The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 62

Ilya shot a menacing glare at the man in front of her, her eyes ablaze with fury.

“Lauren, are you serious about this theater in the castle? I don’t understand why the grand duke’s palace needs such a thing.”

Nonchalantly reclining in his chair, Nikolas blinked at her. Ilya struggled with the urge to give him a good punch every time she saw that smug face of his.

“Your Grace, discussing the necessity of art is futile,” Ilya retorted, her voice dripping with irritation. “Who in the grand duke’s palace would even watch a play?”

Nikolas raised an eyebrow. “Ignorant swordsmen might not appreciate it, but there are ladies in the grand duke’s palace. The Countess of Glen enjoys such cultural endeavors, and there’s the private theater.”

Ilya slammed her fist onto the table. “I’ve told you before, keep your attention away from my wife.”

“Come now, Evelyn is from the central regions. Everything there is so lavish. Forcing her to live in this desolate place is a form of violence against your beloved wife,” Nikolas retorted sarcastically.

Ilya didn’t have a clue about what Evelyn liked. Moreover, art was not his area of expertise. Painting, music, literature, and theater—none of these held any significance in his daily life, filled with battles and struggles.

But a vague memory came to his mind.

Not long after they got married, Evelyn pestered him to go to a night market and returned briefly. He couldn’t understand why that memory suddenly resurfaced, even to himself.

A woman with a more youthful face, holding a beer glass in her hand, was laughing while watching a play at an open-air theater in the corner of the night market. Her face looked very happy as she held a glass of beer in one hand.

[This is my first time trying beer. It’s bitter, but it’s good.]

[I’ve never been to a place like this before.]

Seeing the woman who was experiencing everything for the first time, he couldn’t help but think that the princess, who had grown up beautifully, would inevitably be captivated by such things. As he gazed at the girl who held cheap beer in her hand, laughing and looking at herself, he couldn’t fathom why he had suddenly remembered her.

When the face of that naive girl was superimposed on the tired face of his wife, he lost his appetite.

While Ilya was lost in his thoughts, Nikolas continued.

“This is a theater supported by our family. Since they won’t charge, anyone who wants to see a play can do so. This includes the Grand Duke’s beloved wife, of course.”

“Even if I don’t allow it, Lady Glen will probably encourage you to achieve your goal, won’t she?” Ilya grumbled.

Nikolas shrugged with a sly grin. “The Countess of Glen has always had a deep love for the arts. She’s the first to see anything new. I’m sure she’ll gladly accept it this time as well.”

Ilya glared at Nikolas with an exasperated look and finally nodded. “Do as you please.”

“You’re welcome at any time, Your Grace,” Nikolas said, scratching at Ilya’s nerves before disappearing. Ilya watched his retreating figure with an uneasy expression.

***

“Lady, a theater group sponsored by Lord Lauren has arrived.”

“Does that mean we can watch plays at the grand duke’s palace?” Evelyn’s eyes widened with curiosity as she asked. Sophia, brimming with excitement, replied, “Yes, anyone who wishes can watch the play. If enough people gather, they can even perform in the location of their choice.”

“For free?” Arthur, standing behind, inquired. Bellina scolded him for his curiosity.

Evelyn, amused by their interaction, asked Sophia, “But why did Lauren Lord’s theater troupe come here?”

“They came because Lord Lauren expressed his desire to watch a play. It seems that nobility always has its own ways,” Sophia explained.

Once again, Evelyn was reminded of Lauren’s prestigious lineage.

Sophia suddenly wore an annoyed expression but then cheerfully continued, “Sophia, why are you so mad?”

“Countess Glen plans to gather noble ladies and young ladies to watch a play. There’s an uproar about renovating the grand duchess’s garden.”

Evelyn looked at Bellina and asked, “Bellina, wasn’t the grand duchess’s garden off-limits?”

“I believe it was closed off some time ago, following the discovery of Anastasia’s traces in the cabin. But with no further evidence, Duke Ilya had to reopen it.”

Sophia, who loved theater, exclaimed, “I want to watch the play. Don’t you, Miss?”

“I would like to see it too, but Your Highness…”

Evelyn hesitated, and at that moment, Arthur chimed in. “Even if the Duke is as stubborn as a mule, he wouldn’t dare stop something like this.”

“We should watch too! They say that if enough people are interested, they’ll come and perform,” Arthur said, exchanging glances with Sophia.

“When would be a good date for the performance?” Evelyn’s twenty-third birthday was approaching, and everyone exchanged meaningful glances, except Evelyn and Libe.

