I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 40

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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 40

 

A face drained of color, eyes shaking violently.

 

Marisselle instinctively sensed that something serious was involved.

 

“Emma. If you know something, tell me. I can’t remember anything. What is this book?”

 

When Marisselle pressed her with questions, Emma hesitated for a long while before reluctantly opening her mouth.

 

“That book is one you bought from the Port Bookstore District on the day you collapsed, miss.”

 

“Huh? What? I did? Why?”

 

I don’t remember anything about it?

 

Marisselle quickly asked back, filled with intense curiosity.

 

“…Well.”

 

Emma hesitated to speak, fidgeting. Then she looked at Marisselle, seemingly hoping she would remember something.

 

But only question marks floated in Marisselle’s eyes, and what Emma hoped for didn’t happen.

 

“Emma. It’s okay. Tell me everything you know.”

 

Emma seemed deeply troubled, constantly biting her nails. When Marisselle couldn’t bear to watch and stopped her, she looked up with startled eyes.

 

Emma’s eyes wavered once, then as if making a decision, she unlocked the tightly closed gate.

 

“…Well, you prepared it as a birthday gift for Young Baron Hereise, your childhood friend.”

 

‘Huh? A birthday gift for Hereise?’

 

But why was a birthday gift under the bed?

 

Marisselle became very curious about the story behind the book that hadn’t been delivered and was buried deep under the bed.

 

‘Anyway, I should wrap this book nicely and give it to Hereise next time I see him.’

 

Then Marisselle asked Emma again.

 

“But what happened to me that day that made me collapse?”

 

‘Oh. Did I speak too indifferently about my own situation, as if it were someone else’s business?’

 

Emma’s face turned pale. She was afraid that if she told Marisselle what happened that day, she might lose consciousness again like that day.

 

“…Um, miss. You do remember being close with Young Baron Hereise, your childhood friend, right?”

 

“Of course. He’s a good friend.”

 

“Then, do you also remember that you liked Hereise?”

 

“Whaaaat?”

 

This was completely news to her.

 

Marisselle was so surprised that her voice rose without her realizing it.

 

‘Marisselle liked Hereise? I didn’t feel any such emotions at all?’

 

No, wait. Since I was focused on surviving from the moment I opened my eyes, such emotions might have been pushed aside and I couldn’t feel them.

 

‘Oh my. This is such a surprising fact.’

 

Marisselle had someone she liked? And it was her childhood friend?

 

‘Huh. I thought she was completely clueless, but apparently not.’

 

“Emma. Did I confess to Hereise by any chance? Does Hereise like me too?”

 

“What? Oh, no, miss. You had unrequited feelings for him…”

 

Emma blushed as if embarrassed, even though it wasn’t her own story.

 

‘Geez. It was unrequited love?’

 

Marisselle felt dumbfounded.

 

“That rare book is one that Hereise really wanted to have. You waited for months and bought it on the day a ship arrived at the port, miss. You also said you would confess while giving him that book as a birthday gift.”

 

After speaking, Emma felt anxious, worried that Marisselle might really faint.

 

But that was just unnecessary worry.

 

‘Wow. Marisselle was more proactive than I thought. That’s kind of cool?’

 

Marisselle inwardly viewed the past Marisselle in a new light and asked.

 

“But why did I suddenly collapse on such a good day? Did something else happen by any chance? Something that would shock Marisselle, I mean, me.”

 

As soon as Marisselle finished speaking, Emma startled and trembled her clasped hands.

 

“Miss, do you really not remember anything at all?”

 

Emma had thought all this time that Marisselle knew everything and had gotten over it.

 

And she began to carefully tell Marisselle about Kazuri.

 

She said they met Kazuri twice in total, and at the first meeting, Marisselle had a face full of worry.

 

After that, Marisselle extremely avoided going out, she said.

 

Then she received word that a rare book had arrived at the Port Bookstore District and had no choice but to go out.

 

So she had unusually brought guards along in case she might encounter Kazuri, and sure enough, she did meet him.

 

But the guards were of no help. Kazuri’s guards subdued the Marquis’ guards and called only Marisselle aside to have some conversation, and when Marisselle returned, she had turned pale.

 

And Marisselle gave orders to keep silent about what happened that day.

 

Then that day Marisselle collapsed. That’s how we got to where we are now, she finished saying.

 

At that time, there was no time to spare, so she couldn’t tell where that book was, and no matter how much they searched, it was nowhere to be found, so they had given up.

 

But Emma didn’t tell the whole truth.

 

She had been ordered to keep silent about what happened that day, but she left out the part where she confessed the facts to the Marquis couple.

 

Because the Marquis couple had also agreed to keep the secret, and she was also afraid that Marisselle might have a seizure and collapse.

 

However, the more she listened to the story, the more Marisselle realized there was a problem with her memory.

 

She couldn’t remember anything related to Hereise and Kazuri, as if those parts had been cleanly cut out.

 

“Then, only that bastard and I know about the conversation I had with Kazuri?”

 

“…Yes. Miss.”

 

Emma was anxious and restless, worried that Marisselle might collapse again.

 

“Emma. Don’t worry. I won’t collapse. You know I’m not the same as before.”

 

“Yes… I will. Miss.”

 

Emma was truly feeling that her young miss was not the same miss as before.

 

Even now, far from collapsing, she was reassuring her.

