Let’s Just Make a Child, Your Grace - Chapter 10 Part 5

Arne got up, took the candlestick Agatha was holding, and threw it whole into the fireplace.

The Duke stared at Arne, stepping back at her strange action of lighting a fireplace in midsummer.

As the fire in the fireplace blazed up, Arne smoothly raised one corner of her mouth.

“Duke, I really struggled a lot to obtain the antidote. It was even a task to find the proper usage method for this rare herb that’s not well-known to the world. But the manufacturing process is not as difficult as I thought. You just need to grind this herb.”

“I see. That’s why the Second Prince still hasn’t been able to make the antidote. I understand, so give it to me quickly.”

“Penny, do we have wine? I’m thirsty.”

Although it was obvious that the impatient Duke was getting anxious, Arne deliberately looked at Penny leisurely.

Despite receiving glares from the kitchen maids, Penny always prepared everything Arne needed. As Penny poured and handed over the wine, Arne elegantly tilted the wine glass.

She leisurely observed the Duke becoming increasingly anxious.

“Duke, why are you so impatient? I agreed to give you the antidote on the condition that I wouldn’t get engaged to Kale and that Bianca’s misdeeds would be revealed. Until tonight.”

Arne’s red lips were moistened with red wine. The Duke swallowed hard.

Although he asked Arne to wait until he received the antidote today, the Duchess must have thought she couldn’t trust the Duke and had already spread rumors in the salon after meeting with Marchioness Wayne.

There was no way Arne, who doesn’t participate in social circles, could have heard about it already, but she might have heard the news if she met with the Grand Duke.

“I’m not getting engaged to Kale. Right, Duke?”

“That’s right.”

A sticky smile spread across Arne’s lips. She deliberately raised her contorting lips and opened her handbag. There was nothing but herbs inside the bag.

‘People really don’t change easily.’

Arne’s smile turned sardonic.

“Then why did you announce that I would be engaged to Kale?”

The Duke’s expression turned cold. At that moment, the Duke lunged for Arne’s handbag. However, Arne, who was right next to the fireplace, elegantly flipped the bag over.

The precious laccarine herbs fell onto the fireplace. The Duke, trying to salvage even a little, knelt in front of the fireplace and hastily reached into the hot fire.

Agatha and Penny gaped at the sight. Arne dropped the last of the bag into the flames of the fireplace and sprinkled wine on it.

As the fire suddenly flared up, the Duke, forgetting his dignity, crawled back.

In his hand were a few stalks of laccarine herbs, half-burned and already spoiled.

“Duke, I keep my promises very well. Since you deceived me, there’s no detox herb. And I won’t be engaged to Kale either.”

Belatedly realizing the situation, the Duke stood up abruptly and slapped Arne’s cheek.

Spitting out curses, the Duke left Arne’s room without hesitation. Even then, he tightly held onto the half-burned laccarine herbs.

Penny, who rushed over, wiped the black ash stains from Arne’s cheek with her sleeve.

Penny looked upset, but the red corner of Arne’s mouth slowly curled up.

‘Duke, do you know? When you grind heated laccarine, it becomes poison instead. Good luck.’

Penny was too worried about Arne to notice, but Agatha saw Arne smiling confidently instead. At that moment, a shiver ran down Agatha’s spine.

“……You did it on purpose. Provoking the Duke, even getting slapped. You have a plan.”

Arne looked at Agatha and slowly placed her index finger on her lips.

“I always settle scores properly. Whatever it may be. You know that, don’t you, Agatha?”

Seeing the smile slowly spreading across Arne’s face, Agatha thought she should work even harder from now on.

* * *

Warren, who entered Cedric’s office, flinched and stepped back. Lately, Cedric’s mood had been ominous. The reason wasn’t entirely unclear, but…

“As you said, I visited Ella. This is the letter Ella wrote.”

Warren held out the cufflinks and letter that Cedric had entrusted him with.

“The buyer was Kale de Wayne. Originally, the principle was to make only one pair, but at the young lord’s request, they made an additional one.”

“Why?”

“He said he lost it. These days, it’s a trend led by Ella for lovers to secretly share a pair of cufflinks. So she asked why you had one of them.”

Warren glanced at Cedric’s face. A twisted smile formed on Cedric’s lips as he scratched the engraving on the back of the cufflinks.

A chilly bass voice flowed.

