I Unintentionally Cured the Grand Duke’s Insomnia - Chapter 153

77. — Plan (1)

They thought that after talking to the families of the deceased, they might get some leads on the situation. They were starting to get a grip on things, but the mood suddenly shifted, becoming strangely tense.

Abel glanced at Cain’s face as he led the way to where the horses were tied and spoke up.

“I’ve heard that a normal person’s instincts are usually accurate.”

“….”

“My gut’s telling me that the lord’s up to something suspicious.”

He was close enough for Cain to have heard him, but Cain didn’t respond at all. Of course, Abel knew the situation was his fault, so he didn’t expect an immediate response, but he hadn’t anticipated being completely brushed off like this.

‘Why has my brother become such a petty person?’

Meanwhile, Cain, completely unaware of Abel’s frustration, was lost in a spiral of his own thoughts. The things the woman had told him kept nagging at his mind. More specifically, it was his suspicion about Andre Jackson, the temporary lord of Retinem, and who he really was.

To be honest, Jackson had never made a good impression from the start.

It was almost as if his suspicions had been confirmed. The more he dug, the more everything surrounding him turned out to be a lie.

Even though Jackson claimed to be born and raised in Retinem, he wasn’t actually from there. According to the people in the territory, he had settled in Retinem about five years ago. The guards in the territory confirmed this as well, so it was definitely true.

So, it was safe to assume that the promise he claimed to have made with Lia must’ve been a lie as well.

The time when Andre said he met Lia in Aren was during the year she collapsed from an unknown illness. Although he couldn’t remember the details clearly, everyone in the capital would remember how desperately the count and his wife had been searching for all kinds of doctors back then.

No amount of money could replace their daughter, Adelia. She was everything to her parents.

Given the circumstances, there was no way the count would have arranged for Jackson and Lia, who had no connection, to meet. It was also highly unlikely that Lia, who had been so sick she could barely walk, would have gone out of the house to meet him.

Cain stroked the horse that had been patiently waiting for him, thinking back to what had happened yesterday.

Looking back now, the entire situation, where he got hurt instead of Adelia, seemed strange. It was almost as if the doctor, who had rushed over before they’d even called for help, had known this would happen. And the fact that he had Kaltix leaves, a forbidden herb, which was the most effective at relieving pain, was definitely suspicious.

The most unsettling thing, though, was what the saintess had mentioned.

〈 It looks like the temporary lord has been using black magic. 〉

Currently, the strange occurrences happening all over Retinem and the empire were suspected to be caused by black magic. In such a situation, there was evidence that the temporary lord had used black magic?

It was a dangerously bold statement, but the saintess’s suspicion did have some merit.

Anyone who used black magic had their soul corrupted, and it couldn’t be healed with divine magic. The same applied to the body. Anyone from the empire who attended the academy to study divine theology would know this—it was the first thing they’d learn in that course.

A temporary lord who used black magic, something even ordinary people rarely encountered.

A wave of unease washed over him, as the worst-case scenario he had feared might actually be true.

Cain grabbed the reins and turned to Abel.

“I’ll head back to the castle first…”

In that moment, a white puffball appeared, running from a distance. Its short legs moved quickly, and its small face showed a sense of urgency. With a familiar appearance, the white puffball jumped straight into Cain’s arms without hesitation, despite the frown on his face.

He instinctively caught Noya in his arms, his face scrunching as he looked at him.

The gasping and panting came from the dog shapeshifter, the young dog Lia had taken care of. Seeing Noya, who looked like he had rushed over in a hurry, a sense of unease grew in Cain’s mind.

“Why are you here…?”

“What are you doing here? Lia is in danger!”

“What?”

“The lord’s acting strange! He went into the room with Lia and hasn’t come out since…!”

Cain, while listening to Noya babbling and explaining the situation, handed him over to Abel, almost as if he were passing the buck.

Abel, who had instinctively hugged Noya, quickly asked as he watched his brother swiftly mount his horse.

“What’s going on?”

“You’re responsible for bringing him back.”

“…What? Hold on… Hey, no, brother!”

Abel, now understanding the situation, called out to Cain, but by then, he was already disappearing into the distance.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

The air in the room grew thick with tension.

I swallowed nervously, trapped under Lord Jackson’s arm.

“I’ll say it again, Lord. Please step away from Lia.”

“Anyone who sees this would think I’m about to eat her, Saintess.”

At Irene’s repeated warning, Lord Jackson let out a chuckling laugh. Paying no attention to her scowling face, he shot a quick glance in her direction and asked,