Can You Save Me Duke? - 30

Harren Count’s Castle.

Inside the office, the Duke, Laurence, Harren Count, and his vassals were gathered for a meeting.

“The rain was too much during the last monsoon season… … .”

“The resulting flood damage… … .”

The vassals talked about important matters with serious faces, but their words just passed through Belige’s ears.

He pressed his temples as if his head was throbbing and recalled the events of yesterday.

The skin of the woman he had unexpectedly encountered wearing only a towel. Her wet hair dripping with moisture.

Belige wiped his face as if he was troubled by the memories of that time that kept coming to mind.

‘I’m going crazy.’

He felt a little annoyed at the sight of Lina, who seemed to have been stuffed and would not leave his mind.

Belige turned his head and looked at Count Harren, who was giving a passionate speech. His gaze was stinging as he looked at the Count, who was the culprit of all this.

Furthermore, because he felt uncomfortable seeing the maid for no reason, he avoided meeting her, and a slight headache was constantly bothering him.

“How is the progress going now?”

“The sudden heavy rain has caused problems in the restoration and construction work. If things continue like this, there is concern that secondary damage from the rain will occur.”

The Harren estate had already suffered serious damage due to the overflow of river water from the monsoon rains that had come in early summer.

Therefore, in addition to the flood recovery, they were also carrying out the dam construction that had been implemented as a pilot project in the Permanence estate.

Count Harren answered Lawrence’s question with a serious expression and continued speaking.

“So, I think we should stop the restoration work for now and proceed with the dam construction first… … . What do you think, Duke?”

Count Harren turned his head to ask for Belige’s consent. However, Belige just stared at him silently, as if she had heard him.

“Your Majesty… …?”

The count rolled his eyes urgently, wondering if he had made a mistake, as the duke’s gaze sent shivers down his neck.

In order not to offend the duke, he thought that he had done everything he could to accommodate the woman he had brought.

Furthermore, he had even provided a room suitable for newlyweds, so that they could enjoy themselves comfortably without worrying about the eyes of those around them.

The count decided to instruct his butler once again to make sure that he would not be negligent in serving his guests.

“Then.”

Finally, the duke spoke.

“I think it would be better to stop the restoration work for now and hurry up with the dam construction. What do you think, sir?”

He confidently presented his opinion, as if he had been keeping his mouth shut and thinking about finding a solution to the problem.

Not even knowing that the Count had just asked him that opinion.

“Yes… … What.”

Everyone rolled their eyes and avoided answering the question as the Duke repeated what he had already said.

‘Why is the Duke acting like that?’

Lawrence wondered at the Duke’s appearance of not being able to focus on the meeting since earlier. The Duke had never shown any weaknesses while working until now.

Lawrence asked cautiously, perhaps worried by the unfamiliar appearance of Belige.

“Duke. Is there anything wrong with you… … .”

“No. Is there a problem?”

“Oh, no. Let’s continue.”

Everyone hurriedly changed their conversation at the Duke’s expression as if he was complaining about something. And they continued the meeting that had been cut off as if nothing had happened.

“What happened to the support from the wizards? The Harren territory must have been a priority area for wizards to be dispatched because of the severe damage from the recent monsoon. The news is so late.”

Count Harren said with a troubled expression in response to Belige’s question.

“I’ve already requested support for wizards from the imperial family, but all they said was to wait… … .”

“Still?”

Belige frowned as he watched the count answer with a trailing edge.

‘Wait.’

It was a situation where he could no longer wait. The Harren territory was a territory that held a large river, and whenever the rainy season came in the summer, the river would overflow, causing great damage to the nearby villages.

This year in particular, the damage was even more severe because of the heavy rain that fell in the Harren region.

However, the dispatch of wizards continued to be delayed, and as a result, the restoration work was delayed even more, and as if that were not enough, heavy rain came again.

In such an emergency, it would be right to support wizards as a top priority, even if it wasn’t planned.

Belige’s hand gripped the pen with strength.

“Why is the support delayed?”

“I heard that all the magicians who should be supporting are in the Greta estate.”

“Greta estate?”

The Greta estate was the estate of the current empress’s maternal family, the Marquis of Greta.

After the previous empress died, Empress Eugenie, who was her concubine, was crowned empress, and her family, the Greta family, was now in its heyday.

However, perhaps it was because their power had grown too much. Their greed was growing day by day, and the emperor’s tacit approval was making their tyranny even worse.

“Yes. They said it was to build a family tomb for the Greta family.”

‘Family tomb?’

Bellige laughed at the absurd news.

They were just mobilizing the magicians who should be used for the living right now to build a family tomb. He clicked his tongue briefly.

Probably nothing would change even if they submitted numerous petitions to the imperial family.

