I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 49

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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 49

Even though she pretended to be oblivious, Clemente wasn’t actually lacking in awareness.

Her first friend was a duke.

When the duke properly found his position and authority, he naturally wouldn’t be able to act this way.

It was natural that distance would grow between them. As Zephyrus said, he and she were of different genders.

‘It’s a shame. If I were also a man, I think I could have clung to him without reserve.’

Anyway, she should enjoy the present. Because she could see the end of this process, she could enjoy the current moment even more.

She didn’t go hungry, had a place to sleep, and there were people who needed her.

Sleep came easily too.

How could she not be happy?

“Good night, Master.”

Clemente left her greeting even with her drowsy mind and closed her eyes.

Only the sound of Clemente’s peaceful breathing could be heard in the room filled with tranquil energy.

Zephyrus listened to that sound for a long while before finally relaxing his tense body and turning his head.

“Uh, gasp!”

He almost cried out.

His heart seemed to have jumped out of his chest and was still pounding somewhere above.

‘When did she get so close…’

It was because Clemente had moved very close to him.

To make matters worse, she moved again and placed her arm over his body!

Zephyrus’s pupils shook greatly. Zephyrus, who had been frozen like a wooden block, began to move carefully again.

Clemente’s breath touching his cheek was so ticklish he couldn’t bear it.

It was clearly warm, but somehow it felt like his fine hairs were standing on end, making him dizzy.

He had thought this request would allow him to sleep well. But an unknown discomfort and comfort coexisted.

Of course, he hadn’t thought through to this kind of situation.

‘She has terrible sleeping habits.’

Still, it was warm.

Zephyrus slightly twisted his body and placed his arm over Clemente’s head. He grasped her curly hair in his hand. It felt like holding the morning light in his palm. Something warm and shining.

“You too… have a peaceful night.”

He felt like he could sleep very deeply today,

though it seemed difficult to fall asleep right now.

**

The village bathed in moonlight.

Though dark clouds filled the sky above the Northern Region visible across the forest, this place was different.

The clear sky without a single cloud was perfect for the pure white moon to illuminate the world.

Cough-

Harvie hid in the shadow of a building, avoiding the moonlight, and coughed.

Though he quickly covered his mouth, pitch-black blood splattered on the ground.

“Damn it…”

His voice, hoarse and rough from too much coughing, echoed in the air.

He thought of the letter in his chest and swallowed his cough.

He couldn’t understand why this was suddenly happening.

He had only tried to send information gathered while pretending to side with Nerhi to the Northern Region during a gap in surveillance.

From that moment, excruciating pain rose up and he couldn’t stop coughing.

The puzzle pieces fit together in his head.

The spy who chose to bite his tongue rather than reveal information.

He had chosen to leave at once rather than die in agony.

It was that level of pain.

Pain that would make even Harvie, who thought he had mastered endurance in his lifetime, want to kneel and beg immediately, consumed him.

However, Harvie gritted his teeth.

‘I am Harbi Noven.’

The representative who built the current Noven Merchant Guild from the bottom up.

That was his pride.

It was his entire life, to the extent that he would accept his only blood relative’s gambling addiction.

It was when he was leaning against the wall with difficulty.

Flutter, a messenger bird that the Noven Merchant Guild originally used flew over and perched on a nearby roost.

This was the reason he had crawled here desperately.

With trembling hands, he grabbed the messenger bird’s leg and attached the letter.

‘Messenger birds can’t withstand the Northern Region’s cold.’

However, there were informants of the Ducal Household throughout the Empire. Especially many where the cadet branches stayed.

It was information the duke had provided. Though he probably hadn’t expected this kind of situation, his foresight would ultimately save the duke himself.

‘Properly… please don’t let it arrive too late.’

Flutter flutter! The messenger bird flew into the sky again.

Harvie, who had been watching those strong wingbeats, collapsed.

His body had no strength. Yet the coughing continued.

His throat burned and his stomach felt like it would tear apart.

He had done everything he could.

If there was any lingering regret, it was that.

‘Tei…’

The fact that he hadn’t received a definite answer that his grandson’s health could be restored.

He felt like he wouldn’t be able to face his son and daughter-in-law who had probably already gone to God’s embrace.

