Let’s Just Make a Child, Your Grace - Chapter 8 Part 9

[There was a debate about who you might become engaged to, between the lady you visited the Ipellita Garden with and the lady who’s expected to be the next flower of high society.]

“Hah.”

Cedric pressed his temples firmly. Thinking that he needed to discipline the knights again, he examined Serena’s medicine bottle. There was still enough for two or three more doses.

Cedric’s gaze fell on Serena’s pointed ears. Unlike Cedric, who took after their human father, Serena resembled their dark elf mother.

Moreover, when Serena developed Arin’s disease, she couldn’t leave this room for even a moment. Fortunately, now that the war was over, they had given her a window, but it wasn’t visible from the outside due to a barrier.

Lying in this prison-like room all day with an old woman who she had no connections with and couldn’t speak was all that was allowed for this child’s life.

Also, in exchange for the Grand Duke supporting the herbs to treat Serena, the one thing he demanded of 10-year-old Cedric was to become someone worthy of being Renigrad’s heir.

That one thing meant quite a lot. From the harsh training to inherit and handle demonic power, to becoming an Auror Master, to becoming a war hero……

The words ‘Renigrad’s heir’ often choked Cedric.

“Brother.”

Serena, gradually regaining consciousness, called for Cedric.

“Are you beside me?”

Cedric held Serena’s hand.

“Brother, I don’t want to take medicine anymore. So please, stop listening to Grandfather.”

“……”

“You know too, right? I don’t have many days left to live. At most, about a year. I don’t want to live my remaining days like this.”

“Your condition is improving. The seizures have decreased too.”

“Even if it improves here, it’ll only mean living a few more months at most. I’ve never been able to leave this room my entire life. I want to go to the garden, attend banquets, just live like others do.”

“You can go to the garden inside the annex. I can get you tea sets if you want.”

“What am I supposed to do with just the deaf and mute old woman!”

The hand of the old woman holding the notebook trembled slightly. She couldn’t hear, but she could read lips.

“I’ve lived like this my whole life! This wretched Renigrad is a curse!”

Serena’s white hand struck Cedric’s chest. His body and face didn’t move at all. Serena’s fist, which only lay in the room, couldn’t possibly hurt. Cedric wrapped Serena’s fragile fist.

“You’ll hurt your hand.”

Serena’s face contorted violently. Cedric stared at Serena’s red eyes and hair that was almost white. It was almost close to how their mother looked when she was at her limit.

As Serena said, she didn’t have much time left.

“Brother, trying to keep me alive longer is your own greed. What I really want isn’t a life barely sustained in this room with herbs you got from Grandfather, but to live just one day normally.”

“……”

“Please.”

Looking into Serena’s eyes, Cedric’s voice flowed out, unfailingly resolute.

“No.”

Serena’s fist dropped. There was moisture in her eyes as she glared at Cedric, but Cedric didn’t move at all, as if he had no intention of ever allowing it.

Serena quickly wiped away her tears.

‘Tch.’

If the pleading and tears strategy didn’t work, then it was time for another strategy.

The lady who went to the Ipellita Garden with him is Raniarne Freya de Ronia, right? The one rumored to be a Grand Mage! Maybe she could break this prison-like magic barrier and get her out.

Since that lady is said to be interested in Cedric, if she proposes to help them get together, wouldn’t she agree?

Serena’s heart raced with excitement. If so, Serena needed to hold the cards first.

‘I really didn’t like Grandfather using herbs as an excuse to exploit brother. I also really like that she wasn’t the match Grandfather looked into.’

With the added desire to rebel against the Grand Duke, Serena was relentless. Serena casually probed Cedric’s heart, pretending not to know.

“By the way, who’s the lady you went to the Ipellita Garden with? Are you going to get engaged to her?”

For a moment, Cedric hesitated. Serena’s eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of the emotion that flashed across his face.

To think that Cedric, who was insensitive to everything, would make such an expression. What’s more, Cedric, who was even dull to his own emotions, probably didn’t even realize what face he had just made. As Serena’s eyes sparkled excessively, Cedric furrowed his brow.

