《He’s My Real Brother, Duke》


 Chapter 1

    <strong>Chapter 1</strong>


    The bloody smell that pierces the nose¡¯s tip, blood-like red paint on the white bed linen.


    A man whose body is too big to fit on a small bed.


    His lips were torn, and in his arm, there was a deep scar that might not be known what caused it.


    I swung the knife in my hand toward the man.


    It¡¯s a long time to do that.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    I put my knife down on the bedside table, and I quickly wiped away the cold sweat flowing from my forehead.


    And I carefully observed him. I trembled with anxiety, and my heart was beating fast, so I couldn¡¯t calm myself.


    If anyone who sees this suspicious figure and the surroundings, it will be mistaken for a process of abduction and murder.


    It was clear.


    ¡­¡­ Of course, I can never be a kidnapper.


    It¡¯s just that, I¡¯m a good healer who saved the ¡°Duke Anais¡± who was injured in front of the house.


    I moved the Duke to bed and even finished his treatment, so I have just be his ¡°Lifesaver¡±.


    This knife, too, was just used to tear the gauze, and it means nothing!


    I whispered gently as I wiped the unconscious Duke¡¯s forehead with the back of my hand.


    ¡°You may not hear it, but¡­ ¡­ The treatment is over.¡±


    Fortunately, the fever went down, and the wound was treated.


    The reason why this man, who boasted overwhelming power in the novel, got injured so far is unknown, but the reason for him to faint seemed to be due to the outburst of some power, so I prescribed a special medicine and fed it to him.


    Now I ampletely relieved. With a sigh of relief, I looked into his face one by one.


    Certainly, he was the ¡°God of the night,¡± he looked reliable.


    Like the dark night sky, the ck hair is the softest of all the elements that make him up.


    Long shades of eyshes, straight nose, and slight shade under the cheekbones created a sharper atmosphere.


    Even if those eyes are close, I think I can capture everything at once.


    His eyes, however, were only obscured by his thick eyshes.


    ¡°You must get better. Okay? ¡°


    I need to finish the treatment.


    As I safely put the sleeping medicine into the man¡¯s lips, I thought to myself ¡®Oh my God!!¡¯


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve been waiting for more than three years today to save you!¡±


    Of course, even if you think positively, you cannot ovee physical fatigue.


    Maybe it¡¯s because I worked hard all day, Or perhaps it was because of struggling to drag this big and heavy man into the house and was relieved of pain.


    ¡°¡­¡­. Only five minutes to sleep.¡±¡®


    I thought so and started to doze off.


    In front of the bed, he is recovering.<u><li>? ?</li>


    I decided to sleep only five minutes, but I couldn¡¯t cope with the fatigue that had umted in my body for a short period of time.


    I was deeply asleep and dreaming.


    In my dream, my past unfolded like a panorama.


    It was no coincidence that I saved the Duke of Anais today.


    In advance, I knew that he would fall in the grass, about 10m away from the 1st Treatment Center outside the northern Duke Castle.


    He, travelling alone to hunt for monsters, was forced to fall in front of a small log house in the forest because of mana instability due to thest war¡¯s aftereffects against monsters.


    That¡¯s why the manager of a nearby branch office saves him. The Duke of Anais takes the manager of the treatment centre and gives him what he wants.


    The reason I knew this was simple and clear.


    This is a fantasy novel, ¡ºBlood Revenge¡». I was reincarnated as ¡°Astel¡±, the younger sister of ¡°Cassian, ¡± the novel¡¯s male protagonist.


    Unfortunately, in this novel, The Fate of Astel and Cassian is a tragic, dark ending.


    Our brothers and sisters were born to Count Vietry, the most prestigious magical family in the Empire, but the family is framed and destroyed.


    Fortunately or unfortunately, our parents sacrificed their lives on our brothers and sisters with ancient stealth magic that cannot be traced.


    Thanks to that, we barely survived the bloodbath.


    But what could a little child who knows nothing do?


    Our childhood was challenging, sad, and needy.


    It was customary to be starving, and there were times when I was begging and begged for luck and was beaten.


    Luckily, since my brother got a job as a stable keeper, he could eat even soiled carrots for one meal a day.


    Still, it¡¯s fine here.


    Initially, there exist adversities in one¡¯s life.


    However, when I was ten years old, the problem began when I realized that I had reincarnated from this novel.


    ¡°The genre is revenge, and even the ending is sad?¡±


    ording to the original content, Cassian, who grew up with his younger brother, tries to take revenge on our parents¡¯ enemies.


    As a result, he uncovers the identities of some of the spies who destroyed the count and is taken off the frame usation.


    However, after when he thought it was a happy ending, he was eventually brought to death by the final Viin, which he did not even know existed.


    ¡°Astel¡± was also in a situation where she was attacked and killed while raising a nephew that his brother left behind.


    The novel ends in bitterness, though it is not clear who the final Viin is.


    That fate.


    When I realized that I had just been reincarnated, I was so scared of the future that I cried while walking or begging.


    ¡°Astel! We are beggars, so I said we have to work. You shouldn¡¯t cry all the time.¡±


    ¡°Brother, what if we are supposed to die?¡±


    Cassian responded calmly to my helpless question.


    ¡°Cassian, you stupid idiot. You know nothing! Just go away!¡±


    Heughed without knowing that he¡¯s destined to die or that I¡¯ll be living a miserable life with my nephew alone!


    While He looked tense, I had an incredible realization in his words.


    ¡°Still¡­ ¡­ I like the saying that If the ending is bad, you can change it¡±.


    If I catch and kill the final Viin that Cassian failed to catch in the end.


    I will make him eat poisoned carrot soup until he dies.


    Keep going until the belly bursts with carrot soup and dies.


    After that, I prepared to take revenge. Of course, it was the same with my brother.


    ¡°I want to take the Knights Temr entrance exam.¡±


    ¡®¡­¡­¡¯


    ¡®Just wait ten years. I¡¯ll take off those frame of usations and live in a nice house wearing only pretty clothes.


    My brother didn¡¯t share a lot of information about his revenge.


    However, He was reborn as a hero of the Empire. He received the nobility status and connections with High-Level Information. I already knew that he would try to find the truth by meeting people under the surface.


    He left me in a safe vige, to walk towards his future of path full of thorns.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that expression!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Cause I¡¯m not good enough?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re not good enough¡­¡±


    My brother looked shocked, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    Anyway, if he fails.


    Then we all die. So there was only one way to ovee this tragic ending.


    Without my brother¡¯s knowledge, I will reveal who is the Final Viin!. Only then can we survive.


    I recalled several hints that appeared in the novel, where the Viin was not revealed until the end.


    First of all, it was not possible to know exactly who the spy had infiltrated Count Vietry.


    However, some of the most important hints were given.


    One of the three spies who fabricated false evidence that Count Vietry was traitorous was a ¡°human¡±, and two were a ¡°Shapeshifters¡±. It was the fact that after they destroyed our family, they flowed into the Duke of Anais.


    If I caught them right away, find out who the final Viin is and immediately deal it with him¡­ ¡­


    Only this time will we be able to reach a happy ending.


    If a problem arises, it won¡¯t be easy to enter Duke of Anais Castle.


    There wereplex political reasons for this.


    In the northern part of the Empire, the entire Duchy of Anais was thend of Shapeshifters.


    The Shapeshifters hated humans who had enved them in the past, so they would threaten them when outsiders entered theirnd.


    There were also a few humans who had died.


    Of course, there had to be some humans who entered the northern Duchy.


    First of all, I could get a job at the Duke¡¯s treatment centre after a difficult journey.


    However, the circumstances were different for the Duke, the vassal family, and Duke Castle, where the pure-blooded stay.


    It was a dangerous castle where unauthorized persons could not enter and exit even if it were a guard.


    Duke Anais is the ce where humans enter, and their throat will be cut off immediately due to a magic device.


    As a human being, how can I enter the building without risk and spy them without being suspicious?


    After working in the treatment centre for a long time, I finally found a good way.


    That¡¯s by being the lifesaver of Duke Anais!


    It may be another matter of being a lifesaver and getting in without spilling blood in the Duchy.<u><li>? ?</li>


    For a moment when I realize the contents of my dreams, I opened my eyes like ying a game.


    Immediately I looked around in a hurry, and the Duke, whom I had finely put on the bed, disappeared.


    Maybe not everything in the dream was true?


    Or, unlike in the original, Duke Anais left without ungratefulness for the benefactor who saved him..¡­ £¡


    I stretched my shoulders and pressed my red eyes, and then I heard a soft voice behind my back.


    ¡°You are the one who saved me.¡±


    It was a terrifyingly stiff tone to describe the phrase ¡°the one who saved me¡±, but the low tone was so sweet that I was confused, I turned my head and looked behind as if possessed.


    Atst, our gaze met in the center.


    ck hair, bluish eyes. This is Duke Anais, whom I saved.


    The ruler of all the Shapeshifters in the north.


    However, except for the title of ¡°Duke Anais,¡± the truth and race are unknown, so it is a mysterious figure in the north whom was known as a dangerous beast.


    And now, he is the only way to bring me into Duke Castle!</u></u>

 Chapter 2

    <strong>Chapter 2</strong>


    <em>Tranted by Niks</em><hr>


    ¡± You¡­you woke up already.¡±


    His gaze stayed on me.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, but the tension seemed to wrap my body.


    Soon his lips opened.


    ¡°I want to give a reward to my benefactor.¡±


    I¡¯ll kill you right away, saying I¡¯ll be respectful, with the same terrifying expression¡­


    I was scared, even though I¡¯m not nervous.


    But I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment all this time!!


    I said confidently.


    ¡°A re-..reward? T-that¡¯s go-..good!¡±


    He will be a problem to my brother¡¯s revenge, so I haveto snack as much as possible.


    Originally, even if other people return the favor, It¡¯s still annoying that you can¡¯t get itfortably. Plus, the Duke particrly has a fearsome atmosphere. I was scared¡­!


    ¡°I-if so then, I am your benefactor. I have one little and precious request.¡±


    The Duke tilted his head at an angle and stiffened.


    ¡°I will listen.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it will be a long conversation. Can we talk somewhere else? This house is small and a little shabby¡­¡±


    It¡¯s better to talk about at Duke¡¯s Castle, rather than at the Iron-blooded fortress of the Gold District (which is forbidden to humans)


    I endured trying to say that.


    Because he hasn¡¯t revealed that he is the duke.


    Besides, doesn¡¯t it seem too easy to confess your heart?


    However, God seemed to be on my side.


    ¡°My house is near here. If possible, we can go there and talk.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why, but things were working out my way.


    ¡°Then, will I enter the Duke Castle as a benefactor who saved the Duke as nned?¡±


    Once I step into the Duke Castle, it will be easier to say, ¡°Please let me work at the office of the treatment center !¡±


    The Shapeshifters hate and despise humans, but they can¡¯t even spit ferociously at the duke¡¯s benefactor.


    If I catch the spies while working at the internal treatment center in Duke¡¯s Fortress and steal details of their background, then my mission isplete!


    After all the calctions, I nodded with a sorrowful look.


    Every time his gaze met mine, his breathing was weird, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    I inhaled violently and shouted as if to cheer up.


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s good to go to the mansion and talk.¡±


    Wait, does it look too urgent?


    But strangely¡­


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The Duke seemed more skeptical¡­. In his fierce eyes, he replied without hesitation.


    I tilted my head in a strange sense of incongruity, but he suddenly took my hand.


    He held my hand tightly.


    His difficulty in breathing disappeared at the touch of our hands.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    I can¡¯t discern this situation, what¡¯s with this sudden situation.


    At that moment, his nk face leaned in front of my face, and his nose and mine were close enough to touch.


    ¡°I was waiting for you to say that.¡±


    And I think that¡¯s what we¡¯re waiting for.


    More than that.


    ¡°..¡¤¡­You waited for me to speak?¡±


    Aren¡¯t things going too easy than I thought?


    Is this a trap card?


    I gathered all kinds of doubts from the altar, and I was on the lookout for putting up all of my breath.


    Then he whispered in a slightly harsh voice.


    ¡°Yes, I waited.¡±


    I was even more terrified.


    There was a guillotine in the castle that executed humans only a decade ago.


    Can you enter this easily?


    It¡¯spletely suspicious¡­?


    ¡°Calm down, Astel¡±


    Even though it seems more dangerous than Duke Anais had guessed, it shouldn¡¯t be embarrassing for some reason, even if this situation feels like a lovely trap.


    In preparation for meeting him, I wrote a script and practiced acting.


    I straightened my face and smiled nicely.


    His gaze nced over my face.


    ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I took off my pretense and showed a confident expression.


    ¡°You seemed to know who I was, but I guess it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t! Never!¡±


    And there was one more thing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t expect anything, even a little.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s eyes were narrowed, but he no longer asked questions of doubt.


    Instead, he slowly spoke to me.


    ¡°We will go to the Duke of Anais Castle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡±


    ¡°Because that castle is my home.¡±


    As far as I knew, he was cold and sober and more aristocratic.


    Those perfectly drowsy eyes were staring openly at me, with no way to bend withughter.


    As I had prepared, I replied that the ambassador of the treatment warden had saved Duke Anais from the original ¡± Blood Revenge.¡±


    ¡°If the castle is your home then¡­you are the Duke of Anais?.¡±


    He raised his head and spoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    It was a very concise answer.


    I put my hand in front of my chest and sighed.


    ¡°I have saved Duke Anais! It is the honor of the family. By the way, it was really close to a great crisis in the Northern Duchy. Thank God, I¡¯ve saved your life with the greatest of my ability.¡±


    It seemed a bit shady butI couldn¡¯t help to not do it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯re going to die soon, so I didn¡¯t even notice your handsome appearance because I was just focusing on the treatment. Haha¡±


    This dialogue contained a lot of information from the ambassador¡¯s words who saved the duke in the original.


    I am not selfish and it was pure coincidence that I had saved him.


    Also, I am a perfect human being, and I am a smart gold trader.


    After this was an unseen video.


    <i>(N: details of the original which was not mentioned the author literally used the word video)</i>


    Simr to the original content, he will say, ¡°Okay. Then the detailed story We will share at the Duke Castle.¡±


    With my glistening eyes, the Duke nodded wearily.


    And he replied with a sincere nce as if chewing on the information contained in the previous words.


    ¡°I¡¯m handsome.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re a duke you know¡­?¡±


    Of course, it is the right thing to say.


    Now is not the time to say that¡­!


    However, before he could even point out his reaction that seemed to be out of focus, the Duke opened his mouth first.


    ¡°Then, please tell me your name, my dear benefactor.¡±


    Now I have the opportunity to tell him my name.


    A little suspicious and something strange came and went. As a result, I did it.


    I opened my mouth and trying to say my name.


    ¡°Astel, please call me Astel! I¡¯m amoner working at a treatment center outside the Duke Castle.¡±


    He answered simply.


    ¡°Yeah, alright.¡±


    I was worried that his attitude would change because I was a low-statusmoner, but fortunately, there was no such thing.


    Atst, hisnguid eyes met mine.


    ¡°Astel.¡±


    As he called my name in an indifferent tone, my heart thumped and went down, and my face turned red.


    Why do I suddenly feel like my heart pricks?


    My breathing kept getting quicker, and it felt like something was pressing my chest with an awl.


    As a healer, I had unknown chest pain.


    ¡°I never fell in love at first sight, but my heart is very ufortable.¡±


    I was in doubt, but the duke reached out to me.


    I casually put my hand over his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Duke¡¯s Castle and talk.¡±


    It was a polite escort that didn¡¯t seem to contain even a little selfishness.


    However, when I touched him, a cool energy came up from my fingertips and calmed the mild fever that was burning my forehead.


    What is this..??

 Chapter 3

    <strong>Chapter 3</strong><hr>


    The slight fever on my forehead and the cold flowing through his hand.


    Instinctively, I thought that something was weird.


    But anyway, there was only one option.


    Entering the Duke Castle as it is.


    The opportunity like today will note again.


    It is a lie if I say that I¡¯m not scared.


    Duke of Anais, who is notorious. Even if I enter as the duke¡¯s benefactor, it was my responsibility to survive from the human-hating creatures.


    However, if I let go of your hand like this, everything will go the same as the original, and I will have a miserable end.


    For a happy future with my brother, I have to follow him at this moment.


    When I finished organizing my mind, I happily replied .


    ¡°I like it!¡±


    He escorted me with a polite manner.


    When I came out holding his hand, I could see the carriage waiting in advance.


    At this point, the Duke seems to have prepared something as soon as he woke up.


    Since when did this person have been awake¡­ ¡­


    ¡°Get on, Astel.¡±


    An elegant and noble attitude that is angled to each of the cold expressions and movements.


    I nodded and climbed into the carriage.


    Yet with a side nce, I looked at him closely.


    Duke Anais, even in the original, living in hiding without a presence, A man who is unlikely to have a lifelong rtionship with amoner like me.


    Duke Anais, alone looked like a man made of ice.


    I turned my head to nced at the window over the chariot.


    I felt like I was going out of my mind, but I was fortunate that I didn¡¯t forget to lock the door of my house before getting on the carriage.


    *   *   *


    Duke of Anais.


    Dozens of spiked spires were visible as they poked through the sky.


    The top of the tower is covered with ice caps, so it is called Winter Castle.


    Winter Castle was a natural fortress boasting a fantastic shape in its own right.


    At the same time, it was also the center of the Northern Autonomous Territory where prisoners lived.


    However, the biggest reason why the Duke of Anais is famous was because of the current Duke.


    What kind of person is Duke Anais living in this Duke Castle?


    A demon yer and beast of the demon war, a Hegemony who shakes the entire continent beyond the empire, and an arrogant noble that even the emperor can¡¯t touch. However, no one knows the origin from where he was born. One day he suddenly appeared and joined the predecessor of Duke Anais¡¯ family.


    There is another one.


    Although he is a beast of the beasts, his race or real name is not known, so he is simply called Mr. Duke or ¡°Duke Anais.¡±


    To wipe out the monsters at once and kill anything you don¡¯t like right away¡­ ¡­


    ¡­¡­ I think he¡¯s a person with all sorts of horror.


    ¡®The manners are better than I thought, but I don¡¯t know. Because he is a dangerous beast, I have to be extra-careful.¡¯


    There must be a reason why those who destroyed the Vietry family were driven into the dangerous Duchy of Anais.


    The possibility that Duke Anais was the final viin could not be ruled out.


    But right now, it was an urgent need to fully adapt to this duke and see him as much as possible.


    As I looked out the window, I turned my head into the carriage and nced at his sculptural face.


    It was an unusually handsome face, but it looked so cold that there was no emotion.


    Even though I stare at him like this, it seems like he was not interested in anyone¡­


    ¡°Astel.¡±


    ¡­¡­I thought it was, but it wasn¡¯t.


    It seemed that I was staring too deeply. I hurriedly swept my forehead, ¡± haha!¡±, andughed out loud.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re exceptionally handsome. So I keep looking at your face.¡±


    ¡°I guess you like my face.¡±


    I thought it was a joke and looked at the Duke distantly.


    However, his face was still emotionless as the cold wind blew.


    I just took it for granted, and I was like,


    ¡± Why do you stare at me?¡±


    ¡®A person who cannot even be controlled, No, it¡¯s a beast¡­ ¡­ ¡¯


    Still, when I think of an answer, it seemed that he was treating me as a benefactor.


    He even took out a piece of candy from his coat and handed it out.


    As if prepared in advance¡­ ¡­


    ¡°Rx.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.ah!¡±


    Like a timid hamster, I, with a sharp ear, pretended to eat candy carefully and put it in my pocket.


    Still be alert!, It¡¯s time to be vignt.


    As he stared at me, he uttered.


    ¡°It would be better to eat it.¡±


    ¡± . . . . . . ¡±


    Have you noticed that I¡¯m wary?


    However, the Duke¡¯s expression was still subtle enough to make it difficult to understand.


    ¡°You¡¯ll hear amazing words soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes?¡±


    Even to my question, he didn¡¯t answer any more and looked away.


    Even that was a very elegant attitude that brought admiration.


    Anyway, what will I be surprised at? My head was filled with question marks.


    Is it because the Duke Castle is so beautiful?


    Or is it because of discrimination by prisoners?


    However, it was a fact that I had already felt and prepared firmly after working in the treatment center for over three years.


    I carefully calcted the contents of the original, learned healing techniques, and entered the North.


    For three years, I worked at a treatment center with an effort to cut bones, and I collected information about the Shapeshifters in my spare time.


    So, it won¡¯t be surprising when I enter Duke Castle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry£® It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever had a mountain war, and I¡¯ve been through it all!¡±


    I was confident.


    I assured him that I would unveil at some point what would happen.


    After going through everything, as much as my heart could take, almost like a grandmother¡¯s, Is it the level of an Old Man?


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is!¡±


    He stared at me again. There was a strange heat in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious if you¡¯re in good shape right now.¡±


    ¡°..¡­Yeah?¡±


    ¡°My heart must be full and feverish.¡±


    His hand touched mine.


    Even though it was only that, the corner of the chest where the dull pain was throbbing becamefortable and my body became cool after the warmth from the touch came up.


    As a healer, my gut tells me that this is obviously a bad sign.


    ¡°It will befortable now.¡±


    I was surprised and opened my mouth slightly.


    Unlike me, who tilts my head, he noticed something and put a sweet candy in my open mouth.


    ¡°So I told you to rx,¡±


    ¡­¡­I thought it would be bitter if it was the candy The Duke carries.


    It tastes like strawberries¡­ ¡­ ?


    Before I even rolled it in my mouth a few times, he looked satisfied with me, who had swallowed the candy.


    As soon as his hand fell, I closed my eyes tightly.


    The moment the eyelids were closed,it came as if fainting.


    *  *  *


    ¡°Well, does that make sense?¡±


    Unsurprisingly, I was very surprised by the seriousmitment I had earlier, my mouth was wide open.


    As soon as I arrived at Duke Castle, I expected to discuss the reward.


    However, the Duke Anais woke me up from sleep, feeling tired he put me straight to the Head doctor of the Duchy.


    This is the result after that.


    ¡°There, there is an imprint!¡±


    Engraving was a kind of ¡°ancient magic¡± that existed among the Shapeshifters long ago.


    The exact name is ¡®An Imprint of Companion¡¯.


    Imprinting symptoms varied from mild fever to heart attack, so it was difficult to diagnose in random cases.


    But one thing was certain.


    Usually there is power only between the ¡®hand and hand¡¯ contact,and it is extremely rare that it is engraved between a human and a Shapeshifter.


    In order to hold a ritual of swearing eternal love between men and women, most of them used magic with the consent of the two.


    This is a ritual that has almost disappeared in recent years.


    Of course, if you look back on the contents of the book I read in the past to study healing, There are rare cases where the imprint is suddenly engraved for no reason like us now.


    ¡®What¡¯s important is the effect of mypanion¡¯s imprint on me.¡¯


    Regardless of how it was engraved, once it was engraved¡­¡­


    The two be a panion of destiny¡¯ during the imprinting period.


    Beyond sharing each other¡¯s pain, when one dies, the other dies.


    In other words, in the imprinted rtionship, each other bes each other¡¯s fatal weakness.


    ¡°I was also surprised.¡±


    The Duke said with an expression that did not look surprised at all.


    ¡®How can you say that you are surprised at this situation? with a face that is not surprised at all¡¯


    As soon as his words were over, the Old Library of the Duke of Anais was frozen.


    The Duke¡¯s personal physician, who was sitting across from me and the Duke of Anais, replied with a look of death.


    ¡°The specific diagnosis is ¡®temporary imprint of unknown cause¡¯.¡±


    Temporary engraving.


    Besides, it doesn¡¯t make sense to do the ritual together?


    ¡°Oh, this is really nonsense¡­ ..¡±


    What the hell is going on?


    The doctor¡¯s eyes wide open, staring at me in confusion.

 Chapter 4

    <strong>Chapter 4</strong><hr>


    ¡°After that, I guess you know what the imprint is!¡±


    I nodded roughly.


    In order to enter the duchy, I learned the technique of Shapeshifters-treatment.


    Learning from a good Master with the vicious treatment from the director.


    Well, thanks to that, I became proficient in all kinds of chores and practical treatment.


    Thanks to that, I could now be proud of being a very capable healer.


    ¡°Because my job is a healer. I know for now¡­ That¡¯s not important¡­¡±


    As I hesitantly said that, the duchy¡¯s private doctor¡¯s expression changed, switching from one that looked like a dead fish to one gleaming with excitement.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s rare for a healer to even know about imprint these days! ¡°


    I smiled awkwardly and waved my hand.


    ¡°No, all the healers know-¡°


    ¡°No! These days, healers don¡¯t even study shapeshifters, because it is considered useless knowledge.¡±


    He reached out to shake my hand with bright eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy that there is such a smart mortal among humans!¡±


    ¡®Weren¡¯t you the one talking about imprinting?¡¯


    Anyway I have to match this atmosphere! It was a bit awkward, but when I reached out to shake his hand, the Duke grabbed my hand to stop me.


    ¡°Enough of that. Get to the point.¡±


    The distraught physician hid his hands behind his back.


    It was a cool, rxed attitude.


    Still, if I can be so honest in front of the Duke, I think it¡¯s been a while. That¡¯s right¡­


    Even to those close to you.


    The Duke, who looks like that, must be truly cold-blooded.


    ¡°Yes. Then we¡¯ll have a detailed exnation.¡±


    The doctor, who was watching the Duke¡¯s eyes, opened his mouth carefully, shaking his lips.


    ¡°That means you know all the basic information about imprinting, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    I answered as if it was natural with blinking eyes, the attending physician made a proud expression and whispered in a friendly tone.


    ¡°You say you know the basics, so let¡¯s move on to the next part.¡±


    Nervous about the next story, I nodded in moderation and shrugged my shoulders


    ¡°Ahh, ye-yes¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep up with the rapidly changing situation.


    ¡®After bing a life saver and entering the Duke¡¯s Castle, I nned to somehow find the spy by sticking around here, but I woke up to find myself in this strange situation¡­¡¯


    There was no such content in the original! The story was developing into a weird direction.


    However, the Duke of Anais¡¯s face was still as iron-walled as it was.


    How can you not be surprised by this situation?


    This is why you are called the Duke of iron blood.


    While I was admiring the Duke, the attending Doctor spoke.


    ¡°In the early stages of imprinting, a slight fever called imprinting fever urs frequently, and if this condition is neglected, it may lead to death. Didn¡¯t you experience something like narcolepsy on the way here, Ms. Astel?¡±


    <i>NOTE: NARCOLEPSY- is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. People with narcolepsy often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time.</i>


    ¡°Yes-Yes.¡±


    The doctor heaved a sigh.


    ¡°It is a sign of death. As it is, Ms. Astel will be dead in less than three days. If so, your Excellency will¡­¡±


    The Duke responded to the doctor, whose face looked like he was about to be buried.


    ¡°Not in three days.¡±


    ¡®Wow, I¡¯m so fortunate to not die within three days¡­Not!¡¯


    It means I¡¯m going to die anyway!


    It was a mountain beyond the mountains.


    <i>NOTE: ¡°Mountains beyond mountains¡± means that just when you solve one problem, another one shows up.</i>


    I didn¡¯t want to die, so I came to Duke¡¯s Castle, but now suddenly I¡¯m dying¡­!


    ¡°Oh, what do I have to do to not die?¡±


    I stared at the doctor with a keen interest in an unknown situation.


    ¡°That¡­ ¡±


    The doctor hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die after Astel. Answer me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean¡­There is only one way to calm the imprinting fever. Somehow, as much as yourpanion¡¯s imprinting¡­ ¡°


    Why are you talking like this and avoiding my gaze?


    ¡°To increase each other¡¯s intimacy ¡­¡±


    It was when I looked at him with a doubtful expression.


    ¡°So¡­There is a way of doing physical contact, that is, skinship.¡±


    After the word skinship, my face turned red.


    This is too much, in the back of the head this sounds like a striking development?


    I, who only knew about the imprint, was puzzled when I heard that the treatment method was skinship.


    ¡°Ski¡­skinship?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since it is a pain caused by apanion¡¯s imprint, it appears to stabilize when the intimacy of each other deepens. Because the symptoms are due to iplete imprinting.¡±


    I looked at the Duke with my eyes drooping.


    If I were to carelessly touch him to stay alive, I¡¯d surely die.


    ¡®Because, from what I know, the Duke didn¡¯t like anyone sticking to him.¡¯


    Contrary to my worries, the Duke¡¯s attitude was somewhat strange.


    He looked at my small hand, and whispered quietly,


    ¡°Can I just hold her hand?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. For now, you can just hold your hands, it¡¯s in the early stages.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Astel.¡±


    I was a little anxious, but the Duke tapped the back of my hand with his rough finger as if to reassure me.


    Even though that was all, my heart, which was beating as if it was about to burst, calmed down a little.


    ¡°I¡¯m d for now¡­¡±


    I just need to hold your hand.


    ¡°Then, about the imprinting. How do we solve it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, There is also a way. Wait.¡±


    Seeing that the situation had been cleared up a little, the doctor jumped up and looked around the bookshelf.


    After pulling out a few books from the shelf, he returned quickly and started rummaging through the pages.


    The pages fluttered in front of us, blowing dust.


    The eyes of the doctor became dark.


    He deciphered the old book and muttered what it was.


    ¡°Look at the ancient findings here¡±


    He turned a page of the old book to us and read it urgently.


    ¡°In the case of imprinting with unknown cause, most of the imprinting effect disappears within one year.¡±


    The Duke gently patted the table several times with a dry face.


    A long silence followed.


    Likewise, the doctor of the Duchy, who seemed to have a pretty timid personality, was stiff, unable to open his mouth due to the cool flowing silence.


    Only the Duke could break this silence.


    Fortunately, a few minutester, the Duke made a quiet voice.


    ¡°Then, Astel, for a year, you will be my weakness.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I was just trying to be a lifesaver, but suddenly my shoulders became very heavy.


    As the Duke emphasized, he spoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a unique case.¡±


    This¡­was a big deal


    ¡°You should stay in Duke Castle for about a year.¡±


    ¡°That¡­As the Duke¡¯s imprint?¡±


    If you were known to be the imprint of Duke Anais, I think the risk of being assassinated would be higher.


    ¡®Because, simply being favored or being Duke¡¯spanion imprint and weakness are definitely different.¡¯


    That arrogant noble man had quite a few enemies.


    He also shook his head as if he had noticed what I¡¯m thinking and replied.


    ¡°No. Let me put it together as a guardian. It would be nice to say that it was a reward for saving me from falling down.¡±


    The countermeasures came out smoothly as if all of these situations had been prepared.


    After finishing the talk, Duke Anais tapped the table.


    Then the doctor made a sound like his breathing was tightened.


    ¡°The only witness has been restricted with a spell, so you don¡¯t have to worry about any of this being leaked.¡±¡±


    I swallowed my surprise.


    Swinging your fingers a few times making a bondage magic. The Duke¡¯s magical power is great¡­


    Although it is a spell that doesn¡¯t change his life, I have always lived with amoner¡¯s mindset, and my shoulders trembled at the situation of the doctor who felt strangled at the moment.


    I straightened my shoulders and looked at them pretending to be fine.


    ¡°Yes, Yes¡­¡±


    Originally, after catching the three suspects that had been hiding in the Duke¡¯s Castle, I was thinking of quietly leaving Duke¡¯s Castle after finding out the identity of the viin.


    However, the situation was twisted because of an unexpected imprint.


    ¡®It could have been worse. I became the Duke¡¯s weakness, so no one can touch me in this castle, including the Duke.¡¯


    I looked at the Duke with wide eyes full of energy.


    He was also staring at me and observing.


    It was as if he were reading something.


    It was an embarrassing gaze for me, with a stabbing pain in my heart, but I tried tough cheerfully.


    Soon he spoke again.


    ¡°I heard you have a request earlier.¡¯¡±


    At that, I nced at the doctor.


    I decided that it wasn¡¯t a request to do in the situation where I even had a doctor.


    Fortunately, Duke Anais was quick to notice.


    He made a brief chin gesture at his doctor.


    ¡°Go out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The attending doctor ran out without saying anything. It must be because of me that he looks so stiff and tense¡­


    However, there was no time to worry about the doctor¡¯s feelings.


    As soon as the two of us were seated, Duke Anais took my hand naturally.


    ¡°How amazing.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so small, it looks like it could break any second.¡±


    ¡®Saying that with such a look in your eyes and this ferocious tone ¡­ It makes it sound like you actually want to break it¡­¡¯

 Chapter 5 - He’s My Real Brother, Duke

    <strong>Chapter 5 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong><hr>


    When I was embarrassed, he smoothly changed the topic, removing the bloody look.


    ¡°No. Now tell me about Astel¡¯s request.¡±


    I hurriedly blinked, turning away from sweat on the palms I held with him.


    ¡°Yes, as an imprint! I have a small, very, very small request!¡±


    The Duke looked at me with his chin pecked at my words, emphasizing that it was a ¡°small¡± request.


    And, as if he was waiting, he replied with a little bitter nce.


    ¡°dly.¡±


    Contrary to the facial expression, the voice oozes tenderness.


    However, there was one misunderstanding of Duke Anais.


    To ordinary humans, his expressionlessness was more bloody and fearful than anything else.


    When he, a beast of beast, approaches me as if he is a small man and tilts his head¡­ I have no choice but to slump.


    ¡®The basis of the negotiations is the deployment, but it is doomed.¡¯


    I nced back up and saw Duke Anais.


    The Duke of Anais was famous for various rumors.


    The anecdote of tearing humans alive or being powerful enough to throw a giant monster with one hand was a story that everyone in the empire who is growing up these days knows.


    My eyes and mouth opened.


    ¡°Even if the imprinting is over, don¡¯t kill me, please!¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    Unexpectedly, our words burst out at the same time.


    ¡°D-Duke? What did you say?¡±


    I did not hear the Duke¡¯s words properly, only focusing on my words.


    But he stared at me with no answer, pulling his mouth at an angle.


    Is that the twisted face that was described in the original, when you kill a monster?


    He gave strength to the hand holding me.


    ¡°Do you think I will kill you?¡±


    It was strangely hard, but it didn¡¯t hurt.


    I rolled my eyes all over the ce and held my breath.


    ¡°¡ªWell, you probably won¡¯t. I believe you will not harm me. It¡¯s because you don¡¯t know what will happen to the world.¡±


    Unlike my trembling figure, the man in front of me stared at me with a perfect and elegant look without any distraction.


    Certainly, among the nobles, the description of being an elegant noble man was not a waste.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    He spoke in a resolute and cold tone. But that wasn¡¯t enough.


    I stared at the Duke, and after a few seconds he replied with a frown.


    It was rare for him to reveal his feelings.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯ll need a contract ¡®not to kill¡¯.¡±


    ¡°After all, the Duke is really cool!¡±


    After hearing the bted ttery, Duke Anais slowly removed his hand from my hand.


    I came back with a nk expression, but the way he took his hand was smooth.


    ¡°With Astel, I will have a lot of work to care about now.¡±


    ¡°¨CWell¡­¡±


    I rolled my eyes around.


    ¡°I will actively and cooperate as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Actively?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It was said that the imprint is stable only when you be intimate¡­ We can set a time to meet every day!¡±


    The Duke nodded slowly and answered.


    ¡°It would be better to have dinner together.¡±


    I was worried that we had to eat together every day and that the food would go over without a problem, but it was a good thing because the opportunity to seek advanced information increased.


    I smiled and shook my head, then lifted it up again.


    ¡°We can check each other¡¯s health at dinner. Then, in the future, please!¡±


    It feels like something hase into the pit of my feet!


    After realizing that I had reincarnated in the novel, I was prepared to ovee anything as I had simted more than 55,000 revenge situations.


    ¡®The people who have framed our family¡­ You must have been sleeping with your feet intact in this Duke Castle?¡¯


    I remembered the ¡°Revenge Manual¡± notebook in my pocket.


    The spies of the family in the castle Duke of Anais¡­ I will shake them off without leaving a single dust!


    Duke Anais, looking at my clenched fist, called my name.


    ¡°Astel.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°In the future, I will also actively cooperate for our stability.¡±


    His eyes bent slightly.


    It was an expression that could be said as an eye-smile, but it just seemed meaningful because the other person was the Duke Anais.


    ¡°I am looking forward to our future.¡±


    ***********


    After that, I spent the entire day making a contract in the library with the Duke.


    For reference, I was the ¡°Gap¡±.


    The Duke readily did that, and I realized again that he was kinder than I expected.


    -One , Astel (¡°Gap¡±) treats Duke (¡°Eul¡±) as a guardian.


    Note: GAP -?(¼×) is someone who makes a contract with some advantage and has the right to order someone. On the contrary, EUL(?l) is someone who is subjected to GAP¡¯s orders on the contract. I will use A to represent GAP and B for EUL


    -Two, ¡®A¡¯ is always waiting at the residence of ¡®B¡¯, and when ¡®B¡¯ is sick, the tone of the five squads goes down.


    -Three, ¡®B¡¯ sponsors ¡®A¡¯ and takes care of all the conveniences.


    It was a magic contract with the same outline.


    It was the first time in my life that I was ced in the position of ¡°Gap¡± in the contract, so my heart was pounding.


    ¡°This is my first time ever to write a contract like this!¡±


    Iughed at him.


    My heart grew stronger as I recalled the malignant treatment from the supervisor of the treatment center where I had been working.


    He was a wildcat, always snorting and rolling me like a bathrobe.


    ¡®Why did you present the potion I made to the conference as if the director made it¡­ ¡®


    ¡®Unhappy?¡¯


    ¡®Of, of course, it¡¯s unfair¡­¡¯


    The head of the treatment center raised his eyebrows toward me with red eyes and gave a congrattory message.


    If you feel unfair, go out. Shouldn¡¯t you be grateful to me just for epting a young girl like you?¡¯


    However, I didn¡¯t cry and endured whatever the head of the treatment had.


    ¡®Let¡¯s leave itter, you devious bastard.¡¯


    The galldder¡¯s chewing heart made him look like a child without an embryo.


    Note: I think this is Astel¡¯s way of cursing


    So, the head of the treatment center and the healers under him called me the stupid Astel, pushover Astel, and the naive Astel.


    I¡¯ve been through a lot of bad things in my life, and I¡¯m trying to get my mind off such things.


    It¡¯s not gonna happen!


    I got up in a hurry and stared back at the Duke¡¯s cold face.


    ¡­ Good. Seeing that sharp impression, I¡¯m wary again.


    The Duke, who folded the contract and handed it to me, leaned on his back.


    Even that series of motions was stolen, and my mouth was open. I asked carefully at him.


    ¡°Well, but if I want to live in Duke Castle in the future¡­¡±


    I gulped. It¡¯s not wrong, but I don¡¯t know why I keep getting nervous.


    ¡°I have to give my resignation letter to the treatment center where I was working and pack my luggage.¡±


    The Duke looked up and offered his best answer.


    ¡°I will have my articles at the treatment center and insteadmunicate your intention to resign. I will also order the drivers to bring the luggage.¡±


    I was also grateful because it was awkward to face the treatment director.


    I was relieved by incinerating everything that would be a problem in case of an unknown search.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I nodded happily and the duke raised his body.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the Delphinium Room where you will stay.¡±


    As soon as he said that, his hand gently covered my forehead.


    His eyes blinked, amazed at the unintentional contact, but the Duke whispered to me as he lowered his drowsy eyes.


    ¡°This is a thermal test.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes!¡±


    I also raised the brackets and ced my hand on the forehead of the Duke.


    I felt the right temperature in my palm, neither hot nor cold.


    Both he and I seem to be in a healthy state without any problems, so far.


    ¡°I¡¯m done with the test too!¡±


    When I lifted my hand with a bright smile, his neck was stiff, as if he didn¡¯t know I woulde in contact with it.


    Though he still had an indifferent expression, it seemed that he sometimes blinked his eyes often.


    ***********


    Under the guidance of the Duke, I entered the Delphinium room.


    There was a shower room with a view of the exterior scenery, a morning room to have a simple meal, and a private Oval Room with a simple view of the House.


    ¡°I like it very much!¡±


    I smiled with sincerity. Then the Duke nodded slowly.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    I looked around the room with my eyes rolling in wonder.


    First of all, the most important thing for me was the window. There should have been enough passages for messenger birds to enter.


    Fortunately, there was a window in the room.


    ¡®The window is tightly closed, can Celloe in here?¡¯


    The ck bird, ¡°Cello,¡± was a messenger bird between my brother and me.


    It was also a by-product of the ancient stealth magic that our parents casted to protect us.


    So, Cello coulde to me wherever I was, and I couldn¡¯t even check the shape with the naked eye, except for those who had a strong dragon-ss magical power.


    Cello periodically moved back and forth between my brother and me, knocking on the window of my room anytime and anywhere to deliver letters.


    Now that it was time for Cello toe, I had to keep the windows open wherever I would stay.


    Then it was obvious that no one woulde in to find me secretly.


    As I pondered, I tried to reach out to the spacious window in the room.


    However, the Duke, who saw me lingering near the window, called my name and stopped me.

 Chapter 6 - He’s My Real Brother, Duke

    <strong>Chapter 6 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong>


    <em>Tranted by Niks</em>


    <em>Edited by KBJ</em><hr>


    ¡°Do not open the window.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a little stuffy.¡±


    ¡°In every window of the castle, a dangerous ancient magic circle is hung.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    Suddenly adversity and hardship arise!


    It was a notorious Duke Castle, so I expected that there would be magic circles everywhere, but that ancient magic would be hanging on every window.


    I hurried my feet back.


    Ancient magic circles should never be touched carelessly.


    If you do something wrong, you may lose your life.


    ¡°If someone who is not a shapeshifter opens a window, they are enchanted with terrifying magic.¡±


    The Duke whispered sweetly and drowsily as if reading a fairy tale.


    ¡°So never, ever touch open the windows.¡±


    He skipped further exnations and maintained a seriously iron-walled attitude.


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t go down whenever you¡¯re in danger.¡±


    It is also a tremendous defense against his iron wall.


    Indeed there is a close link between my life and the life of the Duke.


    ¡®Of course it is worth worrying about my personal life.¡¯


    I bit on my lips, rolling my head fiercely as to what excuse to keep the window open.


    ¡°Of course. I will never do anything dangerous.¡±


    ¡­I said that I would not do anything dangerous, but the duke said he would not keep the window open.


    I stepped into the luggage room inside the Delphinium room, devising a way to keep the windows open without danger.


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll check the office as well!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Then take a look around and take a break.¡±


    I bowed my head toward the Duke.


    ¡°Think of this like your home and stayfortably.¡±


    It was an incredibly friendly consideration.


    With that greeting, he left and the door was closed with a clicking noise.


    After a little bit of tension, I took a quick step and headed to the office first.


    The morning newspaper was on the table in the office.


    ¡¶Commoner Knight Cassian, Received the Last Name ¡°Gray¡±!


    Cassian, amoner knight, was given a surname of ¡°Gray¡± by His Majesty the Emperor in exchange for the supply and demand of the head of the rebels on the ind of Asahand.


    Although there is no beast, it is certain that it has earned the most honorable award among themoners of the day.


    Many nobles are keenly interested in the prominence of¡¶Lord Cassian Gray.¡·


    Seeing the portraits of my brother appeared all over the newspaper, I was so proud that one side of my heart tickled.


    Everyone! This Cassian Gray is my brother, yet I can¡¯t tell anyone, but¡­


    Someday, by all means!


    With a happy expression, I swiped my finger over the rough surface of the newspaper.


    I was so impressed. After I came to my senses and checked all the shower rooms, morning rooms and bedrooms other than the office, a dozen minutes passed.


    I was tired and sat on the bed and fell into thought.


    Entering Duke Castle was sessful!


    By the way¡­


    An important problem still remained.


    You can¡¯t get proper information right away, I have to make friends, or wander around freely.


    Because I¡¯m a human, I will be criticized.


    They wouldn¡¯t back me up.


    Even a single window could not be opened with my hand.


    If I can¡¯t open the window, I will not be able to see Cello, so I will not be able to contact my brother¡ª.


    I sighed as I went off the ground.


    ¡®As long as this is the case, I need a brilliant and powerful shapeshifter who will be my hands and feet.¡¯


    Not the Duke, of course.


    Please open the window! If someone can open it properly.


    *********


    The next morning.


    Rudel, who is widely known as the most carefree and indifferent person in the Duke Castle, was on her way to the Delphinium Room at the order of the Duke.


    It was shortly after hearing that the Duke of Anais brought his guardianship.


    Dukes Castle Fortress was closed due to the many years of war and the cold nature of the Duke.


    Those who can enter the castle are pure-blooded maids¡¯ who have been rmended by some of the vassals, ¡®shapeshifters benefactor servants¡¯ who were born and raised in the north after being selected through verification, ¡®knights¡¯ who are loyal and brave, and ¡®fourth-generation guards¡¯ rtives. It was about the ¡®direct blood rtives¡¯ , and ¡®some human beings¡¯ who received permission for special purposes.


    But suddenly bringing a guardian.


    It was when I was feeling puzzled while heading to the Delphinium room.


    ¡°Hey, Rudel!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Rudel frowned.


    The man who appeared in front of her was the Duke¡¯s dedicated doctor.


    ¡°No, no!¡±


    The doctor who faced Rudel couldn¡¯t control his beating heart.


    He spent a long time watching the Duke of Anais.


    From the first time the current Duke entered the Duke Castle Fortress with a blood-stained cuff that I never knew the origin of.


    It means that he survived the previous weak-minded Duke family, rather than a blood-rted hereditary, and eventually achieved the title of Duke.


    I also participated in the battle, and I was active throughout the entire period as a doctor in charge of the Duke.


    But this was the first time.


    The Duke of Anais brought a woman, while enchanted by the ancient magic of thepanion¡¯s imprint.


    Besides, that subtly finite feeling.


    ¡°Disappear now!¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth exchanging words with you.¡¯


    It was a Duke who always seemed arrogant and cold-blooded in this way.


    I thought that even the green pine trees in all seasons would not be as consistently cynical as me, but something changed in front of him.


    Unlike other Shapeshifters, he was a unique doctor with less aversion to humans.


    There was no prejudice against Astel from the beginning, but it was definitely the first time I saw a human with such a clever mind.


    ¡®It¡¯s a woman, who is mysterious in many ways.¡¯


    A couple of times he coughed, and the doctor spoke seriously.


    ¡°Hmm, hmm. No, I have something to say, Rudel.¡±


    The maid-in-chief was a pure-blooded, and she was the one overseeing the interior of the Duke Castle, which has no hostess yet.


    When the Duke left the castle for war problems, her authority became even more powerful.


    Meanwhile, her eyes narrowed to the appearance of the doctor who seemed to be distracted.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You must have heard the story of the guardianship brought by your Excellency?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes.¡±


    The attending physician muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®human¡¯ who is gracious to His Excellency the Duke¡±


    ¡°Human.¡±


    Interest passed by the maid¡¯s eyes.


    She, too, knew very well about the Duke.


    I didn¡¯t think he was going to bring an ordinary person to guardianship.


    Asked in a low-pitched tone.


    ¡°If you have seen it in person, I will ask you. What kind of human is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    The doctor bit his lips.


    Like a squirrel on the surface.


    It¡¯s gentle!


    There must have been something special.


    Smart still is smart, but anyway, the Duke¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t surprising.


    So he had to say something he couldn¡¯t be responsible for in this duke castle, which rejects humans.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty cool.¡±


    Of course, information on imprinting could not be leaked.


    The maid¡¯s eyebrows were twitching up. The attending Doctor was rubbing his hand several times with a regretful look.


    ¡®Looking at the attending doctor, he seems to like the human quite a bit. It didn¡¯t seem like he really liked humans.¡¯


    Rudel¡¯s eyes grew even thinner.


    Seeing that he was sponsored by the Duke and was favored by the doctor, it was clear that person was an unusual human.


    I have to figure this out.


    But Rudel didn¡¯t like humans very much.


    In addition to herself, the Duke of Anais was the front and Conservative leader of the imperial war zone.


    As it is closed, it is sensitive to external inflow, and other species hate it even more.


    Can humans survive alone in this cold fortress of ice filled with Shapeshifters?


    No, it won¡¯t be possible.


    ¡°After staying in the battlefield for a long time, the evaluation seems to be quite harmful even to poor humans?¡±


    ¡°No, as long as you¡¯re a real amazing human being.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes.¡±


    After showing a cynical confrontation, Rudel lightly passed by the stupid doctor and headed to the Delphinium room where the ¡°human¡± was present.


    ********


    It was only yesterday¡¯s day that I saved the Duke of Anais and imprinted with the Duke.


    After that, I tried to write a letter to my brother, but I felt frustrated because of the window on the wall that I could not ovee.


    Lying on my fluffy bed, I thought about how I could meet Cello overnight.


    And my conclusion was¡­


    ¡°Astel-nim.¡±


    At that moment, I heard a knock on the door.


    ¡°Yes? Come in!¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. This is the maid, Rudel.¡±


    My eyes brightened.


    ¡®Finally, I¡¯m going to meet the maid, Rudel.¡¯


    In Rudel¡¯s terms, she could be said to be the Duke¡¯s first real castle agent.


    Last time, I worked for 3 years in a private treatment center in Duchy.


    Rumors about the closed operation of the Duchy, including our treatment center, were spreading like wind.


    ording to the words of a few patients I met at that time, the actual power under the Duke was divided into total excise categories.


    The knightmander who says that there is no one to follow in terms of force, the maid who oversees the resistance, and the 4th generation of Duke family members.


    ¡®Especially the maid knows the information of everyone who enters the castle.¡¯


    Last night, after long thoughts, the first goal I set was to get acquainted with the real agent of the Duke Castle, and the first target to attack was Rudel, the maid of honor.


    I, who is still under the duke¡¯s guardianship, will not be able to meet with themander of the Knights or the forces of the vassal family right now.


    Therefore, my first priority of the target opponent was the maidservant.


    ¡®More than anything else, the maid chief you¡¯re gonna be quick in the magic circle!¡¯


    In fact, I expected that I would be able to get to know the maid rtively easily.


    And then¡ª from the start, I hit the button.


    I bit my lips as I watched the maid¡¯s appearance.


    ¡®No one said that the maid looked so scary!¡¯


    A height that is 180cm tall and has a long, straight hair that has no hair sticking out.


    It looks like a stubborn supervisor.


    Even wearing sharp-looking sses, she looked quite professional, and to say badly, she gave off a force that couldn¡¯t be reached.


    ¡®Are all the people from Duke Castle huge?¡¯


    All officials from the Dukes Castle External Healing Center, I, Astel versus all scary opponents to deal with.


    I¡¯m in the middle of being cheated, but I have to be brave. If I don¡¯t want to die!


    I opened my mouth carefully, dropping my eyes to the floor.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    The maid stopped and said to me.


    ¡°Yes, if you need anything, please tell me right away.¡±


    This is also an iron wall.


    Her hardened, brick-like attitude made me scared again.


    But if you can¡¯t push through this first wall, nothing can be solved.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    I answered energetically.


    The maid, who nced at me, put a magic tool on the back of my hand.


    ¡°It is a magic tool that assesses the identity of all outsiders and checks whether they are affected by dangerous magic.¡±


    At her careless guidance, I sighed and inhaled.


    I was stuck in a suspicious and dangerous ancient stealth magic, so I was stabbed.


    ¡®This is exactly what I expected. I have to spend a long time at the Duke Castle, but of course I¡¯ll have an identity check.¡¯


    I put the back of my hand closer to the magic tool.


    ¡°Yes, please check.¡±


    The maid said coldly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not sure, your wrist will break.¡±


    It is also a northern method.


    Since this world was still developing, the verification method was also cruel¡­


    I swallowed and looked down at my wrist.

 Chapter 7

    <strong>Chapter 7 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong>


    <em>Tranted by Niks</em>


    <em>Edited by KBJ</em><hr>


    I barely calmed my beating heart as I watched the moving magic tools near my hand.


    ¡®There¡¯s absolutely no problem, so calm down, Astel!¡¯


    The magic tool swept the back of my hand and wrist without any problems.


    The magic that was hiding my identity was done by my parents, archmages using up thest bit of their life.


    The reason why we¡¯re still alive, avoiding the eyes of the dark eyes.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way my parents¡¯ magic can be spotted by such magic tools.¡¯


    Usually, when children of noble families in the Empire were old enough to crawl, they immediately had to perform a registration ceremony at the Imperial Pce.


    All you had to do was to crawl on the ancient magic stone installed inside the pce, and when ced on it, a small magic pearl was carved on your wrist.


    Through this process, the royal pce was registered with the personal details of the child of a noble family.


    It is a method devised by the old dragon who helped the founding of the empire.


    By this magic circle, all the imperial nobles, except for the northern Shapeshifters n, recognized as a dominion, were forced to be under the protection and surveince of the Imperial Pce.


    My brother and I also performed the ceremony as children of the Count Vietry family.


    However, what was on my wrist was a magic circle different from that engraved at that time.


    My parents broke the dragon¡¯s magic with difficulty, and they oveid it with fake identities on top of the magic circle, which indicates that I was the child of the Vietry family.


    This magic circle was only visible to me and my brother, but invisible to others.


    The name was also changed to a name used only by family members as a child, and my brother¡¯s hair color changed from blonde to dark brown, and my eyes from light green to dark green was part of the magic.


