I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 58

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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 58

“That’s right. His Lordship meets with no one. He’s of no help to the domain whatsoever. Haven’t we endured enough at this point?”

Though he didn’t speak directly, his meaning was clear.

Let’s change the lord.

The distrust he had carefully planted. The anxiety and anger based on that.

He could see all of it fading away, so he had no choice.

This was his only chance.

The variable he had underestimated had brought unexpected miraculous results, so he too had to change his plan.

Instead of riding on angry public sentiment, he would put public sentiment on top of his name.

To do that, drawing in the rebellious fire fairy was the priority.

Nerhi thought it wouldn’t be too difficult.

Because Nerhi’s justification was solid.

Nerhi appealed with a desperate voice.

“Think about it once more. Who would be more helpful to the domain you cherish? Wouldn’t someone who does something be better than someone who doesn’t even come outside and just wastes time?”

He didn’t need an immediate answer. Even just appearing to consider it would be success.

Today he would buy time, and once he fed that thing the Studyworm, he could repay all of today’s humiliation.

However, the biggest variable that would interfere with his rosy life was neither Clemente nor the mysterious water.

“But… His Lordship can’t meet anyone?”

“No. You know that dancing snowman, right? They say that’s His Lordship?”

“That’s His Lordship. The son from two houses over is a servant at the Lordly Castle, and the children often went to His Lordship’s office to watch the snowman. The knights keep standing guard right at the door too.”

“What are they guarding?”

“The children, maybe?”

“Wow. The children must be happy. The knights even provided escorts.”

The vassals didn’t think Zephyrus was wasting time.

Rather, they found him endearing.

What lord would wear a snowman costume and dance for children?

That’s right. The biggest variable was that the premise of all the rumors and justifications Nerhi had created was broken.

The proposition that Zephyrus would never come outside or communicate for his entire life was broken.

“Huh… Then everything that person said was wrong…?”

One person’s doubt became many people’s doubt. People looked at Nerhi with puzzled eyes. There was no suspicion mixed in yet, but that wouldn’t last long either.

The flutter of Zephyrus’s wings, whom he thought would be beyond salvation.

‘No.’

This wasn’t right.

This couldn’t happen.

The plan had gone awry.

With the rumors he had prepared, it was no longer possible to buy more time.

‘Then there’s only one thing left.’

The manor was quite far from here. That foreign woman might use some strange power, but that would be all.

No matter how skilled Lésible, the vice-captain of the Domain Knights, might be, he couldn’t handle multiple mercenaries. The mercenaries would capture all the witnesses inside, so the knights wouldn’t come either.

A battle he couldn’t lose.

Nerhi signaled to the mercenaries positioned nearby.

He had only discussed it as preparation for the very last resort, but that was enough.

“Attack!”

“Waaaaah!”

“Wh-what!”

“Kyaah!”

The mercenaries immediately charged forward, each gripping their weapons.

“Even the fire fairy has fallen for Zephyrus Pruina’s vile schemes! We’re the only ones who can protect the domain! Capture her!”

His target was solely Clemente.

However, the mercenaries’ swords didn’t distinguish between Clemente and the vassals.

This too was Nerhi’s instruction.

When charging, attack everyone nearby.

One mercenary swung his sword at the back of a middle-aged man who was fleeing in panic.

“Go stop them, quickly!”

Seeing this, Clemente pushed Lésible, who had come as her escort. Pushed by the strong force, Lésible blocked the mercenary’s sword.

While blocking the incoming attack, Lésible looked for Clemente. Countless mercenaries had already gathered around her.

He had to go rescue her immediately, but-

“Oh ho. The knight should play with us.”

“Get out of the way!”

“Then we’ll play with those people?”

What they were pointing at were the vulnerable vassals.

“You cunning bastards!”

When Lésible couldn’t decide easily, the mercenaries giggled.

“Should we help you decide!”

Several shot arrows toward the vassals.

Lésible hastily raised his shield and deflected the arrows.

“How’s that, knight! Grateful?”

