I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 68

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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 68

A season where even fallen leaves have their own charm.

However, due to the chilly mornings and evenings, Marisselle dragged her tired body and dressed in thicker clothes than usual.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of dry fallen leaves echoed unusually loud in the dawn air.

Inhale. Exhale-

Breathing in the cold dawn air deep into her lungs and exhaling.

“I did well to get up. Dawn air is indeed refreshing.”

As if showering her lungs with the dawn air, Marisselle repeated taking deep breaths in and out for a while.

“One, two, three, four…”

Before running around the Training Grounds in earnest, she didn’t forget to do warm-up exercises.

One lap, two laps, three laps…

As the number of laps increased, she became short of breath.

Huff- Huff- Huff- Haa, haa.

“This won’t do. That’s enough for today.”

She stopped running and bent over, resting both arms on her knees while gasping for breath.

Without stamina, it would be difficult to carry out aide duties. She had volunteered to be helpful, so she couldn’t become a burden.

Marisselle was gradually increasing her exercise intensity within reasonable limits.

However, Morgan, who seemed like he would accept the aide position any moment, remained completely silent even after quite some time had passed.

“Will he give me an answer after today’s vassals meeting?”

Marisselle roughly wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead with her sleeve, took one last deep breath, and finished her dawn exercise.

“But… I wonder what happened with those suspicious deaths in the border region.”

It was a case that had been pushed back due to the Monsan District problem.

“It’s quite unsettling…”

* * *

“Is everyone here?”

Morgan quickly scanned the vassals gathered in the meeting room with his eyes. He noticed several empty seats, but he didn’t mind.

“Everyone except those from regions far from the border areas has attended.”

When the report matched what Morgan had confirmed himself, he opened his mouth.

“The reason I urgently called you together today is to deal with the problem that occurred in the Monsan Region. As you all know, we view this as an attempt to damage the security of the Duchy.”

As Morgan spoke, the meeting room stirred.

They had to accept it as such if Morgan had reached this conclusion. This was because they trusted Morgan’s insight and abilities that much.

“No. How dare some bastards target the Duchy.”

“Then are you saying the culprits have been revealed?”

Count Grushe Wellington, who had a bushy beard and protruding belly, asked.

Morgan spoke in a cold voice.

“Neither the culprits nor the person presumed to be the righteous one have been revealed. The possibility of them being revealed in the future is also low.”

“…”

“No. If neither the culprits nor the righteous person have been revealed, then what do you intend to…”

The meeting room stirred even more than before with the sound of people whispering to each other.

Morgan let their murmuring be. Instead, his cold gaze swept over those who were whispering.

“The reason I assert it’s an attempt to damage the Duchy’s security. Is there anyone who can tell me?”

At Morgan’s heavily sunken voice, the chaotic hall instantly became as quiet as a mouse.

The mouths that had been whispering closed tightly, and they only glanced at each other nervously.

“What have you been doing as vassals of the Duchy? Were you complacently trying to simply dismiss this matter as a spontaneous incident and cover it up appropriately?”

At each word dripping with coldness, the retainers had to swallow their dry saliva.

“…”

The retainers couldn’t utter a single word.

Morgan opened his mouth toward them with anger.

“Then, I ask even now. I want to hear your opinions on how you intend to handle this matter. Every single one of you, without exception.”

The retainers in the heavily settled meeting room were so overwhelmed by the atmosphere that they couldn’t even lift their eyes.

Each minute and second passed like ten years.

Gulp.

Only the occasional sound of swallowing dry saliva broke the silence.

“No one seems willing to speak up.”

Morgan slowly surveyed the assembled group.

“Then. Should I assume that everyone will follow my will?”

The retainers exchanged glances with each other again.

Grush nodded his head.

“Yes. I will follow Your Highness’s will.”

“I, I will also follow.”

One by one, more retainers declared their compliance.

“Anyone with objections should speak now. Those who voice opposition later will be considered disloyal.”

Silence continued. No one dared to offer opinions or raise protests.

Rino rose from his seat.

“Ahem. I will now explain the policy for handling the Monsan District. First, the person who led this strategy is Nanny Marisselle.”

“…!”

A small commotion arose in the meeting hall again.

They whispered in voices barely audible to those beside them.

“The nanny? That… daughter of the Manua Barony…?”

“It must be. Who else would be a nanny in the Duke’s Household besides her?”

“Haha. Let’s be quiet and listen. What kind of strategy did she devise…?”

Rino waited for the commotion to die down.

“We will post wanted notices throughout the capital and even in the provinces. However, the culprit will be difficult to catch. …These notices are… to prevent something bigger from happening and…”

After hearing Rino’s full explanation, the retainers truly couldn’t help but admire the strategy.

“Also, we plan to send official documents to each family regarding those presumed to be righteous people and accomplices… Therefore, I ask the family heads to be especially vigilant and cooperative.”

Admiration for Marisselle burst forth from various quarters.

Morgan’s shoulders rose as if he himself were receiving the praise.

‘I’ll have to tell Marisselle about this later.’

‘That fool has become completely smitten.’

Watching Morgan, who seemed happier than if it were his own achievement, Rino wondered if this was really the same friend he knew.

* * *

Quite some time passed as various agenda items were proposed and discussed.

The retainers finishing the meeting and heading home couldn’t stop talking about Marisselle.

“Are you pleased?”

“About what?”

“Are you pleased that the retainers are admiring Marisselle’s strategy? Your smile was reaching your ears.”

Morgan, who had been walking with Rino, stopped abruptly. Then he clicked his tongue and glared at Rino.