    When this stealth magic is broken, the truth behind it is that the brothers and sisters of the Vietry family are alive and will be revealed immediately at the Imperial Pce.


    The thought made me nervous and my hands sweat.


    Magic tools that touched the back of my hand and made a beeping sound.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I breathed a long sigh.


    Fortunately, the magic stigma remained intact.


    It meant that no one had guessed our identity yet.


    Rudel¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been enchanted by any other magic. Confirmation is over.¡±


    After sticking to her business-like attitude throughout the examination, she finally entered the room.


    ¡°You must have heard from the Duke yesterday. However, I will tell you about the condition of the room in detail.¡±


    Detailed exnations on how to use the morning room, how to use the shower room, and how to organize your luggage were followed.


    ¡°By the way, I was careful not to get dust on the window frame¡­¡±


    With my mouth wide open, I quietly listened to Rudel.


    I stopped in a moment of silence.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You can still see a lot of deficiencies. Excuse me.¡±


    I tilted my head and brought my eyes closer to the window sill.


    I couldn¡¯t see a single grain of dust.


    The sudden luxury of living in a small room since childhood is puzzling, and Ruddel must not even like this enormous room condition.


    Furthermore, the difort caused by it seemed to be out of control.


    Shapeshifters often humanize when she is angry to the end of her head, and so did she.


    For a very short time, the human form of the hand changed momentarily.£®


    There were definitely hard ws in the shape of a curved hook on the blunt hand.


    ¡®Huh? What about that foot?¡¯


    That¡¯s strange, it can¡¯t be¡­


    I was very familiar with the tribal characteristics of the human figures.


    I¡¯ve been treating different kinds of Shapeshifters at the treatment center for years.


    So, just by looking at the humanized state, it was possible to guess what kind of person it was.


    However, Rudel¡¯s foot, the maid of honor, was quite surprising.


    ¡®Did I see it wrong?¡¯


    I didn¡¯t know exactly what Rudel¡¯s race was.


    But when I heard the rumor about her earlier, I assumed it was Jaguar.


    Because of the meticulousness, delicacy, and difficulty of the characteristics of the Jaguar Shapeshifters.


    ¡°In addition, it is a rule for a noble family to have a woman of noble descent as her maidservant.¡±


    The Jaguar family, along with the wolves, sharks, and silver foxes, was one of the four great families of the Duke.


    So I had to believe that my guess was credible¡­


    ¡®That¡¯s weird. It can¡¯t be¡­


    I tilted my head and sank into thought.


    That foot was definitely ¡®shapeshifters¡¯, but Rudel didn¡¯t look like ¡®that kind of shapeshifter.¡¯


    ¡°If you need a maid, pull the rope on the bed.¡±


    Rudel, who seemed to have felt my eyes, bowed his head with a hard look on his face.


    The ws of the hard beast, which had already been seen at the fingertips of her hands, had disappeared.


    ¡°Yes! I will organize my luggage.¡±


    Rudel¡¯s eyes were slightly distorted, but that was all.


    She bowed her head to me as sharply as she did when she came in.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll pick you up before dinner with your Excellency.¡±


    Rudel made a clean exit.


    The way she looked at me felt cold in a different sense from the Duke.


    I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d like me from the beginning anyway.


    In the meantime, there was no one who liked me from the beginning.


    I nced through the room once and shook my hand.


    At first nce, everything seemed to be in order.


    ¡®I¡¯m not sure what Rudel, the maid of the Duke, will like.¡¯


    I wiped the sweat on my forehead.


    It was vague how to attack, but fortunately there was one thing I knew.


    ¡®The important thing is that all of the men in the original had strong ethnic characteristics.¡¯


    ording to thew of cats for cats, and for foxes for foxes.


    Fortunately, I learned a lot about Shapeshiter¡¯s habits during my time at the clinic, so I was confident that I could handle them well.


    I pondered over the characteristics of Rudel that I had heard through the rumor.


    It was unexpected that it wasn¡¯t Jaguar, but beyond that, I¡¯ve been working hard on Rudel and trying to figure out a way to prepare just in case.


    I searched my pocket and held the medicine I always carry.


    Before dinner with the Duke, let¡¯s nt my eyes and ears on this fortress.


    ¡®I have to get in touch with my brother!¡¯


    All right, let¡¯s get in there quickly.


    ? ? ? ?


    Just then, the castle¡¯s ¡®Maid¡¯s Room¡¯ was bustling with news rted to Astel.


    ¡°A human being who is the benefactor of the Duke hase in?¡±


    It was a closed building, but rumors circted quickly inside that much.


    The topic was Astel, a human who came to the Duke¡¯s castle at her own discretion.


    ¡°What? Human! Ooh! Human!¡±


    The Gori Shapeshifter on the sofa shuddered.


    She scratched her cheek down with a haggard look.


    The other girl sitting next to her opened her mouth and clenched her fist.


    ¡°Oh, I hate humans!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still the Duke¡¯s benefactor. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°To be the benefactor of the Duke, she must be a terrifying human¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s still human. Have you forgotten the days when you were ves to humans? Our men and women don¡¯t forget the grace, but you don¡¯t know that the enemy doesn¡¯t forget more?¡±


    A long time ago, many of the Shapeshifters were ves to humans.


    Humans seized poorly humanoid Shapeshifters, and enved them, used them as trinkets, and killed them for amusement.


    Then, finally, about a hundred years ago, the Shapeshifters seeded in escaping from the capital.


    After establishing a site in the northern part of the empire, they destroyed the creatures, strengthened their power and threatened human society.


    Numerous Shapeshifters gathered one by one to the north, and among them, pure-blooded Shapeshifters who contributed to the war of monsters were each recognized as a vassal.


    In the process, the emperor of the Empire gave the Shapeshifters, who were then the frontier, the northern self-governing province and the castle, and the northern part was sentenced to 4th Major n, centered around the ¡®Duke of Anais¡¯.


    Perhaps the current duke is the third Duke of Anais.


    This ce, which was obtained by the blood of men, was different from human society in every aspect.

 Chapter 8

    <strong>Chapter 8 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong>


    <em>Tranted by Niks</em>


    <em>Edited by KBJ</em><hr>


    ¡°No, but the Duke brought that human here!¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s still human, a human.¡±


    There was a long and serious discussion on the subject of Astel.


    However, the war of words, which seemed tost forever, marked a turning point when Rudel, the most influential woman in the Castle, entered.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Rudel frowned at the maids sitting on the sofa.


    ¡°The benefactor¡¯s room wasn¡¯t cleaned properly, so are you sitting together and chatting?¡±


    Unlike other noble families, some maids in the closed fortress of the Duke¡¯s castle also served as cleaning maids.


    It was a characteristic of a peasant who was rtively free from the ss system.


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the benefactor¡¯s room, do you mean that human? I¡¯ve cleaned it properly!¡±


    Noble and cold, she didn¡¯t like the storms in the castle very much.


    So, she appropriately named Astel, a human being, a benefactor.


    It wasn¡¯t to protect Astel.


    ¡°There is dust left. I don¡¯t think that human benefactor will stay for long, so be patient.¡±


    No matter how strong a human could be, it could not endure life in the Castle for a long time due to the hostile and ferocious gaze of the people in the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    Most of all, Duke Anais, the greatest predator that was admired by all men.


    A military god born in the war of monsters and a man who even the emperor cannot treat carelessly.


    It is impossible for a slender human to be able to sit together with Duke Anais for a long time, as if their neck would be broken at any moment.


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand. How did a human save the Duke? It must be fraud!¡±


    Rudel waved her hand as if she didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore.


    ¡°Noisy. Are you guys free enough to gossip about your superiors?¡±


    The maid, who had been making a fuss, pursed her lips from Rudel¡¯s authority like a snail hiding in a shell.


    Rudel kept a solemn attitude and nodded.


    ¡°Miel, the seedlings of the garden trees you manage. The sprout seemed to be crooked about 1cm.¡±


    ¡°O-oh, yes.¡±


    ¡°Delsa, there is dust on your pendant.¡±


    ¡°She might not be a hawk but her eyes are sharp like one.¡±


    Rudel¡¯s expression was particrly stiff at theining words.


    Rudel didn¡¯t like to talk about her origin.


    No, it would be right to hate it more than any other words.


    ¡°Noisy. Clean up now. Cleaning is the most important thing for a clean environment.¡±


    Rudel, who warned them coldly, nced over the maids with a cold gaze and left.


    Those who were left in their seats also raised themselves upright.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a single cleaning maid who can match the taste of Lady Rudel.¡±


    ¡°I agree with you from the bottom of my heart.¡±


    The maids sighed deeply.


    Predicting that hardbor will continue today.


    Meanwhile, Rudel, who came out of the hallway, walked around and supervised every corner of the castle.


    After a while, she passed near the Delphinium room and stopped to check the pocket watch she always carries with her.


    ¡®Since they are doing their jobs properly now, it¡¯s time to go back to that room.¡¯


    To be exact, it was time to go check on Astel.


    In the meantime, did the maids clean the room properly this time?


    No, I can¡¯t even expect anything from them.


    I¡¯m sure there¡¯s still hair and dust left on the room.


    As she reached the door of the Delphinium room where Astel was staying, she knocked slowly.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Hearing that cheerful voice made her feel tired already.


    But Rudel¡¯s expression was still cold.


    Still, Astel was just a human being passing by for a moment.


    Rudel was not so free as to give her heart to a rtionship that would pass by.


    ¡°Yes, as I shared the schedule with you the other day, I will help you with your dinner with the Duke.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! Come in!¡±


    Soon, Rudel entered the room with a stiff expression.


    Until then, she was just going to take care of the simple things quickly and leave.


    There is nothing special to prepare for when visiting a VIP.


    But something was different today.


    ¡°Are you here?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ what¡­ ¡±


    Rudel looked inside and for the first time in her life, made a dumbfounded expression.


    Her name was Rudel.


    Her position was the maid of honor of the Duke of Anais, a shapeshifter and currently 45 years old.


    She was characterized to have an obsessivepulsive disorder.


    In Astel¡¯s room, she really saw a new world.


    ¡°¡­Can I ask how it was cleaned?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a trade secret.¡±


    While whispering, Astel had a colorless drug in her hand.


    Perhaps that was the chemical that she used to polish this room.


    Rudel narrowed her eyes.


    Inside the room, there was a sweet smell from the sun-driedundry.


    Others may not have known, but Rudel, who had been working as a maid for a long time, knew.


    This scent was the clear air that only came from a thoroughly cleaned space.


    Besides, that wasn¡¯t the only thing that was surprising.


    Looking at the newspaper stand next to the desk and the neatly arranged small bookshelf, the maid opened her mouth agape.


    On the table, there were bottles of chemicals that the maid believed had been brought by Astel.


    They were sorted by color and neatly arranged without even a millimeter of error.


    All the vials were of red color, with the darkest red on the left and a lighter color toward the right.


    An average person would be amazed or surprised.


    However, for Rudel, who had an obsessivepulsive disorder, it was such a perfect and fascinating way of organizing that it made her heart skip a beat.


    ¡°It¡¯s organized neatly.¡±


    An innovative way of organizing things that I have never thought of.


    However, Astel, who created this amazing scene, grimly frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s prettier to organize them by color.¡±


    How can you be so calm?


    ¡®It¡¯s really fascinating.¡¯


    Rudel quickly closed her mouth and recalled the Doctor¡¯s words.


    Well, it was amazing.


    *****


    Seeing that look on her face, I think it¡¯s a sess!.


    In fact, there are not many stories that mentioned Shapeshiters from the original.


    However, while working at the treatment center, I learned information about Shapeshifters.


    Of course, it was a clear mistake to expect Rudel to be a Jaguar.


    But I knew that there were very few people who tried to go against the characteristics of their species, so I was able to respond quickly.


    I really didn¡¯t know that Rudel, the maid, would be like that.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure that foot was a Sloth Shapeshifter.¡¯


    Even though she was a sloth, she was more difficult and meticulous thanzy.


    ¡®The Shapeshifters who ovee the main traits of their race tend to act in the extremely opposite way of said traits.¡¯ ¡®


    So, Rudel assumed that the sloths were not meticulous enough to be obsessively neat and diligent.


    And my predictions fit nicely.


    ¡°With all due respect, are you good at organizing and cleaning?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    She, who had always made a neat expression, stiffened frantically.


    But that was the end.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to clean the inside of the Castle. You are under the Duke¡¯s guardianship.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes!¡±


    I nodded with a bright smile.


    At Rudel¡¯s mouth, just one second.


    A gentle smile passed and disappeared. But that alone was satisfactory enough.


    I asked her, maintaining a cheerful and pleasant tone of voice.


    ¡°By the way, what did you say you came here for?¡±


    ¡°¡­As I said before, I¡¯d like to help you prepare for the dinner with the Duke.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the powder room.¡±


    Rudel returned to her original cool-headed attitude.


    However, it didn¡¯t seem too scary from the perspective of her loose expression earlier.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    I nodded and followed her.


    The cleanup operation was a huge sess just by looking at the more rxed atmosphere. As I said before, the road to heaven starts with the first step.


    I fell into deep thoughts while looking at the back of Rudel entering the powder room.


    I assure you, you look like ice now, but you¡¯ll soon have a warm meltdown.


    Because I collected a lot of information to enter this castle and prepared thoroughly for several years.


    You will be my hands and feet soon.


    And before that¡­


    ¡°You told me before to talk to you anytime if I had a request.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can the maid open the windows?¡±


    ¡°¡­The windows?¡±


    There was a slight crack in her face.


    I nodded as hard as I could and dug into her weakness.


    ¡°For a better way of cleaning, I want to continue using chemicals, but I think it will take time to open the windows to ventte. Can you please open the window a little?¡±


    ¡°For cleaning?¡±


    Rudel recited softly.


    ¡°Yes! Venttion is essential to clean up without a grain of dust.¡±


    Her eyes shook briefly.

 Chapter 9 - He’s My Real Brother, Duke

    <strong>Chapter 9 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong>


    I eagerly supported Rudel in my heart.


    ¡®Opening the window is hard for me, but not that hard for Rudel.¡¯


    Rudel, who was attacked by my sparkling eyes, quietly headed to the window as if she was possessed by something.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I would like to share your opinions on cleaningter.¡±


    The window opened a little with a rumble sound.


    Rudel stood near the window and took out a portable magic tool from her pocket.


    ¡°Please keep this magic tool for self-defense.¡±


    I was handed a magic tool while singing delight to my heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have no problem staying at the castle, but if there¡¯s a strange creature near the window, you just have to press this button.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    It was a very simple matter.


    ¡°In the future, you only have to open the window on the cleaning day. Because my life is precious too!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    Rudel, with aplex expression, nodded.


    ¡°The only thing that is more important than cleaning is life.¡±


    I listened to what she said and answered.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Then, Rudel¡¯s eyes looked even brighter, but there was no time to care about it.


    After all, the world was turning on the absolute proposition of personal-connections.


    ***


    A little cold wind came in through the open window.


    ¡®That¡¯s enough for cello toe in.¡¯


    After checking the window satisfactorily, I changed into a pretty dress that was like a light green grass flower and went to see the Duke again.


    The dinner hall of Duke Anais Castle was very beautiful.


    Inside the elegant hall, the center of the dinner table made of Irish marble was decorated with colorful flowers, and tableware was set in each seat.


    Sitting there and having a meal, the Duke and I talked about the past.


    The Duke was reticent and I pointed out the fact that I graduated from the Capital¡¯s Academy of Therapy, obtained a certificate of a therapist, and worked at a medical center in the North.


    The subject of our conversation has finally reached about my family and friend rtions.


    ¡°I am curious about how Astel has lived so far. Who are you close to?¡±


    The Duke asked while cutting the steak.


    To the Duke, who was outspoken while cutting a bloody steak, I recited a seriously made-up story.


    ¡°I lived in the Zte Orphanage. Most of my friends are people I met at the orphanage. Duke, fri-, do you have any friends?¡±


    ¡°In the past, there was one. We used to be very close.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Even in the original, I listened attentively to the stories that I had never heard of while living in the North.


    He muttered in a dark voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone now.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m going to take revenge.¡±


    Because the dining room was so spacious, the Duke¡¯s words rang out, creating a more gloomy atmosphere.


    He put down the knife with the blood of the meat, looking at it with a cool gaze.


    My appetite fell.


    It was a hideous look that showed his willingness to recover his friend by killing someone.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll definitely find it!¡±


    I don¡¯t know who he is, but I feel sorry for him, so I¡¯ll pray for him in a short time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure so, now¡­ let¡¯s go back to Astel¡¯s friends in detail.¡±


    I gulped down.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already done all your background checks on me. It¡¯s strict against outsiders.¡¯


    Fortunately, my rtionship was thoroughly fabricated thanks to the hidden magic.


    Born on the street, it must have been manipted as being a wandering beggar for ten years.


    The ¡°real¡± things that happened at Zete Orphanage since the age of seven are also well documented.


    ¡°There¡¯s Anne, Gilbert, and my Teacher Rosen, who helped me go to the Academy of Therapy at Zete Orphanage. All three are no longer friends because contact has been cut off. ¡±


    I took a deep breath.


    Now, my hero, who has green eyes with curly hair.


    It was time to talk about my brother, ¡°Cassian Gray.¡±


    Let¡¯s calm down.


    In the eyes of others who don¡¯t know anything, we seem to be just ordinary friends who sometimes exchange letters.


    ¡°Oh, and do you know Cassian Gray, who was recently awarded the title as amoner knight?¡±


    He stared at my lips and squeezed his chin as if he was observing the name I spoke with particr force.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of him before.¡±


    ¡­It wasn¡¯t the first time I heard of it.


    He couldn¡¯t have known.


    I looked quietly and shrugged my shoulders.


    ¡°Thatmoner, Cassian Gray, was also my friend. We¡¯re not very close¡­ We grew up in the same orphanage. We sometimes meet and talk.¡±


    ¡°Is that the end of your friendship?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes¡­¡±


    The Duke was silent for a moment.


    The fire on the ornate candlestick on the table flickered.


    Perhaps because of that, his handsome face was darkly shaded and brightened again.


    ¡°Well, actually¡­ It¡¯s cool to be like a national hero, so I just said it.¡±


    ¡°You like the heroic stories of the knights.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! That¡¯s right! If you are an imperial citizen, I can¡¯t help but like my people.¡±


    Due to frequent disturbances such as monster warfare and local disturbances with the eastern continent. Because in the empire, skilled knights were given preferential treatment.


    I nodded and looked back at the table as if I agreed with it.


    I thought it was time to eat properly.


    Then the Duke murmured faintly.


    ¡°Cassian Gray¡­¡±


    It sounded like a serious grumble.


    Just like those who have many things to hide, I struck the bowl with a fork in my hand.


    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s a friend of Astel, my imprint¡­ I want to meet him.¡±


    I was wondering what to say, and I was surprised to see the Duke¡¯s steak te at first nce.


    The te was full of blood.


    Blood so red, as if suggesting someone¡¯s future.


    ¡°I hope he¡¯s a good man.¡±


    He gently emphasized.


    I put my fork down on the silverware and felt my wrist to see if the concealing magic worked properly.


    It was a habit that came out naturally when I got anxious.


    Fortunately, the concealing magic remained intact.


    I opened my mouth to answer him.


    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to believe me, but I¡­


    I decided to stay calm and concentrate on the meal.


    Luckily, the two of the Duke¡¯s food matched well.


    When I ate well-baked salmon and pork, I thought the topknot rang in my ears.


    It was really full time just eating.


    However, the problem urred when the sorbet was served as a dessert.


    My heart suddenly tightened, then my breath was short and my face burned red.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed the abnormal symptoms.


    ¡°It looks like the imprinting has not yet stabilized.¡±


    ¡­Oh, imprinting.


    For a moment, I thought I was being poisoned.


    I reached out my hand to him in a hurry.


    ¡°Oh, yes¡­ Here, your hand¡±


    I swear it just meant to hold hands.


    But the next thing that happened was beyond my expectation.


    The Duke lifted my hand and kissed me on the back of my hand.


    As soon as his cold lips touched the back of my hand, I opened my eyes wide in shock.


    Thanks to that, the tightness on my chest subsided.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been overwhelmed.¡±


    As he spoke with his lips on the back of my hand, a strangely itchy feeling burned from my toes.


    He kept muttering with his lips on the back of my hand.


    ¡°It says to kiss the back of your hand when you¡¯re having trouble breathing.¡±


    Did you read a book rted to imprinting?


    With his low voice, muttering to himself, my ears became hot and quickly turned red.


    Obviously, my shortness of breath seemed to have healed, but my heart pounded as if it had raced through a distance of 50-meters.


    I hurriedly pulled out my hand and hid it behind me and muttered.


    ¡°Hey, well¡­ is it properly treated? It feels like my heart is going to burst now¡­¡±


    It may seem like I was really talking randomly, but it was true.


    My heart was beating tremendously.


    He answered calmly, looking at me hiding my hand behind my back.


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°It feels like I have arrhythmia.¡±


    Duke and arrhythmia.


    It was abination that I had never thought about before, so I doubted my ears.


    But he looked at my confused face and opened his mouth calmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time kissing someone on the back of their hand.¡±


    With a rxed expression that was not like the first time, Duke Anais stared at me.


    I blinked my eyes a few times with my lips clenched.


    It¡¯s the first time.


    The Duke, and me too.


    After swallowing, I felt a little ominous and subtle.


    I rambled on about the words that popped out of my mouth.


    ¡°Well, then. From now on¡­Uh, I mean, a kiss on the back of the hand would be enough, right?¡±


    When I spit those words, a strange chill ran down to my spine.


    I kept blinking my eyes and quickly added words.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the fever¡¯s going down like this.¡±


    His gaze strangely missed my gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be overwhelmed, Astel.¡±


    He answered lightly, but the weight of those words was never as light.


    I carefully opened my mouth and asked.


    ¡°¡­If-If it¡¯s me or the Duke, what if it¡¯s impossible?¡±

 Chapter 10

    <strong>Chapter 10 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong><hr>


    He whispered, twisting his lips strangely.


    ¡°It won¡¯t end with kissing the back of your hand.¡±


    What! Are you crazy?


    I pursed my lips, but no words came out of my mouth. Our eyes met in the middle.


    The dining room became calm, but an rm was ringing in my head.


    In fact, I¡¯ve never been in a rtionship in my life.


    For me, my heart may explode if I go to the next stage of kissing the back of my hand.


    Of course, my heart won¡¯t explode that easily, but¡­


    Just in case, I need to prepare my heart¡­£¡


    Fortunately, the dinner ended quickly.


    When I returned to the Delphinium room, I rolled over the bed hugging my pillow.


    ¡®As a result, I couldn¡¯t hear what the duke said before finishing the dinner. I¡¯m curious about his real name and what kind of beast exactly the duke was. Being someone from outside of Castle of Duke Anais, I don¡¯t know anyone with expertise.


    Even in the novel, his information waspletely hidden.


    All I know was that he¡¯s the most dangerous and mysterious person in the Empire.


    Therefore, he was a strong candidate for the final viin.


    ¡®I¡¯ll slowly find out exactly what he is.¡¯


    If the Duke was really the final viin, I would have to figure out a way to deal with him, or I¡¯d have to make him an ally who could help me.


    I shook my head and briefly organized my thoughts and looked around.


    Even the day before yesterday, I was lying alone in a lonely little house.


    Three years ago, after separating with my brother who joined the Knights Corps for revenge, I came to the Northern Dukedom by myself.


    Hearing all kinds of criticism at the Treatment Center of the North Duchy, I had a hard time working, and waited for a letter from my brother that did note.


    Now, I was lying on the big bed after washing away those memories and softly closing my eyes as I fell asleep.


    Was it because I¡¯ve been suffering for so long?


    The fluffy bed that I had experienced for the first time in my life was unfamiliar and terribly cozy.


    I wriggled my feet under the nket.


    After revenge, I¡¯ll buy 500 wool nkets full of fluffiness.


    And I¡¯m going to bury myself in that fluffy nket.


    I¡¯m going to order more than a thousand sorbet and cranachan desserts with a sweet raspberry vor for the first time today and eat them until my stomach explodes.


    <i>(N: Cranachan -scottish dessert made of oats, raspberries,cream,malt,honey etc.)</i>


    I mean, really¡­


    ¡®By the way, it¡¯s about time for the cello toe. I have to write a letter to my brother.¡¯


    As I closed my eyes and imagined a happy future with my brother and my nephew whom I haven¡¯t met yet, when I was about to fall asleep, I heard the sound of drizzle falling.


    To-tok, tok, tototok¡­


    I quickly opened my eyes at the sound from the window.


    It was definitely the sound of a bird knocking on the window with its beak.


    When I looked straight at the window, I saw a ck birding in through a gap that was slightly open.


    My brother¡¯s messenger bird, Cello Le de Moore, abbreviated as Cello!


    Finally, I can send a letter to my brother.


    Starting with [<i>I saved Duke Anais</i>.], then continuing with [<i>Duke Anais, I think he¡¯s a good man</i>.] and ending with [ Please Take care brother.]


    ¡®Except for the story of the imprint with the Duke or the story that I must hold his hand in order to live.¡¯


    My brother has been unusually overprotective of me ever since I went missing once and became a beggar when I was a child.


    He also paid close attention to my rtionship with the opposite sex.


    ¡®Since I can¡¯t make mistakes in writing a letter, let¡¯s say it simply.


    As I shuddered, I picked up the quill.


    After grabbing the letter, Cello flew out of the window immediately.


    ¡®When will I get a reply?¡¯


    Soon I fell asleep thinking that the answer mighte tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.


    However, my brother, who loves his younger sister the most in the world, did not make me wait long.


    A few hourster, dawn came after a dark night.


    At twilight, I suddenly woke up to a faint sound.


    As I turned my head, I could see Cello¡¯s bright yellow eyes, beak, and ck, glossy soft hair again over the frosty window.


    I smiled broadly, keeping my eyes on the bright yellow and round eyes of Cello who squeezed through the gap.


    ¡°Cello, you came back fast.¡±


    Cello was wet with morning dew.


    He pped his wings and flew into the bed without much response.


    I stroked the feathers of the ck bird that came into my arms.


    Cello rubbed its head against my hand and squeezed my hand. Iughed because it was so cute.


    Then I tapped his beak with my finger.


    ¡°Hey Cello, did you bring the letter quickly?¡±


    As if to agree, Cello tapped the back of my hand with his beak.


    At the same time, a small basket suddenly appeared on his wing, which was empty.


    Every time I saw it, it was an amazing technique.


    I checked my brother¡¯s letter that Cello excitedly gave me.


    [<i>Astel.</i>


    <i>You saved Duke Anais? What¡¯s going on? I want to hear more details, but I¡¯m running out of paper.</i>


    <i>Fortunately, I think I can hear it myself.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m nning to go to the north soon. I can¡¯t wait to see your face.</i>


    <i>We¡¯ll be able to meet very</i><i>soon.</i>


    <i>P.S. Don¡¯t trust Duke Anais too much. He¡¯s not a good person.</i>]


    Immediately I took out a new paper and pen, rounded the tip of the pen, and began to write down.


    [<i>Okay, I understand¡­ I¡¯ll be waiting for you!]</i>


    In fact, I already knew from reading the original story that my brother woulde to the Northern Dukedom.


    In the original story, my brother vaguely notices that those who destroyed the Vietry family have been hiding under the Duke of Anais. Thanks to the friend of the Information Guild that helped my brother.


    As a matter of fact, I could have been here because I know the future information ahead through the original book.


    Of course, it would be nice if I could share information on the original story to my brother and have a conversation with him.


    ¡®Every time I tell my brother about the original story, he doesn¡¯t believe me at all!¡¯


    ¡­I couldn¡¯t help it because he tried to exclude me unconditionally from the revenge.


    Anyway, he volunteers for the Northern Demonic War to be able to enter the Duke of Anais Castle.


    That was probably at this time of year.


    I put the short written letter back into the basket of Cello.


    ¡°Cello¡­ you also want to see my brother again soon, right?¡±


    He flew around me as if he didn¡¯t want to be away from me.


    I sighed and stroked his lovely beak.


    It¡¯s cute how Cello has been attached to me¡­


    It was a pity that it couldn¡¯t stay longer, but I couldn¡¯t help it if I wanted to avoid their suspicion.


    When I tapped on Cello¡¯s beak, the basket and the letter disappeared.


    I carefully let him out through the window.


    I can¡¯t wait to see you soon, my brother.


    * * * * *


    There was an evaluation that Duke Anais could not be deceived by any lies because he possessed a sixth sense like a beast.


    That was right.


    In his office, Duke Anais instinctively opened the window, and in the air outside the window something flying, he saw a dark illusion that one would not see unless they have some magical power.


    Except for the bright yellow beak, all the ck-haired birds entered the open window of the Delphinium Room.


    It was suspicious that a bird enters the Castle where no one can easily enter and exit, except for the open window.


    It crawls to the room where Astel stays.


    Considering that only few humanse to the Northern Territory, Astel, who has been with the Northern Healing Center for several years, seems like a very strange person.


    The Duke of Anais knows enough that she was quite suspicious.


    But what is that?


    He did not break the fragile wings of a small bird flying out the window again.


    Instead, he contemted on the direction of that flying bird, without a change of expression.


    Under his generosity, the bird became a ck dot and flew away toward its destination.


    Duke Anais¡¯ eyes were glued back to the pine tree desk in the middle of the office.


    His smooth fingers tapped the table a few times.


    That bird was heading to the capital.


    Leaving Astel¡¯s room, then going somewhere in the capital.


    ¡®The Capital¡­¡¯


    He had no good memories of the Empire¡¯s capital, so he quietly lowered his gaze.


    After a few minutes.


    Inside the office, the sound of the quill pen filled the room, the air in the office became cold as if nothing had happened.


    * * * * *


    ¡°Why do you feel so cold? Do you actually have a cold?¡±


    Late at night, three dayster, inside the Knights¡¯s quarters in the capital.


    Cassian Gray, the hottest celebrity in the Empire and a knight called the Flower of the Capital, recently entered the Knights¡¯ quarters trembling.


    The knightmander, who was particrly concerned in his health, muttered while swallowing the words.


    ¡°Why are you like this? Because the death was near?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re about to go to the Monster¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh.¡±


    Cassian gave a smirk as if he was not interested.


    ¡°Are you crazy? You volunteered for the Monster¡¯s War when you were so sessful! Then are you not going to hell?¡±


    The Knight Commander tapped him on the shoulder and opened his mouth with a serious face.


    ¡°Hell, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Cassian frowned.


    The knights in the camp looked at him trembling.


    What do you mean, a monster appetizer?


    It was like a death sentence that Duke Anais was elected to the subjugation of the monster war.


    The monsters were very ferocious and it actually tore humans apart.


    Ordinary people who were not a shapeshifter could not afford it.


    Furthermore, Duke Anais, who would be themander-in-chief of the former Chief, was not very merciful to his men, whether he was a shapeshifter or a human being.


    Of course, it was true that many Imperial Knights have a reverence for the Duke of Anais, who sessfully wins the war against monsters that cannot be captured by human strength¡­


    You can¡¯t give your life just to be admired.


    Life was precious.


    In conclusion, for ordinary knights, the battlefield of the monster in the north was a rough patch that everyone avoided.


    But Cassian Gray was different.


    Recklessly, he volunteered directly to that very monster war.


    All the knights were amazed at the aspiration to beat all the monsters.


    At the same time, I had a foreboding.


    ¡°Why, I think it¡¯s going to be fun.¡±


    Cassian hummed and rummaged in his arms.


    Unlike his handsome face, he¡¯s like a Mad-Dog, and that crazy guy will surely survive in hell¡­!

 Chapter 11

    <strong>Chapter 11 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong><hr>


    Cassianughed, hiding his true intentions, looking through the knights.


    The young knight who was picking a quarrel about everything gave him a hard time.


    ¡°It would be better for a poor knight like you to volunteer for the war against monsters. Oh that¡¯s great, amazing.¡±


    Cassian smiled gently, then twisted his mouth and grabbed the opponent¡¯s chin.


    ¡°s¡­ Then, how about we have a spar?¡±


    Cassian Gray, a knight called the flower of the capital, had a very dirty temper and a foul mouth, unlike what he actually looked like.


    Besides, he was extremely passionate about those who wanted to undermine him.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna break your limbs, let¡¯s see if you could still talk with that mouth.¡±


    Cassian snorted, making a sincere threat like a knight who had already experienced the hardships of the battlefield since childhood.


    The lingering knight shouted, with a distorted face.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    He was struggling, but he couldn¡¯t find his armor and ran away, naked.


    In a brutal atmosphere, other knights left one by one.


    Suddenly, only Cassian and the Knight Commander were left in the changing room of the camp.


    The Commander muttered, kicking his tongue.


    ¡°Kill your temper. If thedies see you like that, they¡¯ll run away.¡±


    The words made Cassianugh with a cheerful and cheeky attitude.


    ¡°Well, I think they¡¯d prefer being wild.¡±


    Hiding his sly expression and a friendly face like a handsome man, he soon shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not like the flower of the capital. It is a problem because it is a flower of evil.¡±


    Cassianughed at the words.


    He had no intention of stopping the spread of rumors in the capital that ¡°Cassian Gray is a yboy.¡±


    Thedies he meets frequently are only real partners for revenge, but what would be beneficial to exin one by one?


    On the contrary, it was better to not be kept in check by political forces if he was rumored to be a yboy who only flirts with women, short-sighted, and a lunatic who was rapidly rising in the capital.


    ¡°So when are you going to the North?¡±


    ¡°Well. Once I get my pass issued, I will go right away. I have already sent a request for permission to pass to the Duke of Anais in the north.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not much time left.¡±


    ¡°Yes, just be honest with me first. Why did you suddenly volunteer for the war two days ago? ¡°


    ¡°Because it seems fun?¡±


    The general manager stuck his tongue out.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a madman¡­¡±


    Of course, there was another reason why Cassian suddenly volunteered for the war.


    One was the news that some of the servants of the Vietry family escaped secretly to the northern part where the monsters invaded.


    ¡®The other was because I heard the news that my younger sister Astel had entrusted herself to the Duke.¡¯


    ¡®I have to find out why the hell is that softhearted kid ended up in the Duke Castle.¡¯


    He messed up his hair and recalled Astel¡¯s letter that he had just received.


    ¡®The Duke of Anais seemed to be a good man¡¯, and the thought of the letter, which she would have written with a bright smile, caused a headache.


    ¡®The Duke of Anais seems to be a good man?¡¯


    Astel was an innocent and lovely child who regarded everything in the world as beautiful as flowers.


    But he wasn¡¯t so stupid that he didn¡¯t notice the evil mind of humans, like the Duke of Anais.


    She was sensitive to other people¡¯s hostility.


    As a result, he was seriously suspicious of whether or not Astel had been brainwashed.


    Did it make sense in the first ce?


    ¡®The Duke of Anais is a good man?¡¯


    Cassian frowned and changed into a sparring suit and moved to the sparring stadium.


    While making fun of the pace, his mind wasplicated by worries about Astel.


    It was around the time of the conclusion that he should go to the North as an excuse for war and face Astel in person and talk to her.


    The Knights Commander, who was following him, hinted at the letter.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about what kind of person Duke Anais is?¡±


    Cassian answered quickly. That was also the topic he was most curious about right now.


    ¡°They say that Duke Anais is terrible on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. There¡¯s also a story that he could tear people apart with bare hands¡­You should be careful, he¡¯s very strong!¡±


    ¡°How dare the Duke tear his allies apart?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because we didn¡¯t actually see it.¡±


    The Knight Commander seems to hate the brutality of Duke Anais.


    Looking at that expression, it seems that the Duke Anais has actually attacked a friend of his. Cassian Gray gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Oh, you also think he¡¯s totally crazy?¡±


    Thinking that guy and Astel are together. He was even more annoyed and wanted to smash a vase nearby.


    Cassian, who tried to swallow his anger, stared at the Knight Commander, scratching his brown curly hair.


    The weak Knight Commander said while scratching his hair.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane to say out loud that he¡¯s crazy¡­ There¡¯s no one here that would volunteer like you, and you¡¯ll be beheaded if you go to the North with that attitude.¡±


    Either way.


    Cassian thought of a delicate younger sister who might be crying in the Duke Castle.


    Astel was always worried about him.


    <i>¡®Why are you so kind and innocent brother? Really!¡­¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®I know. I¡¯m also worried that I¡¯m so kind and will lose money.¡¯</i>


    Of course, Cassian never lost a penny in his life.


    ¡®Astel was the only one that got lost because I wasn¡¯t really innocent.¡¯


    <i>(T/N: Astel was lost when she was young as mentioned in previous chapters.)</i>


    It was always him who put a knife behind the backs of the fools who bullied Astel.


    But for his younger sister who would consider the whole world a flower garden, Cassian had been acting poorly and naive, and Astel was very easily deceived.


    <i>¡®Yes, so I¡¯ll protect you.¡¯</i>


    <i>I only said that but it wasn¡¯t everything I haven¡¯t had revenge yet.</i>


    <i>¡®Astel, listen to your brother.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®¡­¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Act like you have nothing to do with me. Even if I die, you have to survive, okay?¡¯</i>


    Before leaving Astel, he was afraid that something might happen to her, so in any case she would be struggling to live or continue our family¡¯s revenge.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know what to do knowing that she ended up in the Duke Anais Castle.¡¯


    ¡®What the hell are you thinking, Astel? Did the Duke of Anais take you? Why did you go to the North and what¡¯s with the letter saying that Duke Anais was a good person.¡¯


    With a sigh inside, Cassian went into the training center, twisting his facial expressions as they were.


    Knights of the Rose Knights, who upied their seats earlier, hurriedly avoided his gaze.


    ¡°That crazy dog must have gone mad.¡±


    Cassian rxed his muscles by pulling his shoulders with a ferocious look.


    ¡®Let¡¯s relieve our stress beforeing to the Duke Anais Castle.¡¯


    ¡®Before that, we need to find out a little information about the Duke of Anais based on sources.¡¯


    <i>(T/N sources ¨C the Dark Guild which he was acquainted with ording to Astel.)</i>


    ¡®I can¡¯t wait until I get to the Northern Castle.¡¯


    His rather friendly-looking face smeared with a sinister smile.


    ¡®I should ask Rachel about Astel¡¯s situation and what happened to her that she ended up at Duke of Anais Castle.¡¯


    Rachel was Cassian¡¯s informant from the Dark Guild, she was also a nobledy and the youngest daughter of a Count.


    With that determination, he tapped his fingers to challenge the knight he had encountered.


    With such a great misunderstanding, the three days ended.


    ***


    The next morning, inside the Delphinium room at the Duke Castle.


    I was worried about my innocent brother¡¯s future and checked my ns step by step all night long.


    ¡®First of all, let¡¯s start with the people of Duke Castle on my side.¡¯


    Over the past few days, I had not been able to fall asleep on time, nning a strategy to charm the people of Duke Castle one by one.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t stay up all night.


    I couldn¡¯t stay up all night easily in the first ce, because it was sofortable that I couldn¡¯t help but to fall asleep.


    Fortunately, the bedding was very fluffy, so I fell asleep a little bit at night, and I slept a lot at dawn.


    Until the twinkling sunlight poured in through the window.


    I woke up in the morning sun while I was drowning in a long sleep with my small body buried in a soft sheet.


    And¡­ I jumped up from the bed.


    ¡®I have to go to the treatment center! I¡¯m going to bete? The warden might kill me if I¡¯mte!¡¯


    That¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡®Oh, no. When I came to Duke Anais Castle, my life was reversed¡­ ¡¯


    Iy back in bed with relief, closed my eyes and tried to enjoy my morning sleep, but I heard a loud voice from the side.


    ¡°Well, human. Are you up?¡±


    Human¡­ ?


    I was about to lie down, and jumped up from bed again.

 Chapter 12

    <strong>Chapter 12 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong><hr>


    Looking at the bedside, there were two unfamiliar women standing there.


    ¡®Since when they had been there?¡¯


    ¡®Who are they?¡¯


    Soon I realized by looking at the gingham* id maid uniform they were wearing. They were maids.


    <i>(E/N: Gingham is a type of fabric made of cotton)</i>


    They probably came to help me get dressed. I didn¡¯t know their exact race, but they looked gentle.


    The two maid¡¯s tan hair and ck eyes looked exactly like twins.


    ¡°Oh, are you the maids that were sent for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! We are maids who were supposed to serve a humandy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Jenny, and this is Sally.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if the Duke especially used his authority or if Rudel was considerate of me.


    The appearance of the maids who seemed to be young and innocent, without pretense, made me feel at ease.


    They talked cheerfully around me.


    ¡°Good news. The knights went to the treatment center where you work and handed your resignation letter, and stopped by your house!¡±


    Quite a few things happened while I was asleep in the morning!


    With a big smile, I looked around.


    Certainly, my worn-out items were disparatelyid out in a gorgeous room.


    I didn¡¯t have much luggage in the first ce, so it looks like I brought everything.


    ¡°Do you want me to prepare some wash water and help you get dressed? You don¡¯t have any schedule for today, would you like to sleep more?¡±


    Their chatter continued as they looked around the interior of the Delphinium room.


    ¡°Yes, I want to sleep more and have brunch.¡±


    The maids nodded vigorously and then carefully closed the door and left.


    Lying in bed, I was lost in thought, deeply thinking.


    So, in the future, these two are the maids who would be my eyes and feet in this castle.


    I took out a secret notebook that I kept in my arms even when I slept and checked the n,


    ¡®Article 200: When a maid was designated for me after infiltrating the Duke Castle.¡¯


    ¨C Checked confirmed item ¡®Article 200¡å


    ¡®Hehe¡­¡¯


    A slyughter flowed from my mouth.


    After scrutinizing the n and preparing a few things, I called the maids who were waiting in front of the room, pretending to wake up and opening the door.


    ¡°Well, there!¡±


    Of course, the voice that came out was a bit timid.


    ¡°Oh, yes? You¡¯re up!¡±


    ¡°You said you were sleeping more, aren¡¯t you tired yet?¡±


    Perhaps they were thirteen or fourteen, and the innocent eyes of the little cute maids were filled with curiosity about an unfamiliar guest.


    Even I, who couldn¡¯t easily get along with people I¡¯ve seen for the first time, was friendly and gentle enough to them and ease my boundaries.


    ¡°I want to give you something!¡±


    I frown slightly.


    At that moment, both cheeks of the maids turned red and their ears were prickly, and then a fluffy yellow-brown tail appeared.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect that humanization would unravel immediately like this!¡¯


    I was the one who entered the Northern Territory and worked at the treatment center for three years, day and night.


    I recognized it at first sight.


    Those yellow-brown hairs are obviously¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect for a puppy.¡±


    It¡¯s a puppy.


    Once again, I frowned my eyes slightly.


    Then, as I intended, the ck bean-shaped eyes of the maids began to sparkle.


    ¡°¡­We are puppies!¡±


    I know.


    Because the two maids have a face that says, ¡°I¡¯m a puppy!¡±.


    It was written all over their faces.


    ¡°Really? Wow, then this, I want to give it to you¡­ But there¡¯s no way to exin it?¡±


    As she shook a bottle, Jenny and Sally opened their mouths.


    Eyes wide open.


    Lips that breathe out slightly open.


    Their upper body tilted forward.


    Good.


    They came over perfectly.


    * * *


    As it felt short, the long conversation was over.


    Jenny and Sally, who were guarding Astel¡¯s room, were in a daze.


    The two were a rare naive type of young maids in this rugged Duke castle.


    They were so curious that they volunteered to take on serving a human that everyone hated.


    For them, Astel was like an oasis in the desert!


    She pped her hands when they said that they were Dog Shapeshifters.


    One of the maids said, ¡®We¡¯re Golden Retrievers,¡¯ and I responded that I liked them and they nodded their heads.


    A human was seriously interacting with me, and a tail almost protruded in front of a stranger, but I managed to hold it in.


    I didn¡¯t expect you to make a special fatigue recovery medicine for a ¡®Golden Retriever Shapeshifter.¡¯


    After taking the recovery medicine Astel gave me, I felt that my body became light and strong.


    How good it felt, My ears popped out and my tail was spinning like a pinwheel.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of a fatigue remedy medicine!¡±


    Jenny¡¯s eyes glistened at the medicine bottle that was big as her thumb.


    ¡°It¡¯s really amazing! As soon as I drank the medicine, my fatigue began to fade.¡±


    ¡°Besides, she likes dogs!¡±


    ¡°And she especially likes Golden Retriever!¡±


    The two screamed like a chorus.


    Jenny said excitedly, who flicked the bottle upwards and received it again, as if Piero performed a trick.


    ¡°Maybe Astel¡¯s not a human, but a hamster shapeshifter who couldn¡¯t wake up, her cheeks were plump and cute!¡±


    ¡°But she said she was human. She also smelled like a human.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a human before¡­ It seems like it¡¯s better than I thought, and it¡¯s strange¡­ ¡±


    ¡°She was so cute. She was so white. How old would she be?¡±


    ¡°She was very pretty and smelled good.¡±


    The excited maids whispered and continued the conversation along the hallway.


    Of course, they didn¡¯t make a very loud noise.


    However, their voices were loud enough for Rudel to hear.


    Rudel who was carefully inspecting the halls of the mansion.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    The two maids, who had not yet grasped the cold atmosphere of Rudel¡¯s attitude that they suddenly encountered were excited and babbled.


    ¡°Look at this, Ma¡¯am!¡±


    ¡°It was given by Your Majesty¡¯s benefactor Astel!¡±


    Rudel, the stubborn and tough maid, looked down at the two with stern eyes.


    And they found that the vial they brought out was quite empty.


    ¡°Are you saying you ate what humans gave you? You are still young. You can¡¯t eat anything easily. Especially when ites to medicine.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°If Shapeshifters ate human things, shapeshifters are bound to get sick.¡±


    Only then the faces of the maids who grasped the seriousness of the situation, turned pale.


    It came to mind that Rudel didn¡¯t like humans, and I even got caught fooling around with a human.


    Besides, you could have an upset stomach.


    Seeing the maids shrug their shoulders, Rudel pressed down on her prickly temples and approached the Delphinium room and knocked briefly.


    Tok.Tok.


    ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±


    Although Astel¡¯s fingertips are wonderfully sharp at cleaning. However, that room was full of shy tidying techniques that she has never learned before¡­


    It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t like it.


    I have to say what I had to say to the human who didn¡¯t know what the rules are at Duke Castle.


    * * *


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad!¡±


    Certainly, attacking the maids of Golden Retriever with medicine had a quick and urate effect.


    Shapeshifter girls, who were drinking medicine excitedly without knowing that their tails popped out, immediately stimted Rudel¡¯s curiosity.


    Everything was as I expected.


    Of course, Rudel¡¯s face didn¡¯t look very good when she opened the door.


    When I saw a vial arranged neatly on the table, which was organized ording to the color, from the dark red color to light red color, I opened my lips without realizing it, but that was all.


    ¡°Those children are still young, Miss Astel. Please, I ask you carefully to refrain from giving human medicines to shapeshifters.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t expect Rudel¡¯s reaction to be like this, so I had a hidden card.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working at the treatment medical center for three years. I can make a customized medicine for shapeshifters. It¡¯s like¡­ Like I made a cleaning potion.¡±


    Rudel¡¯s facial muscles twitched at the word cleaning.


    This kind-like, infinitely innocent-looking face was particrly helpful.


    Iughed bashfully like a good person as hard as I could.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the maids were ufortable with anything.¡±


    Like Rudel, there were symptoms that weremon among the maids who disobeyed their race characteristics.


    It¡¯s a migraine.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a potion for relieving tension, it¡¯s a rxing potion, a good one.¡±


    As soon as she handed over a bottle of medicine, Rudel touched her lips.


    I stare at her with a sparkle in my eyes.

 Chapter 13

    <strong>Chapter 13 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong><hr>


    The maid, Rudel thought.


    It was not a good wish for the Duke¡¯s benefactor to dare to serve, but Astel now felt like a young daughter who wanted to be seen well by her parents, so she couldn¡¯t be recklessly removed.


    She has always been evaluated for being cool and straightforward.


    It was an essential quality to manage the Duke castle without a hostess in a neat state at all times and without problems.


    So the nervous breakdown was only up to her.


    There wasn¡¯t a single person who knew that¡­


    ¡®How did she notice that her straight head felt heavy today?¡¯


    ¡°So, just take it!¡±


    The glistening human eyes.


    And the interior of the Delphinium Room, which looks like heaven, was organized with her beautiful fingertips.


    She could see that little human woman as small as a bean was trying to look good on her.


    Does it work like that?


    Surprisingly, Rudel liked the meticulous and impable handling of everything in the room, and the gentle side of the maids who had not yet been educated was quite good.


    Perhaps that¡¯s why a little bit of warmth came up in her frosty eyes.


    ¡®There¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡¯


    Although she was the most cold-blooded person in the castle, she also had a human heart.


    She wasn¡¯t so ruthless enough to push away anyone who warmly hits her like the sun.


    She stared at Astell, pressing down on the aching temples once again, and epted what she was handing over.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°If you want to try it and it¡¯s good, you must tell me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, Astel.¡±


    ¡®In particr, if she kept following me with those cute eyes, I couldn¡¯t stand it.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to feel like being captured by humans.¡¯


    So she drew the line moderately.


    ¡°However, in the case of potions taken by shapeshifters in the Duke¡¯s Castle, it was a rule to ask the healer of the internal treatment center to check the ingredients, but they cannot be taken immediately.¡±


    Astelughed bashfully, even though it meant that she couldn¡¯t be trusted.


    She was warm like a person who has never been hurt.


    ¡°Yes, you can! I only put in good ones. It¡¯s the truth!¡±


    It¡¯s something Rudel couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡®It must be hard to smile so warmly even though you¡¯re being suspected and rejected.¡¯


    She must have grown upfortably and lovingly.


    ¡°¡­Yes, please.¡±


    Rudel turned away after a short nce.


    She had no immunity to people without shade.


    At least it seemed that she shouldn¡¯t dig more about it today.


    She turned bluntly without speaking more.


    * * *


    I made up my mind once again, looking at Rudel walking out in a straight posture.


    In fact, I was used to being rejected and discouraged, so I approached bravely with the heart of saying,


    ¡°<i>If it doesn¡¯t work, don¡¯t do it.¡±</i>


    I was confident that I would be fine even if I was rejected.


    ¡®It was essential to get acquainted with the Maid Rudel, who does not know anything about public news outside the castle.¡¯


    I have entered the Duke¡¯s Castle, but I haven¡¯t reached the spies who have destroyed and framed our family.


    ¡®Let¡¯s think carefully about the information I know about the castle.¡¯


    The Duke of Anais was different from themon aristocratic family.


    There were a total of four major families within the Duke Castle.


    Jaguar of swordsmanship, silver fox of magic, shark of divination, wolf of intelligence.


    The four sessors to each family were also candidates for the next Duke.


    At this time, the session was not necessarily determined by blood ties.


    At the moment, the current Duke of Anais was adopted by the former Duke, who came from the wolf family.


    It wasn¡¯t even clear if the current Duke of Anais was a wolf.


    Nevertheless, it was a strange case in which he became a head of the wolf family with overwhelming power and also became a Duke.


    In ordance with this custom, the sessors of each vassal family lived in a separate house of Duke Castle and received sessor education, including the Kingdoms education, separately.


    And¡­


    I once again recalled the hint about the spy from the original.


    ¡®The spies would surely be near the sessors.¡¯


    There are a total of three spies, all of whom are males, and are working to kill the immediate blood rtives of the vassal family, especially the current major sessors.


    I didn¡¯t know why they wanted to kill the sessors, but the fact that they were going to kill the sessors was clearly stated in the original.


    What was important to me at this time was the spies themselves, but it was more important to get my hands on the artifacts they had.


    There was a setting that when the artifacts they possessed werebined, behind them their background would be revealed, together with the final viin.


    Therefore, before the spies killed the heirs of the vanished family and escaped to the Duke Castle, I have to capture them, and knock them out, and steal their artifacts to find out who was behind them.


    It was a devastating situation, but fortunately, there was a spy who was revealed in the original.


    It was Sam, the only human healer in the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    ¡®I need to find out information about how Sam lives.¡¯


    From then on, I greet Rudel with pleasure every time I meet her.


    There would be nothing to do anyway, so I went to the ce where she would appear and began to act like a golden retriever maid.


    ¡°Did you take the potion I gave you?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,dy Astel.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ do you like key lime pie?¡±


    <i>(N: Key lime pie is an American dessert pie made of Key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk.)</i>


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it that much.¡±


    Despite the stern refusal, I pulled out a nicely wrapped pie from my pocket.


    ¡°I knew that, and I prepared a pie made of hawthorn leaves! This was good for headaches. It makes you feel rxed.¡±


    The onught certainly worked.


    I could see Rudel¡¯s expression softening day by day.


    ¡°It¡¯s rose water mixed with lime. It¡¯s good to sprinkle it on sensitive nerves!¡±


    ¡°I have to spray it on my face once.¡±


    I was delighted when Rudel joked with a blunt face and a slight smile.


    You evenughed and joked at me now.


    It was a tremendous improvement!


    ¡°Thank you, Astel.¡±


    She got close to me as if her clothes were wet from her drizzle.


    <i>(T/N: Astel meant that Rudel¡¯s close to her now, like wet clothes that stick to the body.)</i>


    Of course, it¡¯s still a critical hit.


