Caville muttered after Lewis left the room. But
when Elody looked back at him, his irritation dissipated in an instant and
a gentle smile appeared on his face.
The two were always together. As if they wanted to make up for the time
they lost during the war. Caville stayed by Elody's side the whole time
and at times when he had to train, she usually sat nearby and watched him.
"Madam! Madam!" Heinz ran towards Elody when she entered training grounds.
The moment Elody saw him, she imagined a big hound that was reunited with
his owner. "Madam, I heard from Marie that you're planning to hold a
second strawberry festival! Is that true?"
"Oh yeah, I was just thinking about it." At Elody's answer, Heinz couldn't
stop himself from bragging.
"Remember how I won the first time around? Naturally, the first place will
be mine once again. However I wanted to discuss something about the
prize..."
"Sir Heinz," Caville called out to him from behind his back, "what are you
doing here alone with my wife?"
"You can relax, my Lord. I was just discussing the Strawberry festival
with Madam. As the winner of the last one, I..." When Caville furrowed his
brows, Heinz shut his mouth. "Madame, I'll see you later!"
"...of course, Sir Heinz," Elody chuckled when she saw him running away.
So Marie was the one who told him? She was the only one Elody shared this
piece of information with. 'When did they become so close?'
While Elody was pondering about this and that, Caville quietly sat next to
her. After looking at his wife for a moment, he lightly kissed her on the
cheek.
Elody touched the place his lips touched as he went back to training. His
tall figure stood out even between the knights who trained hard every day.
'My Caville is the coolest.' She raised him very well indeed. But what she
didn't expect is that one day she'd be completely 'eaten' by him.
Elody raised her hand and waved at him. And Caville waved back.
Seeing their Lord like this, all the servants and knights rejoiced. The
situation now was much better than before, when it was believed that their
Lord didn't even know how to smile.
But there was someone who wasn't happy about the changes. Ever since the
day Ifrit obtained omniscience, he felt like he was suffocating in the
presence of the two. Their past lives constantly played before his eyes.
Of course Elody noticed that changes in his behavior but Caville just
replied that Ifrit's always been weird like this.
"By the way, wife, don't you think it's a bit hot in here?" Caville said,
loosening the string on his tunic. His firm muscles started to show from
the slit.
"Cut it out."
"But it's really hot," Caville looked at her like he just committed a
grave injustice. To be honest, his little trick almost worked. But Elody
was patient. It was Caville who lacked this trait.
He pouted his lips when he realized that his wife was not tempted at all.
* knock-knock*
Caville clicked his tongue and tied his tunic neatly.
"Madam, Lord," Marie came in humming and put a large decanter of bokbunja
on the table. Elody looked at the drink in shock.
"What the hell is this?" Did they really expect her to drink all of that?
It was way too big!
"You two have to drink it," Marie said with resolve as Elody sprang to her
feet and ran away to the greenhouse.
After finishing his drink, Caville put the glass down and went into
direction of greenhouse. But before he could go out, he got stopped by
Marie. She had something to tell him.
"I'm sorry to inform you, but there's a rumor going around the castle...
It's about the Lord."
"What?" Caville's forehead wrinkled. Remembering all the previous rumors,
he urged Marie to tell him more. She hesitated for a while but finally
gave in.
"Alright, alright. I wasn't planning on telling, but... My Lord, is there
any problem? When doctor examined the Madam, he didn't find anything. It's
just strange. You're both so young and besides, the Lord embraces Madam
every night. So why are there no good news?"
When Marie finished talking, Caville's face was very scary. Without even
knowing, Marie rubbed salt in his wound.
"Well, don't forget to drink the bokbunja I served you. You're still
young."
"Get out." When Caville spoke coldly, Marie decided to squeeze in a few
more lines just to make sure.
"I mean, don't get me wrong. I was just worried about the relationship
between you two."
When Caville left the lab obviously in low spirits, Marie thought that
perhaps she said something she shouldn't have.
And Caville entered the greenhouse extremely irritated. He bit his lip
hard. What could he even do? Being considerate of his wife's weak
constitution, he already held back his desire that wanted to ravage her
day and night.
He headed for the strawberry field where Elody was sitting.
"Wife, do you know what I just heard?"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Chapter 160

Caville wanted to tell her about the rumors but held his tongue. What if
there really was some underlying issue? What if it would be impossible for
them to make a baby?*
*(T/N: he was talking about how his 1st function was working but 2nd
function wasn't..? I assume that the gist of it is that he's afraid he's
infertile)
"Caville?" Elody looked at him, wondering what was wrong.
"...it's nothing," he shook his head. But his mind was in chaos. 'It
doesn't make sense,' he thought as he sat down next to his wife. However
he couldn't contain his thoughts for long.
"Wife, do you like children?" His sudden question surprised Elody and
Caville decided to press her further, "Do you think we should make one?"
"That, well..." Elody turned her head away, her ears bright red.
And Caville couldn't contain his frustration and grabbed her by the
shoulder, "Wife."
But when she turned back, her expression was firm, "I don't want to have
such a weird conversation here, in a broad daylight."
"What do you mean by 'weird conversation'?"
"Caville, your attempts to entice me are really lame these days. I just
fish you'd be a little more careful. It's fine if you do it at night."
"I was just thinking about having children... And it's definitely not
enough if it's only at night." When Caville replied sullenly, Elody
realized she was a bit careless herself so she coughed to hide her
embarrassment.
"When it comes to the things between lovers, there are many things I don't
know but... It's not urgent for us to make a child now, is it?"
"But what if it's not possible for us at all?"
"Huh?" When Elody inspected Caville's face, he seemed to be quite anxious.
That made her puzzled. They just became lovers so wasn't it a bit early to
worry about such things? Especially now when there were so many
responsibilities on them.
She gave him a gentle smile, "Caville, don't be so impatient. Aren't we
happy just like this?"
"Right, but..." What if I want it? The question got stuck in Caville's
throat. He gave her a sullen nod and she patted his knee in consolation,
"Why are you so nervous, Caville?"
Because people are talking behind my back! Caville held his tongue back
again and instead loosened the string on his tunic once more, "Wife, it's
really hot. Shall we retreat to our bedroom?"
"It's really not that hot here..." Even after Elody's retort, Caville kept
repeating that it was hot. Elody shook her head, not willing to take the
bait.
Because Caville managed to finish his work quickly, he retreated to the
bedroom earlier than usual. As soon as Elody entered the room already
dressed in her nightgown, Caville immediately clung to her, "Wife, I've
been waiting."
A little bit earlier, Elody tried to divulge from Marie the information
about her relationship with Heinz. She asked whether Marie told anyone
about the Strawberry festival but the maid pretended to be oblivious.
Elody's next question was about Greta. She noticed that Marie was spending
a lot of time with the girl. Marie responded that it was because Greta
reminded her of Elody when she was a child.
So Elody decided not to pressure her any longer. She'd wait until Marie
reveals everything on her own.
"Ah! Wait!" While Elody was busy reminiscing about her time with Marie,
Caville swiftly pushed her onto bed. Elody was amazed that he could move
her as he wished, like she was as light as a feather to him.
"Maybe it's enough for my wife if we only do it at night, but it's not
enough for me."
"Is that so?" Elody wondered. She never imagined it wouldn't be enough for
him. Was it because he was younger? But she really wanted to sleep at
night...
"From now on, let's retire to bed a little earlier. Just like today."
"...Sure." When Elody gave him a reluctant nod, Caville smiled. Seeing him
so satisfied, Elody chuckled. But the light atmosphere soon turned
passionate.
Caville took off his silk gown and kissed Elody. She accepted his lips,
putting her hands on his chest. This way she could feel his heart
pounding.
"Wife..." - "Caville..."
His lips traveled down to Elody's neck and he whispered, "We're lovers
now... So from this point on please call me 'Honey'."
"Huh?" Elody felt blood rushing to her face.
"Ho-ney. Just like this."
Come to think of it, Caville always called her 'wife' in a polite manner,
but she just called him by his name. It went against etiquette that
dictated that she should call him by his title.
"Then perhaps I should call you 'Grand Duke?"
"I don't like it," he responded immediately.
So Elody nodded hesitantly, "fine, I'll try."
"No, try it now," Caville demanded, pinning her down the bed. Looking at
him like this, Elody truly felt like this nickname didn't suit him.
'Beast' would be more appropriate.
"H-honey?"
"That's right," Caville sighed softly, as if his heart was melting.
That night Elody fell asleep much later than usual.

