The Villainess Lives Twice: Butterfly's Dream (IF Story) - Chapter 65
Cedric was concerned about Artizea being at the Grand Duke’s residence, so he immediately asked Ansgar where she was after he arrived. He didn’t want her to be shocked by today’s events, so if she was home, he intended to send her to Pavel’s quarters at the Empress’s residence for the time being.
“She went to meet Bishop Nikos and has not returned yet.”
Fortunately, Artizea wasn’t home. Cedric wrote a brief note to Bishop Nikos, asking him to keep her there until late, and sent it with a servant. He then headed with Graham to the infirmary.
The doctor’s face was grim.
“There are no life-threatening injuries. There’s no immediate danger to his life. Most of the injuries are bruises and abrasions. There is some internal bleeding, but it’s not severe, so he should recover soon. There are lacerations on the neck and face that needed stitches. There will be scars.”
“And?”
“The ankle injury is considerable. It was likely a simple fracture at first, but because they continued to work without treatment, the bone has healed out of place. It will result in permanent disability.”
“…”
“There’s also a habitual dislocation of the shoulder… but these are not major issues.”
The doctor, who had spent a long time working as a military doctor on the northern borders, said this with a worried expression. Graham asked him, seemingly incredulous:
“If that’s not a big issue, then what is?”
“Psychological trauma is significant.”
The doctor glanced at the area beyond the curtain, and Cedric, thinking it would be better to see for himself, opened the curtain.
“Ple, please… I… didn’t… didn’t mean… to…”
A boy who appeared to be no older than fourteen or fifteen flinched and crouched, mumbling in a terrified voice as soon as the curtain opened.
The doctor looked at him with pity. Cedric unconsciously clenched his fist.
Graham, who had witnessed fewer aftereffects of violence than Cedric or the doctor, was stunned. He’d had some rough friends in the past and had been in brawls before. He’d also seen masters strike their servants on several occasions.
But this wasn’t just a simple fight or the temporary effects of violence. He knew that injuries from battle, harsh punishment, or prolonged bullying could break a person’s spirit, but he never imagined it would look like this.
Cedric knelt beside the bed to try to calm the boy. He also asked Graham to help.
“Please lower your body.”
“Ah.”
It was an absurd request for a Grand Duke to lower his body in front of a servant, but Graham, forgetting all about such formalities, lowered himself. The doctor hurriedly fetched a chair.
Cedric spoke in a soft voice.
“You’re safe now. And I don’t plan to punish you.”
“Do-don’t…”
The boy mumbled in a garbled voice, as if his mouth had been injured. Cedric thought it was better not to press him for details. In such a terrified state, the boy wouldn’t be able to give a proper report.
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to return to Marquisate Rosan. I’ll protect you.”
It was unclear whether the boy understood Cedric’s words or if he was simply afraid to refuse. Either way, he nodded with a fearful expression.
Cedric spoke to the doctor.
“It would be better to sedate him and let him sleep. Once he’s rested, his condition should improve.”
“Yes.”
He gestured to Graham to leave, and they stepped out of the partition. As the doctor prepared the cup of water and medicine, Graham followed Cedric outside.
He spoke hesitantly.
“I’ll have to deal with that bastard, Lawrence.”
“The Emperor will cover this up.”
Cedric spoke coldly. In the past, the Emperor had covered up Lawrence’s hunting of humans. Unlike then, even though the Emperor’s children are alive now, Cedric didn’t think the depth of favor had changed significantly.
The Emperor wouldn’t distribute power, but covering up a crime was a separate matter. In fact, since Lawrence wasn’t seen as a legitimate heir, there was a higher chance the Emperor would be lenient with him.
Graham’s face turned red with anger.
“You endure it. I won’t. I knew that bastard was garbage, but I never thought he was this insane. If I had known, I would have done something sooner.”
He stormed out with large steps.
Cedric felt that his own anger seemed insignificant compared to Graham’s raw fury. He was carefully weighing his actions, calculating their consequences and potential fallout. Instead of being outraged, he was already thinking of negotiating with the Emperor.
The bitter taste in his mouth grew as he realized how much he had been thinking of the bigger picture.
He followed Graham out. He certainly wasn’t going to sit idly by.
* * *
When the carriage bearing Grand Duke Altin’s crest arrived, the guards at Marquis Rosan’s residence didn’t know how to react.
It was well-known among the people at Marquis Rosan’s residence that Graham disliked both Milaira and Lawrence. Moreover, the guards were mostly soldiers sent from the Imperial Palace.
“Open the gate, now.”
After attempting to warn them from the front, Graham opened the carriage door and spoke directly.
The guards hesitated, but eventually, they could not bring themselves to block the path of the furious Grand Duke of the imperial family. They opened the gate.
The carriage passed through the main gate and made its way to the entrance.
Bill, who was about to face his second mishap of the day, rushed out like a beast on all fours. If it had been Prince Pavel, maybe things would have been different, but it was Grand Duke Graham, and this was a big problem.
“Ah, welcome, Your Highness. Wh, what brings you here… huh?”
Graham didn’t even glance at Bill, instead stepping into the mansion.
“Where is Lawrence?”
“Excuse me? Ah, I’ll, I’ll guide you to the parlor…”
“I said, where is Lawrence?”
Graham’s face looking like he was visibly showing the limits of his patience, made Bill break out in a cold sweat. If he answered immediately, he feared the consequences; if he didn’t, he feared Graham’s wrath right then and there. He finally caved to the immediate danger.
“He, he should be in his study. He said he was writing a letter…”
“Let’s go.”
Cedric took the lead, knowing the layout of Marquis Rosan’s residence well, so he didn’t need any guidance.
Bill, trembling in fear, suddenly realized he had better run to his room. It seemed like escaping was the right choice now.
As Cedric entered without hesitation, Graham raised an eyebrow but didn’t suspect anything unusual. After all, Cedric was betrothed to Artizea, and he might have visited this mansion before.
As they passed spaces meant for receiving guests or hosting banquets, no one stopped them. Even if someone had tried, they would have been stopped by the Evron knights following Cedric.
Click.
Cedric opened the study door. Lawrence, thinking that the errand boy he had sent ahead had arrived, replied nonchalantly.
“Wait, I haven’t finished writing yet.”
“Lawrence.”
Hearing Cedric’s voice, Lawrence looked up, startled. He immediately stood up.
“Cedric.”
Before Lawrence could mockingly question if Cedric was there over some trivial matter with a servant, Graham followed Cedric into the room.
“Prince Graham, hah!”
Before he could even express his shock, Graham grabbed Lawrence by the collar.
“You worthless piece of trash!”
Smack!
Graham’s emotional fist swung toward Lawrence’s porcelain-like white cheek with a force that seemed ready to shatter it.
“Kugh!”
Unable to fall because he was being held by the collar, Lawrence let out a painful groan. Cedric grabbed Graham’s arm.
“Please, not like this, Brother!”
The issue wasn’t the single punch Lawrence took. If the Emperor felt pity for Lawrence because of this, it would only make proper punishment more difficult to carry out.
“Why? What in the world happened to cause such a commotion…?”
At that moment, Milaira’s voice echoed from outside the study.