    Probably, the countless men present in this Duke Castle have confirmed me and Rudel often going around together.


    People who are obsessed with shapeshifters supremacy, don¡¯t like me and Rudel being together.


    However, it was evident that some of the shapeshifters noticed that Rudel, the real proxy of the Duke, quietly gave her side to me and changed her route.


    Thanks to this, the atmosphere began to change.


    So the maid, Rudel, and the other maids were gradually bing my source of information.


    I mean¡­


    It meant that the time hade to throw the bait.


    I started fishing for information, recalling the book ¡°Revenge Manual¡± in my pocket.


    ¡°How¡¯s the atmosphere at the treatment center here?¡±


    Sally took the bait first when I talked about the treatment center.


    ¡°Ah, yes! Astel said you were a therapist, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I like humans, but¡­!¡±


    I¡¯m almost done.


    I stared at Sally¡¯s bean-like eyes then bent the corner of my eye as if blinking.


    Sally, inspired by my wink, opened her mouth.


    ¡°And now that I think about it¡­There¡¯s a human healer inside the Duke¡¯s castle, his name is Sam.¡±


    My eyes glistened as if I had heard the good news.


    ¡°I want to work in a treatment center like him!¡±


    ¡°How about talking about it with the Duke? Since you¡¯re a benefactor, wouldn¡¯t your Excellency ept your request?¡±


    I nodded my head vigorously.


    If the maids, who have seen the Duke for a long time say so, the chances that he might let me work at the treatment center are indeed high.


    No matter how hard I think about it, I could see a brilliant future!


    * * *


    ¡°No.¡±


    The Duke answered, inside the Duke¡¯s office.


    The Duke¡¯s delicate mouth, which was sitting opposite me, was strangely twisted.


    ¡°It could strain Astel¡¯s body.¡±


    Unfortunately, my first attempt failed.


    He put his hand on the back of my hand with a look of indifference.


    Looking at the back of the hand with the thick tendons, I was curious about Duke Anais¡¯s race, which no one knew.


    ¡°Today I didn¡¯t overdo it at all, Astel.¡±


    When his hand held mine, Only then I could breathe.


    ¡°You have a slight fever.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Fortunately, there was still something I prepared.


    I showed<i>¡°A Pledge never to Overwork,¡±</i><i>¡°Take Care of Work and Life Bnce¡±</i>and<i>¡°Skinship Therapy¡±</i>on his desk.


    ¡°So I made a perfect n that I would never overwork.¡±


    I opened my eyes and reached out my hand towards him, grasping the papers tightly.

 Chapter 14

    <strong>Chapter 14 : He¡¯s My Real Brother, Duke</strong><hr>


    In order to catch this bad child named ¡®Sam¡¯, I had to go into the tiger¡¯s den, the internal treatment center at Duke Castle, where Sam was working as a healer.


    I¡¯ve been out of treatment for a few days, so I miss my patients.


    ¡°Please check this!¡±


    I was convinced by holding the proposal I had been nning for a long time in my hand.


    The Duke would never ignore this perfect document I prepared.


    Because there would be few healers in the North who would be able to perform a proper treatment for shapeshifters.


    Before he ascended and became the Duke, about a decade ago, thend of the shapeshifters were more severe fighting for survival of the fittest than it was now.


    If they were sick, shapeshifters were simply culled, so there had been no developed treatment or cure for the weak and injured shapeshifters.


    Only recently, the shapeshifter-rted treatment has been developing little by little.


    The number of treatment centers outside the Duke Castle also does not exceed five.


    Right now, I knew that there were thousands of knights in need of treatment, but the number of healers was less than fifty.


    In the meantime, the existence of a healer who learned the treatment for shapeshifters early and went through clinical trials for several years like me was precious.


    Finally, the Duke epted my n.


    In order to increase my chances of sess, I¡¯ve also crossed the ttery I¡¯ve used before.


    ¡°Ye-yes! The Duke was very handsome today as well!¡±


    I spoke foolish ttery-like words, but what I said was true.


    The Duke of Anais wearing sses was really incredibly cool!


    After ttering him, I was a little afraid of what woulde out of his mouth.


    Because of that, Ishrank like a frightened rabbit, but I kept pouring out words of ttery.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the Duke wearing sses before, but you¡¯re so handsome that I feel like you took my breath away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always handsome, no, no! It¡¯s not ttery! Please consider my honest words!¡±


    When I saw the Duke¡¯s ear twitch, which was calmly passing through the ¡®Shapeshifters Treatment,¡¯ I smiled deeply.


    No matter how many times the Duke of Anais has seen many kinds of proposals, he would¡¯ve never seen such a detailed ¡°Treatment-n Table.¡±


    * * *


    Duke Anais frowned, looking at the pile of documents that Astel proudly handed over.


    The paper carefully recorded the medicines, treatments, and even the results that Astel had developed so far at the treatment center.


    In addition to the secrets gained from some of my experiences on which treatment was effective for which type of shapeshifter, and information on herbs that could be used and which herbs should never be used, depending on the type of shapeshifter being treated.


    How to cure the mana poisoning, how to improve the PTSD and trauma of the Knights¡­


    <i>(N:</i><b><i>Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)</i></b><i>is a mental health condition that¡¯s triggered by a terrifying event ¡ª either experiencing it or witnessing it.)</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m stillcking, but the knowledge I have would be helpful to the shapeshifters residing at the Castle.¡±


    No, it¡¯s not to the extent that it helps the shapeshifters improve.


    A slight surprise spread to his face, who usually doesn¡¯t have an expression.


    He doesn¡¯t know if he was self-aware or not, but Astel was definitely a genius.


    Even if the Duke¡¯s most outstanding healer was brought along, it was unlikely that he would be able to study the shapeshifters with this degree of detail.


    Astelughed at him with an innocent face, who had no idea how great the n she had brought was.


    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t write down all the secret treatments I know!¡±


    Astel, who had noticed all the time after entering the office, felt that the atmosphere had improved.


    ¡°When I went around the castle, it seemed that there was a little bit of a shortage of healers for the shapeshifters. So I wanted to be of help to them. Just like how I helped the Duke!¡±


    In fact, Astel was right.


    Shapeshiter¡¯s medicine was not very developed.


    In the first ce, they were born with a constitution that hardly felt any pain.


    They lived in a world where the weak barely survived and only the strong who were culled and able to endure the pain could remain.


    About twenty years ago, it was a beast-like society where it was natural for the sick to be abandoned in the fields.


    In fact, Duke Anais also thought it was a reasonable way.


    However, Astel seemed to be worried about the weak and wanted to treat them.


    ¡°I could help you, Duke.¡±


    Astel, who was writhing, quietly added one more word.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Duke also worry about the other shapeshifters?¡±


    Contrary to Astel¡¯s expectations, he wasn¡¯t really interested in the people he manages, whether they were hurting or not.


    He was just interested in Astel.


    ¡°I believe it would surely be helpful!¡±


    Pushing the documents aside, he looked at the innocent woman, eagerly speaking In front of him.


    A strange human woman who he thought was timid but shrinks back when she thinks she was bold and reckless.


    It bothered me that Astel¡¯s white cheeks swelled up every time she breathed.


    ¡°If you only treat one patient an hour a day¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes! Oh, and¡­¡±


    Astel hesitated and opened her lips again.


    ¡°I heard¡­ there was a human healer in the Duke Castle! I heard that his name was Sam.¡±


    Stretching her words was somehow embarrassing.


    ¡°Sally told me, then I gave you the proposal¡­ It¡¯s amazing that there was another human healer at the Duke¡¯s Castle. I got interested in him¡­¡±


    The duke opened his mouth in a strange tone.


    ¡°¡­ you¡¯re interested in him?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m mostly with the Duke, so I¡¯m also curious about how another human being handles and treats the shapeshifter patients, and how he takes care of the victims.¡±


    The Duke did not know exactly about Sam, the human healer.


    He only remembered vaguely hearing that a human had entered the treatment center in the name of being a ¡®benefactor of the Jaguar family¡¯.


    The Duke of Anais observed Astel¡¯s expression as if studying her.


    As she continued to talk about Sam, Astel¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±


    Duke Anais¡¯s bleak look turned grumpy.


    ¡°When I saw this treatment n, I remembered something I wanted to tell you.¡±


    Seeing the curiosity in her sparkling eyes, he was a little irritated.


    ¡°Please treat me too.¡±


    Astel¡¯s gaze carefully examined the Duke¡¯s face and hands.


    ¡°Eh? The Duke doesn¡¯t seem to have any problems other than the imprint, but when I checked earlier,¡­¡±


    He yed innocent with round eyes and acted before the doubt arose.


    ¡°It hurts.¡±


    It was a simple thing to tell a lie without a blink of an eye.


    ¡®It was just a practical lie that I yed for the first time in my life.¡¯


    However, Astel¡¯s cheeks turned white hearing his words.


    * * *


    Astel grabbed his hand and shook it a few times and left with a blushing face.


    <i>¡®I think it¡¯s okay if I hold your hand! Right?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®¡­yes.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Should I kiss the back of your hand?¡±</i>


    As he looked at her red face, he shook his head slowly.


    <i>¡®Not yet.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Tha-that¡¯s right! Well, I¡¯m going now!¡¯</i>


    The little back, leaving in a rush, with her red-hot ears like tomatoes.


    He quietly squeezed his chin without recognizing the smile on his lips.


    His life, which was always static, was strangely disorganized, but his mood was overly pleasant.


    ¡®Because of the imprint with unknown cause¡­¡¯


    He thought of Astel.


    Her little hands that tremble when she touches him, the cheeks of a hamster with sunflower seeds, and the white nape of the neck that always burns brightly.


    He slowly rolled the fountain pen in his hand.


    Unlike Astel, he was able to guess the cause of imprinting.


    However, he won¡¯t tell her about it.


    Now, just being together in Duke Castle¡¯s Fortress was satisfying enough.


    His eyes stayed on the old fountain pen that he had used for more than a decade.


    Old, insignificant off-the-shelf, butwith his signature engraved on it¡­


    His heart, which had always been beating so slowly enough to be boring, started beating faster.


    But that calm peace did notst long.


    It was because his assistant, who had been on a business trip to the capital for a while due to the war, knocked on the door of the office as soon as he returned.


    ¡°The Emperor says he would send the Red Rose Knights of the capital to support the War of Demons, sir.¡±


    The Duke stared at his aide.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The assistant, who had been making a report on a clerical basis, faced the Duke¡¯s gaze and hurriedly swallowed his breath.


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°Si- sir. Why, why are youughing? If there¡¯s any problem¡­ I-I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll correct anything sir!¡±


    It looked like he was shivering.


    Only then did the Duke of Anais realize that the corners of his mouth were loose.


    He opened his mouth quietly, stiffening his expression again.


    ¡°The problem was¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I don¡¯t have one, but I¡¯ll ask. Was there anything wrong with my smile?¡±


    He stared as if observing the aide¡¯s face.


    That reaction from the aide¡¯s face¡­


    ¡°I looked a little scary.¡±


    Astel said he was handsome.


    Sweat trickled down the aide¡¯s spine at the Duke¡¯s honest words.


    ¡°Yes, yes? Tha-that¡¯s obvious, no. No, it¡¯s not!¡±


    The Duke tapped the table with an eerie gaze, making a soft sound.


    ¡°¡­Please continue reporting.¡±


    The aide continued, barely with a nervous beating heart.


    ¡°Yes, yes. However, the head of the Knights of Roses wants to see the Duke directly and discuss the battle.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°So, the Knights of Roses asked for a permit to pass. By all means, the Knights Commander was very thrilled to be able to visit this castle, sir.¡±


    The Duke of Anais was, in fact, a family to the empire only in words, like the Principality of the Empire.


    This was thanks to the signing of a non-aggression treaty between the Emperor and his predecessor.


    Therefore, it was impossible to enter the northern Duke Castle without the permission of the Duke or the 4th major guardian family with the same authority as the Duke.


    The knights from the capital who decided to join this monster war could not be an exception.


    The assistant nced at the Duke¡¯s indifferent face and recalled the happy expression of the knightmander he had seen in the capital.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t thrilled just to be able to visit Duke Castle.


    Underneath it was the yearning for the Duke of Anais.


    Beyond the fear of the Duke of Shapeshifters, who kills an enemy with his bare hands, the admiration for the Duke of Anais, the Magistrate, a magical swordsman who uses both external force and magic, was great.


    ¡°Keep talking.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ye-yes!¡±


    ¡°I have prepared the personal details of the members of the Knights for the operation, so please approve them.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s gaze stopped immediately, after receiving the documents that contained the personal statement list of the knight¡¯s information.


    This was because the familiar name was visible.


    ¡°Cassian Gray.¡±

 Chapter 15

    He recited the name Cassian Gray quietly.


    He felt like his mouth was stiff for no reason.


    Astel¡¯s friend from the orphanage,<i>¡®Cassian Gray.¡¯</i>


    The information about him was simr to what Astel said.


    He was a gentle-looking knight with brown hair and green eyes.


    The Duke slowly lowered his gaze.


    Among the many characteristics that describe Cassian Gray, there was definitely one that caught his eye.


    [Gender: Male]


    He frowned his eyebrows and said once again as if to emphasize.


    This time it tasted bitter.


    ¡°¡­ A Male, you¡¯re a knight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, who are you talking about¡­ Oh, Sir Cassian Gray? Yes, he was¡­?¡±


    In the shapeshifters society, there were not many stereotypes about gender.


    However, implicitly, male and female exist.


    The name ¡°Cassian¡± was mostly used for male names.


    No, about 95%.


    The aide asked again, as if it was new for Duke Anais to dwell on Cassian¡¯s gender.


    ¡°Was there any problem, Sir¡­?¡±


    The Duke touched the portrait of Cassian with an expressionless face and whispered low.


    ¡±I don¡¯t like him.¡±


    The aide tilted his head.


    It was a portrait that was roughly drawn for identification purposes and was slimmer than the actual figure.


    However, I think he¡¯s more handsome and better than ordinary people.


    It was the Duke who had no mood swings of emotions and never told other people about his preference.


    But to say ¡®I don¡¯t like him¡¯ openly.


    The aide tilted his head and said.


    ¡°Oh! He doesn¡¯t look like a knight, does he? He looks so smooth in the picture. But I¡¯m sure he¡¯s more handsome in person.¡¯¡¯


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It was said that in the capital he has taken the hearts of many women! And he belonged to the Knights of the Roses, was it because he was handsome? He was famous for being called the flower of the capital, these days!¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Duke Anais gazed at the aide who was making noise without notice.


    ¡°Was that so?¡±


    Within the deep-sea eyes of the Duke of Anais, the dark blue energy briefly flickered then disappeared.


    It was only then that the aide realized that his words were somewhat ufortable.


    Come to think of it, I somehow felt a cool chill in the office.


    He muttered, taking a step back.


    ¡°Oh, if you don¡¯t like him, you may not give him a permit to pass to the north.¡±


    ¡°No. They say the real thing was more handsome.¡±


    In an elegant manner, Duke Anais picked up an old fountain pen engraved with his signature.


    ¡°I want to meet him once.¡±


    Soon the Duke¡¯s clean signature was written on Cassian Gray¡¯s permit.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, Cassian Gray,<i>¡®The best brother in the world¡¯</i>, was very upset at the moment.


    ¡°You and I, we¡¯re the only ones who got permission to pass?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡±The vicemander wasn¡¯t also given permission to pass?¡±


    Cassian was on the good side of self-objectification.


    He wasn¡¯t the leader or the vicemander of the Knights of Roses, but only the leader and one of the Knights of the Roses, Cassian himself could participate in the North¡¯s Monster War strategy conference.


    Does that make sense?


    However, the knightmanderughed as if he had no idea.


    ¡°What else was wrong, Lord Cassanova Cassian Gray, the best of our Knights of the Rose? You wanted to participate in the monster war so much!¡±


    Whatever the case, Cassian¡¯s expression, which was always soft, hardened and rarely unfolded, so the knightmander grabbed him by the shoulder.


    ¡±Tell me. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Cassian was sharp.


    His instinct as an older brother with a younger sister was warning him about something.


    This situation was something quite suspicious.


    ¡°But I thought there would be a dy for about a month.¡±


    Whether Cassian was suspicious or not, the knightmander looked very happy.


    He had admired the Duke Anais for a long time and had been waiting for the day to meet him.


    ¡°Yes. But there was no grace period. We have to go by tomorrow. What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you want to go there as soon as possible?¡±


    It¡¯s not enough to issue a pass for only the two of us, so it wasn¡¯t a matter of doubt, but I wanted to arrive in the north as soon as possible.


    Of course, it was true that the war of monsters should resume immediately after the conference.


    Last time, Duke Anais suddenly ended the war, so it was said that he couldn¡¯t deal with all the little monsters.


    But wasn¡¯t it something in order toe all this quickly?


    Cassian, looking at the knightmander, said, frowning.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s suspicious, so you have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean? Be careful what you tell the Duke. All the knights of the Empire may punish you.¡±


    He had a glimpse of the Knights Commander, but, like other knights, he was no more than a follower of the Duke of Anais.


    Clearly, he could predict that it would not help him.


    He scraped his curly brown hair and went to the Knights¡¯ quarters.


    ¡®I had to pack my luggage tonight.¡¯


    As Duke Anais said, we have to start right away for the Duke Castle.


    Immediately after packing briefly, lying in a five-person field bed inside the Knights quarters, he recalled the conversation he had with Rachel about the Duke of Anais recently.


    <i>¡®How many people from the Vietry family fled to the northst time? One of the main traitors hid in the Duke of Anais Castle. I tried to nt a spy on the Duke somehow, but it¡¯s not easy. As you know, the shapeshifters society was closed¡­¡¯</i>


    Not long ago, Cassian caught a traitor from his family and got a piece of high-quality information.


    <i>¡®But if there¡¯s still information about the traitors from windbreakers hiding in the Duke Castle, you must enter the Castle.¡¯</i>


    The windbreaker who spread rumors that Count Vietry was a traitor in the Empire, a swordsman who killed a person who tried to prove the Count¡¯s innocence and destroyed the evidence of the Count, and a wizard who was believed to have brainwashed his parents.


    These three were the main figures that destroyed the family.


    Among them, the windbreaker infiltrated the Duke Castle. No, there¡¯s only one person.


    <i>¡®Therefore, I have to enter the Duke Castle somehow, but there¡¯s one better way than being recruited as a knight for the Monster War.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®What?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®The Duke of Anais has recently begun to look after a human being.¡¯</i>


    At the news, Cassian clenched his teeth.


    <i>¡®The life savior of the Duke. The Duke treats that human well that he even invited the capital boutique to the north just to remodel a room he didn¡¯t care about before. What do you think, pretty advanced information right?</i>


    <i>¡®¡­ Uh, yes. It¡¯s very luxurious for a room.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Well, that doesn¡¯t mean that human savior would live long. Duke Anais must be so cold. If you make a little whim, then the old human would die soon.¡¯</i>


    Cassian knew it. The Notoriety of the Duke of Anais wandering the capital¡­


    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure they like him because he¡¯s strong, but for the general public, it¡¯s scary. There are rumors that even aides couldn¡¯t make it for a year, and they say that he doesn¡¯t have any emotions at all. So could a single fickle human be more favored.¡¯</i>


    Rachel whispered low.


    <i>¡®However, it¡¯s still possible to contact that human if it¡¯s alive, use the human moderately, and then be invited to the castle.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®You mean using people? Was your personality this strange?¡¯</i>


    When Cassian spoke with a straight face, Rachel swept her forearm, saying she was scared when Cassian who wasughing looked serious.


    As he recalled the conversation, Cassian¡¯s thoughts became moreplicated.


    ¡®I still have a long way to go before I could get my revenge, but I don¡¯t know if Astel suddenly bes a variable.¡¯


    Cassian left the Zte Orphanage to join the Knights Temr seven years ago, and Astel moved to the Northern Healing Center three years ago to be a full-time healer.


    During that time, Cassian has been working on revenge.


    At this time, it was a great harvest for him toe into contact with Rachel, the leader of the Dark Guild.


    She, who had been indebted to Count Vietry in the past, became a good source of information for him.


    So their revenge y was slowly finding a clue towards the traitors.


    By all means.


    ¡®The spy was in Duke Castle, and Astel was also in the Duke Castle.¡¯


    Cassian habitually felt the ancient magic stigma on his wrist.


    Fortunately, the stealth magic that changed the identity of him and Astel has not been solved.


    But why do I feel uneasy?


    A red light lit up in Cassian¡¯s head.


    ¡®Okay, shut up and sleep, I¡¯ll find out when I get to the North Duke Castle.¡¯

 Chapter 16

    Cassian, who got even more tired, pressed down on his goal in mind.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to see Astel.


    Suddenly, he recalled his childhood as a seed of a noble family hunting ground keeper.


    When Astel suddenly disappeared from the hunting grounds of the nobles.


    On that day, Astel suddenly disappeared and a monthter, she appeared crying with a lot of dirt on her face.


    <i>¡®Brother, Brother¡­!¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Who kidnapped you? I¡¯ll kill him¡­ ¡®</i>


    <i>¡®No no! I¡¯m fine! Really.¡¯</i>


    The ten-year-old Astel shed tears in his arms.


    Cassian swept her tears and hugged her body where he could feel her bones intact and swallowed his tears.


    And from the next day, Astel began to act like a child whose memory was half gone.


    <i>¡®Brother, what if we were destined to die?¡¯</i>


    Cassian hugged Astel tightly and patted her on that day. He wiped away the tears as well.


    Then he thought for a long time.


    My family was destroyed by the bad guys, I had no strength, so my sister almost went missing, and I was afraid she would die aftering back safely¡­


    <i>¡®There¡¯s no fixed ending. You can change it.¡¯</i>


    So Cassian decided to survive.


    I would take revenge on those who put the me to our family and find a nice and small house to live with Astel.


    But it seems that there was an obstacle to that happy future.


    Cassian gritted his teeth, recalling the information about the Duke Anais, who had be an unexpected stumbling block to their happy future.


    I¡¯ll find out when I get to the North Castle.


    How the Duke would specifically be a hindrance.


    * * *


    The next morning, I heard two wonderful pieces of news.


    First, one was my brother¡¯s letter.


    [Arriving at Duke Castle soon. So you just have to wait.]


    The contents of the short letter made me feel excited.


    The other was the Duke¡¯s message from the attendant.


    ¡°From today, I heard you are going to work at the treatment center in Duke Castle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡±


    To be exact, I¡¯m going to get Sam, the healer who¡¯s working at the treatment center in Duke Castle!


    But I pretended and sparkled my eyes.


    ¡°I get thorns in my mouth if I don¡¯t work as a healer for a day!¡±


    <i>(N: Astel feels frustrated/annoyed when she wasn¡¯t working as a healer.)</i>


    ¡°As expected of Lady Astel!¡±


    The attendant, who lightly ignored Sally¡¯s words, spoke.


    ¡°His Excellency Duke said that you have to keep an hour a day. You don¡¯t need to over work and he said that you should always speak up when something happens¡­ Yes, that¡¯s what the Duke said¡­ ¡°¡®


    The servant and I nodded nervously, making eye contact.


    It¡¯s not like the Duke would say that everytime.


    The attendant seemed to be suspicious of what he had heard from the Duke while delivering his words.


    ¡®Anyone who didn¡¯t know that the Duke and I were imprinted, it would be hard to believe that he cared and protected me.¡¯


    I nced at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°E-Even the Duke himself has prepared a healer¡¯s uniform and some diagnostic kits.¡±


    I said to the attendant, as I gently scratched my neck.


    ¡°Please tell him that I¡¯m grateful to the Duke!¡±


    When the Duke was next to her, her heart was fluttering.


    Because that¡¯s the effect of the imprint.


    Because the shapeshifters imprint was a magic that touches and scatters all emotions.


    But now, the Duke wasn¡¯t even here. What¡¯s wrong with me?


    ¡°Oh, yes. The treatment center also showed a list of patients to be treated today. You could check it, select one patient, and proceed with the treatment after diagnosis.¡±


    After the attendant spoke clearly, he handed over the treatment journal.


    I rxedly passed through the treatment journal that the attendant gave out.


    The patient names they were in charge of were sorted by the names of the healers in charge.


    I passed the binder that says ¡®Sam¡¯.


    [<b>Patient Name: Ricardo Anriche Vasio</b>


    <b>Body</b>: Jaguar


    <b>Title</b>: The former head of the Knights, the founder of the Vasio family.


    <b>Symptoms</b>: Every night, with bloodshot eyes, running through the family garden with a sword. He even bled after hitting his leg with a garden tree. He almost almost caused a big ident.


    <b>Cause</b>: He was believed to have participated in the Monster War and been subjected to the curse of a dark wizard who couldn¡¯t fall asleep forever.


    You should never have direct contact with this curse. Risk of death if you had contact more than 10 times.


    <b>Prescription</b>: a Sleep inducing Candle. There¡¯s no other choice but to put him to sleep. However, resistance shows in the beginning of treatment with candles.


    <b>Special note</b>: stubborn and abusive type]


    Sally, who was sitting next to me and looking through the treatment journal with an exciting face, stiffened.


    ¡°Oh, Lady Astel. Tha-that person, you should never choose that person.¡±


    Sally looked as if she was about to shed tears.


    ¡°Mr. Ricardo, I¡¯m not sure if I could say this, but his nickname was<i>¡®Grandpa? More like a monster¡¯</i>.¡±


    ¡°Even though there are rumors that he was cursed, not sick, it was difficult because he went to the treatment center all the time¡­¡±


    I nodded my head.


    He seemed to have appeared in the original.


    Ricardo, a n leader, who lives in the Duke Castle, was cursed by a dark wizard.


    ¡°He¡¯s very scary.¡±


    I wanted to warn you that there were about a hundred yellow cards in my mind, but he was terrible enough for the maid from Golden Retriever race to even tell me not to approach him.


    But I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the content at the very end of the treatment journal.


    [Final Healer: Healer, Sam]


    Sam was the only spy I knew who was identified in the original.


    ¡°It said that Sam entered the Duke Castle because he helped one of the immediate bloodlines of the family with poor treatment.¡±


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t at the level of saving the Duke¡¯s life like I did, so it seemed like he had beenpletely neglected right after entering the Duke Castle.


    But unlike me, Sam was a good maniptor.


    He did the same with our family.


    Sam twisted the people of the Vietry family with his tricks.


    He mixed up pretending to be an ordinary attendant and then made rumors of disgrace within the family.


    He said that my parents were suspicious, and that there are dangerous magiciansing into the family.


    And the rumors from his mouth circted around the mansion, and finally reached the Imperial Pce.


    Not only did he stir people up like that, but he also had a good knowledge for healing.


    Many of the servants in the family had sick mothers or daughters.


    Sam used it as a weapon to cure their illness and threatened the servants to put up false testimony, ¡°There was a conspiracy against the Vietry family.¡±


    I closed the treatment journal.


    ¡°Hey, I really want to do Mr. Ricardo¡¯s treatment!¡±


    At that decision, both the attendants and the maids were dumbfounded.


    However, I somehow got caught up in the fact that Sam was in charge of Ricardo and that the curse that Ricardo had was rted to ck magic.


    Sam mentioned the ¡®dark wizard¡¯ when he ndered our family.


    ¡®Perhaps¡­ this grandpa named Ricardo could be Sam¡¯s new victim.¡¯


    Since this happened, the first thing I had to do was kill Sam, steal the artifact, and find out what¡¯s behind it.


    ¡®In the original, my brother failed to find the artifact, and in the end, he couldn¡¯t reveal the darkest part, but I could do it this time.¡¯


    After making a serious decision, I sent my servant first to express my intention to take charge of Ricardo.


    And a few minutester.


    After we had a short meal, we arrived at a separate treatment center next to the Duke Castle¡¯s garden.


    Finally, the door to the treatment center opened.


    Well we¡¯re not in the middle of the war, but the treatment center was rtively idle, and the healers were joking around.


    ¡±¡­ Who are you?¡±


    Ten pairs of eyes, filled with hostility and curiosity, stared at me.

 Chapter 17

    ¡°Hello, My name is Astel, I¡¯m the new healer who¡¯s going to work here starting today.¡±


    The other healers only stared at me when they received my cheerful greeting.


    As the silence continued,a man with a gentle expression among the healers responded to my greeting.


    ¡±Nice to meet you. I¡¯m called Sam.¡¯¡¯


    Gray hair and turquoise eyes that are crooked as if a rat had eaten them.


    Sam was the reason why I came to join the treatment center in the castle.


    ¡®To be exact, I came here to take care of Sam and take over the artifacts he has.¡¯


    Artifacts¡­


    It was a generic term for magic tools designed to allow the spies that were nted by the final viin to continue tomunicate with each other, and to directlymunicate with the vin.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t just used as a simple means ofmunication.


    In the original it was written that an<i>¡®Artifact shows how spies could identify themselves and identify the final viin.¡¯</i>


    In other words, it was almost the only way to find out about the spies and the final viin, and it was a must-have item for the sess of revenge.


    I instinctively scanned Sam up and down.


    Fortunately, the location of Sam¡¯s artifacts was clearly stated in the original.


    ¡®There was a content in the original about Sam living with an artifact in the form of a brooch on the side of his chest.¡¯


    Indeed, the side of his chest covered by the pure white treatment uniform was slightly bulging.


    Perhaps there was something attached to his clothes that was supposed to be a brooch-artifact.


    ¡®How could I get that brooch-artifact out without being suspicious?¡¯


    I bent my head toward him as if bowing hiding my evil scheme in my mind.


    ¡±Yes, nice to meet you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss Astel was also human like me!¡±


    The other shapeshifters eyes red at the word ¡®human.¡¯


    ¡°Human? Damn, I¡¯ve heard that the human who saved the Duke was staying in the castle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really¡­It smells human.¡±


    There were some people who hurriedly pulled their feet back as if they couldn¡¯t help but feel the physiological disgust that was rising without realizing it.


    They know that I¡¯m the benefactor of Duke Anais, but they are openly hostile toward me.


    I only realized it again that the shapeshifters in the Duke of Anais Castle hated humans.


    ¡®The shapeshifters here would be more difficult to target than Rudel¡¯s or the maids.¡¯


    Even the maids, led by Rudel, were always ufortable with me


    However, they didn¡¯t openly show it in front of me, perhaps because they saw with their own eyes that Duke Anais treats me well.


    Besides, the maids who are currently next to me were disarmed and golden retrievers, they were a little bit harsh, so it was very difficult to attack¡­


    ¡°Sam, you¡¯re also human but you managed to hold out here.¡±


    He even seems to have adapted well.


    I looked at Sam and recognized his words.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m human too.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Astel, although very young, has such a great ability that saved the Duke.¡±


    As he said that, Sam¡¯s eyes narrowed for a moment.


    I was sensitive to the malice of others. I felt instinctively that he didn¡¯t like me.


    ¡®Sam has a setting from the original that has a lot of jealousy from others and was good at interfering and twisting many people.¡¯


    I straightened my shoulders whether he hated me or not.


    I didn¡¯t intend to lose the game to a man who helped to destroy my family.


    ¡°My heroic story must be going around spreading in the castle!¡±


    I reached out my hand to him and asked for a handshake.


    Seeing me shamelessly than he initially expected, he coughed and reached out his hand filled with grass.


    He lowered his gaze quietly and raised it again. His hand against mine was somehow prickly.


    ¡°I heard you dered that you would serve Lord Ricardo.¡±


    I nced at the single bed he pointed to with his chin.


    I heard something moving over the translucent door and ng! There was a stream of noise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that you¡¯re the best healer in the north!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡±You should know who¡¯s holding your leash! Get out!¡±


    He was an old man who seemed to be good at intimidating someone just by hearing his words.


    His wretched roar spread out the door.


    An unusual force was felt in the voice that was yelling.


    I stared at the door.


    At that time, one of the healers was sarcastic, raising one corner of his mouth.


    The name ¡®Zenti¡¯ was written on the uniform.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one who has won and defeated more than ten monsters in the war.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve let go of him. Another healer was already on vacation because of a serious injury.¡±


    Sam trembled.


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure Astel was a very good healer. You¡¯re human, but you were able to save the Duke.¡¯¡¯


    ¡°You could tell me anytime whenever you¡¯re having a hard time.¡¯¡¯


    I knew this way of speaking very well, so I shouted with all my might without being condescending.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m good!¡±


    I knew well that I had to respond, acting like I wasn¡¯t aware of what he meant.


    So I left behind the other healers¡¯ fierce gaze and opened the door and entered the room with a dignified attitude.


    The door closed with a creaking sound.


    I approached the bed right away.


    ¡±Hello!¡±


    An old man, who seemed to be about sixty in human age, asked with a pressuring tone.


    ¡°What about you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in charge of Mr. Ricardo this time. Let¡¯s start the treatment now.¡±


    He must have been a patient, but he was wearing a knightly uniform, not a patient uniform.


    A medal was hanging from his chest. He seemed to be an old man with a high degree of honor.


    ¡°What?¡±


    He frowned and thumped slightly.


    ¡°The smell of humans was everywhere!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m Astel, the new human healer in the castle.¡±


    At my words, his eyes became thinner, and his expression became twice as grim as before.


    ¡°You¡¯re thest one! How dare a trifling human be in charge of treating a shapeshifter? I¡¯ve epted one guy before and now they¡¯re giving me a little girl. You could just ignore me!


    An average human being would have been hurt, but I, who was trained in all kinds of verbal abuse, felt no sense of damage from everything he says.


    I used to think of my brother¡¯s letter whenever I had a hard time.


    Then I feel sofortable in every corner of my heart.


    In addition, my brother woulde here soon, and also I was going to eat something delicious with the Duke this evening.


    So no matter what anyone says now, it didn¡¯t matter even if everyone hated me.


    I won¡¯t cry weakly.


    As I approached him lying on the bed, I put sanitary gloves on my hands.


    After a long time, my heart was thrilled and pounding when I¡¯m able to work on a treatment again.


    Although I¡¯ve never used healing for revenge, well I¡¯ve been working all this time¡­


    I really like this job no matter what anyone says, and I always do my best.


    ¡°I¡¯m not neglecting you. I heard your name was Ricardo.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t be treated by someone like you! Couldn¡¯t you just go out?¡±


    There was a sense of fatigue in the dark eyes with thick double eyelids.


    The disheveled gray-haired, shaggy white beard also meant that he wasn¡¯t taken care of and was not in good condition.


    ¡°Do you know how many healers I¡¯ve cut out here?¡±


    He growled like a beast.


    The heavy warning almost scared me.


    No, I was scared.


    Anyone would be left out scared in front of this threatening old man.


    Besides, even more so because he was a jaguar!


    ¡°I could get rid of a human like you right away. So bring me a proper healer.¡±


    As if he couldn¡¯t control his anger at the moment, the jaguar¡¯s unique crooked brown fur and spots looked like an illusion and then disappeared.


    He raised one hand and swung it threateningly.


    Not the humanized hand, but the nails of a real sharp beast stood out.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, get out of here now!¡±


    But I bit my lips hard.


    I couldn¡¯t stand down like this.


    I got used to the rant itself, but there was also a limit to enduring the continuing criticism.


    It doesn¡¯t seem like his anger would subside


    If I let it go like this¡­


    ¡®I must know the condition of Ricardo.¡¯


    Before entering the Duke Castle, I heard all kinds of stories about the Jaguar family as well.


    Although he has a very belligerent personality, there are times when he was unexpectedly kind to those who are useful to him.


    So, if I could cure him, he would never ever put me down.


    I gathered my energy from my stomach and shouted with all my might.


    ¡®I-I¡¯ll never go out!¡¯


    I looked at him under the guise of the beast¡¯s zing eyes toward its prey.

 Chapter 18

    Whether it worked, he froze, puzzled at my face


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Pretending to look like an innocent rabbit, it seemed that he didn¡¯t know that I dared to stand up to him.


    ¡°Whatever you say, I won¡¯t leave this room forever!¡±


    I could never be pushed back!


    It was crucial to find out about this grandfather¡¯s entric physical condition.


    ¡°From now on¡­ I¡¯m going to start your treatment! If I couldn¡¯t fix it, then kill me!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If I couldn¡¯t cure grandfather, you could kill me!¡±


    I pretended to grab grandfather¡¯s cor.


    What I meant was for him to stay still, because I¡¯m going to start the treatment.


    Could it have been that my exasperation worked?


    I stared at Ricardo with my eyes wide open.


    ¡°Ah, Grandpa, me¡­?¡±


    It may be my misunderstanding that his shoulders seemed a little drooping after a short argument.


    However, his momentum has certainly softened a little.


    He grumbled one after another, sweeping his gray hair in several sides.


    Before I knew it, all of the spots and ws had disappeared.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t trust you yet so stay still.¡±


    The expectation in his eyes fluttered and then went off.


    ¡°If you couldn¡¯t cure me, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡±I would proceed with my treatment.¡±


    Ignoring his words, I began to carefully check his body lying on the bed.


    I checked everything, including his legs, and blood sttering in his eyes.


    ¡®It¡¯s a little weird.¡¯


    I muttered with a nk look on my face as I briefly saw the area around the calves.


    ¡°You, haven¡¯t you heard? I¡¯m cursed by a magician.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I heard.¡±


    ¡°If you touch my body, you could die right away.¡±


    Yes, it was clearly written like that. There was such a rumor in the original.


    However¡­


    I bit my lip instead of answering.


    ¡±Well¡­ Do you want something like red meat, eggs, or milk?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t eat. You probably didn¡¯te here to ask such trivial things.¡±


    When I remained silent, he brandished his feet again with an obnoxious look on his face.


    Again this time, the jaguar¡¯s blunt feet were revealed then disappeared.


    However, for a healer like me, I thought, a patient¡¯s kicking was not a threat.


    ¡°I know that trivial humans like you couldn¡¯t fix me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°On a subject, it¡¯s just a bite.¡±


    ¡°Then, what would a human say twice? Oh really!¡±


    I was deeply immersed in my thoughts, that I spoke too confidently to the stream of thoughts I had.


    Ricardo, who was looking at me red-faced, smiled in vain.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretending to be timid and say everything you need to say, you¡­!¡±


    He stared at me with a grimly distorted look.


    For a moment, I was afraid because the jaguar¡¯s pupils looked ovepping.


    I rolled my eyes and tried to avoid his gaze.


    Then he sighed and muttered.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough. I know what you¡¯re going to prescribe anyway.¡±


    Ricardo¡¯s face was covered with deep remorse.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m going to prescribe sleeping candles.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the only way to put the curse to silence was to put me to rest, the host. Do you have anything else to prescribe?¡°


    I tilted my head thinking hard and then he yelled.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that look that¡¯s like a stupid rabbit? Listen, I¡¯m resistant to the old sleeping candles. So, give me a prescription for narcotic sleeping candles.¡±


    ¡±A drug-type sleeping candle?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, no one gave it to me, but¡­ I¡¯m an old man who¡¯s about to die anyway. So just give it to me.¡±


    Normal healers would of course not prescribe narcotic sleeping pills.


    Narcotic sleeping herb was a medicinal herb that was banned from prescribed medicinal herbs, and it¡¯s a medicine that was given as aforting drug for those who would soon die.


    It was a resistant drug, but fundamentally poisonous, so it was quite dangerous.


    But I¡¯m different.


    I squinted and looked at him.


    ¡°Well¡­ open your mouth for a moment. Then I¡¯ll prescribe it for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really going to prescribe it for me?¡±


    He stared at me with a suspicious look on his face.


    I nodded with a serious expression.


    ¡°Yes, if you open your mouth, I would give you the most powerful molten herb among the drug-rted sleeping candles as you wish.¡±


    ¡°The other healers said ¡®no¡¯.¡±


    I replied with a yful grin to him, who was puzzled.


    ¡°Why? We could keep it between us. I mean, the symptoms are exactly¡­¡±


    He slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°¡­itchy.¡±


    I checked his throat and nose briefly and whispered carefully in his ear.


    ¡°In addition, in the most important battle of the monsters, after cutting the supply of the enemy and seeing the corpse of your closerade, you have been unable to eat meat. From then on, the curse symptoms appeared.¡±


    He grunted.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. I¡¯ve been running since then. Everyone says it¡¯s the Running Curse. What, you seem to have awakened from the information on the person to be healed?¡±


    I said secretly.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    While whispering, something secretly was given inside the ward.


    So the night passed and the day also passed.


    Ricardo was really able to sleepfortably after a long time thanks to the molten herb.


    It was a very peaceful and perfect day for Astel and Ricardo.


    Of course, there was one person who couldn¡¯t sleep well.


    It was Cassian Gray, who was destined to arrive at Duke Castle as soon as the sun rose.


    * * *


    The next morning, Astel¡¯s brother Cassian Gray climbed into the teleport magic circle heading to Duke Castle.


    Since there are only two travelers, there was no difficulty in using the teleportation magic.


    He arrived immediately in front of the Duke of Anais with his superior, the leader of the Red Rose Knights.


    First, arge and magnificent spire stood out.


    Soon, antique and aristocratic stone buildings began to appear in his view beyond the entrance to the main gate, such as arge triumphal arch.


    Duke Castle, which was given by the previous emperor, was a beautiful and well-organized space overall.


    Overwhelmed by the beauty of the architecture, the two knights faced each other without hiding their amazement.


    The first person to speak was Cassian Gray.


    ¡°This is the ce of Duke of Anais.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s magnificent as it was rumored. It¡¯s said that he doesn¡¯t like humans very much, so let¡¯s get out of here quickly.¡±


    Cassian raised his eyebrows at the sudden words of the knightmander.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like humans¡­ Yes, I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so it¡¯s quite an honor to enter this castle. Wasn¡¯t it everyone¡¯s dream to see the Duke?¡±


    The Duke of Anais was at the top of the empire¡¯s hierarchy.


    On the other hand, Astel was his younger sister, but she had a little stupid side and she was a small and slender child.


    This means that the Duke of Anais was not the axis of favor, even though he hated humans.


    Duke Anais.


    If he¡¯s a piece of crap, and makes Astel suffer in any way¡­


    ¡®I should get rid of him.¡¯


    I won¡¯t let it go, even if all of the revenge I¡¯ve been preparing would be twisted.


    Whether I live in hiding or do something, I could live in silence and seek revenge again¡­


    He washed his face roughly.


    Cassian knew it well.


    For whatever reason, as long as the beast catches the eye, there was no way for Astel to escape.


    ¡®God damn it, that kid got tangled up with that bastard.¡¯


    But I couldn¡¯t just overlook the threats surrounding my dear sister, by no means.


    As Cassian was frowning, he got off the horse and walked toward the entrance to the front door, the head of the knight said, pinching his side with his elbow.


    ¡°Rx. Come to think of it, your friend was under the Duke¡¯s care right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes well¡­ We¡¯re not very close.¡±


    Cassian¡¯s expression of saying so wasn¡¯t very bright.


    When I recalled myself describing the most precious child in the world as someone ¡°<i>not very close</i>,¡± my tongue felt bitter.


    However, the knightmander, like a cruel bear, who misunderstood Cassian¡¯s expression or heart, nced at him and muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard you say that about a woman. First, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    The gates of Duke Castle, which had been firmly closed, opened as if the beast¡¯s gigantic mouth were wide open.

 Chapter 19

    At the same time.


    I was waiting for my brother and enjoying a leisurely morning tea party since I didn¡¯t know when he would arrive.


    A sweet scented candle called ¡®ck Rose¡¯, which was popr these days, was lit inside the tea room with all the windows closed like a secret room.


    I watched the smoke rise from the scented candle.


    The vapor of smoke spreads thickly, and the pungent scent lingers at the tip of the nose¡­


    The ck Rose did exist.


    Sally, who was taking care of refreshments by my side, asked me carefully.


    ¡°Do you like ck Rose?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    ¡°You told me to close all the windows on purpose, so I guess you love it! I thought so!¡±


    Sally and Jenny seemed a little puzzled that I suddenly found a ck Rose, but I still smelled the scent spreading through the room.


    A sweet,nguid fragrance filled my nose.


    I took a sip of ck tea and nodded.


    The fragrance of ck Rose has now spread throughout the tea room, since I have some time to spend while sipping tea. I carefully asked.


    ¡°Do you have any good news?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes! Do you know that there¡¯s a family swordsmanship contesting up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited to watch thepetition!¡±


    I enjoyed listening to Sally and Jenny¡¯s chatter, and a smile on their lips formed as they talked.


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to represent each family? It¡¯s not just a contest, it¡¯s a festival¡­! It¡¯s going to be really lively and fancy!¡±


    I nodded and smiled at them.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    They babbled and poured tea over and over again whenever the teacup was empty.


    ¡°I heard that human festivals are also amazing.. Have you seen the human festival Lady Astel?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t attended any festival before.¡±


    It¡¯s because we were poor.


    I didn¡¯t have much time to rx, enough to enjoy a festival.


    At least, I had seen thentern festival with my brother from afar.


    I took another sip of ck tea with a little smile on my lips. Sally cheeks blushed and she brightly said.


    ¡°Have you ever been to the<i>¡¯11th -month Carnival¡¯</i>? I was really curious about the 11th-month carnival among human festivals!¡±


    I put the teacup down with trembling hands.


    Jenny, unaware of my condition, poked Sally with a curious look.


    ¡°What¡¯s the 11th-month Carnival?¡±


    It was a question for Sally, but I unknowingly bit my lips for no reason.


    I know best what the 11th-month carnival was.


    It¡¯s an event that happened in the empire 13 years ago and after our family was framed.


    The pce held an annual carnival in every 11th-month, celebrating the anniversary of the assassination of the rebellious Vietry family.


    This was how the festival was created.


    Count Vietry¡¯s family, the Empire¡¯s greatest wizard, has secretly destroyed the existing imperial family for several years and established a new state.


    They summoned warlocks and old astrologers to curse the current emperor.


    They called in ck magicians and old astrologers to curse the present emperor.


    In the meantime, the betrayal of several counts and servants revealed their conspiracy.


    It was also revealed that Count Vietry tried to tear and kill the Emperor, and that he tried to oust other noble families as well as the fact that it was a family stained with corruption.


    Everyone pointing their finger at Count Vietry.


    The Emperor devised a way to defeat Count Vietry, who had been used of conspiring against him and prevent him from rebelling again.


    It was to call the knights every 11th-month to kill the leaders of conspiracy, to open the Colosseum for bullfighting, and burn the Vietry family¡¯s seal.


    At the beginning of each carnival, the Emperor repeatedly emphasized Count Vietry¡¯s inverse and how trashy and disgusting they acted.


    So in people¡¯s minds, our family was remembered even worse.


    Sally took out the crumpled newspaper from her pocket.


    I read the newspaper over Jenny¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°The 11th-month carnival¡­ Look at this!¡±


    <i>? The 11th-month Carnival,</i>


    <i>When the tragic ¡¶Vietry Family¡· was killed.</i>


    <i>A Carnival for the great Empire would be held! ?</i>


    However, contrary to the facts revealed, Count Vietry had nevermitted corruption or contrived treason.


    With my trembling hand, I raised the teacup again and sipped.


    I¡¯ve decided to think that my heart was beating fast because of the ck tea I¡¯m drinking.


    Surely, my brother would seed for the revenge of our family.


    Then our family¡¯s name would be cleared from the false usation soon, so it¡¯s going to be okay.


    Like the description of the viins in the original, I tried to imitate the victorious smile our family deserved.


    I won¡¯t die like in the original story.


    Boom! That was the moment.


    With a loud roar, the door of the tea room opened roughly.


    It was Sam and several healers of Duke¡¯s healers that pushed in roughly.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    No, I know why you came here.


    But I looked at them with an innocent face as if confused from their sudden appearance.


    Behind Sam, Ricardo, the Jaguar family¡¯s predecessor, walked in stiffly.


    ¡°I have to kill this child, Won! Bring that body here?¡±


    ¡°I have a sense of duty as a healer, Ricardo!¡±


    ¡°Okay, anyway, that kid put my curse to rest!¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s a scammer who prescribed narcotic medicine! Rather than treatment, it¡¯s trying to kill you! Don¡¯t you believe me? Who offered grace to the blood of the Jaguar family?


    After all, he was a master of manipting people around him


    He yed along with Ricardo.


    ¡°Give me just a few minutes. Then I¡¯ll prove her skills right away!¡±


    ¡°This guy and that guy asked me that already! Anyway, one person dies. Do you understand?¡±


    Ricardo growled as he tried to grab Sam by the cor.


    I looked at the two alternately and crossed my arms in front of my chest.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Thinking it¡¯s not me who dies, but Sam¡¯s side of course


    * * *


    ¡°I¡¯m d you found it right away, but Ricardo could have died after 10 days of prescription.¡±


    The atmosphere in the tea room, which was fantastically peaceful and fragrant, waspletely destroyed.


    I spoke to him in a calm tone.


    ¡°Sam, how did you know if I prescribed a narcotic?¡±


    Sam shook the ck square artifact in his hand with a mean smile.


    ¡°Why? I know because I¡¯ve recorded everything you said.¡±


    It seemed to be a recording artifact.


    I simply pointed out his story.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it illegal to record the privacy of patients at the treatment center?¡±


    ¡°Rather than that, you¡¯re more hical. A person who acts more is a problem.¡±


    Responding as if he had nothing to lose, he blinked his eyes while speaking.


    His eyes were rolled around, and his mind was somewhat distracted and confused.


    ¡°It would be immoral for a healer to prescribe a narcotic.¡±


    I nodded with a slightly brazen look on my face.


    Certainly, prescribing narcotic sleeping medicine was immoral, abandoning its ethics as a healer.


    As I came out confidently, one of the healers behind him said, pointing to his legs.


    ¡°Sam, you¡¯ve got to give us the right evidence.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know whether she really prescribed a narcotic or not.¡±


    At the end of his words, Sam turned on the recording artifact.


    Along with the tter, Ricardo¡¯s conversation with mest time was heard.


    <i>-A drug-type sleeping candles?¡¯</i>


    <i>-Yes, no one gave me that, but¡­ I¡¯m an old man who¡¯s about to die anyway. So just give it to me.</i>


    <i>-Well¡­ open your mouth for a moment. Then I¡¯ll prescribe it for you.</i>


    <i>-¡­You¡¯re really going to prescribe it for me?</i>


    Sam¡¯s expression looked proud with the clear dialogue heard from the artifact.


    At that time, Ricardo, who remained still at Sam¡¯s request, stepped forward again.


    ¡°I asked for a prescription! Don¡¯t call me for nothing. It¡¯s been a while since I was able to sleepfortably. When I think about it, it doesn¡¯t seem like a bad thing to diefortably. Because I don¡¯t want to see people fighting with each other.¡±


    It was quite surprising that Ricardo sided with me.


    I looked at Ricardo with a slightly thrilled expression.


    He snorted and turned his gaze away from me.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°Thanks to that narcotic medicine, my whole body became drowsy and my aching legs didn¡¯t hurt, so I fell asleep easily.¡±


    This grandpa must be a tsundere¡­!


    (N: ???- Astel literally said tsun.)


    But there was a justification on Sam¡¯s side.


    ¡°But that treatment was against the healer¡¯s ethics.¡±


    ¡°How dare you prescribe narcotic sleeping medicine to Ricardo, the Jaguar¡¯s predecessor!¡±


    The healer of the Jaguar family, who was supposedly brought by Sam, red at me with displeasure and said sternly.


    ¡°As a dedicated member of the Jaguar family, I couldn¡¯t stand by and ignore this situation.¡±


    ¡°What? I told her to do it! It¡¯s recorded over there, right?¡±


    Ricardo¡¯s temple was bloody, but the doctor in charge seemed unwilling to stop.


    He stopped trying to grasp Ricardo¡¯s arm, an old man, and exined it.


    ¡°I mean, Ricardo! I asked you earnestly to get treated by my family. It¡¯s a narcotic sleeping candle, why would you do that?¡±


    The Jaguar family¡¯s dedicated doctor seemed to be genuinely concerned about Ricardo as a man of the Jaguar family, who was naturally loyal to him.


    He hurriedly took away the sleeping candle pouch Ricardo was holding.


    ¡°Never mind! How are you trying to treat this old man?¡±


    ¡°No matter how well you slept tonight, you couldn¡¯t use it from now on, my lord!¡±


    I whispered quietly to him.


    ¡°Just leave it.¡±


    The healer who was by Ricardo¡¯s side answered with a fierce look ring at me.


    ¡°Ha¡­ even if the Duke favors that human being, I couldn¡¯t stand by and watch you prescribe a narcotic to Ricardo. I¡¯ll definitely make an officialint letter.¡±


    Ricardo clicked his tongue.


    ¡°I told her to do it. What are you talking about protesting!¡±


    But the patient¡¯s words had no effect.


    When the healer of the Jaguar family joined, the atmosphere turned to drive me to a corner.


    Sam¡¯s smile, who gained like a thousand allies, became confident.


    He pressured me to a corner and smirked at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯vepleted the learning for healers for only a year, but it was a serious crime to prescribe a narcotic to someone who wasn¡¯t dying yet.¡±


    I looked around in a rxed manner despite the pouring rebuke from Sam.


    Sally and Jenny didn¡¯t dare to intervene in the healer¡¯s conversation. They only stamped their feet with a look like, ¡°Our Astel couldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, prescribing a narcotic was an hical act. So, if I ¡®really¡¯ prescribed a narcotic, then¡­¡±


    Of course, unlike pretending to be okay, my heart was pounding.


    I looked at the faces of those in front of me one by one.


