I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 79

It was foreseen that the saint would soon regain her full sexual powers, though the timing could not be determined with certainty.

 

‘After announcing by the oracle that she should succeed Orpheus, she would immediately awaken Kalian and have his child…’

 

Evelyn’s favor and generous treatment by the people was to be her due.

 

Evelyn sighed heavily as the reality she had momentarily forgotten in her euphoria crept in.

 

“My lady, is something bothering you?”

 

A shadow fell across Mrs. Riktor’s face as she saw the somber expression on Evelyn’s face.

 

Perhaps she had guessed that her flippancy in mentioning children had made her uncomfortable.

 

“The old woman has spoken again, and I hope you don’t mind, my lady, for it is by no means my intention to burden you.”

 

At Mrs. Rictor’s shaking head, Evelyn offered a faint smile.

 

“Please don’t take it personally. I’m not doing this because of you, just…”

 

She was just about to say, “I’d like to be alone right now, so could you please leave me alone for a moment?”

 

*Whooooooo!*

 

On the rocking chair in front of the fireplace, an unidentifiable swirl began to form.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Meanwhile, in the catacombs of the outbuildings.

 

Light leaked into the dimly lit space.

 

Then the stone door leading to the underground staircase opened, and a woman in a black dress descended.

 

“The child has healed your leg.”

 

Benedict, who had followed her, replied silently.

 

“Yes, I apologize. My lady.”

 

The only duchess on the continent, raised by the Duke of Parminion, wife of Tristan, the last great duke who once ruled the vast north.

 

The unfortunate High Duchess, who had refused the Emperor’s pleas to become Empress, and had taken root in the barren North.

 

Charlotte stopped walking and smiled bitterly.

 

“You always say the same things.”

 

Then she glanced back.

 

“I am the one who should be blamed for healing your leg, which was injured while trying to save me.”

 

“How could you, great lady…”

 

Benedict shook his head.

 

His twisted knee was healed and he could move more easily, but he was still uncomfortable in his heart.

 

But Benedict’s sincerity did not reach Charlotte.

 

As if to cut him off, Charlotte turned and started walking again.

 

“So, what’s the condition of the child? I heard she collapsed.”

 

“She’s recovering… She seems to be very strong, despite her frail appearance.”

 

“Be sure to take care of her. She’s the first child the grand duke has taken an interest in since he’s never given anyone any affection.”

 

“If not, a councilor will be stopping by later today, and that’s why I’m asking you to have an audience with the little lady…”

 

But once again, Benedict could not finish his prepared remarks.

 

“Very well, goodbye.”

 

As Charlotte hurried down the stairs, the ghostly image of the grand duke’s face loomed over her back.

 

Benedict, who stared blankly at the vision as it turned to ash and scattered, sighed deeply and turned away.

 

 

* * *

 

 

At the same time, Evelyn, seeing the vortex in the air, threw off the covers and stood in Mrs. Riktor’s way.

 

“Helen, get out of here,” she cried, “go and fetch the knights, now!”

 

But only for a moment.

 

Poof!

 

Something tiny popped out of the black swirl.

 

“Oh, it’s hot!”

 

With a shriek from the terminal, it was a human being that plummeted downwards.

 

Thump-!

 

A man with a noticeably short stature and a long, reddish beard.

 

“Ma-Matthias?”

 

Evelyn’s eyes widened.

 

He was a councilman, not someone who stayed in the forge, a place that could only be accessed by teleportation.

 

“How did you get here?”

 

A million questions raced through her mind at once.

 

But Matthias didn’t seem to have any intention of satisfying her curiosity anytime soon.

 

As soon as he’d fallen, he slumped unceremoniously into his rocking chair and raised his hand in greeting, as if it had been a long time since he’d heard her call his name.

 

Then he was busy glaring at Mrs. Rictor, who clicked her tongue in pity.

 

“You silly old woman, what kind of firewood have you been so ignorant as to put in the fire, you nearly burnt my cheeks off!”

 

Mrs. Riktor, whose composure hadn’t wavered, as if she’d guessed her opponent’s identity from the moment the whirlpool appeared, snorted with a look of disbelief.

 

“Huh! Does your cheek even touch the mantelpiece?”

 

“Me, me, how dare you accuse a great Svek of a physical defect…!”

 

‘Do these two know each other?’

 

But now was not the time to watch them bicker.

 

“Wait!”

 

Evelyn, who wanted to hear the situation explained first, stepped between the two of them, who looked ready to tear each other apart at any moment.

 

“Matthias, did you just use teleportation magic?”

 

Evelyn’s brow furrowed slightly in displeasure.

 

It was natural. It was against the law for an outsider to trespass on the Grand Duchess’s bedchamber.

