Grand Duke, Please Stop Obsessing Over Your Wife! - Chapter 76

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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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76.

“Why?”

At the Duke’s question, the sisters quickly exchanged glances.

‘You didn’t tell His Grace the Duke about our parents?’

Anna Rose blinked rapidly. Annelize shook her head.

‘It’s a sensitive topic to bring up in front of someone who has no parents.’

Annelize turned to look at the Duke and explained.

“To put it simply, Father died in an accident, and Mother is consumed by grief from losing him.”

“But didn’t you say your father died several years ago?”

The Duke asked back, genuinely seeming not to understand.

“When someone you loved deeply leaves, your heart becomes completely empty. How could you fill it in just a few years?”

It was an explanation befitting Anna Rose, a romance novel reader.

“Anyway, her legs are uncomfortable so she’ll mostly stay holed up in her room. You’ll hardly encounter her for three days, so just be careful on the day of the Founding Festival.”

As long as nothing happened that would trigger the Count’s trauma, it would be fine.

‘If we leave in two days, we’ll arrive the day before the Founding Festival. Nothing should happen until then.’

* * *

Tea time.

While the Duke was out for a walk, the three mother and daughters gathered together after a long time to sip tea.

“It’s been too long since I’ve gone to the capital, using my legs as an excuse. If I don’t go this time, Kukseo won’t leave me alone.”

“You made a good decision. If you just show your face briefly and return, they won’t be able to say anything either.”

Besides, they needed to discuss Anna Rose and the Third Prince’s marriage, so the Count’s presence was necessary in many ways.

“So… how is married life? Looking at your face, you seem to be doing well.”

The Count asked casually.

“I’m doing well.”

“Sister is doing really well. His Grace the Duke is completely smitten with her and does everything she asks.”

Anna Rose joined the conversation and tattled about her sister’s newlywed life.

“That’s fortunate then. Still, I… find the Duke somewhat eerie. That person doesn’t seem quite human somehow.”

Annelize flinched at the Count’s words.

“His Grace the Duke is simply unfamiliar with the Empire’s culture due to his long isolation. He’s kind and good.”

She tried hard to speak well of the Duke.

If no one else, she wanted her mother to view the Duke without prejudice.

“Is that so?”

The Count looked puzzled.

“He may lack common sense and be rude at times, but that’s not all there is to him.”

Annelize stopped mid-sentence. Why was she defending the Duke so earnestly?

“I understand. You who lived beside the Duke would know better. Anyway, isn’t he better than the Crown Prince? Actually, when you said you rejected the Crown Prince’s proposal, I was secretly relieved. Just the thought of becoming in-laws with Ramiere Valiem made me shudder.”

‘Whether it’s because she was close with the Third Prince’s father who was the Emperor’s guard knight, or because she constantly interfered with Kukseo’s advances toward the former Emperor. I don’t know which of the two is the reason.’

It was a well-known fact that Kukseo disliked her mother.

‘Fortunately, the Solariccen County is a prestigious family that Kukseo can’t openly threaten, and by the time Ramiere became Kukseo and wielded power, Mother had married Father, quit being knight commander, and gone down to the estate.’

Even after that, Kukseo tried to drag the Count to the capital.

Whether unfortunately or fortunately, the Count injured her leg and could use that excuse to stay put in the estate.

But…

‘Seeing that he sent an invitation to the Founding Festival this time, Kukseo must be plotting something. He’s targeting me and the Duke while trying to deal with Mother as well.’

As Annelize expected, Kukseo wasn’t staying idle.

After tea time.

An imperial messenger came to specially send a gift, welcoming Count Solariccen’s attendance.

“Kukseo, thinking of the Count, has specially bestowed a famous renowned horse. Don’t ignore the sincerity of sending a gift and make sure to ride it… he said.”

The imperial messenger stammered as he conveyed Kukseo’s words, unable to maintain composure.

