CH 80

“If you’re going to fight, go fight outside. I still have a lot of work to do.”

“Lusi, it’s not like that. Your Excellency keeps insisting on sitting in this chair.”

“So I want you two to figure it out.”

Elusiana jumped up from her seat and cut Noel’s complaint with a single sentence. The two men who flinched quickly shut up. The two, who calmed down as if they had never fought, and looked at each other nervously.

Elusiana sighed and touched her forehead. Seeing that, Aster quickly took out a small bottle from his subspace pocket.

“Elusiana, swallow this.”

Seeing the blue liquid in a bottle that was only the size of her little finger, Elusiana suspiciously looked at it. “What is this?”

“It’s a headache potion. Didn’t you have a headache?”

Aster, who stopped Noel from stepping forward, handed Elusiana a small glass bottle. Elusiana, who received it, opened the lid without hesitation.

If you had something like this, you should have given it to me right away. She felt resentful for a moment, but her head hurt so much now.

“…Thank you.”

Gulp. Elusiana, who swallowed it, widened her eyes shortly after. “…! W-what is this?”

Noel, who was anxiously watching Elusiana’s words, jumped up from his seat and shouted, “What kind of potion did you give!”

Aster neatly ignored Noel’s words and explained softly. “It’s the most effective headache potion made by the Sestein family.”

Aster handed over a potion containing a secret that could only be used by the direct descendant of the grand duke. Not only was it effective enough to be considered as an extra life, but the number of them was also extremely limited. However, Aster gave that potion to Elusiana.

For a moment, forgetting that she was angry, Elusiana exclaimed in admiration for the effect. Wow— How could my hair feel so refreshing? Her whole body was light and full of energy as if she had woken up after a few days of sleeping because of being overworked.

“…It works really well.” Elusiana looked at Aster, her cheeks flushed shyly.

“I’m glad it helped.”

“Shall I do this?”

Before she knew it, Noel, who had stood behind Elusiana, gently pressed her temple.

“W-what is this? Noel, put your hands away.”

“Stay still. This massage works better for headaches. What do you think? Isn’t it cool?”

“I-it’s cool. Umm…”

Noel’s hand moved gently, which had trapped the struggling Elusiana in his arms. Elusiana’s expression quickly relaxed.

Aster, who was watching the two, smiled coldly as he clutched the empty bottle Elusiana had swallowed and put down. “Very spoiled and rude.”

Aster, who burned the empty bottle in his hand with blue flames, put his hand on Noel’s shoulder. “Didn’t you hear me? Lord Klaus.”

“Wait a moment, please. It’s not over yet.”

After deftly passing it off, Noel glanced at the grand duke’s hand and focused on the message again.

“Do you want to test my patience?”

“I guess Your Excellency doesn’t want Lusi to be comfortable?”

“I can’t listen to it anymore because you’re childish. You say something ridiculous—”

“Please! Stop it!”

“…!”

“…!”

The mouths of the two, who had been saying sharp and fierce words, were instantly shut. Fierce eyes glared at the two men’s faces alternately. The two men trembled and averted their gazes.

“I don’t need anything, so get out right away. Now!”

Elusiana, who shook off Noel’s hand, which was touching her temple, turned around. She didn’t want to become the victim of these men’s war of nerves any longer.

Suddenly, Aster curled up his upper body, touching his chest. “Urgh.”

Knowing what that sign meant, Elusiana looked back in shock. Sure enough, Aster’s complexion, which had been fine, was turning pale.

Elusiana, whose heart skipped a beat, quickly came to her senses and approached the grand duke. “Your Excellency, w-where is your medicine?”

“…”

Elusiana pressed him as if not to let him go. Aster, who was gently being pressed, avoided her eyes.

“What? You didn’t bring it again? Why don’t you take your medicine if you have a subspace?”

Shouldn’t he take his own medicine instead of bringing the headache medicine? What on earth is this ridiculous situation?

