Let’s Just Make a Child, Your Grace - Chapter 9 Part 7

In fact, it was more likely that they had sent a letter to the Grand Duke out of anxiety after hearing rumors that Cedric and Arne had visited the Ipellita Garden together.

It was still just at the stage of discussion, so it wouldn’t be strange if it fell through at any time. Noble engagements often fall apart if the desired conditions don’t match.

“We should receive the young lady of Leverun once. Tell Ella to prepare what’s needed.”

“Understood. If you have nothing more to say, I’ll take my leave.”

Cedric paid his respects to the Grand Duke and left the office. As soon as he exited the office, he roughly loosened his tie. It was hard to bear the anger enveloping his entire body.

There was no reason to be angry. This was exactly what Cedric had always told Arne. That the young lady was just misunderstanding his kindness. That the price of Renigrad’s curse was great! To think it through properly!

Wasn’t this the result he had fully expected? Then why was he angry!

Cedric’s rough footsteps didn’t stop. He didn’t know where he was going, but he couldn’t stop. His mind felt like it was burning white-hot with uncontrollable anger.

When he reached a wall blocking his path, Cedric gritted his teeth and struck it with his fist. Cracks spread instantly like a spider web. Blood dripped from Cedric’s fist, but he felt nothing.

His mind was blank.

He felt like he was going mad.

He ruffled his hair, breathing heavily. He just couldn’t calm down. He felt like he was going more and more insane. Cedric started walking again. The servants hurried to clear the way, sensing his overwhelming killing intent.

Ella, who spotted Cedric from afar, asked urgently.

“Lord Cedric, it’s Ella. The Grand Duke said you’re meeting Lady Leverun in the Ipellita Garden today. What should we do about your attire?”

“Do as you see fit.”

Ella flinched, startled by the intense killing intent that seemed about to strangle her in an instant. He had never shown such killing intent to a civilian outside of the battlefield.

As Ella clutched her startled heart, Warren approached Cedric from the opposite direction.

“Lord Cedric, the Knight Commander says he will proceed with the monster subjugation. As agreed in the last meeting, he says to make sure you’re not late tomorrow. Should we select the knights now? Even though it’s in the capital, the scale is small, but they’re still monsters.”

Cedric’s steps came to an abrupt halt. His eyes moved slowly.

“Give me a sword.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, give me a sword.”

“Here it is.”

Warren held out his own sword. Cedric grabbed the sword and started walking.

“Where are you going?”

“Monster subjugation.”

“By yourself? I’ll assemble the knights right away.”

“Not necessary. No one should follow me.”

“What?”

“Just prepare some holy water.”

Red mana boiled up around Cedric’s body as he turned to look at Warren. Warren knew well what that was. He had never forgotten Cedric’s coming-of-age ceremony.

“Lord Cedric, you’re supposed to meet Lady Leverun at the Ipellita Garden restaurant this afternoon. You need to come to my dressing room for your clothes…”

Ella, who had recovered from her shock, tried to relay the Grand Duke’s message to Cedric, but she fell silent at Warren’s hand blocking her.

“Go ahead. We’ll have everything prepared.”

As Warren bowed his head, Cedric took his leave.

* * *

The butler knocked on the door of Grand Duke Renigrad’s office.

“Come in.”

The butler, who had paid his respects, seemed troubled and couldn’t easily speak.

“What is it?”

“Well, Lady Ronia has arrived for the banquet.”

The flowing handwriting stopped abruptly. The butler knew that today’s banquet had been canceled. He had personally put the banquet preparations on hold.

‘That’s why he looks perplexed.’

The Grand Duke’s gaze, which had been tapping his index finger on the desk, fell on the laccarine herb.

‘Since the young lady herself declined the banquet, perhaps she came to receive the laccarine herb.’

The Grand Duke raised one eyebrow and put down his fountain pen.

“Show her in. To the office.”

“Understood.”

As the Grand Duke was lost in thought, stroking his chin, a refined voice rang out.

“I greet the Grand Duke of Renigrad.”

“Sit down. I didn’t expect you to come. I received a letter from you saying you couldn’t attend the banquet. I heard you’re getting engaged to the young lord of Wayne.”

Arne’s footsteps halted.

“You received a letter saying I couldn’t come to the engagement banquet?”