‘Sorry… ha…’

Before his thoughts could finish, he collapsed.

Moonlight poured down onto his back that had rolled out of the shadows. The moonlight reflected on his pure white hair was blocked by someone.

“Is he dead?”

“He should still be alive. As I said, the Studiworm the guild master ingested wasn’t perfect.”

“He coughed up this much blood?”

“Hmm… let me check. Since he’s old…”

A woman with green hair swept back placed her hand on Harvie’s neck.

“Oh my. He is alive after all. At this rate he’ll die soon though… Nerhi sir. Does this man have more use value?”

“If this guy dies, the guild passes over. If the grandson inherits the guild, it becomes troublesome again. I don’t want to collapse Noven, I want to possess it.”

That’s why he had tried to obtain it without killing. He didn’t want that effort to go to waste.

“Hing. I thought I’d get to experiment on a human instead of mice for once. Understood, Nerhi sir! I’ll try to save him once.”

“Crea, the medicine?”

“If we spread it all, it won’t be enough to kill them, but everyone will fall ill. In the Northern Region, wouldn’t that level cause mass death?”

“With the Northern Region’s weather, that’s likely. They’re probably hungry and cold right now.”

The two people turned away, leaving Harvie behind. A man in night clothes who had been hiding in another shadow came out and carried Harvie on his back.

Clouds began to cover the moon.

“Oh right, Nerhi sir. Is it okay to just leave the messenger bird alone?”

“Yes. We’ll depart tomorrow anyway.”

“You’re telling me to save a guild master who’s on death’s door by tomorrow…”

“Didn’t you say you were a physician who could revive even the dead?”

“Oh, really. Then I’ll need to receive other herbs too?”

“I’ll think about it after seeing the results.”

The village where darkness had descended instead of light.

The conversation between the two people drifting through the village scattered on the wind.

So that no one could hear.

**

Zephyrus and others responsible for the Ducal Household put their heads together.

Time was of the essence to bring down what Nerhi had spent years building.

Since Clemente had gone out to find Icetas, the meeting with the Duke was conducted with a door between them.

It would take too much time to go back and forth with documents.

It was also Zephyrus’s will to try even without Clemente.

“Are the vassals still anxious?”

“They’re better than expected. They still seem to believe that Your Highness has the blessing of fire spirits, and that you’ll somehow solve everything!”

The administrator hearing the Duke’s voice for the first time was filled with tension.

And why was the expression visible through the transparent window on the door so cold?

The young administrator swallowed nervously and continued his briefing.

“Nerhi, from now on I’ll call him the criminal. The criminal’s justification is that Your Highness has lost the people’s hearts.”

That meant most of Nerhi’s plans had failed. It was natural for plans based on the fact that the Duke was staying secluded to crumble.

“However, public sentiment isn’t as serious as he thinks. If the criminal realizes this, he’ll come up with stronger methods.”

It was something everyone was expecting.

That was also why Clemente had gone to find Icetas.

“What method?”

“As he’s done so far, he’ll likely threaten with survival. Since there’s said to be someone skilled with medicine beside the criminal, poisoning is highly likely, but he could also sow discord again.”

“Sow discord?”

“Yes. Ah, since Noven, the Caravan Leader went to meet the criminal, he could use that too. Sowing discord between the caravan leader and Your Highness. Claiming he’s on his side, and most likely emphasizing that he could provide food and firewood more stably.”

As Zephyrus listened to his words more seriously than expected, the excited administrator poured out various ideas.

It was the administrators with experience and seniority who received those ideas and formulated solutions.

Zephyrus was taking notes of those opinions, mediating, and participating in the meeting when this thought suddenly occurred to him.

‘I’m blessed with good people.’

A superior and lord of the domain who had only communicated through documents until now.

It was a situation where loyalty couldn’t develop.

If they were being loyal, the target would be the Dowager Duchess or Rossia, not him.

That was fine too.

Both of them were part of Pruina. It was because these people existed that Pruina could be protected.

Somehow his heart felt stirred.

“Um, Your Highness?”

He came to his senses at one administrator’s call.

“Um…”

The face of the administrator looking at the white frost forming on the door was tinged with some fear and worry.

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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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