 

No matter how much Matthias may be one of Kalian’s most trusted men, that fact would never change.

 

Besides, the Grand Duchy is known to be an impregnable fortress.

 

This is the one area where they don’t even allow warp gates, Johansen, just to be on the safe side, and to think anyone can get in and out with magic?

 

“This is ridiculous!”

 

Evelyn shot Matthias a pointed look, as if she couldn’t believe what was happening.

 

“Ma’am, let me explain.”

 

Just then, Mrs. Riktor interrupted.

 

“This is the councilman I mentioned to you that would be stopping by this afternoon.”

 

“I know who he is. But isn’t it true that only those who are related by blood or marriage to a northerner are allowed to pass through the Dark Curtain?”

 

“That is correct. My lady.”

 

“Then how did Matthias cross the boundary?”

 

Evelyn’s question made Mrs. Riktor and Matthias look at each other with trepidation.

 

As Mrs. Riktor pursed her lips, hesitating to answer, Matthias, who had been squirming in his rocking chair for some time, leapt to the floor.

 

“Well, that’s some poor hospitality, you nagging old hag and your stubby little legs. It’s a sick combination.”

 

Mrs. Riktor’s brow furrowed at that, and she glared at Matthias.

 

“Tucker, you’d better be polite to the lady!”

 

“Be polite?”

 

Matthias chewed back her words sarcastically, then drew the curled spellbook from his bosom.

 

“The scroll was sent to me personally by the grand duke. What, you think we’re here because we want to be here? The damned grand duke took the trouble to ask me to check on you, and this is the least I can do.”

 

Matthias looked genuinely offended.

 

It took a moment for his anger to subside, and then he glanced at her wrist.

 

“It must be a scroll linked to a locator spell. The spell won’t work unless you’re ready to receive your guests, so if you’re worried, stop.”

 

Evelyn looked down at her wrist.

 

She could see the magic markings flickering where they usually weren’t.

 

Matthias, looking as weary as a man who had traveled a long way, made a pained sound and slumped back in his chair.

 

“Ew, it’s been a long time since I teleported, and I’m dizzy. Hey, Handmaiden. A glass of water, please.”

 

At Evelyn’s wink, Mrs. Riktor poured the tea without argument and took a step back.

 

Evelyn, regretting her unintentional misunderstanding, offered him a seat.

 

“It’s been a long time, Matthias.”

 

She flashed him a wry smile and lifted her shoulders slightly.

 

“First of all, let me apologize. I hadn’t heard anything from His Highness, so I couldn’t help but be sensitive.”

 

Then she glanced at Mrs. Riktor, who stood like a guard.

 

Matthias is no ordinary councilor. And Evelyn didn’t want anyone to know that he had magical reflux.

 

He didn’t realize this until after Mrs. Riktor was completely unconscious.

 

After holding her wrist for a long time, Matthias shook his head and spoke in a polite tone of voice.

 

“So that’s why he wanted me to come quickly to clean it up.”

 

The gist of the story was this.

 

The power of the curse, which caused the flow of magic to flow backwards at will, had weakened somewhat, but the amount of magic contained within was abnormally high, beyond the control of a human body.

 

“No matter how much magic power, the fuel that fuels a spell, if it is not controlled, the caster will be harmed.”

 

Without an understanding of the elements within the body and how to harness them properly, he explains, the caster may fail to control the power and run amok.

 

Evelyn thought she was done with the curse, but there was more to come.

 

Evelyn felt her blood run cold.

 

“What am I supposed to do now?”

 

“I don’t know what to do, but you need to see an archmage to get rid of the curse.”

 

“I thought you were a doctor, too, Mr. Matthias.”

 

“I specialize in diagnosis. I can see people who come to me, but I’m not responsible for them.”

 

Matthias replied nonchalantly, then patted Evelyn on the shoulder to encourage her.

 

“Don’t be hard on yourself. The fact that you’re still alive means that your body is holding up well. You’ll see the dawn soon enough, and until then, you’ll just have to keep going.”

 

He pulled the scroll from his bosom.

 

The scroll tore in half, burning at the edges, and then Matthias disappeared without a trace, engulfed in shadow.

 

Evelyn smiled bitterly as she watched the smoke billow into the air.

 

‘Would a meeting with the Archmage really solve everything?’

 

Since coming north, her days had been ostensibly calm, but in truth, her position had been precarious, crumbling at the slightest breeze.

 

A trust that could fall at any moment.

 

The threat of the Temple at any moment.

 

Her magic, which could go haywire at any moment.

 

In a situation like this, should she just wait for a man who might return at any moment?

 

‘By the way, it’s not the Archmage who is currently guarding the tower, the real Archmage is now…’