Raising the Grand Duke of the North as a Farmer Behind Dad’s Back - Chapter 50

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 50
* * *
There was no time to dwell on the Duke’s words.
My fever had climbed again, and my body sprawled across the bed like a rag doll.
Many people had come and gone in the meantime.
Not only the Bertus knights, but Paul and the other villagers had filed in to pay their respects, one after another.
They all stood there shuffling their feet, not knowing what to do, stealing furtive glances at my face, shuffling some more, and finally trudged back home.
‘I’ve caused them nothing but trouble without meaning to.’
I opened my eyes again in the dead of night.
The room was empty.
I blinked about five times. Then I thought.
‘I’m sick of this.’
Lying in bed.
In my past life, I’d endured it so often I wanted to scream.
I wanted to walk along the field ridges or run through the village.
With wind whipping through my hair. Breathing hard until it catches in my throat.
But right now, I can’t do anything.
……
Helplessness washed over me.
I twisted my body in rebellion when something small snagged against me.
“Huh? What’s this?”
It was an absolutely adorable little hippo-shaped bag.
‘Looks like someone made it by hand……’
Looking more carefully, the bed and the table nearby were completely covered with gifts.
A small Ribbon String, animal figurines made of straw, berries good for health, a Wildflower Bouquet, an Assorted Bread Basket, and more.
‘Gifts? Why?’
As I touched the bread basket with a puzzled expression, the face of Duke Basilii suddenly came to mind.
“From now on, Pillar Purification is forbidden.”
My lips puckered out.
‘What’s this all of a sudden?’
I couldn’t understand why he suddenly ordered me not to do Pillar Purification.
‘Did it feel incomplete because I was sick?’
In that case, I just had to recover quickly.
“Ugh, I need water.”
Muttering softly, I pushed myself up with effort.
Whoosh—a cup of water appeared.
……?
Wait.
Was the room really empty……?
I turned my head and saw Slran standing there in an awkward pose, holding out the cup.
“Y—”
The moment our eyes met, the boy’s body went rigid.
“—you scared me!”
……
“Slran? How long have you been here?”
“…… Just a little while ago.”
Slran whipped his head away and added quickly.
“I, um, came to visit you.”
“In the middle of the night……?”
Don’t tell me he’d been here the whole time.
Either way, Slran pressed the cup firmly into my hands, tilted the pillow at an angle to prop me up, and carefully watched until I finished drinking.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes!”
“…… I told you to rest right away yesterday……”
My eyes widened at that quiet murmur.
“Did you know I was getting sick?”
“Of course I didn’t know it would get this bad……”
Then it clicked.
“…… When we came down from the mountain and were heading home, I suddenly……”
“You’re lying.”
The reason the Grand Duke immediately dismissed my words as lies.
I couldn’t fault Slran for it, though.
Slran had only answered truthfully according to the Grand Duke’s words.
“……Here, drink this.”
“What is it?”
I stared at the small glass vial Slran held out, eyes widening.
“It’s a Healing Potion. It works well for colds.”
“Where did you get it?”
“I just…… made it following a recipe from a book. It’s very basic, nothing special.”
The boy looked away, seeming a bit embarrassed.
“Wow.”
The liquid inside sloshed—luminous, iridescent.
“You’re really smart. How do you make medicine just from reading a book?”
“Well, it’s just a matter of mixing things together…….”
According to Noah, Slran had a strong grasp of Mana and often understood even complex Magic Circles.
The only issue was that he was extremely reluctant to use Mana directly.
Once a Magic Circle was drawn, it needed Mana breathed into it to activate—and he struggled with that.
‘By his own account, his Mana is just too weak for it.’
Still, here was medicine that Slran had made for me.
Thinking of him sweating before a great cauldron, my chest tightened.
‘This is actually moving. And his emotional maturity is ages behind mine!’
That brat!
“Keep it for now. Tomorrow, have Master or Camilla check if it’s safe before you drink it…….”
I immediately uncorked it and downed the medicine in one gulp.
“Mmm!”
“What——!”
Slran’s eyes went wide as lanterns.
“What are you doing? Why are you drinking it now!”
“Huh? You gave it to me to drink, didn’t you? Mm, this tastes like strawberries!!”
“I added wild strawberry juice…… but that’s not the point.”
Slran laughed weakly, bewildered.
“What if it had been poison?”
“Do you want to get rid of me?”
