Chapter 92

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"Then, how is Eriq doing?"

"You have been receiving reports, haven't you?"

"I want to hear it from you."

"…Well, as you might expect, he seems like a different person. He’s trying to prove his father and brother’s innocence, but it seems to have only made things worse. He’s in a state of shock right now."

"That’s to be expected."

The more the Bapott Marquess and Tuel tried to clear their names, the more they would realize what they had been doing, and only their family would know the extent of it.

Tuel’s resentment towards Alessandro stemmed not only from Claude’s elevation to Marquess but also from his bestowal of the Botselli Dukedom.

Without understanding the significance of being entrusted with the Botselli Dukedom, Tuel’s immaturity led to a heavy price.

However, the current issue is how Eriq will grow from this point.

If he harbors resentment towards the king and Claude, it will be unfortunate, but Eriq will have to bear some kind of punishment.

To eliminate any lingering concerns, this is unavoidable.

This applies not only to the Bapott Marquess family but also to the families of all those involved in the rebellion.

From now on, everyone will be secretly monitored.

After multiple investigations by the king’s side, the judgment that the Bapott Marquess and his family must pay for their treason with their lives remained unchanged.

How this was received in society was also a point of interest, but there didn’t seem to be any significant turmoil.

Given this, Julian decided it was time to leave the Kingdom of Taisei.

"Will you return to the capital for the next season?"

"No, I’ll stay here for a while."

"That will disappoint everyone. They were trying their best to get closer to the Duke and Duchess of Botselli. They were clinging to me, which was quite annoying."

"Maybe they just wanted to get closer to you?"

"Of course, that goes without saying."

"Try to be a bit more modest."

Claude answered with a laugh to his childhood friend’s words.

At that moment, they both fell silent as they sensed someone approaching.

Listening closely, they could hear the butler’s voice, and it seemed a letter had arrived.

After continuing their conversation, they decided it was time to leave, and Opal hurriedly entered the room.

"Opal, take your time."

"You’re as restless as ever."

"Shut up, Julian."

Claude immediately stood up and approached Opal with concern.

Opal, while retorting to Julian, sat down on the sofa with Claude’s help.

"Claude, I just received a letter from the MacLeod Duke…"

"What’s the matter?"

"The Duke is renouncing his title."

"Another extreme action."

"Is he just being a drama queen?"

Unlike Opal, who was confused by the content of the letter, Claude and Julian were cold.

Realizing she had skipped too much, Opal explained the letter’s content again.

"To be precise, it’s not immediate. He’s written it in his will. He doesn’t think he will marry, so there’s an issue with succession. He can’t pass the responsible Duke’s title to a distant relative, so he’s renouncing it. However, he intends to give a portion of his assets to that person."

"Just sulking because his proposal was rejected. Ignore him, Opal."

"What? Someone rejected the Duke’s proposal?"

"Come on! Both of you, listen seriously. Renouncing the title is one thing, but he’s also planning to leave his land to us!"

Opal was frustrated by their lack of seriousness.

Renouncing the title was already a big deal, but he was also planning to leave his land to Opal and the others.

But Claude raised an eyebrow, and Julian smirked.

"You don’t need to worry so much, Opal. He’ll get over his heartbreak and change his mind eventually."

"Going back to the capital and making an appearance in society might be interesting. Claude, are you going to Passa? I’ll go with you and then board the ship."

"Are you not staying?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Not really."

Claude smiled at Opal’s stubborn answer, and Julian waved his hand.

Not knowing when they would meet again, Opal didn’t try to stop Julian.

"What, are you seeing me off?"

"Seeing Claude off."

Opal tersely replied and walked to the entrance with Julian.

Claude’s preparations were already complete. He took his coat and hat from the butler and kissed Opal’s cheek.

The carriage was already waiting.

"I’ll be back, Opal."

"Yes, be careful, Claude. …And you too, Julian."

"Yeah, see you. Stupid Opal."

"Julian!"

Julian playfully ruffled Opal’s hair, leaving a laugh as he hurried down the stairs.

"Have a healthy baby, Opal! Well, you probably don’t need to worry about that!"

"I know that, stupid Julian!"

The butler was surprised by the unbecoming words of a duchess, and Najja burst into laughter.

Claude also laughed and gently pulled Opal closer, placing his hand on her growing belly.

"Really, you’re a troublesome mother and uncle."

"It’s Julian’s fault."

"Yeah, that’s true."

Claude, always fully supporting Opal, kissed her lips.

It was a gentle kiss, comforting Opal for her sadness at parting with Julian.

"I’ll be back by dinner. Don’t overdo it."

"Yes, I’ll behave."

Claude looked doubtful at Opal’s answer, trying to hold back her tears with a smile.

Opal’s standards for overdoing it were a bit different from other women.

When Claude looked at Najja, she nodded firmly, indicating she would take care of it.

"Claude, hurry up."

"You’re so bossy."

"Really, you are."

Suddenly barging in, demanding to be taken along, and now telling him to hurry—very Julian.

The two laughed, and Claude went down the stairs.

Waving to the carriage as it drove away, Opal gently stroked her growing belly.

The dream of a wonderful husband and a warm family, which she had dreamed of as a child, was coming true.

But this was just the first step.

Opal gently placed her hand on her belly and returned to the house to do what needed to be done.

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Thank you all for accompanying me to the end.

This concludes the Taisei Kingdom arc of "The Duchess in the Attic."

This work has been beautifully illustrated by Makoto Hayashi and is available as a manga. Please be sure to check it out!

The first volume of the manga is now on sale from Bees Log Comics!

For more details, please see the activity report.

Thank you very much, and I look forward to your continued support for new series.

Thank you so much.