“Hmm. He also said it’s a horse you used to ride all the time, so you’ll surely be familiar with it.”

He must be flustered too.

The messenger’s gaze moved busily between the horse he had personally brought as an imperial gift and the person who was to receive that gift.

As long as he had eyes, he couldn’t fail to notice.

The Count’s condition – unable to even walk a few steps, let alone ride a horse.

The white horse with glossy fur recognized Count Solariccen and circled nearby, making snorting sounds.

It was the horse she used to ride during her days as knight commander.

Annelize’s heart turned cold.

‘Ramiere Valiem, that bastard really.’

How did he die in the previous life?

Did he get imprisoned and die while attempting to assassinate the Third Prince?

Even thinking about it again, it wasn’t a sad ending at all.

‘Just wait and see.’

Stay calm. This is obvious provocation. I can’t fall for it.

Count Solariccen was frozen with a blank expression.

Curious why she wasn’t acknowledging it, the horse nudged its former owner’s hand with its nose, and Annelize stepped forward to hold the reins.

She took a breath and bowed her head to the messenger.

“Sir, please tell him we’re moved by such a thoughtful gift.”

The messenger was rather flustered by Annelize’s calm attitude.

‘He probably said to drag us there if we threw a fit.’

She had no intention of playing along with Kukseo’s intentions.

But that didn’t mean she would just take it lying down either.

How dare you touch my mother? This isn’t right.

‘I was going to refrain from going this far out of consideration for Princess Rosellia’s face. Kukseo, you started this first.’

She had been Empress in her previous life.

That meant she knew the dirty and sordid secrets of the imperial family, including Kukseo.

As soon as the imperial messenger left, Annelize prepared something to send to Isaiah.

Isaiah had received orders to watch over the Third Prince’s party until they reached the capital.

‘He’s probably staying in the capital around now.’

What she sent was a small box.

Isaiah’s crow flew off with a bundle in its mouth.

The crow quickly delivered the item to its master.

Isaiah let out a hollow laugh after reading the item wrapped in the bundle and the note.

“You want me to place this at the temple Kukseo visits every week? And say I’m looking for a child?”

He didn’t understand the reason, but it wasn’t a difficult task.

Isaiah immediately followed Annelize’s instructions.

Peeking into the box, he saw bloodstained baby clothes and a metal pendant that appeared to be a name tag.

“What are you plotting?”

Isaiah hummed as if finding it interesting.

* * *

Ramiere Valiem was in a good mood today.

Because lately things had been going smoothly just as he wanted.

Hearing that the Duke and his wife had visited Count Solariccen’s estate, he took the opportunity to send a small gift to the Count who had always been a thorn in his side, giving her trouble.

Serves her right.

‘It’s a shame I can’t see the Count’s distorted face.’

The Founding Festival was just around the corner, and his plan was sailing smoothly.

He came to the capital’s Grand Temple today.

The official reason was volunteer work, but actually it was to meet his younger brother who was the high priest.

‘I wonder if he managed to get a suitable corpse to use as the Third Prince’s double.’

What if he couldn’t get one in time? A corpse could just be made.

It was when he was entering the temple, casually thinking such frightening thoughts.

The temple’s atmosphere was unusually unsettled, different from usual.

How dare they let their minds wander elsewhere when Kukseo is making his procession?

I should ask my younger sibling to give them all a group punishment.

Having made that resolution, Ramiere cleared his throat to announce his presence.

“Ahem!”

Several priests turned around and recognized him.

“Ah, Your Highness Ramiere. You’ve arrived? May the sun’s light be with Your Highness today as well.”

“You look busy. What’s going on?”

“Well, the thing is… Something unusual happened at the temple today. There were some child’s clothes left in front of the Oracle Room door. And they were covered in blood too.”

Child’s clothes?

An inexplicable sense of unease made Ramiere anxious.

The priest rummaged through a name tag.

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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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