Doctor Resignation

“Did you hear that, Diel?” 

After giving the Vercalian seeds to Aaron, I whispered silently, “Give him a portable shower, a bathroom, and a bed. The worse the better.” 

I continued thinking about my welfare in the medical base back then when the war took place.

“The bed should be squeaky, so I’d like it cheap enough to hurt his back. Of course, hot water shouldn’t come out in the shower room. The portable bathroom should not drain very well.” 

“Lise.”

Diel sighed as if he was frustrated with my order.

“Do you have to go that far? It’s not an easy task that you can do alone.”

“Yes, I have to go that far. There’s a reason.” 

“Why is that?”

“I am drawing a big plan, so look forward to it.”

At my words, Diel’s blue eyes shone brilliantly as if he had a clue of my suspicious action.

I added, “I believe he knows someone from the Casseus manor.”

“He said he didn’t.”

“It’s a lie. We just have to catch him.”

The plan is to take on one spy and catch another! 

“Then, the man named Aaron Krillso……” 

“Yes, he is like Esther and Hans.” 

“What? How did you know that?” 

“It’s always the same. I noticed because I was quite smart.” 

My answer convinced Diel right away. 

I looked at Diel and said seriously, “To make the plan run smoothly, I need you to keep an eye on everything. Do not contact anyone and help me without anyone noticing. We can take turns attaching the most reliable people on the Perelman’s merchant.”

I carefully attached the conditions. “Instead, never talk to me. You have to do the repetitive work and push it half-crazy while coping with loneliness.”

“Yes,” Diel replied excitedly. “I’m going to make some observations, too. While doing that, should I contact you?”

“Please do so.” I grinned and nodded. “You’re my friend, so it’s okay.”

Hearing that, Diel looked relieved as if every disappointment in himself had gone away.

***

While Lise was interviewing Aaron, the manor base was quite loud. The knights and servants who went with Erhan finally arrived at the Dukedom.

Originally, the Duchy prepared a grand welcoming ceremony. Eventually, it was chaotic when Erhan returned a day earlier.

Erhan passed by without a welcoming ceremony, but he didn’t care.

“It’s never been that important,” said Erhan to Zikel insincerely. “But why did you come earlier?”

Zikel sighed and asked, “Then, is it nice of you to be here a day earlier?”

“I suppose that is true.”

Erhan’s expression remained unchanged, but Zikel noticed that he was in a very good mood. 

“I love it.” 

He swept his chin with a look of satisfaction. 

While looking around Erhan’s room, which had not changed much, Zikel tilted his head when he found a torn shirt on the bedside. 

“What’s that? Do you want me to throw it away?” 

“If you want to give up your life, then do it, Zikel.”

His deep masculine voice could be heard as he picked up a pile of documents on his office desk.

“It’s the most precious thing in this castle.”

“Uh…… sure.”

Zikel didn’t bother to ask why. However, he felt that he failed to educate Erhan about his personality problems.

“But if someone thinks like you, they will have to see blood every day. I would have a servant to make my meals now. Thank you for your service.”

After dinner last night, the relationship between the two heads was very cold, and the rumor spread throughout the manor. 

So Zikel had no intention of getting in between the two.

As soon as Zikel left, the Duchess sat in front of Eran and crossed her arms. 

“Hey…….” Her voice was still chilly. “Have you seen it all?” 

“Yes,” Erhan answered calmly, still checking the pile of documents. “It’s not too difficult because it’s not much different from what I learned in Irvia.”

What the Duchess handed over to Eran was the details of the land management. 

Now that Erhan had reached adulthood, he was to formally inherit the Duchy after he had mastered all of these. 

“If you’re ready enough, let’s have your inauguration in ten days.” 

Under imperial law, titles could not be formally inherited until adulthood. 

When he gathered his family members and relatives to hold the inauguration ceremony and report to the Emperor, Erhan will officially become the Duke of Casseus.

The Duchess has been waiting for this day so far. However, the reason why she is not happier than expected is probably that his son has grown so different.

As soon as he returned, the atmosphere of the fortress was completely frozen.

