Chapter 104
Now I finally understood why Cedric told me to be careful around that man.
He was a complete rascal. To say it nicely, he was “straightforward.” To say it truthfully—he had no manners at all.
Why are there so many rude people in this world? My Archduke is calm and polite. If everyone had even half of Cedric’s manners, life would be so much easier.
“Jeron.”
“Wait a moment, Your Grace. Let me answer this.”
Cedric was about to step in for me, as always, but I stopped him. I couldn’t let him keep speaking on my behalf forever.
“A little girl, you said?”
“Ha. Look at this brat, talking back.”
“Brat? Wow, do you have no manners at all?”
“Ha, ha! What a funny girl.”
Jeron held his forehead and laughed. His face was already red from drinking, and his expression was twisted with annoyance. He was the only one drunk here. Honestly, he looked pitiful.
Maybe he was an alcoholic? Jeron grabbed his cup like he was burning inside and drank it down in one gulp. The servant quickly refilled his cup the moment it was empty.
The Duke and Duchess looked used to this kind of behavior. They just frowned a little but didn’t stop him. Meanwhile, Viola, the little sister, only poked at her food without saying anything. She looked so small and cute—completely opposite of her brother.
I stared at Viola for a moment, then lifted my head again and snapped back at Jeron.
“Anyway, Doctor Tinte is still living safely in the Grand Duke’s estate, and I am not the personal physician.”
“But just now His Grace—”
“He said attending physician. That’s different from personal doctor. Words matter, you know. How could those two mean the same thing?”
What, can’t you even tell the difference?
I had purposely poked at his temper, and Jeron reacted exactly as expected. He flared up like a fish fresh out of water.
“You’re basically acting as his personal doctor!”
“I told you, I’m not. Are you hard of hearing?”
I glanced at the Duke. He was having a cozy conversation with Ian and didn’t seem to care at all about stopping me.
Perfect. That meant I could push things further.
“I just happen to be very skilled. Extremely.”
“How skilled?”
“Well… very.”
How was I supposed to measure that with numbers? I brushed off the question and dodged it.
I heard Cedric chuckle softly. He patted my arm once before speaking.
“Yes, that’s right. So if you ever need her help, just ask.”
Then he calmly put down his cutlery and wiped his lips with a napkin. It was a clear signal: dinner was over.
“Now, let’s talk about something else.”
Cedric’s eyes turned to the Duke.
The Duke waved his hand, and the servants all left the room. Even while that was happening, Cedric’s gaze never moved away from him.
Cedric hadn’t yet revealed what we wanted from this family. He was carefully keeping that hidden to gain the upper hand in negotiations.
The Aurelia Duke had lived his whole life in politics and noble society. He could read people, sense lies, and notice secrets with ease.
But none of that worked on Cedric.
“Your Grace.”
“You want something, don’t you?”
Usually, the Duke was the one in power. Everyone who came to him wanted his favor, his wealth, or his influence.
But Cedric was different. Yes, he ruled a poor duchy, always harassed by the Empire and neighboring lands. Yes, he lacked resources. But he was still a ruler, responsible for his people.
He couldn’t be looked down on. He had worked too hard for that.
I knew how much effort Cedric put into protecting his people. I had seen it with my own eyes. Even the day we first met was one of those countless days he spent working for them.
“You want to study dragons, is that it?”
“Your Grace. Our ancestor was a dragon. As descendants, we don’t want their remains to be wasted in meaningless ways.”
“I see.”
Cedric’s face made it clear he didn’t believe a single word. Everyone here could tell.
“So, if we use them in a meaningful way, that should be fine, right?”
“Your Grace!”
“If you need something, pay for it. Every grain grown in our land, every stone from our ground—none of it will be given away for free.”
Yes! That’s what I’d been thinking too. Don’t demand things like a thief. Pay the proper price, and there’s no problem.
So why were they so desperate to claim shares instead of just buying what they needed? Strange.
“…We need shares.”
“And why, exactly?”
“We cannot tell you.”
“Then I can’t tell you anything either. Anyway, you mentioned inviting us to the Spring Festival, correct? Tomorrow, I’ll take some time to tour the dukedom.”
“Your Grace.”
They were hiding far too much. The entire conversation went in circles, neither side willing to yield.
Even just listening to it made me tired.
Apparently, Jeron felt the same. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted.
“When did you become so greedy?”
By then, my patience had already snapped. I shot up from my seat and muttered:
“Are you insane, seriously?”
“What did you say?”
“Oh—sorry! Just talking to myself. But really, are you kidding me?”
Maybe I was too used to the Empire’s strict hierarchy, but how could someone without even a title talk that way to a Grand Duke?
Even if he was family, that didn’t excuse such blatant rudeness.
I felt dizzy just watching it.
Jeron yelled louder and louder, yet oddly enough, he made sure not a single drop spilled on Viola beside him. He even reached over to give her the tastiest dishes while throwing his tantrum.
So he did care for his sister, at least.
But his so-called “kindness” was so tiny, so narrow. Would it kill him to show even a little respect to the Grand Duke’s guests too?
Dinner was collapsing into complete chaos. I was already thinking I’d better brew more stomach medicine later.
“Duke Aurelia, may I speak?”
Suddenly, Harun spoke up, his voice firm.
“Go ahead.”
The Duke, who had been watching both Jeron and me with a heavy look, responded immediately.
At that moment, Harun’s eyes met mine.
I wasn’t sure what he was about to say, but I knew Harun would never harm Cedric with his words.
I gave him a small, trusting look. He blinked back at me once, then quickly turned away.
And then—Harun dropped his bombshell. His voice was calm, almost gentle, but his words were anything but.