***
Next day, in the late afternoon, Elody was absorbed in her research. She
tried to make up for oversleeping that morning.
Caville was sitting in his chair in the remote corner of the lab, reading
<Marriage 101: How to Make Wife Fall for You>. It was a special delivery
from Sirka.
"Caville, I'm going to the greenhouse for a moment," Elody shouted. She
left the door wide open so he wouldn't worry.
During her investigation she found out that antidote they brought from the
capital, was fake. But since some people were still suffering from
aftereffects of the curse, Elody decided to make special tonics with
blueberries she discovered before.
Elody looked at baby spirits sleeping peacefully on the strawberry field,
picked up her basket and returned to the lab. And there Ifrit and Caville
were bickering just like every other day.
"Hey! Wouldn't it be better to consult with me instead of reading some
book?"
"And what do you know? You don't even have a girlfriend."
"How can you say this to me? How dare you dismiss my generosity? Hey,
benefactor!" Ifrit ran to Elody with sparkling eyes, "tell me! Which side
are you on? But if you don't choose me, you won't receive any more magic
crystals."
"I'm on your side, Ifrit." Elody answered quickly and that caused Ifrit to
snore triumphantly. He puffed his chest and went back to Caville. "Did you
hear that? Remember this every time you make fun of me. Your wife is on my
side."
Caville glared at him and clicked his tongue. Elody winked at him behind
Ifrit's back so Caville decided up the charade for her sake. Moreover, his
mood was still uplifted from the night before so it was better to just
ignore the dog.
Ifrit jumped onto Elody's table and started chatting before suddenly
frozing midway. He felt a strange sense of deja vu. He ran closer to Elody
and sniffed her.
"Ifrit, what's wrong?"
'That's definitely...' Ifrit moved away with a shocked expression.
'I sense a strange spirit in my benefactor. It's very strong.'

Chapter 161

"Ifrit, what's wrong?"

"What... what is this?" Ifrit wondered as he moved away from Elody. It was
the same energy that he felt the day baby spirits appeared.
Elody scrutinized Ifrit's appearance. He was behaving strangely but didn't
look sick so she returned to her research. But then, there was a strange
sound coming from inside the greenhouse.
"Wife!" Caville approached her in a flash. They went to check on the
source of the disturbance together.
"The mana here is quite powerful," Caville muttered and it made Elody
anxious. All of their enemies were dead so who that might be? Ifrit
followed them with a crumpled face. He felt like he already knew the
answer.
Fortunately, when they got to the greenhouse, there was nothing broken
inside.
"Wait, what's that?" Caville asked. But when Elody turned to look, she
couldn't give him an answer. It was something incredible.
On the strawberry field where baby spirits used to play, there now were
three more creatures: a fairy that looked like Tinker Bell, a silver fox
and a white Pegasus.
"If~ Ifrit, what's that?" Elody questioned the puppy whose expression was
pained.
At that moment the fairy flew to Elody, "You're the one who broke our
seal. Yes, you. For a long time we've been trapped inside as our souls
slowly died. You used some mysterious power to save us, correct?"
A realization flashed through Elody's mind. The day display appeared for a
second time, it mentioned 3,529 feathers. However Norman reported that
only 3,526 people were resurrected. That would mean that 3 feathers were
used on something else...
"The dragon eggs?" The plants showed no sign of sprouting so Elody
completely forgot about them.
"Yes," fairy nodded, "I am Nade, the King Spirit of Water."
They were the spirits sealed by the Temple. Nade was very happy to be
reunited with other spirits. Now they could go on to explore the world
again! Nade told Elody that she would grant her any wish.
Elody wanted to refuse out of curtsy but then her merchant instincts
kicked in. She couldn't miss such an opportunity.
Looking at his benefactor's grin, Ifrit shrugged. And Caville felt like he
was falling in love with her all over again.
Elody made an exclusive deal with Nade regarding production of elemental
crystals.
The silver fox introduced itself next, "I'm Noom, the King Spirit of
Earth. I shall grant your wish as well."
It was a curious situation because baby bear's element was Earth as well.
Anyway, what wish should she make? Elody looked at Caville for help.
"Wife, just tell them whatever you want," Caville whispered. Whatever I
want? Elody collected herself and asked Noom to protect this land.
"That's too vague! Well, fine. I'll make you an Enigmatic wall." At Noom's
words, Elody's eyes that wide. She heard about Enigmatic wall from
legends. It was a creation of the most powerful archmage in history!
The moment fox finished talking, a transparent curtain covered all of
Cernoir territory. The dome-shaped barrier would drive away anyone who
comes to this land with hostility.
The pegasus intorudeced itself last, "I am the King Spirit of Wind,
Sylphid. Please tell me your wish."
Elody started to worry again. She looked at Ifrit who's been suspiciously
quiet for a while. She took him in her arms and stroked his fur. He didn't
show it but all this time he must've missed his friends a lot.
"You said you wanted to go on and explore the world. But I'd like to see
you guys again sometimes, and I'm sure Ifrit would too. Come and visit us
from time to time. If you wish for it, that is."
"Hmm..." Sylphid thought hard about Elody's request. "Fine, I'll give you
a spirit stone that will allow you to summon us anytime."
When Elody opened her palm, a small jewel dropped on it out of thin air.
"By the way, may I take the baby spirit of the wind with me?" Sylphid
said, pointing to baby bird that was rolling around on the strawberry
field.
"No!" - "Not gonna happen!" - "I can't go! I have to protect the
strawberries!"
Baby bird shook its head and looked at Elody. Of course, the name
'strawberry' referred to her. Every since they all went to the capital,
the babies considered Elody a fragile creature that must be protected.
"What a shame," Sylphid sighed. The baby spirits looked very happy so
Sylphid decided not to push this issue further.
When all was said and done, Nade spoke, "We've got to go now. We have to
awake other spirits of the world. Thank you, Summoner. And Ifrit, it
wasn't your fault that we've been sealed so please stop blaming yourself.
Please welcome us next time we meet."
At the end of the speech, the King spirits disappeared like it was just an
illusion. Baby spirits immediately began to sob.
Elody looked up at Caville as she stroked Ifrit's fur. Caville hugged her
from behind and lightly kissed the back of her neck.
"What is this? How could you go and make such a thoughtless wish because
of me? If I were you, I'd wish for gold! A lot of it!" Ifrit hit Elody's
shoulders with his small paws.
"How could I not do that when you had such a sad expression?" At Elody's
sweet words, tears welled in Ifrit's eyes.
"Wife, just throw this crybaby away," Caville whispered as they left the
greenhouse.

