Mr. & Mrs Meropide

Chapter Fifty-Three: No News

The Duke woke up and immediately got to work. He reviewed the reports about the repairs in the storage room, checked on the newly designated storage area, and assessed what the situation meant for the Fortress financially. Afterward, he visited the new storage room, inspecting its condition and ensuring everything was up to standard.

Next, he made his way to the infirmary to check on the inmates and guards who had fallen ill. Sigewinne was there, looking a bit tired but maintaining her usual cheerful demeanor. "How are the patients?" he asked.

"Mostly fine," she replied with a small smile. "It wasn't a long-lasting issue. I think some of them just convinced themselves they were sick—placebo effect," she said, shaking her head slightly.

"That's what happens when you can't control a situation from spreading because you're too busy handling it as fast as possible," he agreed, understanding the challenge she faced.

"Yeah, I just gave those patients some water with what they thought was medicine but was actually just sugar. They saw me put in something that dissolved in the water, and that seemed to do the trick," she added with a tired but amused smile.

"You're always one step ahead of them," he remarked, impressed.

"Always have been," she grinned back.

Just then, a guard walked into the room. "Excuse me, Miss Sigewinne," he said, his tone respectful. "I wanted to thank you for your help yesterday. I already feel much better," he added, handing her a small box of sweets.

"Thank you, I'm glad to hear you're feeling better," she replied with a polite smile.

The guard nodded towards the Duke before saying, "I'll get back to my duties now," and exited the room. Once he was gone, Wriothesley turned to Sigewinne.

"That guard is one of the candidates, isn't he?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

"Sure is," she agreed, and they exchanged an amused glance.

"You know, I missed you being around the Fortress. You hardly ever left before, and now it feels like it's hard to keep you here," she said, her smile turning a bit wistful.

"I know I should stick around more. It's been a while since I've been in the pankration ring—I think I'll head there later," he replied, considering how much he missed the routine.

"Just don't send too many people my way afterward," she laughed softly.

"I'll try," he replied with a grin.

Wriothesley then continued with his rounds and visited the kitchen. Everything seemed in order, but he wanted to know how the spoiled food had gone unnoticed by the kitchen staff. The chefs explained that they had taken a week off and had prepared everything in advance, storing it properly before their absence.

The Duke realized that the issue stemmed from the storage room failure rather than the kitchen's negligence. Still, he knew he'd need to implement new precautions to prevent something like this from happening again in the future.

Wriothesley spotted Vire with Lilly and Maria near the entrance, both of them deep in what looked like a heated discussion.

"I told you, it's not safe," Vire argued, his voice low but firm.

"I can handle myself," Maria shot back, her tone tinged with frustration.

"Not against assassins, criminals, and whatnot," he said, shaking his head, clearly concerned.

"So, I just can't exist in your life?" Maria's voice carried a hint of incredulity, her eyes searching his.

"You know that's not what I meant," Vire replied, sounding exasperated.