Midnight found Martop, and René’s office was as brightly lit as daytime. René sighed as she gazed at stacks of medical records, each one a testament to the former Grand Duke’s ailments.

“Debbie, are you alive?”

Something rustled behind the papers, and a figure emerged. Debbie, the physician who had spent the entire night reviewing these records, confirmed her survival.

“Have a sip of this before you continue.” René offered her a cup of mint tea. The refreshing scent helped clear Debbie’s mind, and she grinned at Renée.

“Is there something special about these records?”

“Undiagnosed abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, sudden seizures… all prominent symptoms since ascending to the Grand Duke’s position.”

René’s face was filled with puzzlement. “Aren’t those symptoms relatively common? The stress of being a Grand Duke could account for it.”

“Abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever could be attributed to stress. However, the seizures are a bit… Initially, they had long, relatively regular intervals. It didn’t seem to affect his ability to perform his duties as Grand Duke.”

René’s expression turned grave, and Debbie continued.

“But as time passed, the seizure intervals became shorter and irregular. If his condition matched what’s described in these records, it would have been very challenging for the Grand Duke to fulfill his duties.”

René wore a bitter expression. Nacir was also a precious child of the Grand Duke, and René had watched him from a young age. She closed her eyes briefly, offering a silent prayer for the deceased Grand Duke.

“So, did he ask you for medication?”

Debbie nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

“What did you say? Who gave you medicine? Who? Grand Duke Nacir?” René’s eyes popped open, and she uttered a surprised exclamation.

“How do you even know Nacir? And more importantly, why are you revealing such a crucial piece of information now?”

“René, I’ll explain it to you. Please stay calm.”

Eventually, llya and Stas were summoned to Martop past midnight. llya remained calm, as always, while Stas was visibly agitated. Stas glared fiercely at Renée as he was forcefully roused from his sleep.

“Please, I hope it’s important enough to have interrupted my precious sleep.”

René quickly relayed the conversation she had with the physician a little while ago. Ilya scrutinized the physician, his gaze piercing through the doctor’s facade.

“Doctor, could you be an envoy sent by Lauren’s house?”

The physician burst into laughter. “Your Grace, would an envoy willingly reveal their identity?”

The doctor’s voice had a colder edge to it, a hint of his true nature. This was likely his authentic self.

“As I said, I originally served as a physician under House Lauren. Three years ago, I was sent here by Lord Lauren’s orders.”

“You claim this place is your hometown? And you hid your identity on top of that?”

The physician shook his head. “No, this is indeed my hometown. For various reasons, I found it suitable to be at the Grand Duke’s side, as his physician, no less.”

“There are plenty of capable physicians in the Grand Duke’s household. Why resort to borrowing a physician from another house?”

A smirk crossed the doctor’s face. “Well, you see, there’s always the risk of being poisoned by the very capable physicians, isn’t there?”

Stas, who had been silently listening, finally interjected. “So you’re saying the former Grand Duke didn’t trust his own physicians?”

“As the symptoms worsened with each dose of medicine, it wouldn’t be surprising if he grew distrustful.”

The physician, having drained his cup of mint tea, continued speaking.

“I was a common physician in the village, living a simple life. Occasionally, the Grand Duke would request medicine, and I would prepare it for him.”

“My brother probably never came to the city himself,” llya stated.

The physician nodded. “You’re correct, Your Grace. The former Grand Duke never came himself. Instead, a maid was sent once a month.”

Smacking his palm with his fist, René exclaimed, “Then we need to find that maid!”

The physician appeared uncomfortable. “It’s difficult to find her. She stopped appearing all of a sudden.”

llya asked, “Do you know her name?”

“The name I was given is Aisha, but it’s likely a pseudonym.”

Stas blinked rapidly, muttering to himself, “Aisha, Aisha, Aisha…” Then he smiled brightly.

“Is it possible to recognize her if we show you a composite sketch?”

“Certainly, her face wasn’t concealed.”

llya spoke up, “Aisha, Anastasia, the missing maid of the former Grand Duke, connected to the Black Forest.”

Stas and René exchanged jubilant glances.

A lead on the elusive Anastasia had finally emerged. Not only that, they now had a link to the former Grand Duke, Nacir. The possibility of solving both cases at once brought hope and excitement to their faces.

llya issued an order, “Stas, send the portrait artist to the annex tomorrow. Evelyn should be able to help identify the maid, and we’ll show the sketch to the physician.”