    Ricardo was caught at the end of my gaze. He was shaking his head, coughing in vain.


    ¡°¡­First of all, I¡¯m really sorry, Ricardo.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on me.


    ¡°You finally admitted your crimes.¡±


    The healers stared at me with an arrogant look as always.


    I turned away from Ricardo and stared straight into Sam¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m admitting the tricks I did¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Tricks?¡±


    Sam¡¯s face was distorted as if it wasn¡¯t the answer he expected.


    I saw his distorted expression for a moment, he couldn¡¯t control his expressions and only blinked his eyes.


    I thought it was a little pitiful, but now it was my turn to fight back.


    ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t a narcotic medicine that I prescribed.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    In the midst of embarrassment.


    Having created this situation, I reached out to Ricardo, raising one corner of my lips to smile.


    ¡°Ricardo, show me the herbs I prescribed.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what¡­ really? You lied to me?¡±


    He looked confused.


    You wouldn¡¯t have dreamed that I would have cheated with prescribing a narcotic.


    Because my face looks so innocent even among humans.


    ¡­Actually, I am a little more naive than others¡­.


    However, for a while, I decided to be strong.


    I snatched a bag of medicinal herbs from Ricardo¡¯s arms, relieved by the unexpected words.


    ¡°Yes. I have prescribed two medicines in total, and pretended to prescribe a narcotic.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°This leaf at the top looks like a leaf made from a narcotic, but it¡¯s actually a herb called iron. It¡¯s a herb that I use to cure Ricardo.¡±


    ¡°¡­Iron?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sam began to corner me again.


    ¡°Another scam! Iron was just a medicinal herb to treat patients with anemia. Does that herb work against curses? Does that make sense?¡±


    I lifted my pockets and said it clearly.


    ¡°Yes, it wasn¡¯t a curse, so I was able to cure Ricardo.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Sam¡¯splexion turned pale.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lie! The Lord was under a curse, that¡¯s why he wanders around at night¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one reason why he¡¯s walking around because his legs are itchy. He wanted to run around and stretch.¡±


    In fact, Ricardo¡¯s disease wasn¡¯t a curse, contrary to Sam¡¯s im or like the other healers¡¯ ideas.


    ¡°The lord said before going to bed, his legs were strangely itchy. It¡¯s a typical symptom of extreme anxiety.¡±


    Restless legs syndrome was often caused byck of iron.


    (No: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a condition that causes an uncontroble urge to move your legs, usually because of an ufortable sensation.)


    That¡¯s why I prescribed an iron-filled herb, and it worked well.


    ¡°Oh, yes. That¡¯s right. I couldn¡¯t sleep because my legs were itching¡­ Strangely, my legs didn¡¯t prickle!¡±


    ¡°And he had apnea when he was sleeping. So I mixed salt with Hoelen herbs.¡±


    (1Sleep apnea- a condition in which patients stop breathing for short periods during sleep. 2Hoelen-medicine for its diuretic, sedative.)


    Hoelen herb was a magical medicinal herb that put positive pressure on the airway while sleeping.


    A little prescription could help a patient with sleep apnea.


    The faces of the healers and Sam went pale.


    Amping them, the healer who seemed to be the youngest asked, stuttering.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve onlypleted a year in the treatment academy¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°But how do you know all those rare, little-known diseases¡­¡±


    As the youngest healer¡¯s eyes, which were filled with hostility toward humans, became respectful, Sam became anxious, and struck the other healer.


    ¡°Then why did you say you prescribed a narcotic medicine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for the cebo effect. And¡­¡±


    At that, the dedicated doctor of the Jaguar family hurriedly took the pouch again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a real narcotic medicine. It¡¯s not¡­¡±


    They all became embarrassed. I frowned at Ricardo, who seemed surprised at the moment.


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­yes?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a curse¡­¡±


    As he became anxious, he murmured, snarling on his head.


    ¡°Then, will I be able to sleep from now on?¡±


    People who suffer from insomnia say that they want to sleep even if they pay a cost of gold.


    Ricardo was no exception.


    I smiled at him.


    ¡°Of course, if you follow my prescription well.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    To the confident Astel, Ricardo quietly broached what he wanted to say most.


    ¡°¡­I? Could I touch someone else¡¯s body now?¡±


    Iughed softly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    And, rather than a Jaguar, I carefully held his warm hand, as if I was dealing with a kitten.


    ¡°The curse doesn¡¯t move even if you touch it, really! Look at me, I¡¯m alive!¡±


    Ricardo looked down nkly.


    He grabbed my hand tightly.


    ¡°You could really touch me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you could reach out to people. By all means.¡±


    He quietly waved my hand. Sweat dripped over our hands.


    ¡°After a few years¡­ Damn it.¡±


    Embarrassed, I looked up.


    Ricardo¡¯s eyes were reddish.


    ¡°Now, I could touch my little grandchildren¡­¡±


    I watched quietly as tears fell from his eyes.


    As I looked at him in wonder obviously, he yelled and frowned.


    ¡°¡­Crap, I¡¯m not crying. Don¡¯t stare at me, you idiot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandpa¡±


    There was a warm atmosphere between Ricardo and me.


    I responded to him and nced behind.


    ¡®Now that the battle has started, it¡¯s time for me to start biting.¡¯


    I nced at the doors and windows of the tightly closed tea room.


    Just in time, it was then.


    Coo-coo!


    Sam, struggling by his side, pulled his tongue out and fell.


    When arge man who was over 180 in height fell down, there was a loud sound that seemed to break the marble floor.


    ¡°Hey, what the¡­¡±


    All the healers murmured. I was the only one who wasn¡¯t embarrassed here.


    ¡°I have something to tell you, Ricardo.¡±

 Chapter 21

    I approached Sam, who had fainted.


    Ricardo followed me with a curious gaze.


    ¡°Why was he dead, no, he fainted?¡±


    I opened my lips to speak in a stiff tone.


    ¡°Sam tried to kill Ricardo under the guise of a curse.¡±


    After it was revealed that Ricardo¡¯s illness was not a curse of a wizard, I didn¡¯t know what kind of behavior he would disy.


    So I purposely prepared a way to knock him out before he could act.


    As an honest person, I didn¡¯t have the talent to ovee his brilliant sophistry, but I don¡¯t need to go so far as to manipte someone.


    Instead, I squatted next to Sam, who fainted, and raised his green hand to show it.


    ¡°Sam¡¯s hand contains a green liquid from Roltanne leaves.¡±


    One of the healers standing there stiff like a stone asked.


    ¡°Roltanne leaves¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Roltanne leaves were famous for being a poisonous nt.¡±


    I raised Sam¡¯s hand and said.


    ¡°If you bake the leaves of roltanne leaves for a long time, a light green liquid would appear on your fingertips, and the half-moon part of your nails turns ck. It¡¯s like the spring we have now.¡±


    The other healers also knew very well about the leaves of Roltanne.


    I opened my mouth and continued to exin.


    ¡°Ricardo, do you have any herbs that Sam gave before? Check it out. It¡¯s simr to cetyl grass, which is a sleeping herb, but it smells different.¡±


    Other healers ran near me to hear my exnation as well.


    One of the healers muttered absurdly.


    ¡°¡­Really, it¡¯s a Roltanne leaf. Well, then Sam was trying to kill Ricardo?¡±


    Another healer added.


    ¡°Come to think of it, it was also Sam who first judged Ricardo as cursed!¡±


    ¡°¡­I, I only believe what he said and¡­¡±


    They looked at each other with embarrassed faces.


    ¡°So, why did you only trust that guy¡¯s diagnosis?¡±


    There was a turmoil among the healers, and each one of them med one another.


    But it¡¯s no wonder that they believed Sam¡¯s words unconditionally.


    Sam was basically a genius of maniption and contempt.


    In addition, he had a dark artifact that could easily control and manipte others through speaking with them.


    Would I knock him out without any evidence?


    Besides, Ricardo¡¯s notoriety of running through the battlefield would easily have been judged as a curse by ordinary healers who feared him.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Then it makes it even clearer. If we went further here, Ricardo would have died soon. Today, or he might have died tomorrow.¡±


    I looked down at Sam and spoke¡­


    ¡°The people in the castle would have firmly believed that Ricardo¡¯s death was due to the curse.¡±


    Ricardo spoke harshly.


    ¡°¡­Thest time you treated me, you might have been suspected of killing me!¡±


    The atmosphere became even heavier.


    Only Sam, whose head was bleeding on the marble floor, was unaware of this.


    I red at Sam with a satisfied face.


    Sam, who had framed Count Vietry and our family to ruin, then fled to the castle of Duke Anais like a bat.


    ¡®If I study about his artifact, I might find more about why Sam fled to the Duke Castle. But there¡¯s a better way to do that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Sam was the only one who did this¡­ Maybe there¡¯s someone else behind, who was trying to kill Ricardo.¡±


    Ricardo¡¯s expression was horrendous.


    My hand trembled seeing the terrifying expression from grandpa¡¯s face.


    (N: Astel calls Ricardo grandpa.)


    ¡°As soon as the truth was revealed, I was afraid that Sam would choose to take his own life, so I had no choice but to light a ck Rose scented candle in advance. Since the rose candle and the leaves of Roltanne don¡¯t match, Sam who had touched the leaves of Roltanne before would faint. So he won¡¯t be able to kill himself.¡±


    At that time, a healer who everyone believed to have been closest to Sam opened his mouth carefully.


    ¡°Well, first of all¡­ But more than that, shouldn¡¯t we look into it and find out more?¡±


    ¡°You shut up¡ª I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    Ricardo growled at him.


    The end hase.


    While Ricardo and the healers were arguing, I quietly squatted near Sam and nced at his chest.


    ¡®If it¡¯s not now, I could never go back¡­¡¯


    I quietly rummaged through Sam¡¯s chest and opened my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look through his things if he had any more suspicious herbs.¡±


    That¡¯s exactly what a spy would do.


    Since Sam was always thinking of betraying and harassing others, he couldn¡¯t trust anyone who approaches him with good intentions.


    Sam, who couldn¡¯t trust anyone, always carries the artifact that the final viin gave to him in his arms.


    I was finally able to sneak out a tiny artifact disguised as a brooch in his arms.


    It was an artifact that ended with a few simple lines of description in the original, but eventually Cassian couldn¡¯t find it and it yed a role in driving him to his death.


    As soon as I hid the brooch in my pocket, Ricardo, who finished arguing with the healers, came right in front of Sam and me.


    ¡°I need to investigate this guy properly.¡±


    He grabbed Sam¡¯s neck with a rough hand and recited a spell.


    Sam¡¯s body floated in the air.


    It was a pretty ridiculous posture with both arms and legs lifted.


    ¡°Bastard! I¡¯ve never been expelled in my life, I¡¯ll never let you live! How dare you try to kill me?!¡±


    Ricardo was inherently grotesque and all healers feared him, because he once made a beast run away like a rat in front of a cat.


    Everyone, including me, faltered because of the words he spewed.


    Now that I saved this grandpa who almost died, I pretended to investigate and secretly stole Sam¡¯s artifact.


    Wouldn¡¯t the news about Sam being caught would soon reach the other two spies inside the Duke castle?


    Everything to this day has been 100% sessful.


    However, it seemed that today¡¯s n could be 120% sessful.


    ¡°Ricardo.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I think I might be able to know whose behind this, so could I participate in the torture process myself?¡±


    I could get more hints if I talk to Sam.


    ¡°Wha-what torture? A child like you shouldn¡¯t see such things, no!¡±


    Ricardo with a serious expression on his face said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put that guy in Hellfire, soe see himter when I take him out for a while.¡±


    I had no choice but to ept Ricardo¡¯s words.


    The Jaguar family¡¯s Hellfire torture¡­ I heard that it was incredible¡­


    ¡®Rather than watch him being tortured, this situation would make it easier.¡¯


    Come to think of it, if I saw the torture process in person, I¡¯d be stressed for someone with a weak heart.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you againter¡±


    Ricardo nodded and turned around and walked out from the tea room.


    The fainted Sam followed Ricardo¡¯s steps as if bound by an invisible rope, floating in the air.


    * * *


    A few hourster, at the tea party.


    It was a leisurely time for Astel, the Duke¡¯s guardian, to drink afternoon tea.


    As usual, there were many maids standing by Astel¡¯s side, but now they¡¯re quite different from usual.


    The Golden Retriever maids were watching Astel¡¯s tea party, hiding behind a curtain with bated breath.


    ¡°When I checked roughly, you were absolutely right. I didn¡¯t ask because you said you were digging through it.¡±


    Astel answered bravely with unexpected consideration.


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    ¡°Yes, first of all, he was locked up in the hellfire of the Jaguar family for now, so make porridge or bread on your own.¡±


    ¡°Eh, eek! Re-really hellfire¡­¡±


    Sally, who was hiding, hurriedly cried out.


    The hellfire of the Jaguar family was a fire that would never be extinguished.


    Sam was going to burn in torture forever, unable to livepletely with it or diefortably in it.


    That was the price for killing my parents, pushing Vietry into destruction, and trying to kill Ricardo.


    ¡°And it was.¡±


    Ricardo stared at Astel with an overly fond gaze.

 Chapter 22

    He clicked his tongue in an irritated manner, and began to put something on the table one by one.


    The package he handed over the table was the things that Astel would like, including a herbal and potion kit.


    Astel asked while staring at him in bewilderment.


    ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s all this about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your grandpa¡­ no, right. call me grandpa.¡±


    Unfamiliar with the title, Sally alternated between Astel and Ricardo with a confused face.


    Ricardo was the predecessor of the Jaguar family.


    I heard that the current state of the Jaguar family could not do anything about him because his favor and preference was out of control.


    Everyone swears behind his back for being a capricious old man, but nevertheless no one dares to openly condemn him.


    Thanks to his tremendous achievements in the war for decades, no one could dare go against him.


    Anyway, he still had influence over the Jaguar family and he was respected.


    But he¡¯s been so sweet to Astel.


    ¡°Yes, Grandpa!¡±


    Besides, Astel, who I thought was only innocent and adorable, looked so strong.


    Sally and Jenny were so surprised to see Astel that their jaws were about to fall from their faces.


    ¡°You haven¡¯tpletely cured my curse, no, I mean my condition.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Astelle continued to be puzzled by the subsequent words.


    Lord Ricardo was a grotesque old man who couldn¡¯t control his anger.


    Sally and Jenny continued to stare at Ricardo with anxious eyes, who they never knew when it would explode.


    If that weird old man threatens Astel¡­!


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand me, yo-you!¡±


    Finally, the fire broke out.


    Sally and Jenny, standing right next to the curtain in the tea room, were scared and closed their eyes tightly.


    Yes, as I thought Ricardo was weird!


    That weird old man could only put up with that much!


    If Astel gets hit with a cane, I¡¯ll throw myself to stop it!


    It was when all sorts of horrible thoughts were in their minds.


    Ricardo, who had be ill, said gruffly.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s it. Take this as well.¡±


    ¡­Wha-what? Astel wasn¡¯t hurt?


    Sally nced at Ricardo and Astel with a quizzical expression.


    I couldn¡¯t figure out what the hell was going on.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s this?¡±


    Sally and Jenny thought Astel seemed suspicious¡­


    She stared at Ricardo on a mysterious day and tilted her head.


    Ricardo coughed, avoiding her gaze.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a recording artifact.¡±


    Surprisingly, what he handed over to Astel was really a recording artifact.


    Recording artifacts were basically expensive. In addition, besides it¡¯s recording function, it also has a video sphere function.


    It was a different formpared to the low-end version of the recording artifact that Sam proudly showed earlier, but it was quite expensive.


    ¡°Hah. If those guys say anything, you should use recording artifacts too!¡±


    ¡°Just tell them that I gave it to you. It doesn¡¯t matter when I¡¯m the one who allows it! Those bunch of bad guys. Why are they bothering you with that little body?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s expensive but isn¡¯t this illegal?¡±


    Sally, who was confused by those words, wanted to interrupt them. ¡®<em>You¡¯re also bothering Astel!¡¯</em>


    But all that popped out of her mouth was a harsh breath.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    While Astel¡¯s gaze was scrutinizing the artifacts on the table, the tea room became silent.


    Two maids, Sally and Jenny, watched the situation with their hands sweating.


    Meanwhile, the grumpy old man stretched out his wrinkled hand.


    He tried to stroke Astel¡¯s head but hid his hand behind his back again.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it. Quickly put it in!¡±


    However, Astel¡¯s instinct couldn¡¯t let her be,<em>¡®How could I possibly receive such an expensive thing!¡¯</em>


    Recognizing Astel¡¯s innermost thoughts, Ricardo huffles, thrusting the recording artifact right in front of her.


    Astelle, who had been ted until Sam was defeated, was back in coward mode after solving the case.


    She bowed her head with a shy face and thanked Ricardo.


    ¡°Yes, Tha-thank you grandpa!¡±


    ¡°Eat this too. Anyway, you¡¯re so skinny. That¡¯s why bad guys take you as an easy target. You need to gain some weight.¡±


    Astel stiffened with astonishment at the mountain of wild ginseng he handed her.


    ¡°Well, I mean¡­ I¡¯m not that skinny¡­¡±


    ¡°You have to gain weight. I¡¯m not giving this to you because I like you. My curse, oops, no, I mean, I¡¯m telling you to focus on my treatment.¡±


    After hearing Ricardo¡¯s words, Sally thought behind the curtain.


    ¡®Ricardo, if you¡¯re not giving it to Astel because you like her, why are you smiling? It¡¯s probably a big smile that could never be seen on a Jaguar.¡¯


    But Sally could only say this in her head.


    She exchanged nces with Jenny who was next to her.


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want something?¡±


    ¡°What I want¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me anything.¡±


    Widely known as a grotesque old man, it¡¯s the first time he gave a friendly look.


    In fact, there¡¯s only one thing that Astel wants from those in power in the Duke Castle.


    However, he was only involved because of Cassian¡¯s revenge for our family.


    It was too much to ask for only treating him, I couldn¡¯t even reveal my identity.


    So I decided to give the best answer.


    ¡°Could I ask you next time?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a wish ticket then?


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a wish ticket!¡±


    ¡°Okay, whatever.¡±


    As their conversation continued, Sally, who was hiding, listened to their stories, then whispered to Jenny.


    It was a strange sight to see.


    ¡°You know. Ricardo has that kind of personality right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe Lady Astel used¡­ a mind control potion?¡±


    Sally and Jenny looked at each other.


    It made sense. Sally nodded her head first.


    No, she was sure.


    Ricardo wouldn¡¯t do that unless he took those pills!


    Both of their shoulders trembled, Sally said, as if proiming reverently.


    ¡°Oh, but whatever she did, Astel¡¯s idea wasn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    The predecessor of the Jaguar family, who stood at the forefront of the great monster war.


    A grumpy old man with dozens of medals from serving the war.


    Surrounded by those rumors, I never imagined that he would have such a gentle appearance.


    ¡°Yes, Grandpa. You have to grant my wishter!¡±


    Ricardo frowned as he touched his sparsely white brows.


    ¡°Well, being called grandpa wasn¡¯t all that bad to hear.¡±


    ¡­No matter what, Astel was the only one who called Ricardo grandpa.


    Even the young heir of the Jaguar family couldn¡¯t call him ¡®<em>grandfather</em>¡® and had difficulty when dealing with him.


    Feeling strange, he continued while quietly scratching his head.


    ¡°Oh,e to think of it, I heard some interesting news on the way here.¡±


    ¡°Interesting news?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard there were human knights from the capital. They could also be your friend.¡±


    My eyes grew wide at the sudden news.


    The human knights are here.


    Recalling the letter I read a while ago, I¡¯m sure my brother was among those knights.


    What? Brother arrived here this quick?


    Suddenly my heart started pounding.


    I was worried that this might just be a dream.


    I carefully opened my mouth. If this was a dream, I don¡¯t want to wake up from it.


    ¡°Really, I couldn¡¯t believe there were other humansing to the castle. That makes me happy!¡±


    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen my brother. Even though we exchange letters, I miss him¡­


    Our reunion inside the Duke castle made my heart throb even more.


    Until now, I¡¯ve always received help from my brother, and he¡¯s always protecting me, but¡­


    But now, I¡¯ll be the one who protects you!


    * * *


    (Cassian POV)


    After entering the Duke¡¯s office with the Knight Commander, I finally sat face to face with Duke Anais.


    But I felt something was definitely a little off.


    This was because Duke Anais¡¯ gaze looking at me was crooked


    It looked very rude for the first meeting.


    As a child, he grew up and survived observing other people¡¯s eyes, and throughout his life he sharpened his des to avenge those who overthrew his family.


    As such, he easily noticed the hostility of others.


    ¡®The Duke of Anais certainly hates me.¡¯


    But why?


    There was no reason for him to hate me so far.


    I should be the one who hates him instead.


    My lips turned into a smug grin.


    The usual look I had when I was dealing with someone I didn¡¯t like.

 Chapter 23

    Cassian deliberately straightened his back and faced Duke Anais proudly.


    ¡®Do you know who I am? The Duke would have absolutely nothing to do with the Count of Vietry¡­ No, it might be. First of all, it was clear that the traitors of the family were hiding in this castle.¡¯


    After organizing his thoughts, Cassian stared at the Duke without blinking once.


    The piercing gaze of Duke Anais was also focused on Cassian the whole time.


    Duke Anais opened his mouth and asked in anguid voice.


    ¡°Did you say the Knights of the Roses?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your majesty, the head of the Royal Rose Knights, your majesty¡¯s strong right wing, Ropa Schellind, greets you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Cassian Gray, a regr knight who joined the Rose Knights as the deputymander.¡±


    Duke Anais stared at them, raising his head.


    Cassian, who was just observing the Duke, adhering to an attitude like a sack of barley that had been borrowed, had a cold attitude.


    He raised one of his mouths and thought grotesquely.


    ¡®I still don¡¯t like you, but the attitude was unfortunate.¡¯


    Soon, the indifferent voice of Duke Anais resounded.


    ¡°Cassian Gray. The hero of the Empire.¡±


    But for Duke Anais, it was not a big deal.


    The Duke was a dangerous person who was notorious across the continent with the Empire¡¯s Dark Hand. It was true that Cassian was awarded the Medal of Merit from the Emperor for his brilliant achievements in several wars.


    With that, he even received the surname ¡®<em>Gray</em>¡® and the title of semi-noble without territories.


    I thought there would be an exaggeration, but when I met him in person, he looked really strong, frighteningly beautiful, and threatening.


    In many ways, Cassian and himself are very different from each other.


    In other words, the Duke of Anais had no reason to dwell on the name of a regr knight.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Cassian Gray.¡±


    When Cassian answered clearly, the Knight Commander Ropa, who was by his side, spoke more.


    ¡°Oh, yes. Sir! This guy next to me was Cassian Gray, the deputymander of the Knights of the Roses. He¡¯s My sessor.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    The Duke raised only one eyebrow.


    It was a crooked attitude to a short answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing to be awarded a title from amoner.¡±


    Cassian, of course, didn¡¯t stay put either.


    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not the only one who has ovee my origins.¡±


    In a way, it was also aimed at the Duke of Anais.


    Because he was an adopted child and took the title of Duke.


    Noticing that fact, the Duke looked at Cassian with sharp eyes.


    But Cassian didn¡¯t stop there.


    ¡°So my job doesn¡¯t seem to be a big surprise. Your Excellency.¡±


    If you¡¯re not a fool, you know what Cassian¡¯s words mean.


    The knight leader¡¯s heart stuck between the two fluttered as if it would pop out of his chest.


    He clenched his teeth and murmured, poking Cassian in the arm with his thick arms.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The knightmander blinked his eyes very quickly several times.


    But neither Cassian nor Duke cared about the Knight Commander.


    The Duke of Anais stared at the Knight Commander and said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    Cassian stared intently at the Duke¡¯s cold, but still face.


    Indeed, it did not seem to strike much.


    Cassian looked at the Duke and nodded gently.


    Thank you for your consideration, sir.¡±


    The eyes of the Duke of Anais, who was staring at Cassian, became even more strange.


    Looking at them, Knight Commander Ropa Schellind thought.


    Obviously, everyone was using respectfulnguage, but in a way, they were just talking about where they came from, and they didn¡¯t say things that greatly insult each other¡­


    Why does Rofa Schellind feel like he¡¯s bing a rat between them?


    ¡°A- ahem!¡±


    The captain of the Knights, caught between the two, coughed hastily.


    However, there was no trick to ovee this situation, which was filled with war clouds.


    Instead, the Duke of Anais first brought up the main point, not the reason for bringing them here.


    ¡°You must know that your friend, Astel, was entrusting herself to the Duke¡¯s residence.¡±


    Cassian answered calmly by opening his lips without much expression.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of it¡­¡±


    Constructing an extremely indifferent tone was not difficult for Cassian.


    The most precious thing in my life, the most precious sister I could even exchange for my own life, seemed not to be that precious.


    <em>-¡®Brother, who in the world likes to work?¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®Astel, of course.¡¯</em>


    Cassian smiled as he lowered his eyes.


    Immersed in the feeling that one day I would be able to say those words in front of everyone.


    ¡°We only met briefly when we were young. We are not very close friends. I couldn¡¯t even remember. Did she get caught?¡±


    Cassian yfully shrugged his shoulders at the Duke of Anais.


    He had no intention of dragging on the topic about Astel for very long.


    As soon as Cassian finished speaking, the knightmander intervened and joked.


    ¡°Haha, sir. This friend of mine was very popr with thedies. That¡¯s why he may not remember her very well. He¡¯s such a popr guy. Wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    In order to solve the situation, Cassian habitually pretended to be arrogant and smirked at the knightmander who was struggling andughed.


    ¡°Yes, because I pursue multiple rtionships?¡±


    Duke Anais¡¯ lips twisted coldly at the conversation between the two that seemed as if they had kissed.


    ¡°Multiple rtionships?¡±


    When the Duke showed interest, themander of the Knights said jokingly, perhaps he thought he could revive the atmosphere.


    ¡°Ah, yes! It¡¯s popr among youngmoners in the capital these days, and it¡¯s called polyamory, so it¡¯s dating several people with mutual consent!¡±


    <em>(N: Polyamory- specifically refers to people who have multiple romantic rtionships at the same time.)</em>


    ¡°It looks like you have a lot of lovers.¡±


    He asked casually.


    ncing at the Duke¡¯s cold expression, the knightmander presumed that it was time to reverse the atmosphere.


    He spoke in a fiery, loud voice.


    ¡°Yes! There are more than one or two lovers. Hahaha, what an open world.¡±


    <em>Clink!</em>


    With a loud noise, the teacup that Duke Anais was holding shattered.


    At the same time, both the Knight Commander and Cassian, who received the gaze, were loud enough to make them shiver inside.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my mistake.¡±


    Duke Anais said softly, as if he had ever done so. And he clenched his hand.


    Soon the teacup was restored as if nothing had happened.


    The knightmander, who felt the unfamiliar atmosphere, quickly changed the topic while wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.


    ¡°¡­that- I mean¡­ Your Majesty, let¡¯s talk about the War. Our Knights are ready to obey your orders at any time.¡±


    At those words, Duke Anais whispered with a look that didn¡¯t show any joy at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even try to give a polite smile.


    Cassian had never met the Duke of Anais before, nor had he really been interested in him.


    No one knows the exact origin, but only the rumors of the most beautiful and rare heavy breed beast, and the strange notoriety of being a demon of war with monsters have only been heard.


    But look at this man¡¯s attitude right now.


    The way he, who was said to be indifferent to everyone and said to be an emotionless beast, shows clear hostility towards him.


    At that moment, Cassian recalled the letter that his sister had sent.


    <em>[Duke Anais seems to be a good person. Of course, we would have to wait and see, but for now!]</em>


    A red rm began to sound in Cassian¡¯s head.


    No.


    I don¡¯t think the Duke of Anais was a good person, Astel.


    I¡¯m sure of this.


    And that bastard¡­ Something smells fishy about him.

 Chapter 24

    After Ricardo returned it was already time for dinner.


    It was difficult to hide my excitement at the news that my brother was now in the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    If I run into them while walking around the castle, I might not be able to control my feelings when I see my brother and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll make a mistake, so I decided to stay in the room for now.


    <em>-¡®I¡¯ll call you when Sam wakes up. It won¡¯t take long.¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡¯</em>


    While alone, I concentrated on carefully checking Sam¡¯s brooch-shaped artifact.


    ¡®This artifact was connected to the other spies, and to the final viin. It was said in the novel that through this, we could reach the true identity of the final Viin. But where in the world are they connected?¡¯


    I studied the brooch for a long time, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get the answer unless I ask Sam directly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put it in my pocket for now.¡±


    I once spent a fortune on it and put the brooch artifact in my pocket where the protective magic worked.


    In fact, more specialized people were needed to analyze this artifact.


    A profession like an artifact appraiser.


    ¡®It¡¯s faster to meet and talk to Sam than to get an appraiser right now.¡¯


    Before that, I was going to meet Duke Anais to find out about the future of the Knights from the capital, but I stopped when I saw the servant standing in front of the door.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Duke would be able to eat with Astel tonight.¡±


    ¡°Uh, why?¡±


    ¡°Today, it seems that he has a meeting with the knights from the capital and talks about the war.¡±


    <em>Thump¡­ thump¡­</em>


    My heart skipped a beat.


    It really felt like my brother and I were together in the same space.


    ¡°Yes, then¡­ If the Duke¡¯s health wasn¡¯t good, please let me know immediately.¡±


    I nodded, hiding my excitement.


    The excitement I feel might be obvious on my face because I¡¯m originally bad at acting, but fortunately it wasn¡¯t just me.


    The news of the visit of the human knights from the capital caused a great stir in the Duke of Anais.


    As I was going down to eat alone, every time I walked down the hallway, the voices of the maids were so loud that their voices kept ringing in my ears.


    -¡°Commoner Knight, Cassian Gray!¡±


    -¡°I heard he¡¯s very handsome!¡±


    -¡°Everyone was angry and upset. Especially Millenia, an orangutan beast¡­!¡±


    -¡°If the shapeshifters are going to do that, they¡¯re just kissing him, but what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡®Are you talking about kissing? To whom? Maybe, to my kind and innocent brother?¡¯


    I stopped with a shocked expression and listened to a few more words.


    -¡°Just kiss him! And then you¡¯ll figure it out on yourselves!¡±


    -¡°Oh, wouldn¡¯t that be so much fun?¡±


    My mouth opened wide hearing the conversation of the maids and then quickly closed it.


    I think I should warn my brother quickly.


    How naive my brother was!


    He¡¯s someone who can¡¯t refuse even if he doesn¡¯t like it¡­


    It didn¡¯t seem like I could just wait until we met by chance in the Duke¡¯s castle.


    I turned around again and rushed up the stairs.


    The maids who followed me tilted their heads and moved their feet together.


    ¡°Astel, why are you like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­ right?¡±


    However, when I found out that the shapeshifter maids were aiming for my brother, there¡¯s no way that I¡¯d be able to swallow the food.


    Returning to the Delphinium Room, I stood in front of the window and looked at the distance.


    ¡°When would he be here¡­?¡±


    I always needed a cello to contact my brother.


    Because my brother always used to write me a letter first about when, where, and how we would meet.


    ¡®Should I meet him secretly? what should I do?¡¯


    I stood by the window the maids had left slightly open and quietly waited for the cello.


    Finally, a cute tuft of ck dust flew from afar.


    It was a cello.


    I carefully opened the door. Fortunately, there were no maids left in the hallway.


    Cello, who was on my shoulder, wouldn¡¯t be visible to anyone as usual.


    So I decided to walk with my back upright so that I wouldn¡¯t look suspicious.


    Of course, there were some difficulties.


    As soon as I turned to the corner of the hallway, I ran into the maids.


    ¡°Where are you going, Astel?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going for a little walk!¡±


    ¡°Are you going alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to take a walk in the garden, and check some herbs.¡±


    At my words, the maids nodded without a doubt.


    ¡°Yes, please be careful!¡±


    Of course it¡¯s a lie.


    I was on my way to see my brother after receiving a letter from him telling me toe to the garden.


    The concept of this meeting was,<em>¡®I ran into an old friend by chance while taking a walk in the garden alone¡¯!</em>


    At a time when Sam was already attracting attention for being caught, it would be suspicious to anyone who sees me drinking tea openly with an outsider who came to the castle today for the first time.


    All I needed was a brief, five-minute chance encounter.


    I watched the cello fly, hiding here and there, and carefully followed his trajectory, step by step.


    When the cello pped its wings and hid, I also hid in the hallway.


    It was because I was afraid that I would get into an argument if I suddenly encountered a beast who hated humans.


    After seeing the shapeshifters chatting and passing by like that, I continued to walk again.


    Carefully, after going through the hallway, going down the stairs, and passing through the beautifullyid out forest path¡­


    A beautiful garden appeared that would give anyone a sense of admiration, whoever sees it.


    The small ss garden we arrived at along with the cello was a ce where I didn¡¯t feel ufortable at all for a short chat with friends who I haven¡¯t met in a while.


    And a man standing confidently in a garden beautifully decorated like a ss greenhouse.


    That was my brother, Cassian Gray, the coolest person in the world.


    Cassian, dressed in a knightly uniform, waved his hand at me.


    ¡°You were here?¡±


    I was going to say ¡®<em>Brother</em>!¡¯ out loud, but I looked around in a hurry and smiled a little.


    ¡°Hello, Cassian.¡±


    And instead, I waved my hand as hard as I could.


    On the inside of our wrist, the tender skin engraved with the ancient magic mark tingled.


    If we were to give this pain a name, it would be ¡®<em>Joy and Sorrow</em>¡®.


    As soon as I saw his bruised face and the joy of meeting my brother, the sadness made my body and mind shiver.


    I strode towards my brother and faced him.


    I couldn¡¯t hug him, but I kept a gentle smile on my lips the whole time.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    He said to me with a dignified expression, as if he wasn¡¯t very wee.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I also tried to hide my joy.


    Immediately, my brother pulled out the words he was most curious about.


    ¡°Why are you here? No, how the hell did you save the Duke?¡±


    ¡°By chance, I saved him by ident!¡±


    I could never say I was here for revenge.


    I¡¯ve already asked you to let me join the revenge in the past several times, but it¡¯s been unsessful every time.


    <em>-¡®Hey, brother. I had a dream¡­ revenge¡­¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®Don¡¯t you even think about revenge.¡¯</em>


    It¡¯s not enough to just cut it off and get rejected¡­


    <em>-¡®I¡¯ll help too, so I¡¯ve got some information which-¡®</em>


    <em>-¡®I shouldn¡¯t have told you about revenge. You should always remember this. You have to pretend you don¡¯t know me even if something happens to me, Astel.¡¯</em>


    I had no choice but to secretly help him once, I had a hard time not sharing any of the circumstances in which the revenge drama would happen.


    It¡¯s not long before we share a little information as we do now.


    If I tell him, ¡®<em>I¡¯m actually here to get our revenge,¡¯</em>he might use the Dark Guild to cast a spell that locks me somewhere on an isted ind.


    ¡­my innocent brother sometimes does bizarre things just for his siblings.


    So I swallowed a sigh and turned around.


    ¡°How did such a coincidence happen! Wasn¡¯t it amazing?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ that¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Besides, the Duke was very kind, contrary to the rumors. I saved his life, and he¡¯s supporting me in everything I want!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My brother looked at me with a suspicious look on his face.

 Chapter 25

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Cassian, who was staring at my face for a long time, muttered as if he was truly relieved.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You still look good so far.¡±


    ¡°Then!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got chubby cheeks. You look like a hamster. You get chubby when you feelfortable.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m so rxed living here right now!¡±


    ¡°Really? Well if he didn¡¯t hate you, the Duke¡­¡±


    My brother frowned as if he had something to say.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand, didn¡¯t he hate humans? Then, that bastard, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the only one he hates¡­¡±


    At the same time, he spoke to himself with a voice so small that I couldn¡¯t hear what he¡¯s saying, and at the same time he made a grinding sound of his teeth.


    I carefully tilted my head.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°For now, no. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything, Astel. I¡¯ll figure it out myself.¡±


    Cassian muttered, lowering his voice.


    ¡°And, don¡¯t give it too much thought. They say he¡¯s a very fickle guy.¡±


    It was hard to agree with the word that the Duke was a capricious man, but I nodded to reassure my brother.


    Then he noticed something and stopped.


    I saw old sleeves wrapped around my brother¡¯s wrist.


    When I looked closely, it was only a uniform, but the thread was tangled and the buttons were all broken.


    Who¡¯s Cassian Gray?


    He was called the flower of the capital city and was a high spirited knight who was loved by many people.


    He suffers all kinds of trouble for revenge and wears such worn-out clothes.


    I looked at him with pitiful eyes.


    Then Cassian shoved something small into my pocket.


    It was the same as the pickpocketing skills that he used to rob the pockets of bastards in the back alleys.


    ¡®What?¡¯


    As soon as it went into the pocket, it looked like a small ball, but I wanted to check exactly what it was.


    But I didn¡¯t open my mouth right away.


    Instead, I asked Cassian.


    ¡°¡­how¡¯s it going?¡±


    The subject I was asking was about revenge. Cassian, who noticed what I was saying, frowned andughed.


    ¡°Well.¡±


    Actually, I know.


    ¡®ording to the original timeline, he must be struggling to enter the Duke¡¯s castle to find a clue about the spy.¡¯


    But this Astel has already taken care of everything.


    ¡°Why do you look so proud, Astel?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    He double-checked that there was no one around us and then he asked, poking my cheek with a friendly face.


    ¡°How¡¯s the money these days, are you short, huh?¡±


    Others won¡¯t be able to interpret what he meant, but it certainly meant an allowance.


    You¡¯re dressed like those jerks!


    Stupid idiot brother!


    I was so upset that my fingertips went numb, so I bit my lip.


    ¡°No, I have enough!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    In a friendly tone, he stroked my hair as he usually does with socialite girls.


    I dered proudly with his hand off.


    ¡°Yes, Cassian. Trust me!¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with those brackish hands?¡±


    A smirk bloomed on his face, so I spoke even louder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a lot of money and give you everything!¡±


    At those words, Cassian responded in a mischievous manner, as if watching a child¡¯s jokes.


    ¡°What, really? You really have to give me everything. I don¡¯t have to make money anymore, do I?¡±


    ¡°Of course! You could y like a fool for the rest of your life!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I love it. It was my dream. To live off of unearned ie.¡±


    My brother winked his eyes yfully.


    Even though he said that, I knew very well that if he really wanted to receive something, he wouldn¡¯t even give me any pocket money.


    Even now, he has regrly sent some of his money through the cello, calling it pocket money.


    It costs so much money that you couldn¡¯t even take care of your own food, clothing and shelter!


    My eyes suddenly burst into tears.


    Apparently, the Knights of the Capital are more territorial than any other ce.


    My brother wore worn out knights uniforms and how difficult it must have been among them.


    The knights of the capital are said to be arrogant and very ferocious because many children from wealthy families are arrogant, but it¡¯s not just the bad guys who torment my good brother¡­


    Feeling depressed, I grabbed my brother¡¯s sleeve of old clothes with a serious face.


    ¡°Put your finger on it and promise. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ll buy you an ind when I get rich!¡±


    I grabbed the hem of my dress in my hand and lifted one knee.


    It was an act of oath.


    Seeing this, my brother felt so special that he smiled brightly as if he was about to die.


    He put his right hand on his left chest and winked at me.


    ¡°I look forward to it, Astel. Are you going to hate me if I don¡¯t buy you one?¡±


    I raised my chin triumphantly and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make a lot of money and buy you everything. And¡­¡±


    I lowered my voice and muttered carefully.


    ¡°¡­well, there are a few women who are aiming for Cassian here.¡±


    My face quickly turned red when I remembered the voices of the maids who were whispering about kissing.


    ¡°What, really?¡±


    I put on a sullen expression. I looked around carefully and shook my head.


    ¡°So be careful.¡±


    ¡°Well, I appreciate it.¡±


    He still couldn¡¯t give up his sly performance and grinned.


    I clenched my fist and pounded my chest.


    ¡®Oh, I¡¯m so frustrated. How could you live in such a naive world? I¡¯m going to open your eyes and snore at you!¡¯


    As we continued to warn each other and exchanged a few more words, it was time to part quickly, but it wasn¡¯t as sad as before.


    I have already caught Sam, because there¡¯s hope that if we catch the other two, we would be able to takeplete revenge on those who framed our family.


    At that moment, a hoarse voice resounded in my ear.


    ¡°Sir Cassian, where are you? You said it¡¯d only take a minute! The meeting was about to start soon!¡±


    Cassian frowned hearing the loud voice.


    Judging by that reaction, it seemed that he was the knight leader who he often talked to behind the scenes through letters.


    I quickly took a step back.


    ¡°Cassion, go quickly. You shouldn¡¯t look bad.¡±


    ¡°Already hated it¡­ No, it¡¯s not. See you soon, Astel. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He whispered in a low voice so that only I could hear him.


    ¡°You, if you buy an indter, you promised we would live together?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    By then, it would be better for my niece and three of us to live together.


    My brother was still unaware of the existence of his child, but¡­


    But I couldn¡¯t say that to him at first, so I just smiled at him.


    ¡°I have a meeting in the evening, would you see me after it¡¯s over?¡±


    ¡°Yes, maybe tomorrow in the ss garden, how about that?¡±


    My brother, who had a skeptical expression on my suggestion,ughed and messed up my hair.


    Then he spoke out in a low and secret voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. But don¡¯t try too hard to hide that we¡¯re meeting.¡±


    I also lowered my voice and muttered.


    ¡°¡­First of all, I said that we weren¡¯t very close friends.¡±


    ¡°Yes, even if we¡¯re not very close friends, we¡¯vee a long way, so we could meet a couple of times.¡±


    That was quite right.


    Then tomorrow, I could meet my brother again, right?


    I looked at him and nodded vigorously.


    * * *


    I swear it was a coincidence that Duke Anais stopped by the ss Garden, which he didn¡¯t usually go to.


    However, seeing the situation unfold before my eyes, I thought that maybe it was an inevitability led by the sixth sense of the beast.


    <em>(**Duke Anais POV**)</em>


    In order not to overshadow the rumors, Cassian Gray was clearly an arrogant cold-hearted person.


    And he spoke to Astel with his dirty mouth.


    <em>-¡®You¡¯re gonna hate me if I don¡¯t buy you one?¡¯</em>


    ¡­Cassian said.


    I¡¯ve been aware of things like pursuing a multteral rtionship since the beginning, but I never thought he¡¯d take away and steal a woman¡¯s money.


    And you still call yourself a knight?


    Astel and Cassian didn¡¯t get along at all like water and oil.


    Cassian Gray, who boasts a splendid female seducing body, urged Astel to roll gently and make money.


    Innocent and unwilling to do her part, Astel just nodded eagerly.


    <em>-¡®Yes, I¡¯ll make a lot of money and buy you everything.¡¯</em>


    It was said that money was as valuable as life to humans.


    However, Astel easily said, ¡®<em>I¡¯ll buy you everything¡¯.</em>


    I don¡¯t know how Cassian Gray captured the hearts of women in the capital.


    But what was certain was that even Astel was obsessed with Cassian.


    Even Cassian Gray was quite brazen, let alone moved by heart.


    <em>-¡®You, if you buy an indter, you promised we would live together?¡¯</em>


    Duke Anais recalled Astel¡¯s eyes overflowing with affection towards Cassian.


    She blinked her eyes like a little squirrel when she was with him, and Cassian Gray¡¯s eyes looked well and were very friendly towards Astel.


    She looks so frustrated that she couldn¡¯t reach him, and she likes him so much that she feels like she¡¯s going crazy.


    Astel pretends not to be, but the look on her face shows it all.


    Returning from the garden and entering his office, he was lost in thought with his chin resting on his hand, he pondered.


    But the expression on his face was quite terrifying. To the extent that the assistant, who was familiar with his expressionless face, was startled.


    ¡°Wha-, what¡¯s going on? No, I¡¯ll be back next time.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He stared intently at the old, worn-out objects on a desk made of fine rosewood.


    Fountain pens, table clocks, and small artifacts with various functions that have been kept for a very long time gleamed even though they were worn out.


    The Duke then thought.


    ¡®As for Cassian Gray, I already found out.¡¯


    Without further investigation, he only served as a knight, and other than that, he was just an ordinary man.


    So what I¡¯m gonna find out now is¡­

 Chapter 26

    ¡°What Astel was doing in the mansion. Find out.¡±


    He didn¡¯t manage the mansion himself, nor had he nted any spy in particr.


    It was none of my business to know about the rumors.


    But when ites to Astel, it¡¯s a different story.


    He rested his chin on his hand and stared into space, thinking of her.


    ¡®My imprint, who saved my life.¡¯


    Suddenly, his lips loosened and a little girl¡¯s face with a gentle smile came to mind.


    He closed his eyes and seemed to hear her voice from somewhere.


    The serious way she talks when she treats me,


    <em>-¡®The treatment is over</em>.¡¯


    When she realized that she was imprinted, Astel hesitated in embarrassment, but the tone didn¡¯t lose its calmness.


    <em>-¡®The-the Duke is so handsome!¡¯</em>


    And even a much younger, slightly yful voice.


    <em>-¡®Hey. I have something to tell you, are you listening? Can you hear me?¡¯</em>


    Astel was always kind, good-natured, and friendly to me, and to other humans, and even to the other shapeshifters in the Castle.


    Of course, the ¡®<em>perfect</em>¡® Astel had one problem.


    It¡¯s just that she doesn¡¯t have an eye for men.


    Cassian Gray.


    A guy who I didn¡¯t like with his rebellious eyes.


    A man who rationalizes his vulgar games by using words like ¡®<em>polyamory</em>¡® as an excuse.


    Could it be that he made such a remark to Astel and twisted it?


    Even Astel seemed ustomed to offering material things to such a man.


    It was as if she was longing for his love.


    A strange, suspicious feeling of unpleasantness crept into my stomach.


    By any chance, even in this Duke¡¯s castle, he wasn¡¯t among those being deceived by someone like Cassian Gray.


    As he was immersed in his thoughts for a while, the aide carefully opened his trembling mouth.


    ¡°Oh, Astel¡¯s situation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as Astel¡¯s guardian, there was something I wanted to know.¡±


    He added kindly to the bewildered aide.


    ¡°Right now.¡±


    ***


    That evening.


    A meeting about the war was held at the conference room inside the Castle of the Duke of Anais.


    The participants were the Duke of Anais, the heads of the four vassal families, and themander of the Knights of Roses and Cassian.


    Among them, Duke Anais was rarely able to concentrate on the meeting.


    Before the meeting even started, an aide and Astel¡¯s maid had been brought into the office, who hadpleted the investigation quickly.


    First, the aide stuttered as he reported.


    <em>-¡®There was an incident in which a guy named Sam confronted Astel at the clinic. Eventually, Astel saved the life of Ricardo, thete founder of the Jaguar family.¡¯</em>


    The Duke, who was reading the report that summarized Sam¡¯s whereabouts, quietly opened his mouth.


    <em>-¡®What happened to Sam, who confronted Astel?¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®Fortunately, Ricardo, who almost died because of Sam, was trying to put him in the hellfire. I couldn¡¯t believe there was such a person around. Lady Astel, she must have felt so bad that her face turned pale.¡¯</em>


    The Duke muttered, twisting his mouth at the news.


    <em>-¡®Tell him that I¡¯m going to kill him. Hellfire was so easy.¡¯</em>


    <em>(N: Duke wanted to kill Sam.)</em>


    Next, Sally, who was Astel¡¯s close maid. What she said lingered in my ears.


    <em>-¡®Well, I don¡¯t have anything to tell you about Astel, but¡­!¡¯</em>


    The maid trembled as she tried to look elsewhere from side to side as she entered the Duke¡¯s office for the first time.


    ¨C<em>¡®I won¡¯t reprimand you, so just tell me what I need to know.¡¯</em>


    Even if that maid was hiding something about Astel anyway, I would be able to find out from Astel someday.


    Because she has an honest personality that she could never hide anything, even if she tries to hide it.


    Sally, the maid, who seemed a little relieved to hear that there was no reprimand, opened her mouth carefully.


    <em>-¡®Astel¡¯s self-esteem was a bit low, I think.¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®What do you mean?¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®There are people who don¡¯t really like Astel. I¡¯m sure no one was used to teasing or bullying, but Astel always says it¡¯s okay. But that look on her face was so¡­¡¯</em>


    The Duke recalled what he had heard the other day.


    Astel said she was used to people who bully her.


    But it was just their bad luck, and if they knew her well, they would have no choice but to like her.


    Because the gentle and sweet Astel did only good things for everyone.


    ¨C<em>¡®Tell me more.¡¯</em>


    ¨C<em>¡®Oh, yes! And she gives us all the potions at no cost, and she doesn¡¯t take anyone¡¯s money¡­¡¯</em>


    The maid began to bring out her worries that had only been built up inside her.


    <em>-¡®I¡¯m really worried because she¡¯s so kind that she gives everything!¡¯</em>


    The Duke noded leisurely, recalling what had been reported.


    After hearing that, I came to a conclusion.


    A sly man like Cassian Gray would have already known Astel¡¯s personality, if even the maid who just met her noticed that.


    Polyamory or what, I will protect her even if that bastard cheats on me, and I will give you money even if you pretend to be a little pitiful.


    Astel, who was too good, wasn¡¯t aware of Cassian Gray talking about his many rtionships, and she seems to havepassion for him.


    In his hand, the quill was split in two.


    In the meantime, the heated debate continued.


    ¡°It would be better to fight the monster war in spring. Approximately six monthster, when all the supplies are running smoothly.¡±


    ¡°It was a matter that the Emperor also agreed to.¡±


    Except for the fact that the only person who could not concentrate was the Duke, who was the final decision maker, it was a perfectly conducted meeting.


    However, the longer the meeting, the more exhausting.


    As the night slowly grew deeper and it was time to end the discussion, the record repository called him, with sweats on his forehead.


    ¡°Well, sir¡­¡±


    The Duke¡¯s hand motion, which had been touching with the broken quill pen, stopped at once.


    ¡°Yes, I was listening. It would be good to resume the war inte spring next year.¡±


    The meeting came to an end with a blunt response from the Duke of Anais.


    The Duke was scribbling something while staring intently at Cassian¡¯s smiling face.


    You¡¯re smiling slyly with a shriveled face.


    Are you excited about the idea that Astel would give you money?


    The Duke of Anais recalled some conversations he heard in the hallway on his way to the conference room.


    <em>-¡®Did you say Sir Cassian Gray? It was also famous in the capital. Look at that handsome face!¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®Really, even though he¡¯s a human, I have to admit it. Because he¡¯s truly handsome¡­¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®Oh right. Get a hold of yourself! It¡¯s a human! A human!¡¯</em>


    You think that face is handsome?


    I don¡¯t think so.


    The brown curly hair was polished, and the white face like a parasitic worm wasn¡¯t like a knight.


    Therge green eyes gleamed, like those of a serpent.


    In short, he was ugly and unlikable.


    The words of the beasts who said that Cassian was handsome have less credibility.


    <em>-¡®The Duke is really handsome! You look good in sses¡­¡¯</em>


    Astel said she thought I was handsome.


    Somehow I felt warm when I remembered those words.


    Hiding his boiling feelings, the Duke stared at Cassian Gray¡¯s green eyes with a nk expression as usual.


    Looking at him again, I thought it was a face that made me feel bad.


    He wanted to cover his face with something, but when he imagined putting on the sses, a sense of crisis for no reason rose very slightly.


    The Duke put his tattered pen down on the table.


    It was only a brief movement, but in that moment, the heated exchange of opinions that had spread like wildfire subsided.

 Chapter 27

    There was a deep silence in the conference, and the Duke spoke to those who were looking at him.


    ¡°The date of the deployment would be inte spring. Half of the food would be supplied by the Duke, and the other supplies woulde from the capital.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°A total of 1,000 men would be enough, a mix of infantry and cavalry. Otherwise, we would need a magic swordsman. If there¡¯s anything in need to be coordinated, we wouldmunicate in letters or using magic tools.¡±


    Although he wasn¡¯t focused, the Duke was born a tactical genius.


    In his head, he had already simted all the cases with chess pieces.


    Therefore, he summed up the discussion so far in a few words.


    A faint admiration spread over the faces of the Knights and Cassian.


    The Duke of Anais, who habitually looked at Cassian¡¯s actions, saw the change in his expression.


    ¡®Why are you admiring me?¡¯


    Every change in his expression made me feel bad.


    Since Astel came to the castle, my emotions have always been unstable.


    I looked away from Cassian, thinking it might be due to mypanion¡¯s imprint.


    * * *


    The war preparation meeting was over.


    However, Kelter, the current head of the Jaguar family, who sat next to the Duke as he stood up from the conference hall, blocked his path.


    ¡°Sir, I have something to tell you.¡±


    How dare you stand in the way of the Duke in front of everyone!


    Awesome, Kelter!


    Courageous, Kelter!


    In everyone¡¯s mind, a question arose as to what the hell was he trying to say.


    The heads of the vassal families and the human knights all stopped walking and began to observe the situation.


    In fact, there were people who wanted to leave this meeting as soon as possible, but as a protocol, they were also not allowed to leave the meeting hall unless the Duke left first.


    Kelter caught everyone¡¯s attention and wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    ¡°I heard recently that your Excellency was sponsoring a human healer named Astel.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Kelter scratched the back of his head with a grim expression.


