I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 119

“That can’t be. If you ever wish to return to the temple, I will immediately inform His Grace.”

“Inform him? I thought His Grace was staying with me.”

The butler, who had maintained his composure until now, closed his mouth tightly as if at a loss for words, then struggled to speak.

“From now on, meals will be brought to your room. If you need anything, please pull the cord.”

“Wait a moment!”

 

Deborah quickly grabbed the butler, who was about to turn away.

“Then, what about this room? Is this the Grand Duke’s bedroom?”

“This is the annex. His Grace uses the master bedroom in the main building.”

“Ah, the master bedroom.”

 

Deborah let out a short laugh.

 

The butler, who had been looking at her with a puzzled expression, bowed briefly and then left.

Deborah immediately flopped down on the bed. She buried her nose in the pillow, which seemed to carry the Grand Duke’s scent, and took a deep breath.

The cool touch of the bedding was so pleasing that she hummed a tune without realizing it.

 

“His Grace went to such lengths for me.”

‘When will I be able to properly use my divine power?’

At the temple, they always said that praying with a pure heart would suffice, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

“But it doesn’t matter. My true mission is different.”

Deborah stretched her hand towards the ceiling, tracing the air as if drawing someone’s figure.

The Grand Duke’s face flickered like a dream over her flushed cheeks and excited eyes.

“How can someone be so handsome?”

 

His jet-black hair, handsome features, rock-solid body, and long legs were as elegant as a swan.

The arrogantly raised chin and slightly lowered eyelids exuded a lazy sensuality.

‘And that indifferent expression towards the world…’

His tightly closed lips and calm tone throughout their interaction proved the rumors of his asceticism to be true.

The rumors that he had mercilessly rejected princesses from other countries who threw themselves at him.

“I am the only one who can bear his child!”

 

Deborah, who had been rolling around on the bed, suddenly stopped.

The memories of his actions in the Parminion territory came flooding back.

“That was too much. I was really hurt.”

Every night when he came to her room, all he did was ask questions about the Lindberg family, and she couldn’t even remember what he had said to her.

In contrast, he was so affectionate to the woman by his side that it made her jealous…

“Was her name Evelyn? I tried to meet her when I went to the palace.”

But the dark knights blocked her way, and she couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the woman’s hair.

Deborah slowly recalled the woman she had seen at Parminion Castle.

‘Why did chaos have to break out there? I was planning to secure my position by becoming His Grace’s first dance partner.’

Unlike her, who hid in fear upon seeing the pregnant noblewoman, Evelyn was brave to the point of recklessness.

“Take the lady to the bedroom immediately! Hot water, scissors, and clean cloth! Hurry!”

Perhaps it was her confident demeanor.

Her voice, sharp as lightning, carried an inexplicable authority.

Hearing that the Grand Grand Duke and that woman would share a bedroom had already sunk her mood to the bottom.

 

Overwhelmed by an emotion she couldn’t quite place—whether jealousy or fear—Deborah had no choice but to flee the Parminion territory.

But the High Priest reassured her that the woman was merely a showpiece wife.

“The Grand Grand Duke is a rigid man. He couldn’t leave the position of Grand Duchess vacant, so he brought in just anyone. Don’t worry too much about it.”

She was merely a nursemaid to raise the child in her stead, as she couldn’t stay in the north.

‘Still, it’s driving me crazy. What kind of man looks at a nursemaid with such affectionate eyes?’

Deborah, seething internally, quickly soothed her rising emotions.

She wasn’t so narrow-minded as to cling to a man over some woman.

 

After all, he would eventually become her man.

‘Yes, the Grand Duke must have been lonely waiting for the oracle.’

So he brought in a woman who resembled her to satisfy his desires.

“As the woman who will bear his heir, I will be cherished and kept safe.”

Deborah’s neck flushed red at the thought.

 

Imagining the Grand Duke holding that woman while thinking of her made her whole body burn with heat.

“A Grand Duchess who has to live only with the shell of her husband! Ah, how pitiful…”

Feeling better, Deborah let out a long, lazy yawn.

For over a fortnight, she couldn’t sleep no matter what she did, but after meeting the Grand Duke, sleep began to wash over her like a wave.

Deborah pulled the blanket up to her chin. The soft bedding enveloped her body comfortably.

“I hope the oracle comes soon. Then I can fill the void in his heart.”

