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Chapter 20
“Welcome, Reno.”
Ronan greeted Reno, who had traveled a long way.
“You’ve done well. How’s everything going? That Hagenda matter—is it settled?”
Ronan shook his head in disgust.
“Don’t even get me started. I’ve never seen people that old fight so childishly.”
“What happened this time?”
“The well.”
“The well?”
Ronan shook his head at the absurdity of having to mediate such a childish dispute and began to explain.
Count Ezra Hagenda had dug a well that encroached on the lands of Baron Silas Istan.
Istan claimed that since the well was on his land, it was his property to use freely.
In response, Count Hagenda placed a cover over the well, locked it, and blocked Istan from using it. He also demanded a huge fee for its use.
Istan refused to pay such a large sum, broke the well cover, and shamelessly continued using the water.
Hagenda then made another cover with a lock, Istan broke it again.
This repeated, tensions escalated, eventually leading to fights among the servants and even casualties.
So Ronan proposed that the well be jointly owned, with the baronial household taking over management for a year as a substitute for the fee Hagenda requested, after which it would be managed jointly.
Thankfully, the proposal was accepted, he said, fuming.
Of course, he had come partly to inspect the border area, but the whole situation was absurd.
“You’ve done well.”
Reno patted Ronan’s shoulder in consolation.
“Let’s have a drink first.”
Ronan offered Reno the liquor in front of them.
“Come morning, we should go to the site where the corpse was found.”
Reno had spent the previous night catching up with Ronan and arrived at the site early in the morning.
The corpse had been discovered by border soldiers.
However, its condition was bizarre. The neck, armpits, and groin were all swollen.
As if someone had pumped a huge amount of air into the body.
“Right now, it’s decaying slowly, so the difference isn’t as noticeable, but when I first saw it, it was truly strange.”
“Any idea who it is?”
“We questioned all the nearby villages. No one knew. Probably someone from outside.”
“Do any of our knights know how to draw?”
“Draw? What for?”
“To sketch it.”
“For what?”
Reno gestured toward the corpse with his chin.
“I think our lord should see it too. No matter how much you explain, seeing it is different from hearing about it.”
Ronan ordered a subordinate nearby.
“Any of our knights able to draw? If not, go to the village and bring someone skilled. Pay them generously.”
“Yes!”
Once the subordinate left, the two turned their attention back to the corpse.
“Could it be cursed?”
Reno stroked his chin, puzzled.
It was bizarre no matter how closely they looked.
“Once the drawing is complete, have the artist make a few extra copies to send to Count Hagenda and Baron Istan as well.”
“I agree. Since it’s an unusual corpse, if it’s not a common type of death, we should report it accordingly.”
“You handle things so decisively. I like that.”
“Ridiculous.”
Ronan laughed lightly at the unexpected compliment.
“Our lord’s going to have quite a headache.”
Hearing Morgan’s name from Reno made Ronan curious.
“He’s well, isn’t he? And the prince’s nanny—was she found?”
“Oh! Hahaha, heh heh.”
Reno suddenly chuckled.
Ronan blinked repeatedly, surprised and confused.
‘Did something good happen to our lord?’
Reno’s laughter was clearly joyful.
“Did something good happen to our lord? Or to the prince?”
“Heh heh heh.”
Reno laughed without saying a word, frustrating Ronan even more.
“Ah. This is maddening. Speak plainly.”
“Something good happened. Absolutely. Heh heh heh.”
“……”
The longer Reno paused, the more Ronan’s curiosity grew.
“The prince has a truly excellent nanny now. And she’s very beautiful. Skilled too. She makes the Grand Ducal household comfortable. She even speaks openly to Duke Morgan Ergana Yohaim. She’s not afraid of him. Heh heh heh.”
“……”
Ronan couldn’t figure out what part of this was amusing to Reno.
He could guess something had happened, but he had no idea what.
What was certain: the nanny was beautiful and skilled, and she wasn’t afraid of their lord.
“Reno, explain more clearly.”
Ronan’s curiosity grew as Reno kept chuckling.
“The nanny arrived recently, and the prince spoke to her.”
“What did he say?”
Ronan was startled.
He remembered how, in the past, many nannies had either resigned voluntarily or been dismissed after making advances toward their lord.
‘In such a short time, what could have happened? At least our lord can breathe easy now.’
When the heir to the Grand Ducal house couldn’t speak, everyone would rush in at once.
But the nanny solved it all in one stroke, so it made sense that the lord would cherish her.
‘Cherish? Could it be…?’
Finally, their lord is showing interest in a woman?
That must be why Reno is laughing.
Of course… Reno knew their lord well, having grown up alongside him, understanding his childhood personality and preferences.
‘I see. If my guess is right…’
“Our lord must have been very pleased.”
“Indeed. Very pleased. He even gave her a gift. Heh heh heh.”
“A gift? Uh… what kind?”
Reno chuckled and leaned close to Ronan’s ear.
“A hairpin studded with small amethyst and sapphire stones. By the way, the nanny’s eyes are purple. Her birthstone is sapphire for September.”
Ronan’s eyes widened as Reno continued.
“Our lord gave a woman a gift?”
“Yes. He could have given gold coins, but he deliberately chose a hairpin.”
“Did you encourage him to do that?”
“Heh heh heh. I did push a little. No way he’d just give gold without thought. He frowned at that.”
“Explain in detail. What does that mean?”
Ronan was inexperienced when it came to women and almost clueless about these matters.
“Our Grand Duke has never given a hairpin as a gift to anyone. I only mentioned it, and he changed the gift from gold to a hairpin. Understand now?”
“Ah……”
Ronan finally understood.
He immediately felt a strong urge to return to the Grand Ducal residence to see the nanny at the center of this matter.
Afterward, Ronan and Reno talked about other matters.
Meanwhile, a painter had arrived.
A small, elderly man carrying painting supplies dismounted, panting.
“I heard you were looking for me.”
The painter wasted no time asking:
“So, what am I drawing? The corpse, yes? How long will it take?”
Ronan asked.
“If you want a detailed depiction, it will take quite a while. But if you focus on key features, it can be done in under an hour.”
“Very well. Just capture the important features.”
The painter, his nails blackened with paint, began sketching the corpse quickly.
After some time, he completed the base sketch and started adding color to match the corpse’s features.
“All done.”
“Hm, your skill is excellent.”
The elderly painter had captured all the essential details concisely.
“Take these home and make four identical copies. Can you have them ready by tonight?”
“Yes, I can.”
The painter bowed.
“Here’s a silver coin to start. I’ll pay the rest when I receive the drawings.”
Ronan handed him a silver coin.
“Ah, thank you, thank you!”
The painter grinned widely, showing his yellowed teeth.
“If any strange corpses are discovered in the village, report to the lord immediately.”
“Yes, yes! Understood. I’ll follow orders.”
Ronan called the knight who had brought the painter.
“Take him home quickly and make sure the drawings are brought back tonight.”
“Yes!”
Ronan then instructed the other soldiers to cremate the corpse.
To avoid direct contact, they dug a pit, stacked wood for the pyre, rolled the body onto the wood, covered it, and set it on fire.
Once the cremation was complete, they covered it with soil.
“Now that everything’s done, let’s head to the Count’s house.”
“Agreed. Let’s finish resting and prepare to leave.”
Ronan nodded in agreement.
He was eager to return to the Grand Ducal residence to see the nanny Reno had been talking about.
‘Our lord showing interest in a woman…’