Chapter 162

In fact, all this while, Ifrit carried a huge burden in his heart. The day
all the King Spirits were sealed, he was sleeping peacefully in the
artifact.
He was so hurt from the death of the first Duke of Cernoir - that he had
signed a contract with - that he chose to seal himself in the brooch to
avoid the suffering.
Other spirits were hurt by his decision but ultimately couldn't do
anything to stop him. That's why he felt an immense guilt when he learned
about what happened to his friends.
But there was no way for him to change the past so when - by a mere chance
- a little girl freed him, he did everything to regain his power.
However, over the time the owner of the artifact has changed. Now it was a
scared little boy. Ifrit read the child's heart and proposed a contract.
"Caville Cernoir, do you want to have more power?"
***
"You look horrible," Caville commented on Ifrit's swollen eyes.
"Caville, don't bully him. His eyes are a bit puffy, that's all," Elody
said after checking on Ifrit's expression. He pretended to be angry of
course but it didn't seem like he was actually offended.
Elody offered him some strawberries to help him recover after crying for
so long but Ifrit refused, so she just stroked his head.
"Wife, honey, stop coddling that dog. You're already busy as it is,"
Caville urged Elody to return to her research. Elody was surprised because
he suddenly called her honey - so she coughed to hide her embarassment.
Then, the door to the greenhouse opened and baby spirits rushed towards
her. It was weird because they were usually asleep at the time.
"Hey, eat this!" - "Strawberry, eat more strawberries!" - "We're giving it
to you so take it!"
Elody was incredulous. Just what happened for them to willingly give up
their precious strawberries?
"I can't believe these strawberry pigs are making concessions," Ifrit
muttered.
"Just eat it," baby kitten said, pushing the basket towards Elody. She
thanked the babies and took one fruit out of the basket.
Caville became suspicious when babies started clinging to Elody's waist,
"Are you guys up to something or what?"
His expression turned sour when he noticed that babies who've been rolling
around in dirt, soiled his wife's dress. So he quickly removed them from
Elody.
He decided to take Elody back to the room.
Throughout the whole scene, Ifrit was in deep thought about something.
Looking at Caville and Elody's backs, he muttered softly...
"...I must protect them."
***
The passion still lingered in the air as Elody laid in Caville's arms, "It
was amazing..."
"That's right," Caville replied and pulled her closer. When he felt her
supple flesh, a rush of excitement ran through his body.
"No. I'm tired today..." Elody pushed him away when she noticed his
condition.
"I didn't meant to exhaust you, it's just a natural reaction... There's
nothing I can do."
Elody chuckled at his answer and, after thinking for a while, asked him,
"Caville, do you wish for anything?"
"If I could, I'd go back to my childhood to spend more time with you."
Elody was touched by his response and hugged him. Back then, he must've
been really lonely.
"Yea, that'd be nice."
"But it can never happen. So let's just focus on our future. Together,"
Caville said hugging her waist. She said it would be difficult for her
because she was tired, but because of that he had to struggle on his own.
He decided to show his affection by pouring kisses over her body. And
Elody hugged his shoulders as she felt heat rising inside her.
The night was still young.
***
After a few hours, Elody and Caville finally fell asleep. And when Elody
opened her eyes in the morning, the first thing she saw...
"Hey, Caville! Caville, wake up! Seems like your wish came true!" Both of
them turned into 5-year-olds!
"I'm sorry, wife, I didn't mean for it to happen," Caville said after
checking himself in the mirror.
"Oh no, what should we do?" Elody whined as she hid under a blanket, "No
one would believe that I'm the Grand Duchess now!"
"Wife, calm down."
"Huuuh, what is this?" Elody felt like the world was spinning.
"Wife, wife?"
Elody gradually regained consciousness as someone waved at her. She slowly
opened her eyes.
"What kind of dream did you have to sleep like this, just how cute can you
be?" Caville looked at her with enamored eyes.
"Dream..?" Elody woke up completely and rose up. When she checked her
condition, she was in her usual adult body. And so was Caville. She heaved
a sigh of relief.
But Caville had a frown on his face as he touched her forehead, "I think
you have a slight fever. It's probably because you left the windows opened
yesterday."
"Is that so? I do feel a little chilly now." After everything that
happened it would be strange not to get a little sick.
Caville urged her to stay in bed for today and went out to call for a
maid. After a while, Marie came in.
"My goodness, Madam! You're so weak and you've been working so hard,
pushing yourself every day. I knew it would happen," Marie nagged as she
put her hand on Elody's forehead.
"Oh, it doesn't seem too bad. I think the Lord just exaggerated," Marie
sighed in relief and put a wet towel on Elody's forehead.
Elody tried to put up a resistance but it was quickly suppressed. Then,
she asked about Caville's whereabouts.
"He's going to help the chef prepare breakfast for you," Marie answered,
"By the way, Madam... I wasn't going to tell you, but there's a strange
rumor going around the castle about the Lord."
"Huh? A rumor? What's it about?"

Chapter 163

"That.. That when it comes to the bedroom stuff, the Lord is like an old
man..." Marie responded after fidgeting for a long time.
"What?" Blood drained from Elody's face. "No no no, that's bot true at
all!" She shook her head, remembering the previous night.
Marie nodded on agreement but her expression was still uneasy.
"Madam, but you can never know. It might appear functioning normally but
in reality... You know, like seedless peaches."
Marie's thoughts brought turmoil in Elody's mind. Truth be told, it
wouldn't be at all unusual if she already had a baby on the way. But.
Thinking about all the frightening things she had to come through
recently, she was glad that it wasn't the case. It could've ended badly.
Elody stroked her flat stomach.
"Don't worry, Madam. All in good time. By the way, isn't it a little
overdue? Your period? My goodness, my goodness!" Marie stood up, unable to
conceal her excitement, "I'll call for the doctor right away!"
"Marie, wait!" But before Elody could stop her, the maid already ran out
of the room. Elody sighed. It was true that it was a little overdue,
however considering her condition, it wasn't anything out of ordinary.
Elody decided not to entertain the possibility and got out of bed to wash
up. When she was done, Caville came in with the tray of breakfast.
"Wife, why are you up already? I was going to wash you."
"It's fine, Marie woke me up."
"Well, let's eat first," he beckoned her to join him while servants
flocked in to set up the table.
"Isn't that overdoing it?" Elody wondered out loud, to Caville's delight.
After everything was set, Caville sat next to her to help her eat. At that
moment Elody felt as if she had really become the Queen.
After tasting the strawberry souffle, she correctly guessed that it was
made by Caville, restoring his faith in the power of love.
Caville fed her the assortment of dishes, purposefully prepared by the
chef. When the meal was almost over, Marie knocked in, asking to come in.
With her, she brought a seasoned female doctor who was in charge of the
largest hospital of the Cernoir.
Elody gave Marie a stern look so the maid quickly gave an excuse,
"Nothing! I said nothing! I'm just worried that you might've caught a
cold."
"That's right, wife. It's better to be sure. What if Marie is right?"
Caville said with a horrified look.
The thing was, Elody has never caught a cold before. Because of the
assortment of tonics and healthy foods that she consumed daily, she was
quite sure of her physical health. Of course, her muscle tone was a bit
lacking but there was really nothing to worry about.
However she couldn't go against her husband's concerns. She obediently sat
on the sofa and let the doctor examine her while Marie and Caville stood
beside her.
"So is this a cold?" Caville asked nervously.
At that moment, the expression of the doctor began to change, "Madam..."
It was a weird reaction. Elody held her breath. Is it happening? She
looked at the doctor intently.
"Child... A child! You are with a child. You're pregnant!"
"...Ah!" Elody exclaimed.
"Madam! My goodness, what should we do? Madam! Congratulations!" Marie
immediately made a fuss.
"I can't tell you much more about the term, but I am certain," doctor
assured Elody and she smiled.
Elody touched her belly that was still flat. It was incredible. She didn't
feel anything but a small life was already growing inside. Elody was very
grateful that the baby came just in the right time.
She looked up at Caville. Is he happy? Or worried because it was too fast?
He told her that he wanted a baby once...
"...Caville?" Elody called out to him. From the moment he heard doctor's
verdict, he completely froze. It was like the time has stopped just for
him.
"Oh, my Lord!" - "Caville!" - "My goodness!"
Caville, who's been standing like a stone, suddenly collapsed. And Elody
rushed to his side right away.
He fainted for the first time in his life.
***
Fortunately, he recovered quickly, "Wife, wife. My heart is a mess." As
soon as he woke up, he hugged Elody and sniffled.
She got worried about his condition and checked his pulse. It was a bit
quick but nothing out of ordinary, "Caville, your heart is fine."
"It may explode."
"No, it won't." Hearts usually don't burst this easily.
"How's my wife's heart?" Caville asked, putting his palms on her chest.
Her heart was pounding too so he hugged her even tighter, "I don't know
what to say."
"And neither do I..." They stayed in this embrace for a while and soon
Elody felt Caville's tears on her shoulder.
"It will hurt. What should I do? It's going to hurt, it's going to hurt a
lot," Caville muttered, already worrying about the future.
"Don't scare me, Caville," Elody frowned, "It will be alright." She
comforted him by caressing his wide back.
Suddenly, something came to his mind and he exclaimed loudly, "That's it!"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's nothing. Don't worry about anything, wife. It's nothing."
Perhaps he was acting s bit childish because he was surprised? Elody
patted such Caville's head.
***
In the afternoon, Elody headed to the lab. She wanted to deliver the news
to the spirits first, before Marie got a chance to spill the beans to
everyone in the vicinity.
"Ifrit, I'm pregnant. Me and Caville will become parents."
"Oh, I already know. I felt it was strange that baby spirits gave you
their strawberries yesterday. So when I looked closely, I realized."
Elody was dumbfounded. She didn't expect him to scream from joy like the
maids or tear up like Norman, but still she thought she'd be able to
surprise him. She stroked her stomach.
And at that time, baby spirits broke into the lab to check if Elody was
there. Baby bear was holding a small basket in its maw.
"Eat it!" - "We saved it for you!" - "Strawberries should eat
strawberries!"
'So they knew that I was pregnant and decided to feed me well,' Elody
laughed at their cuteness.
"And what's wrong with that guy?" Ifrit asked, looking at Caville who was
standing behind Elody. His complexion was pale.
"I guess he's worried," Elody whispered.
"Worried? About what? Shouldn't he be happy to finally become a father?"
"Who's not happy? I'm very happy, I'm just worried about losing my mind,"
Caville answered, irritated.
"Caville, cut it out," said Elody who couldn't bear to see Caville being
such a nervous wreck.
"How can I not worry when I know that my wife's going to suffer?" He
responded sullenly.
"You're not unhappy, are you?" Elody asked just in case.
"Huh? No way. I'm very glad. I'm so happy that I feel like my heart's
about to explode! But..."
"Let's just worry about it later, alright?"
"...Yes, wife," Caville nodded. The more he fidgets, the more anxious his
wife will be, so he tried to control his feelings. But he still looked
concerned.
Looking at his master being like this, Ifrit cackled, "I can't believe
this little guy is going to be a father. Time sure flies. Now you have to
read books on parenting because you're too dumb to learn any other way!"
Ifrit teased Caville relentlessly but he just ignored the dog and sat next
to Elody. He pondered about something for a while and then stood up to
contact someone via communication device.
Elody thought that he was calling on Sirka and that the merchant would be
surely happy to hear the news. However she had no idea...
Meanwhile Caville anxiously waited for the person on the other end to
respond.
[Why are you calling me?]
The one who dared to speak to Caville so bluntly was no other than Elody's
brother, Ray.
"You think I did it because I wanted to? Please, I have something I need
you to do."
[What does it have to do with me?]
"My wife is pregnant."
[What is this... Wait, what?]
"My wife is pregnant."
[What the hell? What have you done to my sister? I knew it, you only
pretended to be innocent! You bastard!]

