You Said I Was a Persecuted, Terminally Ill Grand Duchess? - Chapter 25

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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 25

 

Was it because Betty’s analogy was too powerful?

 

My plan to greet the maid somewhat warmly failed miserably.

 

I just stared blankly at the face of the woman who had stormed in huffing and puffing.

 

Today too, she was splendidly dressed up to the nines, and her face was flushed red and blue.

 

She really did resemble a peacock perfectly and was beautiful.

 

‘She’s pretty today too. But why is she so angry?’

 

It was the moment I was trying to deduce the reason.

 

The maid who had stridden over quickly stood in front of me and shouted loudly.

 

“Did you think I wouldn’t know about your secret affair? I’m the one suited to be the Grand Duchess! You vulgar wench!”

 

Suddenly, rough hands came flying at me.

 

“Eek? Me?!”

 

What? She was angry because of me?!

 

I didn’t do anything!

 

But in that instant, the Grand Duke’s words from earlier flashed through my mind.

 

“Don’t underestimate the security of the Duke’s Castle. I’ve already received reports that he was seen with you.”

 

“Someone reported to me that he might be your hidden lover…”

 

Don’t tell me my spy was my own maid?

 

She never even came to the cottage?!

 

But right now, such concerns were a luxury for me.

 

Just as the maid reached out to me as if to teach me a lesson, and the classic K-drama cliché of ‘hair-pulling’ was about to be executed.

 

“Stop it.”

 

In an instant, instead of the furious woman’s face, a solid back filled my vision.

 

It was the Grand Duke.

 

Thanks to the warm, large human wall blocking the front, I couldn’t see his face well, but I could clearly hear the maid’s tearful voice.

 

“Why does Jenos always take that woman’s side!”

 

“Is there a problem with me taking my wife’s side?”

 

“Ha! ‘My wife’?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“…”

 

Hidden behind the Grand Duke who answered confidently, I was dying trying to swallow down my nausea.

 

‘Ugh. My wife…’

 

This guy, is he the type who cares more about others’ opinions than he looks?

 

Just like at the festival last time.

 

He’s really trying hard to appear as a loving couple!

 

But…

 

Contrary to my cynical inner thoughts, strangely my face and ears kept getting hot.

 

“Don’t act so impudently for a mere maid.”

 

Suddenly my heart was pounding too.

 

Why is he saying things that make people misunderstand?

 

That’s why the peacock maid got angry!

 

Subtly shifting the blame to the Grand Duke, I quietly watched the situation unfold.

 

Regardless, the argument between the two was gradually escalating.

 

“Our Hugo Family has always served only the House of Celeste. We’re a loyal family spanning several generations! So how can you protect that daughter of House Blanche, that cursed bastard, to this extent?!”

 

“That judgment is mine to make, Katarina Hugo. You can’t confidently say you entered as the Grand Duchess’s maid with pure intentions either.”

 

“Th-that’s…!”

 

A fierce battle between equals.

 

The phrase ‘battle between a dragon and tiger’ was perfect.

 

Both were quite fierce, as if they had forgotten I was there.

 

I slowly backed away and soon quickly moved through the gap in the open door.

 

There were maids who looked at me with wide eyes, but fortunately, that was all.

 

There was no one who could stop the current situation.

 

Of course, that wasn’t me either!

 

‘Ugh, I don’t know, let’s just escape while we can.’

 

I don’t want to get involved with any of you!

 

At times like this, the classic but effective strategy of running away was the best.

 

* * *

 

“This is really too much!”

 

Sob sob!

 

Shedding tears like chicken droppings, Katarina, who had ultimately lost, turned around and ran out of the library.

 

But the man who had claimed victory, Jenos, couldn’t feel even a bit of joy in this situation.

 

Actually, it was natural.

 

This was just a drawn-out war of words with no gains or losses.

 

“Haah…”

 

Rather, Jenos sighed deeply with a face that showed doubled fatigue.

 

And he turned around toward the small woman who should be hiding behind him with frightened rabbit eyes.

 

“Rene Blanche, are you alri…”

 

?

 

Rene, who should have been trembling with drooping eyes, was nowhere to be seen.

 

As Jenos’s confused gaze wandered around, one maid who had been restless confessed.

 

“Y-Your Grace… Her Grace the Grand Duchess left her seat quite some time ago…”

 

“Quite some time ago?”