    As he saw the Duke¡¯s expression getting colder, he thought that his n fellpletely out of order.


    But if I withdraw from here, my father, Ricardo won¡¯t let me be!


    My father, who was called the tyrant of the family, was pressuring me to bring the human healer ¡®Astel¡¯ to the Jaguar family.


    He said, enduring his trembling legs from giving out.


    ¡°This time, Ricardo, the founder of our family, has been greatly indebted to her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    The Duke¡¯s cold expression slightly loosened.


    Hah! you might never know!


    Kelter said in a serious tone.


    ¡°So¡­ to return the favor, I was wondering if our Jaguar family could support her instead.¡±


    He could have asked for a separate meeting, but his father wouldn¡¯t have tolerated it.


    My father told me to speak loud enough so that every human and beast in the conference hall could hear.


    <em>-¡®When the damned bastards fall into supremacy! We need to strengthen the position of the human Astel! Kelter, I think of her as my granddaughter.¡¯</em>


    At the same time he said those words, sharp ws appeared from Ricardo¡¯s hands, and his eyes glistened vividly.


    Kelter was about to say that his father was also one of that bloody beast.


    Kelter, bewildered by his father¡¯s words, asked cautiously.


    <em>-¡®So what do you want¡­?¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®You should bring her to our family!¡¯</em>


    Now that I¡¯ve heard the whole story, I understand why a cold-blooded tyrant like him would suddenly want to support a human healer.


    Sweat dripped down Kelter¡¯s back as Duke Anais stared at him silently.


    As the head of the household, he worked quietly and lived a faithful life, and he was still puzzled by the fact that he was somehow caught between the two tyrants.


    Unaware of the pace, the Duke of Anais gracefully expressed his opposition to him.


    ¡°The support of the Jaguar family won¡¯t be epted.¡±


    His demeanor was elegant, but his eyes were dark.


    The Duke¡¯s unique low-pitched voice made him cringe. There was a growl mixed at the end of his words as he finished speaking.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m her guardian.¡±


    Duke Anais¡¯s lips twisted firmly.


    ¡°The first person Astel saved was me. Not your father.¡±


    Others may not have noticed.


    However, Kelter, who was closest to the Duke, had glimpsed of his possessiveness, even faintly, for a moment.


    ¡°Yes, yes?¡±


    He rubbed his eyes and wanted to confirm what he¡¯s seeing.


    As someone who has seen the Duke Anais for a long time could not have imagined the Duke¡¯s possessive desires.


    Because he was a neat person with no obsession with anything to the point of overdoing it.


    ¡°Then.¡±


    The Duke seemed uninterested in Kelter, struggling with embarrassment.


    Secondster, the Duke¡¯s attitude became clear as if he had never shown any desires earlier.


    As the Duke nodded, Kelter lost all words to say.


    ¡°Yes, I understand. Your Excellency!¡±


    The meeting ended like that.


    Only those who were present felt the weak war of nerves between the two and sweated the whole time.


    Finally, the Duke of Anais, who nced at Cassian Gray for thest time, left first.


    Cassian Gray asked Astel to live with him on an ind, and Kelter demanded that Astel be brought into the Jaguar family.


    But now Astel was staying at his castle, right next to him.


    The Duke had a rxed smile on his lips at his thoughts.


    ¡®<em>Staying together in his Castle¡¯,</em>the Duke thought to have breakfast with Astel tomorrow morning.


    * * *


    After meeting with my brother, I naturally got out of the ss garden.


    Thanks to the absence of a dinner appointment with the Duke, I went to the delphinium room after having a simple dinner alone.


    ¡®You don¡¯t even listen to my warnings, you stupid Cassian!¡¯


    I was deeply bothered because of my overly innocent brother.


    But today I have work to do.


    Shortly after hiding from her maids, she ced two artifacts on her desk.


    I stared at the two artifacts with a trembling heart.


    One was a video recording artifact that my brother put in my pocket!


    ¡°You idiot, why¡¯d you give me all the video records¡­¡±


    The cello that flew between us was also a precious messenger bird with fast wings.


    But the video recording was different.


    If I turn on this magic device, I would be able to see my brother anytime, anywhere.


    I could see you whenever I want without dy for a day or two¡­


    ¡®Was that the reason why you didn¡¯t buy a uniform? It¡¯s really upsetting¡­¡¯


    The goal to get revenge was burning even more.


    I clenched my fist and red at the next artifact.


    An artifact in the form of a brooch, not a memento left behind by Sam, who was being burned in hellfire.


    Her gaze towards the artifact became more serious.


    There are a total of three spies who destroyed Count Vietry and hid themselves in the Duke Castle.


    Therefore, there are also three artifacts in total.


    At this time, it was difficult to guess who was behind it with just one artifact.


    However, this alone was a good thing that could help me move on to the next stage.


    ¡®Each artifact is linked, and one bes a clue to the other.¡¯


    Contemting, I slowly rubbed the ragged surface of the brooch-shaped artifact.


    ¡®Because there¡¯s a scratch on this artifact¡­ ¡®


    I began to ruminate over hints from the original.


    Unlike Sam, the personal information about the other two spies wasn¡¯t properly described, but there was a clue in each of them.


    As I was constantly trying to recall the contents of the original, I was reviewing the<em><Revenge Manual></em>that I had kept, and banged my forehead on the table.


    Just as I was racking my head in serious anguish, someone knocked on the door.


    I hurriedly hid the artifact under the table and nced towards the door.


    If someone came at this hour, it would probably be the maids¡­?


    ¡°Yes,e in!¡±


    The door slid open.


    Astel¡¯s rabbit-like eyes grew in surprise as she saw the person who entered through the gap in the open door.

 Chapter 28

    Surprisingly, it was not the maid who opened the door, but Ricardo, the previous head of the Jaguar family.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there¡¯s something you want to ask Sam?¡±


    I nodded as I looked at his sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go straight to hellfire!¡±


    ¡­it sounds a bit strange, though.


    Anyway, I followed Ricardo with a satisfied smile on my lips and moved to the citadel where the Jaguar family stayed inside the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    It¡¯s been a while since we arrived at the entrance to the old pce-like citadel.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the prison key, as promised.¡±


    Ricardo opened the prison door for the Jaguar family located at the end of the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tortured him so much that I called you in a hurry because I thought he might die. It¡¯s almost half dead. Are you sure about this? He asked me to spare him and not to kill him.¡±


    The Jaguar family¡¯s method of torture was famous for its cruelty, so it must be a natural reaction.


    Astel sped the key tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you a favor instead. Get rid of all the guards and recording artifacts.¡±


    ording to the Imperialw, prisoners have recording artifacts, as well as guards residing inside the prison to monitor them.


    ¡®If you say no, what should I do?¡¯


    Ricardo grinned as he agonized seriously.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want. It¡¯s dangerous, so be careful.¡±


    Fortunately, Ricardo, who lived regardless of thew, willingly said yes, and allowed it.


    A few minutester, I was able to get into the prison where everything was perfectly set as I nned.


    ¡°Wake up, Sam.¡±


    ¡°¡­what.¡±


    His eyes were puffy and his head was swollen with blood. I looked down at him calmly.


    ¡°Are you here to ask about what¡¯s behind it? I don¡¯t know how you got me in here, but¡­¡±


    Sam groaned and opened his eyes, then grumbled again.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I could never tell you what¡¯s behind me. I didn¡¯t even know in the first ce. I was just following orders! Bro- brooch artifact, the orders came out of that¡­ Damn, where the hell did the damn brooch go?¡±


    How tortured he had been, there was a rustling sound in his voice.


    Ignoring his words, I remembered the hint of the second viin, ¡®The Swordsman¡¯, that my older brother couldn¡¯t catch in the novel.


    Reflecting on the scabbard remnants of the artifact¡¯s surface.


    <em>[He had lightning-shaped scar under his eyes, and he was always wearing a medal under his chest. The medal was very important to him.]</em>


    He¡¯s my next target.


    ¡°Okay, not the one behind it, but your friend.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡±


    ¡°Your friend with a lightning-shaped scar under his eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sam looked at me with a burning stare. Like Sam, who was good at treachery, his envy was enormous.


    ¡°He must be very free now, unlike you are now.¡±


    The eyes staring at me glistened. There was also a rustling breath.


    I made thest point.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me who¡¯s behind you. Just talking about that one pyramid, it¡¯s a survival state. You know, I¡¯ve been a benefactor of two people, the Duke and the Jaguar family, that¡¯s about it.¡±


    My voice was almost crooked, but now was the time to be bold enough to look a little arrogant.


    Astel raised her chin proudly.


    Sam paused his groan in pain and asked quietly.


    ¡°Jin, Sim, will you spare me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you know, legally, every prison in the Empire has recording artifacts. That would be a witness to my words.¡±


    Sam looked around.


    I didn¡¯t miss seeing the light of relief on his face.


    I don¡¯t know because my judgment was blurred, but all the guards, including recording artifacts, had already been cleaned out at my request.


    Besides, Ricardo of the Jaguar family was a great person who kept thews of the Empire.


    But Sam, whose head was spinning due to torture, looked around and muttered lowly.


    ¡°Then, I have to wash my identity as well. Otherwise, I¡¯ll really die.¡±


    Destroying our family and poisoning others to death. But all you cared about was your own life?


    Astel stared silently at Sam.


    ¡°It depends on the information you give.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll tell you. I mean¡­ You mean the one with the lightning-shaped scar under his eyes? He¡¯s an excellent swordsman, but he became a knight and got a fake job. I don¡¯t know more than that.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°¡­more, I wanted to tell you more, but I and that swordsman just did what he told us to do!¡±


    If it were him, it would be the final, unidentified viin.


    Astel stared at Sam with eyes wide open.


    Sam, limping, mumbled as he grind his front teeth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what his goal was. I only know my job. The job he set for me was to destroy the Jaguar family. Considering that I oftenmunicated through the artifact¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did you follow him without knowing exactly who he was?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ he changed my life. His abilities were amazing! I couldn¡¯t see his face, but he certainly did. He knew exactly what I wanted, and all the money I got after choosing me to value my abilities. I gave them all¡­¡±


    Sam scurried out the words.


    I¡¯ve heard everything Sam¡¯s been talking about ever since.


    It was raw information that didn¡¯t appear in the original, and that my brother at this point would never know.


    ¡°Yo-you¡¯re gonna spare me, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll ask when the guardse in. You swore to spare me!¡±


    Staring at him screaming, I quietly stepped outside.


    My nickname was a pushover, a fool.


    I¡¯m a little less distant than others, and have a weak heart.


    So I thought that my heart would be very weak when I face Sam.


    I thought my brother would be there if I didn¡¯te forward first, so I was able to get stronger somehow.


    ¡°Astel!¡±


    Outside the prison, Ricardo stood waiting.


    It had been a restless day, and I hurried forward.


    ¡°That ugly bastard isn¡¯t something for you to see with a weak heart, it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°¡­Grandpa, I have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Why, if you ask me to save him, I won¡¯t ept it. You¡¯re such a nice kid. But we couldn¡¯t let him live!¡±


    ¡°No, that bad guy doesn¡¯t know how to reflect. So please kill him neatly.¡±


    No matter how much I was a pushover, I couldn¡¯t show mercy andpassion to the man who destroyed my family.


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s a pulpit¡­¡±


    He looked at me unexpectedly.


    Ricardo seemed to be quite fond of me now.


    He looked at me with a proud look and opened his mouth as he gently stroked the top of my head.


    ¡°Okay, do whatever you want. Shall we go for a walk?¡±


    Wall. Yes, let¡¯s take a stroll¡­


    ¡°¡­then, shall we go around the swordsmanship practice?¡±


    Ricardo¡¯s eyes shone brightly with a bright smile.


    ***


    ording to Sam, the swordsman was now disguised as a knight.


    Then, like it or not, I would visit the knights often.


    So, I was going to take a look around the knights¡¯ quarters in the Duke¡¯s Castle and the swordsmanship practice ground attached to it.


    But¡­


    ¡®It¡¯s too far, where the hell is the lodge¡­!¡¯


    It was almost like an aerobic exercise and a marathon, not a walk.


    From the Jaguar family¡¯s prison at the far end of the Duke¡¯s Castle to the knights¡¯ swordsmanship training center located next to the main castle.


    I walked to the point where my legs were shaking.


    Ricardo nced at me and coughed again.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh my. Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have asked his excellency to let my family support you.¡±


    Astel stopped with her eyes wide open.


    When I stopped, Ricardo also stuck his foot next to me and stopped.


    ¡°¡­Yes, su-support me?¡±


    Ricardo coughed constantly.


    The tip of his ears near his grayish beard were red.


    ¡°Yes, to sponsor you. However, his excellency may refuse¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡±


    For a while, I wondered whether it would be okay because of the imprint.


    ¡°Even if I can¡¯t sponsor you, didn¡¯t you say you were a healer?¡±


    Confused about what he wanted to say, I stared at him.


    Ricardo said quietly.


    ¡°Well, I think your talent is a bit good, and I thought I should bring you into my family. Actually, permission for moving your residence is something that needs to be obtained not only from the Duke, but also from your parents. Although I should let your parents know too¡­¡±


    To his cautious suggestion, I acted as if nothing was wrong and bravely opened my mouth to answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have my parents.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    His eyes opened wide and immediately looked at me sadly.


    The expression was only for a moment.


    Strange¡­


    Originally, when I say I don¡¯t have parents, people secretly ignore them or excessively sympathize with me, but Ricardo didn¡¯t.


    It was a little cute, like a cat, to be nervous and startled that I might have been hurt by his words.


    ¡°But thank you for the great opportunity.¡±


    I smiled brightly at him with a lighter heart.


    Astel smiled sincerely.


    As a healer, it¡¯s always been something I¡¯m proud of when a patient whose life I saved thanked me.


    With Ricardo, who became a little less talkative, we continued to walk.


    We walked slowly towards the battleground.


    But as I went to the battleground, I felt a strange sensation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little humid.¡±


    Sweat dripped down from my forehead.

 Chapter 29

    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Was it supposed to be this humid here?¡±


    Despite being in the north, the heavy air made Astel wonder a little.


    I looked around, wiping the drops of sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.


    It¡¯s hot, but¡­


    Apart from the various garden trees, there were a lot of Meili herbs in the vacant lot near the battleground.


    ¡®Meili herb wasn¡¯t a usual nt¡­¡¯


    Astel tilted her head and turned around. Soon it was her turn to enter the sparring room.


    However, a handsome and gentle-looking man came toward us, bowing 90 degrees between the hard-working knights.


    ¡°Oh, hello. My lord! Who¡¯s this beautifuldy?¡±


    ¡°Get out of my way, bastard. It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Ricardo was squeaky, but he didn¡¯t seem to dislike him.


    Not that it wasn¡¯t, the man with green hair and gold eyes looked sad and good-natured.


    It could be said that he was a person who could easily relieve anyone¡¯s vignce.


    Unsurprisingly, the young and cute children who were with him in the battleground also followed his movements.


    They all seemed to be beasts who were learning swordsmanship.


    The identity of the children gathered in this ce couldn¡¯t be ascertained.


    However, judging from the fact that there are children with sharp fangs like sharks and children with slightly nted eyes like foxes, I thought that they might be the heir of each vassal family.


    Small children gathered around him, chattering.


    ¡°Teacher!¡±


    As they approached the man in front and hugged his legs, they seemed to think of him as a doll.


    ¡®If they were the heirs of the vassal family, they must have a high natural alertness, but it¡¯s amazing.¡¯


    Astel, curious, smiled and answered him.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Astel, a human healer.¡±


    It hasn¡¯t been long since she entered the Duke Castle, but it has been three years since she entered the north.


    Having lived here for a long time, I had a habit of naturally thinking about what kind of beast my opponent was.


    However, it wasn¡¯t possible to know what kind of beast this person was.


    Astel, gazed at them, like observing her opponents but she withdrew thinking it would be rude to stare at them like weighing and judging them.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ You¡¯re the one who saved the Lord after the Duke! I¡¯m Bachel, the sword teacher of the sessors.¡±


    As he reached out his hand as if to shake hands, Ricardo clicked his tongue and pped his hand roughly.


    ¡°How dare you touch a Lady¡¯s body.¡±


    Despite the harsh attitude befitting of his reputation as a tyrant, Bachel only bowed his head without a bewildered look.


    ¡°Oh my! It¡¯s a mistake. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Astel looked at him and shook her head a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Oh!¡±


    Just by looking at him, I could tell that he was a very kind and gentle person.


    ¡°Would you like me to take you on a tour inside?¡±


    Ricardo grunted as if annoyed by his suggestion.


    ¡°Well, whatever.¡±


    Soon, we looked through each training facility in the Duke Castle, including the swordsmanship training center.


    Children would put on their helmets and practice like it¡¯s a real thing, an outdoor training field with a more free atmosphere, and a ce where swords of various shapes are set up in a row¡­


    Astelughed joyfully after seeing everyone at a nce.


    ¡°Did it help you?¡±


    Meanwhile, the children were following him around, smiling brightly.


    ¡®He¡¯s like a human cat.¡¯


    That¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡°Yes! It helped a lot.¡±


    Astel smiled at him and nodded lightly.


    ¡°But there¡¯s a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. A monthter, a swordsmanshippetition would be held in the Duke Castle. It¡¯s the biggest event for knights, so everyone¡¯s probably busy.¡±


    Astel nodded at his words.


    It would be a big event.


    The Duke of Anais was also considered the greatest swordsman in the Empire.


    ¡°Then, all the knights in the Duke Castle would gather?¡±


    ¡°Yes, everyone would surely participate. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all trying to win. Haha! Sounds like fun, really.¡±


    A monthter, the swordsmanshippetition.


    ¡°If a swordsmanship contest were to be held, you would need a lot of dedicated healers right?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s right. We have to do all the medical examinations and doping tests for the Duke¡¯s knights in advance!¡±


    Ricardo squirmed into the middle of the conversation and said,


    ¡°Huh, why are you doing that? Astel? Are you trying to show off your skills again?¡±


    Astel replied cautiously, slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°Well, if I have the chance!¡±


    Then before that, there was a ce where I wanted to show my skills first.


    It¡¯s¡­


    * * *


    ¡­It was the Duke.


    Entering his office ambitiously, Astel tried to get the timing right to talk about how she wanted to help in the swordsmanshippetition.


    However, the Duke¡¯s attitude was a little more strange than usual.


    He stared at me the whole time with a pitiful look on his face.


    Why?


    You¡¯re in the best shape right now¡­


    Astel tried to open her mouth carefully while pressing down on her soft cheeks for no reason.


    But the Duke talked first.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Oh, good!¡±


    The Duke¡¯s expression clouded as if my answer were foggy for a moment.


    What? Why does it seem like you don¡¯t believe me?


    ¡­why?


    I was in doubt, but there was no room for resolution. The Duke has asked me a question again.


    ¡°Shall we go see your favorite sea today?¡±


    ¡°Was there a sea on the Duke Castle?¡±


    It¡¯s strange, the Duke seems to keep trying to change the atmosphere.


    He replied with a ferocious smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s not in the castle, but of course it¡¯s in the Duchy.¡±


    Come to think of it, I remember hearing that there was a sea that freezes when winteres in this Duchy.


    I was so curious that my eyes sparkled, and I was about to tell him that we should go see it, but soon I had a different thought.


    Come to think of it, I decided to see my brother today.


    Not sure what time it was, but anyway¡­


    ¡°Ah¡­ I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m going to meet Sir Cassian.¡±


    My brother said there was no need to hide our meeting itself.


    ¡°We¡¯re not that close, but since he came to the castle, we thought we¡¯d see each other at least once.¡±


    Astel could see the Duke clenched his teeth with a cold face.


    I was a little scared when I saw him.


    Maybe he¡¯s grinding his teeth.


    Because it¡¯s a beast!


    ¡°You probably won¡¯t see Cassian Gray, Astel.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s going to be busy with work.¡±


    But my brother said he would meet me¡­


    Astel became a little sullen.


    The Duke tapped on the table as if to evoke her feelings.


    ¡°Instead, if there¡¯s anything Astel wants, I¡¯d like to hear it.¡±


    The atmosphere seemed to be rxed and the same odd situation was created.


    It¡¯s a shame that I couldn¡¯t see my brother, but it was a good opportunity.


    ¡®We couldn¡¯t put it off any longer. This was the time to rock!¡¯


    Astel put her hand on the armrest, pretended not to be nervous at all, and got to the point.


    ¡°Well, yes! I want to treat you, Duke. Are you sick anywhere?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to treat me?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking, Astel?¡±


    The Duke stared at me with his head tilted sideways.


    Astel just smiled broadly.


    Of course, the calctor was spinning in my head.


    The man with the lightning scar under his eye would also participate in the swordsmanshippetition.


    It was a lucky chance to need a healer in a swordsmanshippetition where at least all the knights in the Duke¡¯s Castle would gather.


    It was clear that if I participated in the process as a healer, I would be able to see the knights more closely.


    Of course, in order for the proposal to work for the Duke, who¡¯s worried that I would overworked with the current treatment, it¡¯s necessary to get closer to him.


    Astel carefully grabbed the Duke¡¯s arm and proceeded the treatment she had prepared.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been treating the scratch on your arm, how was it? You don¡¯t have a fever, and the Duke¡¯s okay, right?¡±


    Astel blinked at him and smiled.


    ¡°All right, there¡¯s no problem with the imprint.¡±


    ¡°The Duke just said everything was fine¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Astel opened her lips carefully.


    ¡°¡­ You asked me to go see the sea, and I think you¡¯re a really nice person.¡±


    Nothing has been rified yet to conclude so.


    In the worst case scenario, the Duke of Anais could have been the final viin that destroyed Count Vietry.


    But at least for Astel, Duke of Anais¡¯ was her ¡®<em>imprint</em>,¡¯ and he was ¡®<em>good man</em>.¡¯


    The Duke raised one hand and swept his face.


    There was an uncanny smile hanging around his lips that couldn¡¯t be hidden with his big hand.


    Seeing the corners of his mouth go up, I felt like a snowke was blooming in the cold winter.


    ¡°The imprint wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.¡±


    Astel was staring nkly at him and muttered unconsciously.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re smiling.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s expression hardened again.


    ¡°Are you¡­ scared?¡±


    Of course, there were times when he smiled in a scary way.


    But not now.


    ¡°Really¡­¡±


    Astel quietly took out every word from her heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nice to see you smile, it feels warm.


    Was it because of the imprint? Strangely, I felt like my heart felt rxed when I¡¯m in front of the Duke.


    The Duke closed his eyes again and smiled faintly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After coughing heavily, Astel said to the Duke.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve treated the wound, I¡¯ll do a physical exam the way I developed it! Just the arm!¡±


    Astel carefully checked the Duke¡¯s arm looking down.


    And hesitated to find the right timing.


    ¡°Well, you said you¡¯d do anything I want. That¡¯s why, I have a very small request.¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    Astel nced up at the Duke. His eyes were still slightly curved.


    ¡­the atmosphere was good.


    ¡°Well, I heard that there will be a swordsmanshippetition in a month.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°I want to volunteer as a healer to treat the knights who would participate in the swordsmanshippetition. I¡¯ll also give them a check-up, and if they get hurt, I would also treat them¡­ tha-that, was it okay?¡±


    And then, from the Duke of Anais, the sound of grinding teeth could be heard.


    Am I hallucinating?


    ¡°I remember that you¡­ liked the stories of the knights. That¡¯s why you also like Cassian Gray.¡±


    Di-d¡­ did I?


    But why are you suddenly talking about my brother again?

 Chapter 30

    ¡°Haha¡­¡±, Astelughed awkwardly and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I have great respect for the knights who protect the empire.¡±


    ¡°I am also a knight.¡±


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s why I respect the Duke the most.¡±


    Perhaps the hastily wrapped ttery worked, the Duke¡¯s lips loosened a little bit, at least slightly.


    ¡°¡­treating too many knights in a swordsmanship contest could be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°The Duke¡­¡±


    Astel opened her lips carefully.


    ¡°Would it be dangerous even if the Duke was by my side?¡±


    The Duke stared down at me and suddenly clenched his teeth.


    I thought he was angry, but his twitching lips seemed unclear whether he was wondering, as if smiling or not.


    After a few seconds that felt like eternity. The Duke opened his mouth gloomily, like struggling with his emotions.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    You don¡¯t want to expose me to a dangerous environment because of our imprint.


    ¡°Yes, I am very grateful to the Duke for treating me well.¡±


    The atmosphere warmed up nicely.


    I decided to focus on this warm atmosphere.


    ¡°I want to work hard for the Duke before I leave after the imprint is over!¡±


    It was a good ttery with a moderate mix of sincerity.


    At the end of those words, I continued to wriggle the Duke¡¯s hand, feeling the pulse diligently, and checked his health.


    But was it an illusion?


    It seems that the Duke¡¯s hand was still stiff¡­


    Astel looked up carefully at the Duke with unfamiliar symptoms.


    The Duke, who had been staring straight at me, stiffened, and softly opened his lips again.


    ¡°¡­After the imprint was done, are you going to leave?¡±


    Without hesitation, I answered quickly and loudly, and with serious expression.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A quick and sincere answer was essential to gain his trust.


    At the same time as my answer, I could feel him sping his hands.


    But there was no time to pay much attention to it.


    I tried to check his health by diligently stroking his hands and fingertips.


    ¡°Astel, where are you going? Are you going to the Knights?¡±


    The questioning voice sounded tenacious.


    Astel nced up at him with a squirrel-like eye.


    The Duke¡¯s gaze fell into Astel¡¯s round eyes.


    ¡°The Knights? I have no intention to be a knight.¡±


    Does it look like I¡¯m going to be a knight?


    I replied neatly, thinking of my soft arms without a muscle.


    ¡°Maybe in the Capital? I didn¡¯t really think about it!¡±


    ¡°Capital, you say.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­by any chance, in this northern part, or this Duke¡¯s castle?¡±


    ¡°No, but this castle wasn¡¯t my home.¡±


    ¡°<em>Home</em>¡­¡±, the Duke repeated slowly.


    It was a rxed attitude as if contemting something.


    But now, I have to thoroughly examine him with all my heart, so I didn¡¯t have time to worry about his words.


    A few minutester, I put down his hand and said cheerfully.


    ¡°As always, the Duke was very healthy!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Wait, why?


    ¡°My health just got worse.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it got worse? All of a sudden?¡±


    Astel stared at the Duke¡¯s face.


    Come to think of it, you look a little pale¡­


    ¡°Yes. I need to call the doctor right away.¡±


    At that moment, the sunlight pouring through the window shone on the Duke¡¯s face.


    He wasn¡¯t smiling like before, but his expressionless face looked strange¡­


    * * *


    Fortunately, the doctor who visited immediately said that there was no problem with the Duke and me.


    ¡®Instead, he thought the imprint was a little strange, so he just told us to meet each other often and check each other¡¯s health.¡¯


    Apparently, the doctor said that the imprint was strangely a little more unstable, even though we had been in touch with each other for quite some time.


    Feeling uneasy, I kept holding the Duke¡¯s hand the whole time while listening to the test results.


    ¡®Because I don¡¯t want this to go any further¡­¡¯


    At the warmth left in my hand, I openly rubbed my palm a few times and smiled shyly at the Duke.


    ¡°The Duke needs to be away for a while, and he¡¯s also wearing a teleportation bracelet.¡±


    His face turned red as he remembered his hand, which Astel had been holding covering his wrist with the bracelet.


    I mean, the Duke had no ulterior motive, it must have been just because of the imprint¡­


    I was the only one who had no experience in dating, so it was very difficult.


    I shook my head to shake off all the bad imaginations.


    Still, except for the unstable imprint, it wasn¡¯t a bad situation to go back to for sure.


    ¡°I wish I could see you one more time, but if you¡¯re really busy as the Duke says, we won¡¯t be able to meet¡­¡± Astel said while thinking of her brother.


    So, I decided to take a walk.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the sky seem too bright today?¡±


    I walked happily, hopping around.


    After passing the treatment center, I walked all the way to swordsmanship training grounds and returned after.


    It was just when I came into the building after enjoying such leisurely time.


    As I was walking down the hallway, in the corner a silver fur stood in front of me.


    ¡°<em>Squeak</em>¡­!¡±


    Embarrassed, I carefully avoided the fox and moved to the left.


    <em>Tap-tap-tap¡­</em>


    Then the fox followed me to the left.


    Confused, I took a step to the right.


    <em>Tap-tap-tap¡­</em>


    The fox moved to the right.


    ¡°¡­Huh, what? Do you want to tell me about something?¡±


    It was a silver fox with little fur.


    ¡®Was that a baby fox?¡¯


    I felt a strange sense of deja vu when I saw the fox¡¯s silver fur¡­


    ¡°Hello, fox?¡±


    ¡°<em>Crr, creung..</em>.¡±


    I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve never seen you before.


    Taking a closer look at the little fox, I found an envelope inside the tightly closed snout.


    The hopping fox opened its mouth when my gaze reached the envelope. Then the letter fell.


    ¡°Are you giving this to me?¡±


    ¡°<em>Creung</em>!¡±


    The fox nodded its head.


    I smiled and took the envelope the fox gave.


    ¡°Thanks, shall I read it right away?¡±


    The fox rubbed its fluffy tail against my body and let out a soft sound. I opened the envelope, feeling the fox¡¯s fluffy tail.


    <em><strong>¡¸</strong>Hello, I¡¯m Bell, a member of the silver fox family who has just started learning how to write.</em>


    <em>I¡¯m a small fox, but I use ck scabbard sword well.</em>


    <em>Let¡¯s continue.</em>


    <em>I also met Lady Astel at the swordsmanship training earlier. But I couldn¡¯t say hello.</em>


    <em>I¡¯m sorry.</em>


    <em>I have a favor to ask of you.</em>


    <em>The maids<del>(as they say)</del>said that Lady Astel has a wonderful medicine. So, the maids are also fond of Lady Astel, Lord Ricardo also likes you.</em>


    <em>So, if there¡¯s any medicine that could give someone courage? What medicine could ovee a timid personality? And¡­ The medicine that my parents could take, and the medicine that could make my parents<del>(and I get close¡­)</del>No, I¡¯ll take this back!</em>


    <em>Anyway,<del>(thanks)</del>thank you.</em>


    <em>If there¡¯s any medicine that you could provide, it woulde to the silver fox family. Please¡­</em>


    <em>I¡¯ll give you money.</em>


    <em>I<del>(make)</del>have money.<strong>¡¹</strong></em>


    Astel lowered her gaze while checking the letter.


    What a new concept of appeal, it¡¯s so cute¡­


    ¡°Cute baby fox!¡±


    ¡°<em>Crr</em>!¡±


    The fox raised its long tail and blinked its ck eyes with a smile.


    I, who was almost seduced by the fox, smiled softly and stroked its silver fur.


    Since I received the baby fox¡¯s request, it¡¯s normal to do it.


    ¡°Please wait a little bit. I¡¯ll pick them up.¡±


    I¡¯ll try to make it better before the swordsmanship contest.


    This little kid, ¡®<em>Bell</em>¡®, had a faint scent.


    A familiar scent that was sweet yet erodes in the tip of the nose.


    It¡¯s not a unique scent.


    ¡®Where does this fragrancee from?¡¯


    After tilting her head for a moment, Astel let go of the fox ¡®<em>Bell</em>¡® and waved her hand.


    ¡®Could this smell permeate on a normal baby fox¡¯s body¡­?¡¯


    Thinking hard, I quickly came to my senses after feeling the tongue of a baby fox suffering from my hand.


    ¡°<em>Creung</em>!¡±


    As I stared at the baby fox, I naturally remembered my lovely nephew with cute plump cheeks.

 Chapter 31

    ¡®Since my brother came to the North Territory, the main story would begin at this time, right?¡¯


    Astel tried to rewrite the sequence of events from the original.


    The first major chapter was the making of a base camp.


    The older brother tries to get information while staying in the castle, but he fails every time.


    The Duke of Anais was so harsh to humans.


    Then, before the swordsmanship contest, the beast knights of the Duke of Anais and the human knights leave for the ins.


    It was to visually identify the location that would be the base camp for next year¡¯s war.


    It¡¯s not that long, but in the meantime, Cassian bes close to some knights and would get a few hints that would help his revenge.


    Astel yawned for a long time.


    ¡®I¡¯m a little worried about the fact that the Duke expelled the knights in the base camp chapter¡­ ¡®


    <em>(N: Chapter/Episode from the original novel.)</em>


    However, even from the original story, it was clear that the two would hardly ever meet, considering the difference in status between my brother and the Duke, like heaven and the earth.


    And the next was¡­


    It was the event I was looking forward to the most, when my older brother met his child.


    ording to the original, Cassian Gray had a hidden child he didn¡¯t even know he had.


    The child was born out of his rtionship with a woman who suffered the pain of young love and broke up with him.


    He hears about it from Rachel.


    ¡®I tried to find the child first somehow, but my brother hid his rtionship so thoroughly that I couldn¡¯t help it and gave up¡­¡¯


    While building the base camp, my older brother who receives Rachel¡¯s letter hastily organizes the situation and heads to the capital.


    After that, Cassian leaves the child to me.


    For that future, I have been preparing to wee my nephew.


    I stared nkly at Bell¡¯s back as he jumped and left.


    Perhaps by now, my brother¡¯s child would be half that size.


    Surely, I have to raise it nicely.


    That¡¯s when I was walking down the hallway thinking that.


    ¡°How was your walk, Astel?¡±


    It was Sally¡¯s voice. Astel nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m done taking a walk.¡±


    ¡°I have bad news.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Two dayster, the Duke would be leaving the mansion to prepare for dispatch.¡±


    ¡®He¡¯s probably going to build a base camp.¡¯


    I nodded without further questioning why.


    For the first time, I was going to be away from the Duke for a rtively long period of time.


    ?


    ¡°I have a rather ominous feeling. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Two dayster, in front of the main gate of the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    The knights, the elite beasts of the Duke Castle, the human knight Cassian, and themander of the Knights, Ropa.


    Ropa, whoseplexion was pale, poked Cassian from his side.


    ¡°An ominous feeling?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a war cloud in that castle¡­ It looks like something big would happen if we leave¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an illusion.¡±


    As Cassian cut his words, Ropa changed the topic and grunted again.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even prepare for that great swordsmanshippetition, and I¡¯m going back to the capital after the assignment!¡± Ropa bit his lips in regret.


    But Cassian didn¡¯t have time to care about his attitude.


    Not long ago, he encountered a more dreadful incident than the Emperor¡¯s call.


    Last night, a messenger bird flew to him urgently.


    The sender was Rachel, and the contents were¡­


    <em>¡¸Cassian, we¡¯re in trouble and it¡¯s a really big problem.¡¹</em>


    There was only one short sentence.


    Rachel, his informant, was a light-hearted person. There has never been a time she has described something as a ¡®<em>big problem</em>¡®.


    ¡®What the hell was that problem?¡¯ Cassian, who slept soundlyst night because of his long worries, swept his face feeling tired.


    After checking the base camp, I had to go back to the capital. It bothers me a lot to leave Astel alone in this castle.


    Apparently, he handed Astel the recording device he had.


    He even cast a protective spell inside the image sphere.


    <em>(N: it¡¯s a video recording magic device.</em>)


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but worry, considering that his little sister would be staying alone in this castle and live among these beasts.


    ¡°Why do you look so tired? As if there¡¯s a big problem.¡± Ropa asked.


    Astel, his younger sister, was the only person who held him and led him to the right path even though he didn¡¯t know where to go.


    ¡°I was wondering if my face would work for the northern beasts. Maybe I¡¯ll just try using the ¡®handsome guy¡¯.¡± Cassian had nothing else to say and answered.


    He calmed down his troubled stomach and said the words that themander of the Knights wanted.


    Unsurprisingly, Ropa chuckled.


    ¡°Uh-huh! As expected, you¡¯re all about that face! Why, what? Who¡¯s the shapeshifterdy you¡¯ll meet this time? An orc?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I don¡¯t know. But orcs are good too.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    He gave only a rough answer, but themander took the bait. Cassian¡¯s expression turned even more rotten.


    As he was about to leave, thinking that the knightmander was easy to handle, Astel¡¯s voice, which had only been floating in his head, resounded vividly.


    ¡°It tickles!¡±


    When I turned my head to the voice and found the Duke who got off his horse standing beside Astel.


    Cassian stared at the two with a suspicious gaze.


    Astel looked the same as usual, but Duke Anais was different.


    He was staring at Astel with dirty, stinky eyes.


    ¡®I think he kissed Astel on the back of her hand.¡¯


    What the hell are you trying to do with her?


    ?


    ¡®We arrived just in time!¡¯


    In fact, I came to see my brother, but the nominal reason was to see the Duke off as a guardian.


    More than fifty knights were lined up in front of the main gate. The Duke¡¯s ck horse was also right next to the knights standing.


    The Duke met Astel¡¯s gaze while riding on his horse.


    ¡®I was just going to see the Duke off behind like the other maids and servants.¡¯


    But¡­


    ¡°Astel, why are you out in the cold?¡±


    The Duke, who jumped out of the ck horse, approached her first.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Astel.


    ¡®This was never my intention!¡¯


    The faces of the knights closest to him, who were right next to the Duke, look puzzled.


    ¡°Oh my, what have I just heard?¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°¡­oh lord, was it time to die?¡±


    Astel couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about.


    Somehow, the Duke seemed to greet me excessively whenever we met, even for a short moment.


    He kissed the back of my hand briefly.


    ¡°Stay healthy.¡±


    We¡¯ve had a few skinships, but I still flinch every time.


    ¡°Oh, it tickles!¡±


    He leaned over and whispered softly into my ear.


    ¡°Kiss me now, Astel.¡±


    Astel stared at him with a surprised expression.


    Then the Duke whispered calmly, without yfulness, so that only Astel could hear.


    ¡°For our imprint.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right!¡±


    Astel sped the back of the Duke¡¯s hand with a smile.


    And she kissed him briefly.


    ¡°The Duke too, please be careful!¡±


    He looked a little sad, but¡­


    The Duke, who stepped back neatly, pointed to the small teleport bracelet on Astel¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Anytime you feel sick.¡±


    And Astel understood his next words.


    ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯ll find you!¡±


    The Duke took a step closer to me.


    ¡°No, I¡¯lle to you. Just send a signal.¡± He softly whispered into my ear.


    ¡°So, you could do whatever you want.¡±


    The Duke smiled enchantingly.


    ¡°For sure.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I-I¡¯m not going to overdo it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    After hearing his answer, I blinked several times and followed my brother from a distance for a moment.


    Since when have you been watching, his gaze was on me.


    Somehow, he looked shocked, but did he already hear the news?


    I nced at him, smiling, telling him I¡¯m okay.


    The child¡¯s appearance may be a little embarrassing and difficult, but he¡¯ll be the sunshine of my brother¡¯s life in the future.


    Whenever revenge made him tired and devastated, my lovely nephew was going to be an irreceable haven for my brother.


    If I take care of my nephew who has closed his heart, he would gradually open up soon.


    ¡°Astel.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ye-yes?¡±


    ¡°Please look at me.¡±


    He brought the back of my hand to his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back safely.¡±


    The Duke stared at me and nodded.


    ¡°Only me, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡­Astel tilted her head to the words she heard in the wind.


    Suddenly, his expression and tone seemed bloody. Before even asking why, the Duke¡¯s ck horse left with dust.


    I raised his hand and waved it towards the Duke¡¯s horse as he was leaving.


    My brother and the Duke left together.


    There wouldn¡¯t be a big problem, right¡­?


    First of all, there wasn¡¯t a big problem that happened in the original.

 Chapter 32

    Three dayster, in the northernmost ins of the Territory.


    It was a space close to the icy and snowy field called thend of monsters.


    Strange peace continued on the ins before the war began, as all the creatures went into hibernation in the cold winter.


    After several days of debate, it was tentatively decided to build a base camp for the war near the hills behind the ins.


    The Duke set up a temporary barracks in the hills and enjoyed the quietness of a moment.


    He didn¡¯t have a headache and no noise could be heard that would hurt his ears.


    The Duke imagined Astel, who saw him off and blushed.


    Even the gaze that was clearly directed towards Cassian, everything.


    ¡®It bothers me¡­ ¡® (Duke)


    With a subtle frown on his face, he got up from the camp bed in the barracks and went outside.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s the first time the Duke has done that.¡±


    ¡°For a moment, maybe for a moment. But it¡¯s really the first time I¡¯ve seen it. That kind of expression¡­¡±


    The knight who first spotted the Duke hit his colleague.


    ¡°He-hey!¡±


    The knights seemed to be talking about him and Astel. Duke Anais nced at them as he turned his head.


    ¡°You must have been surprised.¡±


    The Duke of Anais affirmed to his subordinates in an indifferent tone.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see more in the future.¡±


    He blinked briefly and turned around. The knights breathed after he left.


    Duke Anais continued his leisurely walk.


    Then, from somewhere, an argument was heard.


    The air around him was calm, but his senses were sharp.


    ¡°Hey, get that bastard.¡±


    The Duke was not very interested in disciplining the army.


    But if it¡¯s a lynch of a group towards one, then it¡¯s a different story, and if it¡¯s a Cassian Gray, then it¡¯s twice a different story.


    The Duke of Anais stopped walking and watched their quarrel.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to hit once, human!¡±


    ¡°Kill me properly.¡± (Cassian)


    The gap between the beasts and humans was deep.


    If they have to work together to fight the war, they must also deal with that emotional goal as well.


    While the Duke was thinking, there was blood running down the corners of Cassian Gray¡¯s lips, which seemed to have been hit by two strong beasts.


    Cassian muttered as he wiped the blood running down his lips with his fist.


    ¡°Shut up, you crazy bastard.¡±


    Cassian red at them with excitement.


    It wasn¡¯t the appearance of Cassian, who had always maintained a graceful attitude.


    It seems like a faucet was half opened.


    ¡°¡­What? Did we say anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, you bastard. Don¡¯t you have a brain to not know that?¡±


    Cassian and two shapeshifter knights, fighting alone.


    Considering that the two beast knights belong to the elite of the Duke Castle, it was a situation in which Cassian was further pushed to defense.


    However, Cassian didn¡¯t let go of the hand holding the two knights by the cor. His fists trembled and shook.


    The knights seemed to be embarrassed when they couldn¡¯t get out of his grip even after struggling.


    The other knights who were watching them shouted loudly.


    ¡°That bastard¡­ he¡¯spletely blind!¡±


    ¡°Heh!, where¡¯s the Human Knights Commander?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, Sir Cassian Gray was sensitive when ites to women.¡±


    Another<i>¡®woman¡¯</i>problem?


    The Duke¡¯s expression hardened.


    He had no intention of meddling in such a nuisance situation.


    In particr, he didn¡¯t want to get involved in the matter of Cassian Gray¡¯s issue about women.


    It¡¯s a fight between regr knights. It¡¯s enough to have an assistant mediate them and then take disciplinary action ording to the militaryw.


    ¡°What did the knights say her name was?¡±


    As the women¡¯s problems never ceased, his evaluation of Cassian Gray grew even more harsh.


    A<i>¡®trash¡¯</i>trying to extort money from his innocent little Astel deserves to die.


    Thinking so, Duke Anais tried to turn around.


    However, at that moment, the knight, who had not noticed the Duke¡¯s presence due to the big fight, was talking loudly.


    ¡°That human bitch, wasn¡¯t she a human like you? Didn¡¯t they say her name¡¯s Astel? That pretty little girl.¡±


    The Duke of Anais, who was about to turn around, stopped. Soon he turned and walked among the knights.


    The Duke was still in a gentle manner, separating Cassian and the two knights.


    Everyone seemed puzzled by the situation that had happened in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°Why?¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    ¡°¡­Si-sir. That¡¯s-.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    The two knights, who were fighting with Cassian, gulped down.


    Then, one of the other knights nearby came out and summarized the situation.


    They said that they first spoke obscene dirty rumors about Astel.


    They¡¯ve heard of some vulgar sexual descriptions saying that a human girl was better than a beast.


    At those words, the eyes of Cassian and Duke Anais met halfway.


    The Duke spoke first.


    ¡°Sir Cassian Gray.¡±


    Cassian quietly clenched his teeth and muttered.


    ¡°I would dly ept my sins sweetly. But please punish these bastards as well. Apparently, sphemy against their kind was dirty to hear.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    The Duke grinned with a distant face, seemingly not angry at all.


    ¡°Sir Cassian Gray, you have not sinned.¡±


    However, the two knights who had been relieved that the Duke would be on their side as they were beasts, became bewildered by his words.


    ¡°Your Excellency¡­ this, human¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be able to grasp the situation.¡± The Duke spoke softly and dered to the two beastnights.


    The Duke smiled. The knights hesitated when they saw the smile on his face, who was always indifferent.


    That was the crooked smile that came out when dealing with monsters.


    ¡°If you insult someone under my protection, you also dare insult me.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not¡­!¡±


    ¡°If you dare say any more, I would cut off the useless tongue from your mouth.¡±


    There was no way that his men, who had watched him for a long time, would not have known how angry the Duke was.


    As usual, Duke Anais proceeded with everything he did and said.


    After that, the beast knights were imprisoned and dragged among their fellow knights, and were subjected to excessive discipline.


    The knights that spoke rudely about Astel have already been removed from the list of Duke¡¯s knights.


    Within a few minutes at the very least, the quick and fruitful retribution ended on the same in.


    Before returning to the Duke¡¯s Castle, their names were removed from the list of knights in the Duke¡¯s Castle and they were expelled from the Northern Territory.


    It was a de facto death sentence as it was impossible to return to the Duke¡¯s castle.


    After all the punishment was over, only Cassian and the Duke remained at the spot where the beast knights were scattered.


    ¡°Thank you for your prompt and proper treatment, Your Excellency.¡±<em>(Cassian)</em>


    The Duke, who tried to ignore him, slowly opened his lips.


    ¡°Was it because of Astel that you fought?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, well. Not really. It¡¯s because they defiled humans.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±


    The Duke of Anais nodded gently.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll say it politely.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    The moment he said politely, there was a spark in the Duke¡¯s eyes.


    At the same time, Cassian¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡®You bastard, are you finally trying to reveal your true colors?¡¯<em>(Cassian)</em>


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to my guardian.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Do what you are good at.¡±


    Cassian frowned. He had a look on his face saying,<i>¡®What am I good at?¡¯</i>


    ¡°¡­ What do you mean by what I¡¯m good at?¡±


    ¡°Like extorting money from other people, or doing polyamory or something.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what he means about ripping off money from someone, and it was a pretty good memory to remember a rough swoop in a brief face-to-face encounter.¡¯


    Cassian¡¯s face crumpled slightly.


    ¡°Astel said she didn¡¯t like that.¡±


    There was clear vignce on the face of the Duke Anais.


    Cassian also frowned.


    ¡®Perhaps¡­?¡¯


    He recalled some rumors about the Duke of Anais that he had heard from the beast knights who talked while building the base camp.

 Chapter 33

    <em>-¡®I heard that His Majesty Duke Anais was ying with his young benefactor.¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®The people close to him said he changes every time. Sometimes he doesn¡¯t even remember the name of his aide.¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®Well, he¡¯s not interested in the rumors circting in the Duke¡¯s Castle, he¡¯s a man with a lot of schemes. Maybe he¡¯ll lose interest soon.¡¯</em>


    The Duke of Anais was indifferent to everyone and had no desire for anything.


    <em>-¡®It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for his Excellency to protect that person. Don¡¯t you think so?¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®What would happen if the Duke abandons that human?¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®Hahaha¡­!¡¯</em>


    Cassian clenched his fists as he recalled the vulgar words of the beast knights, which became the spark of the fight.


    The beast were effectively sentenced to death by the Duke of Anais.


    With just one fight, their knighthood was stripped and was dealt with ording to the militaryw of the Duke.


    Thanks to this, the anger he felt calmed a little, but Cassian was still puzzled.


    In the first ce, such remarks are dismissed as trivial among the knights.


    Also, since it was a society of beasts who abhor humans, it wasn¡¯t that wrong to gossip about humans.


    So now, the actions of the Duke were excessive.


    Cassian mumbled as his lips twisted in confusion.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little too much.¡±


    ¡­What if Astel wasn¡¯t just a toy for the Duke as the other beasts in the Castle assume?


    Duke Anais took a step forward. Their eyes met head-on.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to go overboard in the future. So, answer me.¡±<em>(Anais)</em>


    It was dangerous.


    ¡°Don¡¯t approach Astel for dating or any rtionship purposes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Astel wasn¡¯t my lover.¡±<em>(Cassian)</em>


    ¡®Of course, because she¡¯s my sister.¡¯


    Whatever the reason, a satisfied smile spread across the lips of Duke Anais hearing the answer from Cassian.


    With that smile, Cassian felt a warning ring in his head¡­


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll stick with that attitude forever.¡±<em>(Anais)</em>


    This bastard was definitely out of his mind.


    ¡°¡­I would make sure that no one dares to speak easily about Astel.¡±


    Cassian stared at the possessiveness in the Duke¡¯s eyes, continuing to recall the chatter the knights had made.


    <em>-¡®None of the things the Duke was interested in were intact.¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®¡­ Aren¡¯t most of them destroyed?¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®He¡¯s a great man in many ways.¡¯</em>


    Destroyed¡­?


    That was the kind of guy he had to keep away from approaching Astel any further.


    But how could I face such a man?


    Duke Anais frowned as he looked at Cassian¡¯s puzzled expression.


    Even if he¡¯s evaluation of Cassian was upgraded from<em>¡®human trash that rips money from women¡¯</em>to<em>¡®human trash that knows how to deal with the insult against Astel, who he takes money from,¡¯</em>he didn¡¯t want to talk more about it.


    It was the same for Cassian.


    He muttered slowly as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Of course. Then I¡¯ll get going, Sir.¡±<em>(Cassian)</em>


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t be safe and get lost.¡±<em>(Anais)</em>


    They seemed polite, but didn¡¯t forget to give each other a warning, and they turned their backs at the same time.


    And that night, Cassian received another letter from Rachel.


    <em>[Cassian, please leave for the capital immediately¡­] (Rachel)</em>


    But Cassian couldn¡¯t leave right away. Because he had to help build a base camp.


    As Cassian tried to answer that it would take longer, themander of the Knights, who seemed to have just gotten out from the barracks bed, tapped him on the shoulder.


    Cassian hastily hid the letter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it, but I¡¯m forced to issue temporary probation anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­they ignored it first.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, as much as the Duke of Anais has taken excessive action, you should cover your eyes when he does something like this. So let¡¯s go back to the capital for now.¡±<em>(Ropa)</em>


    Cassian nced at the Knights Commander.


    He immediately recalled Rachel¡¯s letter that he had hidden.


    It wasn¡¯t enough, but he had gathered quite a bit of information needed for revenge¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, then¡­¡±


    He made a slight frown and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, like a handsome knight, be careful not to hurt your face.¡± Ropa muttered staring at Cassian¡¯s face.


    Those words did not reach Cassian¡¯s ears. He¡¯s been serious for a long time.


    What the hell awaits you in the capital?


    Cassian couldn¡¯t figure it out exactly.


    ?


    Astel had a peaceful day while the Duke was gone.


    Thanks to staying safe and not overdoing it, Astel fever did not rise and she was fine.


    ¡®I wonder if my brother was doing well, he must have heard the shocking news by now.¡¯<em>(Astel)</em>


    I wanted to convey the news through the cello, and I also wanted to use this recording device. But I had to be careful because I didn¡¯t know who was around.


    So, I spend an hour a day, except for going to the treatment center, and having a surprisingly peaceful time¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s that, Astel?¡±


    It¡¯s not called ¡®<em>that</em>¡®¡­


    What Sally was looking at was my hand.


    I shoved the<em><Revenge Manual></em>into my arms andughed.


    ¡°Guess what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! What was it? Sally¡¯s head tilted curiously.


    What I had in my hand was a magic device that could detect the Artifact Appraiser.


    Artifact Appraiser. It¡¯s a rare job, but if I ask carefully, it¡¯s possible to find apetent appraiser.


    However, even if it was any outstanding artifact appraiser, it was far short of the person I was looking for now.


    His ability didn¡¯t just end in assessing artifacts.


    He should have a great talent for analyzing, destroying, restoring, and even creating an artifact.


    There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know someone with such ability.


    He unts his talents to the fullest, and a few years ago, he destroyed an artifact of darkness.


    ¡®Maybe he had been hiding for fear of being harmed by the people who entrusted him with the artifact.¡¯


    ¡­In conclusion, it meant that there was a long way to approach him unless the appraiser contacted me first.


    Since I had not yet officially be a healer for the swordsmanshippetition, I still couldn¡¯t identify the knights, and in many ways my situation was stagnant.


    But I couldn¡¯t stand still though.


    Getting an artifact appraiser first makes it easier to solve future situations.


    So, in the absence of the Duke, I thought of various tricks to summon the Artifact Appraiser hidden somewhere.


    The first method was to save a lot of money and hire an information guild to find it.


    ¡­this project has failed due tock of funds.


    It was also uncertain whether Rachel, who was my brother¡¯spetent informant from the original, would be able to find one of the information guilds I hired in the field where she failed.


    The second method was to spread rumors that I have a high-grade artifact that might interest him.


    But for me, the only high-grade artifact I have was this brooch artifact.


    Besides, if the fact that I own a brooch artifact leaks out, the final viin would take me seriously.


