I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke
lisa
저주받은 대공의 아내가 되었다 Jul 02, 2026 38 views
Chapter 21
Meanwhile, at that moment, Callian was riding in a carriage on his way to the Imperial Palace.
Benjamin, who had been working across from him with a small table between them, checked a letter he had just received before speaking.
"Your Highness, the information you requested regarding the young lady's biological mother has arrived."
"Report."
"Around twenty years ago, she was found wandering the Lawrence territory's hunting grounds with no memory of who she was. The Count rescued her and employed her as his personal maid."
Callian narrowed his eyes.
"She had amnesia?"
"According to rumors circulating among the people, she was a woman who sold her body to mercenaries at a tavern near Richef Port. However, we have no way of verifying whether that's true."
A woman who had wandered around the port somehow ended up in Lawrence territory.
And she had arrived there without any memories.
A faint sense of suspicion crossed his mind as he leaned back comfortably.
"Look into it further."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Having finished giving his instructions, Callian silently turned his gaze out the window.
Benjamin lowered his head to his documents again before suddenly remembering something.
"Oh..."
"Would you like the sleeping medicine? I've already had it prepared. Just let me know if you need it."
"I have a cure now, so I won't need it."
"A cure...?"
The only thing his lord could possibly call a cure at the moment was that small, delicate young lady.
The mistress of the bedroom that the man—who avoided women almost obsessively—visited every single night.
Remembering the rumors openly circulating among the servants, Benjamin gave an awkward cough.
"Ahem... Well, in any case, I'm glad you've been sleeping well lately."
His quiet remark never reached Callian's ears.
He remained lost in thought as he gazed out the carriage window.
Across the rapidly passing gray scenery, the image of a woman full of color appeared...
...and disappeared...
...only to appear again.
Healthy, rosy skin.
Long eyelashes resting softly against her cheeks.
Full lips.
A slender figure.
At a glance alone, she possessed a face so beautiful it seemed almost sacred.
I'm doing something rather ridiculous.
Whenever he came into contact with her...
He fell into a deep sleep without relying on medicine.
Ever since he had been born bearing the Guardian's Mark, he had never once enjoyed proper, restful sleep.
Now...
For the first time in what felt like forever...
He woke each morning feeling refreshed and warm.
The results were astonishing.
His mind worked faster than usual.
His body felt lighter.
The painfully heightened senses that constantly tormented him like countless needles had also calmed considerably, though not completely.
There's no need to think too deeply about it.
They say it's common when two people's mana affinities are highly compatible.
Mana affinity referred to the compatibility between a healer's mana and that of the person receiving healing.
When the affinity was excellent, the purification effect became much stronger.
If it was poor, not only did the healing become less effective, but even physical contact became unpleasant.
For Callian...
His compatibility with every healer on the continent—except Evelyn—was the worst possible.
Perhaps because of that...
The act of purification, which he was experiencing properly for the first time in his life, brought him a pleasure beyond words.
No matter how desperately he resisted...
The mana flowing through their bodies attracted one another as though pulled together by gravity.
Every night...
By the time he regained his senses...
He would already be half-undressed, desperately sucking on the woman's lips.
That didn't mean he desired her.
He had no such feelings toward any woman.
He had spent years sacrificing flesh and blood to ensure nothing interfered with destroying Babel.
He couldn't throw away that greater purpose merely because he'd become addicted to healing.
One thing, however, was certain.
Whenever he was with her...
His mind became clear.
The pounding headaches disappeared.
The ringing in his ears vanished.
The desperate cries of someone begging to be saved while engulfed in flames no longer haunted him.
The closer they remained...
The more his condition gradually improved.
He had finally escaped the insomnia that had seemed eternal.
For now...
That alone was enough.
* * *
Inside the Grand Council Chamber of the Imperial Palace.
While Callian had briefly stepped away to receive the Emperor's approval for his marriage...
The nobles representing every territory filled the long conference table surrounding the seat of honor.
"This is becoming troublesome. Monsters have never left Bellatra or the North before. Attacking civilian villages, of all things..."
"Isn't this all another scheme orchestrated by Babel through its servants? None of this would've happened if the First Empress hadn't summoned the Demon King in the first place!"
"If that's the case, how exactly are we supposed to solve the current crisis? Now they're saying a plague has begun spreading as well. This is deeply worrying."
To people who possessed no immunity against monsters...
The existence of Gates inspired fear on the same level as the end of the world itself.
The Temple attempted to calm public anxiety by increasing the number of churches throughout the Empire.
As unrest continued to spread...
Even the nobles—who had previously left all monster-related matters entirely to the Grand Duke—finally began demanding answers.
"So then... who intends to bring this matter before the Grand Duke?"
Each noble exchanged nervous glances as they recalled the overwhelming presence of the terrifying Grand Duke.
Just then—
Bang!
The conference hall doors, which normally required four attendants to open, swung wide without warning.
Silence fell instantly.
Everyone who had been loudly arguing only moments ago immediately shut their mouths.
Step. Step. Step.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the spotless marble floor.
Not a single breath could be heard inside the chamber.
Soon...
Callian entered.
Draped in a cloak woven from monster remains, he took his seat at the head of the table.
The mounted wolf monster's eyes resting upon his shoulder gleamed eerily.
"...So."
Callian lightly tapped the armrest with his fingers.
Then, as though there were no need for anyone to report what had just been said because he had already heard everything, he continued,
"To summarize your discussion... you're saying I'm the cause of all this."
His brilliant golden eyes slowly swept across the nobles who had been passionately arguing only moments earlier.
"When I requested troops and supplies needed to purify the dungeons, wasn't it all of you who came up with excuse after excuse before running away?"
Click.
Callian placed a cigar with its tip cut off between his lips.
A flame appeared at his fingertips.
The sparks briefly illuminated his sharply defined face before disappearing again, while thick smoke surrounded him like sea fog.
"What should we do then? Shall I return to the past and cut off the First Empress's head before she summons Babel? If I did that, the Empire wouldn't exist in the first place, and none of us would have to worry about any of this."
His tone was almost playful.
But no one failed to hear the anger hidden beneath it.
The nobles of Kardian were well aware of everything the Grand Duke had sacrificed.
Even so...
His ever-growing influence was something they believed had to be restrained.
"But, Your Highness... unlike the North, the South enjoys four distinct seasons, fertile plains, abundant seas, and beautiful mountain ranges stretching along its long coastline."
Someone spoke in an almost inaudible voice.
"We cannot stain such rich lands and natural beauty with the blood of monsters..."
Callian let out a dry laugh.
"Indeed. Being honest about your intentions would actually be less pathetic."
