The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 177

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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 177

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Since Valerie and Hilberry asked for more garlic bread, we had garlic sticks as finger food for our tea time.

The head chef had baked them using stick-shaped baguettes.

“Using garlic in baking… I’ve never thought of such a thing!”

“Think about garlic cream bread too. It might be surprisingly good.”

I was just throwing out a comment based on memories from my past life, but the head chef was fired up with enthusiasm.

“Yes! I’ll do my absolute best!”

Anyway, Hilberry declared solemnly.

“This isn’t just a simple new appetizer or dessert. It’s a defensive weapon that can be supplied to every household.”

It wasn’t wrong.

Isabela nodded while drinking her tea.

“That’s right.”

The cold beauty of the Northern Region who had experienced war added seriously.

“It seems Sebon is planning to invade the continent… Not just garlic, but supplies are extremely important in war.”

Considering Paul’s testimony and the Empress Dowager’s transformation, it was certain we needed to prepare for war.

“In the sense that we’re facing a war against monsters, Miss Brisa is an enormous asset to the continent.”

“That’s right. She might be an even more important asset than Marquis Sears or Leopold.”

Hilberry agreed immediately.

Since ‘Marquis Sears’ was mentioned, I quickly changed the subject.

“Lady Valerie, I’m truly grateful.”

In fact, Valerie’s condition wasn’t very good.

The person who had been so upright was now confined to a wheelchair, her voice was hoarse and barely audible. Most of all, her complexion was terribly poor.

She was elderly, had been exposed to dark magic energy, and had actually been seriously injured when she charged at Alpheus while being controlled.

“Thanks to Lady Valerie, my brother survived.”

Remembering the garlic and moving quickly, and above all, jumping into that battle without regard for danger…

Everyone knew it wasn’t an ordinary thing to do, which made it all the more grateful.

“I just kept my promise.”

Valerie said primly.

“Though it wasn’t intentional, I contributed to the unfair treatment you received when you came to this land.”

“Still, you saved my brother’s life… You’re Sears’ benefactor. I want to repay you somehow…”

Then Hilberry waved both hands frantically to stop me.

“Don’t do that, Brisa. Don’t say such things.”

The old man looked ready to cover my mouth.

“Valerie isn’t someone who declines such offers.”

It was exactly the same advice Leopold had given before.

Valerie suddenly made coughing sounds, cutting off Hilberry’s words.

“I’m already too tired. Don’t interrupt the conversation with useless talk. I’ll just say what I need to say and then go back to rest.”

Valerie clearly looked like a patient. Her expression and voice showed she had already used up today’s energy. So everyone immediately fell silent.

In the barely obtained silence, Valerie raised her eyebrows and spoke.

“Well, so…”

She pointed at Leopold sitting next to me and asked.

“Brisa, don’t tell me your engagement was broken off because this boy became a monster?”

Leopold nearly spat out the tea he was drinking.

Seeing that, Valerie shrugged her shoulders.

“I’ve never heard of a dog that grows and shrinks at a few human words in my entire life. That must be the Western Region’s curse.”

The price of saving my life in front of others was high. Leopold’s secret was thus exposed to everyone. I honestly felt really sorry.

But I couldn’t regret it since I couldn’t have just quietly let the Empress Dowager drag me away.

“G-Great-aunt?”

“I had roughly guessed. That the Imperial Family could place a curse on your family.”

Valerie sighed and continued.

“That’s why I always advised you to watch the Imperial Family’s mood… I just wanted Nogen to always be safe. But it had already happened. Well, the Northern Region was probably in a similar situation, so you don’t need to be careful with your words.”

Isabela glanced around and nodded.

“Yes. My father is the one cursed. Looking at Young Duke’s example, I’ll probably inherit that curse after father passes away.”

I tried not to imagine Isabela’s lower body turning into a horse.

Isabela pointed to the ring on her finger and continued.

“If we destroy this, wouldn’t that curse disappear? I was actually going to discuss this problem.”

The former female lead princess was full of responsibility.

“We’ve already placed too much responsibility on young children. It would be nice if adults could solve this much.”

I quietly looked at Valerie and Hilberry.

Surely the answer would be ‘We’ll look into the destruction method in the Western Region.’

