I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 128

Julius’s face immediately lit up as he quickly untied the leather pouch to check its contents. 

 

“Good job, good job, Claudia!” 

 

His completely changed demeanor left Claudia slightly bewildered as she stared at him with a puzzled look. 

 

‘Why… why do I feel so uneasy about this…?’

 

In truth, she had risked danger to come here to confirm whether the rumors about him were true. 

 

But judging by his attitude, further conversation seemed futile. 

 

Claudia sighed softly and lowered her gaze. 

 

Inside the pouch were a portrait of someone, blood-soaked clothes, six candles, and the entrails of a freshly slaughtered animal. 

 

Julius’s eyes gleamed in the darkness as he examined the items she had prepared.

 

A chill ran down her spine. 

 

Claudia, clutching her rapidly beating heart, cautiously asked, “But… what exactly are you planning to do with that…?”

 

‘Since things have come to this, I have no choice but to rely on his power! You don’t want Cardassian to fall into the hands of barbarians either, do you? ‘

 

Claudia, recalling Julius’s sneering face, entered the Empress’s palace with a flushed expression. 

 

‘Barbarians… after all, I’m from the north too…’

 

Of course, she agreed with Julius’s remark that Kalian was a barbarian. 

 

The Grand Duke never knew the meaning of ‘moderation.’ 

 

As evidenced by the way he slaughtered the spies and assassins she periodically sent to the Grand Duke’s castle. 

 

‘Yes, Cardassian can’t fall into the hands of such a man. If that happens, the world will be drenched in blood…!’

 

But what did he mean by relying on his power? 

 

‘I thought it was just about sacrificing a hundred women, but does he mean to take matters into his own hands?’ 

 

Claudia didn’t know exactly how Julius planned to put Cedric on the throne. 

 

All she knew was that they had to render the Grand Duke incapable of his role as protector, and to do that, they had to eliminate the sacred relics and the Grand Duchess. 

 

That was all she knew.

 

So, she followed his orders, plunged the north into chaos, and even stripped a foreign princess naked to push her into Kalian’s bedroom. 

 

Swallowing the occasional guilt that crept in was entirely her burden, but it didn’t matter. 

 

Her love for Julius was that deep. 

 

That’s why it was so hard for her to bear when he acted as coldly as he did now. Perhaps it was a kind of compensation mentality. 

 

‘After all I’ve done for you…’

 

Claudia had been pregnant five times so far. But except for Cedric, the other four were all conceived with Theodore’s seed. 

 

Every time she became pregnant, Julius used some unknown method to determine the father, and except for one daughter, the other three never saw the light of day. 

 

She had even formed personal friendships with the women who shared Theodore’s bed. 

 

After ensuring they didn’t suspect her, she slipped them tea laced with a highly effective contraceptive. It was on Julius’s advice, to eliminate any threats to Cedric’s position. 

 

‘What’s wrong with that? It’s to prevent a successor more capable than Cedric from being born!’

 

Julius was a brilliant man. She knew he was far-sighted and wouldn’t do anything foolish, but the way he acted today was quite different from usual. 

 

“Sigh.” Claudia, calming her ragged breath from anxiety, entered the study. 

 

She brightened upon seeing Cedric, who had come unannounced and was waiting for her.

 

“Oh, Cedric. What brings you here at this hour? I was just wondering about your news.” 

 

After returning from the north, Cedric had been avoiding her with various excuses. 

 

They had always been distant, but perhaps because she was hurt by Julius, she wanted comfort from her son today. Claudia walked toward Cedric with a weary expression.

 

But then, Cedric’s icy voice cut through the air. “Mother, where have you been at this late hour?”

 

Claudia hesitated and stopped in her tracks. “I went for a walk because I felt stifled.”

 

“In this pouring rain, without even a maid?”

 

Claudia sat down, looking slightly flustered. 

 

“I couldn’t trouble the maids over such a small matter. I just wanted to see the roses in the central garden before they were swept away by the rain.”

 

Cedric, sitting across from her, silently lowered his gaze instead of responding. 

