I Raised the Northern Grand Duke as a Farmer Behind My Father’s Back Chapter 49

Chapter 49

“Little squirt.”

At that moment, Sir Felix grabbed my hand and blocked my view.

“Don’t wander too far into isolated places. A monster might show up.”

“Okaay!”

I had already checked everything I needed to anyway, so it was fine.

Looking around at the sparsely wooded area, I asked,

“But when this place gets warmer, could the frozen ground thaw and cause a landslide?”

“Hmm, the dragon vein? That should also help bind and stabilize the ground, so the chance probably isn’t very high. Like Bethel Village. But……”

“But?”

“There could always be unexpected variables, so it’d probably be better to keep people away from this mountain for a while. Right, Your Grace?”

“Yeah.”

Grand Duke Basil, who had been leisurely following behind us, answered slowly.

“If someone gets stranded out here, they’re as good as dead. Once the dragon vein opens, this area is off-limits for a while.”

“Oho!”

I ran over and tugged repeatedly at the thick hem of His Grace’s clothes.

His huge body bent down without hesitation until he was exactly at my eye level.

“Your Grace, I think we’ve checked everything we need to!”

I leaned toward his ear and whispered,

“Now I can just dash over and—bam!—purify the pillar!”

The expression on His Grace’s face became strange again.

“……Let’s head back first.”

“……?”

“You’ve been out in the cold wind too long.”

He effortlessly lifted me into his arms.

Hmm……

Why does he keep looking so reluctant?

I tilted my head.

Either way, we headed down the mountain.

The problem started on our way back to Bethel Village.

Riding on horseback, Basil adjusted Haniel where she sat in front of him.

“Brat. Sit up straight.”

The child, bundled in layers of thick clothing, kept strangely tipping forward.

“Why do you keep……”

Then Basil’s fingertips suddenly froze.

“Hani.”

“What is it, Your Grace?”

“Haniel!”

The moment he loosened his hold slightly—

the tiny body simply slumped sideways.

He hurriedly turned Haniel around.

Her face was pale.

She had lost consciousness.

Her breathing was shallow and faint.

When had this started?

“Hani!”

Basil, Felix, and Camilla all went white.

Basil hurriedly pressed a hand to Haniel’s forehead.

She was burning hot.

“Felix! Camilla! We’re going back to the village immediately! Move!”

“Yes!”

He snapped the reins hard.

Sensing the crisis, the black horse exploded forward like a gale.

Basil tore off his own cloak, wrapped Haniel in it, and held her tightly with one arm.

His jaw clenched hard enough to stand out.

Why?

Why had the child suddenly ended up like this?

Her clothing had been thicker than usual, so he hadn’t noticed her temperature properly.

He had assumed her face was getting red because of the cold.

And most of all……

If you’re sick, you’re supposed to say something!

At least show it somehow!

But Haniel had definitely seemed completely fine.

“Today’s survey was so fun! Right? Right?”

If anything, she had seemed even more excited than usual.

Since when?!

Then his eyes caught the bright red scarf around her neck.

The moment he saw it—

his heart dropped.

The child was clever and intelligent.

But there were certain things she had an unusual habit of hiding.

What if she had been acting even brighter than usual precisely because she was trying to hide that she felt sick?

Damn it.

Good Haniel.

Haniel who never showed when she disliked something.

Clench.

His fist tightened around the reins.

His red eyes turned cold.

The warhorse’s violent charge carved deep tracks through the white snowfield.

“If you honestly say every time you’re hurting, Lord Dante will be sad, Lady Haniel.”

The maids and attendants of the Klein Ducal House had always been kind to me.

Even though I had suddenly appeared out of the slums one day, they never treated me cruelly or hurled insults at me.

They were simply……

worried that because I hadn’t been raised as a noble, I might damage the honor of the ducal house.

“You saw Lord Dante’s injuries…… didn’t you?”

“……”

“They say he’ll never be able to use his left eye again.”

One of the maids couldn’t hold back her tears and ran out.

“Because of that, Lord Yulios collapsed too. So if you add even more worries on top of that…… that wouldn’t be good, would it?”

I desperately held back my tears and nodded hard.

