Chapter 39

When she became interested in the slave market, he wasn’t surprised because it was exactly what she would do.

When the auction began, her sympathy left the other nobles watching, and she bought her slaves at a much higher price than she should.

When he thought that she must have opened her eyes to a new hobby just because he called her slave her lover, she returned to the palace and gave her slave money to restore his status.

And it’s also the one who once tried to kill her.

If he were the usual Duke of Baloa, she would have treated Sir Ethan in the most brutal way on the spot and instilled fear around him.

The most difficult thing to believe was that she accepted Sir Ethan to be her hands and feet.

The Duke of Baloa never believes in people.

Not to mention the one who betrayed her once.

But now, Erina held hands at a few words from Knoxus.

“No matter how much she lost her memory, how can a person change this much?”

Cardan flicked off Erina’s hair that clung to her forehead.

“As if you’ve become a different person…….”

However, Cardan soon withdrew his thought.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Whatever the intent of the duke’s behavior is, he must not be deceived.

There’s nothing more stupid than believing in the Duke of Baloa.

It may be a mistake to be hit once, but it is a sin to be hit twice.

☆*: .｡.  .｡.:*☆

“Ugh.”

The next day I woke up feeling much lighter.

The headache that weighed heavily on my head had disappeared like a lie.

It was my mistake that I overworked Duke Baloa’s body thinking that she was strong enough.

From now on, no matter how urgent things are, I have to get up from my seat, determined to take a break and work.

Someone pressed a finger on my forehead and laid me back.

“Lie down.”

Only then did I see Cardan sitting with his legs crossed at the bedside.

He was a beautiful figure, but my eyes frowned automatically.

Why do I always wake up here?

I groped for cover. Fortunately, her clothes were properly dressed.

Nothing happened last night, right?

Unless he’s a piece of crap like a sick man or a beast.

No, wait a second. Come to think of it, the emperor of the original is a terrible piece of trash.

Cardan beckoned to me.

“Aren’t you looking so disrespectfully to the person who took care of you all night?”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

He took care of me all night?

“I am very sorry for the inconvenience.”

For now, I set a proper example in my raspy voice, but I couldn’t believe it.

However, there was no other way to explain her better physical condition.

“It’s done.”

Cardan shook his hand as if he were annoyed.

Cardan, who had been crumpling his brows for a long time, slowly took off his lips with an expression of putting something terrible in his mouth.

“Let’s do it.”

I instinctively grabbed the sheet.

“What do you mean…”

Cardan glanced at me and laughed in vain.

“Let’s clean up the slave market, let’s do it.”

“Ah! Slave market!”

As I relaxed my grip on the sheet with peace of mind, Cardan’s eyebrows wiggle slightly.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Your Majesty.”

I quickly listed the facts I found out.

“The slave market is run by an Eslandic named Faus. Like Count Gesban, he seems to kidnap commoners living in the outskirts and sell them as slaves to other areas.”

I was also contemplating about the link between Faus and Empress Dowager and then shut up.

If Cardan digs too deep after I let him know for no reason, I’m the only one who’ll get tired.

It’s not easy to accept that the empire will fall into the hands of the Empress Dowager.

That won’t happen, but if I say I’ll do my last push to save the empire, and I force myself there, I can’t go into exile and I’ll be stuck in the afterlife with the empire.

That’s when I decided to take the empress’s intervention to the grave.

“It’s the Empress Dowager’s deed.”

Cardan simply messed up my plan.

As I looked at him with a stupid look, Cardan raised his eyebrows.

“Isn’t it obvious? How can a foreigner of commoner status come to another country and do such a bold thing?”

Oh my, what a sharp guy.

I thought he didn’t have anything in his head, but I guess I underestimated him.

“Haha, that’s right.”

Cardan’s eyes narrowed.

“The Duke already knew.”

“I was just guessing, too.”

Smiling awkwardly, I changed the subject quickly.

“Well, let’s start with the size of the slave market. How do they capture the common people and who are the aristocrats involved?”

It will take quite a while.

There was no scheduled auction in the capital until next month.

If they do things recklessly and if the criminals notice, the criminals will likely cut off their tail and run away.

So it was best to wait for Marquis Treve to bring a reasonable clue for now.

I looked at Cardan’s countenance.

“When I have enough evidence, Your Majesty must give a formal order.”

Cardan smiled.

“Yes, the Duke’s work is always the same.”

