Chapter 58
Chapter 58
“It’s contraceptive tea.”
Hilde startled, lifting her head. Her wide eyes trembled.
Greta, unfazed, explained in her usual calm manner, “Steep it in boiling water every evening and drink it. It will help.”
“I, I…”
“Surely you don’t think His Grace brought you here for ordinary service?”
Hilde’s lips parted, then closed without a sound. She knew. Even if she hadn’t realized it before, she certainly knew after last night. She had felt his blatant desire throughout her entire being.
Greta’s tone turned cold. “It happens often. Bed slaves bearing their master’s children. But it rarely ends well. Even if a child is born, most don’t survive.” Neither mother nor child.
Hilde’s eyes quivered with shock.
“If you harbor any foolish fantasies, you’ll only meet a tragic end. Do you understand?”
Hilde bit her lip, nodding. Her hand tightened around the pouch she held.
“I’ll bring you more contraceptive tea regularly, but if you run out before then, let me know.”
“Yes.”
Hilde nodded again, and Greta, seemingly finished, turned to leave. But just before opening the door, she looked back.
“If you don’t overreach, you can stay here a long time.”
Hilde sat in a daze for a moment, then loosened the drawstring of the pouch. A sharp, pungent aroma wafted from the opening. Unlike the tea she had smelled yesterday, this scent was acrid and spicy.
She quietly rose and boiled water. Taking out the teapot and teacup she used for practice, she brewed the tea as she had been taught. The potent aroma filled the air.
The tea, once poured, was a particularly deep color, a dark, murky red that looked like poison.
Hilde hesitated, then brought the cup to her lips. She swallowed. Instantly, a spicy, garlic-like burn spread through her mouth and down her throat.
Forcing herself to empty the cup, Hilde realized that the tea he had given her last night had truly been… sweet.
***
A few days later, an informant from the capital arrived secretly at the Grand Duke’s estate.
Benedict, leaning against the window with his arms crossed, glanced over to acknowledge his kneeling subordinate.
“Monsters attacked the Imperial Palace in the middle of the night. Even the Emperor’s chambers were attacked, causing quite a commotion.”
It was the news he had been waiting for. A faint smile touched Benedict’s lips.
“Rumor has it that a monster actually broke into the Emperor’s bedroom, and he fled practically naked.”
“It’s almost a shame I missed such an entertaining spectacle.” Benedict’s expression was sincere. He particularly regretted that the monster hadn’t managed to tear off at least one of the Emperor’s arms.
“Good work. Go and rest.”
After the informant left, Benedict turned to Moritz, who was guarding the door. “Compared to the sins our Emperor has committed, this is a small price to pay.”
His tone dripped with mockery. Moritz echoed his master’s sentiment. “He wouldn’t have dreamt of being attacked himself.”
“Foolish and naive.”
The Emperor had overlooked one fact. While the majority of the Empire’s monsters originated from the Grey Mountains near the Grand Duchy, not all of them resided there. In other words, monsters also existed in the capital, though their numbers were small and they rarely made themselves known.
In fact, there was a rather large monster nest in the forest directly connected to the hunting grounds behind the Imperial Palace. The reason no one knew about it was because Benedict had been controlling its growth with a suppressant. He had removed the suppressant from the nest and replaced it with a stimulant. That alone was sufficient retaliation.
“It’s only fair to return what one receives.”
“Indeed, even more so, Your Highness.”
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