Chapter 164

Caville was irritated but he had to put up with Ray's insults. He had to
appear as a good-natured brother in law for now.
"I want to place an order. No, request," Caville said with a great
patience, "I ask you to make a medicine. If you don't do as I say, I'll
confiscate the plants my wife sends to you."
Ray was furious. Was that guy threatening him while asking for a favor? He
took a deep breath to calm himself.
[Congratulations. I really don't want to say this, but... Congratulations,
brother. By the way, what medicine? Why do you even ask me when you have
my sister by your side?]
"I know, that's why I ask you. I don't think she'll comply with my
request."
[What in the world?!]
"There's no way I can give birth in her stead, is there?"
[Are you crazy?] Ray was dumbfounded.
"...then at least regarding childbirth pains. Make the medicine that will
transfer the pain to me. I'll take a big elemental crystal from Ifrit and
give it to you if you do it. Do you understand?"
[And you still dare to order me around?]
"I'm so scared. I'm afraid that something will happen to my wife," Caville
replied softly. The desperation in his hoarse voice was obvious, "If you
don't make it and something happens to her, I'l come to you and cut your
head off."
[Kids these days...]
Caville ignored his muttering and begged until Ray reluctantly agreed. In
any case, wouldn't it be good if that guy suffered in stead of his dear
sister?
[...Alright, brother. I'll give it a try.]
"If you cant' do it, I'll ki~"
"Hey Caville, what are you doing?" Elody came in, interrupting his
murderous threat.
"N-nothing, honey," Caville stuttered and turned off his communication
device.
And on the other end, Ray was stupefied. Sarah asked him what's wrong but
he could answer because he couldn't believe just how shameless his
brother-in-law was. Especially after Ray just heard him pretending to be
all innocent in front of Elody!
"Looking at you like that, I already know the reason. It's the Duke of
Cernoir, isn't it? That crazy bastard?" Sarah guessed.
Ray clenched his fists. He was so angry that he felt like he was about to
explode. He will definitely find a way to make this guy suffer. Especially
since he asked for it himself.
"Sarah, we're going to the research faculty. I need to find a way to make
him sick."
Sarah listened to his words like it was a love song.
"But Ray, why do you hate him so much? He's been through a lot in his
life."
"Because he's a hypocrite!"
"Yet your sister dotes on him. Isn't he just like a puppy to her?"
Ray clicked his tongue at Sarah's teasing. Together they quickly went to
the faculty to conduct research.
Shortly after, a new ground-breaking medicine was invented in the Tower.
***
After finishing his talk with Ray, Caville turned around and gave Elody a
pretty smile. She thought that he was talking with Sirka so Caville just
went ahead with that version.
Then he stuck closely to Elody and every time she did anything in the lab
or greenhouse, there came a nagging:
"Wife, it's too dangerous! The tweezers are too sharp!" - "Wife, the
beaker can break. Be careful!" - "Honey, this herb, isn't it poisonous?"
Gradually, Elody began to boil. He didn't even let her lift the pen!
"...I'll write for you, wife. Just like when I was small. Remember, how
you dictated texts to me? It's the same."
Elody was incredulous. How should one even go about this? Whatever, at
least it meant that Caville would be a very kind father. Elody laughed and
handed the pen over to him.
Caville concentrated on her words as diligent as a child who had to pass
an exam.
Ifrit furrowed his brows like he couldn't bear to look at this scene. Even
if he suddenly struck the floor, the two wouldn't notice. They were in
their own world.
But although he grumbled a little, he still couldn't take his eyes off the
two. Although he tried not to show it, right now they were more precious
to him than his own soul. They were his friends and he'd protect them at
any cost.
Maybe it was because he saw their past. 'I shouldn't have seen it. But
it's not like I wanted to in the first place.' Perhaps he should tell
them?
He looked at the happy couple before him.
The day he obtained omniscience, he saw their past lives clearly. Their
first live was very similar to the current one. However back then, Ifrit
wasn't with them. So they could only rely on each over from the early age.
He also saw their end. Although Caville succeeded in killing the Prince of
Urta, he got stabbed in the process - along with Elody.
The two were lying on the battlefield face to face, with corpses and smoke
surrounding them. On the verge of death, Elody looked Caville's tear
stained face as he made a promise...
"In the next life... I'll make sure my wife always smiles..."
Elody stretched out her hand to wipe out his tears but couldn't reach him.
On her death bed, she prayed -
"In the next life... I hope I'll be able to protect you..."
Soon, the scenery changed. The world was different. So... complex. And the
sky was full of dark clouds.
Tall buildings were lining up shoulder to shoulder and strange vehicles
moved between them. In a crowd, Ifrit spotted a girl. Her appearance was
different, but he instinctively knew that it was her, Elody.
Then he heard someone bursting into tears. Ifrit followed Elody's gaze to
find out where the sound came from. A boy in a yellow jacket fell down in
the middle of the crosswalk.
Ifrit recognized the boy just like he recognized Elody. 'Caville!' Ifrit
called him out in joy. But then...
A loud bang rang in his ear. Something big was closing in rapidly.
"Oh no..." While Ifrit desperately thought what he could do, Elody already
jumped forward.
Another bang. Ifrit look at the scene in shock. Elody got hit by a car and
was bleeding to death in the middle of the street.
Young Caville couldn't understand anything yet and just stood there with
tears in his eyes.
Raindrops started falling from the sky. As they washed the blood off
Elody's body, Ifrit saw something strange. Her soul was escaping from her
body.
But it wasn't the only strange thing. Suddenly, a strange display
appeared, only visible to her (and now, Ifrit).
<You Died.>
Option 1. Go to trial to determine your fate in the afterlife.
Option 2. Reincarnate into another world.
* Because you sacrificed your life to save another (1), you will be given
additional options and buff items.
* CAUTION: the world is selected randomly.
* Unknown item (1) will be equipped.
Chapter 165 END

