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

Questions cascaded through the Grand Duke’s mind. Arne calmly continued speaking.

“I should give one bundle to the Duke, but I don’t want to give it to him nicely. It’s his karma for using me, deceiving me, and secretly doing such things.”

Arne smiled bitterly.

“If you find this hard to believe as well, you can check for yourself. But please move quickly. The Ronia ducal family is also unrivaled when it comes to herbs.”

Arne’s hand gracefully left the laccarine herb. The Grand Duke’s gaze turned to the item.

The Grand Duke would have no choice but to accept this herb. At the same time, it meant acknowledging Arne.

What Arne could do. Her sincerity and the future she would shake.

The Grand Duke met Arne’s unwavering, confident gaze. His mouth moved involuntarily at her strangely captivating gaze.

“I’ll call a doctor right away to check it out.”

A graceful smile spread across Arne’s face.

“Thank you. I hope you’ll be selected for the trading company support along with the Leverun family. Of course, I still don’t think you’ll succeed if you work with the Leverun’s trading company.”

The Grand Duke burst into laughter. Whether it was bravado or confidence would soon be revealed.

But perhaps because of that steady gaze, he inwardly felt like wishing that the young lady’s outrageous words would really come true.

“I won’t say any more. I’ll show you. By then, you’ll know me well enough to choose me, so please give me your blessing.”

Blessing is a tradition for the people of Renigrad. Asking to be accepted into Renigrad implied an engagement with Cedric.

“I’ll see you then.”

Arne gracefully paid her respects. Slowly raising her head, Arne turned without hesitation and left the office.

The Grand Duke stared at the spot where Arne had been for a while. She was a child he wanted to keep watching.

A smile broke across the Grand Duke’s face. As he stroked the laccarine herb, the Grand Duke called for the butler.

“Call a doctor right away.”

* * *

Everyone glanced at Arne as she left the office. She could feel the servants with lowered heads examining her black dress and complexion.

Arne walked with her head held high and dignified. Soon, the social world and the empire would be buzzing with Arne’s story. At times like these, one must walk elegantly and confidently.

The Duchess, who already dominated the social world, might have expected Arne to shrink back like before, but….

Her counterattack starts now.

‘To confront the Duchess in the social world, I need someone to be my strength. My reputation is at rock bottom as the empire’s mad villainess.’

So she planned to seek out the mistress of the social world, whom even the Duchess would bow to. At the same time, she would be the greatest beneficiary and collaborator of Arne’s business.

‘Your Highness, we’ll make good partners.’

Arne, smoothly raising the corners of her mouth, opened her bag and took out Cedric’s letter. Before that, the most urgent matter was waiting for Arne.

‘He said to meet after the banquet.’

If the Grand Duke had misunderstood, Cedric would surely also misunderstand that Arne’s engagement to Kale was her wish.

‘I hope this misunderstanding would be resolved well.’

Arne slowly tore open the teleportation scroll. The now-familiar light of the teleportation scroll slowly enveloped Arne.

She slowly lifted her eyelids. Arne dropped her handbag at the face visible through the pure white light.

* * *

The corpses of monsters formed a mountain. Cedric, sitting at the very top, frowned as he stared at the blazing sun.

Despite the terrible stench of blood mixed with the fishy smell of innards, Cedric didn’t leave his spot.

The uncontrollable anger had subsided compared to before, but an inexplicable emotion still lingered.

Muttering a low curse, Cedric tore a scroll and teleported to Ella’s private workshop. Ella, seeing Cedric appear on the magic circle, dropped the fabric she was holding in surprise.

“Lord Cedric?”

Ella couldn’t hide her shock. Drenched in monster blood from head to toe, he looked like a demon incarnate.

“Let me borrow the bathtub.”

Cedric swept back his bangs and dropped Warren’s sword on the floor. Ella, quickly coming to her senses, guided Cedric to the bathroom. Considering the time he was supposed to meet Lady Leverun, it would be tight even if he started preparing now.

“This is my private workshop, so there are no attendants to assist with bathing. What should we do?”

“Not necessary.”