 

With a smile on her lips, Deborah murmured as if dreaming and soon fell into a deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

Upon returning to the palace, Kalian immediately summoned the officers of the Blackwood Knights.

Then, in front of everyone, he placed the vial Deborah had given him on the table.

“This is the potion the Saintess entrusted to me. She said she has been taking it continuously since receiving the oracle.”

Dwayne, who had been staring at the vial filled with a blood-red liquid, looked utterly disbelieving.

“Damn it! This isn’t medicine; it’s clearly blood!”

 

Kalian nodded.

“That’s why we need to be sure. I plan to go to Eldin and ask Count Martin to analyze the components of this liquid.”

Count Martin was a skilled alchemist who had served as the guild master.

He had long been researching the unique traits found in the blood of various families.

Blood from families with exceptional abilities, such as magical or divine powers, was easier to identify.

“If this is proven to be the blood of the Lindberg family, it’s only a matter of time before we arrest the High Priest.”

It felt as if a fog had lifted slightly from his vision.

“Moreover, if we can uncover the circumstances of their confinement, it would be the icing on the cake.”

By following these leads, they might find a way to destroy the Demon King without the need for the Purifier’s sacrifice.

Of course, even if there was no suitable method, it didn’t matter. He would create one if necessary.

“And there’s one more piece of evidence you need to find at the temple.”

 

Kalian took out a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“Isn’t this the bulletin distributed in the Grand Plaza?”

Dwayne and Max widened their eyes as they examined the paper. They shrugged as if questioning why they needed to find evidence of the bulletin at the temple.

This time, it was Kalian’s turn.

He ran his fingers over the yellowish paper and said,

“This is made from a tree native to the Nora Continent.”

Benjamin’s eyes widened as if he had just remembered something.

“You don’t mean the Monti tree, do you?”

The Monti tree, which grows only in regions with perfect humidity, temperature, and constant sunlight.

Its scarcity and the complexity of processing made it a luxury paper produced in extremely limited quantities.

Kalian nodded quietly.

“The fact that such precious paper was used for a bulletin means it was the work of those who don’t even know its value.”

Dwayne snorted, as if he couldn’t comprehend it with his own mind.

 

“If that’s true, what’s the reason? Why would the temple, which should protect the Saintess, spread rumors of a fake Saintess?”

The office buzzed with murmurs.

Kalian, who had been observing the scene with his arms loosely crossed, replied in an extremely calm tone.

“Once the temple proclaims the return of the Saintess, they can never retract it. Doing so would be akin to denying the existence of the gods.”

Despite his strained relationship with the High Priest, the Emperor himself was a devout believer, using the name of the Sun God as his middle name.

 

And since ancient times, people had regarded the Emperor as the representative of the gods.

“For that reason, any woman acting as the Saintess without divine revelation would be branded a heretic, a witch.”

In other words.

With the Saintess unable to properly wield her divine power, now was the perfect time to accuse Evelyn of using dark powers to steal the divine energy.

“This is…”

A murmur of anger spread through the office.

They had finally realized the High Priest’s intention to eliminate the Grand Duchess by branding her a witch.

“Then what is the real purpose of trying to eliminate Her Grace the Grand Duchess? What does the High Priest aim to achieve by promoting a fake Saintess?”

“That’s what we need to investigate. While I’m in Eldin, I need you to quietly and discreetly find out the source of this paper.”

Quietly and discreetly.

It meant not to hesitate in using any means necessary. Seeing the determined faces of his subordinates, Kalian left the office.

 

* * *

 

After leaving the office, Kalian headed straight to the Imperial Palace, summoned by the Emperor.

The reason the Emperor called for him was obvious.

To inquire about the strange rumors circulating in the empire recently.

 

As expected, the Emperor spoke up even before the chamberlain could serve tea.

 

“Are you determined not to show the Grand Duchess’s face until the end?”

“Forgive me. My wife’s health is not in the best condition.”

The Emperor shrugged as if it were understandable, but couldn’t hide his disappointment.

“Well, she’s been through a lot, so it will take time to fully recover. Speaking of which…”

 

“Please, go on.”

Instead of answering, the emperor placed a piece of paper distributed in Adelheim Grand Plaza on the table.

 

Even though he had anticipated it, the Grand Duke’s expression hardened as he saw the bold print on the paper.

The Emperor’s face was equally stern as he alternated his gaze between the paper and the Grand Duke.

 

“If it wasn’t the Saintess who purified the tainted land… then what exactly is the Grand Duchess’s true identity?”