    So, there¡¯s only one thing left, thest method was¡­


    ¡­to develop an item that he might want.


    As a human being, even in the midst of hiding, there must be something he desperately wants.


    ¡®What would be better?¡¯


    Astel contemted the most capable Artifact Appraiser in history.


    In the original<em><Blood Revenge>,</em>my older brother failed to find the artifact appraiser in the end.


    However, my brother has acquired some characteristics about him.


    However, with only those few hints, it was truly like a search for Mr. Kim in Seoul.


    <em>(N: With a lot of Koreans with the family name Kim, this simply means searching for a needle in a haystack.)</em>


    Sally, who was looking sadly at me as she squeeze her brain, carefully spoke,


    ¡°Hey, Astel. Would you like to go for a walk? Let¡¯s go to the garden and have tea.¡±


    Astel swept her hair behind her ear and nodded.


    ¡®How could I get that great appraiser on my side?¡¯


    ?


    A few days passed¡­


    In the meantime, having regained my energy, I went around the castle listening to all kinds of rumors while the Duke was gone.


    ¡°A flea market would be held in the Castle this afternoon and even outsiders would be invited.¡±


    As a result, I got prior information about the small flea market held among the beasts of Duke Castle.


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Could I participate in that flea market?¡±


    Astel smirked remembering a game she made to entice the artifact appraiser.


    ¡°¡­Was the reason you¡¯re smiling so sweetly because you wanted to visit our flea market?¡±


    ¡®Huh? It¡¯s not a sweet smile¡­?¡¯

 Chapter 34

    Jenny, who was staring at me, wiped her eyes.


    ¡°It must be for the happiness of the beasts. Even if you sell things, you must receive their payment!¡±


    ¡­No, what are you talking about? I¡¯m totally greedy!


    That¡¯s weird. Do I have a ¡®pushover¡¯ written on my face?


    Confused, Astel smiled, waving the medicine in her hand.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to sell this hair regrowth product!¡±


    Jenny and Sally looked embarrassed at my words.


    Sally first, quietly pointed to the potion. She had a face as if asking why I was making a hair potion all of a sudden.


    ¡°Wh-why suddenly, hair regrowth potion? Rather, does it grow someone¡¯s hair?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I invented it a while ago!¡±


    ¡°Was this hair treatment only for beasts?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one for humans and there was also for beasts. I made a lot of them.¡±


    ¡°¡­As expected, Astel cares too much about our beasts!¡±


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not really like that¡­¡¯


    I wiped the sweat from my forehead at the somewhat exaggerated remarks.


    I think I¡¯ve been misunderstood a little bit, but¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s open in the afternoon, so I¡¯ll sign up for a booth! And if the item¡¯s ¡®hair regrowth¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°No, not that.¡±


    I shook my head and whispered in Jenny¡¯s ear.


    Soon, Jenny¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°It¡¯s a really good name!¡±


    ¡°What-? what is it?¡±


    Sally stared eagerly at me with a curious look on her face, but I answered solemnly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be releasing it soon.¡±


    So, I grabbed ten cans of pre-made hair potion and headed to the flea market.


    The ce was arge yground set up in the Duke Castle.


    It was crowded with a variety of beasts living within the Castle.


    And¡­


    ¡°Miss Astel, it¡¯s the booth you ordered.¡±


    The center of therge stadium.


    In front of a gigantic booth that sparkles with gold frames, the maid of honor, Rudel waved her hand at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s only for Astel.¡±


    The booth was incredibly clean with no pinch of dirt, perhaps thanks to Rudel¡¯s delicate touch.


    Astel looked around.


    All the beasts were paying attention to this magnificent booth.


    ¡®I was going to draw attention with my naming sense, but if it¡¯s like this, I could just stay still!¡¯


    Astel thanked the giant booth, putting one by one the bottles of hair potion on the stand that seemed to have gold on it.


    ¡°Tha-thank you!¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, the name of the item was unique.¡±


    Only then did I raise my gaze and I saw a card with a red background hanging at the top of the booth.


    The card was meticulously engraved with gold leaf.


    <strong>¡¾~Grow up, my, my hair~!¡¿</strong>


    Unlike me, whose face burned in embarrassment, Rudel said leisurely.


    ¡°It¡¯s a meaningful day, so I engraved it in 24K gold.¡±


    That¡¯s¡­ it seems too serious¡­?


    Fortunately, however, the booth that Rudel provided and my naming skills seemed to arouse the curiosity of the beasts.


    I was worried that everyone would avoid the smell of humans¡­!


    ¡°Woah, does it really grow your hair correctly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hair regrowth!¡±<em>(Astel)</em>


    ¡°Ha-hair regrowth?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it also makes your hair shiny!¡±<em>(Astel)</em>


    The beasts were more curious than I expected, and they seemed to be interested in polishing their fur.


    At first, even the beasts, who were staring sharply, huddled in my booth when they heard that my product makes the fur shine.


    ¡°¡­Really, it¡¯s really growing!¡±


    A fine hair was sprouting from the arm of the gori beast who used the sample.


    The beast, who had been transformed into a monkey after unraveling his humanization, was admiring the twinkling luster of his hair.


    ¡°How do you like it?¡±


    Astel smiled and spoke to them over and over again.


    ¡°Not only today, but we n to sell it all the time in the future. We would only sell in face-to-face transactions, so please spread the word to your friends!¡±


    I was keen on sales because my goal was to make them spread the rumor.


    Thanks to Sally and Jenny, and the maid of honor, Rudel, who unexpectedly joined, we attracted attention with the gorgeous booth, and the hair regenerative potion sold quite well.


    ¡®Thanks to those who are concerned about their hair, hair growth products are quite popr!¡¯


    At that time, I heard someone muttering from afar.


    I turned my head in the direction of the sound with a pleased smile.


    Was it because everyone paid attention to my invention or was it supposed to be this lively atmosphere originally?


    Anyway, it was constantly alive for a small flea market in the castle.


    Infected with the atmosphere, I, too, tried tough joyfully but paused for a moment.


    A familiar man was walking towards me, ring at me.


    With a sullen expression, gray-blue eyes, and curly red hair.


    ¡°Long time no see, Astel.¡±


    A man in a bizarre outfit with mulberry over his shoulder and a leather jacket sneered at me.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The man I was afraid of appearing in my dream was the director of the treatment center where I lived¡­


    As soon as I found him, I answered confidently, but my voice trembled a little.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been well, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    He looked down at me sarcastically.


    The beast, who has been tormenting me every time, and pressured me down as if to kill me.


    When he threatened me ording to the characteristics of his species, he used to growl¡­


    Most of all, he was the one who stole the new medicine I had worked hard for over the past three years and used it himself.


    Astel slowly opened her lips and faced him.


    ?


    Astel replied with a calm face.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Astel¡¯s eyes were sparkling as he looked up at the treatment director, Miles.


    Miles, the director of the Duke¡¯s external treatment center aimed to enter the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    Thanks to the grace of the noble, it was his biggest dream and goal in life to upy a ce in the internal treatment center of the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    However, that goal was achieved first by a stupid, young human girl who worked at his treatment center.


    ¡®How dare that girl¡­ ¡®


    But that¡¯s fine. It didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡®I could still use her.¡¯<em>(Miles)</em>


    The flea market was one of the few events that allowed outsiders to enter the castle grounds.


    ¡®So, as soon as I heard the news from the flea market, I went inside the castle to contact Astel.¡¯<em>(Miles)</em>


    At the flea market that had arrived, Astel was also praised.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that amazing, Astel?¡±


    ¡°I ignored you for being human¡­¡±


    ¡°Developing a hair growth potion! Who woulde up with such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I think my lost hair would grow right away.¡±


    ¡°Are there any side effects?¡±


    ¡°Elte tested it earlier, and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any.¡±


    ¡­He stared at Astel¡¯s giant booth with bloodshot eyes.


    How could they treat her as a healer like this?


    Of course, it seemed that there were still a few that looked down on Astel as a human being.


    However, there was no one who treated her rudely. The achievements of this stupid Astel were truly extraordinary.


    It¡¯s said that she saved the Duke of Anais, aside from saving the life of Ricardo, the ancestor of the Jaguar family, who was in crisis.


    As a result, the anecdote that the Jaguar family was going to support Astel had already spread beyond the Duke Castle and across the territory.


    In the midst of sess and victories like that, another fascinating hair regrowth potion was created.


    It would be a lot of money to sell it to the beasts who are troubled by fur problems during each molting period.


    Miles¡¯ eyes red insidiously at Astel.


    ¡°Tell me the secret. Even if it¡¯s a secret, couldn¡¯t you just tell me, I was your boss?¡±


    As he whispered that, Astel¡¯s lips opened slightly.


    As always, it was a mouth that would ask about the best information.


    He began to urge as usual.


    ¡°Come on. Huh?¡±


    An exhrating sensation swept up from my toes.


    Yes, you¡¯re right.


    I¡¯m the pushover Astel, wasn¡¯t I?

 Chapter 35

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°Okay, then send it to? What?¡±<i>(Miles)</i>


    Astel answered him firmly.


    ¡°No, I do not want to.¡±


    That was the end.


    A huge, stern-looking woman who had been clinging to Astel¡¯s side got up from her seat.


    ¡°What? Are you a thief?¡±<i>(Rudel)</i>


    The director of the treatment center, which was<i>¡®weak to the strong and strong to the weak¡¯,</i>shrugged at the overwhelming presence from the woman who stood in front of him.


    ¡°If you¡¯re the head of the treatment center, you have to protect your dignity and principles. I couldn¡¯t believe you¡¯re tormenting the weak.¡±


    The maid was a very prestigious figure in the north.


    It was said that she was not from the four major families, but she was one of the most influential people in the north castle, and anyone could tell just by looking at her dignified dominance.


    ¡°¡­Astel.¡±<i>(Miles)</i>


    ¡°Call her Lady Astel.¡±<i>(Rudel)</i>


    ¡°Astel¡­ Lady¡­¡±<i>(Miles)</i>


    Reluctant to deal with the threat of the proud maid, the treatment director, confronted by the unresponsive Astel, turned around cursing at her, without knowing that Astel was looking closely at him, he gritted his teeth.


    ¡®That ungrateful woman.¡¯<i>(Miles)</i>


    Your habit got bad in that short time.


    I¡¯ll ruin your reputation, just wait and see.


    ¡®She doesn¡¯t even know the grace of not telling her teacher for three years about the secret to hair growth.¡¯<i>(Miles)</i>


    ?


    A few dayster, and it was time for the Duke to return.


    Astel had so much fun that she kept humming these days.


    ¡°Lady Astel! That bastard healer!!!¡±


    ¡°Rumors were spreading everywhere! Thatdy Astel betrayed him!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t surprising. I have seen the director of the treatment center for three years.


    The head of the treatment center knew a lot of people, and even his mouth was written in the original.


    So, after ourst meeting at the flea market, I thought he was going to spread rumors to pressure me.


    However, there was something that the treatment director overlooked while gossiping about me.


    Rather than hate me for being a human, the beasts here¡­


    ¡°Miss Astel!!¡±


    The maid, Jenny, smiled broadly and waved the letter.


    ¡°My brother who lives outside the castle knows about the rumor that Astel made hair regrowth medicine.¡±


    ¡­Yes, they were more interested in hair growth products.


    There¡¯s a ce for dog poop to use as medicine, and the director also has a ce for a use like this.


    The vicious treatment director was doing a great job as a speaker to spread my bait outside of Duke Castle.


    Astel smiled satisfactorily, recalling him.


    There was only one reason why I dared to sell hair growth products at the flea market.


    ¡®Good. If rumors spread this much, it¡¯s time for the artifact appraiser toe to me!¡¯


    There were only three hints that appeared in the original about the artifact appraiser who kept hiding his identity.


    First, he resides in the Northern Dukedom.


    Second, he was a male and bald.


    Third, he¡¯s very interested in dark artifacts.


    Nothing came out just by wrapping my head with that simple hint.


    Then on the same day that Jenny suggested a walk and tea time, I got a great idea during tea time.


    Time goes back to that moment for a while.


    ¡°At this rate, I¡¯ll be bald¡­¡±


    Astel sighed and grabbed the teacup¡­


    ¡°Bald?¡±


    At that moment, a male servant, who was pouring the tea in the tea pot was startled, and hurriedly covered his forehead.


    ¡°¡­I-I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    Surprised by his trembling voice, I raised my gaze off the steaming teacup and looked at him.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    However, the servant had already left.


    Instead, Sally whispered and brought it up.


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s a bald weasel. I¡¯m very worried these days about going bald.¡±


    Jenny also started talking.


    ¡°That weasel, thest time he turned into an animal, he had lost a handful of hair.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s not long before he¡¯ll be bald even as a human.¡±


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s not¡­¡±


    Listening to their chattering in one ear and shedding it in the other ear, I nked out quietly.


    Sally and Jenny¡¯s chatter on hairless weasels was not important right now.


    It¡¯s important how I would catch the artifact appraiser.


    Then Astel suddenly tried to spit the words without realizing it.


    ¡°Sigh, bald¡­¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°What? Do you like bald hair?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, no.¡±


    At that time, the image of the weasel beast with tears in his eyes came to mind.


    ¡°But are beasts ashamed of being bald¡­?¡±


    ¡­Come to think of it, none of the patients I have been dealing with have been bald.


    Of course, there were those who said they were worried about losing a lot of hair.


    However, looking at the weasel beast just now, baldness seemed to be quite a disgrace even in this beasts society.


    ¡°We don¡¯t say it out loud, but there are a lot of cases where I¡¯m ashamed of myself. Especially people who are interested in shiny fur.¡±


    At that moment, the chin I was holding with my hand slipped down.


    Wait, this¡­


    ¡°The bald ones, then, are they interested in fur or their hair?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well, there¡¯s no medicine to make the hair grow, so they¡¯re just holding it in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an incurable disease, incurable¡­¡±


    ¡®¡­Then, wouldn¡¯t they want to fix it?¡¯<i>(Astel)</i>


    Astel lifted the teacup with trembling hands and swallowed the hot ck tea at once.


    From then on, the journey to make a hair growth potion, and the preparations for the operation to spread the information into the ears of the bald Artifact Appraiser had begun.


    ¡®Let¡¯s proceed perfectly as nned!¡¯


    It was also naturally calcted that the director of the treatment center would participate in the flea market.


    If it goes well as nned, the artifact appraiser will visit me soon!


    But, what if he didn¡¯te?


    Then there¡¯s another way¡­


    Astel smiled happily and hummed.


    It was then¡­


    ¡°Miss Astel.¡±


    A video sphere floated forward.


    ¡°His Excellency has contacted you.¡±


    Astel eyes widened as she stared at the sphere in front of her.


    ¡°¡­ should I contact him with that?¡±¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Astel smiled as the sphere was handed to her.


    ?


    In front of the ice wall at the northern base camp.


    Duke Anais turned on the video sphere connected to Astel.


    As soon as the sparkles and lights came in, Astel¡¯s face was seen in front of him.


    ¡°Hey, was there no connection?¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    Astel tapped the video sphere with a half-impatient expression.


    He stared quietly at Astel who appeared in the sphere.


    He was about to let it go, but when he saw her face, he remembered the voices of those knights, who had been talking about such vulgar things about Astel.


    So far, he had not been very interested in managing the interior of the northern Dukedom, including the Castle.


    The obligation he received from the predecessor was just to protect the North from the monsters.


    Fortunately, there were few people who disobeyed his orders as they were in the north who only followed and supported the strong.


    So, how those who are weaker than them, and the deep-rooted hatred and distrust of humans in the North have been treated and ignored just like breathing.


    ¡®But when I think about what kind of neglect Astel might have been treated in my absence¡­¡¯<i>(Duke)</i>


    I felt my chest full of strange things.


    ¡°¡­Astel.¡±


    Perhaps it was because of his shortness of breath, his voice was low.


    ¡°Oh, yes! Duke! How have you been?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief! What I did recently was, I went to the flea market. Hmm¡­¡±


    Astel¡¯s expression, which had been busily speaking, hardened.


    The Duke stared at her¡­


    ¡°Hey, you look a little¡­ sad.¡±


    As he said that, Astel was in tears, but he didn¡¯t know exactly why he felt sad.


    So he slowly lifted the corners of his lips and smiled at her.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m smiling.¡±


    Astel carefully tapped the sphere and stroke it.


    It was a gentle touch that seemed tofort him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Looking at her innocent eyes, he slowly looked away.


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s none.¡±


    Why did the maid¡¯s voice, who said,<i>¡®Astel has low self-esteem¡¯</i>, pass by at this moment?


    There was a slight pain in his chest, which seemed to be filled with something strange about her.


    He turned away from the unfamiliar pain and muttered quietly.


    ¡°Keep talking¡­ I wonder how Astel was.¡±<i>(Duke)</i>


    ¡°Well, I made a hair regrowth and sold it at the flea market!¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°A hair regrowth?¡±


    Astel deliberately replied in an excited tone.


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a hair regrowth!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    There was a moment of silence at his short reply.


    Astel suddenly noticed that Duke Anais was constantly looking at the daytime light.


    She nced at Duke Anais.


    ¡®I wonder if my brother was at base camp by now?¡¯


    There¡¯s also the possibility that it may not have flowed as the original.


    The cello never arrived, and the video sphere that hee brother had handed her seemed to have been temporarily blocked from working there.


    As she faced the Duke, she suddenly felt a little anxious at the thought that her brother might not have met his child.


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯


    Astel decided to try her luck.

 Chapter 36

    ¡°You know, Duke¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did something happen at the base camp? I¡¯d love to hear it.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s about the base camp¡­¡±


    The Duke, who reflexively recalled the words of the beast knights, softly continued.


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Was that so? Well, I have a question. Since I¡¯m also human¡­¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    The Duke, who realized what Astel wanted to say, stiffened.


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°When building the base camp, there were a few human knights that also went right? Did those knights adapt well?¡±


    ¡°They seem to be doing well. Except for Cassian Gray.¡±


    Soon, Duke Anais could see Astel¡¯s expression as she pretended to be calm.


    Earlier, Cassian pretended that he wasn¡¯t close to Astel.


    However, the rtionship between Astel and Cassian seemed strangely sticky.


    ¡®Thinking back on it made me feel bad too.¡¯<i>(Duke)</i>


    ¡°Cassian Gray had an ident.¡±<i>(Duke)</i>


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Astel, a little embarrassed, asked.


    ¡°He had a fight with some Beast Knights.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ was that so?¡±


    ¡®Then, I ran out of words to say. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡¯<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t Astel get hurt if she found out the full story of the incident?¡¯<i>(Duke)</i>


    In his life, he had never said anything back because he was worried about the wounds of others.


    But when he met Astel¡¯s innocent eyes, he became obsessed with the idea that he must not hurt her.


    ¡®Was it because of the imprint of thepanion? It was a phenomenon close to instinct.¡¯<i>(Duke)</i>


    However, today, I saw Cassian Gray, who requested to return to the capital first, flirting with the female knights, right before he left.


    ¡®I need to warn her.¡¯<i>(Duke)</i>


    ¡°¡­It was violent and rough.¡±


    ¡°That couldn¡¯t be true. He was a knight from the capital city, right?¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I was also really surprised.¡±


    His expression was calm.


    Meanwhile, at those words, Astel began to panic about how the original work was progressing.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely promiscuous.¡±<i>(Duke)</i>


    ¡°Oh, I see!¡±


    For that reason, the rumors that my brother made himself seemed to be working well so he won¡¯t be suspected.


    Perhaps because I was proud of the fact, I couldn¡¯t stop the smile slightly forming on my lips.


    Duke Anais¡¯ expression suddenly became serious at the smile that appeared on her lips.


    ¡°¡­Do you like promiscuous men by any chance?¡±<i>(Duke)</i>


    As the Duke asked back with a grim expression, Astel shook her head and answered.


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Even though his expression was still stiff, Astel added cautiously.


    ¡°Well, Cassian, then¡­ Was he still with the Knights?¡±


    Only then did Duke Anais notice that the topic of the conversation continued to hover around Cassian Gray.


    ¡°No. He returned to the capital after being disciplined.¡±


    Astell sped her hands together and cheered inwardly.


    Regardless of the reason, it was half a sess if Cassian went back to the capital.


    The stage where my older brother and his child would meet was in the capital.


    Just as I was thinking about it, a low voice giving a warning woke me to my senses.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not pay attention to Cassian Gray.¡±<i>(Duke)</i>


    ¡°Yes?¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he¡­ take your money?¡±<i>(Duke)</i>


    ¡®This again¡­ What nonsense?¡¯ Thinking about it, Astel observed the expression the Duke had on his face.


    He looked very serious.


    ¡°¡­Cassian, my money?¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    While Astel was confused, the Duke slowly spoke again.


    ¡°Actually, I overheard your secret conversation in the garden.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    In Astel¡¯s mind, she remembered the first time she had reunited with her brother at the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    At the same time, the words she said at that time began toe to mind one by one.


    ¡®I¡¯ll make money and do everything for you?¡¯<i>(Astel)</i>


    He spoke to Astel in a serious tone, who was embarrassed and speechless.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t give money recklessly to a yboy.¡±<i>(Duke)</i>


    Second to the fact that she sold her older brother as<i>¡®yboy¡¯</i>, Astel¡¯splexion, worried that they might have found out about to be siblings, turned pale.


    No matter how much I thought about it, I shouldn¡¯t have looked overly close to my brother.


    But I couldn¡¯t believe I got caught talking to him with all those conversations.


    Now that this happened, I had no choice but to go out shamelessly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    She quickly shook her head to deny.


    ¡®Come on! Use your brain, Astel!¡¯<i>(Astel)</i>


    Luckily, an excuse came to mind. It seemed odd, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m being robbed of money, it¡¯s just a kind of y where I exchange money for a friends.¡±


    ¡°¡­Friend?¡± Duke Anais frowned and asked.


    Astel, who wondered if he was falling for it smoothly, screamed inwardly.


    Come to think of it, Duke Anais grew up in the northern territory, so it was clear that he did not know much about human society.


    ¡°Yes. Friendship-fee! It¡¯s the way of life of ordinary people. In a rtionship, if you aren¡¯t close and want to get closer you have to pay a friendship-fee to be a little closer.¡±


    ¡°Humans in the capital could only be friends by paying a friendship-fee?¡±<i>(Duke)</i>


    Yes, well. That¡¯s how ordinary people like me are.¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°¡­All right.¡±


    Astel had a nervous look staring at the sphere.


    She grumbled biting her lip out of fear that she hoped he would believe this for now.


    After a golden hour passed, Duke Anais quietly spoke again.


    ¡°It seems that I was ignorant of human culture. I didn¡¯t know there was such a thing as friendship-fee.¡±<i>(Duke)</i>


    ¡°That, of course. Of course, you¡¯re a beast, so you may not know about human culture!¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    The Duke was silent for a while, and then spoke again.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t pay Cassian a friendship-fee now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a friendly person. As I said earlier, he¡¯s promiscuous and a low-kind human.¡±


    Although the abusivenguage about her brother was very concerning, Astel quickly nodded, delighted that her excuse had worked.


    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t pay him!¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    Astel, as if it had be more natural, held out her little finger to promise the Duke.


    ¡°As expected, the Duke thinks of me, right? Really, you¡¯re the best Duke!¡±


    ¡®Was it too ttering?¡¯ Astel¡¯s palms were sweating.


    The Duke was silent for a moment.


    Wondering if the call had stopped, Astel observed the Duke standing with the ice wall in the background.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how cold it would be there.¡¯


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    After a brief reply, he was silent again for a moment.


    It seems that he¡¯s a bit rxed now¡­


    If so, thinking that this was the right time, Astel added.


    ¡°In that sense¡­ I¡¯m the imprint of the Duke, the greatest man in the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I really want to work as a healer in the swordsmanshippetition. Are you still worried about it?¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    Duke Anais was silent again, so Astell tried to think harder.


    ¡®Oh, I know! There¡¯s a story that the Duke would like¡­¡¯


    ¡°There are many human knights who run away to the capital city like Ca-Cassian Gray, aren¡¯t there?¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly a punishment, not a run away, but Astel decided to use the worst possible words anyway.


    Beyond the sphere, the Duke¡¯s expression seemed to have loosened up a bit.


    ¡®The Duke hates him so much¡­¡¯


    Astel cried inwardly, but was desperate for his permission right now.


    To do that, it was important to reassure the Duke and make him feel better.


    Astel once againshed out at Cassian.


    ¡°Very promiscuous!¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, brother¡­!¡¯<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°Worse! Very, very bad¡­¡±


    Astel, who couldn¡¯t find a word to use, blurred her speech.


    Then the Duke leaned against the ice wall and whisperedzily.


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d suddenly hate Cassian Gray.¡±


    ¡°Because the Duke doesn¡¯t like him. We¡¯re a rtionship that goes beyond normal supportive rtionships! I¡¯m going to hate him too from now on.¡±


    As long as the Duke hated her brother, she had no choice but to use him in order not to be seen suspicious of being tied with him.


    Astel stared and observed the Duke¡¯s expression.


    ¡°A rtionship.¡±


    The Duke had a dark expression and muttered something.


    ¡®Was I too arrogant?¡¯<i>(Astel)</i>


    Astel was very nervous and waited for the Duke¡¯s next words with her hand holding the sphere tightly.

 Chapter 37

    A few secondster, when I felt frightened, fortunately, Duke Anais smiled.


    After I felt rxed as I nced at his expression, I carefully continued.


    ¡°¡­Anyway, there are knights like Cassian Gray, who run away to the capital after a lot of idents. I think even if there are knights who could participate next year, they need to be healthy without any injuries to strengthen their power. So! Could I work as a healer for the swordsmanship contest?¡±


    Even Astel herself thought it was gibberish thatcked some logic.


    However, the Duke smiled satisfactorily and responded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After thinking for a while that since she had done it, Astel decided to continue pretending to hate her brother.


    ¡®Because it¡¯s for our survival, and my brother won¡¯t be able to hear this conversation anyway, right¡­?¡¯<em>(Astel)</em>


    ¡°If you want it that much.. I think you could. Because we¡¯re in a rtionship.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah yes.¡±


    Duke Anais smiled as if he were full and muttered to himself.


    ¡°So it¡¯s natural that I¡¯m bothered by what¡¯s rted to you. Because it¡¯s all about you.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°From now on¡­¡±


    He whispered low.


    ¡°I look forward to your kind cooperation.¡±


    At the end of those words, the call shed and turned off.


    Lastly, the words of Duke Anais were very meaningful, but more than that¡­


    What should I do with my brother¡¯s image¡­?


    Astel firmly vowed to find out why the Duke hated his brother.


    ?


    After turning off the sphere, Iy down on the bed.


    Still, there have been many achievements.


    Knowing that my brother had returned to the capital safely, I also took on the role of a healer in the swordsmanshippetition.


    It was changing for the better.


    However, the poor beggar who used to roll in the mud has a terrible habit, and at the happiest time, he volunteers to imagine the worst oue and ends up unhappy.


    I¡¯m so used to the anxious daily life that I couldn¡¯t get used to the peaceful and happy life.


    ¡®What if the Duke¡­ was really the final ck viin?¡¯


    Naturally, the ending of the original came to mind, so I shook my head.


    It was essential to be wary of the Duke and not give up.


    However, there¡¯s no solid evidence yet, so let¡¯s not imagine anything bad about the Duke, let¡¯s think objectively.


    When I was young and I didn¡¯t even know I was reincarnated in a book, I was walking on the street and got hit by a bully and broke my nose.


    My brother went to find the bully who beat me, and beat him twice, and theny down with me on the nicewn.


    <em>¡®Astel, the stars in the sky are so beautiful. Aren¡¯t you happy?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Then what are you doing? I¡¯m a beggar! I¡¯m the only one who always gets beaten.¡¯</em>


    My older brother, who was staring at me with a sorrowful look when my cheeks were swollen and spitting out blunt words, said.


    <em>¡®I hit him twice. Right?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Even so. I¡¯m angry. I don¡¯t want to be a beggar!¡¯</em>


    My brother handed a small diary to me grunting.


    <em>¡®¡­Astel, your brother prepared a diary. If something good happens in the future, let¡¯s record the happy memories here, what about that?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®A diary?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Yes, when something happy happens, write it down. So that we could check them againter when we are having a hard time.¡¯</em>


    Looking back, my older brother was only 15 years old, and he had a mature side from an early age.


    With the memories that came to mind, I got up, looked through the things that had not yet beenpletely unpacked, and pulled out a small diary.


    It was ¡¾<strong>Astel¡¯s Happiness Diary</strong>¡¿ name by my brother and Cassian.


    A diary I¡¯ve been writing for the past decade.


    Even before I realized that I had been reincarnated, I read this diary, which was at the same level as my knowledge.


    And I started writing a diary.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite happy these days.¡±


    People like my hair growth potion.


    In addition, the Duke cares about my health even if I am far away.


    Besides, the Duke takes care of my health even when he¡¯s far away. I think he¡¯s a really sweet person.


    It seems that happiness wasn¡¯t far away.


    ¡°¡­I want to be happier in the future.¡±


    Afraid that someone might steal my diary, so I didn¡¯t write down specific words on purpose, but this was enough.


    I closed the front page of my diary andughed.


    Thinking that it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve looked forward to tomorrow, not the distant future where revenge was over.


    ?


    In the afternoon of the second day, the outside treatment center of the Duke Castle was turned upside down.


    ¡°You mean that damn girl was going to participate as a healer in the swordsmanship contest?¡±


    ¡°Yes that¡¯s right.¡±


    The head of the treatment center, Miles, grinded on his teeth.


    However, the unfortunate news was not over.


    ¡°What¡¯s more¡­¡±


    The healer held out dozens of letters from the treatment center.


    ¡°Other people are asking how to buy that hair regrowth¡­¡±


    Miles snorted and ripped the envelope roughly.


    ¡°What a terrible human healer!¡±


    <em>[Do you, by any chance, sell such bizarre hair regrowth? Where could I buy it?]</em>


    ¡­How could someone send a letter like this!<em>(Miles)</em>


    In other words, it was a nuance that they were only interested in the hair growth potion that Astel made.


    ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s wrong with that hair regrowth thing!¡±<em>(Miles)</em>


    He threw the others¡¯ letters to the floor, muttering abusivenguage.


    To tarnish Astel¡¯s reputation, he spread rumors that she had betrayed her teacher, only to unintentionally promote Astel.


    ¡°That¡¯s just great.¡±


    The ignorant healer fueled the situation.


    Miles ruffled through his hair, immersed in his own thoughts.


    What¡¯s the way to ovee this situation?


    ¡®But what should I do when I can¡¯t get into that Duke Castle?¡¯


    Miles¡¯ worries deepened.


    Then the healer standing next to him carefully spoke.


    ¡°But I still have good news for you, Miles.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    The healer, who was looking at the feisty Miles, muttered as he took a deep breath.


    ¡°Well, I got an official letter from the Duke¡¯s Castle to recruit for a healer.¡±


    Mail snatched the paper in the healer¡¯s hand and read the official letter with shriveled eyes.


    To summarize the contents of the official document, it was necessary to conduct a test for the knights who would participate in advance for the swordsmanshippetition in a month.


    As they tried to seek medical advice for him, it was briefly written that they wanted to recruit manpower.


    Miles, who became more satisfied with the good news, spoke as he closed the official letter.


    ¡°Oh,e to think of it, I forgot about this good opportunity, yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Director Miles?¡±


    Miles¡¯ lips turned to smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and y an active part, and if I get the attention of the Duke, that¡¯s it. Then Astel, that girl¡¯s ce would be mine.¡±


    Hopefully it was a good opportunity for him to take the young girl¡¯s position.


    Miles seemed thinking as if he was leaving for the Duke¡¯s Castle right now.


    ¡°Well, by the way¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, what?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the manager of this swordsmanshippetition has changed¡­¡±


    ¡°What does total responsibility have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Look at the bottom of the official letter.¡±


    <em>[<strong>General Manager</strong>: Ricardo Basio, the former head of the Jaguar family and former Knights Commander.]</em>


    Ricardo Basio knows this well. Wasn¡¯t he the predecessor head of the Jaguar family that Astel saved?


    The head of the treatment center clicked his tongue.


    However, he also took pride in himself as an excellent healer as good as Astel.


    ¡®Well, I heard that he wasn¡¯tpletely cured yet, so if I treat the remaining insomnia better, he wille to me.¡¯


    ¡®Even if it¡¯s cheap treatment, Lord Ricardo was just a beast. He would like me more, as I¡¯m also a beast.¡¯<em>(Miles)</em>


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I should just get ready. Until when do they need the manpower?¡±


    Raising the cor of his medical uniform, Miles giggled andughed.


    It seemed to me that a wonderful future could be seen in front of me.

 Chapter 38

    <h2 ss="text-lg font-normal">Chapter 38</h2><hr>


    After waiting a few days, the Artifact Appraiser didn¡¯t seem to have caught the bait yet.


    Still, there was good news.


    They were mostly stories told one after another about the Duke.


    ¡°He has conquered the ss ice wall!¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he amazing?¡±


    ¡°The monsters who were hibernating couldn¡¯t even fight and ran away!¡±


    It was a story that did not appear in the original. So I listened carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely out of the blue. Originally, he said he didn¡¯t intend to conquer the ice wall only by holding the base camp.¡±


    ¡°On top of that, he said he would work on that ice cliff. Wasn¡¯t it amazing? His Excellency¡­ Majesty the Duke¡­¡±


    Astel nodded moderately listening to their conversation.


    Apparently, the Duke was very interested in the ss ice wall he saw that day.


    ¡®When hees back, I¡¯ll have to ask him how cool that ice wall really was.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t the only good news.


    As soon as I was selected as a healer to help the knights at the swordsmanshippetition, Ricardo, my Jaguar grandfather who saved my life, took charge of the overall responsibility of the swordsmanship contest.


    As it was known as the ¡®<em>Jaguar of Swordsmanship¡¯</em>, I expected that all of the Jaguar family¡¯s direct blood rtives would attend the swordsmanshippetition, but I didn¡¯t think that the general manager would be Ricardo.


    To celebrate that fact, I visited Ricardo.


    He also said he was on his way to the treatment center.


    Ricardo patted me with his wrinkled hand as if encouraging.


    ¡°My dear, unfortunately, His Excellency the Duke did not allow me to sponsor you.¡±


    Grandpa grunted and frowned.


    ¡°But, well, I¡¯m satisfied that I could keep looking at you this way.¡±<em>(Ricardo)</em>


    ¡°Let¡¯s do well together in this swordsmanshippetition.¡±<em>(Astel)</em>


    Astel held Ricardo¡¯s hand tightly and shook it like a handshake.


    He chuckled and nodded along.


    ¡°Yes! Even though I¡¯m an old man in the back room, I¡¯m so refreshed after being released from the curse, no, I mean insomnia.¡±<em>(Ricardo)</em>


    I raised my hand to cover my mouth and smiled.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry.¡±<em>(Ricardo)</em>


    ¡°Yes? What?¡±<em>(Astel)</em>


    ¡°With this swordsmanship contest as an opportunity¡­ I¡¯m preparing to get rid of all the people who ignore you.¡±<em>(Ricardo)</em>


    Eventually, he clenched his fist and burst outughing.


    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ve been hearing a lot of stories about people ignoring you. Well, even at the flea market¡­ Did they say he¡¯s name was Miles?¡±


    He was overjoyed, and revenge was burning in his eyes.


    ¡®Ricardo, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re fine now, right?¡¯


    But, I only saved his life once, but Ricardo seemed to care more about my reputation than I did.


    I nodded awkwardly, feeling the sweat running down my back.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go inside the treatment room.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to start preparing for the treatment from today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Looking at the treatment center¡¯s n, I¡¯m going to have a medical checkup in about a week. There must have been a lot of things to do before that. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    Astel went straight into the treatment room.


    I¡¯ve been a little worried since the incident with Samst time, but fortunately, I haven¡¯t bumped into other hand healer¡¯s so far.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Wee, Astel.¡±


    Some beasts still had a sullen expression on their face, while others seemed to be subtly in awe¡­


    The youngest healer with her mouth agape bowed to me.


    ¡°Ah, Astel! Bazel will be here soon. You just have to wait!¡±


    ¡­Who was Bazel again?


    I tilted my head to the same name for what I heard and what I didn¡¯t.


    That was then¡­


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s right behind you.¡±


    Astel turned to her back.


    ¡°Hello, Astel. The knights brought their own questionnaires.¡±<em>(Bazel)</em>


    It was a man I encountered at the training center. That guy¡¯s name was Bazel, right!


    I bowed my head when I received the questionnaire from the person needed for the test of the swordsmanshippetition.


    ¡°Yes, hello! You even do administrative work.¡±


    ¡°There are people who trust you¡­¡±


    Bazel continued with a nice smile.


    ¡°The chart contains the name, photo, and a questionnaire. Please check, and if there are any problems, pleasee to my amodation near the training center.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I will.¡±<em>(Astel)</em>


    I looked down at the questionnaire in my hand and smiled as I answered.


    Finally! I seeded in obtaining information from all the articles participating in the swordsmanshippetition.


    If there was a sword mark under the eye, it would definitely be shown in the photo and recorded on the chart.


    If only I could check all the records of over a thousand knights in a short time¡­


    I searched through medical information for a long time in the name of preparing for a medical check-up before the doping test.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t even see half of them, and there was no particr big ie.


    Having been buried in paper all day, I woke up rubbing my eyes.


    My body right now was not for my own, so I shouldn¡¯t overdo it.


    I¡¯d have to do it again tomorrow. There was a fixed routine at night.


    Duke Anais and I have a short call every night to check on each other¡¯s health.


    ?


    Every night, when I turned on the sphere ball, time came to explore each other¡¯s health for a while.


    The Duke has beenining that he¡¯s not feeling well these days.


    For example¡­


    ¡°When you think about me, did your heart race?¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    ¡°Yes.¡± As I answered with a serious expression.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, your face seems red, too. I hope you don¡¯t have a fever.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    It¡¯d be bad if I had a fever.


    The Duke, who was staring at me anxiously, added kindly.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t seen Astel for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°So, I think we should meet soon.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    Somehow, my face became hot, and I quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°It seems that the distance between the body and the mind has be farther away.¡±


    He made a slight frown.


    Distance of my heart? Could it be that I was wary of the Duke and caused a problem?¡¯


    Not much has been revealed about the imprint, so it was unknown and the possibility couldn¡¯t be ruled out at all.


    A bit of guilt flooded in.


    I whispered secretly, pretending to be faithful to the Duke.


    ¡°If we meet, I¡¯ll hold your hand first. Let¡¯s keep our rtionship stable.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    As if the Duke was waiting, he continued.


    ¡°Then, in return, I¡­¡±


    ¡°In return¡­?¡±


    He smiled slightly.


    ¡°¡­I have prepared a few things, so please look forward to it.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    It felt a little ominous, but I nodded as if nothing had happened.


    Still, it¡¯s a reward, but it¡¯s not a bad thing, I thought.


    It was not necessary to check only the physical condition caused by the imprint and cut off the sphere ball, so after that, we had a trivial conversation.


    I went to work today and talked about looking at the medical chart all day, and the Duke said that he was busy cleaning up the area around the base camp in advance.


    ¡°Today, I conquered the ss ice wall infested with demons.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing! I wonder how cool it really was¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take it right away.¡±


    I just wanted to show you over the sphere, but the Duke gave a simple answer and then turned his head to the other side.


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    He then made a very serious expression.


    He had a unique chic feeling as usual, but unlike him, he seemed to be talking about a very important agenda.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If someone bothers you in my castle, just tell me.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a long time, but the Duke tends to speak of unimportant topics as if it were a warning


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Um¡­ I¡¯m d everyone did a good job! It¡¯s okay.¡±


    However, the Duke whispered quietly as if he knew something.


    ¡°You always¡­ You just always say that everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    That¡¯s because I¡¯m really okay¡­


    But the Duke didn¡¯t give me a chance to refute.


    ¡°It would be nice to invite human friends next time. The good humans. It would also be good to invite the orphanage friends or treatment teachers you mentioned then.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    Smiling bashfully and nodded toward the Duke.


    ¡°Then maybe Cassian¡­¡±


    ¡­Oh, that¡¯s right. The Duke doesn¡¯t like Cassian.


    ¡°¡­if Ray was a nerd, I thought I could bring him in, haha! The bad guy won¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whoever it was, except for the humans rted to Cassian Gray.¡±


    There was an unexpected problem. I was suddenly worried about the answer.


    Sooner orter, I would have to bring my brother¡¯s child to this castle, what should I do¡­?

 Chapter 39

    ?


    When my nephew arrives, should I hide that he¡¯s my brother¡¯s child?


    My worries have deepened.


    Astel carefully bowed and carefully nodded.


    Although the anxiety has deepened somewhat, I had to step back for a while for this conservation in advance.


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    Whenever I thanked the Duke, he showed a distinctive expression.


    As if an icy cold face melted down, the corners of the eyes drooped slightly, the stiff lips loosened, and a slight blush appeared on the pure white cheeks.


    Everything changed and it would not be noticed unless someone closely observed.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know what that change meant, but one thing was for sure¡­¡¯<em>(Astel)</em>


    It was the fact that the Duke seemed to treat me a little more special than anyone else.


    It¡¯s probably thanks to the imprint.


    Staring at him in the sphere, now that I¡¯ve done enough health checks, I keep noticing other things.


    It was really fun to see his face with other expressions little by little.


    While Astel¡¯s eyes were moving cautiously, something was caught in her gaze.


    ¡°The Duke has a small mole under his lips.¡±<em>(Astel)</em>


    It was a change that I wouldn¡¯t have known if I hadn¡¯t looked at his face closely through the sphere.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    The Duke¡¯s drowsy eyes widened and he whispered.


    ¡°You know what? Astell has little freckles on the back of her nose.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±<em>(Astel)</em>


    Startled, Astel touched the bridge of her nose.


    Astel discovered a little feature that she didn¡¯t even know she had.


    After that, we shared a few more words about our little discoveries about each other.


    Before the sphere went off, Astel carefully said,


    ¡°I feel a little weird right now. My vision was blurry, I felt dizzy.¡±<em>(Astel)</em>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s an imprint problem or because I talked too much.¡±


    The Duke softly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±<em>(Astel)</em>


    ¡°I have to hurry and check your condition.¡±<em>(Duke)</em>


    Thest time he had a smile around lips, the sphere popped and turned off.


    Then my face was reflected in the darkened sphere.


    Only then did I realize that I was smiling the whole time I was talking to him.


    ?


    Meanwhile, there were those who inevitably knew that Astel and the Duke of Anaismunicated every night.


    It was the maid of honor, Rudel and Astel¡¯s exclusive maids, Sally and Jenny.


    Of course, Sally and Jenny, who were loyal as a heavy-mouthed maid and Astel, kept this factpletely hidden.


    However, because of that, a topic that only the three of them could rte to has arisen.


    Each time Astel spoke on the sphere in the room, they gathered in the dark and had a serious conversation.


    Sally was always the first to open up the conversation.


    ¡°Actually, wasn¡¯t it because of Astel that he conquered the ice wall?¡±<em>(Sally)</em>


    ¡°¡­Was the Duke that kind of person?¡±


    ¡°But she seems to be more concerned about taking care of the ward.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    They nced at Rudel, the maid, who was silent for a while.


    She was strict and demanding, and she did not like to talk about superiors.


    Then Sally became worried.


    Could I be scolded for overreacting?


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±<em>(Rudel)</em>


    Unsurprisingly, Rudel frowned slightly.


    She took a sip of what was supposed to be a migraine medication that Astel had given her.


    And she came to a shocking conclusion with a serious voice.


    ¡°If she does well, she maye into our family.¡±


    ¡­She was a step further than the golden retrievers.


    Rather, Jenny took a step back.


    ¡°What? Even became the Madam..?¡±


    Rudel turned around and seriously warned and squinted at them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt my pleasant imagination.¡±<em>(Rudel)</em>


    Sally and Jenny, who met each other¡¯s gaze at the warning, scratched their heads awkwardly.


    ?


    Just at that time, in the capital of the empire.


    Cassian, who had barely returned to the capital and rushed to find Rachel, was faced with a situation he had never considered before.


    ¡°The Anna that you dated before.¡±<em>(Rachel)</em>


    ¡°¡­Yes, I remember.¡±<em>(Cassian)</em>


    Anna, his first lover and the woman who left him.


    When they first met and when they broke up, they were too young and clumsy.


    ¡°When she broke up with you, she had a child, Anna didn¡¯t know. And she¡­ couldn¡¯t afford to handle it, and abandoned the child in the nursery.¡±<em>(Rachel)</em>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that her choice was bad. It must have been hard to raise a child alone.¡±<em>(Rachel)</em>


    ¡°Anyway, Anna died a while ago, and you¡¯re the only one who was blood rted to this child.¡±


    Cassian stared down at the child Rachel was holding.


    He couldn¡¯t deny it even for a moment.


    The child that Anna gave birth to looked too much like Cassian.


    Pressing down on his trembling emotions, Cassian quietly spoke, stroking the child¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯d just have to raise this child. I¡¯m going to read some childcare books or something.¡±


    Rachel shook her head and whispered softly.


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem. We need apetent doctor or healer. That child was a little special.¡±<em>(Rachel)</em>


    ¡°Special?¡± (Cassian)


    ¡°It¡¯s the Mana Runaway Syndrome.¡±


    ¡®<em>Mana runaway syndrome</em>.¡¯


    A rare disease in which excessive mana umtes in the body, constantly collides and explodes, and eats the same life force.


    ¡°The only thing that could control the rampant mana was a control potion.¡±<em>(Rachel)</em>


    ¡°¡­Yes, it was.¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with this disease? Then, as you are well aware, there are very few healers who could treat this disease. Even if there are, they are impossible to hire because of the treatment cost.¡±<em>(Rachel)</em>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s harder to find a healer you could trust in our situation.¡±<em>(Rachel)</em>


    The child in Rachel¡¯s arms groaned as if in pain.


    Cassian clenched his teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking everywhere, but it¡¯s too hard to find apetent healer. If it¡¯s like this, there¡¯s a high probability that this child might die soon.¡±<em>(Rachel)</em>


    Cassian was speechless.


    He knew onepetent healer who could control the runaway of mana.


    <em>¡®Astel, what are you doing?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Making a potion for controlling the runaway of mana, why?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Would you ever meet a patient with such a rare disease in your life?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Everything has a reason. Absolutely, I must learn to make it no matter what! Go away, I¡¯m busy!¡¯</em>


    Astel, the younger sister who was studying the mana runaway control potion until dark circles came down under her eyes.


    At the same time as Cassian recalled his beloved sister, he looked down at a two-year-old child with red cheeks.


    The child¡¯s chest swelled up as if it was difficult for him to breathe.


    The child then breathed a short breath out of his lips.


    At that moment, words that Astel had repeated dozens or hundreds of times as if brainwashing him since he was very young came to mind.


    He really thought what she said was nonsense.


    <em>¡®Brother, if I have a nephew, I want to raise him!¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Hey, you¡¯re still 12 years old.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Anyway! I still want to raise it!¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Astel, your brother doesn¡¯t even have a girlfriend yet¡­¡¯</em>


    Cassian shook his head.


    ¡®No, I can¡¯t.¡¯


    It¡¯s hard for Astel to do his part.


    It¡¯s my child I have to protect.


    ¡°It was diagnosed for a while, and it was about 10 days before the mana would explode.¡±


    Rachel gave a stern sentence.


    ¡°This child has about ten days left, so please be nice to him.¡±<em>(Rachel)</em>


    Cassian erased Astel¡¯s voice ringing in his ears, closing his eyes tight and opening them again.


    ¡°The diagnosis might be wrong.¡±


    First of all, I had to look everywhere for another healer.

 Chapter 40

    The call with the Duke ended. Astel blinked,ying on the bed.


    ¡®Good night.¡¯


    ¡­It seemed to be true that the imprint was unstable.


    Seeing my heart beating like this


    As I buried my face on the soft bed linen, I shouted, ¡°<i>Ahhh</i>!¡±


    It was then¡­


    The light glistened from the video sphere given by my brother, who had put it on the side table.


    Astel jumped up from the bed.


    Her expression hardened resolutely.


    At this point, there was only one reason for my brother¡¯s video sphere to ring.


    Immediately, I went to the side of the bedside table and turned on the video sphere and looked into it.


    ¡°Astel.¡±


    My brother had an indifferent expression on his face.


    Of course, I know that expression well.


    When too much misfortune came, my brother always had that kind of expression on his face.


    Now, my older brother met his son, who was on the verge of death, and was entrusted in the orphanage.


    Even though I already knew it, my heart thumped and dropped, and a part of my heart ached.


    Then I calmly asked my brother.


    ¡°¡­Brother, did you go to the capital?¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°Yes.¡±<i>(Cassian)</i>


    Waiting for the next word, but a short answer was all he said.


    Even after he contacted me first, my brother stayed still, and I was the only one who kept asking after him.


    We talked for a while, but none of us brought up the story of my nephew.


    It was me who was impatient first.


    ¡°Brother, I have something to tell you.¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really, really good.¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°Yes, my Astel is good. Yes, it¡¯s the best.¡±<i>(Cassian)</i>


    My naive brother who likes everything I say.


    ¡°No, not that.¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    Perhaps my nephew had to have apetent healer next to him 365 days a year.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m the most reliable person in the world, you know?¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    My brother muttered softly as if he were sighing.


    ¡°Yes, Astel. You¡¯re¡­ my everything.¡±


    Astel bit her lips hard at Cassian¡¯s words.


    While determining and preparing for revenge, the only younger sibling in the world of<i>¡®Cassian Gray¡¯</i>was his beloved sister.


    There were lovers whom he met briefly. However, it was a brief meeting under consultation, and he couldn¡¯t rely on and love with all his heart.


    The child who unexpectedly appeared to him bes a beingparable to, perhaps more than, the existence of his cherished younger sister.


    It hurts so much for the child to die, but¡­


    Because it was such a rare disease, it was impossible to cure it even with Astel¡¯s ability in the original work, but now it was possible for me.


    Anyway, even if I die without being able to deal with the final viin, if I make the child healthy and secretly take it back, my brother would be able to live with the child through hardships.


    So, I had to take charge of my nephew and raise him well.


    ¡°Today I treated a child named Sally. I was lucky enough to have my<i>¡®specialty¡¯</i>, Mana Runaway Syndrome.¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    Of course, it was a lie.


    But with the meaning of entrusting his son to me, I told my brother as if brainwashing him.


    ¡°If my brother needs me, you could alwayse to me.¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    Cassian just stared at her with an admirable look, but didn¡¯t answer.


    Instead, the sphere was quietly turned off.


    In the aftermath of the long call, the sphere was hot. Even after this, my brother was in conflict.


    But he was very indebted to the child.


    ¡®I knew it well.¡¯


    The fact that it¡¯s actually only a matter of time before my brother takes the child to me.


    So now I have one thing left to do.


    I¡¯ll work hard analyzing the artifacts, catch a spy among the swordsmen, and when the Duke returns¡­


    I¡¯d carefully ask if I could raise a friend¡¯s child in the castle, or if it was okay to invite him.


    ?


    Two dayster, as I came out of the Duke¡¯s library, I stretched out.


    ¡®Why am I so dizzy these days?¡¯


    Lately I had no appetite, and it felt like gging.


    ¡®I took medicine, but it¡¯s still like this, it¡¯s weird.¡¯


    Wondering if this was a symptom of the imprint, so I read a few books about the imprint in the Duke¡¯s Library.


    However, the symptoms of the temporary imprint clearly didn¡¯t have any side effects that I experienced.


    Getting close with each other, holding hands, and kissing a little bit!


    ¡­Then it ended neatly. It was like this.


    ¡®It¡¯s strange¡­ Was being tired just some kind of illness?¡¯


    Stretching out my stiff shoulders and yawning again.


    How could I feel sleepy even after sleeping more than 10 hours?


    Passing through the promenade near the library and entering the treatment center inside the Duke¡¯s Castle, I greeted vigorously as if I were trying to shake off my drowsiness.


    ¡°Hello!¡±


    These days, I was stamping my feet to work at the treatment center every day.


    It was because it was time to spur the preparations for the swordsmanshippetition.


    The general manager, Ricardo, was doing his work at the treatment center with me to confirm the doping test.


    Since the swordsmanshippetition was the most important event in the Duchy, arge number of outside personnel were also employed.


    The representative who was hired was the head of the treatment center¡­


    ¡°Die, you punk!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, lord- what kind of abusivenguage to¡­¡±


    <b><i>Bang!</i></b>


    The head of the Treatment Center, Miles, who hade with an ambitious promise to show his treatment skills to the knights of the swordsmanshippetition, continued to be hit on the head.


    The youngest healer next to me muttered in a low voice.


    ¡°If you get hit in the head, it makes a tin can sound¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, right.¡±


    ¡®So why are you bothering me?¡¯


    There was a reason why Miles got beaten.


    Early in the morning, Miles, who went to the treatment center, rummaged through the<i>¡¾ List of Medical Information of Knights in the Dukedom ¡¿</i>that was in my seat.


    Then he got caught by Ricardo and was hit on the head.


    He seemed to have been hit on the head in front of everyone and hurt his pride, but he couldn¡¯t help it because he was pushed back by the logic of power.


    Looking down white contemting their situation.


    ¡®By the way, I didn¡¯t know that there would be no knights with lightning-shape under their eyes.¡¯


    The identity of the swordsman was unknown, and the analysis of artifacts has also been stagnant.