Cedric started pouring an entire box of holy water into the bathtub. The sight was still a fresh shock. Only in Renigrad would it be possible to bathe in a tub filled solely with holy water.

Ella, organizing the robe and necessary items, quickly asked Cedric.

“What kind of clothes should I prepare for you to wear today? The Grand Duke said to show sincerity to Lady Leverun.”

“As you see fit.”

As Cedric grabbed the collar of his shirt soaked in blood and took it off entirely, his angular upper body was revealed. The sight of his hunched body straightening and muscles relaxing was excessively sensual.

Ella, momentarily lost in the view, hurriedly spoke.

“If you could at least tell me the color, I’ll choose accordingly.”

“As you see fit.”

Cedric wearily dropped his wet shirt on the floor. Ella anxiously looked at Cedric. The Grand Duke had clearly ordered to dress him in clothes that would leave no room for criticism in high society, and to send him out with a personally chosen bouquet.

Seeing Ella fidgeting with a sense of duty, Cedric’s lips opened languidly.

“You’re still here?”

Cedric unbuckled his belt. Ella, her face bright red, turned around and asked, almost in tears.

“Please, at least tell me about the flowers. The Grand Duke said you have to choose them personally!”

At the almost sobbing voice, Cedric answered halfheartedly. From behind came the sound of water splashing and overflowing from the bathtub.

“Lily and lilac.”

When Ella fled the room after hearing his answer, Cedric leaned back in the bathtub, tilting his head.

He used his demonic energy to slash and cut the monsters, slashing and cutting again and again. He burned his demonic energy repeating that simple task countless times.

Yet even after immersing his entire body in holy water, the unidentifiable emotion boiling deep within him still wouldn’t subside.

‘Is it not because of the demonic energy?’

If so, why does he still feel so filthy? As Cedric leaned his upper body back completely, his head sank underwater. When he closed his eyes, a quiet stillness enveloped him.

With a splash of water droplets, Cedric suddenly raised his upper body. Holy water trickled down his hair and toned muscles in droplets. His red lips, moist with water, moved following his consciousness.

“Arne.”

Cedric called that name softly. The name that wouldn’t leave his mind no matter what he did.

The name that filled his mind, which had turned completely white since his time in the office.

“Raniarne.”

It was an enchanting sound that lingered in his mouth. At the same time, it was a sound that raised an indefinable, viscous emotion.

“Raniarne Freya de Ronia.”

Cedric’s brow furrowed even deeper. The contents of the letter Arne had supposedly written swirled in his mind.

Your prestige and fame… and your kindness were nice, but it was just an immature emotion.

Both the assassin and Renigrad’s curse are too much to bear.

I want to live a peaceful life.

Just recalling it made his mind turn white again. An unbearable anger swept through his entire body. So much that he couldn’t think of anything else.

‘Damn it.’

How many women had been attracted to Renigrad’s splendor like moths to a flame, only to run away when faced with Renigrad’s karma and curse? She was just the same, so why did it make him so unbearably angry?

Arne’s decision was exactly as he had expected from a thoughtless young lady at this time. Rather, what he couldn’t understand was himself. He expected this day would come and thought he wouldn’t care at all.

Cedric wasn’t a man childish enough to dream of marriage just because he had shown some kindness or received favor from a beautiful woman.

The proposal letters he received alone filled his butler’s desk. He had received confessions and passionate gazes to the point of weariness.

But why?

Wasn’t it just a fleeting emotion? Wasn’t she just one of the many young ladies who fell for him and proposed?

‘Why are you so…’

Cedric gritted his teeth. The sound of cracks forming on the edge of the bathtub he was gripping tightly echoed.

‘Or is this also Renigrad’s curse? Am I being swayed by demonic energy? Lust is indeed a fierce desire that’s hard to escape.’

A sardonic smile spread across Cedric’s lips. Even now, after soaking in holy water, he reacts to that woman’s name alone. Truly, it was a body lewd beyond measure.

Self-deprecating, Cedric muttered that name that filled his mind.

“Arne.”

At that moment, light poured before Cedric’s eyes, and a teleportation scroll magic circle was drawn.

Cedric’s pupils slowly dilated as he faced the person who appeared over the pouring light.