Albrecht had to pay for his crimes.
But I couldn't deal with him right now.
He was a quick-witted man, and he would be on his toes now that the assassination attempt on Kishian had failed.
In order to end such a person's breath, I needed to put in as much effort on my part.
So I called Elvin to my office early in the morning.
He was the exclusive doctor of the Grand Duke's office, whom I had met before when I injured My wrist because of Albrecht.
"You found me, Your Highness? Where are you hurt?"
I feel sorry for Elvin, who ran over with a little surprise, but I didn't call him because I was injured.
I shook my head silently and held out a piece of paper in front of him with a list of what I needed.
Elvin, who had been reading it all the way, looked a little puzzled and nibbled at the meat.
"Medicinal herbs... Aren't they?"
"Can you get me the things written there?"
As a doctor, it wouldn't be too difficult to get herbs.
I wouldn't be confused and get something else.
So I called Elvin to leave it to him, but he seemed a little reluctant.
"It's not difficult, but what are you going to use it for..."
Some herbs can turn into poisons depending on how they are handled.
Knowing that he would be showing his wariness.
I added a word to make Elvin feel safe.
"These are essential things for the Grand Duke. If you have any doubts, you can go ask him."
"No, I'm not suspicious..."
"Then prepare it. As fast as possible, without mistakes."
He still couldn't let go of his reluctance and kept scanning the list I had given him.
Then he suddenly pointed above it and said.
"Here's this herb, 'Cheneblute'. This thing... If you drink the root decoction normally, you can relieve the headache, but if you eat it raw..."
"It causes a severe fever. If you're unlucky, you might lose your life."
I looked directly at Elvin and asked if he knew,
"I have also studied medicinal herbs in depth. I promise you won't have any worries."
He seemed to be worried for a long time when he heard my words, but in the end, he raised the white flag.
"Yes, then. It seems that this was discussed with His Highness the Grand Duke, so I will prepare for it. But what happened because of the wrong use of these herbs is not my fault?"
"Of course, I'm going to take responsibility for any problems that arise. And one more thing."
As he listened to me, I spoke in a more secret voice than ever.
"I asked you to prepare them, keep it a secret."
"..."
"...You can tell the Grand Duke, but you must not reveal it to anyone but him."
Hearing the suspicious request, his expression hardened at once.
He would soon go to Kishian and report to him.
It didn't matter. All of this preparation is to end Albrecht, and that's what Kishian wants more than anyone else.
I had already shared some of my plans with him, so I wouldn't arouse his suspicions.
Fortunately, Elvin bowed his head as if he didn't want to pry any more questions and walked away from the office.
"..."
There was nothing I could do right away until the herbs were ready.
Except to be careful not to let Albrecht feel the slightest.
I was thinking about what to do now, and suddenly there was a face that came to mind.
This time, I called Anne in.
Shortly thereafter, I said to Anne, who came to visit.
"Bring mercenary King Rodrick, and I have something else to ask him."
***
It had been a long time since Anne returned.
She said that she went to the room where Rodrick was staying, but he was absent, so she searched for a long time and left a note for now.
Unlike ordinary participants, he even attended a banquet after hunting, so he was staying in a rented room at the Grand Palace.
I thought he was quietly lodged, but it seemed that he couldn't stand it and was wandering outside.
So, l waited for him to find the note and come to me.
I didn't know when it would come, so I just waited without leaving my seat.
Then the sun went down, and by then, I had no choice but to give up.
I had a lot of questions to ask, but I decided to postpone the conversation until the next time and was about to leave the office.
"Where are you going to call someone?"
The moment I opened the door to leave the office, I saw his face.
As if he was about to enter the office, he was standing in the hallway, putting his hand on the doorknob.
I'm about to go down, but now he's coming.
I gave him a tingling look and then stepped aside to invite him to come in.
Walter, who was watching outside, tried to follow Rodrick behind.
He seemed to think it was a bit dangerous to put Rodrick and me alone in a small space.
I stopped Walter and ordered him in a firm voice.
"...You should stay outside. I have something to share with Rodrick."
"...Are you talking alone?"
For some reason, Walter's voice felt sharper than before.
If I used to feel like he was just being wary, now he almost seems to regard me as an enemy... Is it a misunderstanding?
His eyes wrinkled with a puzzled look, and he asked again.
"What are you talking about?"
"Do I have to report that to you?"
"I want to protect Your Highness."
"It feels more like surveillance than protection to me."
"I didn't mean that, but I don't know why you felt that way. Maybe you did something disrespectful."
Are you crazy? At this point, I couldn't help but think about it.
Not only did he interfere excessively with the topic of the escort knights, but his remarks were a clear insult.
Just as I was wondering if I should raise my voice, a hand sticking out from behind me, violently pushed Walther's shoulder.
"Hey, Her Highness is going to shut down."
Rodrik, who had been watching the situation from behind me, stepped in.
He said that in a light tone, but there was a hint of anticipation in his voice that could not be hidden.
Walter, who had been pushed once, also glared at Rodrick with even more bloody eyes than before.
Undaunted, Rodrick glanced at me and smirked.
"Didn't you get less spoiled by this bastard? His Highness the Grand Duke is not very delicate either. He gives his wife an untamed as an escort."
Walter's face was quickly distorted by the outrageous insult.
I could see his hand slowly moving toward the handle of the sword.
"Stop!"
Before the situation became more complicated, they stood in the way again.
I first faced Walter.
"I don't know what you're worried about, but don't you know that your nonsensical behavior will be something that will happen to the Grand Duke?"
As expected, when I brought up the topic of Kishian, Walter's momentum was broken.
"We won't talk much, so wait outside. Don't make a fuss about it."
Walter seemed hesitant but eventually took a step back.
He was worried that Kishian would be insulted for being incompetent for not properly educating his knights.
After a long sigh, he closed the door, and Rodrick immediately asked me a reproachful question.
"Did you become the Grand Duchess to live like this?"
"..."
"Did you even pretend to be your sister to become the Grand Duchess?"
Why are there so many rude people around me?
A little annoyed, I turned back in Rodrick's direction.
He was looking at me with an unusually hard face, and I was just as hardened.
"You are the same, and so is Walter, who just kicked out, and you are too interested in other people's circumstances."
"It's absurd, it's very absurd."
"What?"
He replied with a long sigh.
"Isn't it absurd that the person who commissioned me to protect the Grand Duke is being treated like this at the Grand Duke's residence?"
About three years ago, the Kishian had just left the monster subjugation site.
Unlike my father, who desperately wanted him to die, I wanted him to survive.
It wasn't for me to get sick overnight.
Rather, I needed the power of the Grand Duke.
Even then, I wanted to get out of the imperial palace.
I had a vague idea that when Kishian returned from defeating the monsters, my father would replace me with Letie again and give me to him.
Therefore, to escape the Imperial palace, Kishian had to return alive and sound.
I was surprised when he came with the army as if he was going to set fire to the imperial palace.
Anyway, I had been thinking about how to save him until then, and then I heard a rumor about a young mercenary who had just started to become famous.
Someone very skilled, but not very famous yet, who can carry out my quest secretly.
At that time, Rodrick was more suitable than anyone else.
"Af that time, I asked you to protect the Grand Duke not just because I wanted to be the Grand Duchess and enjoy the luxury."
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