For some reason, it didn’t sound good, but Cardan stood up before I could even look at his expression.

“Then, get out of my bedroom.”

“Oh, yes, yes.”

I scrambled out of bed.

“I’m sorry to bother you again.”

I politely folded my back in half and stepped back out of the room.

The door closed behind my back, and I let out my breath.

Coming out of the bedroom, the question that had been bothering a corner of my heart since earlier came to mind again.

‘Nothing really happened, right?’

Someone who’s lost in the heat. No way.

But all the way back to my room, scenes from the original came to mind.

Eventually, I turned my steps to the infirmary.

It’s effective to take medicine consistently.

I whispered in my head.

It’s better to make sure.

However, when I arrived at the medical office, the same news was waiting for me.

“What?”

“I’m so sorry, Duke. I can’t help it.”

The doctor was restless and apologized repeatedly.

“His Majesty told me not to give you anything.”

“What are you talking about!”

I screamed like I was going to faint at any moment.

“Sorry, I’m sorry.”

The doctor bent down again, wiping his sweaty forehead.

“I hope you don’t get too angry.”

I eventually collapsed with a throbbing headache again, clutching the nape of my neck.

“Duke! Are you okay?”

But I couldn’t even get my head around answering the doctor’s words.

If I don’t eat medicine on time after that night, I’m nervous and can’t get my work done. I never know when something like that night will happen again.

“D, Do you want me to prescribe you some other medicine? Blood pressure medicine?

I waved to the doctor still hovering around me and staggered out of the infirmary.

I can’t put my life in such a muddle before I can bloom a bright future in the East.

There was no more time to lose.

It is necessary to bring in Lady Treve’s love to the palace as soon as possible.

☆*: .｡.  .｡.:*☆

Things went smoothly.

After 24 hours of special training with an etiquette teacher, Lady Treve was already reborn as an even more perfect young lady.

I got a nightgown that had a quiet but moderately mysterious atmosphere that matched Lady Treve’s dark brown hair and green eyes, and I attached the maids to Lady Treve from morning to evening to apply polish and incense to each strand of hair and every corner of her body.

“Perfect. Perfect.”

I clapped my hands with tears in my eyes.

“Will His Majesty like me?”

Lady Treve, glistened with her eyes, held her hands tightly together.

Thanks to voice training, the sound of her words was unique.

“I like it! Any man would fall in love with the way you are now.”

I swept away my pounding heart.

“Even I, a woman, have a crush on you.”

Lady Treve laughed out loud.

“Thank you, Duke. Thank you for trying so hard for me.”

I had a slight guilty conscience.

It was just driven by my selfishness, but it was embarrassing for Lady Treve to be so grateful.

Lady Treve glanced at me.

“The duke must have been secretly cultivating your heart as much as you served His Majesty close by.”

“What?”

I asked back for a moment because I thought I had misheard.

“It’s okay. I understand because I was in the same situation.”

Lady Treve comforted me with a gentle voice that she had completed thanks to her etiquette class.

“I know how heartbroken you are that you have no choice but to look at him from afar. So I’m more thankful. Thank you for supporting me with all your heart.”

“W, What are you talking about…!”

She felt so sorry for me. This lady, spouted out her wildest ideas.

Soon the lady grabbed my hand.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, please call me anytime. As much as you helped me, I want to repay you someday.”

“S,sure.”

My mouth would hurt more if I argue here.

After the final inspection, I saw Lady Treve off to the emperor’s bedroom.

☆*: .｡.  .｡.:*☆

Even after returning to the office, I could hardly stay still.

As I continued to wander back and forth in the office, Knoxus looked at me with concern.

“Is there any problem?”

I waved my hands.

“Nothing. I was just worried about Lady Treve.”

“You have nothing to worry about.”

I was grateful for Knoxus’ comfort, but honestly I didn’t listen to him.

“I can’t. Tomorrow, go to the capital city streets and get just one medicine.”

I was very anxious to just leave my hands like this.

“A drug?”

“Yes.”

From Knoxus’ trembling eyes, he seemed to be thinking of all kinds of illegal drugs.

“It’s a commonly available drug, so don’t worry too much.”

I shoved a small note into his hand.

“You just have to order it as it is written. The quality doesn’t matter, so you just have to buy it.”

“What kind of drug are you looking for so desperately?”

Suddenly, the sound from the door made my spine shiver and I shut my mouth.

Unsurprisingly, Cardan was standing at the door.