Let’s Just Make a Child, Your Grace - Chapter 8 Part 6

That once he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

It was the first time he felt he couldn’t control himself.

Even though the red mana wasn’t acting up.

‘Should I just overturn everything, be it the engagement or the Grand Duke or whatever?’

Cedric pressed his entire palm over his eyes. His eyes were tired from desperately looking at documents in the shaking carriage. He dragged his hand down his face and grasped his chin. Slowly raising his eyelids, his red eyes instinctively turned towards the familiar back walking away with heavy steps.

With each step, her silver hair and the hem of her white dress fluttered gently.

Leaning his head back against the backrest, Cedric stared at her retreating figure and muttered while pressing his palm firmly over his eyes again.

“Damn it.”

After seeing her completely enter the ducal residence, Cedric signaled for the carriage to start.

* * *

The sunlight was dazzling. Perhaps because it was late last night, everyone in the ducal residence was sound asleep. But now that the sun was high in the sky, they would soon be pestering Arne, trying to find out what had happened.

Sure enough, the maids Betty and Agatha knocked on the door. It was rare for them to come before Penny, her exclusive maid.

“Come in.”

“Lady Ronia, the Duke requests your presence for lunch.”

Unlike the hesitant Betty, Agatha entered with a tray after paying her respects politely. On the tray was a glass of water and a familiar red pill.

“Has it already been that time?”

Just as Agatha was about to place the tray on the table, Penny arrived. Penny’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Betty? Agatha? What brings you here before me… Why are you here?”

Penny lowered her speech as she was no longer an apprentice maid. Betty’s brow furrowed as she noticed this.

However, when Arne glared at Betty, she couldn’t show it anymore. Agatha handed the glass of water to Arne, and only then did Arne’s gaze shift to the glass.

“It’s time for your medicine.”

Penny’s pupils dilated even more.

“My lady, are you unwell?”

“It’s medicine I take once a month. Don’t worry. When I was younger, I had to take medicine constantly due to the side effects of mana surge, but now it’s much better as I only need to take one.”

Painkillers, nutritional supplements, mana stabilizers, adjuvants… There were all kinds. Everything comes at a price. It wasn’t easy to gain the reputation of a grand mage at such a young age.

If there was any consolation, it was that the Ronia ducal family had outstanding technology in developing new medicines. Benjamin’s efforts contributed greatly to this. He didn’t hesitate to conduct various experiments to cure his own Arin disease.

Of course, since he proceeded without the Duke’s knowledge, the progress in researching the cure for Arin disease was not fast.

‘I wonder if Benjamin is doing well? Even in my past life, he eventually made a cure, so he must be doing well somewhere now.’

Arne swallowed the red pill and drank water. Agatha took the glass after confirming she had done so.

“Tell the Duke that I’ll come down after getting ready.”

“Understood.”

Agatha bowed politely and went down. Betty glared at Penny before closing the door and disappeared with a displeased look.

Startled by that intensity, Penny quickly regained her composure at Arne’s voice.

“Penny, do we have any anklets?”

“Of course! Just a moment!”

While Penny laid out various anklets and went to choose a dress, Arne put the ring Cedric gave her into an anklet and wore it.

Although it was in an invisible place, an anklet was the most suitable for wearing all the time. After all, her ankles wouldn’t be exposed under the dress hem.

It was also strange to wear the ring alone when Cedric didn’t have feelings for her yet.

Just as Penny, who had already chosen a dress, was looking at hair accessories, the maid Agatha who had come earlier rushed back.

“My lady! You should come down now! The Duke is looking for you!”

* * *

Arne, who came down with a shawl draped over her, was surprised. It was no different from usual that they had already started lunch without Arne, as if it were natural.

However, there was an unfamiliar knight. The family crest drawn on the cloak was one that Arne could never forget.

‘A cuckoo and a laurel wreath, it’s the Wayne family.’

She didn’t expect them to come so soon after Kale de Wayne and the Marchioness Wayne had threatened Arne like that the other day.

More importantly, she never expected the Duke of Ronia to shout at Bianca.