“As you said, don’t think about dragging a lady into this cursed Renigrad and go to sleep.”

“So, is she pretty?”

“She’s pretty.”

“I’ve only heard you say something is pretty twice in my life. When we first came to the Northern Grand Duchy and saw the snow rabbit monster, and now.”

Cedric raised one eyebrow.

“It’s not to that extent. You’re exaggerating, Serena.”

“You don’t even say I’m pretty!”

“……”

Cedric pondered deeply.

“Serena is also energetic, bright, secretly deep-hearted, warm, good at singing, reads a lot, eats bread well… except when you refuse to take your medicine.”

“Enough. Don’t try so hard. It seems more pathetic that way.”

Cedric shrugged his shoulders. A playful, languid smile spread across his lips.

“So, when is your engagement with that lady……”

“Sleep.”

Cedric pushed Serena’s head onto the pillow and covered her with the blanket.

“Old woman from the annex, I’ve brought more scrolls. Use them whenever it’s urgent, and tell me if you need anything. I’ll bring more medicine soon. Rest.”

Cedric left a word of thanks to the old woman from the annex and disappeared after tearing the scroll.

“I wasn’t done talking. He left.”

Serena sighed and crossed her arms. The old woman from the annex put the spare scrolls in a drawer out of Serena’s reach and organized the medicine bottles.

“Granny.”

The old woman, unable to hear, examined the medicine bottles.

“I’m sorry for calling you a deaf and mute old woman.”

Serena clutched the edge of her blanket tightly. She knew best that she didn’t have much time left.

“I was in a hurry. I’m sorry.”

The old woman from the annex finished tidying up and turned to look at Serena. Serena suddenly sat up as if she had thought of something.

“Granny, I really need to meet that lady who went to the Ipellita Garden!”

The old woman waved her hands and picked up her notebook.

[The young master will be shocked!]

“Granny, I’m too bored and lonely. I’m going to die soon, what do I have to be afraid of? Isn’t there any way?”

The old woman from the annex clutched her notebook tightly. Except for Young Master Cedric, Young Master Samuel, and Grand Duke Calon, the only person Serena had met in the empire was herself, who was deaf and mute.

She had never met a lady her age. Serena mumbled, not noticing the old woman’s darkened face.

“Should we send a letter to that lady pretending to be my brother? Asking her to come here. You have the scroll my brother gave you, right, Granny?”

* * *

Arne was in a good mood after successfully concluding her deal with Duke Xenon. Who knew the carriage ride back could feel this refreshing? Excited, Arne wiggled her toes like a child.

Following that movement, the ring attached to her anklet rolled down. As Arne moved her ankle again, the ring slid smoothly. Feeling the presence of the ring so vividly brought a strange sense of comfort.

‘The fact that Cedric can replenish my mana when it’s critically low is quite……’

Arne rested her chin on her hand, rubbing the corner of her lips with her finger. The anxiety of not knowing when you might die every time you use magic is the fate of those who created their core at the cost of their life force.

That’s why she clearly remembers the terror of her mana evaporating due to the mana perfume. At the same time, she remembers the warmth transmitted from Cedric’s body and the elemental mana as his arms firmly embraced her.

The feeling of life force spreading through her body, escaping the fear of death, was a fascinating comfort she had never felt before.

Arne pressed her lips tightly. The carriage came to a stop.

“We’ve arrived at the Duke’s residence.”

As she turned her head, she could see a knight from the Wayne family walking out through the window.

‘Has the Duke already visited the Wayne family?’

Arne’s red lips curved up elegantly. In her past life, the Duke had sacrificed Arne and Vivian for his ambitions.

‘Duke, I wonder what you’ll do if it’s Bianca instead of me. What will you do with Bianca, who has tarnished the Ronia ducal family you hold so dear and hinders rather than helps your ambitions?’

Could that person sacrifice even his own daughter for his ambitions? Arne was truly curious to see how far the Duke could go.

Arne, who got out of the carriage, walked lightly and opened the door of the Duke’s residence. Arne couldn’t close her mouth at the sight before her eyes.