I Reincarnated As An Evil Duchess - Chapter 71

Chapter 71

After washing her face lightly, Min-ha changed into comfortable clothes prepared in the bathroom. She then said to Seth, who was sitting on the bed, as she came out of the bathroom and rolled all the curtains.

“Now, you should wash your face as well.”

“Yes, yes.”

At her words, Seth replied as if he could not help it before getting out of bed and striding to the bathroom. However, a knock suddenly resounded on the bedroom door.

Min-ha answered, turning her head towards the sound.

“Are you both awake?”

“Ah, yes!”

“Is that so? Then, I’m going in.”

“Yes, Sir Gawin. Come on in.”

It was Gawin who knocked on the door. To his question, who seemed a little tired, Min-ha readily replied yes. Then, he immediately opened the door and entered the bedroom, pounding his clenched hands on his knees.

“Ah, I thought it would turn into a stone statue like this. Oh! How was your night, Madam? You look so beautiful today as well!”

“Did Sir Gawin sleep well?”

“Oh, I didn’t sleep well. You know, I was a bit busy putting an end to yesterday’s commotion.”

Min-ha greeted Gawin, who greeted her brazenly. The next moment, he grabbed her hand and kissed it lightly, as usual, before turning to the bathroom where the sound was coming from.

“By the way, is the Commander in the bathroom right now?”

“Yes. He went to wash his face. But, were you very busy yesterday? Sir Gawin’s complexion doesn’t look so good.”

“Yes, it’s been only half an hour since I shut my eyes… However, I didn’t hear from the person who told me to post the report in the morning at all, even when the sun was rising in the middle of the sky? It just so happens that I’d just heard Mrs. Pompa’s words that the two of you are in the room together. I don’t want to hear what you’re doing together… Aak!”

While answering her question, Gawin stopped his words after a hand struck him on the head.

Min-ha took a step backwards without realizing it, and soon saw the person who slapped Gawin on the back of the head and smiled brightly.

“Sir Bediviel…!”

“I see the Duchess. You seemed very surprised yesterday, how are you now?”

“I’m fine. How about Sir Bediviel? Are you all right? A bandage on that arm… are you hurt?”

Min-ha walked over to Bediviel, who smiled at her. As she looked at him with a worried expression, she asked, pointing to the bandage around his arm. Seeing that, Bediviel answered while raising his bandaged arm slightly as if it didn’t matter.

“It’s just a slight wound.”

“Did you receive treatment?”

“Yes. Thanks for your concern, Duchess.”

“Thank you for saving me.”

Seeing Bediviel bowing slightly to show respect, Min-ha also bowed her head and greeted each other. At that time, Gawin, who was watching the scene from the side, wrapped one arm around Bediviel’s shoulder and spoke brazenly.

“What is this, Bedi? Aren’t you too kind to the Duchess? Then, you’ll get hated by the Commander like me.”

“It is natural for a knight to behave with courtesy to his master’s wife? Aren’t you being too rude to the Duchess?”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“Look, the Duchess says it’s okay!”

“Duchess, you don’t need to tolerate this guy’s joke. Right now, he’s already barely at the line, but if you continue to tolerate it, he may one day behave like an ungrateful beast.”

“What? Bedi, you punk!”

At the sight of the two of them starting to quarrel with each other, Min-ha laughed as if she was having fun. Soon, Seth, who had washed his face in the bathroom and changed into a uniform, approached her. He opened his mouth, glancing at his knights, who were arguing childishly.

“If you’re going to have a childish argument in the morning, why don’t you at least do it outside the bedroom? Sir Gawain, Sir Bediviel.”

“I apologize, Your Excellency.”

“Oh, Commander! Good morning. Your face seems to be glowing today, am I mistaken?”

“…Gawin. Must I tell you not to come to my bedroom until I give you order? Did you come here just to make jokes like that?”

While Bediviel politely handed an apology to Seth, who was swiping his slightly wet hair with his hand and glaring at them with a blunt expression, Gawin greeted him brazenly.

At that, a deep frown formed on Seth’s forehead as he glanced at Min-ha. She then patted his shoulder as though it was all right as he looked to check if she would be uncomfortable.

A smile lifted from Gawin’s face, who was smiling brightly as he looked at the two of them. He glanced at his master with a sharp gaze and answered.

“How could that be? We were waiting for Your Excellency to get up to report about yesterday.”

“We didn’t want to interrupt your time though we thought it was important to report what happened yesterday.”

“I get it.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

“All right, do you think the story will be long?”

“Yes.”

“Then, let’s sit down and talk.”

As Gawin’s and Bediviel’s expressions grew serious, Seth halted his displeasure and pointed to the tea table and sofa in the bedroom. It seemed like he was trying to share an important story.

Thinking that, Min-ha looked at them and asked carefully.

“…Uh, are you going to talk about something important from now on? If it’s a story I shouldn’t hear, can I go out for a while?”

“No. You don’t have to.”