Anyone could see that this was the Empress’s plan to oppress the Harlen Estate, a vassal of the Permanence family.

The Duke tapped the desk and opened his mouth.

“I will go to the Curpit River myself. I will personally observe the situation there and command it.”

“Yes!”

The person they wanted most was probably a magician, but even if the Duke himself went to the flood site, the people’s sense of relief would greatly increase. Their meeting continued late into the night.

* * *

“It really keeps pouring down?”

The sound of the rain hitting the windows seemed to make the old mansion even colder.

Two days had passed since that awkward encounter with the Duke that day, but they had not seen each other’s faces once.

“There is only a thin wall between us… … .”

Even when Lina knocked on the door to attend to the Duke first, it was no use. He always left the room before her.

I couldn’t see the duke’s face enough to think he was deliberately avoiding me.

Thanks to that, all I did when I came here was sit in my room all day or go for a walk. Even then, I couldn’t leave the mansion because the rain kept pouring down.

And today, as usual, Lina was walking down the hallway and looking out the window, and she suddenly noticed that the atmosphere in the mansion had changed.

The servants were busy, carrying luggage and moving around here and there, and outside the mansion, carriages loaded with luggage were moving busily.

‘What’s going on?’

Feeling puzzled, Lina approached a man who was moving luggage nearby and asked.

“Is there something going on in the mansion? Everyone seems busy.”

The man who seemed to be a servant answered Lina’s call, putting down the luggage he was holding on the floor.

“Tomorrow, the duke and the count are going camping at the Curpit River.”

“Camping?”

“Yes. He is personally controlling the flooded area of ​​the Curpit River. Then, I’m busy, so I’ll take my leave now.”

The servant hurriedly walked again, as if he was really busy.

‘The Curpit River has overflowed again.’

She didn’t even know why the duke had come here in the first place. However, she had heard a lot about the Curpit River.

Every year during the rainy season, the place suffered from flood damage, which was something everyone in the empire knew.

‘You’re saying you’re going to leave the mansion for a while? Then what about the ring?’

He acted like he’d give me a ring if I just followed him to Harren’s estate. What a jerk. Lina swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to say.

Not only did she not receive the ring, she couldn’t even see the duke’s face. It was frustrating for her.

Furthermore, since he hadn’t even told her that he was going camping right away, it seemed like he had no intention of taking her with him.

“Whew-. Then why don’t we just wait a few more days at the mansion?”

She turned her back to go back to her room, thinking optimistically that it wouldn’t take more than a week at most.

“We need a wizard!”

‘Wizard?’

Lina stopped walking at the familiar word. She approached where the sound had come from and saw the servants gathered together, talking with serious faces.

“The imperial family must have abandoned Harren territory.”

“Bad guys. Come down here now and see the situation for yourself!”

“If you had sent the wizards earlier, we would have finished the restoration after the rainy season ended. The damage from the torrential rains now would have been less!”

Since all the wizards in the empire were assigned to the imperial palace, they could not hire wizards privately.

Therefore, in all cases where magical manpower was needed, they had to receive imperial approval in order to receive support.

‘Aren’t there any support from wizards?’

Usually, the imperial family would dispatch wizards to help with the restoration of disaster areas caused by natural disasters. However, even though the rainy season had already ended quite a while ago, there was still no support.

Lina suddenly remembered the village where she had stayed for a while in the past. Everyone was kind to her and warm-hearted.

But suddenly, a torrential downpour flooded the town, and those who lost their loved ones and homes overnight were frustrated and screaming.

In the past, she had done everything she could for them, but it was not enough on her own. At that moment, their voices, sobbing and wailing, seemed to ring in her ears.

* * *

After that, she did not know how she returned to her room. Lina was so caught up in her past memories that she had difficulty recognizing reality for a moment.

“Haa-.”

Lina sat down on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling with a blank face. The ceiling, which was always decorated with gorgeous paintings, did not suit her at all.

She must have been quiet for a long time. Lina mumbled softly as if she had made up her mind.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

To the Curpit River. She needed the help of a wizard.

Let’s go and lend them our magic. Without anyone knowing.

“But if I say I’ll go with you, you’ll definitely be against it.”

The flooded area would be full of chaos. Not only would he not be able to bring his rumored lover to such a place, but Lina would definitely think she would only be a nuisance.

And Lina also didn’t really want to go with the Duke.

“If I go with the Duke, there will be restrictions on using magic.”

She planned to help them with magic, but only in a way that would make sure they wouldn’t get caught.

She didn’t know how she would need the help of magic, but she would have to go without a presence to be able to use magic secretly.

That’s why she planned to follow them there secretly. So Lina planned to go to the Curpit River all day.