The Unlucky Villainess Small Fief

Chapter 22

"Hm. According to her diagnosis, it is indeed a new type of disease." The doctor said, sitting on the couch in the drawing room. He came and checked on the condition of Ortezca and instead of  him giving the solution, it was ortezca who named it and gave him an elaboration.

"Really, that young lady is fascinating. Lady Holminne is really smart. But i wonder why is she in your residence, my lord?"

"...i am planning on making her my fiancé once again." Suvvell said, making the doctor widened his eyes in surprise. 'My word! Is this a change of heart? Has he fallen for real??' He thought.

"Anyways, thank you very much. If it is not a bother, i will call you once again to check on her when she gets well."

"Understood, my lord." The doctor smiled and went out of the room. Suvvell sighed deeply. He had too much going on right now and seemed that the Holminne household is in pinch. He decided to drop by in the study room to research. When he get there, he saw ortezca, sitting on the carpeted floor, reading a book, with only a blanket around her.

"What do you think you're doing?" The sudden vocie made her flinch in surprise. She turned towards him and sighed afterwards in relief. Suvvell could have sworn that he saw a haunted look from her expression.

"I am trying to find the map of this kingdom...."

"...and?"

"......maybe i can help?"

"....how can you be so sure that you can help?"

".....it wont hurt if i try, right?"

"....where did you get that sentence?"

"Hehe! So! Please let me have the map!" Ortezca stretched out her hand with an expression of gimme! Gimme! And Suvvell only could sigh.

"Here. I only have one request. Please do not let the people know that you are the one who has all the ideas."

"Yes! Thank you!" Ortezca smiled. There is no moment to waste. The problems in the kingdom should be dealt off immediately or else she can't turn back to her small fief. She already missed the food being cooked there. Afterall, it all came from her recipe in her past life.

As she was studying the map, occasionally coughing though, suvvell could not help but sit beside her. He continued to look at her as if she was an experiment; eyeing her features in every detail. 'She looked so focused right now...ah another rattling cough...she seemed to be out of breath too...I wonder if she had eaten anything since she came here?' Suvvell's thoughts were running that he did not notice that ortezca is looking at him right now.

"Duke Suvvell?are you alright?" The person in question asked as she tried to touch his shoulder to wake hm up from his thoughts but since he was brought up in the battlefield, he had quick reflexes and slapped her hand away rather hard. He was in a bit of apprehension thinking that Ortezca might do an inappropriate thing towards him, but seeing the surprised expression of Ortezca whom upon looking closely is pale, Rudevich feels guilty.

"My apologies, i did not mean to scare you off." Ortezca said and stood up. Rudevich was about to say that he was the one who should apologize instead but the butler interrupted them. The butler eyed the two for a short moment, but ortezca definitely swore that the butler eyed her suspicious and furthermore gave her a disapproving look before turning his expressionless face to the duke who was still on the floor.

"...my lord, the head of the Holminne ducal house had paid a visit," the butler said, glancing once again at ortezca. Ortezca remained passive towards him. Rudevich Stood up, patted the dust off his pants and went out of the room, leaving the butler and ortezca alone.

"...you were not supposed to be here, you dirty woman. If not for the lord's grace, you are already dead and in hell. Really, why must my lord bother to bring and deal women like you? You must have had done something towards him..." the butler voiced out. Ortezca smiled.

"please do not worry. I do not have any plans to stay here too. I am just mainly here because, I am returning a favor, towards the lord Duke Suvvell." Ortezca said and went out of the room too. She almost heard him clicked his tongue in annoyance and muttered something akin to "this dirty bitch". She paid him no mind and walked back towards her room. Servants looked at her with disgust. 

Once she returned to her room, she slapped her cheeks.

"No time to dawdle. I need to finish this so that i can return back. I have to return back... as expected, they looked at me with those eyes...." ortezca shrugged to herself, and went to the table to start writing on the proposal plan.

Rudevich saw Jeremy sipping tea when he got to the drawing room. He sat down on a nearby chair.

"I shall cut the chase. I am afraid there is no more solution that i could find other than killing those who were sick and are suspected to be affected. Their houses will also be burned down to be safe."

"...but if we do that....we will loose the trust of the commoners and nobles and we will also loose most of  our citizens."

"...i do not want to do this either,  but i couldn't find a better solution. My son would love to help, but it seemed that my youngest is getting worse."

"....please focus on your family. I will handle this matter to myself."

"....do you think you can find a solution?"

"....i will do what i can." Suvvell said.