“Are you insane?!”
Slran poured out the words, then seemed to catch himself, stiffening.
I grinned widely and spoke.
“See? Why wouldn’t I drink something a friend gave me!”
“……That’s not what I meant.”
“What?”
“……Never mind, it’s nothing.”
Whoosh.
The boy turned away, his dark robe flaring behind him.
Honestly, I would’ve liked him to stay and play longer, but I sensed this was already pushing his limits.
“Bye, Slran. See you tomorrow.”
“? I’m not leaving.”
Scrape—he dragged over a chair and flopped down.
I tilted my head, confused.
“Why not?”
The boy hesitated for a long moment before finally answering.
“……To observe the potion’s effects.”
Definitely a magic fanatic. How cute.
My eyes were already getting heavy anyway, so I burrowed into the blankets and buried my face.
After lying there a moment, something suddenly occurred to me.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“You didn’t make that potion just now as a get-well gift, did you?”
“Well…… yes, I did.”
……
I wiggled my toes under the blanket.
“……Why do people give gifts when I’m sick?”
I glanced sideways at the pile of gifts scattered around the room.
“Being sick isn’t exactly an accomplishment.”
I knew they’d brought them as courtesy during their visit to check on me. But I’d never received so many gifts before, and it felt strange.
Just then, Slran spoke up matter-of-factly.
“They’re wishing for you to recover quickly.”
“Oh, right—so I’ll get better soon and stop worrying everyone around me…….”
“That’s not it.”
Beneath the moonlight, his blue eyes gleamed with quiet clarity.
“When you’re ill, you’re suffering the most, aren’t you?”
……
“For those watching, especially if it’s someone precious to them, it’s heartbreaking. So they wish for your swift recovery. That’s all, really.”
……Yes!
I pulled the blanket up over my head.
My face burned hot—though the fever clearly wasn’t entirely gone.
* * *
A few days later.
Haniel had made a complete recovery.
‘Slran’s medicine really worked!’
How exciting!
“I’m fine now, aren’t I? Right?”
I beamed at Camilla, who sat in a chair with her hand on my forehead. She laughed, giving my rosy cheek a gentle tap.
“Yes, your fever’s completely gone.”
After taking Slran’s medicine and resting for several days, my body felt miraculously light.
“Hee-hee!”
I sprang to my feet!
I bounded over to Basilii, swinging my arms enthusiastically.
“See? I told you I’d be better in no time!”
Basilii, who’d been sitting at his desk studying something, glanced at me.
“Yeah, looks like it.”
“Look at this!”
……
“I can run now!”
Bounce-bounce-bounce!
I hopped in place as I spoke.
“Hey, stop. Don’t jump—you’ll make me dizzy.”
“Ta-da! I can roll around too!”
I tumbled across the thick carpet, and Basilii sighed.
“Seriously, stop it. No rolling either. If you upset your stomach, guess who’s going to be the one crying tears of blood.”
“I can even dig with my hoe like this!”
Swish.
The moment I pulled out my Toy Hoe, Basilii sprang up and snatched it reflexively.
“Why are you being so loud and crazy?”
He finally scooped me up and settled back into his chair, and I climbed onto his lap, leaning in to whisper with the brightest expression on my face.
“So you’ll take me to the Light Dragon Pillar……! Will you? Please?”
……
Yeah, I figured he’d see that coming.
Basilii set me on the desk so we were face to face.
“Haniel.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you remember my rule that you’re not allowed near the pillar?”
My long lashes fluttered.
“From now on, forget about the pillar.”
“You mean ‘pay attention to the pillar,’ right? You misspoke.”
“No, actually. Our Territory has a Special Law restricting children under ten from approaching the pillar.”
“But there’s no such law here…….”
“I just enacted it.”
“You don’t even know how to make laws…….”
“Only you’re growing? I’m growing too.”
I cried out in exasperation.
“There’s no such thing!”
“Here it is.”
“But—”
“…….”
“If I don’t purify it, how are you going to maintain the Beil River?”
“…….”
“We need to catch fish! If more people come, we’ll have to store more food!”
Basilii regarded the child with a stern gaze.
“That’s precisely why it’s not your concern anymore.”
“Why not?”
Haniel pressed her lips together.
“Because I’m sick…… I’ve become useless? Now…… don’t you—”
“…….”
“Don’t want to raise me anymore?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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