In this world, there was a belief that after one dies, either angels or
demons would take the soul.
However, what Ifrit saw, was a just simple display. 'It looks too
detached,' he thought to himself.
In the meantime, Elody pressed one of the buttons and her soul
disappeared. It traveled through the extradimensional passage and - by the
sheer power of her will - reincarnated as Elody McClaire.
"Her second life turned out to be so futile," Ifrit mumbled, "but in the
end, she was able to fulfill the promise she made in her first life.
That's right..."
Elody managed to protect Caville, and in turn, he sometimes managed to
make her laugh.
"Those fools," Ifrit clicked his tongue.
Suddenly, the scenery changed.
He was standing in a strange enclosed space. People there were scared.
They talked something about a plane being hijacked by terrorists. A man in
a mask held a gun and screamed something at them.
But among those frightened passengers, one person stood out. It was a very
handsome guy with thick eyebrows. Ifrit immediately recognized his master.
He has grown to be such a big guy that he couldn't help but be proud.
However Caville's expression was dark. But it was different from other
people, who were slowly giving in to despair.
When a man with the gun passed by, Caville overpowered him at once and
knocked him out. People started whispering between themselves and one
middle-aged man exclaimed...
"I can't believe I made it through in one piece! Hey, young man, go to the
cockpit and catch the rest of them!"
It caused Caville to gesture everyone to be quiet so the rest of the
passengers looked at the middle aged man with disdain.
Then, Caville told people that he was working for an Intelligence Agency
and situation was under control so everyone should remain calm and stay on
their seats.
The terrorists planned to hijack the plane to crash into one of the
buildings. It was a suicide attack. The fact that Caville happened to be
on that plane was a miracle.
He held his breath and moved to the cockpit. There were two men with guns
who were threatening the pilots. Even for Caville , ho had extensive
training, it would be difficult to subdue them in a situation like this.
But he was the only one who could do it. He waited until one of the
terrorists went out to check on their accomplice who wasn't responding.
*Crack* The terrorist's neck was snapped in an instant.
Ifrit looked up at Caville in admiration, "That guy's been so cool in the
past life. Those bad guys are nothing to hi~"
* Bang* A terrible sound of bullet piercing the body was heard. It went
right through Caville's waist.
The last terrorist jumped out of the cockpit and a fight ensued. However
no matter how strong Caville was, it was impossible for him to defeat
someone while he was injured.
There was only one way to win - for them both to die together.
Meanwhile, the captain corrected the course. Fortunately, there was a
runway nearby.
* Bang* *Bang* The last two bullets were shot. One pierced the
terrorist's head, the other - Caville's heart.
Ifrit looked at how his master's life was taken by a strange weapon that
made loud noises, 'So both Elody and Caville died in vain in the end?'
After a while, Caville's soul left his body. He looked at his former shell
with despair. Fortunately, the plane landed safely.
And then, a display appeared in front of Caville. However, his screen was
a little different from Elody's.
<You died.>
Option 1. Go to trial to determine your fate in the afterlife.
Option 2. Reincarnate into another world.
* Because you sacrificed your life to save another (...the exact number
is being calculated by the system...), you will be given additional
options and buff items.
* CAUTION: the world is selected randomly.
* Unknown item (...the exact number is being calculated by the system...)
will be equipped.
The numbers on the screen were changing rapidly.
"What is this? The afterlife? Am I going to Hell?"
* 412 passengers (...the exact number is being calculated by the
system...) + 5,320 civilians (...approximate minimum in the confidence
interval...)
* A total of (5,732) unknown items will be equipped.
Caville furrowed his brows, "Wait, I don't need any items..."
* The system is processing your request...
* Would you like to refuse the items? (NOTE: in that case, items will be
transferred to your soulmate.)
"Yes, I don't need them. But there is something I want," Caville tried to
bargain with the strange display.
* The system is processing your request...
Ifrit clicked his tongue. In all the lives, that guy was the same. Always
steering his way.
"Let me see the person who saved my life when I was little. She must be
located somewhere... Heaven or Hell, it doesn't matter."
Caville was always curious about that. The affectionate voice he often
heard in his dreams, it must belong to that person.
<Your entry has been received.>
* The system is processing your request...
"Why is it so slow?" Caville asked, seemingly irritated. Ifrit shook his
head. That guy was impatient even then.
* We're processing your request.
* Please read the WARNING list carefully before accepting.
* A list of (312) WARNINGS is being loaded.
"What? 312 warnings? I'm not going to read any of that. Just let me see
her again!"
* We're processing your request.
<WARNINGS are omitted.>
10, 9, 8, 7...
When the clock started counting, Caville finally relaxed.
<Your soul will be transferred to the extradimensional passage.>
* It will take some time before you can reincarnate.
* Your memory will be cleared, as stated in the WARNINGS.
5, 4, 3, 2...
"Wait, you're going to erase my memory? That's not fa~" Caville's soul
disappeared just like that.
And thus, the two lovers reincarnated in the same world again, albeit with
some differences.
The year Caville was born, a large meteor landed in the Brendell Kingdom.
***
Ifrit will protect these idiots for the rest of their lives. And then,
he'll protect their descendants.
For the time being, he decided to keep the story of their previous lives
to himself. The kids deserved to live carefree for a while.
"Even Ifrit can do better than you!"
"No way! There's no way that dog can even hold a pen!"
"What are you two on about?" When Ifrit heard his name mentioned, he stood
up, infuriated, and ran to the desk.
When Elody saw him like this, she smiled. Her smile was as bright as day,
not burdened by any thing.
'Oh, seems like Caville's wish did come true,' Ifrit thought.

THE END

EXTRA 1

In the castle, there were people who were just as joyous to her the good
news as the soon-to-be parents.
Of course we're talking about the maids. Marie even shed tears as she
urged others to take even more care of their Madam. Maids naturally
agreed, since they were still traumatized by Elody's kidnapping.
When Petria came in Elody's office with business report, Anna glared at
her with hostility. Petria asked Elody about next inspection but Elody
couldn't answer. She wasn't sure that Caville would let her go out at all.
And Anna wanted to shout at Petria, 'Don't trouble our Madam with this
nonsense, do everything yourself!' Any stress might be harmful for the
baby!
In the end, Elody decided to consult with Caville before making a
decision.
Petria left office in a rush, trying to escape Anna's intent glare. But
the maid soon caught up to her and scolded poor Petria - who was just
doing her job - for doing her job.
Marie overheard the conversation and got alarmed when she heard about the
inspection. Soon, Petria had to defend herself against not one, but two
angry maids.
She got terrified by servants' devotion to Madam. Their attitude was
already bad after Madam got kidnapped, but now that she was pregnant, it
increased tenfold. They wouldn't let Madam go out of the castle, saying
that she might get a jet lag.
"The Lord will never allow it!" - "Never!"
Petria reluctantly agreed with them, thinking 'Damn, now I'm afraid to
even send in reports!' and hurriedly left the castle.
***
"Wife, what book would you like me to read this time?" Caville asked
excitedly. This afternoon, it was already 10th book of fairytales Elody
had to listen through. But although the listener was tired, the reader was
brisk.
"Can we stop now?" Elody asked carefully. Seeing Caville's sullen
expression, she quickly added, "The baby wants to sleep."
"Oh, is that so? How about you?"
"I'm fine, it's just the baby that's tired." Elody was coming up with all
sorts of excuses. Honestly, she liked it when Caville read to her, but a
pile of documents on the table really bothered her.
Caville softly nodded and covered Elody's stomach with a blanket. She
looked up at him. It seemed like he used the baby as a pretext, when in
fact, he wanted to read fairytales to her. Just like she did to him back
then when they were kids.
Recently, he's been nostalgic like that. This morning, he even helped her
wash her face. It was extremely embarrassing.
"Wife, aren't you hungry? Do you want something sweet? Shall we have some
snacks?" He asked her like he was talking to a five year old.
At this point, Elody was fed up with his attitude. Just because she had a
baby in her stomach didn't mean that he should treat her like one.
She looked at the pile of documents again, "Caville, can you please bring
them to me? I want to take a look."
Caville furrowed his brows, "You already read them so let me do all the
work. My wife has to rest now."
"But there's something I need to double check." At Elody's words, Caville
pondered for a while and reluctantly handed the papers over. If he put up
a fight now, it could stress her out, so he had to comply.
While Elody was busy reviewing the papers, Caville immersed himself in
reading as well. He had a huge stack of books on pregnancy, childbirth and
parenting to go through.
"Caville, I think you can stop now."
"To be a good father, I have to study hard."
Elody was at loss for words. She'd appreciate his enthusiasm more if all
those books didn't turn him into a raging neurotic! The thing she heard
from him most often these days, was "A woman has to be careful in the
early stages of pregnancy."
He wasn't like this at all when he was a kid. She felt that it was unfair
but couldn't bring herself to scold him when she saw him working so hard.
Of course it wasn't like he was nagging on her all day long. When she lied
down to sleep at night, he whispered small confessions into her ear,
"Thank you, wife. I love you."
Elody put the papers down and secretly glanced at his face, praying for
the night to come sooner.
Then, one day, her morning sickness began.
The day it started, Caville looked like he was about to collapse at any
given time. And as Elody's taste became more and more sensitive, the
variety of foods she could eat, decreased greatly.
He plump cheeks gradually sank in. Although Elody thought that it wasn't
that noticeable, the maids and Norman were all startled when they observed
the changes.
But the most startled one was Caville, "It's my fault. It's all my fault."
He was blaming himself endlessly.
Elody even tried to eat more to brighten his mood but alas. His self-
flagellation did not subside at all. When he went away for a moment, she
put the fork down and sighed.
Although she started eating for Caville's sake, surprisingly, her appetite
changed and she ended up eating three slices of lemon pie. But it still
wasn't enough for Marie. She started suggesting various dishes to Elody,
to no avail.
Everyone was acting so weird! Elody touched her still flat stomach and got
up to take a walk.
At that time, Caville returned with an unexpectedly bright look. Lately
he's been unable to separate from her for more than 10 minutes at a time
so what's gotten into him? Was he preparing a secret gift?
Her question got answered the very next day. Ray suddenly came with a
visit, worried about her condition.
"...looking at you like this, one can think that you were the one who got
morning sickness," Elody couldn't help but comment after looking at his
sullen expression.
"...yes, it's quite tough for me," Ray sighed and looked at Caville,
"because your husband keeps calling me every single day."
"Caville does?" My sweet, kind, friendly Caville? It seemed to Ray that
this was her intended question so he clenched his fist. Although she was
his younger sister, he's been very annoyed by the man she chose to be his
brother-in-law.
"Yes, your dear husband," Ray replied and took a small bottle of medicine
from his pocket.
Caville's expression instantly brightened, "Is it done?"
"Yes, so stop bothering me."
Ray explained to Elody that it was a remedy for morning sickness. After
checking the ingredient list, Elody gulped it right away.
"Will it really help me remove the symptoms?"
"Yes. To be exact, it will move them."
"Urrgh..." At that moment, Caville suddenly gagged and turned away.
It was a morning sickness.