“Tsk. Not Marisselle. Nanny. Don’t call her name so carelessly.”

“Ha!”

Rino was dumbfounded, flabbergasted, and exasperated.

‘Petty bastard.’

“Even when we’re alone? What, does it wear out if I say it?”

“Yeah. It wears out. So don’t say it.”

“Huh!”

Rino sighed while looking up at the sky, a bundle of documents tucked under his arm.

“Aren’t you coming? What are you doing?”

Morgan, who had walked ahead, scolded him.

‘They say love makes you a fool.’

Who would have thought his friend would demonstrate this so perfectly…?

“When is the imperial audience scheduled?”

Morgan asked Rino, who had stridden up beside him.

Rino, momentarily shocked, immediately switched back from friend to aide.

“Well, it seems the Emperor’s health isn’t good. We’ll probably need to meet with Renegade first.”

“Since my uncle is unwell, I should visit him soon as his nephew.”

Knowing it was the Emperor’s excuse, Morgan responded with a mocking tone.

“No, why are you so cynical? The Crown Prince isn’t a stranger. Moreover, you’re not even enemies, so why? Did the Crown Prince do something to offend you?”

Then Morgan paused for a moment, clicked his tongue as if remembering something, and strode forward quickly again with long steps.

“Hey! There’s definitely something going on! What is it? Huh? What? Come on! Let me know too!”

Morgan shook his head as if an annoying leech had attached itself to him and widened the distance from Rino even faster.

Regardless, Rino followed persistently, asking questions and tormenting Morgan.

Then he spotted Marisselle passing by.

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

At the mention of Marisselle’s name, Morgan stopped in his tracks and turned around.

And despite having warned him about it, he found Rino’s friendly and repeated calling of Marisselle’s name quite irritating.

He knew Rino was doing it on purpose, but even so, it really got on his nerves.

“Call her either Nanny or Second Assistant—choose one of those two.”

Morgan completely removed her name from the titles Rino could use to address Marisselle.

He had wanted to tell her about accepting the assistant position while looking at her face directly, but it slipped out because that brat Rino was getting under his skin.

Then Rino glared at Morgan with sparrow-like eyes.

“Why? Did her name wear out from being called? Tsk. You’re in deep. Really deep. Marisselle doesn’t know you’re like this, does she?”

Rino had already expected that Morgan would use Marisselle as his assistant, so he wasn’t surprised by his decision.

It was just that his friend being so smitten with a woman felt strange and hard to get used to.

“Not Marisselle—Second Assistant!”

Having said his piece, Morgan ignored Rino as if he didn’t exist and followed Marisselle with his eyes.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

It was because she had her hair tied up high in a single ponytail, unlike usual, and was wearing riding clothes.

He couldn’t look away from the liveliness that was different from her usual calm half-up hairstyle.

Just then, an annoying sound broke through his admiration.

“Second Assistant! Second Assistant!”

Rino was cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting toward Marisselle at the top of his lungs.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Rino was definitely doing this on purpose.

“This bastard. On purpose.”

“Why? You said not to call her by name, right? Huh? Marisselle. I mean, Second Assistant is running over.”

Rino deliberately widened his eyes and glanced at Morgan teasingly.

Marisselle was running over while waving her hand vigorously from afar, her ponytail swaying left and right cheerfully.

“Huff, huff— Your Highness. Hello? Lord Rino, how are you? But, huff. You did just call me Second Assistant, right?”

Marisselle continued speaking persistently while catching her breath.

“That’s correct. As of just now, you’ll be working concurrently as Second Assistant. I came here to deliver that news. Hahaha. But seeing you in riding clothes, were you perhaps on your way back from riding practice?”

Marisselle took several deep breaths before speaking.

“Yes, that’s right. I did ask some off-duty knights for help, but… Ah! Your Highness. Thank you for allowing me the assistant position. I’ll work hard so as not to be a burden to anyone.”

Marisselle smiled and bowed politely.

“Ahem. …I look forward to it. But if you’re panting like that from just running a little, how can you properly handle assistant duties?”

“…That’s why I’ve been running around the training grounds at dawn for the past few days. Hehe.”

Then Rino interjected.

“Simply running around the training grounds won’t be enough though.”

“Is that so? Well… since I really lack basic stamina, I was planning to increase the number of laps around the training grounds daily and then think about it. If Lord Rino doesn’t mind, I’d like to receive help whenever you have time—would that be possible?”

Marisselle said with a smile in her eyes.

Then Morgan quickly interjected and blocked it.

“I’ll do it for you.”

“…Pardon?”

Marisselle looked at Rino with wide, surprised eyes, then slowly turned her gaze to Morgan.

“What? You’ll do it? Every dawn? …The guy who lives by splitting time?”

Rino was so dumbfounded that he raised his eyebrows.

“…”

Morgan couldn’t find words to respond since he had blurted it out hastily as a shield, and could only turn his head to the side awkwardly.

‘That, that…’

Rino was at a loss for words. This was the first time he’d seen Morgan act so recklessly without thinking things through.

‘He’s really far gone. Really far gone.’

He couldn’t help it. Just the thought of Marisselle sharing time with Rino, sitting face to face and smiling together, was unbearable.

Even if Rino called him foolish, there was nothing he could do about it.

‘This isn’t something I can control by thinking and reasoning through it—it just comes out without me even knowing. You bastard. Someone who’s never even been in love…’

Morgan mentally berated Rino.

Rino was desperate, and seeing Morgan’s face that seemed to look down on him made his mischievous side slowly rise.

Just how foolish could he become?

He grinned wickedly and made a suggestion to Marisselle.

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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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