“That’s right. Honestly, I quite liked you, so I’m a bit disappointed.”

“…May I see that letter, by any chance?”

The Grand Duke stared at Arne’s distorted face as if hearing this news for the first time, then handed over the entire letter.

Arne’s brow furrowed more and more as she carefully received the letter, seemingly in disbelief.

“It’s hard to believe, but I didn’t write this letter. And I don’t want to get engaged to the young lord of Wayne either.”

At that moment, the Grand Duke’s eyes narrowed.

“This morning, the Duchess earnestly expressed your feelings in the salon.”

“What do you mean?”

As Arne’s eyes wavered in confusion, the Grand Duke also handed over Ella’s letter.

After reading Ella’s letter, Arne’s fingertips trembled with anger. It cleverly twisted the facts, saying that Arne had aimed for Cedric but found him too much to handle, and thus hoped to get engaged to Kale, who was more at her level.

“This is also something I never said. These are all words made up by the Duchess.”

“Are you saying the Duchess is lying? For what purpose?”

“To cover up Bianca’s atrocity of almost killing me. To use me to be selected for the support trading company that His Highness the Second Prince will choose, and to benefit from it…”

Arne recounted in detail everything that had happened. From Bianca putting mana perfume in, to Kale choosing engagement despite disliking her, to ride on Ronia’s reputation.

“This isn’t how I intended to say it, but I like Lord Cedric. I absolutely don’t want to get engaged to Kale. Rather, I came to break off that engagement.”

The Grand Duke, who had been listening silently to Arne’s words, spoke heavily.

“Honestly, it’s hard to believe that the Duchess is lying and that your sister tried to kill you. They’re still family, aren’t they? Even if what you say is true, a noble’s engagement isn’t something that can be decided by your feelings alone.”

Honestly, the Grand Duke liked Arne. Even now, that gaze she was giving him as she looked at him was enticing.

However, the Grand Duke was a realistic person. As someone who had to lead the Renigrad Grand Ducal family, the lords of the North.

He couldn’t exchange Renigrad’s future just because he liked someone’s gaze. Especially not by ending another family’s engagement.

It was merely regrettable.

“It’s true that I like you, but what can a young lady do when the engagement to the Wayne family has already been agreed on? Also, as I said at the previous banquet, I don’t know you well enough to choose you at the cost of taking a loss.”

“I’ll show you. What I can do from now on, how sincere my feelings are, everything.”

The Grand Duke saw Arne’s burning eyes, but soon just held out the laccarine herb.

“This is yours. I promised to repay you. Don’t fall ill.”

Although he sincerely hoped Arne wouldn’t fall ill, it was a clear dismissal.

Arne instead pushed the bundle of laccarine herb that the Grand Duke had offered back towards him.

“The Wayne family wants to get engaged to me to ride on Ronia’s reputation and be selected for the support trading company that His Highness the Second Prince will choose. So I will help Renigrad to be selected for that support.”

She meant she would eliminate the very reason for Kale to get engaged to Arne. The Grand Duke raised one eyebrow as he looked at Arne, who still wouldn’t yield.

“You must already know that His Highness the Second Prince was almost poisoned and still hasn’t found an antidote.”

At that moment, the Grand Duke’s gaze changed. That was a top secret known only to high-ranking nobles. The Grand Duke also knew this fact and was searching everywhere for an antidote to gain the Second Prince’s favor.

Arne slowly raised the corners of her mouth. The Grand Duke’s mouth fell open at Arne’s following words.

“Laccarine is an herb needed to make that antidote.”

The Grand Duke finally calmed down and opened his mouth.

“How did you, a mere young lady, discover the antidote that even Renigrad couldn’t find?”

“The Ronia ducal family excelled in developing a new drug and medical support during the Great Demon War. I helped the Duke, so I know a lot about herbs and poisonous plants. That’s why the Duke asked me to find an antidote.”

The Grand Duke’s enlarged pupils trembled for a moment. This meant that Arne had intended to obtain this laccarine herb from the beginning.

‘Where did it all start? Did she anticipate getting a reward for delivering Judith’s letter? Did she plan this from the moment she received the first banquet invitation? Is there a reason why it’s specifically two bundles? Was one bundle meant for me from the start? Then the remaining bundle is…?’