Chapter 70

Chapter 43 The Earl

In a simple and rustic study, a young man with a stern face was bent over his desk, writing diligently. His slightly curled black hair was tousled but looked glossy from being combed.

“Lord Earl.”

A young woman standing by the table had a serious expression as she reported her work to the man in a straightforward manner.

“Regarding the plague issue in this area, people are saying that it’s divine retribution sent by the Goddess of Sin. We’ve reached an agreement with the Church and will be distributing indulgences for free to soothe the victims’ emotions. At the same time, we’ll cooperate with the actions of the Church Knights to quickly investigate and apprehend those spreading rumors.”

The man dipped his quill pen in ink and asked without looking up, “What about the handling of the bodies?”

“I have mobilized the city’s defense forces, and they’re already working on it.”

“Hmm.”

The woman’s response seemed to satisfy him, as he nodded slightly and tapped the tip of the pen twice on the opened paper. Just when the woman thought he would continue writing, he put down the pen.

He crumpled the half-written letter and carelessly tossed it onto the table. Then, he glanced casually at the woman.

“Kill all those who speak out of turn. Leave none alive.”

The woman’s hand trembled slightly.

“You must handle this well. Interact more with the Church people so that Edward doesn’t get the chance to interfere.”

“…Understood.” The woman nodded, tucking back some chestnut-colored hair as if to mask her emotions, “Also, there’s another matter. Someone reported that some local lords are collecting additional taxes under the guise of disaster relief, which has created significant security risks.”

The man frowned.

“Who are these people? Compile a list and give it to me.”

“Alright.”

At this moment, the woman hesitated and then spoke after a while, “My Lord Earl…”

“What is it? Speak.”

“I heard that the masked assassins seem to have appeared near Winter City recently. My Lord, perhaps you should wait a bit longer…”

The man sneered.

“It’s fine; they’re just a bunch of cowards hiding behind masks. No need to worry. I’ve been delayed here for too long. I must leave tomorrow.”

“But, my Lord Earl, it’s clear they’re targeting you.”

The woman looked at the black-haired man sitting steadily at the desk, her brows knitting with concern.

“Since I can’t accompany you on your return trip, please make sure to bring more guards.”

The man rubbed his temples lightly, his expression indifferent as he looked at the woman.

“Aron, the situation here is urgent. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with it, so I have to keep you here. As for the guards, leave half for you to command, and I’ll take the other half with me.”

“But…”

“No buts. Execute the order.”

“…Yes.”

The woman bit her lip.

“My Lord Earl, are you rushing back to Suntel Castle because something happened there…”

“No.”

The man waved his hand.

He slightly pulled the corners of his mouth upward, a warm smile that the woman had never seen before.

“It’s because my sister is back.”

…

At noon.

Winter City, Suntel Castle.

In a dimly lit room with tightly closed curtains, the flickering candlelight cast a reddish glow on the surgical instruments that looked like torture devices on the table.

I sat on a small white bed, burying my hands between my legs, twisting and turning them to distract myself and alleviate the tension in my heart.

Then, I slightly hunched over, my dark eyes darting around, too afraid to look at Lady Catherine standing in front of me.

This morning, I fought the Duke fiercely, completely letting go and surrendering to the instinct of battle, using many dangerous moves. It was inevitable to sustain some cuts and bruises.

We continued fighting intermittently until the sun was high in the sky and my stomach started growling before we were forced to stop.

By then, Lady Catherine’s face was already quite displeased.

The Duke sensed the change in the situation and immediately pretended to laugh it off, skipping lunch and hiding in the Central Workshop.

I went inside, leaving me alone to face Lady, who was in no mood to be pleased. There was no escape.

Then I was taken to a medical room on the second floor of the castle, where she chased away the two doctors originally stationed there. She then drew the curtains and closed the door, her expression blank as she looked at me.

It was clear that she was still angry.

“Take off your clothes.”

After saying this, Lady didn’t pay any more attention to me and walked over to an old cabinet by the side.

The cabinet contained some bottles of medicine and herbs with names I couldn’t recognize. She opened one of the cabinet doors and started rummaging through it.

“Ma’am, you don’t need to…”

“Quickly, don’t make me do it myself.”

I immediately fell silent, lowering my head timidly and glancing at the long robe I was wearing.

The robe had been stained with crushed ice, which had melted and mixed with dust to form mud. It was now filthy and disheveled, with some parts worn thin and even a large hole at the knee of the pants.

I took it off and placed it beside the bed, hugging myself and curling up. Inside… I wasn’t actually wearing anything else.

Of course, it wasn’t because this world lacked corsets and other women’s undergarments. The main reason was that I had considered today would involve intense activities, and wearing a corset would be inconvenient. Not only would it hinder movement, but if I exerted too much force and broke the lacing, it would be quite embarrassing.

Besides, I had woken up in a daze and almost forgot to put on my pants, let alone a corset. Lady Catherine didn’t remind me when she handed me the clothes… and besides, as a strong man, showing off my well-developed chest was the way to go. Always wearing a corset just didn’t seem right.

It wasn’t because it wouldn’t make a difference whether I wore one or not! That wasn’t the case!

I lowered my head, looking at the unique little thing on my chest, feeling somewhat frustrated as I pouted.

Anyway, it will grow bigger eventually.

“What are you looking at? Want it to grow faster?”

Lady took out a green, unknown liquid from the cabinet and some bandages. As she turned around, she caught sight of my small movements.

“…No.”

“Aren’t girls your age usually thinking like that?”

“I’m not.”

Lady sat down beside me and gently pressed her finger on the bruise on my right shoulder. The smooth, delicate skin was marked by a very noticeable purple bruise.

“Painful?”

“Not really…”

“Liar.”

Lady poured some of the green liquid onto the bandage, dipped her finger in it, and gently applied it to the wound.

“Your Duke uncle has no sense of proportion. I’m sorry, I’ll scold him when he returns.”

“It’s okay, it’s what I wanted.”

Actually, it would heal by tomorrow if left alone.

“Can it be healed by tomorrow?”

“Uh, Ma’am…”

“Alright, alright, we’ll do it your way.”

“Thank you.”

“You should also take off your pants. I need to check if there are any other injuries.”

Lady placed the medicine bottle and bandages aside and reached for my waistband, about to pull them down. I was startled and quickly grabbed them tightly with both hands, pleading with her with my eyes.

“Ma’am, there’s nothing else!”

But suddenly, I noticed that she was staring intently at my chest.

Her gaze was so direct that I felt embarrassed, my cheeks immediately heating up.

I raised my hand slightly to cover it.

“Ma’am…”

What was wrong with her? Why was she suddenly acting like a pervert? This made me nervous.

“Should I massage your chest?”

“Huh?”

“I learned some techniques from the physicians in the palace. They can help you grow faster.”

“Really?”

“Put your arms down.”

“Still… no.”

“Obey.”

I shook my head vigorously.

Just then, there was a knock on the door outside.

“Ma’am, something happened outside. Please come out and take a look.”

Lady frowned upon hearing this.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s about Mr. Pasifal having a conflict with a guest.”