Grand Duke, Please Stop Obsessing Over Your Wife! - Chapter 85

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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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85.

A massive vine plant located in the center was spreading its stems wildly in all directions.

Those stems were tightly binding the people lying on the floor, making them unable to move.

Dozens of people were wrapped in vines, lying motionless as if in deep sleep.

The mercenaries searched around for the blonde man, wanting to get out of this place as quickly as possible.

The young mercenary poked at a man with platinum blonde hair.

“Hey. How about this man?”

A pale, middle-aged man lay there as if dead. His hair was platinum blonde, rare even in the Empire.

Bound by the giant tree vines, he was completely motionless. Only faint breathing indicated he was still alive.

He looked at the man with an interested gaze.

This was the second time he’d seen platinum blonde hair since accidentally encountering the young lady from Solariccen County on the street.

That young lady was really pretty.

Now that I look at him, they seem somewhat similar.

While he was recalling the appearance of the platinum blonde noble lady, the older mercenary approached and examined the man’s face.

“No! That man is under the Duke’s special management. Don’t touch him!”

“Tch. You should know how lucky you are.”

Blonde hair wasn’t common. After wandering among the living corpses, they finally found a suitable man.

The door closed with the sound of a sack containing a person being dragged.

Silence fell over the temple basement once again.

* * *

“You brought a corpse. Well done.”

“What should we do with the mercenaries? Should we handle them as usual?”

Kukseo pondered for a moment. His mind was working busily.

He didn’t know exactly what was happening in the temple basement either. However, there were two facts he knew…

People periodically went missing from the temple. And those disappearances were related to the temple basement.

Before making a decision, Kukseo recalled the baby clothes that had appeared in the temple.

‘I killed everyone involved. Only my younger brother knows that fact besides me.’

When Kukseo had subtly probed his younger brother, he had denied it, saying he hadn’t told anyone.

But how could he trust that?

‘He obediently opened the temple basement when I said I needed a corpse. That means he still intends to help me. After all, we’re blood brothers. Still, shouldn’t I have a weapon ready in case of betrayal?’

Kukseo made his decision.

“Tell the Duke that we handled both of them, and lock them up in the imperial prison. Attach some suitable charge like theft.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kukseo leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied expression.

Little brother. Now I too possess your petty secret.

He would never die alone under any circumstances.

“What is Crown Prince Robert doing?”

“As always, he calls musicians daily to listen to farewell songs.”

“Ha, really… Never mind.”

There was no need to ask about Princess Rosellia either. The children she had were absolutely no help at all.

One had almost been helpful, but it all fell apart because of Annelize and the Duke.

“When Count Solariccen comes to the capital, tell him to come to the palace and have an audience with His Majesty. Say it’s an imperial command.”

Right now, Count Solariccen was the only thing that could lift his mood.

He must be feeling triumphant about gaining the Duke as a son-in-law. I need to break his spirit.

Just because he cowardly brought the Duke along, thinking I’d be afraid…

Kukseo slyly added.

“Tell him the Duke shouldn’t come, only the Count, only the Count should have an audience!”

* * *

“Want to bet on what reaction that guy will show when Mother appears riding the horse Kukseo sent?”

An unexpected betting game was taking place during the boring journey to the capital.

It was called the ‘Guess Kukseo’s Reaction’ bet.

Anna Rose started it.

“Me! Me! He’ll be so angry that he’ll faint while standing! What about you, Mother?”

“I’ll bet on… ‘He tries to act calm but bites his pillow when sleeping.'”

The Duke maintained an indifferent attitude throughout.

“I’ll bet on whatever Annelize bets on.”

“Sister hasn’t even said anything yet!”

“Anna Rose, stop bothering Duke. I’ll bet on ‘He tattles to His Majesty that I’ve been deceiving him by pretending to be injured all this time.'”

Annelize was the winner of the bet.

The day before the Kingdom Conference began, Count Solariccen visited the imperial palace according to the imperial command as soon as he arrived in the capital.

Kukseo was shocked to see the Count riding the horse he had sent without any problems.

“Your Majesty. Aren’t you seeing this clearly yourself? Does that look like someone who was too sick to walk? He definitely deceived Your Majesty on purpose. We need to investigate what scheme he has.”

The Emperor, who had been calming Kukseo, issued a stern rebuke when his words continued.

“Kukseo. You’ve become particularly sensitive lately. Can’t you show a benevolent appearance as the nation’s uncle during this time before the Kingdom Conference? The Count has finally recovered.”

“…I understand, Your Majesty.”

Watching Kukseo sit in his chair with his mouth tightly shut, Annelize felt exhilarated.

“How did you guess correctly?”

The Count whispered beside her.

“I can see right through Kukseo. I know him well, like family who’ve lived together for years.”

Sadly, it wasn’t a metaphor but fact.

“Don’t mind what Kukseo says. I’m happy that your injury has healed. Isn’t it like a miracle? It will give great strength to people with sick family members too.”

A strange light flickered in the Emperor’s eyes.

“Come to think of it, Count Cullen also has a sick child. He seemed very worried. How about meeting him during the Kingdom Conference and sharing treatment methods?”

It seemed Count Cullen had safely informed the Emperor about the Crown Prince’s whereabouts.

The Count, who had heard the whole story from Annelize before coming to the capital, quickly matched the Emperor’s words.

“Oh my… I didn’t do anything special, but fresh air and regular exercise seemed to help. If I can be of help, I’ll gladly share my knowledge, Your Majesty.”

“Good, good.”

After the conversation with the Count ended, the Emperor’s gaze turned to Annelize standing beside him.

Unlike when looking at the Count, his eyes held interest and mischief.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

“I welcome the Duchess as well. How is the Duke? I thought he’d come with you.”

Why are you looking for the Duke? Annelize looked puzzled.

“His Grace is at Solariccen Manor. If you wish to meet him, I’ll tell the Duke.”

“No, no. I was just curious. Ah, I heard a rumor somewhere.”

The Emperor waved his hands dismissively.

If not for the crown on his head, he would have looked just like a neighborhood lady who loved gossip.

“Is it true that Duke Aperhis dotes on the Duchess so much that he created a word using the Duchess’s name?”

Annelize’s face was instantly colored with bewilderment.

‘I expected this and deliberately asked the northwest nobles to spread rumors! Don’t panic!’

She bit her teeth and lowered her eyes with a shy expression like a newlywed.

“I told him not to, but His Grace insisted on… It’s embarrassing.”

“His Grace did that? Could you tell me more details, Your Majesty?”

This was trouble.

Count Solariccen’s face was full of interest.

“Well, you see. According to the northwest nobles, the Duke’s messenger suddenly sent a proclamation. The content was…”

“Is that so? When he was at our house, His Grace asked what kind of cake my daughter liked, saying he wanted to celebrate my daughter’s birthday…”

While the Emperor and Count became gossipy ladies thoroughly investigating the newlyweds’ love story,

Annelize engaged in a silent staring contest with Kukseo sitting on the throne.

She won with a best-of-three victory.

At least that was some consolation.

* * *

‘It feels like I got a strong vaccination shot.’

My energy was completely drained and I wanted to return to the manor immediately, but there was still work left to do.

Finally, tomorrow the Kingdom Conference would begin.

Throughout the capital, eve festivals were being held.

The Duke had come here to help the Third Prince.

However, if the Duke, who absolutely never participated in the capital’s political struggles, supported the Third Prince, it would obviously look suspicious.

He was an overwhelmingly powerful figure, after all.

So for the nobles to accept the Duke without suspicion…

‘We need to widely spread the image that the Duke has gone crazy from loving his wife too much.’

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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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