“No. Because the Duchess is directly involved in this, and above all else, I’ve some questions to ask you, too.”

“Of course not. There isn’t such a thing as a story the Duchess should not know.”

“…Well. Then, excuse me.”

To her question, the three of them responded as if they had made a pledge, and Min-ha smiled shyly.

Seth gazed at Min-ha tenderly before grabbing her little hand and leading her to her sofa. Then, he sat her first and sat next to her, and with his glances at Gawin and Bediviel, he urged them to sit opposite each other. And so, the two sat across from Seth and stared at their master with a serious expression.

“From the conclusion, it seems that Rupert Guinivis came into the Loengram Castle through Grand Duchess Blaine’s carriage.”

It was Bediviel who spoke first. Hearing this, Seth responded with a scoff.

“Even a child can make such a guess. Any proof?”

“Last night during a duel with Rupert Guinivis, he took a paper knife out from his arms and threw it to my arm when he heard a sound of people approaching to surround him before escaping. I picked up the knife and chased him right away, though I missed him.”

“Why is that?”

“The place where he disappeared was the White Acacia Annex where Grand Duchess Blaine was staying. Although I heartily wanted to pursue him, I was unable to search the Grand Duchess’ mansion to find him without any evidence, so I had to give up the pursuit. I’m sorry, Your Excellency.”

“I’ve no intention of questioning that part. You couldn’t have searched the abode of Grand Duchess Blaine at that ambitious hour without solid evidence. So, is that the only evidence?”

This time, it was Gawin who answered the question.

“No. Me and Sir Lancelot were besieging the carriages of the nobles while Sir Bediviel was chasing Rupert Guinivis just in case he might be hiding there. And, while I was there, I bribed the coaches and searched their carriages.”

“Hm. So?”

“We found something like this in Grand Duchess Blaine’s carriage.”

Gawin, who smiled at Seth’s question, pulled out a gold ornament in the shape of a cross studded with rubies. It was also arched at the end. Even in the eyes of Min-ha, it did not seem to be a common object.

The moment Gawin set it in front of everyone, Seth laughed coldly while Bediviel seemed calm as if he had expected it.

With a blank voice, Min-ha pointed to it and spoke.

“This is…”

“You’re right. It’s the button of the Guinivis family.”

“It certainly doesn’t look prevalent, but will this prove anything?”

At her question, Gawin smiled bitterly before he lightly shrugged his shoulders and answered.

“Of course. Investigation of the rubies and engravings on this button through the Imperial Inspectors will undoubtedly prove to be of the Guinivis family. This will be proof that he was in Grand Duchess Blaine’s chariot. However…”

“We can’t present it as evidence. Because to prove where you got it, we’ll have to confess to the search of Grand Duchess Blaine’s carriage.”

“Still, it might be well worth the risk. At least, His Majesty will wonder why Grand Duchess Blaine did this.”

“The Grand Duchess will make excuses against me and the Duchess. It’s improper to have a secret relationship with a married woman, and it’s wrong to hide someone who’s not listed on the invitation list and bring them into the castle. Nonetheless, Grand Duchess Blaine could say that he’s in love and wanted to see Duchess Persen—that her cousin’s situation was pitiful and she had no choice but to do that.”

“Then, on this occasion, they’ll take this opportunity to try to convince His Majesty to formally establish the Commander’s divorce.”

Bediviel, who had briefly frowned at Gawin’s words, continued.

“However, the nobles who oppose your divorce won’t just sit by. For them, they’re desperate to prevent Your Grace from growing in power by remarrying a new faction after divorce from the Duchess. Therefore, Rupert Guinivis, who wanted the divorce of Your Excellency and the Duchess more than anyone else, was hesitant because of that.”

“Oh… Seth, I have something to tell you about that.”

Min-ha, who was listening to the three people talking with serious expressions, quietly intervened in the conversation. In fact, she was thinking about how to convey the conversation she had with Rupert yesterday, but the topic just shifted that way.

The three people who were talking all gazed at her at the same time and asked.

“What is it?”

“Yes? What is it, Duchess?”

“By any chance, did you hear anything from Rupert?”

In an instant, as the attention of the three people was focused on her, Min-ha was a little flustered, but soon, she continued to speak slowly, recalling the vivid memories of yesterday.

“Rupert said he can’t tell me all the details because there are many ears around, but he can tell me one thing for certain.”

“What’s for certain?”

“…That is, the atmosphere in the Vatican is that the majority of opinions are in favor of the divorce. So, it seems like a decision will come out soon that the divorce will be established.”

“Did he really say that?”

“Yes. It seems that Grand Duchess Blaine coaxed and persuaded His Majesty well. So far, they’ve been neutral, but he said he seemed tempted by the claim that Seth needed a new bride to give his cherished vassal wings.”

“….”

“However, he told me not to worry because there’s a way to keep her from appearing, such a bride who would give you wings.”

The more they listened to Min-ha’s words, the more grave the faces of the three men became. In particular, Seth’s face hardened more and more at the word of divorce.