Let’s Just Make a Child, Your Grace - Chapter 9 Part 6

“Isn’t this worth anything?”

“No, it’s very valuable. Keep bringing me such valuable information.”

“Um, then the payment…”

Seeing her almost on the verge of tears yet still asking about payment, it seemed her mother’s condition had made her situation quite urgent.

Arne took out gold coins from her pouch and placed them on Fiorette’s hand.

‘One, two, three, four…’

Fiorette’s eyes grew larger quite honestly. It was more than a month’s salary for a maid. Yet as Arne continued to place gold coins, her hands began to tremble.

“You’ve done a great service.”

Arne left after saying just one sentence.

* * *

The Duchess’s words that Fiorette had recited echoed in Arne’s mind.

「Was Bianca the only one being mean? You’re the worst. Roa, Ronia’s secret knight? Ha, is that all? If you push me like this, I’ll reveal Arne’s true identity. And the truth about Freya Orphanage! If you’re okay with your daughter getting hurt, let’s see if you’re okay with your honor falling too.」

After a fierce argument, the Duke finally surrendered.

He said he would pretend to listen to Arne’s proposal, get the antidote, and then proceed with her engagement to Kale, which barely calmed the Duchess.

‘Ha, Duke Ronia, that’s truly like you. To deceive me until the end.’

She thought it couldn’t be this easy with that ducal couple. Of course, Arne wasn’t one to back down because of this. She absolutely couldn’t back down. Arne called a servant and ordered,

“Bring the carriage immediately.”

“About that, the ducal family’s carriage has already been taken by the Duchess. Lady Bianca too.”

The servant carefully answered, watching Arne’s sharp gaze.

“Instead, at Agatha’s request, we’ve prepared a regular carriage.”

“…Agatha is really working hard.”

Arne soon smiled and immediately got into the carriage. If the ducal couple was wrong, she would make Kale want to break off this engagement himself.

Kale and the Marchioness, who so despised Arne, chose this engagement solely to be selected for the business that the Second Prince was choosing. As a stepping stone to elevate their family.

‘Then I must thoroughly shatter that hope and expectation. Make this engagement meaningless to Kale.’

It was destined to happen anyway, but faster and more certainly.

‘If His Highness the Second Prince chooses the Grand Duke of Renigrad who provided the antidote, will this engagement mean anything more to Kale?’

Moreover, the people she saw in the Ipellita Garden were definitely Kale and Amelia. If she could reveal their truth in the time she had bought, this engagement could be sufficiently destroyed.

‘Anything can happen until we enter the ceremony hall. I’ll thoroughly shatter that plan they had to use me.’

Arne, having strengthened her resolve, adjusted her attire. The carriage stopped in front of the Renigrad Grand Duke’s residence.

* * *

The Grand Duke of Renigrad stroked his chin as he looked down at two letters on the table.

One was from the Ronia ducal residence, and one was a letter from Ella. Though the senders were different, the contents were similar.

The content was that Arne couldn’t attend the banquet due to her engagement to the young lord of Wayne. She didn’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings.

‘Lady Ronia, I quite liked her at the last banquet. It’s a shame.’

It was regrettable, but that was the extent of it. The Grand Duke wouldn’t hold onto someone who didn’t want it themself. After all, she was just a child he had shared one banquet with.

If there was anything that bothered him, it was that the red mana had disappeared from Arne’s hand.

‘But since she doesn’t have holy power either, I must have seen wrong.’

The Grand Duke stroked his chin once more. At that moment, a servant announced Cedric’s arrival.

“I heard you called for me.”

The disciplined movement came to a halt. His sharp gaze was accentuated by his firm jawline and broad shoulders. It was a deep, well-honed gaze not seen in young knights.

‘It seems like just yesterday when we held his coming-of-age ceremony at 15 and was sent to war.’

During the Great Demon War, coming-of-age ceremonies were held at age 15. There was a shortage of adult men to fight with weapons on the battlefield.