“Bianca, answer me. I asked if everything written here is true.”

Bianca trembled and shed thick tears drop by drop.

“Fa, Father.”

“Answer! Read it with your own eyes! If this is true!”

The Duke of Ronia threw the letter over Bianca’s face. Arne caught the fluttering paper.

[The truth behind the Second Prince’s poisoning suspicion, Bianca Sevilia de Ronia’s attempted murder suspicion, malicious use of mana perfume on mana core injury victims, Wayne family’s claim for compensation…]

“You have disgraced our family!”

The Duke of Ronia grabbed Bianca’s shoulders and shouted. It was an unfamiliar scene. Bianca had secretly fed mana perfume to Arne countless times. There had been many other big and small harassments, but not once had Bianca been punished.

‘I never thought I’d see such a scene in my life.’

Duke Ronia’s angry voice echoed.

“Did you really do this?”

“Fa, Father.”

When she finally couldn’t say it wasn’t true, the Duke slapped Bianca’s cheek.

“Honey!”

The surprised Duchess urgently grabbed the Duke’s arm. The knight from the Wayne family also flinched, startled. Bianca collapsed, dazed.

However, Duke Ronia’s fierce gaze did not subside. There was too much evidence in the letter sent by the Wayne family.

Not only was there testimony from a servant who saw Bianca putting mana perfume in water and handing it to Arne, but also statements from those who had observed Bianca often bullying Arne using mana perfume.

It was beyond the level where it could be covered up by saying Bianca did it by mistake without knowing. Even though Arne was treated as an outcast in high society, this incident would make Bianca be pointed at for the rest of her life.

The status of the Ronia ducal family, as well as Bianca’s marriage prospects, would all plummet.

‘What’s more frightening is that a bill has been proposed to severely punish the use of mana perfume on mana core injury victims.’

If the bill passes, things will really get big. The Duke had a headache.

‘Moreover, the proposer of the bill is Renigrad’s…’

The Duke slammed the dining table.

“I’ll go to the Wayne family right now. I need to talk with Marquis Wayne.”

“Understood.”

The waiting knight nodded. Just as Duke Ronia was about to follow the Wayne family knight, a servant rushed in urgently.

“Lord Cedric has arrived!”

Bianca’s face turned pale at the mere mention of Cedric’s name. She had been so eager to run out at just the sound of his name, but now she didn’t know how he would think if he knew she had done such a thing.

Perhaps he already knew. Maybe that’s why he gave her such a cold and indifferent look.

While everyone was in a panic, Arne said to the Duke.

“Let’s go to the Wayne family for now. I’ll meet Cedric and see him off well.”

“Do that.”

Although there was much he wanted to ask Cedric, now was the time to put out the urgent fire. It was because the Wayne family had written a letter saying they would reveal this matter right away and explain, as they had suffered unfair accusations because of Bianca.

Time was of the essence.

The Duke moved with the Wayne family knight. Arne also passed by the Duchess, who was reading the letter with trembling hands while hugging Bianca, and moved on.

* * *

“I greet Lord Cedric. As the mansion is a bit busy, shall we walk in the ducal garden for a moment?”

Arne, wearing only a thin dress with a shawl draped over, took Cedric’s hand. Just as she urgently pulled Cedric and entered the garden, they heard the sound of Duke Ronia and the Wayne family knight hurriedly boarding a carriage behind them.

It seemed true that something was happening. Cedric obediently followed as Arne led. He stared down at Arne’s hand that had grabbed his.

‘She’s not wearing the ring.’

There was no reason why she had to wear the ring, but it strangely bothered him. No accessories were visible around Arne’s neck and chest area either.

‘Did she not wear it at all?’

His head tilted to the side. Cedric’s voice, which had become even lower, flowed out.

“Did something happen?”

“The Wayne family sent a letter containing the truth about the Second Prince’s suspicion of poisoning.”

“I see.”

“The truth is, it wasn’t poisoning, but it was revealed that someone had fed me mana perfume.”

Arne turned her body abruptly in front of the swing-shaped rocking chair to face Cedric.