I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 60

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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 60

Nerhi could not escape execution. It was only natural, if you think about it.

His execution was carried out quietly. On a night when blizzards raged. He met his end on a day when hot blood would freeze instantly.

It was the kind of death that Nerhi, who had wanted to live his entire life receiving attention and reigning like a king, would hate most.

The reason they could execute Nerhi while Harvie was infected with Studiworm was thanks to the spring water discovered in Icetas, Raha.

“If it has the effect of filtering out all impurities unnecessary to the body… I believe the Studiworm was also treated as an impurity and filtered out.”

Airite, who had analyzed Raha, explained while adding:

The fact that he was still alive despite being sent a letter containing information about Nerhi meant he had consumed insufficiently matured Studiworm. That’s why one bottle of Raha was enough to cure him completely.

“And Raha also considered the Studiworm that the innkeeper consumed as waste matter.”

“You mean the bug that made him consider a criminal as his master also dies?”

At Zephyrus’s confirmation, Airite nodded.

“Yes. Of course, one bottle wasn’t enough, but it worked when we fed him quite a lot more.”

Since he was going to be executed anyway, I did some experiments.

I tried feeding him until water would splash out if you pressed his belly, and also tried injecting it.

Anyway, we discovered that the more Raha there is, the better the effect, so isn’t that good enough?

“That’s good news. But you said you couldn’t find Crea?”

Airite asked Gwen.

Among those currently gathered in Zephyrus’s room, Gwen was standing most uncomfortably.

He glanced at Zephyrus nervously, then answered glumly.

Among the tasks Zephyrus had assigned him was to capture Crea, the ‘herb-obsessed mage’ certified by Airite.

It was even important.

But he had failed. He had no choice but to read the room.

“Yes. Green hair and green eyes. Even if she’s a mage who can change her hair color, she shouldn’t be able to change her eye color… It’s not a common color, so I thought I’d find her quickly, but she wasn’t there.”

He had moved Nerhi and the mercenary group, searched the vicinity, and looked for anyone hiding, but couldn’t find her.

It was natural. Crea had never been hiding.

Airite let out a sigh.

“She’ll probably return to Pruina Domain soon and cause some trouble. That woman wouldn’t have gotten involved in this fight for no reason.”

He speculated that Crea’s reason for getting involved must be related to herbs or medicine.

And among those, there must be a reason it’s in the Northern Region.

He repeatedly urged them not to let their guard down.

It seemed like there was something only Airite, who had directly experienced Crea, could see.

Clemente nodded and wrote down what Airite had said.

“I’ll pass this on to Gwen.”

“It’s fine. I heard from Lésible that Clemente’s handwriting is illegible.”

“…”

Clemente pressed her lips together and emotionally drew lines through what she had written.

“What about the Guild Master and Tei’s side?”

Zephyrus moved on to the next agenda item. The answer came from Rossia.

“They’re looking at a hopeful future. Tei’s poisoning hasn’t been cured yet, but they seem to trust the Physician quite a bit.”

“I’m temporarily postponing the glass greenhouse work to focus on that, so I should be able to make it soon.”

Airite nodded as if it were obvious.

“Wow, really Physician… No, never mind. I won’t say it.”

Not caring about Rossia’s reaction, Airite spoke up.

“More than that, about Raha. I want to water the herbs with it instead of regular water when growing them.”

In his imagination, his herb garden was full of herbs that had absorbed plenty of Raha and had maximized effects.

“Put aside such useless thoughts. Focus all your energy on making Tei’s medicine now, and making greenhouse glass after that.”

“The greenhouse glass just needs the mage to succeed… I think it should be fine to keep thinking about it.”

“…Do as you please.”

Zephyrus let out a light sigh and organized the documents that were spread out.

“Gwen, don’t just look for people in hiding, search the domain thoroughly. While you’re at it, update the information on the vassals.”

“I will obey your command.”

“Rossia, properly assess the domain situation that changed due to this incident.”

In exchange for sparing the mercenary group’s lives, they had thoroughly stripped the mercenary group itself.

The income from that compensation was quite substantial. It was enough to do the maintenance work that had been postponed due to greenhouse research.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Physician…”

Meeting Airite’s insolent gaze, Zephyrus sighed again.

“I’d be grateful if you could just provide more information about that mage.”

“I’ll tell you everything I know. Though it will be quite old information.”

That would be enough. His informants would find the latest information.

“The meeting is adjourned.”

At the declaration of adjournment, everyone left the office.

Only Clemente, who was writing the meeting minutes, remained.

She put down the meeting minutes with a dejected face.

Zephyrus read the meeting minutes while organizing once more what needed to be done going forward.

“Look at this! Master can read it just fine!”

Clemente bounced around with a bright face. Zephyrus looked at Clemente with a puzzled expression.

“No! Lésible started it. Everyone who sees my handwriting asks if it’s a drawing. They say they can’t read it. But I wrote it perfectly fine.”

Zephyrus silently looked down at the meeting minutes.

He quite agreed with the comment that it looked like a drawing.

‘But I can still make it out.’

He looked at Clemente again.

Clemente was smiling at him.

“Then you should just show your handwriting to me alone.”

If you want to write letters, write them only to me.

“Yes, I’ll do that!”

