You Said I Was a Persecuted, Terminally Ill Grand Duchess? - Chapter 14

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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 14

The end room of the west tower.

That place offered a clear view of Rene’s Cottage.

Zenos moved with heavy steps and slowly pushed open the door.

A circular room made entirely of stone.

Though it was a place rarely visited by people, it was kept neat and tidy, ready to welcome its master at any time.

Opposite the thick wooden door was a large window, beside which hung an enormous tapestry.

The tapestry embroidered with the family crest indicated that this was a place reserved only for the master of the Celeste Estate.

“Mm.”

Zenos settled into the plush velvet chair placed by the window.

Thanks to the unusually fine weather, he could see the rear mountain of the Celeste Estate and the quaint cottage in front of it through the window.

Whether she was inside the house or not, there was no one in Rene’s front yard.

“Hah…”

Zenos, standing near the window, hesitated and then sighed.

Meeting his own eyes reflected in the glass suddenly brought a wave of self-loathing.

“To be fooled by such an obvious lie. What am I even doing…”

The Celeste Duke’s Castle had strict security in the first place, making it difficult for intruders to enter easily.

Even though he knew this fact better than anyone…

He felt pathetic for crawling all the way here based on groundless suspicion.

It was just as Zenos was about to turn away from the window.

“!”

As if she had been waiting, Rene Blanche appeared.

Though there was quite a distance, whether fortunately or unfortunately, Zenos had excellent eyesight.

So he could see very clearly how she was bustling about.

Rene was wearing a red cloak that matched the color of her eyes.

She walked briskly to the front yard and boldly threw off her cloak.

Startled, Zenos reflexively looked away, but she was wearing fluffy fur clothing under the cloak as well.

The maids had bundled her up so thoroughly that it must have felt stifling.

‘She looks like a white weasel buried in snow.’

It was when Zenos was having such leisurely thoughts.

“?”

Suddenly, strange behavior began.

“What… is she doing?”

Even for Zenos, it was quite difficult to tear his gaze away from Rene, as if magnetized.

And for good reason—suddenly Rene stretched out her arms and legs and began hopping up and down in place.

She seemed to be waving her arms and legs to some rhythm of her own, but to Zenos, who was a Sword Master…

‘She’s terribly uncoordinated.’

There was no rhythm whatsoever in her movements.

She seemed deeply absorbed in it herself, but that was all.

After jumping like that about ten times, Rene was breathing heavily and diligently wiping away sweat.

‘She’s sweating that much from just doing that?’

It was when Zenos was feeling somewhat bewildered.

Knock knock.

“Your Grace, it’s Cal.”

“Yes.”

The door opened with the knock, and Butler Cal appeared.

Behind him stood a woman in maid’s clothing with a slightly nervous expression.

“I’ve brought the Duchess’s personal maid. Pay your respects.”

“Yes.”

At Cal’s words, the maid approached Zenos and bowed deeply.

“Greetings, Your Grace the Duke. I am Betty, who serves Her Grace the Duchess.”

Betty maintained a stern expression and silently waited for the next words.

She had already returned to being a taciturn maid.

“Give me a brief report.”

Zenos spoke in a stiff tone.

Betty swallowed dryly, hesitated, then spoke in a resolute voice.

“From what I’ve observed over the past few weeks, Her Grace the Duchess is… not someone Your Grace needs to worry about.”

“What’s your basis?”

“In the first place, such a baby rabbit could never pose a threat to Your Grace.”

“…?”

“Leave out your personal opinions.”

At Cal’s pointed remark, Betty scratched her head sheepishly.

“But it’s the truth. Since coming to the Duke’s Castle, all Lady Rene has done is clean the cottage, try to chop firewood only to fall over, and catch a cold while cleaning the library.”

Zenos’s gaze returned to the window.

Rene, who had been hopping around for a while, had already changed her movements.

This time, as if rowing or scooping something up, she was bouncing while rhythmically lifting her arms from top to bottom.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Everyone present witnessed Rene’s behavior and was momentarily speechless.

“…Right?”

Betty, having seen her master’s typical behavior, asked.

“…Indeed.”

Zenos, who found this much at least refreshingly convincing, replied.

“You may go now.”

“Yes. Excuse me.”

Betty, who had bowed politely, quietly exited just as she had entered.

Zenos stared intently at Rene, then drew the curtains with slight irritation.

He didn’t want to watch her ridiculous antics any longer.

As Zenos began to walk, Cal, who had been waiting with the door open, immediately followed behind him.

And spoke in a low voice.

“Considering the words of the other servants as well, the personal maid’s words were true.”

Thud, thud—two sets of footsteps filled the stairs of the west tower.

A cave-like bass voice mixed in between them.

“Cal, what do you think?”

“I haven’t conversed with Her Grace directly or served her personally, so I can’t give you a definitive answer, but… considering the servants’ words, the personal maid’s testimony, and even the testimonies of the servants within House of Blanche.”

“Mm.”

“She doesn’t seem to be someone who would act with any malicious intent from the start.”

Cal was an experienced butler.

He had as good an eye for people as his years of experience.

It was precisely because of this that the current Duke’s Castle ran smoothly.

Zenos trusted Cal completely.

Setting everything else aside.

In fact, hadn’t he known this from the beginning?

Perhaps the antipathy Zenos felt wasn’t directed at Rene herself, but at her family, and further still, at the Empress and Ministers.

‘There were no traces of Rene Blanche having direct contact with the Empress. But… then why did the Empress push that woman forward as the Duchess?’

Zenos couldn’t shake his suspicious gaze until the very end.

But without even realizing it himself.

His impression of Rene Blanche had already changed considerably from the beginning.

* * *

“Huff, huff, huff.”

Though it was under a clear sky, winter was still winter, and the air was quite chilly.

With each breath I took in and out, the cold that seeped into my lungs made me press down hard on my chest.

Beneath it, I could feel my heart pounding frantically.

My cheeks were probably bright red from the burning heat.

Sweat had been pouring down my forehead like rain for a while now.

‘What did I even do to feel this exhausted?’

Suppressing the urge to just collapse right there, I plopped down heavily against a tree trunk.

‘I’m… completely burned out.’

I felt as drained as if I had sprinted at full speed.

And yet all I had done was basic calisthenics…

As I keep saying, this body was even more pathetic than I thought.

It had no basic stamina, let alone any muscle.

‘Did the original owner just lie around breathing all their life?’

That might have been the case for this body’s original owner, but now that I was using it, I couldn’t leave it like this.

I decided to go back to basics.

Since it was distributed to improve the basic fitness of citizens, the national exercise routine was actually pretty decent.

This body, which couldn’t even manage a simple squat, should be grateful it could even keep up with this much.

And so the national exercise routine became my morning routine.

After doing it for a few days, it seemed less difficult than at first.

Maybe there was some progress after all.

“Phew. Let me try just one more set.”

I’d need it to tend a vegetable garden when spring came.

Most importantly, there was chopping firewood—which had dealt me such a bitter blow!

For my firewood chopping retry, I needed to shed this twig-like body.

‘Someday I’ll have sturdy arms like Betty’s and chop through the thickest firewood.’

That was pretty strong motivation.

I forced myself to stand up.

But my frail body kept going against my will.

Just as I failed to control my shaky legs and took a few steps like I was doing some ridiculous dance—

“Pfft!”

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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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