“…Lovers secretly share a pair of cufflinks, you say.”

“Yes. Lovers each take one from a pair of cufflinks, but were you two in that kind of relationship? Could it be that your taste is…”

Cedric’s gaze turned truly murderous towards Warren. Warren’s excessively unbiased look was very uncomfortable.

“Ahem. If not, that’s fine. It’s strange that you have it, isn’t it?”

“It wasn’t mine. It belongs to Lady Amelia de Leverun.”

Warren, who had been listening blankly to Cedric’s words, belatedly asked.

“That lady from the Leverun family? The lady you met at Ipellita Garden today?”

“That’s right.”

Cedric merely tilted his wine glass. Unlike the shocked Warren, Cedric remained calm, prompting Wayne to ask.

“Is this alright? It seems like engagement talks are starting in earnest now, isn’t it?”

“They’re not engaged yet. You never know what might happen with noble engagements until the ceremony. She’ll probably sort things out before the engagement.”

“Shall I look into it?”

Following the sound of Cedric’s fingers tapping on the desk, a chilly voice flowed.

“Look into it.”

“Understood.”

Cedric scratched off the engraving on the cufflinks. Unconsciously, he muttered a question.

“Is Kale handsome?”

Warren blinked at the sudden question.

“I heard there’s nothing to look at except his face.”

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

“Get out.”

Cedric glared at Warren, seemingly very displeased about something.

“Understood. This is the mana recovery potion you asked for. Mage Rein looked like he was about to die. How much did you increase his funding for him to make this so quickly?”

Warren placed the box containing the mana recovery potion on Cedric’s desk. As he was about to leave, he asked,

“But are you really okay with this?”

“With what?”
“Lady Ronia… Never mind. I’ll take my leave.”

Even after Warren left, Cedric’s gaze lingered for a long time on the mana recovery potion and the cufflinks.

* * *

Arne stared blankly at a box and an invitation card that Agatha had brought early in the morning.

It was an invitation to a party, from Cedric and Amelia.

[You are invited to a wine tasting hosted by the Renigrad and Leverun families. Cedric Schopendha de Renigrad and Amelia de Leverun]

What could this mean? Was it to solidify Cedric and Amelia’s engagement in social circles? Was sending an invitation to Arne personally meant to show her that scene?

And the party was this afternoon. She barely had enough time to prepare.

“What’s in the box?”

When Agatha opened the box, a dress was revealed. Pink with white frills and ribbons all over.

It was beautiful, but not the style of dress Arne usually wore. Rather, it had a cute and dainty feel that Amelia might prefer.

“Is there no other card in the box?”

“No, there isn’t.”

Arne tilted her head. It didn’t seem likely that Amelia would send a dress to Arne, so it was probably Cedric who sent it.

‘Does he want me to wear this to the party? Why?’

Although she couldn’t guess the reason, the choice was already made. If Cedric would be at this party, she had to go.

She had to go and talk to him properly.

“We should prepare the carriage and start getting ready. We’ll have to hurry if we don’t want to be late.”

* * *

Amelia frowned at the necklace her maid presented.

“Not this one, you should have brought the necklace Father brought back from his trip to the South.”

“But, my lady, you said this morning to prepare the ruby necklace…”

“That was this morning. It’s afternoon now. My mood has changed. You should be more perceptive.”

“I’m sorry. Here it is.”

As Amelia, wearing the necklace, headed to the hall, people’s gazes didn’t leave her.

The pink dress with pretty white ribbons fluttering enhanced Amelia’s lovely atmosphere even more.

“Oh my, Amelia, how can you be so beautiful? Are you getting prettier every year? Isn’t this necklace only available in the South?”

“That’s right. Father brought it as a gift when he returned from his business trip to the South. Gold for me to match my hair color, and blue for mother to match her eye color.”

“How thoughtful. I envy Marchioness Leverun. Where is she?”

“I’ll go look for her.”

Amelia climbed to the second floor, enjoying the gazes fixed on her precious necklace.

Just as she raised her hand to knock on the door of the Leverun couple’s bedroom in the innermost part,

“Are you crazy? You think I’ll fall for this measly necklace?”

“These things can happen in business. You think the wealth of the Leverun family came about easily? It’s all included in being able to wear that necklace.”

“Ha, the wealth of the Leverun family was possible because my father sponsored you when you were nothing. Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Then are you innocent? Who is that young lord?”