Chapter 39 The Witch's Grace
Chapter 39
39.1
Hersong Karagaran, the Duke's illegitimate son and an apprentice in a carpentry shop, was rewarded by Queen Lucinda and became the lowest rank "Baron of South Hill".
This incident caused a huge discussion in the city of Ravenmont. Even Duke Karagaran and the Knights of Ravenmont could not stop the huge discussion on the streets:
"Hesong? The Hesong in the carpentry shop? He... is the illegitimate son of Duke Karagaran, right?"
"Yeah, how can a bastard get a title?"
"It's true that illegitimate children cannot inherit the family title, but this is a 'baron' bestowed by His Majesty the King himself. It's a brand new territory, not an inheritance from the Karagaran family. I see it as a special grace from His Majesty."
"But don't you think this is strange? How could he, an apprentice in a carpentry shop, suddenly become a baron?"
"Hey, I heard that Hesong and his newlywed wife—I think her name is Oulidesi—made a bottle of spice oil that can help you sleep, and it cured your Majesty's headache."
"Didn't they say that even the mermaid doctor Moman couldn't cure your Majesty's headache?"
"If they could cure the king's illness, I would understand that it would be a great achievement."
"And don't forget, it was their carpentry shop that was framed, but they turned around and saved everyone, allowing Duke Karagaran to compensate for everyone's losses."
"Yes, Your Majesty's grace is astonishing, but it is not unreasonable..."
"But the Karagaran family looked very unhappy—I saw the Duchess's carriage at the market. She looked unhappy. But the noble lady from the Karagaran family seemed quite calm."
People in Ravenmont were talking about it, and in the cottage on South Hill, the new "Baron of South Hill" Hesong was sitting in the living room with a dazed look on his face, as if he was dreaming during the day.
"We...have territory?" he murmured.
Olidesi sat at the desk, sorting through the parchment scrolls in his hands, and casually replied, "Yes, this is the territory granted by the king himself, certified by the royal parchment scroll—look, this is the royal wax seal of 'Sun, Moon and Nine Lights'."
Hesong still couldn't recover. He repeated unconsciously, "Can we... really own the income from this land?"
Olidisi smiled and said, "Yes, you can own all the output from this land. If you want, you can rent it out and get the income directly."
When Oulidisi said this, Hesong suddenly raised his head and keenly caught the key words in Oulidisi's voice.
"'You,'" he said, "you said, 'You can have the land,' not 'We can have the land.'"
Olidesi was stunned. Hesong looked at her with a complicated expression. "The fire, the spices... all of this is your work. I didn't do anything, Olidesi. If His Majesty wishes to reward you, he should make you the 'Lady of South Hill'."
Hearing Hesong's words, Euridsi laughed lightly. "Hey, if I wanted some so-called territory and noble title, I wouldn't have broken off my engagement with Lorenz Ebrard. Is there anything more 'noble' than 'Duke Ebrard'?"
When mentioning the word "noble", Oulidisi's tone was tinged with some undisguised sarcasm, and Hesong also reacted.
"Oh, yes," he murmured, "You don't want to become a noble, you want the nobility to completely disappear from this ethereal continent..."
Olidesi smiled. "Earning you this title, Hesong Karagaran, is an important step in my plan to completely eliminate the nobility from this ethereal continent. This has been the plan from the very beginning. I am very happy that it is progressing smoothly."
He Song was silent for a moment, as if he understood something: "Is this the reason why you chose to marry me..."
Oulidisi suddenly laughed mischievously: "Oh, no, of course I am marrying you because of your personal charm, Your Excellency the Honorable Baron Hesong."
He Song almost fell off his chair.
Olidisi laughed heartily and was about to speak when Zoe's voice suddenly came from outside the living room door: "Hersong, Olidisi, are you in there?"
There was a hint of uneasiness in Zoe's voice, and Ollydsey paused in her laughter. She walked to the living room door and opened it.
"What's wrong, Zoe?"
Little Zoe was a little uneasy: "Uh, we... have a visitor."
Oledsi raised his eyebrows: "Guest?"
The next moment, a slender noble lady slowly walked to the door of the living room.
It was Cecilia Kalagalang.
She looked at Euridice and Hesong in the living room and suddenly smiled.
"Hey," she said to Herson awkwardly, "Brother?"
39.2
Cecilia's call of "brother" gave Hesong goosebumps.