Extra 2

"That tea flavor is disgusting!" Caville looked at the tea cup he was
holding with a frown.
"It's a good medicine, isn't it?" Ray laughed.
"What kind of medicine did you make exactly?" Elody asked, looking at her
brother. What did you do to my dear Caville?
"The one that your husband asked me to do. He wanted to move your morning
sickness to him!"
"No no no, that can't be," Elody looked at Caville with worry. She knew
first hand how difficult it could be.
"Wife, I'm so glad," Caville smiled at her with relief.
"Caville, why would you do that?"
"I'm stronger than you so I'd rather bear it myself."
"Caville..." Elody hugged him, feeling touched by his heroic gesture.
Caville buried his head in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent like his
life depended on it.
And Ray couldn't stomach the sight of them being all lovey-dovey so he
made a long face and looked away.
Anyway, thanks to the medicine, Elody managed to regain her appetite.
Hearing the good news, the chef prepared an assortment of dishes to
celebrate.
At first, Elody was worried for Caville, but seeing him eat all the meals
as usual, her small anxiety dissipated completely.
After the meal was over, Caville went away, saying that he would go to the
training grounds for a while.
"Huuu," as soon as he left the dining room, he put a handkerchief to his
mouth and started gagging, "Damn, I thought I was going to die there."
"Lord, are you alright?" Marie came up to him with a glass of lemon water
and Caville gulped it down right away. Although he pretended to be fine in
front if Elody, these days he could only tolerate food that contained
lemons.
Marie could only applaud his acting abilities. She was very moved by his
heroic act. To think that he was having such a hard time while pretending
to be alright just not to burden the Madam...
"Another drink." At Caville's words, Marie hurried down the stairs and
headed for the kitchen.
When Caville was left alone, he took a deep breath. To be honest, the duck
they had today was so disguising that even the smell of it put him into
despair. But although he felt distressed, he was also glad that his wife
won't have to experience this anymore. Fortunately, it seems like she
didn't notice his condition.
"Ahhh," when he recalled the taste of the duck, the nausea came back.
Caville put his forehead on the cold hallway wall. Then, he heard someone
approaching him.
"My Lord? My Lord! Are you suffering from an incurable disease?" Of course
it was Heinz, who stood nearby, shivering.
"Go away," Caville looked at the knight with disdain
"Sheesh. I have to report something to the Madam"
Hearing this, Caville groaned. Why does his wife keep giving tasks to this
idiot?
Heinz came closer, trepidation, "Morning sickness is incurable, isn't it?"
"Don't tell my wife."
"All right. By the way, I heard that stewed duck soup is the best remedy
against morning sickness. Shall I get the recipe?"
Caville's expression sank. A boiled duck... Just imagining it made him
sick. He stared at Heinz with resentment.
"Uh oh," sensing his Lord's murderous intent, Heinz quickly rushed into
the dining room.
Soon, Marie came with more refreshments. After hurriedly gulping it all
down, Caville returned to the dining room. First thing he saw was Sir
Heinz sitting across his wife, his eyes twinkling. At this sight, Caville
felt like he's going to be sick again.
In his hands, Heinz was holding a small handkerchief that he made for the
baby. On its corner he embroidered a pretty tulip.
"Who helped you? Marie?" At Elody's sudden inquiry, Heinz felt surprised.
How did she know? But in fact, their relationship wasn't a secret for her
for a while now.
Anyhow, Elody thanked him and complimented on the job well done. Her words
lifted Heinz's spirit.
"Thank you, madam. I'm confident that baby Princess will like it." Wait,
what?
"What princess are you talking about?"
When Caville pressed him, Heinz started mumbling, "Me... that is... in
fact..." He tried to choose his words carefully.
Unbeknownst to the Ducal couple, there was another bet going on in the
castle. This time, people gambled on the Ducal baby's gender.
When Caville heard about it, his face darkened. He waved his hand,
signalling Heinz to get out. Not losing any momentum, Heinz jumped out of
the room.
"Caville, are you angry?" When Elody asked him, he shook his head in
response. Elody was actually also quite curious about baby's gender. She
tried to talk about it with Caville but he said that it didn't matter
whether they had a son or a daughter.
Elody was less impartial however. She really wanted a baby boy who would
look just like Caville.
"But I think it'll be a problem if our baby finds out about the bet
later."
"Then we'll keep it a secret," Caville said with a nod. Noticing his
concern, Elody smiled. Thinking that he'll become a great father, she
hugged him tightly.
But contrary to Elody's thoughts, Caville was making plans on punishing
those who dared to make impudent bets on their unborn child.
But in the end, neither considered this incident to be of any
significance.
Which couldn't be farther from reality. Things in the castle were
accelerating at an alarming rate.
Marie, the leader of 'Princess' faction, was chatting with other maids.
They already planned on making clothes in advance, as well as hiring a
painter to depict every day in the baby's life.
The maids still couldn't get over the time their beloved Madam turned into
a baby. How cute and lovely she was! They were sure that the baby girl
would be born with a pretty pink hair as well.
Even some of the knights got involved.
"But Heinz, why do you think that a princess will be born?"
Heinz shrugged his shoulders at Brien's question, "Marie said so."
"This guy really..." Brien grit his teeth. How does this bastard dare to
talk about Marie in front of him? "You and Marie, there's nothing between
you two, right?"
"No, nothing," Heinz quivered.
Although Brien and Marie had broken up long ago, Brien still held hope on
them reuniting one day. But he himself realized that the chance was
extremely slim. Marie was very popular with men. Everyone was enchanted by
her, from young knights to merchants that visited the castle.
She was pretty, confident and dedicated. It was enough for just anyone to
fall in love with her. Thinking about it, Brien sighed.
"I'll go visit the castle," Heinz said, noticing the shift in Brien's
mood.
But the place he headed to wasn't the castle. It was a small forest behind
Elody's lab.
He was supposed to meet someone there.

