It was a pain so severe and abrupt that he couldn’t even open his eyes. He opened the window with a frown. The lukewarm breeze that came in seemed to make him feel a little better.
“It’s probably motion sickness,” he thought. However, soon he couldn’t suppress a chuckle himself. Riding carriages back and forth between the capital and the Duke’s jurisdiction must have happened hundreds of times, yet suddenly motion sickness? It was too trivial of an excuse.

As they turned into the village road, people who recognized the crest of Baltermynster stepped aside, sending bright smiles.

Cedric was quite popular among those living in the Duke’s jurisdiction.

Overcoming the unfortunate past, standing up for himself, supporting the family’s land, and being a young Duke who held one pillar of the kingdom, Cedric, also known as the Duke, treated the villagers politely whenever he met them, and he was even handsome. It wasn’t strange that people loved him in their own ways.

However, whether Cedric, the party involved, could sincerely accept their affection was an entirely different matter.

The carriage, whose movement gradually slowed down, finally came to a complete stop. As familiar faces appeared outside the window, Cedric felt the previously subsided headache returning subtly. Especially when he saw Jocelyn, standing confidently like a commander, leading the servants like soldiers, an even more unpleasant feeling crept over him.

“Your Grace.”

As usual, Jocelyn bowed with an impeccable attitude.

“I was surprised to hear that Your Grace is coming back suddenly. I was about to rush to the capital, worried that something might have happened to Your Grace.”

The corners of Cedric’s mouth lifted faintly.

“Nothing is wrong with me, Jocelyn. It seems something is wrong with the Duke’s jurisdiction. I received a letter from Meiana, and I need to hear an explanation about what happened.”

“A letter?”

Jocelyn’s forehead, raised as usual when she looked up, was deeply furrowed. Cedric immediately noticed that she knew nothing about Meiana’s letter.

She said, “You act as you please. The lady’s maid’s behavior, getting close to Your Grace, is so shocking. Are you planning to let her go again this time, Your Grace?”

“Is that important to you right now?”

Cedric’s voice, which had become markedly colder, made Jocelyn’s mouth twitch.

“I understand what you’re saying. I understand too. But have you ever thought about it the other way around? Hasn’t Jocelyn, the steward, been taking good care of the lady all along? You know it well too. Of course, it seems like she’s gone even more insane lately! But even before you came, that woman couldn’t swallow the fact that she couldn’t devour the lady. Would the Duke not have known about it? I don’t think so. Still, look, that woman has held her ground in her position. Like a solid support.”

Meiana clenched her fist and turned her body abruptly. When the lamp’s light shone on her face, her face seemed to flicker horribly, as if engulfed in flames.

“I was curious about that reason too.”

Meiana said with a firm voice. She, who seemed to grind her teeth, spoke again after a moment of silence.

“So, I want to ask clearly this time.”

As the boundaries of the Duke’s jurisdiction approached, and familiar landscapes unfolded one by one, Cedric suddenly felt an unstoppable headache pressing down on his entire body.

It was a pain so severe and abrupt that he couldn’t even open his eyes. He opened the window with a frown. The lukewarm breeze that came in seemed to make him feel a little better.
Originally, when the servants sent letters, regardless of the content, they had to go through Jocelyn for inspection. It was a rule she set to prevent them from talking about anything related to Cedric or the Baltermynster family unnecessarily.

Cedric also knew about this rule and had tolerated it until now. However, this time, he couldn’t let it pass.

“Someone in my house has taken poison and collapsed, and only Meiana informed me of that fact. If you find her actions shocking, Jocelyn, how would you describe your action of not reporting such a serious matter to me? Even if Ariante, my daughter, had collapsed, would you have kept silent? Deny it if you can.”

Jocelyn’s face turned pale.

“Your Grace, how…! When Your Grace returns, I would have naturally been the first to report. I only intended not to burden Your Grace with unnecessary worries, as you perform state affairs under His Majesty’s orders. Why do you speak like this?”

However, Cedric turned his head away, ignoring Jocelyn. Jocelyn’s confused expression darkened even more.

“Tell Meiana to come to my room right now.”

It wasn’t an order directed at Jocelyn. As Cedric’s words fell, one of the maids who had been watching quietly ran into the mansion. Cedric still had his chin down and turned his gaze back to Jocelyn.

“I will ask you separately later.”

Jocelyn’s gaze, which had been focused below, shook abruptly.

It felt like anger was melting through her mind. The escaped Grete, the servant, and Meiana, Lady Ariante! All these people, like annoying crows, were trying to disrupt the peace that the Duke’s mansion had been safeguarding with their bodies. Pecking, throwing stones, breaking branches…

“Jocelyn, didn’t you hear what I said?”

Cedric spoke again.

Jocelyn calmly suppressed the emotions that seemed like they could explode at any moment. Yes, crows were just crows… If you set your mind to it, you could easily deal with them.

After throwing out tempting bait, all you had to do was catch them when they reached for it. One of them might have cunningly escaped, but it would surely die, devoured by fierce falcons or eagles in the field. She had nothing to worry about.

“No, Your Grace. I understand.”

As Cedric turned away, the servants standing in a row all bowed. Behind them, Jemero, who had been standing quietly, silently followed Cedric, walking alongside him.

“Jemero, were you also there?”

“No, Your Grace. I was arranging the invitation cards that His Grace received at that time.”

“How is the chef doing?”

“His consciousness still seems hazy. However, there seems to be no harm to his life. I’m not sure if he can continue to work.”