"No, no, no," he jumped up, stammering in shock, "that is, I am not... you are not... we are not..."
Cecilia couldn't help laughing.
The noble lady wore a royal blue satin mini dress and a royal blue hat, and her black curly hair was also tied up with a royal blue ribbon. When she smiled like this, she looked elegant and beautiful.
Oledsi looked at her and raised his eyebrows in surprise: "This is the first time I've seen Miss Karagaran smile."
Cecilia smiled, but did not answer. Instead, she turned to Hesong and said, "Hesong, can you let me talk to Miss Aquitas alone?"
Hesong was startled, and looked at Olidesi hesitantly and worriedly, but Olidesi waved at him, indicating that it was okay.
He Song had no choice but to say, "If you need anything, Zoe and I are outside."
Hesong closed the door, and only Euridsi and Cecilia were left in the living room, and it suddenly became quiet.
The sunlight outside the window filtered through the trees in the fields, a soft glow. The wooden furniture in the living room, crafted by Master Catherine herself, wasn't luxurious, but it felt warm and comfortable, and the air was filled with the aroma of grass and resin.
Cecilia took off her lady's hat and sat beside the small round wooden table with a calm and elegant posture.
Olidisi asked her, "Black tea?"
Cecilia said, "Thank you, no thanks."
Olidisi spread his hands and said, "I have nothing else to treat the guests except black tea."
Cecilia smiled and said, "I'm not here as a 'guest' either. I just want to have an honest talk with you, Miss Aquitas."
Olidisi also laughed.
She sat down on the other side of the small round table and smiled, "What would you like to talk about, Miss Karagaran?"
Cecilia smiled calmly and said, "Let's talk about the fire in the carpentry shop first."
"Oh," Oulidsi stroked his chin, "Are you talking about the incident where Osborne Karagaran used Suncrystal and Silver Dust to set the fire?"
As she spoke, she suddenly laughed: "Osborne's plan did not succeed, Miss Karagaran, are you happy or unhappy?"
Cecilia raised her eyebrows slightly, and Oulidesi smiled, "Osborne's 'strategy' was all your idea, Miss Karagaran."
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you." Cecilia smiled.
The noble lady sighed and shook her head softly. "Osborne, that fellow, has always been so simple-minded. If I had just casually mentioned to him that a mixture of Sun Crystal and Silver Dust can start a fire, he would have definitely headed for your and Herson's carpentry shop—wood is most afraid of fire, so he'd have definitely thought of this use."
Euridice also smiled. "This is what we call a perfect 'strategy'. Osborn rushed to the front and became the 'mastermind', and the illegitimate son Simon became an accomplice. And the person who actually planned this was perfectly hidden behind the incident and had nothing to do with it."
Cecilia smiled and shook her head. "Miss Aquitus is very smart. I know I can't hide this from you. You know Osborne very well, and you know that such a meticulous plan is not something he could come up with."
"Oh?" Euridice raised an eyebrow. "Even though you knew you couldn't hide it from me, you still did it, Miss Caragaran. Why... because you don't want to see Osborne's stupid face in Ravenmount Castle again?"
Cecilia paused slightly.
The noble lady's smile faded a little. She curled the corners of her lips slightly and did not directly answer Oledsi's question. Instead, she said vaguely, "My credit has always been taken by my brothers."
Cecilia's speech was not fast and her tone was calm, but there was a chilling aura in her calm tone that could not be ignored.
"Growing up, I was just a shadow behind Alex and Osborn," she said lightly. "Even when they relied on my brain, my father would only say, 'Alex did a good job' or 'Osborn would make a good knight'. But I had nothing because I was often sick."
She said this, looked at Oulidsi, and suddenly smiled.
"This time, Hesong also took all the credit for your contribution," she said. "He became a baron, a nobleman appointed by the king. And you? You have nothing."
Cecilia smiled softly, and her slender fingertips gently scratched the surface of the round table: "Don't you think this is unfair?"
Olidesi raised his eyebrows, as if he saw Cecilia Karagaran's face for the first time, or as if he had seen her soul for a long time.
"Well," Euridice shrugged, "what should I do according to Miss Caragaran's idea?"
Cecilia suddenly laughed.
The noble lady's smile was very gentle, like a lady enjoying afternoon tea, her movements were elegant and soft.
"Of course, to be a duke myself," she said, "or..."
Cecilia smiled.
"Or, become an emperor yourself."
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