Extra 3

"Why are you so late?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Heinz had a look of repentance on his face so Marie decided to let it
slide, "Have a seat." The two then proceeded to look at the fashion
magazine that featured designs for newborns.
Marie pointed at one of the items, "Didn't you say that this was popular
in the capital?"
"But this design won't suit our princess! She doesn't need to follow
capital's trends."
Marie strongly agreed with Heinz's judgement. When she got tasked with
purchasing goods for the baby, he became her pillar. It was very fortunate
that he decided to join the 'Princess' faction.
"So what do you think about this headband?"
"It's pretty but it won't suit our Princess. She looks much better in
green." The child wasn't even born yet, but Heinz spoke as if she was
already standing in front of him.
"You're right! She'll look just like a fairy!" - Marie dutifully noted
this piece of information. For some reason she was much more comfortable
discussing this stuff with Heinz than with any other maid. Perhaps the
reason was because their tastes matched perfectly. Before she could even
say anything, he already picked all the items she had her eyes on. - "What
do you think about this one?"
"That's good. You have an eye for beauty," Heinz complimented her and
Marie smiled.
Meanwhile, Sirka, the leader of the 'Prince' faction, was trying to
persuade Anna to join his side, along with some knights.
"Imagine a gentle Prince, who takes after Madam. Wouldn't that be
wonderful? Now think about the havoc that little Princess - who takes
after the Lord - would wreck!"
"...but what if little Princess will take after the Madam?"
"That would be even worse. I'm much more scared of a Princess who'd be as
thorough as her Mother."
"I think the child would be lovely regardless of gender," Anna snorted.
Anna was a centrist. A rare species among the maids.
***
Elody asked Ifrit's opinion on the matter. As it turns out, it was an
unusual situation where Ifrit and Caville agreed on something. Neither
really cared about baby's gender, they just wanted the child to be
healthy.
But when Elody pointed that out, her words made Ifrit grit his teeth. And
Caville's expression turned sour. Was having overlapping opinions really
that disgusting?
In fact, Elody saw a lot of similarities between the two. They both liked
to grumble on the outside, but deep inside they cared about their loved
ones more that anyone in the world.
"I said that it would be nice to have a son, but come to think about it, a
daughter would be good too. I just want them to be healthy," she said,
rubbing her still flat stomach.
Just as Elody was pondering about the baby, Caville and Ifrit started
quarreling about something once more. Noticing that baby spirits were
peacefully sleeping nearby, Elody shushed the two troublemakers.
It was a peaceful afternoon.
***
Thanks to consideration of people around her, Elody safely entered the 5th
month of pregnancy as her belly acquired a gentle curve.
By that time, she grew accustomed to the overprotection she was surrounded
with. Several times a month, doctors and wizards from the Tower came with
check ups on her condition.
And then, one day, the baby started to move.
When Caville first felt it, his eyes watered, "Wife, I think my heart is
going to burst."
"Calm down, Caville. Hearts don't just explode with no reason," Elody
tried to reason with him but in all honesty, she was surprised as well.
When she felt the baby kicking in her stomach, she finally realized that
she's going to become a mother soon.
She felt the weight of responsibility becoming heavier. And the same was
for Caville.
Because he spent all his days with Elody, he had to do his work late at
night. After putting his wife to sleep, he got out of bed and sat at the
bedside table to check the documents that piled up. His stamina was out of
this world.
After working till dawn, Caville carefully lied down next to Elody. But
every time he did that, she always managed to kick the blanket away. So in
a way, he felt fortunate that he was awake because he was able to tuck her
in.
Only then he was able to relax. He held embraced Elody, inhaling her sweet
scent. It was exactly the happiness he yearned for when he was on the
battlefield.
He carefully placed his palm on her belly. He really wanted to meet the
baby soon. But until then, he hoped that the baby won't bother his wife
too much.
"Hey baby, I have a request. Please don't make it hard for your mom, all
right?" Caville still didn't realize he was going to be a father soon. He
was scared. But since he had his wife on his side, he believed that he
could do it.
"Your daddy will try hard," he whispered before closing his eyes. And
soon, he fell into a short but sweet sleep.
***
"Madam, did you choose the name for the baby?" Marie wondered one day.
That simple question made soon-to-be parents panic. Since pregnancy
finally entered the stable stage, they spent the nights indulging in adult
activities. But that day, they spent the whole night picking names for the
baby.
Next day, first thing in the morning, they went to the library to search
through various books. It wasn't easy to decide because all the
suggestions were too good. Eventually they came to Ifrit for advice.
"Romi. That will do." Ifrit's decision was quick and sharp. The name would
suit both a girl and a boy, so it was settled.
However each faction interpreted it they way they wanted. Some thought it
was "Prince Romi", and some, "Princess Romi".
***
Thanks to Caville's utmost efforts, Elody went through pregnancy with
ease. However as her stomach grew bigger, it became progressively more
difficult for her.
And so Caville became even more attentive to her needs. When her limbs
went numb, he massaged them until she was satisfied and he also made sure
to watch her diet and exercise.
Elody felt assured, like she had a seasoned expert by her side. And her
feeling wasn't that far off from the truth. Because Caville studied hard,
he could easily get accepted into any medical school. He had a book on
hand at any given time.
Time passed quickly and the due date was just around the corner.
Caville looked more nervous than anyone else. He paced in front of the
delivery room while Marie fruitlessly tried to calm him down.
Thankfully, Ray came just in time, bringing the medicine (to transfer the
childbirth pains) with him. Caville gulped it down without even checking
the contents. Ray assured him that effect would be certain, but a little
anxiety still remained.
Caville bit his lips anxiously. The hallway was already full of people who
were biting their nails, worrying about Madam.
"Brother, are you certain about the medicine?"
"How many times do I have to repeat myself? You'll feel it once the
delivery starts." Even with Ray reassuring him, Caville still had doubts.
However, a moment later, Caville's complexion turned terribly pale.
"How do you feel?" Ray who was relaxing on the sofa, sprang on his feet
and approached Caville.
"Uuuugh..." Caville reached out to Ray in a cold sweat. He was in a lot of
pain. He didn't expect it to hurt that much. But despite the pain, he
still worried about Elody. He was afraid that the medicine wasn't
effective enough and his wife'd still end up suffering.
Soon, Brien and Heinz came in to check on Caville - who leaned against the
wall and slowly sank onto the floor.
"My brother is just feeling a little bit under the weather because of my
medicine," Ray smirked.
Caville was panting heavily. Damn, why does it hurt so much?!
"Commander... no, Lord. Are you alright? Why do you look like this when
it's your wife who's giving birth?"
When Heinz started his usual routine, Caville couldn't stand it and just
grabbed the knight's hair. Strangely, when he did this, he felt like the
pain was alleviating somewhat. So Caville started pulling Brien's hair as
well.
"Aaaaah! My Lord, what you you doing?" - "My hair!"

Extra 4

After some time had passed, a baby's scream resounded from inside the
delivery room. At last..!
And in the hallway, there were screams of other sorts.
"Huuuuh, really, my hair... aaaaaaah!" - "I've been so worried these days,
I guess I really will have to ask for a hair loss medicine... ugh..."
When Caville came to, he wiped off the sweat from his forehead with wisps
of hair from Heinz and Brien's heads. He ignored the knights' complains
and stood in front of delivery room with a pale face.
He was sure that he heard baby's screams earlier so why was it so quiet
now? His heart was pounding. That brief moment was more painful for him
than the entirety of childbirth pains.
Soon, the door opened and a group of female wizards came out. Caville
immediately asked them about Elody's condition.
"Your wife is healthy. And the baby... The baby is healthy, but..."
"But what?" What happened? Caville felt his soul leaving when the midwife
hesitated, He couldn't bear the frustration and rushed into the room.
Others tried to follow but the door was shut tight.
Caville held back his tears and approached Elody's bed. However there
wasn't just one baby she was holding...
"The baby is healthy, but there are two of them! You have twins!" The
midwife belatedly caught up with him.
Only then did Caville, who thought that something bad had happened,
approached his wife with ease, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, " Elody replied with a smile, "It didn't hurt at all! How could
that be? There was no pain."
"That's a relief," Caville said, kissing her on the forehead.
"...by the way, how are you feeling?" Why was he sweating so much. Elody
wondered when she noticed his sweaty condition. Wait, that can't be...
"Caville, don't tell me you took Ray's medicine again."
"It's all right. I was really afraid that my wife would suffer," he
replied, pecking her forehead a couple more times. Elody quietly wiped the
sweat from his face.
Once Caville confirmed his wife's safety, his attention was drawn to two
bundles in her arms.
"I think we'll have to come up with one more name," Elody chuckled.
When Caville saw little babies wriggling on the bed, he was struck with an
unknown emotion. Tears flowed out as if something had burst inside him.
The baby on the left seemed to have pinkish hair. It wasn't apparent yet
but it definitely resembled Elody's. And the eye color was similar to
Caville's. The baby on the right had Caville's hair and Elody's eyes.
They were so small but to Caville they meant the whole world. He felt
incredulous looking at the babies who resembled both him and his wife.
"The one on the right is a girl, and the other is a boy." At Elody's
words, Caville looked up at her in tears. Looking at him like this, Elody
teared up as well.
Caville hugged her and whispered in a hoarse voice, "Thank you, wife. I'm
sorry, wife. I love you, wife."
His words were as sweet as honey.
***
The unexpected birth of twins managed to heal the divide between the
factions.
Looking at two babies wriggling in their cribs, maids could only hold
their breaths. Watching after the twins quickly became their favorite
activity.
"I'm so happy!" Naturally, Marie was the most devoted of them. She
would've stayed by the twins's side 24/7 if she didn't have to sleep or
eat.
As a result, Elody and Caville felt like they were being ignored by their
servants. All their attention turned to the babies! It wasn't all bad
however. Now, Elody and Caville could spend more time alone together.
These days, Caville treated Elody just as carefully as he did in the early
stages of pregnancy, "No no no, it was in the book. The husband must carry
the wife."
There was no such thing in the book... Elody thought, but Caville
pretended to be oblivious.
"Oh, Caville, I completely forgot! What about children's names?"
"Don't worry. I figured it out when you were sleeping. Roel, Miel, how
about that?*" Caville suggested, kissing Elody's neck gently.
Elody nodded. She found his clever solution to be cute.
So Ifrit suggested to name the child Romi (로미) and Caville broke that
name in half to create 2 new names, Roel (로엘), Miel (미엘)
***
Roel, the boy, was born first. He had pink hair, just like his mom. And
Miel's jet black locks were the exact copy of her father's.
It was a bit odd was that boy resembled Elody while girl resembled
Caville.
"I'm glad that he takes after you, wife."
"And I think it's adorable that Miel took after you, Caville."
Just like the Ducal couple, all the servants couldn't help but adore the
babies. The knights looked ecstatic each time maids took babies on a
stroll. Their faces lit up with pride, as if they were the parents
themselves.
"Ahhh, I wish I could touch those chubby cheeks just once!"
"Haa, me too. I wish I could put their soft hands in my mouth..."
"What?" - "Are you crazy?" - "Lock him up!"
It was something that everyone thought of but couldn't speak out loud.
They would never dare to soil the pure babies' hands. The knight who dared
to make such a remark was severely punished.
***
Elody and the babies managed to recover very quickly under Caville's
thorough guidance. It was fascinating for newly parents to watch their own
children grow day by day.
Looking at twins that nestled comfortably in Caville's arms, Elody smiled,
"I think our kids are really fond of your embrace."
"And how does my wife feel?"
"...Of course I'm fond of it as well."
Caville smiled shyly at his wife's compliment. Seems like babies really
did feel secure in their father's arms because they quickly fell into a
deep slumber.
When Caville saw their plump red cheeks, he was overwhelmed with emotions.
And then, one day, a small incident toook place in the peaceful castle.
Sirka, Heinz, Brien and Marie all gathered in the drawing room to decide
who's going to be the Godparent.
After quarreling for a while, Marie suggested the babies to choose for
themselves when they grow up. However everyone was against this. Since
Marie spent most of her time with babies, it would be natural for them to
pick her when they reach adulthood.
"No. My wife will decide," Caville said, trying to hide his irritation.
At that moment, a maid brought in the babies - who just woke up from their
nap - and handed them to their parents.
"It's terrible... uhh, I'm so pathetic," Ifrit murmured as he, too, woke
up from his nap and approached the babies.
When Roel and Miel noticed him, they shook their little limbs in
excitement.
"I've decided. The children's Godparent shall be..."
Everyone's attention shifted to Elody.