At the Emperor’s decree, high nobles frantically bought proxy knights while voicing all kinds of opposition, saying it would end noble family lines. The chances of a 15-year-old child surviving on the battlefield were extremely slim.

‘But that guy not only came back alive, he even placed the enemy commander’s head right on this desk.’

He had never forgotten Cedric’s face at that time. It wasn’t boastful, nor was he trembling in fear, it was just that face.

An emotionless and arrogant face. Of course, Calon knew. That Cedric would naturally return alive. But he didn’t know he would behead the enemy commander.

‘People call me an arrogant man, but the truly arrogant one is that guy.’

Calon tried to grasp both wealth and honor, but Cedric wasn’t particularly interested. He was indifferent to everything. He was unconcerned because he could always have what others were desperate to get.

The fact that he could do it but didn’t somehow scratched at Calon’s pride.

The moment he saw the enemy commander’s head, Calon pushed to see how far Cedric could go, but each time, that guy accomplished everything with that emotionless and arrogant face, making Calon weary.

‘He might even be able to oust me and take the Grand Duke position.’

The Grand Duke felt his limits approaching due to age and demonic energy. While Cedric was about to spread his wings and soar.

As always, with that indifferent and arrogant face.

‘It’ll be the same this time too.’

The Grand Duke picked up his fountain pen to reply to the letter.

“So Lady Ronia is getting engaged to the young lord of Wayne. That’s why she can’t come to today’s banquet…”

The Grand Duke’s hand stopped as he looked up. It was a face of Cedric’s he had never seen before. For the first time, raw desire clouded his expression. Cedric gritted his teeth, barely containing emotions that seemed about to burst at any moment.

Cedric’s tightly clenched fist turned white. Tension filled his entire body as his muscles tightened. An indescribable emotion surged uncontrollably.

The Grand Duke dropped his fountain pen and closely observed Cedric’s face.

“A letter came from the Ronia ducal family. Ella says the Duchess herself announced the engagement to the Wayne family this morning in the salon, so it seems to be true.”

The Grand Duke held out Ella’s letter. Inwardly, the Grand Duke had thought there might be feelings between them after hearing they had visited the Ipellita Garden together.

“It seems the Duke of Ronia urged Arne to get close to you. You are the only grandson of the Renigrad grand ducal family, after all. She said she liked the prestige and reputation of Renigrad she felt at the banquet, as well as your kindness.”

The Grand Duke fixed his gaze on Cedric’s ever-changing eyes.

“But she said it seems too much to handle. An assassin entered the banquet hall, and it doesn’t seem to be the first time. She said she’s afraid. The young lady must have been scared, and it’s certainly an unstable environment for the ducal family to send their daughter.”

It was a perfectly understandable thought. Although no family could match the wealth and reputation of the Renigrad grand ducal family, life was indeed more important.

Especially among wealthy and prestigious families, there were some cases where they only wished for their daughter’s happiness.

“She said she’s also concerned about the rumors of Renigrad’s curse. She mistook her immature emotions, but after calm consideration, she finds it too burdensome for her to handle. She wants to meet someone at her level and live peacefully.”

The Grand Duke paused and looked at Cedric. He had always been composed. Controlling one’s emotions to not be swayed by demonic energy was the first thing the Grand Duke had taught.

But now Cedric was barely standing there, unable to even conceal his raw killing intent in front of the Grand Duke.

“…Since that’s the will of the Ronia ducal family and the young lady, it would be right for you to keep your distance as well. Conduct yourself properly.”

“Understood.”

The Grand Duke tilted his head.

‘Understood?’

With a face that looked like he might explode at any moment, barely suppressing his anger, Cedric answered in his usual monotone voice.

He thought Cedric would naturally say he couldn’t accept it.

‘I thought they were interested in each other.’

Even if the young lady of Ronia felt that way due to her young heart… was Cedric really just being kind to her?

‘Then what is he angry about?’

The Grand Duke closely examined Cedric, but there was nothing more to discover. Cedric’s chilled, monotone voice rang out.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“…The Leverun family has been asking about the engagement. It’s been quite some time since we first brought it up.”