    It was only natural that the Artifact Appraiser still did not reveal his face.


    ¡®Were the hair growth medicine weak?¡¯


    Fortunately, there has been one harvest recently.


    It was thanks to a little boy who knocked on the door of the treatment center every morning these days.


    ¡°Wee, Bell.¡±


    The sessor to the silver fox, Bell.


    A six-year-old boy with silver hair and red eyes poked out his face.


    ¡°Hello, Lord. Hello, Astel!¡±<i>(Bell)</i>


    ¡°Are you here again today, you little bean!¡±<i>(Ricardo)</i>


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother Astel too much.¡±<i>(Ricardo)</i>


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not bothering!¡±<i>(Bell)</i>


    The innocent Bell with its little and sharp eyes drooping down slowly approached me.


    The Silver Fox family was certainly a master of magic.


    In this vast northern part of the empire, there would be no ce that makes magic tools as well as the silver fox family.


    In that sense, it was natural luck that Bell needed something from me.


    ¡°I brought what I promised! Now, hand over mine!¡±<i>(Bell)</i>


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ricardo asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±<i>(Astel)</i>


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, my lord!¡±<i>(Bell)</i>


    Astel and Bell pretended it was nothing.


    In fact, it was a one-time<i><magic contract></i>that Bell, the silver fox beast, offered.


    ¡®A contract to be used with the Artifact Appraiser.¡¯


    Astel was going to write a contract so that he couldn¡¯t divulge secrets to the outside world.


    It would be difficult to avoid the eyes of the final viin with an ordinary magic contract.


    The<i><Magic Contract></i>developed by the silver fox family had thepulsion that the contents of the contract could not be disclosed.


    Neither of the contractors was able to disclose the contents of the contract, and if an outsider tried to forcibly uncover the contents of the contract, they would be bound by a spell.


    ncing at Bell and thanked him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Astel smiled happily, putting the<i><Magic Contract></i>in her pocket.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡±


    Where did the kid who asked for a potion to change his timid personality go? and Bell stretched his shoulders proudly.


    ¡°Now then, give me the items you prepared!¡±


    Bell whispered into my ear.


    It feels like smuggling drugs.


    The other healer¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Astel ruffled Bell¡¯s silky silver hair, muttering secretly.

 Chapter 41

    ¡°Here¡­¡±


    Astel handed the bottle of pure white potion to Bell.


    ¡°It¡¯s a potion of courage that I promised.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    As soon as Bell took the bottle, he opened it and swallowed the potion in one quick gulp.


    He was so excited that I could see his tail popping out.


    I chuckled lightly as I entered the prescription medication on Bell¡¯s medical chart.


    ¡°Wow!¡± ????


    Bell, who bravely took the medicine, rubbed his lips with the back of his hand.


    His cheeks were flushed like white wheat bread.


    ¡°Too bitter!¡± ????


    ¡°Now, put your hand on your heart.¡± ?????


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited! I¡¯m full of courage!¡± ????


    I smiled and ruffled Bell¡¯s hair.


    At the words of a six-year-old who said it was very effective, I felt like my courage was welling up.


    ¡°Hey, sister. But what does this really smell like?¡±


    Bell asked, cautiously holding my sleeve.


    ¡°My father, the head of the household, also said that I smell strange. I wonder if it smells bad¡­¡± ????


    I hugged Belle¡¯s small body tightly. The sweet smell I smelled the other day lingered at the tip of my nose.


    I muttered unconsciously and spoke out¡­


    ¡°¡­Well, it smells good.¡± ?????


    I pondered what the scent of Bell was.


    It smells like a mixture of herbs or incense¡­


    I frowned and straightened out as I thought about it.


    ¡®Why does this baby¡¯s sessor smell like this?¡¯


    ¡®I could smell the<em>Meili</em>herb, but what exactly was the other one?¡¯


    While gently stroking Bell¡¯s cheek during a strange day, someone knocked on the door of the treatment center.


    Entering the treatment center, the creepy-looking knight dered as if to notify everyone.


    ¡°Two hourster, His Majesty the Duke will return to the mansion.¡±


    ¡°Huh, he¡¯s returning already?¡±


    Ricardo frowned and showed off his displeasure.


    ¡°When the Duke returns, will I not be able to pretend to be Astel¡¯s guardian?¡±


    <strong>¡°¡­¡±</strong>


    The people around looked nervous at Ricardo¡¯s expression.


    Only the knight armed with a sense of duty to have courtesy for his superiors urged.


    ¡°You have to go outside. We must have a weing party.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Anyway, that¡¯s it. Let¡¯s go out together.¡±


    If the owner of the Duke castle returned from wartime conditions, it was the northern custom to wee all the members of the family in front of the castle gate.


    It¡¯s also a kind of exhibition situation now, so they have to wee the Duke.


    Most of them, except for essential workers, changed into the neatest clothes and gathered at the main gate of the castle to wait for the Duke.


    Although I was under the Duke Anais¡¯ protection, my official position was somewhat ambiguous.


    So, in the middle of the weing procession, I waited for the Duke with a small handkerchief tightly in my hand.


    Ricardo, who treated me like a child who was near the shore, was attached next to me without going to his ce, spoke.


    ¡°Finally, His Majesty the Duke¡¯sing.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes¡­¡±


    At a distance, a horse was galloping with soil dust.


    It was insanely fast.


    The sound of ttering and horse hooves kicking the ground grew louder and louder.


    And, finally, the words of the Duke reached the castle gate.


    Brilliant ck hair scattered in the wind, followed by thunderous shouts.


    The heads of each family quietly surrendered in front of the Duke¡¯s ck horse.


    I was wondering when I could see the Duke again, but the crowd right in front of me split like the Red Sea.


    ¡°Astel.¡±


    Duke Anais, who came in through the gap between the beastly vassals, bent one knee in front of me.


    The countless vassals of the Duke Castle in this ce were all watching the scene.


    Some were so startled that their humanization even unraveled.


    ¡°I¡¯m back home.¡±


    <em>So¡­</em>


    Not everyone would be able to find out that it was because of our imprint, but wasn¡¯t it arranged into a guardianship rtionship?


    No matter how slow I am, if the Duke does this¡­ I think he wanted to draw attention?


    I couldn¡¯t hide my embarrassment, so my cheeks heated up and blushed.


    The Duke stared at me and smiled sincerely.


    ?


    All the beasts with sweaty hands came to witness this situation.


    How Astel will react has emerged as a matter of keen interest.


    In fact, to all who gathered here, the Duke of Anais was the object of fear and awe.


    However, Astel didn¡¯t seem to think so.


    Astel just smiled brightly and held out her hand to the Duke.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you came back.¡±


    The body of the vassals stiffened at her attitude of treating the Duke of Anais like a normal servant.


    As if he didn¡¯t care about their gaze, the Duke gently kissed the back of Astel¡¯s hand.


    Ricardo, who was standing next to the Duke, clicked his tongue inside.


    That¡¯s enough of a mark.


    It was clear that he deliberately meant and revealed to everyone not to even dare mention Astel nor touch her.


    If anyone touched Astel, Duke Anais expressed his willingness to step up himself.


    They weren¡¯t even allowed to sponsor her. The unfamiliar sight of the Duke who once fought together on the battlefield gave them goosebumps.


    ¡°Did you leave your schedule empty for this evening?¡± ?????


    So, everyone except one person, Astel, realized it.


    That the bloodyment was simr to asking for a date.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    It goes without saying that Astel¡¯s intimate answer made everyone¡¯s eyes determined again.


    This situation made it clear.


    The power structure of the Duke¡¯s Castle began to be reorganized around Astel.


    ?


    Within the Duke¡¯s castle, on top of a huge spire.


    It was freezing cold outside the window, but thanks to the burning firece and tapestry, the small attic of the spire was as warm as a small log cabin in the forest.


    ¡­So, it feels like a log cabin in the hunting grounds I lived in when I was a kid?


    ¡®There¡¯s a room like this in the Duke castle. It¡¯s fascinating.¡¯


    Looking at the surroundings curiously, I sat facing the Duke in a chair on a small rug.


    ¡°What do you think, Astel..?¡±


    He looked strangely elevated.


    That expression on the Duke¡¯s face that makes the viewer feel obligated to give praise.


    Seeing his proud smile, I followed my inner thought and gave apliment.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm and nice! But¡­¡±


    Then hesitated for a moment.


    I was wondering how to say it, and I decided to throw a fastball.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that other beasts will misunderstand. I¡¯m afraid that they will find out that I¡¯m the Duke¡¯s ¡®imprint¡¯.¡±


    I felt it while talking through the sphere before, but the Duke seemed to be less interested in people¡¯s opinions than I thought.


    The Duke, who was staring still at me as I spoke, tilted his head again.


    ¡°I was worried that there would be people gossiping behind Astel. When I¡¯m away, Astel¡¯s position shouldn¡¯t be shaken.¡± ?????


    Did something happen without my knowledge? ?????


    I was a little surprised at his consideration.


    Although the Duke seems to care about me, I didn¡¯t expect him to consider not only my life but also my position during my stay in the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    It¡¯s a little embarrassing because there was no one except my brother who treated me so carefully until now.


    ¡°Tha- thank you so much for that.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we in a rtionship?¡±


    Were you inspired by those rough words?


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural that I care about Astel.¡±


    Is that so?


    Well I was trying to persuade the Duke, but it was I, who was strangely persuaded in the end.

 Chapter 42

    <hr>


    Above all, it was very cool that the escort could rely on the Duke¡¯s power.


    I nced at the Duke.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be leaving for the capital soon. There¡¯s a call from the Emperor.¡± ?????


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°So, before that, I thought of solidifying Astel¡¯s position in this castle.¡± ?????


    As soon as he arrived, at the news that he would soon leave again, I blinked and thought.


    Come to think of it, the Emperor in the original was aiming for the young Duke of the North, and he often called him to the capital.


    He wanted to subjugate the North and make them submit and maintain rtions.


    Duke Anais was still young, but he didn¡¯t even have a fiance yet, so the Emperor was not overly greedy yet.


    Of course, there¡¯s no human who could dare to tell the Duke of the North to ¡®<em>Look for his heir now.¡¯</em>


    After all, the heir is chosen by the vassal family, so it has nothing to do with the marriage of the Duke and the rise and fall of the Northern Territory¡­


    ¡®Come to think of it, it seems that the Duke has a love story in the original¡­ but maybe it¡¯s our misunderstanding.¡¯


    Looking back on my vague memories, there were quite a few noble girls who had a crush on the Duke.


    The noble girls of the capital also longed for the freedom and wildness of the strong northern beasts.


    A dark romance novel about the Duke of the North yed a big role in establishing that perception¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, Astel.¡± ?????


    These were the words of the Duke who broke my long trail of thoughts.


    ¡°More than that, I built a small garden on the ice wall.¡±


    Nodding with a smile. Looking back, I also remembered the words of the maids.


    <em>-¡®His Excellency must have called a magician after conquering the ice cliff!¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®It¡¯ll be really beautiful when it snows. Was he nning on developing it as a tourist destination?¡¯</em>


    <em>-¡®I heard he¡¯s going to make it into a private estate¡­ I want to go see it.¡¯</em>


    My curiosity towards the Duke was solved.


    ¡°Then will it be a tourist destination?¡± ?????


    Astel tilted her head and asked.


    ¡°Do you want to make it a tourist attraction, Astel?¡± ?????


    For a moment, I wondered why the Duke was asking me about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s Astel¡¯s, you can do whatever you want.¡± ?????


    ¡°¡­What? Mine¡­ Oh, it¡¯s not.¡± ?????


    The natural ice walls themselves were rare, and the magic craftsman¡¯s power was also included there, so it had an astronomical mary value that could not be counted in ordinary numbers.


    ¡°I decided it was Astel¡¯s.¡±


    Was it my misunderstanding that the Duke¡¯s expression seemed to be a bit sparkling while saying that?


    I rubbed my eyes a few times and looked at him again.


    Fortunately, he returned with an indifferent and neat expression.


    ¡°So now it¡¯s good to get used to receiving.¡± ?????


    ¡°<strong>¡­?</strong>¡±


    As I was puzzled, his expression darkened.


    ¡°Stop giving¡­ to anyone.¡± ?????


    <em>Was I¡­ used to giving?</em>


    It doesn¡¯t seem like it at all.


    However, the moment I opened my mouth and tried to refute it, the Duke¡¯s fingertips touched my forehead.


    It was a gentle touch, as if handling a kitten.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you anything.¡± ?????


    His eyes felt hot.


    No, his hands¡­


    I took a breath and held the Duke¡¯s hand.


    It felt like it was burning.


    Come to think of it, when we were apart, the Duke often showed symptoms of health abnormalities in the sphere.


    There were many days when he confessed that his heart was beating fast or his face turned red.


    I can¡¯t believe I forgot about that¡­


    ¡°Yo- your hands are so hot. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Even though I was holding the Duke¡¯s hand, the fever kept rising.


    A soft moan flowed from the Duke¡¯s lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s better for us to talk.¡± ?????


    ¡°What kind of talk¡­!¡±


    I quickly grabbed the Duke¡¯s hand tightly.


    But the fever showed no sign of going down.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t solve it, we need to call the doctor immediately!¡±


    I hurriedly tried to press the chime on the tabletop. However, the Duke¡¯s hand came first to stop me.


    ¡°Before that, Astel. There¡¯s something I want to experiment with.¡± ?????


    ¡°Huh, an experiment?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do it with our hands, so if we do something more.¡± ?????


    ¡°It¡¯s because you were overworked¡­¡±


    ¡°You were too far¡­¡± ?????


    My face turned red.


    The Duke¡¯s face came right in front of me.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try the experiment once?¡± ?????


    Why does the word experiment feel so meaningful?


    This is a treatment. I¡¯m a healer, and I¡¯m just treating sick people.


    Besides, I¡¯m the only one who can heal the Duke.


    After diligently rationalizing in my heart, I grabbed the Duke¡¯s hand and rubbed my lips against the back of his hand.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± ?????


    The back of the Duke¡¯s hand was still as hot as a newborn chick.


    The lowughter of the Duke resonated in my ears.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.¡±


    I sullenly removed my lips from his hand. And took a deep breath.


    In my solemn gaze, the Duke slowly closed his eyes.


    Dense eyshes, bright red lips¡­


    It seemed that the tip of his tongue was visible because his lips were slightly opened while smiling.


    ¡®<em><strong>Come on, wake up, Astel!</strong></em>¡®


    With a little more courage, I rushed at the Duke¡¯s forehead at terrifying speed.


    Soon, his forehead banged against my lips.


    When I stayed still with my lips attached to his forehead for a while, a cool energy lingered on his hot forehead and the fever subsided little by little.


    The Duke asked softly.


    ¡°Can I open my eyes now?¡±


    I slowly removed my lips from the Duke¡¯s forehead and moved away.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have much of an effect.¡± ?????


    I was going to ask for a doctor.


    But the Duke sped my slender wrist and whispered in a slightly hoarse voice.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it now.¡±


    With the words, his face was just around the corner. The gaze ovepped narrowly.


    ¡°The kiss.¡±


    I thought my heart stopped at those words.


    I hurriedly tried to back away, but the Duke was faster.


    As I retreated, he got a little closer.


    With my eyes wide open, I could hear my heartbeat in my ear and hurriedly spoke.


    ¡°I, I- it¡¯s on my forehead, right?¡±


    The Duke asked skillfully with a low-pitchedughter.


    ¡°Shall we do it on the lips?¡± ?????


    <em>No! When you say kiss, people usually think of a kiss on the lips¡­!</em>


    I raised my eyes, bit my lip, and put the opposite words into my mouth.


    ¡°Oh, no. Please do it on my forehead!¡±


    A short forehead kiss continued to make a half-assurance closing of eyes and making a sound.


    His fingertips slowly descended from my forehead to the bridge of my nose and down my lips.


    The Duke, who lightly pressed on the hot lips with his fingertips, spoke again.


    ¡°I think my fever has gone down, Astel.¡±


    Thanks to the series of actions, the Duke looked quite yful and had a natural smile.


    I swallowed my saliva.


    What are we going to do now?


    The Duke held my hand as if escorting me.


    As it was, we descended from gigantic spire of the Duke¡¯s Castle and went outside.


    And after walking together for about thirty minutes, we entered the room again.


    ¡°¡­Is this an experiment?¡±


    The Duke nodded at my words.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I nodded as I saw the sleet falling over the spire.


    I had no idea that the ¡°<strong><em>experiment</em></strong>¡± mentioned by the Duke would be extremely romantic, such as walking hand in hand, facing each other, and seeing snow falling shoulder to shoulder.


    It¡¯s too romantic and wholesome, I feel like I¡¯ve be a pervert for thinking so¡­


    The Duke, who was staring at myplicated expression, continued with a smile.


    ¡°I wonder how you felt when you were away from me.¡± ?????


    Fortunately, the topic has returned.


    I contemted and continued.


    ¡°I kept dozing off!¡±


    ¡°My heart beats so fast that I can¡¯t sleep. All night long.¡±


    I recorded and took notes of the abnormal symptoms that urred between us.


    ¡®<em>Looking at the Duke¡¯s symptoms, it¡¯s like love.</em>¡®


    ¡­That can¡¯t be true.


    Of course, it¡¯s hard for me to talk about love because I have no dating experience.


    I blinked with my eyes down. My eyshes fell heavily as I stared down.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually a little sleepy even now.¡±

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    ?


    ¡°Now¡­ If let it go.¡±


    After I let go of his hand, another ten minutester.


    ¡°¡­I feel like a sick chicken.¡±


    It felt like I ran out of coffee just because I was away for a while.


    I¡¯ve never felt this way before.


    ¡°¡­No matter how much I think about it, it¡¯s weird. At first, I definitely thought it was a temporary imprint.¡±


    He quietly nodded his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a temporary imprint symptom.¡±


    Knowing that, I asked him about the feeling of being separated, with the creeping anxiety.


    ¡°Then¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we get a diagnosis from the doctor again?¡±


    ¡°The doctor probably doesn¡¯t know anything.¡±


    It was a strangely convincing tone.


    ¡°But still. It¡¯s a good thing to have two minds discussing.¡±


    ¡°If you want¡­¡±


    At that time, the Duke, who smiled as if it was natural, gently pulled the string.


    ?


    The doctor arrived quickly to the spire.


    Even though he breathed as if he had jumped up in a hurry, he didn¡¯t forget his duty and immediately began the examination.


    ¡°Gasp, gasp¡­ Definitely, gasp, gasp¡­ The imprint has be more unstable than before. Sighs¡­¡±


    Astel asked the doctor in a trembling voice.


    ¡°Is it because we¡¯ve been apart for a long time? During that time, I¡¯ve been a little dizzy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always out of breath and my heart keeps pounding.¡±


    ¡°I also feel sleepy.¡±


    The Doctor, who had been quietly listening to the Duke and Astel, gazed faintly at the sleet beyond the spire.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯ve been away for a while, but what¡¯s certain is that¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re apart, you seem to share pain, fatigue, and other sensations¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°In a word, it¡¯s a symptom of ¡®over-connection¡¯, which is a side effect of the imprint.¡±


    Over-connection?


    It was the first time I heard of it, neither in library books nor in clinic.


    ¡°It sounds like you two were over-connected.¡±


    Astell rolled her eyes.


    ¡°The reason Astel feels sleepy even after sleeping for a long time was because his Excellency was overworked.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The reason your heart¡¯s pounding is because Astel¡¯s heart is beating¡­ It might be. Usually, imprinting doesn¡¯t share and connect all senses to that extent, so it¡¯s ssified as a side effect.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a side effect¡­¡±


    Astel shrugged and mumbled.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know for sure. Only if it¡¯s a side effect.¡±


    The Doctor¡¯s expression darkened very deeply. Astel stared at him with sweat in his hands.


    ¡°The only sure way to eliminate the side effects is to increase intimacy. You have to keep that in mind.¡±


    He was trying to spin the wheel, but the answer was actually obvious.


    ¡°So¡­ Do you mean holding hand¡¯s not enough?¡±


    Astel¡¯s cheeks turned red like ripe apples.


    The face of the doctor sitting in front of the two, Duke Anais and Astel, was vague.


    But maybe that wasn¡¯t the end, he kept muttering something.


    ¡°If there was a wizard, I would ask for confirmation.¡±


    He seemed to have a schrly agony.


    ¡°Doctor, why do you look like that? Are there any more serious problems?¡±


    ¡°No, in this case, a great wizard would know well, but there hasn¡¯t been such a wizardtely. I heard there was one, but it was destroyed. If there were still, I would have asked for cooperation, but it¡¯s a shame. It¡¯s ruined.¡±


    As soon as she heard those words, Astel¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡°¡­If you¡¯re from a family of magicians.¡±


    ¡°Was it the Count of Vietry, or the humans?¡±


    Duke Anais nced at Astel¡¯s stiff expression and frowned at the Doctor.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to hear unnecessary assumptions, I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    At those words, Astel and the Doctor stopped and trembled.


    Of course, there was another reason why the Doctor panicked.


    Because the Duke who was sitting next to Astel spoke to the Doctor.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    No, I think he needs to make a certain diagnosis and prescribe some kind of medicine¡­!


    The Doctor, thinking of his mission as a therapist, clenched his fists.


    ¡°Thenstly, measure the heat¡­¡±


    ¡°Astel, it sounds like the Doctor¡¯s busy.¡±


    The Duke smiled sweetly at Astel.


    After seeing that smile, the Doctor¡¯s resolution broke like a sand castle.


    He had a serious thought that if he stayed here longer, it wouldn¡¯t look good.


    The Doctor nodded his head in vain, feeling as if he had been sucked into the bay.


    ¡°Oh, yes. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Then Astel, who had frozen, fixed her expression with difficulty and muttered.


    ¡°Really¡­¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, the two of us could heal on our own.¡±


    So, the Doctor left with a nk face, and the two remained.


    Astel held the Duke¡¯s hand, remembering the Doctor¡¯sst advice to be as intimate as possible.


    The Duke of Anais held Astel¡¯s hand again and again.


    Astel didn¡¯t think his hand was holding too tight, but she felt the warmth of his hand, so she didn¡¯t bother to dissuade him.


    Soon Astel carefully opened her lips with a rabbit-like expression.


    Even then, I could only touch my lips for a while, but couldn¡¯t get the words out.


    I was very anxious, contemting whether or not to speak now.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ Duke. I have a small favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That, I know. As the Duke suggestedst time¡­ My Fri-, I want to bring my friend to the Duke¡¯s Castle.¡±


    He smiled and kissed briefly the back of my nose. It was a little more natural than before.


    ¡°Yes, as much as you want.¡±


    I slowly reach out with my other hand towards him anxiously.


    Duke Anais¡¯ eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to act hard, but it felt as if he was hiding something.


    ¡°Are you making a promise?¡±


    ¡°Yes, promise.¡±


    He obediently ced his hand over my hand, and our hands ovepped.


    Each, and every finger got entangled, and the tips of our thumbs met and signed a promise.


    Thump, thump¡­


    Then my heart started pounding hard again.


    Taking a deep breath like a person that had been running for a long time.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s a bit of a picky guy, I can¡¯t change the Duke¡¯s mind, so first we sign the contract¡­¡±


    The Duke kissed Astel briefly again on the back of her hand.


    He felt her breathing in rapidly.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll sign it.¡± He said, still staring at Astel.


    ¡°This! It isn¡¯t a sign!¡±


    Her face was red, but it seemed as if the awkwardness had diminished from before, and he could see a slight smile hanging from her lips.


    Thinking that her heart seems to be opening day by day, he smiled along with her.


    ?


    Perhaps it was not long before I could tell Astel the secret that I had been hiding.


    If that happens¡­


    ¡°Please, give me a kiss.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Wha-what?¡±


    ¡°In my forehead, Astel.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a fever again? I think it¡¯s me who has a fever¡­¡±


    Astel¡¯s moist lipsnded like a butterfly on his forehead.


    He never felt ¡®happy¡®, and never wondered what it felt like, but he felt pretty happy at this moment.


    Maybe¡­


    Sooner orter, all the truth may be revealed, and everything may return to its ce.


    While being inspired by such thoughts, Astel made a serious deration in his ear.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s it. But I can¡¯t kiss your lips though.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Uhmm, it¡¯s my first kiss. I decided to do it with the person I love.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s lips hardened at her whisper.


    ¡°With someone you love?¡±


    ¡°Yes! And the first kiss for the Duke should be with his loved one. There¡¯s nothing else I could do about it. But the first kiss shouldn¡¯t be frivolous.¡±


    Astel sternly red as if she couldn¡¯t yield this much.


    Duke Anais whispered quietly during the drowsy day.


    ¡°You promised, a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Astel, who didn¡¯t hear the Duke muttering, asked back.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    ?


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    Astel tilted her head curiously, but the Duke smiled and brought up another story.


    ¡°When Ie back in a week, I¡¯ll show you how it snows.¡±


    Astel whispered softly, wrapping her red cheeks as if they¡¯re about to explode.


    ¡°The snow¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the winter in this castle is beautiful.¡±


    Looking forward to it, staring at Astel looking out the window with a smile, I was lost in thought again.


    I still have a long way to go.


    Fortunately, however, I was quite patient.


    At least not yet¡­


    ?


    Meanwhile, the Doctor, who came outside, stopped and tilted his head.


    ¡®I looked through all the ancient books about imprinting, but there were no cases such as Astel and the Duke Anais.¡¯


    ¡®Clearly, there¡¯s intimacy, and even though they have regr contact with each other, I didn¡¯t know that one person¡¯s life would be in danger because the imprint kept being imperfect. The imprint shouldn¡¯t necessarily be something like this.¡¯


    The Doctor was preupied with work for Duke Anais, who was in charge, but his intellectual curiosity as a schr was also overflowing with respect in the terms of imprinting.


    ¡°Should I take a month off vacation and go to ¡®Dn Lucia¡® once?¡±


    Dn Lucia was a small vige located in the southwest of the northern Duke territory. The vige itself was small, but it was a ce of great fame.


    Because it was said to be a ce where the ancient sage buried all the secrets.


    Dn Lucia, an intellectual vige full of huge magic libraries created by a sage and schrs.


    Those who had ess were limited, but luckily, the Doctor had a connection there.


    Dn Lucia also had information about the beasts, and I know that there¡¯s a lot of information about ancient magic.


    ¡°First of all¡­ I¡¯ll have to post my annual report, alright.¡±


    The Doctor nced into the room.


    Nothing was certain, but the fact that Duke Anais¡¯ obsession was igniting was something that even a blind person could definitely notice.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know if it will be a medicine or poison for Astel.¡¯


    ?


    The next morning,


    Astel didn¡¯t go to work at the treatment center.


    Instead, I made a n to go to the town of Thelma, which is called the centralmercial district of the Duke¡¯s territory


    My head was full of thoughts of distributing leaflets all over the capital to promote the hair growth products that I worked hard to makest night.


    ¡®It¡¯s best if the n goes smoothly while the Duke¡¯s away.¡¯


    In fact, there was no evidence that the Duke¡¯s not the final viin, so I couldn¡¯tpletely dispel my suspicions about him.


    ¡®I think the Duke¡¯s attitude yesterday was a little suspicious.¡¯


    The moment the Doctor brought up the story of Count Vietry, I think he stopped talking quickly.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be too sure about anything, but it¡¯splicated.¡¯


    Because of the imprint, it¡¯s true that my heart¡¯s waivers as we keep seeing each other.


    ¡®Whatever the case, the thing is that the Duke treats me well, the imprint has nothing to do with the Vietry family.¡¯


    ¡®I need to control overthinking¡­¡¯


    After thinking about it, I took a carriage and got off in front of Thelma vige for a while.


    While working as a healer for the past three years, I often visited Thelma Vige.


    ¡°Astel, it¡¯s been a while since I saw you.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes!¡±


    As I looked around, I saw the beasts I had treated. To them, I eagerly handed out flyers.


    ¡°Please take this hair growth leaflet!¡±


    ¡°Grow up, my hair? That¡¯s unique. Do you think people with bald heads would like it?¡±


    On the way to hand out my promotional flyers and pack my favorite fresh chocte at regr sweet chocte shops.


    I stumbled upon the Duke¡¯s procession passing through the vige of Thelma.


    ¡®When he goes to the capital, doesn¡¯t the Duke travel through the teleport scroll?¡¯


    A little puzzled, I tilted my head.


    ¡°His Highness must being to this ce, Astel!¡± Jenny, who had been following me all day, made a fuss behind my back.


    ¡°As expected, he recognized Astel!¡± Sally also joined the fuss.


    I struggled to make up my mind not to be swayed like the two bubbly dog-beasts.


    Instead, I stood still hugging the chocte box and flyers in my arms.


    As they said, the Duke¡¯s ck horse was approaching towards the ce where I¡¯m standing.


    I¡¯ve already seen him off at the Castle, so I could have just overlooked him. I was neat thanks to the maid¡¯s decoration, but I was as simple as always.


    On the contrary, the Duke was a little different from usual.


    A dark blue uniform with a neatly drawn sword line, sparkling shoulder ornaments, and a splendidly crafted heavy sword.


    Unlike myself, who was dressed freely, the appearance of the Duke, who was well-dressed, was a particrly contrasting sight.


    The Duke, who approached me like that, looked straight at me and slightly tilted his body towards my height.


    ¡°Hello, Duke.¡±


    I bowed my head to greet him.


    However, the Duke seemed to have something he wanted to ask me.


    ¡°What¡¯s that flyer in your arms, Astel?¡±


    ¡­I carefully hid the flyer behind.


    Unlike the Duke, who looks so perfect, the way I look right now handing out the flyers, seems a little pathetic¡­


    But I bravely responded.


    ¡°Ah, I have to earn money!¡±


    ¡°Money¡­?¡±


    The Duke clenched his teeth when he said that I shouted that I was out to earn money.


    Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t think much.


    Even the Duke wouldn¡¯t like it when his family¡¯s guests were to be handing flyers on the street.


    I was brought in as a guardian. Then, I spoke calmly.


    ¡°Yes. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll just do it only for today.!¡±


    However, the words that came out of the Duke¡¯s mouth were a little different from what I expected.


    ¡°¡­Was someone asking Astel for money?¡±


    His face was full of doubt, as if he had guessed something.


    Even more puzzled, I tilted my head and answered.


    ¡°No! no one¡¯s asking for it.¡±


    Even though I spoke cheerfully, the Duke frowned.


    ¡°If someone asks you for money, please tell me.¡±


    The Duke said riding on top of the horse, while I¡¯m standing below them.


    So the Duke leaned further down.


    As soon as he approached, I raised myself, tiptoeing without realizing it.


    He whispered, with his lips near my forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, so I want to go to the capital together, but it¡¯s not time to take you to the capital yet.¡±


    Our imprint issues are also a problem, but we couldn¡¯t go to the capital together.


    Because my brother will secretlye to the castle with his child.


    The castle must not be empty then.


    Of course, the Duke seemed to have a slightly different reason. I continued to talk cheerfully.


    ¡°There¡¯s a teleport bracelet and video-equipment. We can meet again anytime.¡±


    The Duke smiled with his eyes bent to a crescent shape.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    As I raised my arms high, he ran his fingertips across my wrists, reassuringly satisfied.


    Perhaps there was a misunderstanding, but the Duke¡¯s aide was approaching without even having time to correct the misunderstanding.


    I hurriedly raised my hand and stopped him.


    At the end, I remembered onest thing to say.


    ¡°¡­This is a gift to wish you a safe return.¡±


    I held out the beautifully wrapped chocte to the Duke and smiled softly.


    I bought it for me to eat, but somehow I wanted to give it to the Duke on impulse.


    The Duke may not have imagined it yet, but it was also a bribe to take good care of my nephew when he returned.


    ¡°Make sure you buy something delicious when you alsoe back, Duke!¡±


    ¡®But it¡¯s weird¡­¡¯


    The Duke¡¯s expression looking at the wrapping paper looked a little sad.


    No, was it too much?


    As I was thinking hard while staring at the Duke, he carefully opened his mouth, receiving the box of chocte I gave.


    ¡°When youe back¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a choctier and a chocte shop.¡±


    It¡¯s very touching that you¡¯ll buy me more chocte.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    No, wait a second?


    ¡®¡­You meant to say you¡¯d buy chocte, right?¡¯

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    ?


    Duke Anais gently looked down at me from the top of his ck horse.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you again.¡±


    I was surprised by the majesty of the Duke, and nodded.


    Looking away from him until he disappeared from sight.


    Then, with my right hand, I tried to firmly press down my pounding heart.


    That¡¯s strange.


    Surely, I feel like my ears are numb¡­


    ¡®Was the imprint still unstable?¡¯


    But I thought we¡¯ve gotten closer.


    Could it be that I was the only one who thought so?


    However, the Duke had a dark expression that I couldn¡¯t understand at any time, so I should be very wary.


    In summary, a typical handsome viin award.


    ¡®I¡­I¡¯m not doubting just by looking at his face.¡¯


    After coughing, I turned around.


    At that moment, I felt a gaze from somewhere.


    ?


    I went back into the little chocte shop, for the chocte cake.


    ¡°Wee, Astel! You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m going to pick a chocte cake!¡±


    ¡°Look at the catalog here and choosefortably.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I smiled lightly and bowed my head toward Lily, the owner of the store.


    The traditional chocte shop was popr thanks to Lily, who went all the way to the capital to get a choctier license.


    Even today¡­


    I nced at the robust man approaching behind andughed inside.


    ¡°Oh, he, he? hello! I¡¯d like a cho, cho? chocte please!¡±


    ¡°Ah yes! It¡¯s alcohol-based chocte, right? You¡¯re back, Warret.¡±


    A bald man hesitating to hide arge bouquet of flowers. He was tall and had a handsome face, and he had gold eyes, so he had a splendid impression.


    Moreover, it was a bold style with apletely bald head and tattoos, but his attitude was so stiff and clumsy that it didn¡¯t feel threatening.


    There was a slight contrast in his appearance, but above all, it was notmon to see a bald person in the cold northern part.


    After observing, I looked down and continued to check the catalog.


    Of course, even if I didn¡¯t want to hear their conversation, I couldn¡¯t help hearing their voices.


    ¡°A-, alcohol base. Yes, ri? right. Well, I can share this then.¡±


    The man rambled so much that he didn¡¯t even know what he was saying.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll wrap it for you. You oftene to buy chocte these days. If you don¡¯t brush your teeth often, your teeth might rot.¡±


    But Lily was a pro.


    ¡°Every, every, every minute, and every second I brush my teeth! It¡¯s true!¡±


    ¡°Ahaha! There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    As I folded the catalog and observed the ready-made chocte cakes on the ss shelves, Iughed to myself.


    ¡®What? You two are so young and cute.¡¯


    Choctier Lily was popr in the vige for her elegant and beautiful appearance. That man also seemed to have Lily in mind.


    Watching other people¡¯s love bloom, I feel a little bit flustered.


    I pointed to the ¡®Chocte Factory-shaped cake¡¯ in the catalog and called out Lily.


    ¡°Lily, I¡¯ll order a chocte cake here.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Astel, a chocte factory cake, and Warret, a fresh alcohol-based chocte.¡±


    Lily quickly finished preparing.


    Thanks to this, Warret and I were able to leave the chocte shop at the same time.


    I came out with powerful steps, but Warret¡¯s expression next to me was a little different.


    It seemed to have lost strength.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    That big bouquet must be for Lily.


    It¡¯s definitely frustrating because he couldn¡¯t give it to her.


    Warret sighed in disappointment and clenched his fists tightly.


    As he came out, his body trembled, and eventually he stumbled and fell on the ice.


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s the aftermath of not making up his mind to confess¡­ ¡®


    As soon as he fell, several small square boxes in his clothes fell to the floor with a loud sound.


    ¡°Hey, here!¡±


    When I picked up the square boxes, each of them suddenly shone.


    ¡®Wait, is this¡­?¡¯


    Warret, who hastily stood up from the ice, shrugged and took the square boxes from my hand.


    ¡°Thank you. God bless you. If I had a little more hair on my head, I would have been brave!¡±


    He even got a tattoo, so I thought it was arbitrary baldness, but it was intentional¡­


    But wait¡­ Baldness and the artifacts. I squinted at him.


    With tears in his eyes, he stepped forward.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is that an artifact?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I got permission for everything. It¡¯s for my job. It won¡¯t be a problem, so I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    Looking at his miserable back, I grabbed the flyer I had put in my pocket.


    ¡®Maybe this person¡­ ¡®


    Northern Territory, Bald, Artifact, and his upation.


    Nothing¡¯s certain yet, but¡­


    Just now, there¡¯s only one assumption that came to mind.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡±


    I approached him in a hurry.


    ¡°You, I mean your hair.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my hair?¡±


    As soon as I talked to him, he choked up and recited the advantages of having no hair.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t even have to brush my hair when I wake up! Hey, are you listening?¡±


    In fact, even if there¡¯s an artifact appraiser among those whoe with my bait called ¡®hair growth¡®, I thought about how to distinguish which of them was the person I was looking for.


    I slowly opened my lips.


    The person in front of me may be the artifact appraiser I¡¯m looking for.


    ¡°There¡¯s a way for your hair to grow back.¡±


    ¡°Ho?how would my hair grow back?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Astel, the human healer from the Duke¡¯s Castle. There¡¯s a word going around that if you want to grow your hair back, you should visit her.¡±


    ¡­Was it bad acting?


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    I glinted at him.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°You mean this head of mine could still be cured?¡±


    I nodded at his question.


    ¡°Give Astel¡¯s name in front of the castle and find ¡®Grow Up My Hair¡®.¡±


    There was no reason not to give him a hair regrowth right now. Because I still don¡¯t know for sure his identity.


    However, in order for outsiders to enter the castle, they had to go through a tricky identification process.


    ¡®Because I don¡¯t know for sure if this person was the famous Artifact Appraiser that even Cassian couldn¡¯t find in the original.¡¯


    It was better to trust the verification process of the Duke castle rather than my eyes.


    ¡°Grow up, My Hair¡­ Come to think of it, not long ago, I heard rumors. What do you mean by hair growth? I thought it would be a scam! No magic could make your hair thicker!¡±


    Warret seemed to have been scammed a lot, and he was about to spit fire with his mouth.


    I spoke to him with a reliable look.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a sample, so you could try it out. For your information, ¡®Grow Up Hair¡® was a limited edition with only a few quantities sold.¡±


    I winked lightly at him. Warret¡¯s face turned extremely red.


    ?


    Early the next morning, I was informed of the long-awaited visit.


    ¡°There¡¯s a roon beast that came to me. After checking his identity, he said he was working as an artifact appraiser¡­ I¡¯m sure the identity was cleared, so do you want to approve it?¡±


    At Sally¡¯s words, I put my hands forward and nodded.


    Being a roon beast, his identity was confirmed by this.


    ¡°Yes, let hime to my room.¡±


    About ten minutester, I was able to meet the Artifact Appraiser, who came in a hurry as he looked desperate the day before.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    ?


    Entering the room looking restless, he asked back in bewilderment.


    ¡°No, what¡­ You were Astel?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sit down on the sofa across.¡±


    I nodded and handed him the sample vial I had prepared.


    ¡°First of all, you should try a sample.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m being scammed. No, it¡¯s really a milky cream. It¡¯s not magic¡­Oh, my really.¡±


    While grunting like that, Warret carefully took the cream I had given with trembling hands.


    Then, without hesitation, he took the medicine from the bottle and dabbed it into his arm.


    A few minutester.


    Fluffy fur began to rise from his arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s real! The- the-, the hair is growing! My fluffy fur!¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Strangely, even the wizards of the Empire could not create a magic potion in which hair can grow. But I can.¡±


    Whispering like that really felt like a drug dealer, with prohibited drugs.


    ¡®But it¡¯s right to sell medicine, right?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s really, really true, the hair¡¯s growing¡­ It¡¯s such a revolution¡­¡±


    Warret with eyes wide open clenched his fists.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not important. I¡¯ll prepare my money so you won¡¯t be disappointed, so please give me plenty¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get something else instead of money.¡±


    ¡°¡­What? What do you intend to ask¡­ from this roon?¡±


    He shook his head and opened his mouth again.


    ¡°For now, I can¡¯t live my life.¡±


    I don¡¯t even need your life¡­


    I held out the ¡¶Magic Contract¡· that I had received from Bell, the silver fox beast.


    Only the contract was special, but the terms of the contract itself were nothing much.


    We can exchange what we want with each other.


    In addition, the degree to which this contract and artifact can¡¯t be leaked outside the party.


    ¡°No, you bastard! You¡¯re almost trying to enve me!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even intend to make him a ve, but I just suggested getting on the same boat¡­


    However, the appraiser shouted, ring at the contract angrily.


    ¡°This contract is a ve contract!¡±


    I read the contract carefully once again.


    The part he pointed to was the content that requested silence about the contents of the contract.


    ¡°If I mistakenly leak about the contract, I will be burned to death, if that¡¯s not a ve, then what is? Ha! Simple control?¡±


    ¡°You have to do that much.¡± I said to him,


    Because this contract should be kept a secret and important.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell anyone about it, it will be in very good condition. We will provide ¡®Grow Up, My Hair¡® free of charge for the next five years.¡±


    Instead of being curious and passionate about artifacts, he had no desire to honor in inverse proportion.


    ¡°Besides¡­ I have a lot of interesting artifacts.¡±


    He opened his mouth, unable to hide his sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Then, can I take a look at it?¡±


    Soon after, he checked my office strangely.


    I nodded at him. In order to meet the appraiser, I have been collecting all the artifacts that seem to have been specially requested to the maid from early on.


    However, even though I had collected several rare artifacts in the office, they lookedpletely terrible in his eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    He clicked his tongue and crossed his arms over his chest.


    ¡®Hmm, I have to find another way.¡¯


    Almost all of them have passed, but I think it only needs to be over 1% more.


    It was just when I was stamping my feet out of regret.


    He nced at the ¡¶Astel¡¯s Happiness Diary¡· that was quietly lying on the left side of the office, and then his eyes widened.


    ¡°Oh, this is kind of tempting.¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s not an artifact. It¡¯s my diary.¡±


    He¡¯s eyes gleamed insidiously like a roon.


    ¡°Do you want to insist that it¡¯s just an ordinary diary? That¡¯s understandable. There¡¯s this kind of power in it.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    He looked me up and down and nodded.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s sign the contract. I can¡¯t wait to stand in front of Lily!¡±


    ¡­It was in a slightly different direction, but it seemed that I had caught the roon well anyway.


    ¡°What the heck, yeah. Come to think of it, we just don¡¯t have to talk about the contract, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°If you think about it, if I use the hair product of ¡®Grow up¡¯, this roon will be reborn with a shiny furry¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you like it that much?¡± I said brightly.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. You don¡¯t know, but as soon as my hair fell off, everyone mocked me. I¡¯m weaker than a toothless tiger, a hairless roon!¡±


    I nodded and yed his rhythm.


    Then he read the contract again, signed it, and rambled on.


    After a few tic-toc, I got his signature perfectly.


    Now this roon has boarded the ship I operate.


    He doesn¡¯t even know what boat he¡¯s on.


    ¡°Anyway, I signed the contract. What do you want to entrust to me?¡±


    I quietly pulled a brooch artifact out of my pocket.


    ¡°It¡¯s this brooch¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I can feel the energy of darkness.¡±


    Excited by the dark artifact, the appraiser fiddled with the brooch.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He nodded.


    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take?¡±


    The swordsmanshippetition is just 15 days away, so it should be within 15 days.


    I stared at him intently waiting for his answer.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Then can you do it right now?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. Artisans cover the tools.¡±


    Aren¡¯t craftsmen not picky about tools?


    But Warret said it so seriously that I simply responded, saying yes.


    ¡°For now, I have no intention of bringing some magic tools.¡±


    ¡°When will you be able toe?¡±¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take a week.¡±


    The roon and I held and shook hands.


    ¡°I look forward to your kind cooperation.¡±


    After finishing the contract, I went out to see the roon out of the castle and then came back.


    ¡®Will I really be able to catch the swordsman properly?¡¯


    He must also know that Sam¡¯s artifacts have disappeared, so he was more likely to get caught up in my n.


    ¡®Or because it can be handled in another way.¡¯


    I¡¯m about to enter the castle again thinking deeply. Jenny, who was following me, carefully spoke.


    ¡°Astel, doesn¡¯t it seem like someone is always staring at us?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you feel it, too?¡±


    When Sally and Jenny responded, I began to feel a sense of crisis.


    Because beasts have good senses.


    Nervous, I looked around carefully. Then, an unfamiliar face came into sight.


    A very tall man dressed in a neatly knight uniform.


    Restless, he even avoided my gaze!


    ¡®Who¡¯s that man?¡¯


    He was a sturdy man with a ferocious impression that I¡¯ve never seen before.


    With ck hair, he¡¯s golden eyes gave off a rather threatening and chilly atmosphere.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe a knight appeared near me when I was about to catch the swordsman.¡¯


    On one side of my mind, my guard rose. I strode towards him, ring at him.


    ?


    Meanwhile, Sir Retro, a man looking at Astel approaching, was trembling as he remembered his master.


    I will be 30 this year.


    He¡¯s a skilled knight who has been serving his predecessor¡¯s Excellency, the Dukes, since he was ten years old and participated in the Monster War, and was a leopard in the form of an animal.


    It¡¯s not just that. As a knight, his nickname is ¡®Criminal¡¯s Sword of Judgment¡¯.


    In fact, he served as a police officer to detect and deal with the disturbing atmosphere existing inside and outside the Duke¡¯s Fortress.


    Of course, he had in his arms a flyer of a heinous criminal named ¡®Ibor¡¯, who¡¯s widely known as a great thief today, but¡­


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to act as a police officer.


    While the Duke was away, he was hiding to serve and take care of Astel, a human being the Duke cherished.


    He¡¯s confident that he has been through all sorts of hardships, but in fact, there has never been a day when he was as nervous as today.


    -¡®With you, I wouldn¡¯t dare but ignore Astel for a while.¡¯


    Clearly, Retro¡¯s position was exceptional even within the Knights.


    He was recognized for his contribution to the war of monsters from a young age for over twenty years.


    -¡®I like that ugly face that everyone¡¯s afraid of.¡¯


    When he said that, my master¡¯s appearance absolutely didn¡¯t look normal.


    Of course, it was difficult to describe the original Duke I knew as sane¡­


    Retro trembled.


    It was because I remembered the Duke¡¯sst warning.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    ?


    -¡®If Astel has a problem, has a broken heart, if someone disobeys her orders, or approaches¡­¡¯


    -¡®Ye? yes?¡¯


    -¡®I may treat you like a monster, so be careful.¡¯


    That obviously meant tearing them apart.


    For Retro, who went out to the battlefield together and saw how the Duke killed monsters, the threat was more terrifying than any other words.


    The appearance of His Excellency discussing Astel¡¯s safety seemed more serious than when we had a strategic meeting on the battlefield.


    ¡®If you think about it, it seems that he also castrated the monster¡­ Oh no, I don¡¯t think so.¡¯


    Hisplexion became more pale.


    Recalling his master¡¯s terrifying warning, Retro faced Astel, who was approaching him in no time, and bowed his head.


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    A voice with half vignce in her tone.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Retro, who has been escorting Miss Astel from a distance for a week.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been supporting the Duke since I was five years old, and I¡¯ve been transferred to the Monster War for about 20 years.¡±


    Even though Retro introduced himself like that, somehow his mouth tasted bitter.


    ¡®¡­This person probably doesn¡¯t like me that much either. Usually, when I introduce myself like this, they get scared.¡¯


    Maybe that¡¯s why¡­


    The Duke of Anais, who had asked me to escort Astel, was satisfied with my ferocious appearance like a bear.


    It was clear that he judged my appearance would never win Astel¡¯s heart.


    Maybe because I¡¯m the type that was in direct position against handsome north-type knights, with a muscr body over 190cm tall.


    Knowing his appearance well, he knelt on one knee with a smile around his lips to look as harmless as possible.


    ¡°Please rest assured that I will only take care of you from a distance.¡±


    As soon as he knelt down, Astel felt awkward and reached out.


    Like other youngdies, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid of him.


    ¡®She looks younger than the otherdies, but if she sees me and gets scared, will my master scold and punish me?¡¯


    Retro closed his eyes and ced a knight¡¯s kiss on her outstretched hand.


    However, Astel gently spoke so that his worries could be overshadowed.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve been in the Duke¡¯s Castle for all twenty years¡­Well, that¡¯s good. Hello, Knight!¡±


    At the very wee response, Retro raised his head startled.


    Even though he was on his knees, the difference between him and Astel standing eye level wasn¡¯t that much.


    As such, a woman named Astel was as small as a bird¡¯s egg like it would burst when touched.


    I¡¯ve never seen such a small person before, and I¡¯ve never seen such a nice woman as she was.


    Retro was momentarily embarrassed, but soon he spoke calmly.


    ¡°No, please feel free to call me Retro morefortably than the Knight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Astel! Please take care of me for the time being.¡±


    With clear eyes, he held her hand carefully, which Astel held out as if to shake hands.


    As soon as he grabbed it, his hands trembled.


    Up to this point, it¡¯s sphemous.


    ¡®If the master finds out about this¡­?¡¯


    A cold sweat flowed down on his forehead.


    However, this kind and innocent girl seemed to cause my death.


    She burst into exmations and held one hand tightly and waved a few times.


    ¡°You know what?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really handsome!¡±


    Retro used to be called the nightmare of the battlefield and a demon.


    It was truly unfortunate.


    Unlike his master, the Duke of Anais, who had a cruel disposition to kill both monsters and humans without emotions, Retro had the idea of valuing life.


    However, due to his brutal and scary-looking muscr appearance, only his notoriety would often cross borders over the handsome manly Duke.


    ¡®I know that you put me on purpose because you¡¯re afraid that other people would ignore Astel¡­¡¯


    ¡­So I thought Astel would naturally be scared of me, but she said I was handsome.


    ¡°¡­Oh, no.¡±


    Retro sweated as he met Astel¡¯s sparkling eyes.


    Duke Anais¡¯ warning lingered in his mind: ¡®I will break your neck if you make a wrong decision¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯m ugly.¡±


    Does she know the heart of a man who has to belittle himself and disparage his own self?


    I didn¡¯t want to me her either. However, I didn¡¯t want to die because my neck was cut off.


    However, Retro had no choice but to be embarrassed again.


    Hearing those words, Astel¡¯s expression became noticeably paler.


    Retro really wanted to cry.


    No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed that it would be better to cut off the head of a monster than to be an escort.


    ?


    I walked alongside the escort, Sir Retro.


    It was not empty words, but I was sincere when I said that Sir Retro was handsome.


    Duke Anais was so handsome that I could hear heavenly harmony in my ears, but Sir Retro¡¯s type was also a good-looking man by my standards.


    Actually, my ideal type was close to a reliable and honest-looking guy like a cow thief.


    It was my theory that the unknown man should protect and cherish his family without starving three meals a day.


    However, the most important thing for me right now was not that fact, but to get a hint about the swordsman from him.


    ¡°Looking from the side, Sir Retro¡¯s more handsome.¡±


    ¡°No! My face looks very ugly!¡±


    However, he, who seemed great in every way, seemed to have a strict assessment of himself.


    Why?


    ¡®Do handsome men have low self-esteem?¡¯


    I spoke carefully to learn more about him.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Shall we have tea time together?¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, no.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time being an escort knight¡­ Unlike the maid, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to have tea time with an escort.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He must have sensed that I felt sullen.


    Sir Retro stopped moving. And he replied with a trembling voice that didn¡¯t suit hisrge body, shaking his head.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not! I¡¯ll drink tea. I like tea time.¡±


    Astel¡¯s eyes widened and stared at him.


    It was amazing to see a person who said he would drink tea so grandly.


    ¡°Do you really like tea?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°I see. What a cute hobby!¡±


    I smiled brightly at him and strode forward.


    ¡®He¡¯s a person with low self-esteem, so wouldn¡¯t he open up to me if Ipliment him a lot?¡¯


    I decided to give him a st ofpliments while he escorted me.


    The fact that I mentioned it as a cute hobby was just a statement from my calction that there would be no one in this world who dislike the word cute.


    Strangely, however, his face was pale as if he had been sentenced to death.


    It was a little strange, but fortunately, the tea time preparation proceeded quickly.


    Soon after, a leisurely tea time in the garden began.


    It was only 10 minutes after I entered the main building of the Duke¡¯s Castle with Sir Retro and told the maids, ¡®I want to have tea time¡¯.


    A pair of pretty chairs were ced opposite each other on a pure white round table next to the garden.


    The maids moved in an orderly manner and ced ck tea and refreshments for afternoon tea on top of the trolley.


    In front of me, Sir Rietro sat with a restless face.


    ¡®From now on, interrogation of the inside atmosphere of the Knights begins!¡¯


    I smiled happily as I took a sip of warm strawberry-vored tea.


    ¡°Strawberry ck tea is so delicious! Come to think of it, I want to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Yes, say it haha! Go ahead.¡±


    Trying to get straight to the point, I tilted as I saw a hard shell-like armor wrapped around his muscr body.


    ¡°Why are you¡­so nervous like that?¡±


    He was trembling as if dancing at this moment.


    Why was he shaking when he looks powerful as if there¡¯s nothing in the world he should be afraid of?