Extra 5

"I would like to ask Ifrit for a favor," Elody made a decision, "he's my
dear friend who's been by my side since I was a kid. Besides, I saved him
myself."
Ifrit attempted to ran away, but stopped at these words, "Well, what you
say is true, but..."
"So will you do me the honors, Ifrit?" Elody smiled.
"Well, since it's my benefactor's request, I can't decline."
At these words, Sirka, Heinz, Brien and Marie stared at Ifrit in contempt,
which prompted him to defend himself.
"I'm the only one who can protect these children! Can any of you do a
better job than the King Spirit himself?"
"All right, all right, we get it," Sirka, Heinz and Brien had no choice
but to step back. But Marie was determined. She asked Elody whom she
would've picked if Ifrit wasn't here.
"Then, it'd be... Marie." Elody's words lifted Marie's spirit... and
crashed the spirits of Sirka, Heinz and Brien. Using this opportunity,
Caville kicked the three men out of the room. Something he wanted to do
for a while.
"Woohoo! Then please call me when babies fall asleep, Madam," Marie said
and left the room with a smug grin.
And in the hallway, the three losers decided to go for a drink together.
"Marie, would you like to join us?" Heinz asked, and it caused Brien to
squirm.
"I'll only drink with Sir Heinz," Marie said with a casual face and went
down the stairs, leaving everyone in the hallway stunted.
"You bastard!" Brien grabbed Heinz's collar. A small brawl ensued.
***
Outside disturbance did not ruin the peaceful atmosphere inside the room.
"Caville, is this alright with you?" Elody asked, glancing at Ifrit.
"Yes, wife," Caville responded with a nod.
However Ifrit soon started pacing around the room anxiously, "What should
I do? What should I do?" It seemed like the weight of the world suddenly
crashed on his shoulders.
As a matter of fact, Ifrit was even closer to twins than Marie. It was him
who guarded the cradles every single night. So after some time it became
natural for twins to always see him hanging around.
"Oh no no no..." for a short moment, Ifrit was able to catch a glimp seof
the babies' future, "...now that's unusual."
"Stop mumbling to yourself, you're too noisy," Caville reprimanded him.
But Ifrit ignored him and stared at Roel. Although the babies were twins,
their personalities were very different.
Roel was very calm and collected. Ifrit saw him becoming a great Lord in
the future. Just like his mom, he was sincere, determined and passionate.
His handsome appearance - with curly pink hair and a pair of bright eyes -
already began to sprout.
And Miel... Ifrit gulped nervously. Even though she was just a baby, her
gaze was already piercing, just like her father's. With lustrous dark
locks and confident attitude, she was destined to become a beauty of the
century. She was the exact opposite of her good natured brother. She was a
very curious child. If she got interested in some object, she had to bring
it to her mouth to taste it.
As far as Ifirt saw, Miel would become a skillful swordsman. Vaguely
seeing the scenes of himself chasing after her in the middle of the
battlefield, Ifrti already felt exhausted.
Still, there was a smile on his face. Elody, Caville, and now those two.
He hoped that he would be able to protect them all for a very long time.
***
When twins grew older, they started chasing poor Ifrit all over the place.
"Roel, Miel, stop bothering Ifrit," Elody scolded them.
"We didn't do anything!" - "Yea, mom just doesn't understand!" The kids
complained with sulky expressions.
Elody truly felt sorry for Ifrit. The twins liked to play with Ifrit, but
their games were cruel. They most enjoyed pulling his ears and biting his
tail. Elody tried to stop them everytime, but Ifrit just laughed it off.
He became just like a grandfather who indulged his grandkids.
The twins also liked to ride on Ifrit. To accommodate their needs, Ifrit
even changed his size as they grew bigger. He was now a size of a hound.
Elody stroked his head gently, "I can't thank you enough, Ifirt."
"So you're only grateful now that you're going out with your hubby?"
"Sorry..." Today was the day they decided to go on a date for a first time
in a while. Perhaps because Ifrit was always with her, Elody felt the most
comfortable leaving the kids under his care.
"Get back soon."
"Thank you, Ifrit." Elody kissed the twins on the foreheads and left the
room.
In the hallway, Caville - who got dressed up for the occasion - was
already waiting.
"Wife," he gently kissed her on the cheek, "you're so beautiful."
Elody got shy because of his compliment and grumbled, "so where are we
going?"
"It's a secret," Caville took Elody's hand and led the way. Baby spirits
were hanging off his shoulders so it meant that they would need to
teleport to get there.
Elody clasped Caville's hand tightly and closed her eyes. If she was with
him, she'd even go to the end of the Earth.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing on a beautiful beach. A rainbow
floated above the emerald sea. The sun was setting on the horizon. It was
a phenomenal sight.
"A little bird told me that there'll be rainbow today," Caville said
kissing Elody's hand. Then he took out a piece of fabric he prepared in
advance and laid it down on the ground.
"Come to me, wife," he pointed on his thighs. Elody hesitated for a moment
and sat down in front of him. As soon as she did that, Caville reached out
to her and hugged her waist from behind. Then he put his chin on her
shoulder and started pecking her face with his lips.
"It tickles," Elody laughed, not taking her eyes of the scenery, "it's
beautiful."
After a short while, Caville started whispering into her ear, "Wife, I
heard something from Ifrit the other day. He said that we were fated to be
together. So we'll definitely meet in the next life. And in the life after
that."
Elody chuckled. Even if he was all grown up now, Caville's mind was still
as pure as a child's.
"In the next life, I'll be looking for you, my wife."
"Sure. Let's meet again then."
"Just wait for me because I will definitely save you."
"Huh?" Elody couldn't understand the meaning behind her words.
But Caville din't give her an answer and just smiled vaguely.

THE END