Lésible parried the endlessly rushing swords and pushed back spears while finding an opening to slash one bastard’s chest. In return, a dagger grazed his arm.

‘Damn, this won’t end.’

No matter how many mercenaries had come at him, even though he had cut down quite a few, mercenaries still packed the area around him.

Eventually, someone’s spear tip grazed his side. Blood spurted out.

At the same time, he dodged a blade rushing at his legs and parried an axe aimed at his crown.

‘Ah.’

It was a mistake. After avoiding the skilled mercenaries’ coordinated attack, his balance collapsed. A blood-stained spear flew toward his swaying head.

Too late. Lésible glared at the mercenaries with wide eyes.

He would never forget, even in death. As he stared at the spear blade with bloodshot eyes as if to devour it.

“You can’t even handle this much. You should have trained more.”

Kael, dressed as an ordinary vassal, blocked in front of him and teased playfully.

“Urgh!”

“What the hell are these guys!”

It wasn’t just Kael. Several knights who had thrown off their disguises began infiltrating between the mercenaries and cleaning up the situation.

“Clemente, I have to protect Clemente. Kael, let’s go!”

“Calm down, Vice-Captain. The Captain is already there. Just tend to yourself.”

“Ugh. Cheeky bastard.”

“Yes, yes.”

Lésible sat down heavily while controlling his rough breathing.

He took a deep breath and tilted his head back to look toward where Clemente was. Among the gathered mercenaries, he saw someone with the same back of the head as the Captain.

“Why is she just standing there like that…”

Though puzzled, he stopped thinking and closed his eyes. Gwen, the Captain of the Azure Knights, might seem frivolous but was someone who perfectly accomplished what needed to be done.

**

Gwen was sweating profusely as she watched the standoff between Clemente and Nerhi.

It had been fine up to receiving Zephyrus’s secret orders to disguise herself and monitor Nerhi’s group staying in the village.

But the situation had changed rapidly. She had told them to help Lésible when the timing was right.

He had intended to rescue Clemente.

But the reason he was just watching now was because Clemente seemed to have some kind of plan.

Even though the blades looked ready to stab her with the slightest movement, her expression hadn’t changed at all.

“Is this the best you can do? I’m disappointed.”

She even provoked them!

Gwen tensely watched the conversation, ready to break through the mercenaries at any moment.

“Think you can do something with a little heat?”

“Ah, did you really think you could catch me with something like this?”

It was the Mercenary Captain who became angry at Clemente’s words.

“How dare you….”

When he applied slight pressure to the sword at Clemente’s neck, blood began to trickle down.

It was only meant to intimidate her.

As Clemente’s blood flowed down the sword, the blade began to turn crimson and heat waves started rising.

‘What is… this?’

The Mercenary Captain found it difficult to make proper judgment.

Something that defied common sense was happening.

He couldn’t possibly think this was the power of a single drop of human blood.

It felt like standing right in front of a fiercely burning fire.

The Mercenary Captain bit his lip, trying to regain his senses as his palm felt like it was burning.

The slowly rising smell of burning leather disrupted his concentration, causing irritation for just a moment.

Feeling more than hot, almost stinging, he moved his hand gripping the sword. He thought to wipe away some sweat—

“…!”

It wouldn’t move. His palm had stuck to the sword’s handle.

Screech, a screaming sound was heard as the blade swelled up.

The moment Clemente’s blood flowed down the blade and touched the cloth wrapped around the handle.

“Aaaah!”

Whoosh, fire blazed up.

The fire instantly devoured the cloth on the handle and made the Mercenary Captain’s body its prey.

“Uah, uaaaah! Put it out! Please put it out!”

“What, what is this! Water! Bring water!”

“Shovel some snow at least!”

As the mercenaries near Clemente panicked trying to extinguish the fire on their captain’s body, Nerhi shouted sharply.

“What are you doing! Your target is that one. Capture her immediately and make her kneel!”

“A person is burning in fire!”

“Carry out the commission.”

The mercenary group’s second-in-command gritted his teeth.

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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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