I Unintentionally Cured the Grand Duke’s Insomnia - Chapter 97

49. — His Trauma (1)

“What on earth is this…”

Cus ran a hand through his scanty hair as he looked at the newspaper article, which was already dated two weeks ago. No matter how many times he read the newspaper, he couldn’t believe how the situation had turned out this way.

Sold out every day! They couldn’t even sell it because they didn’t even have anything to sell!

How did Lian’s first female knight become the Grand Duke’s fiancée?

There appears to be no schedule for a second printing of the book, so purchase it even if you have to pay extra!

“D*mn it!”

He finally crumpled the newspaper he was reading in frustration.

On the crumpled newspaper, there was a picture of Adelia awkwardly smiling. Did it mean the book was really popular? Were they saying a poorly written third-rate romance novel with such content that couldn’t even be fathom was sold out? A piece of writing that no one could read?

He couldn’t understand it.

It was a book that was published by going into debt after being deceived by Adelia’s boast that it would be a million-seller. No one could read more than one line of the book that was published, and to make matters worse, the Grand Duke, who was once called a murderer during the war, noticed that he had been depicted as the male protagonist of the novel.

All the published books had to be withdrawn, and as a result, he found himself buried in debt.

In order to dispose of the books that had piled up like mountains on one side of the publishing house, the prices were half for a reissue. But now, people were willing to purchase those books, even if they had to pay a laughable amount for them?

He didn’t want to believe it.

If there really was such a thing as God, he shouldn’t have let this happen to him.

Cus crumpled the newspaper and tossed it on the floor.

He had avoided the eyes of people, fleeing from Aren with the sole intention of staying away. However, he had reached his limits, both mentally and physically now.

With a sense of despair, he lay down in the middle of the forest path.

It had been two weeks since he had run away from Aren. The money he had saved as an emergency fund had long run out, and he had been living on the streets since yesterday. When he realized that he hadn’t even had a meal, let alone a drink, for three days already, he felt as if the sky was spinning above him.

He wanted to go back.

He wanted to go back and print the second edition, the third edition and sit on a money cushion.

Despite the fact that he had staked his life on publishing, the thought that someone else was making money from it made him feel an unbearable pain in the stomach.

“D*mn it.”

There was only one reason why he couldn’t move his feet to head back to Aren right away.

It was the fact that he had published the book on his own without telling Grand Duke Destro or Adelia, so he couldn’t easily return to Aren. He did it in defiance of Adelia’s words that she would resolve the damage and protect his personal safety.

Even if he brushed aside Adelia’s threat that she wouldn’t take responsibility for the damages if he didn’t comply with her request, he had no idea how Cain would react.

Thinking that the ruthless blade of the Grand Duke might be directed at his throat, a shiver ran down his spine.

Cus scratched his head on the cold, hard ground he was lying on and turned over.

In reality, despite his reluctance, he knew he would have to return to Aren soon. He was afraid that the Grand Duke and Adelia might discover his escape, so he fled without even being able to sell the publishing house that was in his name. To be honest, given the location and the price he had set, by now, there might have been a line of people interested in buying it.

Thinking about this fact, he felt his stomach boil again.

Cus, who had been tossing and turning on the ground, once again turned his gaze toward the sky.

It had been quite a while since he left Aren, and by now, Madam Passe probably had found a suitable buyer and had likely drawn up a provisional contract.

Since they had made a promise to draft the sales contract about four weeks after the book was published, Cus knew that, if for nothing else but to cover his recently depleted escape funds, he had to return to Aren within the next two weeks

Of course, the chances of running into the two of them during a brief stop were low, but just in case, it seemed prudent to have at least one lifeline to save his life.

‘A lifeline like that wouldn’t suddenly fall from the sky…’

As he gazed at the sky, he could see a cloud shaped like a donut in the blue sky, floating leisurely. Upon seeing the cloud, a faint rumble of hunger echoed from his stomach.

‘Alright, let’s go to sleep. If you sleep, at least you won’t be hungry.’

In the still broad daylight, Cus couldn’t endure his hunger and closed his eyes.

Every time the cool wind blew, the sound of rustling leaves sounded like a lullaby. As he listened to the chirping of birds, the buzzing of insects, and the gentle flow of a stream, his cluttered mind began to feel somewhat organized.

Lost in the peaceful atmosphere, Cus, who had closed his eyes, suddenly snapped them open.

“…The sound of a stream?”

Doubted if he heard it correctly, he suddenly rose from his seat. Then, he brought his hand to his ear to find the faintly audible sound.

Sure enough, the sound was that of a stream.

The sound of a flowing stream meant there might be houses nearby, and if there were, it suggested that with a bit of luck, he might be able to scrounge up a meal. Of course, he didn’t have any money, but for now, he thought about going to the stream and at least filling a boat with water.

Having concluded his brief contemplation, Cus hurried to his feet. As he followed the faint sound of the stream, he walked deeper and deeper into the forest.

In the meanwhile, there were sharp eyes observing him in the dense thicket.

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