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5. The Treatment’s Butterfly Effect
It’s been a long time since the Duke of Cerceus received so many guests. The vassals spread across the country did not come alone. All of them came with young ladies who were near adulthood or just past adulthood.
Everyone had little expectations for Erhan, who just inherited the Duchy. In the vassals’ memory, Erhan was a depressed, skinny boy who lay on his sickbed all day.
Even though he said he needed medical care and went to the southern region for five years and never showed his face; still, the vast duchy and the status of high nobility just below the imperial family was something that anyone would covet.
Therefore, the vassals brought their disinclined daughters with the mindset that trying wouldn’t do them any harm.
However, the moment Erhan appeared at the succession ceremony, the thoughts of the young ladies who were brought according to their father’s will became one.
‘The personality looks a little bad and the impression is a little scary, but it’s worth risking your life!’
The large, colorful, and antique Castle of the Duke had a grandeur that anyone would have designs on. Erhan, who appeared at the ceremony, looked stiff and said nothing other than what he needed.
In addition, he had a look on his face that everything was annoying, but he had a good appearance with a decadent beauty.
They were even more impressed since no expectations were set at all. Even if the ladies gave up on his good manners or receiving kindness, they could live proudly just by looking at his face.
‘Of course, the mother-in-law’s countenance does not look favorable either, but
.’
Isabel, who had been the mistress of the fortress until now, also said nothing but necessary words with a cold face.
It was terrifying to meet her black eyes, who had been the so-called ‘Ruler of Blood’ for the first half years after taking over the estate in place of her deceased husband.
Isabel and Erhan also seemed to have an estranged relationship. According to the rumors surrounding the castle, they only speak when it was needed after having a confrontation over the issue of accepting an adopted daughter into the family.
Anyway, he seemed to be looking for someone with keen eyes throughout the ceremony, and he didn’t even listen to the vassals’ salutations.
“You know what? My maid overheard this from the maids here
. But they said that his personality resembles that of Isabel, which is said to be very cruel. He doesn’t overlook a single mistake made by the people in the castle.”
“Well, look at his eyes. He looks like someone who will never fancy anyone. He always seems to be in a bad mood.”
“Even on a fine day like today, he never smiled once.”
“Look at the castle’s atmosphere. It’s totally rigid and taut. I even heard they hung a decapitated body a few days ago.”
However, the public opinion was that they could bear such shortcomings. Moreover, there were no young children whom he had been close to since he was a child.
That means everyone had the same chances.
Some of the young ladies who tried to talk to Erhan after dinner on the evening of the ceremony had only wasted their time. At dinner, Erhan was too busy ordering the servants to do something after staring for some time at the dessert that came out.
After that, he did not spend much time in a conversation with anyone and immediately disappeared just like the wind.
Therefore, the next morning when the sun was pouring down, the young ladies sat in the garden and had tea time, aiming for a second chance.
Because there was no young lady courageous enough to dare talk to Isabel and ask her to join them, they set the tea party in a garden that Erhan would pass after his early morning training in the knight’s ground.
Betia Eli Avik was the most confident among the young ladies who liked Erhan. Even looking around, there was no young lady her age who looked better than herself.
Shiny blonde hair and blue eyes, which have always been praised. The silver dress she bought from the capital city was the most gorgeous one. Always confident in her appearance, she had no doubts that her beauty would help her rise in status.
The problem was her father, Viscount Avik. He kept wanting to attach her to Wederick for an unknown reason.
‘You should dream big, Father.’
Wederick was only a baron’s son, and his appearance was nothing compared to Erhan.
She couldn’t figure out why he wanted her to meet such a man periodically.
‘If I say I could become the next Duchess, my father will also definitely like it.’
Of course, she doesn’t think Erhan would be a good husband judging from her observation yesterday. The cold face which repels even the simplest conversations was only good to look at from afar.
In addition, listening to the conversation of the knights, he seemed to have a rough way of speaking.
‘There’s no helping it since he grew up uncultured in the South. However
. How much greater luxuries would I enjoy when I become the Duchess.’
Though, of course, she wasn’t the only one having the same thoughts, so the war of nerves during the tea time was no trifling matter.
“I heard you have a good relationship with Wederick.”
“Not really.”
Betia said with a grin.
“It’s just that our fathers are close with each other. By the way, Lady Silvina, I heard a rumor about your engagement from the other young ladies.”
“It’s all just rumors. I haven’t given anyone my heart yet. But Lady Betia meets Wederick once a month
.”
Lady Silvina noticeably keeps mentioning Wederick.