    He opened his mouth carefully as if answering my question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s okay for me, an iron-cloth man to sit face to face and drink with you¡­That¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re kidding, right?¡¯


    I¡¯m amoner, and you¡¯re a knight of the great Duke Anais.


    But it didn¡¯t really seem like a joke.


    The trembling of his lips was clearly visible.


    I think he¡¯s serious, but¡­


    ¡®No, what iron-cloth man¡­? I¡¯ve never heard of this word before.¡¯


    Iron-cloth man, and stuff like that¡­ Wasn¡¯t it a vocabry of ancientmoners used by our grandfather¡¯s time?


    Why would someone with a reputation as a knight of the Duke Castle use it when referring to himself?


    Sir Retro seemed to have a lot lower self-esteem than I thought.


    However, even that appearance seemed like seeing myself, so I felt a little sympathy.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    ?


    ¡°Hey, are you ufortable with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh no never!¡±


    He immediately shook his head in denial, but his words and actions werepletely different.


    As he got up halfway and leaned forward, his clunky bear hand in bewilderment identally hit the teacup.


    Clink~!


    With the sound, the tea spilled on the floor and the teacup shattered.


    The maids around us quickly approached and removed the broken pieces of the teacup.


    I was trying to find out about the swordsman who was hiding in the Knights by praising his hard word andpliments with encouragement.


    ¡®Why is he so flustered?¡¯


    For no reason, his appearance even looked suspicious.


    ?


    Retro was going crazy.


    Astel, who has a lovely appearance, told him that he was ¡®cute¡¯ or ¡®beautiful¡¯, and hepletely lost his mind.


    His heart, which seemed like a barren winter, began to flutter as if the spring breeze was blowing.


    But there was only one problem.


    ¡®If I had a dark heart, I¡¯m dead!¡¯


    Retro shed tears as he watched the teacup he broke on the grass being removed by maids.


    For some reason, that shattered teacup now seems like it will be his future.


    As he struggled to calm his troubled heart, his eyes met the cold maidservant who was by Astel¡¯s side.


    She, too, was looking doubtful at him.


    It was an expression like, ¡®How dare that madman treat our Astel like that?¡¯


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    In the meantime, pure Astel has spoken to him in a friendly way.


    ¡°Are you in bad health?¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s? I¡¯m fine!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to ask you, but it¡¯s okay, I can ask youter¡­¡±


    At those words, Retro thought that there was no next tea time, and he had no choice but to nod his head.


    ¡°No¡­ If you have any questions, feel free to tell me now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you!¡±


    A cold sweat ran down the back of Retro¡¯s back as Astel¡¯s pure eyes seemed to admire the knight sincerely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve be the exclusive therapist for the swordsmanship contest, Sir Knight.¡±


    Astel said with a seemingly harmless expression that no one could ever doubt that she had other ns.


    ¡°So¡­ by any chance, among the knights, if something has suddenly changed or shows strange actions, could you please let me know?¡±


    Astel hid the trick, andughed. Retro nodded as if it was nothing and scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°Is this because of the doping test issue?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes!¡±


    Actually, it has nothing to do with knights testing, but¡­


    ¡°Then, let me check if there are such people.¡±


    Astel¡¯s eyes glistened and he grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Yes, thank you!¡±


    ¡°That, that, this, this? you shouldn¡¯t¡­!¡±


    He said hurriedly, pulling his hand behind his back.


    ¡°We will do what you requested as soon as possible!¡±


    Aside from the fact that Retro was so embarrassed that both of his cheeks turned red, Astel felt proud.


    ¡®I got the artifact appraiser and a proxy inside the knights!¡¯


    Of course, it was an ambush that this proxy was timid and had low self-esteem, but¡­


    This time, I decided to approach him cautiously with light small talk without rushing.


    ¡°What do you usually do, Sir Retro?¡±


    ¡°Usually subjugating monsters or working with the captain of the Capital Guard to catchrge criminals.¡±


    ¡°Large criminal¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Now I¡¯m working on catching robbers roaming around the Duke¡¯s Castle, and I¡¯ve been assigned to this ce.¡±


    He said in a perfect FM manner.


    If he was enough to catch the robbers, he would have very rich information throughout this northern part.


    I smiled satisfactorily and nodded.


    There was a good escort knight that I liked very much.


    ?


    Meanwhile, Duke Anais was in the capital.


    For a meeting with the Emperor.


    From a long time ago, the Duke of Anais and the imperial family had an ufortable symbiotic rtionship.


    The Emperor was feeling grievous about the present Duke of Anais.


    He only knew that he¡¯s a beast, but the Emperor didn¡¯t know about his exact race, and he had many other aspects.


    Although nothing is certain yet, whenever the blue eyes turn towards him, it often feels like a beast whose eyes sh in the bushes, making his spine tingle and bitter.


    ¡®It felt like I became a herbivore just before being bitten, not an Emperor of an Empire.¡¯ The Emperor thought to himself.


    Not only me, but also my sessor, the Crown Prince, showed a sharp attitude towards the Duke.


    -¡®Your Majesty, those in the North are a necessary evil.¡¯


    -¡®It¡¯s our shield that would also destroy the monsters.¡¯


    -¡®However¡­ It¡¯s also clear that the power of the beasts pose a threat to imperial power.¡¯


    If the Crown Prince had not coaxed him, the Emperor might have previously defined the Duke as an invible realm.


    However, when I heard the prince¡¯s instigation, it certainly seemed dangerous to give the Duke greater authority than now.


    However, it was also not clear how to check. The Crown Prince suggested this to the troubled Emperor.


    -¡®How about subjugating them down through marriage first.¡¯


    -¡®Are you saying to bring him to be my son-inw?¡¯


    -¡®Yes. The Duke of Anais is single.¡¯


    -¡®Marriage is a good trading method for generations.¡¯


    It was a perfect n as long as it was achieved.


    He¡¯s one of the Empire¡¯s second Duke families, and if we stop recruiting them, we¡¯ll be able to put the different races of the Northern Dominion under the jurisdiction of the Empire again.


    While the Emperor was raising his aspirations, it had been a very long time since he and the Duke of Anais had met.


    On an afternoon full of warm sunlight, inside the huge garden of the Imperial Pce.


    The Emperor and the Duke continued their dry conversation without even a cup of tea between them.


    ¡°The Knights of the Roses have perfectly joined the subjugation team.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty.¡±


    The Emperor, who was ncing at Duke Anais with a not very grateful expression, brought up the main topic of the day.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I brought in a foster daughter from my ward.¡±


    The original imperial princess did not reach the age of five and died.


    The Empress and the Emperor were living a lonely life, longing for the princess who had been lost for many years as a result of the kidnapping in the imperial pce, where even her body couldn¡¯t be found.


    Moreover, after their unfortunate loss of the princess, the cry of a baby was never heard in the imperial pce.


    However, since there¡¯s a Crown Prince, there seems to be no need of increasing the number of the Imperial Family further¡­


    Now that more than a decade has passed, the Emperor seemed to have thought of weing a new princess.


    Of course, it was not a topic of much interest to the Duke.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡± The Duke gave a casual greeting.


    The Emperor, who was looking at his blunt expression, spoke straightforwardly.


    ¡°¡­Honesty¡­ She¡¯s a lively kid. And she seems to have interest in the northern part, too.¡±


    However, the Duke of Anais also never spoke back.


    ¡°I will decline the marriage talk in advance.¡±


    ¡°Do you even have any intention of thinking about it for a moment?¡± The Emperor showed difort.


    ¡°If she lived as a royal in the elegant capital city, wouldn¡¯t it be painful if she were to wed with a northern barbarian?¡±


    This time, he pretended to be considerate of the other person, but in the end, he was firm in his will to never ept marriage.


    The Emperor¡¯s brow narrowed.


    ¡°It will be a marriage of no benefit with each other, so please stop saying that.¡±


    In addition, the Emperor, who was particrly quick to notice theing words, frowned.


    He was not a soft-spoken man, but he was particrly cold and sharp in the story of marriage.


    ¡®Is there anything you have in mind¡­?¡¯ The Emperor wondered.


    I haven¡¯t checked it yet, but I haven¡¯t heard any information.


    However, the Emperor was a person who knew how to hit and leave.


    He smiled and asked the Duke.


    ¡°See you at the court meeting the next two days. What are you nning to do in the capital city?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking over a chocte shop.¡± The Duke replied with a growling sound.


    The Emperor was startled by the harsh voice.


    Unlike my son, who was widely distributed, he had rtively little chatter.


    But, wait a minute¡­


    I think I heard something that didn¡¯t suit Duke Anais at all¡­


    ¡°¡­A chocte shop?¡±

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    ?


    At the slow-flowing question, the Duke lowered his gaze and smiled.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Did the Duke like choctes?¡±


    He hid the word ¡®sweets¡¯ behind his tongue because it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t even touch them.


    Nevertheless, the question that appeared on the Emperor¡¯s face did not easily disappear.


    However, Duke Anais had no intention of talking any further.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to like it from now on.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The Emperor, who sat down with his posture corrected, shook his head.


    The solo time was slowlying to an end. The next order was that of the court white Julian.


    His n was to call the adopted princess around this time and make them have tea time with them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the next court meeting.¡±


    ¡®I couldn¡¯t even see a hole to get in.¡¯ The Emperor half-heartedly thought.


    ¡°You must be busy.¡±


    He spoke with half displeasure, but the Duke Anais only responded neatly, as if he had no interest in the other person¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s do this again next time.¡±


    The Duke got up and bowed politely.


    The Emperor folded his arms as he saw the elegant back of the Duke leaving the private room.


    ¡®I almost passed it without noticing, but something was different.¡¯


    I felt a slight urgency from the Duke¡¯s actions, who was always indifferent and rxed.


    The Emperor furrowed his brows.


    Judging from the attitude of Duke Anais, an artificial meeting that was arranged by others won¡¯t be good.


    After all, young people tend to prefer natural encounters.


    -¡®It is better to promote the marriage between the princess and the Duke as soon as possible, Father.¡¯


    -¡®Why?¡¯


    -¡®There¡¯s a growing trend of people in the Empire who yearn for beast people. In addition, more and more people are moving to the Dominion of the North to avoid imperialws.¡¯


    -¡®Before that, we should make him our ally.¡¯


    -¡®Yes. Otherwise, everyone will be our enemies.¡¯


    The Crown Prince was right.


    As it¡¯s a difficult opponent to deal with, it was necessary to make him an ally for now.


    Then, how should the princess and the Duke naturally form a rtionship?


    The Emperor frowned with deep anxiety.


    ?


    Time in the capital passed by neither slowly nor quickly.


    As the Emperor guessed, the Duke of Anais had a busy day.


    He was a bit overworked day and night checking thetest artifacts in the capital.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of bringing something from the capital?¡¯


    Since Astel was from the capital, it would have been boring in Duke Castle without the developed culture of the capital.


    He walked past the hall of the Imperial Pce bluntly.


    As he left the Imperial Pce, he met quite a few people and greeted them.


    Of course, everyone ran away after greeting him.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t really care.¡¯


    In order to revitalize the atmosphere and take a moderate rest, he leisurely walked along the promenade created in the Imperial Pce.


    Was it because of fatigue or was it a problem with the imprint likest time that my cheeks are feverish even though I¡¯m only taking a walk?


    When his heart raced, he thought about the imprint.


    To be exact, I was concerned about Astel, which was connected by the imprint.


    In the meantime, I wondered what the noble women of Astel¡¯s age usually use.


    However, I couldn¡¯t observe anything properly.


    Duke Anais frowned.


    ¡®In this imperial pce, wherever I go, there are no humans.¡¯


    I realized again that my reputation was well known to the nobles who went to and from the imperial pce.


    The Duke nced down at his hand.


    ¡®¡­It¡¯s the same as the humans.¡¯


    It¡¯s probably because of the notoriety of the Monster Wars. His lips twisted.


    Sadly, from some point on, everywhere he passed by became a ruin.


    He raised an eyebrow and then opened his lips loosely.


    Of course, I had to change my expression smoothly.


    If I¡¯m lucky enough to see even a human while walking and make eye contact, all of them run away.


    Anyhow, thinking that the walk was over, I immediately rechecked today¡¯s schedule.


    And with an indifferent face, I looked back on the civilized business of the capital step by step.


    As I thought about it, I thought that the order was to invite the most famous choctier in the capital.


    Today¡¯s schedule¡­


    However, today, I¡¯m going to take over the most famous dessert cafe in the capital, Mood Choct, which was popr enough to the point where nobledies gather on behalf of the salon.


    Standing in front of arge ss wall, he looked at his reflection in the ss and once again hung a smile on his lips.


    There was a copy of the dessert cafe¡¯s sign that read ¡°Mood Choct, Chocte sweeter than a cold winter¡¯s kiss¡±.


    What do you mean winter¡¯s kiss and chocte?


    Wasn¡¯t it a pretty romantic mood that goes well with the North?


    It was the first time in his life that he had such a romantic thought and smiled coldly.


    ?


    Just then, inside the Mood Choct Dessert Cafe.


    Three youngdies gathered in a cafe to build friendship and chatted without knowing the uing future.


    They are youngdies who have just finished their debut, and the biggest issue in life right now was deciding who their escort knight was.


    In conversations rted to escort knights, it¡¯s inevitable to talk about the most famous knights in the current capital.


    ¡°Sir Cassian Gray said he wouldn¡¯t escort anyone?¡±


    A youngdy, who looked disappointed, poked the cake with a fork.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what he said.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s already a woman in his heart?¡±


    The other youngdy¡¯s expression with wheat-colored hair darkened.


    Then the otherdy spoke in a serious tone.


    ¡°No way. Sir Cassian is the flower of the capital. It¡¯s a public good.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Wasn¡¯t he kind to everydy he meets?¡±


    The youngdyughed slyly.


    ¡°Was he simply affectionate?¡±


    She pointed her finger at the gossip paper ced next to the table.


    ¡°Have you seen this issue of Knights and Ladies?¡±


    The eyes of the three naturally fell toward the gossip paper.


    The gossip paper contained an anonymous interview by amoner that he had an impulsive night with ¡®Cassian Gray.¡¯


    They found a word they liked in the gossip.


    Right away¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s so absurd!¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s Awesome.¡±


    The faces of the three, who are still young, turned red.


    ¡°Oh my gosh¡­¡±


    How he changes at night, this way and that¡­


    There was a world in the gossip paper that they had never imagined.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s calm down.¡±


    They took a sip of tea and cooled down the heated atmosphere by continuously fanning with theirce fans.


    Since the story of Lord Cassian boosted the excitement, it was time to turn the conversation around to the topic that was slowly hitting the capital.


    ¡°Did you hear that story?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I heard that His Majesty the Duke of Anais has visited the capital!¡±


    In fact, apart from most of the capital nobles fearing the Duke of Anais and avoiding meeting him, the capital was bustling every day because of it.


    It was not only the issue of the Duke of Anais finding the capital, but also news about other ¡®women¡¯.


    The main character was a new princess who became the adopted daughter of the Emperor from a semi-aristocrat who hade from a coteral.


    ¡°There¡¯s a widespread story that the Duke was staying in the capital for the purpose of marrying her majesty the princess.¡±


    In fact, even before the Emperor even offered marriage to the Duke, the prince had already secretly circted rumors in social circles.


    It was a brief behind-the-scenes operation for marriage.


    ¡°Oh, my. Was it real?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a story like that.¡±


    The best Cindere story in the Empire.


    There must be royal blood on her maternal side, but at any rate she was born and raised in her own family and became a princess overnight!


    At first, everyone implicitly despised her, saying she was a peasant maiden, but those who saw her on the debut stage could no longer dare to ignore her.


    The new princess seems to have flowersid on every spot she passes by, and that her every movement was so beautiful that it makes her shine.


    If she was such a beautiful princess, she would definitely go well with the strong and elegant Duke of Anais regardless of her origin.


    ¡°Then, Her Majesty the Princess, would be the one who has everything!¡±


    There was a blush on the cheeks of the youngdies chatting.


    The meeting between the most beautiful woman in the Empire and the most powerful beast in the Empire, the Duke.


    Both the Duke and the Princess were so mysterious that romance novels based on them sprang up in an instant.


    It was in the midst of a more harmonious story under the theme of rumors between the two.


    The silver-haired Youngdy, who sat closest to the window, suddenly hit her front teeth.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m probably looking at a ghost right now, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Their eyes turned to the door.


    As the ss door opened, ¡®Duke Anais¡¯, who had been the main character of the conversation until just before, entered.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    ?


    The sound of neat heels gradually drew closer.


    It¡¯s beautiful, a fresh and romantic gathering ce for aristocrats who never get along with each other, his appearance evokes fear even before thinking about it.


    It seemed that the angel of the evil spirit had descended to destroy everything.


    Gulp?


    The three instinctively nervous swallowed loudly at the same time.


    Meanwhile, Duke Anais, who entered the dessert cafe, did not even think that he¡¯s presence froze the atmosphere, and thought that the inside was colder and quieter than he thought.


    He simply bowed down to the young owner of the cafe¡¯s counter, the capital¡¯s most famous choctier.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to make a deal.¡±


    The choctier, who got up abruptly, recognized the Duke¡¯s face and stiffened.


    ¡°Mr. Evan, I heard.¡±


    Duke Anais stared intently at him.


    Seeing him stuttering, he looked like he knew about him.


    Come to think of it, his assistant¡¯s name was Evan.


    The Duke nodded briefly in a deste manner.


    ¡°We signed a contract under the name of the honorary assistant of the Duke Anais.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Yes¡­¡±


    Who would have known?


    The owner didn¡¯t expect the Duke to arrive directly for the sale of the dessert cafe.


    They shook hands and bowed their heads.


    Soon after receiving the contract handed over by the owner¡¯s trembling hands, he smelled the sweet scent of chocte.


    Then the owner, who was wary, handed over a small sampled piece of chocte.


    I received it, put it in my mouth, and bit it.


    As soon as the first bitter taste passed, the deep and sweet scent dominated the pte.


    I didn¡¯t like the sweet taste that made the tip of his tongue tingle.


    ¡®Astel likes this kind of thing.¡¯


    I was getting to know Astel¡¯s taste one by one. It wasn¡¯t bad to think it was something she liked.


    Lost in a light dream, I signed the contract unstoppable.


    There was a faint smile on my lips that I didn¡¯t even know existed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s divide the contract one by one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    ¡°When I go to the North, you¡¯de with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind again¡­ Sir.¡±


    It was a contract that had already been made in advance, so it was concluded briefly.


    He turned around slowly.


    As soon as he turned around, he saw the young girls of noble families frozen in his sight.


    Their age seems between eighteen and twenty.


    They seem to have just made their debut, so they are probably Astel¡¯s peers.


    They were wearing a monastic dress, which, oddly enough, all had a corsage, a form of white flowers tied to their heads.


    If it had been him, he would have passed by without hesitation, but he did not miss it and meticulously captured their appearance.


    One step¡­


    Two steps¡­


    Theplexions of the three young girls who had gathered at the ce turned pale.


    Flop~


    A young girl dropped the gossip magazine ¡®Knight and Lady¡® on the floor.


    Coincidentally, the page theyid out was the section where Cassian Gray appeared ¡®unsurprisingly¡¯.


    Duke Anais, who was passing by at the noise, lowered his gaze down indifferently.


    Originally, his cold impression found something and quickly cooled down.


    He had better eyesight than humans.


    ¡®The flower of the capital, Sir Cassian Gray¡¯s undying energy?¡¯


    ¡ºExclusive interview ¨C An enchanting night with him.¡»


    He approached with a lively expression and looked down at the gossip paper.


    ¡°It¡¯s Cassian Gray¡¯s undying energy.¡±


    A young girl who had dropped the gossip groaned. He frowned slightly at the sound of hups.


    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a human woman this young, except for Astel, because I¡¯ve only been fighting monsters and was confined to the castle in the north.


    He stared at the young girl bluntly.


    ¡°Calm down, please.¡±


    Unfortunately, it had an adverse effect.


    The moment her eyes met with Duke Anais, fear came over the youngdy¡¯s head.


    Still, because of Cassian Gray, there was a glimmer of murderous intent in his eyes that was not at all gentle.


    ¡°Hic, hup!¡±


    Maybe that¡¯s why, instead of the usual eyes, his pupils looked like the eyes of a beast.


    It felt more overwhelming than before.


    The Duke swept his hair and whispered softly as if sighing.


    ¡°The flower of the capital¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    His gaze fell on the gossip paper again.


    ¡°There are even a few words in the newspapers saying that he¡¯s too arrogant.¡±


    It was a chilling voice, not just calm.


    ¡ºKnight¡¯s Enquire ¨C Sir Casian Gray, who¡¯s kind and sweet by day and unrelenting at night, was the ideal type as number one!¡»


    Sweet during the day and unrelenting at night?


    He gritted his teeth and picked up the gossip paper.


    ¡°This gossip paper.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    At the one-sided notice, the young girls exchanged nces and then nodded as best they could.


    For a moment, they could hear a beast growling.


    Probably hallucinating, urgently turning away from reality.


    ?


    The next day, the Duke of Anais took part in the scheduled court meeting.


    Today¡¯s meeting was held in a rtively free atmosphere rather than being overly formal.


    The agenda for the war of monsters led by the Duke ended quickly.


    After that, a proposal to cut the budget for the magic tower wizards located in the western part of the empire emerged.


    ¡°We have to cut their budget.¡±


    ¡°Right. The wizard¡¯s power should not be too strong.¡±


    ¡°There should never be a case like the Count of Vietry again.¡±


    ¡°It would have been an example to have killed the neck of the traitor. There¡¯s a precedent, but how dare the wizardse forward?¡±


    In the past, the heads of the Empire¡¯srgest wizard family, Count Vietry, who attempted to rebel, were hanged by the wall.


    Not even a body was left intact.


    In thest decade or so, even after such a tragic death, humiliating songs have flowed throughout the empire.


    Was it an expression of inferiority towards the chosen ones, who had powers that ordinary humans could not have?


    Or was it because of the fear towards those who have thrown the empire into chaos?


    The family of the Archmage has long since been reduced to ridicule.


    ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s cut the budget.¡±


    A changer who knows how to use magic was outraged.


    ¡°It¡¯s certain that there will be a bacsh from the tower. They are ordinary wizards. They must have harbored a vicious repulsion like Vietry!¡±


    With multiple interests intertwined, the atmosphere was overheated.


    There was only one person who couldn¡¯t concentrate on the spot.


    It was Duke Anais.


    Now, the sound of the nobles shouting nearby could not reach his ears.


    Because Cassian Gray¡¯s promiscuous behavior lingered in his mind.


    Last night, he read the gossip paper about Cassian Gray slowly.


    ¡ºThe flower of the capital that melted the hearts of all women frommoners to nobles with his handsome face, intensive exploration of Sir Cassian!¡»


    Cassian was a regr customer of this low-level gossip not only this time but also normally.


    The Duke grinded his teeth as he stared at Cassian¡¯s ugly portrait, grinning slyly.


    -¡®You must give me money!¡¯


    In the midst of the loud discussion of the aristocrats, the voice of him requesting money from Astel reached his ears like a hallucination.


    Thanks to this, it was the participants of the court meeting who had to ept the life of the beast.


    Tired of filling the conference hall, they finally stopped discussing.


    But whether they were crying or not, the Duke had no time to care.


    Although he was able to properly capture the form of a beast, he could notpletely control his instinctive aura.


    Duke Anais, who kept his expressionless face and froze the meeting hall, was the first to go outside as soon as the court meeting was over.


    As he exited the meeting room, he encountered Ropa, the leader of the Knights of the Roses, nearby.


    ¡°Themander of the Knights of the Roses, this Ropa Schelind meets Your Majesty the Duke.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Ropa secretly spoke to Duke Anais, who was about to leave his seat without any regrets.


    ¡°Your Majesty has asked the Duke to finally inspect and confirm the power of the Knights¡±


    At that moment, Duke Anais stared intently at Ropa.


    I could see sweat welling up on his forehead.


    No matter how heresy and arrogant the capital was, I had to pretend to please the Imperial Emperor to some extent unless I was apletely independent country.


    ¡®In order to reinforce the power of the Monster War, l should check the power of the Knights in advance.¡¯


    A simple calction form stood in the Duke¡¯s head.


    As he nodded, Ropa led him happily.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take long, sir.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Above all else, it was clear that there would be ¡®him¡¯ in the Knights Temr.


    Cassian Gray.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    ?


    ¡°Was Cassian Gray within the longitude?¡±


    However, the other person showed an unexpected reaction.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ Sir Cassian Gray went on sick leave for a while.¡±


    I could feel Ropa staring at me.


    ¡°Sick leave?¡± Duke Anais asked briefly.


    ¡°Yes, yes! He¡¯s a very healthy human being. He fell down on the floor like a withered spinach, so I didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d ever be able to go back to the North, Haha! Was it because he¡¯s upset that he got disciplined?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Regardless of being healthy or sick, Cassian Gray will now be banned from entering the North again, Duke Anais sneered and raised his head lightly.


    ¡°Haha, what else is there¡­?¡±


    Although there was nothing more to say, Rofa awkwardly continued to scratch his head.


    Duke Anais stopped his steps as he was about to sail to the Rose Knights¡¯ Room.


    I could see the gentle breeze drying the sweat on Ropa¡¯s forehead.


    He decided to revise the evaluation of this Knight Commander, who he thought was quite honest.


    ¡°Sir Ropa Schellind.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t very good at acting. To the point where it smells quite suspicious even to strangers.


    Or maybe he was simply not good at lying.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Ropa kept opening his mouth, reading the Duke¡¯s countenance.


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of his privacy, so I couldn¡¯t tell you the details¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir Cassian Gray is a knight who will be transferred to the North after being summoned to the Monster War.¡±


    He was thinking of preventing Cassian Gray from going north anyway.


    However, it was particrly special to reveal what this dubious man was hiding right now.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Information on who will be a knight under mymand must be shared with me in advance, even for the honor of the Knights.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s still Sir Cassian¡¯s private life, so it¡¯s a little difficult¡­¡±


    Duke Anais squinted at the word ¡®privacy¡®.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to find out for myself.¡±


    Then, the eyes of the knightmander Ropa shook violently.


    Rumors of Cassian Gray spread all over the ce.


    If it¡¯s all true information, people who were jealous of handsome and popr knights mixed more malice among the gossip.


    In that case, it would have been better off saying it himself.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s, in fact, it¡¯s only nominal sick leave, and it seems that Cassian¡¯s personal appointment was a bit difficult these days. Should I say family affairs?¡±


    ¡°Family affairs?¡±


    He had little interest in Cassian¡¯s family affairs.


    Cassian was an orphan and grew up in Z Orphanage.


    But I think there was something wrong with him.


    However, Ropa shook his head and spoke.


    ¡°Yeah. Apparently, he has a bit of a rtionship with a woman, of course, he¡¯s been in a rtionship with all the women neatly by agreement so far, but somehow¡­¡±


    The Duke slightly pointed out the nuance contained in Ropa¡¯s omitted words.


    ¡°In short, Cassian Gray is in a truce right now. Isn¡¯t this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Maybe there¡¯s a child¡­ Oh, this is just my guess. It¡¯s not reliable at all.¡±


    He stared intently at Ropa Schellind.


    Ropa Schellind was not just gossiping about Cassian Gray, but was genuinely worried.


    Therefore, there was a high probability that his behaviour was true.


    Because Cassian Gray is one of the most promiscuous prodigals.


    ¡°It seems that all the money he earned from the Knights was wasted on love, so¡­this guy, I¡¯m really worried these days.¡±


    With every word added, the image of Cassian Gray in the Duke¡¯s mind was shed again.


    ¡®How can he ask Astel for money while squandering money on another woman?¡¯


    In many ways, he¡¯s a human being below the standard.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not saying this because he¡¯s a knight under mymand, Sir. He¡¯s quite genuine. In addition, he has excellent skills. He never had any idents when I participated in the war, so I¡¯m sure there will be no problem this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    As if he didn¡¯t want to hear about him any more, the Duke took another step.


    Ropa Schellind falters during the day when he¡¯s still alive.


    Leaving him behind, the Duke decided to think only good thoughts all day instead of Cassian Gray, who was annoying.


    As long as Astel was in the North, there was nothing to worry about hastily because she would never meet Cassian for the time being.


    Besides, in two days I¡¯d be returning to my castle.


    With all kinds of gifts for Astel.


    I¡¯ve also warned Astel firmly about Cassian Gray, and her mind was opening little by little.


    So, wouldn¡¯t I be able to do everything I thought of when I first brought Astel to the Castle?


    Warm thoughts, like the moderate afternoon sunlight, ran through his mind.


    Unfortunately, however, at that time, Cassian Gray was in the Northern Duchy on his sick leave.


    Holding a child¡¯s hand.


    ?


    Inside the Duke¡¯s guest room.


    With a pounding heart, I stopped outside the room where my brother was waiting.


    ¡®The man I referred to as my friend appeared.¡¯


    My older brother appeared without revealing his name, Cassian Gray.


    Thanks to the fact that I warned the maids that my friend woulde, my brother was able to enter the Northern Duke Castle without any problems.


    After being bitten by all the maids, including Sally and Jenny, I took a deep breath and strode inside the room.


    As soon as I entered, my brother, Cassian Gray, who disguised himself with a ck robe, came into view.


    I walked closer, looking at my brother.


    On the edge of my brother¡¯s robe was a tiny fist size of a parrot baby.


    ¡®Parrot? Isn¡¯t that a baby?¡¯


    Why is there a parrot here?


    It was around the time I was reviewing the original timeline of the story in my head.


    My brother called carefully.


    ¡°Astel¡­¡±


    After my attention was turned to the parrot, I saw my brother¡¯s face and stiffened.


    My brother¡¯s eyes, who always smiled and teased me for being a crybaby, were red.


    He has never cried in front of me until now.


    But now¡­


    As my gaze reached the corners of his eyes, he lowered his hood down a little more to cover his face.


    It looked like he was about to cry again.


    The only difference is that what Cassian brought was a parrot, not a child, and this scene was also in the original.


    When Cassian handed over his child during the day when he was about to cry, Astel in the original was embarrassed and started crying.


    Such a situation gave Cassian a greater sense of debt.


    In order not to do the same as Astel did in the original, I tried to pretend to be calm and spoke.


    ¡°Idiot, why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The always yful smile was gone, and his throat seems sore.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s that parrot?¡±


    I stared at him, straightening my shoulders, pretending to be a trustworthy adult.


    Then my brother carefully touched the parrot¡¯s wings next to him.


    ¡°This parrot¡­¡±


    I watched my brother¡¯s actions silently.


    A parrot jumped over my brother¡¯sp.


    Staring intently at it, I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened it, and the parrot had be a baby.


    A little surprised, I raised my trembling hand and put it around my lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡±


    In the original novel, there was no record that the child was a beast.


    However, in my head, a description came to mind that the male protagonist used various ancient magic to hide the child.


    Perhaps, in order to bring a child who¡¯s difficult to disguise its identity, he must have used ancient magic to enter the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    That must have been the reason why the child disguised itself as a parrot.


    I was deeply moved by the appearance of a three-year-old child, but on the outside, I tilted my head and pretended to be puzzled.


    ¡°So¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡±

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    ?


    ¡°¡­This child is my son.¡±


    ¡­My brother¡¯s son and my precious nephew.


    I gazed at the child¡¯s golden hair and sparkling green eyes.


    The child particrly resembles my older brother¡¯s original hair color, blonde and green eyes.


    A familiar face that resembles my brother and probably resembles my sister-inw who¡¯s not in this world now.


    I quietly opened my mouth and stroked the child¡¯s hair in my brother¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Hello, baby.¡±


    At my calm response, Cassian remained still as if he was tearing up, and carefully opened his mouth.


    ¡°¡­The child is in a very bad condition.¡±


    As if I understood everything, I nodded without asking anything else.


    And I reached out to him.


    But he hesitated and refused to give the child to me.


    ¡°Magic power is helping his heart beat.¡±


    Closing my eyes tightly, I red at him with a firm gaze, who still did not hand over the child.


    ¡°Give him to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until I shouted that the strength in his hold gradually loosened.


    At that moment, when he quickly handed over the child, I froze at the child crying in my arms.


    With a pale nose because of theck of sunlight, cute round glutinous-like cheeks, wheezing sound, and breathing leaking out of his lips, I stared at it one by one.


    After a period of heavy silence, Cassian wore his robe deeper and spoke in a more determined voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up. Definitely.¡±


    It meant that he woulde to pick him up when his revenge was over.


    His expression was hard to see, but it was presumed that his eyes were even redder.


    I spoke to him in a serious tone.


    ¡°Okay, make sure to pick us up.¡±


    Despite my mature attitude, my brother continued to utter worriedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Eat well if you¡¯re sick. I brought some money just in case you need some pocket money?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Do you think I¡¯m a kid? I have a lot of money!¡±


    ¡°Lies.¡±


    Heughed for the first time, fussing. I shrugged and opened my mouth.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not lying. So, what¡¯s the name of the baby?¡±


    In the original story, the child didn¡¯t have a name until it was almost finished.


    In the process of revenge, my brother always thought he didn¡¯t know when he would die.


    So he didn¡¯t name the child right away and postponed it until the revenge waspleted.


    Thus, before he died, he just uttered the child¡¯s name like the sound of a death sentence, like a will.


    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. The name,ter¡­¡±


    It hasn¡¯t changed from the original.


    He didn¡¯t seem to intend to name the child yet.


    Of course, after reading the original, I knew the name of my nephew to be given in the future, but of course, I pretended to be innocent.


    ¡°Can I just call it ¡®Baby¡®?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can name it, do whatever you want, Astel.¡±


    I tried to peer into his face, buried deep in the robe hood.


    However, only the hardened lips were visible.


    Even if I don¡¯t see it, he looks like he¡¯s suffering from excessive debt and responsibility for his only family.


    But he didn¡¯t have much of a choice. the only way is toe to me.


    ¡°I can raise him well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I hugged the child tightly.


    It was lovely to see him gently wrapped in my arms without crying and the fragrant milky baby smell hovering around the tip of my nose.


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you. Baby, let¡¯s take care of each other.¡±


    I gently caressed the baby¡¯s little hand that gripped my cor.


    My heart pounded as I felt the warm little child wriggling and digging into my arms.


    ¡°Oh, my!


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Ohh!¡±


    The baby who opened his eyes smiled at me.


    I told my brother, stroking my nephew¡¯s fluffy hair in my arms.


    ¡°He can¡¯t speak well because of the disease. It¡¯d be really cute if he started talking.¡±


    The child closed his eyes tightly as if about to fall asleep again.


    My brother muttered with a long sigh.


    ¡°¡­I think I should go now.¡±


    My brother seemed to be constantly being worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m really going to raise him well.¡±


    My brother got up and headed towards the door.


    I followed him and stood next to him. Now it was time to say our final goodbyes.


    After leaving the child, I never knew when I would see him again.


    I will continue to stay in the North for a while, and my brother will be busy with his full-fledged revenge.


    ¡®It¡¯s a miracle that my brother hid his identity and came into this ce.¡¯


    We couldn¡¯t let anyone open the door first.


    Instead, he hugged me tight as I was holding the baby. Naturally, tears also formed in my eyes as it turned red.


    ¡°You should be fine.¡±


    My brother looked at me.


    Finally, I could see his face inside the hood.


    He was smiling as yful as before, but his eyes looked sad.


    The first time I saw his face, my heart pounded and I almost fell.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be super luxurious, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I purposely smiled brightly, pretending not to know the sadness in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    He stroked my head with a mischievous expression on his face. I held the baby in one arm for a moment and turned the doorknob.


    It was then.


    My brother, who had been restraining his emotions the whole time, called my name in a very gentle voice.


    ¡°Astel.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The doorknob creaked, and the door slowly opened.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m leaving you and the child alone.¡±


    His voice trembled with guilt.


    However, from the moment he decided to take revenge, he was prepared to make such a sacrifice.


    After the Vietry family was falsely framed and destroyed, we are the only blood rtives of each other.


    With that will, I had no choice but to nail my brother firmly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really sorry, you muste back.¡±


    But he didn¡¯t answer¡­


    ?


    On the way back from seeing my brother like that, I put the child who wiggled his body on the hallway, asking to get down.


    Soon, with plump, sausage-like legs, I grabbed the baby¡¯s hand, who was standing upright.


    Wobble, wobbly~


    Perhaps because of the disease, I think he¡¯ste to speak, but it was lovely to see a three-year-old walking step by step with all his might.


    ¡®I need to talk to him quickly and give him medicine so he can grow up healthy.¡¯


    The moment we entered the Delphinium Room through the hallway with a firm resolution.


    The maids who were waiting for me in the room were shocked and hardened by the sudden appearance of the child.


    Of course, all those reactions were within the scope I expected.


    It was surprising that I showed up with a small child without saying a word.


    I sped the child¡¯s hand even tighter, looking at the hardened maids.


    ¡°That child¡­ Who¡¯s that child¡­?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t answer whose child this was. I just smiled lightly at their puzzled faces.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s my friend¡¯s son!¡±


    I felt sorry for the maids, but I had no choice but to say that.


    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±


    ¡°I said I liked his child and wanted to take care of him for a while. The baby¡¯s also a little sick.¡±


    ¡°Aw, is he sick?¡±


    Innocent Sally¡¯s eyes widened. I nodded slowly with a sad expression and squeezed the child¡¯s hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s a small problem.¡±¡±


    At my words, Sally and Jenny looked at each other and struggled to smile. Nevertheless, I could not hide my embarrassment.


    ¡®Suddenly, I have a child to take care of, so it must be a little ufortable.¡¯


    It¡¯s natural that a customer brought another family member.


    Strictly speaking, I¡¯m a human being, and I have a difficult position to work in the Duke Castle in the first ce.


    Sure enough, Rudel, the maid who was frozen together next to the other maids, hurriedly opened her mouth.


    ¡°His Majesty¡­ does he know this?¡±


    The maid, who was always wise, seems to have stuttered her, but did I mishear it? So I spoke carefully.


    ¡°Ah, he doesn¡¯t know for sure yet. I think I¡¯ll formally greet him when hees back!¡±


    Of course, I told him that I would bring a friend.


    But I didn¡¯t specifically state that it was a baby, so it must have been embarrassing.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡±


    Their unknown gaze turned toward the angry baby.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    ?


    A deep night when Astel was sleeping.


    The maids of the Duke Castle who served Astel gathered in a small secret room to discuss the current situation.


    Of course, the topic of conversation was ¡®the child brought by Astel.¡¯


    ¡°Is it really the child of a close friend?¡± Jenny muttered softly.


    ¡°It looked too much like Astel¡­¡±


    When everyone brought up what they


    thought about Astel¡¯s situation, the atmosphere became cold.


    ¡°¡­And she seemed a little flustered.¡±


    Astel wasn¡¯t good at acting.


    An experienced maid who always looked ahead, gently opened her lips and spoke.


    ¡°If it¡¯s really Astel¡¯s child, there might be a bloodstorm in the castle¡­¡±


    Sally, Jenny, and the maid Rudel, as well as all the maids gathered in the room, have seen how Duke Anais treats Astel.


    Since Astel came to the Duke Castle, he has never taken his gaze off her.


    He pretends to be kind and sweet, but it¡¯s just a mask.


    But when he finds out that Astel has brought an unidentified child, what if that child was Astel¡¯s hidden child¡­ ?


    Rudel felt dizzy and terrified at the thought. Then Sally spoke carefully.


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s take it easy and watch over them.¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Astel¡¯s child, but a real friend¡¯s child. Why?¡±


    The other maid asked quietly, pushing her ragged arms. She was a knight and had a simple and calm personality.


    ¡°If Astel has a child, how can the Duke not know?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡±


    The maids were relieved for a usible reason and swept over their chest.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s slowly go to bed¡­ Oh, what is this? Fox?¡±


    While they had their hearts calmed and were about to disperse, a silver fox with sparkling fur stormed into the secret room.


    It was Bell.


    The voice of a human boy flowed from the mouth of the fox, with it¡¯s prickly ear.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    One of the maids, a cheerful and naive young maid, told the fox.


    ¡°Astel has brought an unknown baby, Bell.¡±


    ¡°Baby? A human baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tsk, I would be cuter.¡± Said by the silver fox with its nose twitching as he spoke to himself.


    They smiled and began tofort each other.


    No matter how the hair color and eye color of Astel and the child are the same, and even though the child¡¯s features are strangely reminiscent of Astel¡­


    Blonde and green eyes were moremon than they thought, and some say that friends resemble each other.


    Of course, suddenly raising a friend¡¯s baby was also a part that was somewhat iprehensible to the beasts who were ustomed to living ording to thew of the weak and strong.


    However, wouldn¡¯t Astel¡¯s good hearted nature be enough to take care and raise a friend¡¯s child just before culling?


    No, no matter how kind Astel was, wouldn¡¯t it be right to ept a friend¡¯s child so readily?


    Various debates continued in their heads, but fortunately, nothing was yet certain.


    Therefore, there was only one thing that the loyal maids could do in the future.


    To closely observe Astel¡¯s every move in the future!


    ?


    Early in the morning on the same day,


    At Dawn, in a dim lit sky, when they still couldn¡¯t tell whether it¡¯s a dog or a wolf in front of them.


    The faint moonlight shone on the man¡¯s face.


    On his left cheek, a lightning-shaped bolt was drawn thickly.


    ¡°No matter how much I think about it, Astel, the human healer, is suspicious.¡±


    Rumors spread that it was Astell who took care of Sam.


    Up to this point, it was quite probable.


    If Astel was apetent healer, she would only have saved the head of the Jaguar family she was in charge of.


    However¡­


    ording to the eyes and ears nted in the Jaguar family, Sam died in tears, iming that his artifact had disappeared.


    ¡°The artifact is still missing.¡±


    At those words, the man with his entire body covered with a ck robe and a hood covering his face, whispered quietly.


    ¡°Find the artifact first.¡±


    ¡°Right, if someone disassembles the artifact, our identities can be caught¡­ We¡¯ll have to figure out where the artifact is.¡±


    Of course, it was confirmed through background investigation that Astel was a sincere healer.


    But, even if it¡¯s just a coincidence, if that woman has acquired the Artifact, things will be slightly different.


    ¡®No matter what kind of person she is, we have to find the artifact.¡¯


    ¡°While taking the life of the sessor at the same time, I will also deal with that healer.¡±


    Subsequently, the person covered in robe muttered as if predicting grimly.


    ¡°What can prevent the great monarch from moving forward?¡±


    The other man grinned and stomped on the ants crawling under his feet.


    ¡°Yes, if I step on it like this, it¡¯s over.¡±


    There was no emotion in their eyes as they looked at the crashed insects.


    ?


    The next day, at the Duke of Anais mansion.


    The weather was nice today. The sun was warm and the wind was cool, it was a perfect day.


    So, after giving my nephew a potion, I held his hand and went out to the sunny garden.


    This was because Rudel, the maid, briefly told me to go to the garden and take a walk with the baby.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t intend to just bask in the sun in the garden. Right now I was thinking of making a n for how to raise my nephew.


    ¡®Because this child shouldn¡¯t be exposed to bad guys.¡¯


    I had to leave him in my room. And I had to feed the mana control potion, put a protective gear on him, and leave him where my eyes could reach.


    ¡°I wish you all the best, baby.¡±


    I asked Lord Retro, who was beside me, for a word card.


    The word cards were a total of a hundred sheets, and they were of a in type with letters written on the front side and drawings on the back side.


    I ced the child on the table covered with a nket and sat on the chair opposite him. And pulled a few cards over.


    ¡®What should I ask first? Because the baby can¡¯t speak well¡­¡¯


    I think it¡¯s still too difficult to read the word card ¡®Wagon¡¯.


    As I pondered, I stared at the child.


    As the baby moved around, he raised his hand, like plump white bread, and pressed it against my cheek.


    Soft fingers pressed against my cheek.


    I said, shoving the word card towards the baby.


    ¡°Hey, what is this?¡±


    Green eyes resembling the innocence of a child began to tremble as he looked at the picture of the wagon.


    Does this baby know the wagon?


    If I just raise him well, I don¡¯t think I could make him a genius, but I think I could raise him as a gifted one?


    My heart started pounding.


    The child shouted with his mouth wide open.


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    ¡°A wagon?¡±


    Then the baby shook his head.


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    He¡¯s been saying this for a long time. Does that mean ¡®Mom¡¯? I smiled happily and stroked the child¡¯s head.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at saying ¡®mom¡¯. Let¡¯s try again, daddy.¡±


    ¡°Daddy?¡±


    In case my brother returns, I had to educate this child about his biological parents in advance.


    Worried that my nephew would resent my brother for leaving him alone, I hoped he would be proud of his father, who would reinstate his family in the future.


    ¡°Yeah. You have a very cool daddy, too.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The baby was struck with an iprehensible nce, he seemed to not understand what I said well.


    I carefully picked up the card with the word ¡®clothes¡¯ from the word card.


    Luckily, a knight uniform was painted on the other side of the picture.


    To be precise, it¡¯s like the knight¡¯s uniform that my brother often wears.


    ¡°This is what your daddy wears, isn¡¯t it cool?¡±


    The baby nodded as hard as he inted his plump chubby cheeks.


    Every time he nodded, his cheek shook like a soft potato.


    ¡°Uh!¡±


    The boy answered vigorously and took the word card for ¡®clothes¡¯ from me.


    Then, he stared at the painting for a long time, holding it with both hands.


    ¡°Daddy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Daddy.¡±


    ¡°Daddy, clothes.¡±


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±


    Was the potion for controlling the explosion of mana that I fed him in the morning working already?


    Did a baby already say ¡®clothes¡¯?


    Taking the medicine seemed to have the effect of clearing the baby¡¯s mind, which had been clouded by pain.


    ¡°You must be a genius.¡±

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    ?


    I hugged the child who was talking with his cute lips twitching, then kissed his cheek.


    The boy¡¯s cheeks were flushed with anger.


    ¡°Daddy, mommy.¡±


    The child stuck out his tongue.


    I wiped the child¡¯s mouth with a handkerchief tied around his neck and said ¡®Dad¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah, you miss your dad, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Uh!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see him soon.¡±


    ¡°Hiik!¡±


    The child dangled his legs and buried his face in my arms.


    Still, he did not let go of the word card with the word ¡®clothes¡¯ written on it, holding it tightly with his wriggling hands.


    ¡®Are you going to check it when Daddyes backter?¡¯ Astel chuckled.


    A warm, regr breathing could be felt on my chest.


    ¡®Baby I will protect you.¡¯


    As he grew up smiling proudly, I felt strange gazes from those around us.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    I slightly nced and stared at the ce where I could feel the gaze.


    A squirrel was climbing up and down the tree. Other than that, it¡¯s little animal friends were hiding somewhere and peeping at me.


    ¡°Hi, do you want some acorns?¡±


    A bunch of chubby brown fur that looked like a chestnut shook its head.


    ¡°¡­Are you a beast?¡±


    The squirrel seemed to be trembling for some reason, but I couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    ¡®Come to think of it, did the squirrel hear what I told my nephew?¡¯


    But whoever heard it didn¡¯t really matter.


    It was just a casual and peaceful conversation that wouldn¡¯t cause any problems.


    ?


    The squirrel¡¯s report was as fast as collecting acorns.


    The little squirrel quickly crossed the threshold of the garden.


    And the squirrel headed to the maids of Duke¡¯s Castle, who were watching over Astel¡¯s movements that shook the Duke¡¯s mansion with an unexpected child.


    Of course, the maids weren¡¯t the only ones there.


    Astel¡¯s dedicated maids, rabbit and fox maids, as well as the escort knight Lord Retro, were together.


    A fox maid who spotted the squirrel first tilted her head.


    ¡°Squirrel?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re busy.¡±


    After a brief pause, Sir Retro continued to speak in a serious tone.


    ¡°I asked her earlier this morning while delivering the word card. Astel said it was never her son. When I saw her honest eyes, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯s her son either.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    The squirrel shook its head, biting a lot of acorns in frustration, and jumped up and settled on the back of the maid¡¯s hand to gain her attention to listen.


    ¡°Does that squirrel have something to say?¡±


    A rabbit maid who talked to the squirrel took an acorn out of its mouth and told the story.


    They all listened carefully.


    ¡°Squeak.. squeak!!¡±


    The rabbit maid stiffened as she heard the squirrel mumble.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you making that face?¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    She slowly opened her lips to speak and brought out the words the squirrel had told her.


    ¡°That baby, called Astel¡­ he called her mom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was just a joke.¡±


    Lord Retro raised his chin and leaned his face in front of the maid as he spoke, and the rabbit maid hated his actions.


    ¡°Hey, please don¡¯t talk right in front of my face. It¡¯s a little scary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what matters right now.¡±


    The rabbit maid, who turned away from Sir Retro, muttered like a whisper.


    ¡°Why do I keep having bad ideas?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡±


    Sally, who had been standing still, snapped out a word.


    ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t the age at which humans get married around 17 or 18?¡±


    ¡°I heardmoners get married a little early. But¡­¡±


    Sir Retro swept over his face lightly. He recalled all the warnings he had heard from the Duke with a dreadful mind.


    With his ferocious face distorted in half, he buried it in hisrge bear-like hand.


    The rabbit and fox maids around him hovered around him andforted him.


    Sir Retro spoke quietly, opening his mouth stiffly.


    ¡°Do you happen to know how the duke handles Monsters?¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask that because he didn¡¯t know.


    The ignorant rabbit maid babbled again.


    ¡°Usually, monsters are neutered and then torn and killed. Why all of a sudden? For someone who knows it well. Do you have a problem?¡±


    The Duke had said that if Astel encountered a problem or if she and him became closer than he needed to, the Duke would treat him like a monster.


    Retro, who recalled a future that would be a defect after not having a single rtionship, hardened, fear could be seen on his expression along with sweats on his forehead.


    Rather, he was frighteningly calm.


    Sir Retro calmly lowered his hand and muttered.


    ¡°¡­Everyone, it¡¯s been fun.¡±


    He said goodbye to the maids in a serious manner.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not sure yet.¡±


    The maids have lived in the castle for a long time and took care of the mansion.


    However, until Astel came, there was no history of seeing the Duke smile. Astel was an exception, so no one knew what other variables would ur.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s nothing for sure yet¡­¡±


    Sir Retro smiled benevolently and staggered up to his feet as if he had given up on everything.


    ¡°Anyway since the arrival of the baby is a variable, I will write a letter to the Duke. I¡¯m the escort of Astel, so I¡¯ll report¡­¡±


    With the saint¡¯s heart that he would carry everything with him, he looked around at everyone.


    ?


    The next morning,


    I was thinking that the atmosphere in the Duke¡¯s Castle was a little strange these days.


    Everyone feels restless in front of me.


    They seemed to want to ask me something, but no one came to approach.


    In the midst of growing doubts, the tea time with Ricardo and Bell came.


    ¡°Whoa¡­ What¡¯s that guy?¡±


    ¡°Lord Ricardo, this is my friend¡¯s baby!¡±


    Ricardo nodded without asking more.


    On the other hand, Bell clenched his fist and muttered. The tone of the voice sounded very gloomy and low.


    ¡°I¡¯m cuter¡­than that little guy¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Bell raised his shoulders, pretending to be stern, like the sessor to the Silver Fox Family.


    ¡°Anyway, how did you end up taking care of that baby?¡±


    Bell looked me in the eye and spoke clearly with both fists on the sides.


    ¡®Oh, my. You¡¯ve be so brave, Bell. You look like a very brave, wonderful child.¡¯


    Even his shameless raised chin was cute and lovely.


    It¡¯s all thanks to my potion, nope, Bell has ovee it well.


    I smiled happily and responded to Bell.


    ¡°Ah, my friend has an emergency, so he can¡¯t raise his baby.¡±


    Astel hugged the baby andughed low.


    Seeing Ricardo coughing, I put a soft smile on my lips.


    ¡°It just so happens that I like babies.¡±


    It won¡¯t be obvious, right?


    ¡°Hi!¡±


    The baby, who had been rolling his eyes the whole time, waved at them.


    He looked so lively. Maybe this was all thanks to the potion I fed him morning and night!


    The baby gained a little more weight and became plump in just one day.


    ¡®After all, it¡¯s worth making a mana control potion!¡¯


    At that time, the baby raised his hand and pointed to Ricardo.


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Meow?¡±


    For a moment, it seemed that Ricardo¡¯s hands revealed jaguar¡¯s unique pointed nails and patterns.


    ¡°Uh!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Ricardo waved his hand, which had changed like that of an animal again, slowly.


    Because jaguar was a feline, So he called him meow?


    The baby crawled over Ricardo¡¯sp without hesitation. Then he shouted, pointing his finger at Bell.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? What¡¯s this?¡±


    The baby had a lot of questions¡­


    Every time he spoke, his cute small face and short neck moved here and there.


    Bell shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment.


    ¡°¡­That punk, how dare you call him a cat! Don¡¯t you know our fox?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a littlete for a baby to start talking, and it¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t know much about animals.¡± Astel said.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Did that friend teach him that our Jaguar family is a cat? Did he entrusted you with his education?¡±


    Blood vessels stood on Bell and Ricardo¡¯s neck.


    Bewildered by their overreaction, I tilted my head and nodded again.


    ¡°Oh, yes. My friend is very busy, so I had to raise him now.¡±


    In my words, the atmosphere became colder.


    ¡­Why? What¡¯s wrong with what I said? Oh, was that too much of a pushover remark?


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