Grand Duke, Please Stop Obsessing Over Your Wife! - Chapter 73

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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73.

Until now, most of the Duke’s aspects they had encountered were unfamiliar and inhuman.

A being different from them. A dangerous existence they couldn’t understand.

But after receiving the announcement, his image changed completely.

Into a lover who was so fond of his wife he didn’t know what to do with himself.

‘The Duke must have seemed like an ordinary person with emotions just like them.’

Perhaps the Duke’s distribution of announcements to the northwestern nobles wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

‘It can be used this way too. Since they think of the Duke favorably, they’ll listen to our proposals better.’

It would even work well enough on the capital nobles, not just the northwestern ones.

Everyone knew they loved romance, after all.

While heading to the separately prepared meeting room to discuss specific matters, Annelize lightly grabbed the Duke’s wrist.

When the Duke lowered his head, Annelize whispered in a small voice.

“Your Highness, you did well.”

“What?”

“When you go to the capital, just keep doing what you always do.”

“I always do well consistently.”

The Duke made a proud snort without even knowing what exactly Annelize’s praise meant.

As she expected, the meeting to support the Crown Prince went smoothly.

When making deals, the most important thing above all was trust in the trading partner.

‘Trust that he is reliable.’

What was the reason the Duke, who had been indifferent to the Empire’s political struggles, suddenly became interested?

What benefit would the Duke gain from helping the northwestern nobles?

The doubts the nobles might have easily melted away once they learned that the Duke was a devoted husband who was crazy about his wife.

When they proposed to lend the national tribute so the nobles could cooperate in driving out the Crown Prince’s faction, one of the nobles nodded.

“You want to keep Ramiere Kukseo and the Crown Prince in check. Well, it’s quite famous how desperately the Crown Prince chased after the Duchess.”

In fact, even without Annelize’s proposal, the Crown Prince and Kukseo’s reputation among the northwestern nobles wasn’t very good to begin with.

“It’s naturally a good thing for us too, isn’t it?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“I know as well. That the temple and Ramiere Kukseo have been forcing excessive sacrifices on the northwestern region.”

Unlike the central and southern regions which were warm year-round, the Empire’s northwestern region was relatively cool and barren.

It was due to being close to the Grand Duchy.

‘But without considering climate differences, they demanded the same crops and same production levels as the southern estates every time. No matter how much we protested, they wouldn’t listen.’

The tyranny worsened after Ramiere Valiem became Kukseo. He was displeased with the upright nature of the northwestern nobles who wouldn’t bow their heads first.

‘Ramiere was able to become Kukseo because he’s the High Priest’s brother. And while the Emperor shows leniency during bad harvests, it’s not easy because she has to watch the temple’s mood.’

All they lacked was an opportunity to vent their complaints.

Now that the Duke was willing to move, they would seize the opportunity.

Annelize poked the Duke’s side while waiting for them to make their decision.

Throughout the meeting, he had been sitting next to Annelize, fiddling with his wife’s hand with a completely uninterested attitude.

“Would Your Highness like to say something too?”

Annelize whispered.

“What kind?”

“Just, how much Your Highness can help these people. Even a simple word.”

“Hmm. I understand.”

The Duke straightened his back that had been leaning against the chair. His hand lightly tapped the table.

Though it was a small movement, the Duke focused everyone’s attention on him at once with his characteristic gravitas.

“For my wife’s sake, I’ll do anything. If you cooperate, I’ll naturally respond in kind.”

The Duke spoke in a plain voice.

“The decision seems to have already been made. So will you follow, or not?”

The nobles briefly exchanged glances with each other.

A silent agreement passed between them.

“It’s an honor. We will all gladly follow the Duchess and Duke’s proposal.”

Starting with Count Cullen, they signed the contract one by one.

When Annelize showed them the wheat sacks to be delivered as tribute, their eyes widened with surprise.

“Th-this wheat was produced in the Grand Duchy? This size, this color… It’s on a completely different level from the wheat grown with seeds from the temple! How is this possible?”

The wheat seeds sold by the temple had problems with increasingly smaller grains and easy death.

But the wheat that Annelize had improved and grown—more precisely, grown by the northern prisoners—was flawless and larger in size.

“There’s someone at the Duke’s castle with related skills. They improved it to suit the cool climate.”

Annelize didn’t mention that person was herself.

The nobles gasped at the mention of ‘seed improvement.’

“With such terrible crop failures, they don’t even have enough to eat themselves. What can the temple do? They’ll have no choice but to accept it.”

“Could you possibly lend us these seeds after the founding festival ends?”

“Of course. We plan to get permission directly from Her Majesty at the founding festival. So all the Empire’s people can grow them.”

The temple’s wheat seedlings were damaged beyond their ability to fix.

‘Plus, if the fact that the High Priest was involved in Kukseo’s assassination attempt on the Crown Prince is revealed, even the temple will have no choice but to bow to the Imperial Family.’

Annelize, who had received the contract, decided to show them one last gift with a satisfied face.

“Now. Shall we raise a toast in celebration? Count Cullen, please call the servant in the corridor. Have them bring glasses too.”

A moment later. The door opened and the Crown Prince, disguised as a servant, entered.

He took beer bottles from his bag and poured them one by one into empty glasses.

“This is…?”

“Beer. It’s a beverage made from wheat harvested in the north this year.”

‘Special beer prepared by none other than Pamine himself.’

The yellow liquid with thin ice was poured along with white foam. Everyone examined the liquid in their glasses with curious eyes.

“It’s a specialty of the northern region, and we’re specially showing it to you first.”

“If it’s beer, isn’t it alcohol?”

“It is alcohol.”

They had thoroughly investigated the nobles they would involve in this matter.

‘It probably won’t happen, but if they have second thoughts, it’ll be troublesome, so I should make them accomplices.’

Due to the prohibition, drinking or making alcohol was a serious crime on the level of blasphemy.

“You’re not the type of obedient people who follow everything just because the temple opposes it, are you? If you’re scared, you don’t have to drink.”

There wasn’t a single noble who didn’t drink.

The nobles emptied their beer glasses in one go and left the meeting room with more relaxed faces than before.

Finally, only four people remained.

Count Cullen cleared his throat.

“Now, Your Highness the Duchess. You said you had something to say about the founding festival. Before that, it would be better to dismiss the servant.”

“No. This person is trustworthy. I guarantee it.”

“If Your Highness the Duchess guarantees it…”

Count Cullen reluctantly agreed to Annelize’s words.

“I’ll explain exactly what you need to help with at the founding festival. Count, you’ve heard that Crown Prince has gone missing, haven’t you?”

“Yes. That’s right. There are rumors going around that Crown Prince Iskassian has already died. Of course, I don’t believe that.”

Annelize smiled.

“It’s a false rumor. Crown Prince Iskassian is alive and well. Your mission is to safely bring His Highness to the capital by the founding festival.”

“He’s alive—? Where is he? How should I make contact with him?”

As Count Cullen’s question was uttered, Annelize gestured.

Iskassian, who had been standing quietly beside her, took off his glasses and wig and threw them away.

“Crown Prince Iskassian…!”

Count Cullen’s face was colored with shock.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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