Chapter 76.2

“Tea can wait. I have work.”

“What’s this? I knew you had a good reason to hurry home? But how can you be so tricky with me?”

Marchioness playfully glanced at Yurina.

“I’m sorry. But the matter is urgent. Mother, can I see your room?”

At that moment, the playfulness vanished from the Marchioness’ face.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know when I check everything.”

Even in spite of such uncertainty, the Marchioness understood that the matter was rubbish.

“Is it serious?”

Yurina couldn’t say a word even though she knew it would be better to tell the truth than to gloss over things like this.

Your daughter was almost killed by wolves recently. And I don’t know if you’re in danger yet.

How could she say such a thing?

Yurina licked her lips as she looked at the marquise and then shook her head.

“I don’t know yet. I’ll tell you later how it all works out.”

* * *

“Sit here.”

As soon as Raynard entered the Marchioness’ room, he seated Yurina on the sofa. When Yurina tried to stand up again, he pressed his shoulder against her and firmly stated:

“Sit. I’ll do everything myself.”

“How are you going to search in such a big room alone?”

Raynard grinned as if he had heard the most ridiculous.

“If I had been so weak, I wouldn’t have dragged us from the cities straight to the capital.”

And it was true.

Remembering the journey from the Jenus Mountains to the capital, Yurina couldn’t find more words to refute. Raynard kissed Yurina gently on the forehead as he began to explore the room.

He took the first step towards the chest of drawers, and instead of looking at the chest of drawers, he looked under it.

“If I wanted to hide something here, I wouldn’t have targeted a place so obvious.”

He even created a fist-sized sphere of light and went on a search.

Behind the frame, in a vase, under the bed, under the carpet, through the window.

Yurina asked as she watched him fuss non-stop.

“Is the mother’s illness a curse?”

Raynard wiped his forehead with his sleeve and answered:

“I’m not sure yet.”

Sweat poured into his eyes and Raynard frowned. Yurina pulled a soft handkerchief from the Marchioness’ closet and walked over to him. The day was not very hot, but his face and neck were wet with sweat.

“Is it that hot in here?”

Raynard bent his knees to be at eye level with her. He smiled and closed his eyes as if enjoying Yurina’s touch.

“Not very hot, but I think it’s because I ran around the room.”

Raynard opened his eyes and looked at Yurina, then grabbed her hand and brought it to his neck.

“I’m sweating here too.”

Yurina suddenly froze and looked at his face.

‘What, are you fooling around?’

Reynard’s foolishness was something he had always seen since childhood. As much as he followed her in the mansion, he would either show her callused hand to get her attention, or draw her glass, saying that she was tall.

But now, something feels different.

If his intentions were obvious when he was young, now he was so natural that it was hard to notice that he was fooling around.

It was quite fresh and interesting, so when Yurina just looked at it, Reynard opened his eyes again and tapped Yurina’s wrist.

“Why don’t you wipe it off?”

Yurina wiped his neck and back as he wanted. Raynard laughed softly, and loosened his tie. As if that wasn’t enough, he also undid a pair of cufflinks.

Yurina asked as she watched him unfasten the cufflinks on his wrists.

“Can you help me with this?”

“You alone is enough.”

Raynard folded the ruby cufflinks into Yurina’s hand and started rummaging through the wardrobe drawer again.

As the two moved to the capital, they exchanged ideas about what had happened. Reynard agreed that the Marchioness’ illness didn’t seem natural.

Reynard said that if the Marchioness’ illness had been caused artificially, there must be an object somewhere in the her room. And that in the current situation, none of the servants could be trusted.

“Even if a curse is in place, it won’t be at the level to threaten life. At best, it will ruin your health.”

“So the mother’s health can be returned?”

“Hm. If we find that damn thing.”

Raynard lifted the heavy cabinet with magic and peered in.

“It’s a little strange here.”

He lay down on the floor, looked under the closet and climbed further. A moment later, he stood up, holding a white ribbon covered in dust in his hand.

“Found it.”

The white ribbon, the symbol of innocence, had ominous crimson blood stains everywhere.

It was the moment when it became clear that it was Yurina who was supposed to go to that hunting competition.