If that didn’t work out well, I was thinking of going to Rudolf Village in the Northern Region with Leopold then. Since Queen of Riente’s spirit would remain there.

But surprisingly, Valerie and Hilberry didn’t give any answer.

Rather, they just maintained silence with gloomy expressions.

While Isabela and I were slightly flustered, Leopold slowly began to speak.

“Well, the ring is… hmm.”

It was clear that the conversation wouldn’t continue as we had expected.

Valerie sighed and muttered, ‘I should prepare to leave soon. I’m really tired.’

Isabela and I looked at Leopold tensely.

After hesitating for a moment, he spoke quickly.

“Actually, I think we shouldn’t destroy it for a while.”

“Huh?”

It was truly unexpected.

I felt like I’d been hit in the head.

Wasn’t Leopold the one who wanted to break this curse as soon as possible?

Wasn’t that why we went through all this trouble?

But now he’s saying not to break the curse for a while?

“You know, Brisa.”

Leopold looked at me and said quietly.

“I’m actually planning to go to Sebon.”

…Sebon?

Sebon officially prohibited dark magic, of course. But that was just a facade to show international society, and everyone knew they were secretly supporting them behind the scenes.

But he wants to go to that center of evil?

So to the heart of the dark mages’ stronghold where the Empress Dowager was trying to fly to?

I stared at Leopold blankly.

Sebon is a foreign country… What justification would the Empire’s Nogen Vice Duke have?

If he’s going to infiltrate while hiding his identity, wouldn’t it be enough to just send information agents?

Leopold slowly continued.

“Centauros said last time, remember? That ‘contamination’ and ‘monster waves’ are products of dark magic.”

The Centauros inside Borem had indeed said such things.

Leopold seemed to have looked up related materials in the Western Region library.

“Riente was always afraid that ‘those barbarians’ would cross the sea and invade Riente, so they secretly supported dark mages to create contamination and monster waves in this land. So that the more dark magic flourished, the more its side effects would appear in the continent’s largest and best lands.”

While I had come up to the capital first, Leopold hadn’t stayed in the library with Harrison for nothing.

“I found that material, and with that material, grandfather could demand legitimate investigative rights from Sebon.”

I immediately understood what Leopold was saying.

The reason dark magic couldn’t be eradicated until now was just one thing.

Because they fled to foreign countries. Under international law, criminals who fled to foreign countries couldn’t be pursued without just cause.

“They’ve caused damage to the Empire for a long time. Especially to the Western Region. Since the materials and justification were sufficient, His Majesty the Emperor also approved all of this on the day of the banquet.”

Ah, then.

Hilberry had a private audience with the Emperor on the day of the banquet because of this matter…

So many things happened that day that I only just remembered now.

“Even if… Sebon refuses, we have sufficient justification for war. If a full-scale war breaks out, the Western Region will take the lead.”

I blinked slowly.

I could easily predict the upcoming situation.

Sebon probably couldn’t engage in full-scale war yet. So they would approve the investigation rights for now.

Whether her train of thought was the same up to this point, Isabela interjected.

“But even if they approve the investigation rights, they won’t particularly cooperate. No, they’ll probably interfere.”

She pointed out the dangers of this plan on my behalf as I was left speechless.

“Rather, if they get the chance, they’ll try to eliminate you and disguise it as an accident.”

“So it would be better not to destroy the ring.”

Only then could I understand why Leopold had told me not to destroy the ring.

The Half-Human, Half-Beast curse ultimately makes an individual stronger.

Even without transforming into a wolf now, he had become incredibly strong with extremely heightened five senses.

“I’ve been wanting to root out the Dark Mages anyway.”

Leopold said to Isabela.

“I am the heir to the Western Region, so I have a public duty to eliminate ‘Contamination’ and ‘Monster Waves’ for the Territory Residents.”

Hilberry and Valerie continued to remain silent. This meant the discussion within the Western Region was finished.

If it was the Western Region’s decision, neither I nor Isabela could interfere.

The Western Region’s ‘Contamination’ and ‘Monster Waves’ were certainly major issues for the territory.

But we could all guess the words he hadn’t spoken.

While he had sufficient public justification, in truth he wanted to go for my eternal safety.

He wanted to be by my side, but the safety of the person he loved was more important than that desire. Just like Alpheus.

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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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