 

“Yes… When Your Grace was just escalating the argument with Lady Katarina, she had already…”

 

“…Haah. Good Lord.”

 

So she ran away without a care, ignoring the fight that happened because of her?

 

‘What kind of woman is this?’

 

He had thought she was an unusual woman, a funny woman, but experiencing Rene up close, she exceeded the bounds of common sense.

 

Jenos couldn’t hide his bewilderment and just kept sighing deeply.

 

Because of Katarina’s sudden appearance, he hadn’t even been able to bring up the real business that brought him here.

 

‘Really a dragon?’

 

Jenos looked down at his scabbard.

 

There was the House of Celeste’s crest, intricately crafted in relief.

 

The family crest passed down through generations of Celeste depicted massive castle walls and a dragon.

 

The reason was…

 

‘I wondered why she was reading such an unexpected book, but there was a reason for everything.’

 

Jenos picked up the book he had taken from Rene and been reading, ‘The Pact Between Celeste and the Dragon.’

 

To place Albert Rembrandt on the throne, the first Grand Duke Lucas Celeste made a secret pact with a dragon.

 

With that powerful force, the first head of House Celeste gave full support to the first Emperor Rembrandt, and ultimately could win the arduous struggle for supremacy.

 

The contents of that pact were passed down only to the family head, but somehow the glory tied to the pact had declined, and Jenos didn’t know its contents.

 

The original pact could be considered severed.

 

Jenos, exhausted by madness and having given up everything, thought it was rather good that the pact’s glory had been severed, but…

 

‘If dragons really exist?’

 

Then the recent reports of monsters appearing also become something that can’t be dismissed.

 

The sudden appearance of obsolete concepts like magic, dragons, and monsters—would this be beneficial or harmful to Celeste?

 

At the same time, the red-eyed woman came to mind in Jenos’s head.

 

The red-eyed bastard said to bring the family’s downfall.

 

The dragon that appeared before that very woman.

 

‘Could there be some secret I don’t know about in that pact passed down through our family for generations?’

 

When his thoughts reached that point, he sighed again.

 

“Damn it.”

 

The only family elder who could be asked about related matters was just one person.

 

A few months ago, when the marriage with House of Blanche was confirmed.

 

“What? A granddaughter-in-law from House of Blanche? Even if dirt gets in my eyes, I won’t see such a sight!”

 

Grandmother, who had gotten tremendously angry and disappeared just like that.

 

“Haah…”

 

Rather than being reliable, he had an uneasy premonition that things would only get bigger.

 

But what could he do.

 

Zenos, who hurriedly headed to his office, pressed his throbbing head firmly and gripped his pen.

 

It was to write a letter.

 

* * *

 

Some time later.

 

Pielle, a southern coastal region quite far from the northern region of Celeste.

 

Caw- Caw-

 

The afternoon scenery filled only with seagull cries and lapping wave sounds was peaceful as if it were another world.

 

“Hmm hmm~”

 

A villa on a hill with a clear view of the beautiful seaside scenery.

 

There was an elderly lady leisurely enjoying tea time while humming in a garden entirely carved from luxurious marble.

 

Her name was Diana Celeste.

 

“The new tea has quite a good flavor.”

 

Unlike Zenos’s troubled mind, she was the only elder of the Celeste Family, currently enjoying quite a peaceful time.

 

“Lady Diana.”

 

At that moment, a neatly dressed butler slowly approached and called to Diana.

 

In his hands was a silver tray containing a letter and a paper knife.

 

Diana’s eyes narrowed as she sipped her tea.

 

“A letter has arrived.”

 

“Just stuff it somewhere. Well, you can burn the old ones if you want.”

 

Diana continued speaking without even glancing toward the letter.

 

Despite her gentle voice, the content was quite cold.

 

Only her wrinkled hands were busy adding sugar to her teacup.

 

“However… Lady Diana.”

 

“It’s obviously from Cal. Or it’s from whining Katarina. Right?”

 

“There are letters from Lady Katarina and Lord Cal, but…”

 

“As expected! I’m officially in recovery, aren’t I? So tell everyone not to contact me. Say it interferes with my mental health.”

 

Saying this, Diana kept stirring her teaspoon with dissatisfied gestures.

 

But at the butler’s next words, she had no choice but to freeze completely.

 

“Well… this time His Highness Zenos has personally sent correspondence.”

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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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