Zephyrus’s lips twitched. It probably wasn’t the case, but it seemed like she had answered his inner thoughts.

“Then let’s talk about your story now.”

“My story?”

“I heard the details from Gwen. Your heat was quite threatening.”

People tend to avoid things that aren’t ordinary. If the vassals had seen it, there would be a different reaction than before.

Zephyrus was worried that Clemente might get hurt.

“Oh, that. The knights protected the vassals and blocked everything in front, so they said it wasn’t very visible.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Clemente patted Zephyrus’s shoulder.

“Even if what Master is worried about happened, I’d be fine. Don’t worry about it.”

As if that were possible.

Zephyrus’s expression was saying just that. Clemente giggled.

“It’ll still be a bit busy, so let’s go to Icetas in a few days. I’m looking forward to the picnic.”

“I told you it’s not a picnic.”

“Come on, Master is looking forward to it too~”

“Get out.”

Zephyrus eventually kicked out Clemente as well.

“Phew.”

The slip of the tongue he made when first setting foot in Icetas.

He couldn’t tell how long Clemente would tease him with that dark history.

Zephyrus covered his increasingly hot face and sighed once more.

**

The vassals’ confusion subsided easily.

Harvie, freed from Studiworm, had also exposed all of Nerhi’s schemes.

They also became noticeably healthier after drinking the water distributed by Zephyrus’s order.

Most importantly, it was because Clemente and the knights came and went, informing the vassals about what Zephyrus had been doing.

It was borrowed from the method Nerhi had used most effectively to win the people’s hearts.

He had never hidden the work he did for the domain.

For the Duchy Castle, which had thought they just needed to work diligently in silence, this was an eye-opening revelation.

They say development occurs in times of crisis.

By resolving this incident well, the unity of the Duchy had improved even more.

“Clemente! Please come here too.”

“Oh, just a moment!”

So Clemente was quite busy.

The vassals who had realized that all the rumors about Zephyrus were false kept seeking out Clemente.

“Please tell His Highness this too. That we’re sorry for everything…”

It was to present tribute gifts. These were presents the vassals had prepared with apology and reverence.

The vassals, thinking that the knights were armed and couldn’t deliver just anything to their lord, entrusted everything to Clemente.

Clemente naturally intended to deliver all of this to Zephyrus.

“And please eat this, Lady Fireplace.”

A gift the village person handed to her.

It had been repeating for days now, so she would feel a little disappointed if there wasn’t one.

“What is it this time?”

“Nothing special. I crushed some candy bought from the caravan and froze it, and it turned out quite delicious.”

“Oh my. That precious thing! You have kids at home, don’t you? Shon and Sia would love it.”

The woman waved her hands vigorously.

“The kids won’t eat it because it’s too cold. This is…”

After hesitating a bit, she quickly handed over the ice candy.

“It’s a snack for Lady Fireplace, who has a hot body and can’t feel the cold well!”

Her ears turned red all the way to the tips, and she ran away immediately.

Clemente burst out laughing.

Yesterday the tavern owner gave her beer to drink during breaks, and the day before the woodworking shop owner gifted her a carving. In the snowy field, the carving with fields around Clemente was quite beautiful.

‘I guess it would be a bit awkward to only give gifts to the master.’

Seeing how they took turns giving her gifts too.

It probably also meant to deliver the gifts to Zephyrus properly.

Clemente put the ice candy in her mouth.

Not just one, but poured them all in at once.

They would melt on the way anyway. She had to eat them all so they wouldn’t go to waste.

On her way back with an armful of precious gifts to deliver to Zephyrus, she met Ruby and the twins.

“Fireplace!”

“Fireplace!”

The twins, as always, claimed one of Clemente’s legs each and hung on.

“Oh my. You two have gotten quite heavy.”

“What did you say? That’s rude to say to a lady! Stupid fireplace!”

“Really?”

Lora and Lu’s reactions were completely different.

Lu puffed out his small shoulders as much as possible, pleased.

Clemente giggled.

“Getting heavy means you’ve grown, right? Lora doesn’t want to grow?”

“Uh… huh? Is that so! Then um, Lora wants to get heavier!”

“Oh really. Lora wants to grow tall?”

“I’ll be bigger than fireplace!”

“Oh my, then you’ll have to eat your pickled cabbage well too, won’t you?”

“No! Why does it have to be that? Lora can grow well without eating that!”

Lora’s pronunciation slurred as she hurriedly protested. Knowing this herself, her face scrunched up.

“Can grow well, I mean!”

Ruby shook her head watching Lora practice her pronunciation while even snorting.

“Even though they’re twins, I don’t know how they can be so different.”

Lu was playing with Clemente’s hair, regardless of what Lora was doing.

“Fire! Hot!”

“Yes. No it’s not.”

“Owie!”

“Not hot. No owie.”

“Fireplace not hot?”

Lu’s round eyes looking at Clemente were so cute.

“Fireplace gets hot when angry! Burns with a whoosh. Roar!”

She finally put down her load and tickled his belly.

“Kyaah! Hehe!”

Then Lu burst into giggles. Lora, drawn by this, came over too, so she hugged them both and tickled their necks with her fingers.

Thud!

Just then, the vibrating sound of something falling was heard.

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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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