“Mm. I-I’m not sick……!”

“Our good little lady. Please.”

The attendant clung to me almost pleadingly.

“Please stop saying you’re sick……”

Just stay still.

Please.

All right?

Please……

The whispered words made me nod again.

The proud, sacred Klein Ducal House.

The family that had produced the Empire’s greatest holy knight—

a man beloved by everyone.

Every person working here possessed tremendous loyalty and faith.

They were immensely proud of House Klein.

And now their master—

Dad—

was being destroyed because of me.

So I thought it was only natural for them to say those things.

I’m really useless and bad.

I hid beneath the blanket and prayed.

Goddess, please don’t let Dad get hurt anymore.

If that’s too difficult, then instead……

please let me die a little sooner.

So I won’t be a burden to Dad anymore.

So no one else has to suffer.

Please help me become a good child……

I prayed.

Again and again.

“……good…… child…… please……”

“Haniel!”

Huh?

My eyes snapped open.

“Are you okay?”

“I—cough, cough!”

A sudden coughing fit burst out of me.

My side hurt, and my throat felt so dry it might tear apart.

“Shh. Slowly.”

A large hand gently rubbed my back.

Maybe because of the warmth, the coughing gradually subsided.

“Your Grace?”

Grand Duke Basil was holding me in his arms.

His red eyes scanned every inch of my face.

After taking a deep breath, he brought a cup of water to my lips.

“Drink first.”

Gulp, gulp.

I drank while looking up at his face.

The skin beneath his eyes was dark.

His face was frighteningly pale.

……Is he sick?

That thought came to me before I could stop it.

Gulp!

“Um, I finished……!”

The moment the water went down, it felt like every cell in my body came back to life.

Why am I here?

Looking around carefully, I realized this was a bedroom in the Grand Duke’s residence.

We had definitely been surveying the Veil River.

Then, on the way back……

I had suddenly gotten overwhelmingly sleepy and thought I’d close my eyes for just a second……

Did I collapse?

I cautiously glanced at His Grace.

“……”

His lips were pressed into a hard line.

His eyes were frighteningly calm.

This is bad……

He’s angry because I got sick.

“I’m fine!”

I immediately blurted out.

“I’m completely okay!”

My throat still hurt a little, but as someone who had spent plenty of time bedridden in my previous life, I knew a cold like this would be gone in about two days.

So I had to let him know as quickly as possible that I could still help the territory like normal.

“I really—mmph.”

He suddenly pulled me into a tight hug.

“……You’re seriously driving me insane.”

A huge sigh followed.

His firm chest expanded and then sank, like someone who had finally been able to breathe again.

“You’re chattering, so…… I guess you’ll live.”

His completely unexpected reaction made me blink.

“Do you have any idea how high your fever was? The inflammation spread all the way to your lungs, and for three days you……”

Gasp.

Three days?!

“But I’m fine now……”

“Haniel.”

His voice dropped low.

“When did you start feeling sick?”

Hmm. I probably shouldn’t say I already felt bad before going to the library, right?

“……On the way home from the mountain, suddenly……”

“That’s a lie.”

His Grace gently laid me back down, then stood.

I squirmed, trying to sit up, but his hand pressed me firmly back beneath the blanket.

“Stay still and sleep. You’re still burning with fever.”

“But—”

He turned his back and muttered,

“……Yeah. I think I finally understand how I need to handle you.”

“……?”

What does that mean?

Then came a knock.

Butler Camilla entered carrying medicine.

“Baby! You’re awake!”

Only then did Grand Duke Basil finally start walking toward the door.

Following him with my eyes widened my field of view.

The entire bedroom was a disaster.

Countless wet towels.

Ice packs.

Medicine bowls.

Sugar water.

Cold porridge.

All kinds of potions……

Evidence of a battle.

Just before leaving, Grand Duke Basil suddenly looked back at me and said,

“Hani.”

“Yes……?”

“From now on, you’re forbidden from purifying pillars.”

“……”

What?

The shock hit like a lightning strike.

“I’ll handle it myself. Don’t concern yourself with it anymore.”

What……

does that mean?

To Be Continued…