Esther and Hans? How did he know about those scoundrels? 

“So, obviously, as a warning……” 

“It’s not enough. How dare they try to trick Lise, they should be disciplined.”

The Duchess had a cold personality, but it was not comparable to Erhan’s pressure.

By listening to his advancement in Irvia, he seems to not have a kind or gentle personality.

The servants attending Erhan in Irvia made it clear that he didn’t express emotions too much.

“Have you seen Lise?”

“Yes.” 

“Is there still no change in your opinion?” 

The Duchess gritted her teeth and asked Erhan one more time. 

Eran nodded without sincerity as if he no longer needed to answer this topic. 

‘……he’s my son, but he’s a real dog.’

The Duchess repressed her anger and asked again, “Shouldn’t you grant my last request as per my sincerity in protecting this territory for six years?”

“Yes, but I can’t allow it, mother.”

“Lise is an assistant, and she has been a doctor for six years here. She didn’t have fun like the other girls, and she always took care of my health.” 

Erhan remained silent.

“What she wants is a family, and I really think of her as a daughter. Do you know how anxious I was to see the commoners claiming to be her parent but were only after money?” 

“…….”

“So this summer, when Lise becomes an adult, I want to open up her debutant bigger than anyone else. It will be beautiful and magnificent enough for her to be admired by many nobles.”

Desperation was heard from the Duchess.

“Then I will invite other nobles, so they can fall in love with her beauty and personality—”

“Mother.” Erhan gritted his teeth. “I think I told you last time, but it’s terrible just to think about it. Every word you speak, it’s repulsive. I don’t even want to imagine.” 

“…….” 

“I refuse, don’t ever discuss this anymore.”

“You…… you shouldn’t do that to Lise. She is the one who cured you.” 

“I will never forget her grace.” 

He closed the subject firmly after swiping his black hair back thus turning away from the Duchess.

“The inauguration ceremony will be in a week. Send invitations to the nobles and my relatives.”

***

“There’s a day like this after all.”

Baron Roman was irritated enough that his forehead wrinkled after receiving the invitation from the Casseus Duchy.

After a while past his adulthood, his son Frederick replied as he folded his hands.

“I haven’t been able to do anything within five years in Irvia. Also, Lise Estelle is too attentive towards the Duchess.”

“What kind of doctor’s assistance does Arga has?”

“I heard she is a genius.” 

Frederick frowned after that brown-haired girl’s image flowed into his mind.

He never liked her ever since their first meeting, when she was standing next to the 13-year-old Erhan.

He will never forget that.

He thought he could remove Erhan from the Casseus on time.

“That’s why I hired Aaron,” said Frederick in a tone that he would not fail this time. 

Aaron Krillso was a close acquaintance of his, who was not even comparable to a maid. In his view, he had put in quite a high-quality man.

Now that Erhan is back, the situation will get worse. 

Therefore, it was a necessary move to grow stronger and covertly.

“Fortunately, the infiltration was successful, so we just have to wait for the opportunity.” 

“It’s easy to get rid of the commoners anyway…… and now that it’s like this, we have put our hands on the military base.” 

Roman held a pen and wrote the name ‘Joaquin’ on a piece of paper. 

Frederick let out a small sigh.  “You’ve managed the Duke’s estate quite well, though you’re too ignorant about the Casseus’s knights. I’m not interested in the Casseus’ military power since Joaquin is doing a great job.”

“But…….” 

“There was information about the possibility that if Joaquin was out from his position, there would be a civil war in an instant because there would be no Chief Commander.”

“Oh!” 

“In addition, it is easy to divide the knight’s faction. From Joaquin’s command knights to Erhan’s knights that were personally led by him from the Duchy.” Roman smiled and put a pen on a piece of paper with Joaquin’s name on it. 

“By the way, I will see Erhan soon,” said Frederick with a smirk. “Since he’s still a child.” 

When he remembered a little boy who didn’t know what to say, he sneered.

Erhan must have been struggling for five years in the southern part of the country as he moved away from his beloved Lise. 

The plan to make Erhan leave the world before he inherited the Duchy failed, but there was no reason not to kill him this time.