Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Noah, who was smiling with Lancelot standing behind him, caught her eyes. The child was about to call the two people in the carriage with a bright voice once more, but he quickly put his index finger to his mouth at Lancelot’s attention.

Min-ha greeted Lancelot, who held Noah up and put the child on the carriage, with her eyes. Then, the doors of the carriage closed, and it began to move slowly with a rattling sound.

She opened her mouth while stroking Noah’s head, who was sitting next to her.

“Noah, where have you been?”

“I went to say goodbye to my friends.”

“Oh, did you?”

“Yes! Everyone said that it would be nice if sister-in-law didn’t get sick too much, and that we should play together again the next time we see each other.”

“I see. Good job.”

“Yes. It’s all thanks to sister. Hehe. By the way, are you still very sick?”

“I’m really fine now.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Min-ha answered Noah’s words with an exaggerated nod.

He must have wanted to play a little more with his friends, who barely got close to each other yesterday, but Min-ha was moved by the child’s care for her like a grown-up. Still, she was also sorry. The next moment, she patted Noah’s cheek affectionately and spoke.

“I’m sorry. You can’t play anymore because we’re going back so quickly.”

“No. It’s nice to play with friends, but to me, it’s better that my sister-in-law isn’t sick.”

“…Thank you. I’m touched, my prince.”

Min-ha’s heart melted when the child in front of her spoke like an adult.

Meeting Noah’s eyes with a melting gaze, her cheeks stung as she turned her body to Seth’s gaze, who was still staring at her. When she tilted her head, asking why he looked like that, Seth gently closed his eyes and gave her a smile before replying to Noah, who was sitting next to her.

“Noah, your sister-in-law needs more rest. Come here.”

“Yes, brother.”

“…I’m fine.”

“Even though the medicine is strong, you still should rest your eyes. You don’t look very well right now.”

“But…”

‘…I have something to say.’

Min-ha, who was hesitant, saw Noah sitting next to Seth and shut her mouth. She eventually answered with a slight nod of her head.

“…Yes. Thank you.”

To tell him about that dream, she would inevitably have to tell her about her own secret, too, and Seth said he wanted only himself to know about her possession.

‘Let’s tell him this later when it’s just the two of us.’

As she thought so, Min-ha sat back comfortably in the carriage and gazed at Seth and Noah, who were having a friendly conversation. The sight of the two of them was so calm and warm that she felt that her heart was also getting warmer before she knew it.

It was as vivid as reality, enough to put off the more unpleasant dream and the worries that arose in the corner of her mind for a while.

Soon, Min-ha suddenly felt her heart lighten.

At the same time, it was only then did she finally realize that she was going back to Persen Castle.

‘…We’re finally back to Persen Castle.’

She wanted to forget the complicated things that had happened at Loengram Castle and quickly return to her peaceful daily life at Persen Castle. Glancing at the scenery outside the window passing quickly through the swaying curtains, Min-ha prayed that the carriage would arrive at Persen Castle as soon as possible.

Returning to Guinivis Castle after the acacia banquet, Rupert immediately began investigating the changes in Minase. He started by investigating the people who came and went to Persen Castle and expanded his scope one by one, spending days and days gathering rumors about her.

‘It’s not easy…’

However, the only facts obtained were the fact that ‘Minase Persen, who suddenly collapsed a few months ago, changed like a different person after waking up’ and information related to her actions after that. What he wanted to know was what caused her to suddenly become like a different person, but he couldn’t figure out that part at all, and all he collected was her behavior after her change.

Rupert expressed his anger by throwing all the papers that recorded only her activities at a man in front of him.

“Damn it. This isn’t what I wanted to know.”

“…I’m sorry. Viscount Guinivis.”

“Besides, aren’t all the things written about her that I know?! Ha! What did she, Minase do? After she cleaned that lowly mansion, she got paid and learned to sew to become self-reliant? Why does she, who’s more aristocratic than any noble in the Empire, have to do that? It even says that she took care of that lowly brother with her and loves her, even when no one else was looking at her?”

“….”

“I can’t believe it. Robert, are the people who sent me this kind of information really trustworthy? Are you sure these guys aren’t giving me false information?”

“Of course. How dare they lie to the Viscount?”