As Elusiana looked bewildered at the grand duke, Aster said in a crawling voice. “…The pain will subside soon. I will take a rest and leave after that.”

“Two of you… what are you doing? No, who is sick?”

Noel looked at the two of them alternately with a face he couldn’t understand. “You’re not saying that His Excellency is sick, right? Say something, Your Excellency. Why is someone who was fine suddenly pretending to be sick?!”

How could someone who glared at you with murderous intent feel sick? Where on earth could he be sick?

He’s joking too much. Noel snorted in amazement.

On the other hand, Elusiana looked at Aster with pity. His pain seemed to subside a little, and his complexion was much more comfortable. But his hardened expression was never a good sign. What should I do?

It was a secret that the grand duke was sickly. That’s why the butler also asked her to be careful about that information. But to be caught out in such a way.

After thinking for a moment, Elusiana quietly approached Noel. “Noel, talk to me for a minute.”

“Talk? About what?”

“Come here for a moment.”

Noel, who was led by Elusiana’s hand and moved a few steps to a corner, looked puzzled. “What is it?”

“That… umm… can you pretend not to know what you saw?”

“…?”

Elusiana glanced at Aster, lowered her voice, and replied. “Please, Noel.”

Noel asked with his eyes as if he were asking for something. Elusiana, who accepted the look as a sign of rejection, quickly made an excuse.

“As Noel knows, this is something very secretive about his family. However, for His Excellency, his position is still… Anyway, it’s a little difficult if someone knows he’s sick. So please keep it a secret.”

“…”

“…Noel?”

“So now, since the grand duke is very sick, please keep what happened today a secret, is that what you are trying to say?”

“That’s right.”

Noel smiled automatically. Didn’t those words mean the grand duke, who is shooting that deadly look right now, is ‘really’ sick? Huh. It’s absurd. Even now, the grand duke was ready to kill him when he had only spoken a few words to Lusi.

But it’s strange. Why is the grand duke pretending to be sick? The current grand duke’s position was solid, not enough to attract hostile forces.

Wasn’t the first thing he did after becoming the head of the family was cleaning up? Currently, only friendly forces have remained in the Sestein family. But why does he have to do such a cumbersome thing to reveal his weakness?  

I can’t understand it at all. What on earth is the point of deceiving Lusi by pretending to be sick?

At first glance, Aster, who sighed and leaned on a chair, looked so pitiful. Noel would have truly believed that if it hadn’t been for his fierce eyes shooting at him.

Ah, no way… Is it what I think?

Lusi couldn’t let go of her interest in the grand duke, even with him in front of her. The moment he saw her full of worries, Noel was convinced. About what the heinous Grand Duke was aiming for.

Sympathy. That’s what he’s aiming for. Noel was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even laugh.

“Noel, you’ll keep it a secret, right? Huh?”

Noel said while making eye contact with her, who was worried that the secret might be revealed. “Don’t worry, Lusi. I will keep the secret.”

Delighted, Elusiana grabbed Noel’s hand. “Thank you, Noel! I thought Noel would understand.”

Noel coughed briefly, looking at the hand she had grabbed. “In that sense, I will take the Grand Duke back.”

“I can’t let you go through such trouble.” With a cold stare, Aster rose from his seat and walked to where the two stood.

Noel said, gently pulling Elusiana toward him. “There’s no need to be burdened, Your Excellency. We’re heading in the same direction anyway.”

Noel smiled broadly with sarcasm, and Aster tightened his chin.

“Ah, you two don’t have to worry about that problem.”

It was then.

“I’m here!”

Unlike his lively voice, a large-sized man entered the store with the door wide open.

“Sir Logan. How did you come here just in time?”

Elusiana waved her hand at him and greeted him warmly. “Did you have any trouble finding your way? It must have been a little confusing since the store was close to each other.”

“Hahaha. I found it quickly. I’m a master at finding directions.”

Logan, who entered the store with a wide smile, paused for a moment.