 

Emma finally let out a sigh of relief and returned to her usual cheerful self.

 

“Miss. Please put down the book and lie down on the bed quickly. I’ll give you a warm compress with a hot towel before the water gets cold.”

 

Emma quickly straightened the disheveled bedspread on the bed, then patted the bed, signaling for Marisselle to lie down.

 

“Yes. Alright. Emma. Please take care of me.”

 

Marisselle decided to set aside what she couldn’t remember for now and entrusted herself to Emma as she lay down.

 

* * *

 

Clang- Clank- Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

 

Whoosh- Swish. Swish.

 

The wooden swords clashed powerfully and separated repeatedly, raising dust.

 

Along with the rough breathing of two men, fierce attacks and defenses unfolded.

 

“Huff. Hah. Stop! Let’s call it here for today.”

 

Rino demanded a halt while breathing heavily.

 

“What, we barely did anything and you’re already whining.”

 

Morgan let out a light breath and reluctantly lowered his sword.

 

“Monster-like bastard.”

 

Rino hurled insults at Morgan, whose breathing hadn’t even been disturbed.

 

Not to be outdone, Morgan also poured out indifferent words toward Rino.

 

“Rino, it looks like we need to increase training time. Panting like this after just that much. Aren’t you ashamed?”

 

“Hah. Crazy bastard! Where in the Empire is there anyone who can withstand you? It’s because I’m me that I can spar with you for three whole hours.”

 

Rino grumbled while still breathing heavily, reminding him that it wasn’t whining.

 

Morgan knew it too. That there were no knights in the Empire who could face him one-on-one.

 

And that he should be grateful that Rino could even spar with him to this extent.

 

Rino glared once at Morgan, who casually made annoying remarks despite knowing this, then gulped down water. Then he poured water on his head to cool the heat.

 

Morgan also drank water refreshingly and poured the remaining water over his head.

 

As he was shaking off the dripping water by sweeping it upward with his hands, Rino shouted.

 

“Huh? Isn’t that person over there Marisselle?”

 

“…?”

 

Following Rino, Morgan also turned his head.

 

It really was. Marisselle could be seen hurrying from the Annex Building toward the main building.

 

“Huh? But what’s going on at the Annex Building? Is Fleur sick? Ah! No, that’s not it. If Fleur were sick, Samuel would have been running around frantically. Could it be that Marisselle is sick…?”

 

Morgan’s brow furrowed at Rino’s muttering.

 

Was Marisselle really sick? He was concerned.

 

No, that’s not right. If Marisselle were sick, she would have sent someone to call Samuel.

 

Then, why was Marisselle at the Annex Building?

 

‘I should call Porel this evening.’

 

“Hey! By the way, are you treating Marisselle well? Is there anything this big brother can help with?”

 

Rino grinned slyly as he teased.

 

“I don’t need it.”

 

“Really? When you need help, just say ‘Please help me, big brother.’ Then I’ll help you anytime. Keke.”

 

“Crazy bastard.”

 

Morgan responded to Rino’s annoying joke with curses.

 

“What do you mean calling your friend a crazy bastard, you crazy bastard. Show some care for your friend like you do for Marisselle. In that spirit, assign me the 4th Knight Captain as my escort when I go out too.”

 

Rino deliberately chuckled away.

 

Before he even finished speaking, Morgan glared at Rino with contempt as if looking at a bug.

 

“Crazy bastard.”

 

Leaving those words behind, he turned away without looking back and left coldly.

 

“Heartless Your Grace! Please take care of me too~! Please!”

 

Rino chuckled and shouted loudly at Morgan’s retreating figure, cupping his hands around his mouth.

 

The murderous aura from his back and the tightly clenched fists barely suppressing his anger made Rino even more delighted.

 

“Keke. Ahahahahaha.”

 

Rino’s playful laughter filled the Training Grounds.

 

Morgan barely managed to brush off Rino’s joke as he entered the Central Hall.

 

Then he instructed Porel, whom he happened to encounter, to prepare bath water.

 

As he climbed the stairs to the second floor, he stopped and called Porel again.

 

“Yes, Your Highness. Please speak.”

 

“Do you know why Marisselle went to the Annex Building?”

 

Porel bowed his head slightly and reported what he knew.

 

“She hasn’t been able to sleep for the past few days, so I believe she went to get sleeping medicine from Samuel.”

 

“Why…?”

 

Morgan’s voice rose with curiosity and bewilderment.

 

“After returning from the Main Estate, something seems to have happened. She often appears dazed and can’t sleep at all.”

 

There had been no special reports on the day Marisselle took her leave.

 

She hadn’t gone anywhere other than the Main Estate.

 

Then something must have happened at the Baronial Manor…

 

But there had been no special reports from there either.

 

“I understand. You may go.”

 

“Yes…”

 

As Morgan climbed the stairs, he reviewed whether there was anything he had missed.

 

However, he couldn’t find any particularly strange points in the reports.

 

Then this meant there were gaps in the information gathering itself.

 

‘I’ll need to expand the surveillance network.’

 

He had tried not to include private spaces in information collection, but he decided to include them in surveillance if someone was with her in those private spaces.

 

Knowing better than anyone that one small mistake could ruin everything and bring painful consequences, he judged it would be better to face Marisselle’s anger later for monitoring even private areas than to risk missing something important.

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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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