I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 20

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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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Chapter 20

“Welcome, Rino.”

Ronan welcomed Rino, who had traveled a long distance.

“You’ve worked hard. How are things going? The Hagenda brothers issue was properly resolved, right?”

Ronan shook his head vigorously as if his teeth were chattering.

“Don’t even mention it. I’ve never seen grown men fight so childishly at their age.”

“What was it about this time?”

“A well.”

“A well?”

Ronan began telling the story, saying he was astounded that he had come as a mediator for such a childish squabble.

A well dug by Count Ezra Hagenda had encroached on the land of Baron Silas Istan.

Istan claimed that since the well was on his land, it was also his, and freely used it.

Then Count Hagenda put a cover on the well, locked it with a padlock to prevent its use, and demanded an enormous usage fee.

Istan said he couldn’t pay such a large sum, completely destroyed the well cover, and shamelessly used the water.

Hagenda made a new cover and locked it again, and Istan destroyed it.

This cycle repeated, deepening the rift until finally servants began fighting and even casualties occurred.

So Ronan proposed joint ownership of the well, with the Istan Barony taking full management of the well for one year as compensation for the labor costs the count demanded, and joint management thereafter.

Fortunately, that proposal was accepted and the matter was resolved, he said with indignation.

Of course, he had come to inspect the Border as well, but it was still absurd.

“You’ve had a hard time.”

Rino patted Ronan’s shoulder in comfort.

“Have a drink first.”

Ronan offered Rino the alcohol placed before him.

“Let’s go to the scene where the body is as soon as dawn breaks.”

* * *

Rino had caught up with Ronan after a long time the previous night, woke up early in the morning, and arrived at the scene.

The body had been discovered by Border soldiers.

But the condition of the body was bizarre. The neck, armpits, and both groins were grotesquely swollen.

As if someone had blown air into those areas.

“It’s slowly decomposing now so the difference isn’t as noticeable, but when we first saw it, it was truly bizarre.”

“Identity?”

“We questioned all the nearby villages, but no one knew. Probably an outsider.”

“Is there a Knight among us who can draw?”

“Drawing? What’s the drawing for?”

“To draw.”

“What?”

Rino pointed at the body with his chin.

“Our lord should probably see this too. No matter how much you explain, hearing and seeing are different things.”

Ronan ordered a subordinate nearby.

“Is there anyone among our knights who can draw? If not, go to the village and bring someone who draws well. Tell them we’ll pay generously.”

“Yes!”

As the subordinate who received the order moved away, the two turned their attention back to the body.

“Could it be some kind of curse?”

Rino stroked his chin and tilted his head.

No matter how he looked at it, it was bizarre.

“Once the drawing is finished, we should have the artist make several more copies and inform Count Hagenda and the Istan Barony as well.”

“I think so too. In any case, since it’s a bizarrely formed corpse, I’ll arrange for reports of any similar or unusual forms of death.”

“As expected, you handle work refreshingly. I like it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Ronan laughed dryly at the sudden compliment.

“Our lord will have quite a headache.”

When Morgan was mentioned by Rino, Ronan asked curiously.

“How is our lord doing? Did he find a nanny for the young master?”

“Ah! Hahaha, hehehe.”

Rino suddenly started grinning and chuckling.

Ronan looked surprised and just blinked repeatedly, not understanding.

‘Did something good happen to our lord?’

Rino’s laughter was clearly the laughter of someone enjoying themselves.

“Did something good happen to our lord? Or perhaps to the young master?”

“Kuk kuk kuk.”

Rino didn’t speak and just kept laughing. Ronan felt frustrated.

“Ah. How frustrating. Say something.”

“Something good happened. It certainly did. Yes. Kuk kuk kuk.”

“….”

The more Rino dragged it out, the more Ronan’s frustration and curiosity grew.

“Young Master Fleur got an excellent nanny. But that nanny is very pretty. She’s capable too. And she’s very comfortable with the Duke’s Household. She says whatever she wants to Morgan Ergana or Duke Joachim. Kuk kuk kuk. She’s not afraid of the Duke. Kuk kuk kuk.”

“….”

Ronan couldn’t find what Rino found so amusing at all.

He could guess that something had happened, but he couldn’t understand it at all.