Getting on her nerves, Lady Betia stomped on Lady Silvina’s foot pretending it was a mistake. She apologized softly, thinking that it would hurt enough because of her shoes’ high heels.
“Oh, Lady Silvina. I’m sorry, I was trying to change my posture.”
“It’s all right.”
The problem was that Lady Silvina also had a formidable personality.
“Can you hold on to me for a bit? I think I have to see if there’s a wound.”
Without getting permission, Silvina touched Betia’s shoulder and pushed her hard, also assuming it to be a mistake.
Betia screamed loudly when she fell.
“Ahhh! My, my ankle! Ouch!”
The Duchess’ maids – who were changing the cups – were surprised and immediately ran to help her.
“That woman pushed me even though it’s really just an honest mistake!”
She screamed.
“Doctor! Get the doctor!”
“Please, wait a minute. Once you go back to your room
.”
“I can’t move! Call the doctor here! Quickly!”
It was Betia’s own calculation that it was time for Erhan to pass by. She was going to reveal Silvina’s greed in front of Erhan and become a poor injured person who should be pitied.
It would be even better if he remembers her as an innocent and weak young lady as her first impression. The maids were bewildered and didn’t know what to do. But they swept their panicked hearts away at the sight of their savior.
It was Lise, who was heading to the greenhouse in the morning to annoy Aaron.
⊱⋅ ──────────── ⋅⊰
“She sprained her leg?”
A maid ran to me in embarrassment. In the meantime, I was agonizing about whether I should take care of the guest’s injuries since they usually don’t have guests in the castle.
Still, it was not an option to send a young lady, and a noble lady at that, to the medical office of the knights when she was injured.
I thought it would be fine to take a look at the lady’s injury, so I followed the maid to the garden. In the quiet garden, tables were spread out because of the noble young Ladies’ tea time.
It would be fun to watch the fight a little more, but I intervened with a sense of duty.
“Hello, I’m Lise Estelle, assistant to the Duke’s doctor. Excuse me, but who’s hurt?”
“Me.”
A young Lady with blonde hair called Betia fluttered her eyes and stretched out her ankles.
“I’m hurt. I can’t even walk because Lady Sivina pushed me too hard.”
“
I think you’re still able to walk through.”
I grabbed her foot that came out of the fancy skirt and checked the location of the bone.
“First, I’ll have to snap the dislocated bones together, then prescribe an ointment to alleviate the pain.”
Of course, the attention of the two who were fighting as much as they could wasn’t focused on me. They kept arguing while I looked carefully at the location of the bones.
As I overheard it, it seemed to come from a fight between the young ladies who wanted to impress Erhan.
‘Well, if you think about it, he’s a perfect groom candidate.’
In my previous life, he didn’t even get to preserve his seat – much less have the succession ceremony – so there were no talks about marriage either.
However, I realized one more time that the situation has changed a lot.
‘He’s desired by everyone who wants to be the future Duchess of Cerceus.’
Even in my evaluation, Erhan’s shortcomings did not come to mind. Great appearance, overflowing wealth, great aristocratic status as a Duke, and a friendly, gentle, yet well-drawn personality.
I felt very proud and strangely sad.
“You’ll see, Lady Silvina. No matter how hard you try, you won’t get a dance request from Lord Erhan.”
“Well, we don’t know. To me, Lady Betia is much more ineligible to dance with Lord Erhan during the upcoming Prince’s Victory Banquet.”
Perhaps it’s because Lady Betia was too focused on their argument, that even as I realigned her dislocated joints, she didn’t yell due to pain even once.
It was clear that she wasn’t a crybaby and was only making a fuss earlier.
“No matter how much of a gentleman Lord Erhan was, would someone look at a young lady who is rumored to have an affair with his cousin?”
“Don’t spread false rumors, Lady Silvina Merrien-Kerheiman.”
Betia’s menacing voice warned Silvina that she shouldn’t cross her bottom line.
“You were the one who insulted me first, Lady Betia Eli Avik.”
As I was about to get up after realigning the bones of Lady Betia’s foot, I took a deep breath in surprise.
Avik?
Viscount Avik?
I gently looked up at Betia’s face. It was my first time seeing a face I knew only by name. Before my regression, that name was announced as Wederick’s fiancĂ©e as he took over the duchy.
And Viscount Avik was a vassal family that was on the list of rebels announced shortly after the mutiny rose.
‘Betia doesn’t know that her father is already on the rebel’s side.’
I pretended to fix her ankle on purpose again, while I started rolling my brain.