The Terminally-Ill Duke Clings to Me Every Night - Chapter 37

“Why is Duke here…”

Akkia entered the room, leaving the bewildered Leah behind. With natural and familiar gestures, as if it was his own territory.

Around the time she was blinking her eyes to grasp the situation, Akkia, who was comfortably sitting on the sofa, gestured with his chin.

“How long are you going to just stand there with a dumbfounded face?”

At those words, she inadvertently sat down.

‘What on earth is this situation?’

The place she was in was the reception room of the Magnolia Company. Moreover, it was the reception room used by the head of the company to greet outside guests.

And that fact revealed the identity of the man who was sitting on the sofa, acting like the owner.

“…Duke. Don’t tell me.”

Even as she spoke, she asked indirectly with the thought of ‘it can’t be.’ The sickly duke who lived confined in the mansion being the owner of Magnolia.

Doesn’t that not make sense? However, Akkia’s answer mercilessly trampled her expectations.

“You seem quite surprised. Seeing how your head, which usually works well, has stiffened.”

He smiled at the corners of his mouth, as if enjoying something, and propped his chin with his hand.

“It’s me. The owner of this Magnolia Company.”

In her violently shaking eyes, astonishment had already blossomed.

‘The owner of Magnolia was Duke…!!’

What kind of place is Magnolia?

Isn’t it the only rising company threatening the empire’s best Parchia Company?

But the owner of the company was the sickly and ill-fated prince who could die at any moment.

She could guarantee it. If this fact became known to the empire, it would become the biggest gossip of the year.

‘So that’s why no one has ever seen the company owner.’

Perhaps when the company owner was absolutely necessary, they put forward a proxy. And they further concealed their identity by regularly changing the proxy.

Goosebumps rose on Leah’s arms.

But that was only for a moment, suddenly a single fact came to mind. Bayern’s reaction of being startled upon seeing the Duke in Tren.

‘Wait. Then the supply of my nutritional supplements…’

Leah, who had already composed herself, asked the Duke.

“Duke. Then was it also under your orders to receive the supply of my nutritional supplements?”

“I told them to propose it because I felt sorry for you struggling to make some money.”

‘Huh.’

Leah couldn’t help but sigh.

“You think that’s all?”

“…”

“When I heard your hometown Tren suffered from a flood, I specially supplied goods to Tren. After all, if something like that happened to your hometown, you wouldn’t be able to focus on making the antidote.”

As a rule, a person should have the grace to hide their own achievements or be humble. Unfortunately, Akkia had none of that.

The Duke began to recite things from the trivial to the tenth, as if he wanted Leah to acknowledge what he had done.

“So you sent me to Tren because you were worried I wouldn’t be able to focus on developing the antidote?”

“That’s right.”

“Then why did you come to Tren, Duke?”

“To monitor if you’re doing well, of course.”

Akkia answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“Then what about the donation you made to the orphanage?”

“That’s…”

He stopped the words he had been speaking confidently.

“Since that place is practically your home. Let’s just say it’s for employee welfare.”

Although he spat it out in a nonchalant manner, for some reason, Leah’s heart began to beat wildly.

As an awkward silence flowed between the two, there was a knock and someone’s voice was heard.

“I apologize for interrupting your good time, you two.”

Although they thought no one was there. A man entered, as if he had been standing in front of the door the whole time.

“When will you introduce me…”

And when Leah saw the man’s face, she couldn’t help but be surprised once again. That was because the person in front of her was none other than.

“…Rikel?”

“Hello, Leah.”

He waved one hand and let out an awkward laugh.

Why is that man here too? Leah began to grasp the situation, alternating her gaze between the two men.

“Don’t tell me. The noble person Rikel serves…”

“That’s right. It’s Duke, who is right in front of your eyes now.”

Leah felt numb, as if she had been hit on the back of the head with a hammer.

‘You deceived me so thoroughly!’

The thought that she had been played in the Duke’s palm made her feel even more wronged. But that thought was short-lived, as a question arose in her mind.

‘But why are you revealing this to me?’

As the Duke, it was only natural for him to suspect her, who was hired by the butler, so he kept it a secret.

But if he was going to hide it, he should have continued to hide it. Why reveal all these facts now?

She had a bad feeling about it.

It was like stepping into a swamp from which there was no escape.

Leah looked at the Duke with an anxious gaze. As if he had noticed her thoughts, the Duke opened his mouth.

“Originally, I had no intention of telling you.”

Then he loosely raised the corners of his mouth.

“I changed my mind.”

“…What mind?”

I don’t know what it is, but please don’t change it as you please?

“We’re not that kind of relationship, are we?”

“If we’re not that kind of relationship…”

“We’re in a relationship where we even touched lips. We shouldn’t create secrets.”

Akkia added nonchalantly. With a brazen smile.

On an afternoon with warm sunlight, inside the office. A blond-haired man was sitting in his seat, listening to Viscount Rodrigo’s report.

His one and only cousin, Akkia.

He was banished alone to the remote Hyderne territory and lived so sickly that it wouldn’t be strange if he died at any moment. In the end, news of his demise reached him.

‘Duke Hyderne’s coma.’

At the news that he was in a very critical condition, the man sent the imperial family’s people without delay. Along with his secretary, Viscount Rodrigo, and a few imperial palace doctors he cherished.

According to the letter sent from the territory, his cousin in a coma had no hope of waking up.