What was certain was that the nanny was pretty and capable, and that she wasn’t afraid of their lord.

“Rino. Try explaining it a bit more clearly.”

As Rino kept grinning, Ronan’s curiosity grew even more.

“Not long after the nanny arrived, Young Master Fleur started speaking.”

“What?”

Ronan was shocked.

When he was there, he had seen countless nannies either give up on their own or get kicked out for making advances on their lord.

‘No, what happened in such a short time? Anyway, our lord must be relieved.’

If word got out that the Duke’s Household heir couldn’t speak, the wolves around them would pounce like vultures.

Since the nanny had solved that problem in one go, it made sense that their lord would cherish her.

‘Huh? Cherish? Could it be?’

Has our lord finally taken an interest in a woman?

Is that why Rino is laughing?

That’s right…, Rino is our lord’s old friend. He would know our lord’s childhood personality and preferences well.

‘I see. If my guess is correct….’

“Our lord must have been pleased.”

“That’s right. He was very pleased. He even gave her a gift. Kuk kuk kuk.”

“A gift, you say? What… kind?”

Rino chuckled and whispered in Ronan’s ear.

“A hairpin studded with small amethysts and sapphires. By the way, the nanny’s eyes are purple, and her birthstone is September sapphire.”

Ronan’s eyes grew wider as Rino’s explanation continued.

“Our lord gave a gift to a woman?”

“That’s what I’m saying. He could have given her gold coins, but he specifically chose a hairpin.”

“You didn’t influence him from the side, did you?”

“Kuk kuk kuk. I did give him a little nudge. I said it wouldn’t be stylish to just give gold coins, right? Then he frowned.”

“Tell me more details. What does that mean?”

Ronan was also hopeless when it came to women, so he was almost completely ignorant about such things.

“Our Duke has never given a hairpin to anyone. He’s not the type to change his gift from gold coins to a hairpin just because I said one word. Do you understand now?”

“Ah….”

Ronan understood immediately.

After hearing Rino’s words, he desperately wanted to return to the Duke’s Castle quickly to see the nanny who was at the center of all this talk.

After that, Ronan and Rino talked about other things as well.

Meanwhile, a subordinate brought a Painter.

A small man who looked quite old got off his horse, panting and carrying painting tools.

“I heard you found it.”

The Painter asked without even catching his breath.

“That’s right. What you need to paint is that corpse. How long will it take?”

Ronan asked.

“If you want me to draw everything in detail, it will take quite a while. But if I just capture the distinctive features, it’s possible in less than an hour.”

“Then. Please just capture the important features.”

As soon as Ronan finished his answer, the Painter with black paint under his fingernails set up his position and quickly began drawing, capturing the features.

After a while, having finished the sketch, the Painter took out his paints and colored according to the corpse’s features.

“It’s finished.”

“Hmm, your painting skills are quite excellent.”

The painting the old Painter had created was concise yet captured all the important features.

“Go home and draw four more identical copies of this. You can finish by this evening, right?”

“Of course. It’s possible.”

The Painter bowed his waist obsequiously.

“First, I’ll give you one silver coin to receive. I’ll pay the rest of the painting fee when I receive the painting.”

Ronan handed one silver coin to the Painter.

“Oh my, thank you. Thank you.”

The Painter received the silver coin and smiled broadly, showing his yellowed teeth.

“If you happen to discover or encounter such strange corpses in the village, report to the lord immediately.”

“Yes, yes. How could there be any question? I will do as you command.”

Ronan called back the Knight who had brought the Painter earlier.

“Take this Painter home quickly and come fetch the painting in the evening.”

“Yes!”

Ronan now called another Soldier to handle the remaining work and instructed him to cremate the corpse.

To prevent the corpse from directly touching the body, they first dug the ground and stacked wood for cremation.

Then they used wood to roll the corpse and drop it, threw in more wood, and lit the fire.

After the cremation was finished and covered with soil to complete the process, Ronan turned around.

“Now that all the work is done, let’s go to the Count’s Manor.”

“Let’s do that. Let’s go rest from our travel fatigue and prepare to depart.”

Ronan agreed.

He wanted to return to the Grand Duchy as soon as possible to see the nanny that Rino had mentioned.

‘A woman that the lord shows interest in.’

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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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