“Nonsense! This is nothing like a personality change! It’s as if they brought someone who looks like her! …Could it be that the lowly fellow hid the real Minase and set up a fake one? Is that even possible?”

“That wouldn’t be it. One of the spies hiding in Persen Castle had seen the body of the Duchess, but there was no difference in physical characteristics from the Viscount’s information. It couldn’t be that Duke Persen brought a fake to replace her.”

“Is there any possibility that he used forbidden magic? The magic of transforming yourself into someone else’s image!”

“If so, there would have been a moment when the transformation would’ve been unraveled, or there would have been an image of casting a spell… However, there was no such part found either.”

“Damn it! Then, what is it? No, this isn’t the girl I know… Clearly, I’m sure there’s something I’m missing. But, what is it? What could it be…?”

It was frustrating. It felt as if someone had put a misty curtain in front of his eyes.

Rupert glared at Robert, shouting in frustration. Everything was suspicious now. If the forbidden magic was not used or there wasn’t any substitute, the information was probably incorrect. Otherwise, he couldn’t understand it at all.

Frustrated and irked, at this point, he thought that it would be better for him to put everything aside and infiltrate Persen Castle himself.

Just as he was clutching his chest, he heard someone knocking. Rupert responded in an irritated voice.

“Sh*t! Didn’t I order that no one come to the office now?!”

“I’m sorry. However, Grand Duchess Blaine said she really wants to see the Viscount right now…”

“…Grand Duchess Blaine?”

At those words, Rupert flinched and stopped his shouts, briefly exchanging glances with Robert. His gaze asked if he had any guesses about the visit of the public princess. Nonetheless, Robert only shook his head.

‘Why did she come to see me again?’

After meeting Minase at Loengram Castle, he was annoyed by Grand Duchess Blaine’s nuisance, so he stopped exchanging correspondence for a while, and it seemed that she had come to filter the dispute over the matter.

Rupert clicked his tongue briefly and shouted in an unwilling voice.

“All right. Bring her inside.”

“Yes, I understand! ….I, Viscount—”

“What else?”

“Grand Duchess Blaine has brought a party with her. Shall we accompany them as well?”

“…What? Party?”

Hearing the answer from outside the door, Rupert furrowed his brow and asked annoyedly. As if expecting his reaction, the attendant replied in an embarrassed voice.

“Yes. She also mentioned that the party knew the information the Viscount wanted.”

“…What?”

…The information he wanted, what did she mean?

As he thought to himself, Rupert frowned even more fiercely before replying with a short sigh.

“You did a great job, Robert. You can go back today. In the future, whenever you receive a letter from Judith, please report it to me.”

“Yes. Viscount Guinivis.”

“And, tell the attendant outside the door to let both of them inside.”

“Yes.”

He first thanked Robert for his hard work and sent him away.

Then, a moment after he left, the door to Rupert’s office opened. Grand Duchess Blaine, who was dressed comfortably in a black silk mask that covered her face, and a small woman in a robe that covered her entire body entered.

Rupert rose up slowly and strode in front of the two of them. He walked over to the masked Grand Duchess, took her hand, and lowered his lips to the back of her hand.

“Welcome, Louise. I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I was just getting a report from Robert. I hope nothing happened on your way here.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Be extra careful for the time being. I’m sure you still have a lot of fatigue from your trip to Loengram Castle, though it’d be a big deal if our precious Grand Duchess’ body gets hurt.”

“…Yes. I’ll be careful.”

At Rupert’s warm words, Grand Duchess Blaine erased her doll-like expressionless expression, which was rare, and smiled shyly. Giving her a fake smile, he folded his right arm, and the Grand Duchess placed her hand on Rupert’s arm as if she were accustomed to it.

Eventually, she sat down on a soft armchair a few steps ahead as he led her.

Soon after she sat down, Rupert bent his knees and straightened the hem of her dress before raising himself halfway up. Then, in a half-standing position, he gathered his hands together in Grand Duchess Blaine’s ear and whispered.

“…By the way, Louise. Who’s that person you brought?”

“Huhu. Aren’t you asking too late?”

“Because Louise, you are more important to me. Besides, you can’t just sit down with someone you don’t know.”

“That’s true. However, don’t worry. That person will surely help us with our plan.”

“Really?”

At the words of the Grand Duchess, Rupert glanced at the robed woman standing near the office door with a suspicious look.

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