He had sent people to declare the death of Akkia, who was as good as dead. However, the news brought by the Viscount was quite different from what he had expected.

“The Duke pretended to be addicted on purpose. It seems he noticed that Bayern had been monitoring him.”

“…”

“He set a trap and was looking for an opportunity to drive out Bayern…”

The man put down the pen he was holding on the desk with a thud, as if throwing it. At those words, the Viscount, who had been continuing his report, fell silent for a moment.

“Akkia was not addicted.”

From the mouth of the man who had given no response to the Viscount’s report, a chilling voice flowed out. At the same time, his eyes shone fiercely.

“In other words, Viscount, you’re saying that I’ve been played by a sickly duke.”

“…”

“By a guy who could die at any moment.”

The Viscount flinched at the displeasure deeply embedded in each and every word. The man’s overbearing force was enough to make even the seasoned Viscount cower.

“I, I apologize. I thought Bayern was a sensible fellow and the right person for the job, it’s my negligence.”

The Viscount knelt down with a thud and bowed his head flat on the floor.

If he carelessly provoked the man’s temper, even the Viscount would not be safe, no matter how different their mothers were.

Because the man in front of him had that much power and authority.

“Yes. I am indeed greatly disappointed in Viscount this time.”

“I, I apologize. I will somehow make up for this mistake.”

Viscount Rodrigo silently cursed while prostrating.

‘Damn that Bayern kid.’

Since childhood, despite being half-brothers, he followed him, calling him elder brother. The Viscount had always been displeased with Bayern, who had lowly blood mixed in him.

However, he tried to use him because he was quite smart and clever, but.

To cause trouble like this and provoke the temper of the one he serves. This position wasn’t easily attained.

Just as the Viscount was clenching the carpet tightly with surging anger.

“Yes. Since I cherish you, it’s only right to give you one more chance.”

At the man’s somewhat softened voice, the Viscount finally exhaled.

“By the way, how did Akkia orchestrate such a bold thing? From what I hear from Viscount, it seems like something that requires extensive knowledge of medicinal herbs.”

When the Viscount raised his head, he saw the perplexity on the man’s face. That was also a question for Viscount Rodrigo at first.

Even if the Duke spent his childhood in the imperial palace. He only received some heir lessons, there’s no way he learned such herbal medicine.

‘It’s not something the Duke can pull off alone.’

Those words meant that someone was helping the Duke. At the mention of an accomplice, the Viscount immediately thought of Leah.

The young pharmacist who put forward the Duke’s maid Jane as a witness.

Leah, who brazenly reported Bayern’s crime in front of himself, a Viscount. A woman with hair as red as blood.

Yes. Even the color of her hair was truly irritating.

‘With that temperament, there’s a high possibility that the pharmacist is the accomplice.’

Viscount Rodrigo, who seemed to be pondering for a moment, opened his mouth.

“I think the pharmacist helped.”

“Pharmacist?”

“Yes. The newly changed pharmacist was very cunning.”

As an unexpected person was mentioned from the Viscount’s mouth, interest flashed in the man’s eyes.

“Since most of the Duke’s servants are Bayern’s people, if there’s an accomplice, the newly changed pharmacist has the highest possibility.”

“I see. Investigate the pharmacist.”

“Understood.”

He had already given orders to investigate the pharmacist anyway. The Viscount rose to his feet at the man’s words that he could leave now.

Then, just as he was about to turn around and bid farewell, the man’s low voice caught the Viscount’s footsteps.

“Ah, what did you do with Bayern?”

“I took care of it without any trouble.”

To the public, it was announced that Bayern was killed by a group of bandits while being transported to the capital.

Of course, it was the Viscount who stepped up and took care of it. No matter if he was born from the blood of the former Viscount, there was no reason to keep alive someone who would bring shame to the family.

“Yes. Good work. Anyone who is overly greedy is bound to cause trouble.”

The Viscount, who had been silently listening to the man’s brief compliment, asked back.

“What will you do? Now that the butler is gone, there’s no one to monitor the Duke’s residence.”

At this, the man rubbed the tip of his chin, as if pondering something. As the Viscount said, now that Bayern had been driven out, there was no justification to monitor the Duke’s residence.

Bayern was assigned to accompany the Duke when he left the capital, under the pretext of doing it for his only cousin.

But now that the butler had left his side. However, it was also impossible to just leave Akkia, who had begun to change, in the territory.

‘There’s no choice.’

The man, who seemed to be deliberating, spoke to the Viscount as if he had made up his mind.

“We’ll have to summon Akkia to the capital.”

‘If you can’t monitor him, you have to keep him close.’

Somewhere he could always be within sight.

“…Pardon? You mean bringing the Duke to the capital?”

The Viscount’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

“Yes. How can I, as his elder brother, sit still when my younger brother has suffered such humiliation.”

However, unlike his gentle voice, the man’s blue eyes were piercingly cold. Like a blade with a sharpened edge, his gaze that received the sunlight gleamed fiercely.

“Convey that it is the wish of an elder brother who wants to have his sickly younger brother by his side.”

The corners of his mouth curled up, drawing a diagonal line. The Viscount couldn’t take his eyes off for a while, knowing the man’s hidden intentions behind the smile.

The highest position in the empire. The man was Elai Megnum van Croatea, the sun of Croatea and the current emperor.