 

The hem of her dress, still unwashed, was soaked and muddy. 

 

Claudia’s throat tightened slightly as she adjusted her skirt.

 

Cedric, unusually serious, remained deep in thought for a while before speaking. 

 

“Let me be direct. Is the High Priest… really my father?”

 

Claudia’s pupils dilated at the sudden question, and she hurriedly glanced around. 

 

Fear struck her that someone might overhear this dangerous conversation. 

 

After confirming no one was there, she took a deep breath and lowered her voice. 

 

“What are you talking about? Did someone say something strange to you?”

 

‘If it were true, the culprit was undoubtedly the Grand Duke. Julius is right, that barbarian’s mouth should be torn apart!’

 

As she gritted her teeth inwardly, Cedric sighed deeply, as if his guess was correct.

 

“If it’s difficult to answer, I’ll just say what I suspect.” Claudia remained silent.

 

“Didn’t you enter the Emperor’s chambers to prevent the High Priest’s dismissal? Because the High Priest shouldn’t desire women.”

 

Claudia clenched her teeth and steadied herself. Cedric’s guess was spot on, but even if the truth came out someday, it couldn’t be now. 

 

‘It’s not the right time yet. Cedric trusts Theodore more than anyone. If the truth comes out now, it will only lead to ruin!’

 

She took a deep breath and stared at Cedric. Her icy gaze, different from before, made Cedric’s expression harden. 

 

“Do you understand what you’re saying right now?”

 

Cedric met her gaze with silence instead of answering.

 

Claudia’s face stiffened with disappointment and anger. 

 

“You’re accusing me of treason. If what you say is true, I could be torn limb from limb for blaspheming the Emperor!” 

 

She spoke in a low, clear voice, trying not to show her agitation and keeping her head held high.

 

‘This was enough. Cedric must understand that even I, a product of infidelity, won’t be spared. So even if he learns the truth, he won’t dare speak of it.’

 

Moreover, according to Julius, a great change was coming to the empire, and Cedric’s ascension to the throne wasn’t far off. 

 

As long as Cedric didn’t suddenly have a change of heart and try to expose the truth, everything would proceed smoothly. 

 

Thinking this, she felt somewhat relieved. Claudia relaxed her stiff shoulders and stood up with her usual gentle expression. 

 

“So, you should go back now. Just follow my lead and stay obedient as you have been.”

 

Cedric, leaving the Empress’s study, walked down the corridor lost in deep thought. 

 

Suddenly, he stopped and clenched his trembling fist. He was indescribably confused. No, ashamed.

 

He had long had an inkling of the affair between the Empress and the High Priest. 

 

No matter how reckless he was, as the Crown Prince, he couldn’t have been completely unaware. 

 

When the death of the former Countess Lawrence and the monster incident in the Cabana Forest put the temple under investigation. 

 

And when a large quantity of smuggled goods, including Iblis’s horns, were found in the Parminion merchant group’s secret warehouse and subsequently burned. 

 

The Empress had angrily scolded the Emperor for daring to suspect the High Priest. It was a suspicious reaction, but the Empress continued to protect the High Priest.

 

The trip to the north fanned the flames of his growing suspicions. What started as a small doubt about their relationship turned into certainty after a series of events. 

 

And a few days ago, a letter sent to him by someone confirmed his suspicions. The medical records of the former Empress, the High Priest, and himself were attached to the letter. 

 

Three people suffering from similar genetic diseases—this couldn’t be a coincidence. Cedric was certain the letter had been sent by the Grand Duke. 

 

The Grand Duke’s reason for sending him such a letter was obvious. 

 

‘He’s giving me a choice.’

 

Cedric sighed softly. 

 

‘To confess the truth and save my life, or to remove my mother from the position of Empress with my own hands.’ 

 

He had been losing sleep over this agonizing dilemma for weeks. 

 

‘If this truth comes out, will my father spare me? He probably already thinks I’m beyond redemption…’

 

But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find an answer. 

 

Cedric’s face darkened as he sank deeper into his thoughts.