Seeing this scene unfold, Noel felt a twinge of guilt. Yet there were things he had to tell Duke Aurelius—after all, he had accepted this mission, and it was his duty.
"I'm sorry, Duke. Your wife's illness isn't completely cured yet," Noel said apologetically, feeling guilty that his task wasn't fully complete. He had treated the symptoms, but the curse remained.
"What? It's not completely cured?" Duke Aurelius face darkened instantly. "I'm paying you—so you need to take care of this completely."
The Duke's stance was forceful, bordering on unreasonable, but it was understandable.
"My commission is complete," Noel replied firmly, undaunted.
"Your wife still has a curse on her, and that's beyond my capabilities."
Duke Aurelius looked shocked. "Why would my wife have a curse on her?"
But he quickly understood. As a duke in this kingdom, he had used various methods to secure his position, undoubtedly earning many enemies along the way.
"What do we do now?" Duke Aurelius expression fell into despair again. Just when he thought this hellish chapter of life was over, it seemed there was no end in sight.
"Um, I can lift curses," Wendy's voice came out so small it was almost inaudible, only she herself could hear it.
But in the silence of the room, her faint voice was still caught.
"You can lift curses?" Duke Aurelius asked, startled but hopeful.
"Yes, I can use many support magics, and that includes purification magic," Wendy quickly explained.
"Then please, start immediately." The Duke could not wait a moment longer, desperate for his wife to return to normal.
Wendy knelt down, her small hands gathering gentle, glowing energy. As her hands touched the Duchess's body, black smoke began to rise from her.
Noel watched carefully from the side. It seemed to be working; the black smoke continued to pour out, and the Duchess's complexion began to improve. It was clear the curse was truly being removed.
Duke Aurelius stood nearby, too moved for words, unable to believe this might finally end.
"Where... where am I?" the Duchess suddenly awoke, her voice soft and dazed. "I feel like I've had a long, terrifying nightmare."
"It's alright now, you're awake," the Duke whispered as he gently picked her up. "Just rest in bed for a while."
"What about you?" the Duchess asked weakly.
"I have some other matters to attend to, but don't worry about me. It's alright now," the Duke reassured her.
Seeing this, everyone else quietly stepped out, knowing it was not the place for them to intrude on this private moment.
"It seems the Duke and Duchess truly love each other," Noel murmured, a bit wistfully. "This kind of love really is something to admire."
Indeed, such love was rare, especially among nobles, where many were forced to abandon love for political marriages. To see this moment between nobles was truly a rare sight.
"Thank you both for your help," Duke Aurelius said as he stepped out of the room, tears rolling down his face—tears of happiness this time.
"It's what we should do. You're the client, and we are mages taking on your commission. It's a relationship of employer and hired mages," Noel explained calmly.
"Regarding your work, I need to thank you both. I've decided to increase your commission fee," Duke Aureli said earnestly.
Noel felt a bit tempted. The payment for this special commission was already substantial, and now it was going to be increased further. This fee might even rival the reward for an S-Class mission.
"That won't be necessary. It would be too much," Noel declined.
"We only did a small part of the work. Most of the burden was on Mr. Noel," Carla added. "So if you're going to increase the fee, please give it to Mr. Noel. We'll just accept the original payment."
Indeed, throughout the mission, Noel had taken on the most dangerous parts, and Carla felt it would be wrong to accept additional payment.
Besides, the payment offered when they accepted this mission was already more than generous; it was unimaginable to think of receiving more.
"I will accept only the standard payment," Noel insisted firmly.
An impasse formed between them. The Duke insisted on increasing the payment, while the others refused to accept it. In the end, they reached a compromise: the additional payment would be used to help rebuild the slums.
"We'll be staying in the capital for a few days, so we'd appreciate it if you could help us with accommodation," Noel suggested.
The Duke gladly agreed, seeing them as the saviors of his wife. He was more than willing to host them on his estate.
"Sebas, please arrange accommodations for our guests," the Duke ordered, and Sebas immediately set off to prepare their rooms.
"Tonight, we will be holding a banquet, and you two must attend," Duke Aurelius urged.
"Understood," Noel replied. There was no way to refuse something like this.
"I will attend too," Wendy said, her voice soft but determined.
"I will introduce you both properly to the other nobles tonight. You will be the stars of the evening," Duke Aurelius said with a smile, teasing lightly.
Ugh... Noel could only feel resigned. He had been invited to many banquets before but had always turned them down.
What was the point of such gatherings anyway? Eating, drinking, entertaining a bunch of entitled young nobles—it was a waste of time.
If he had the time to attend such gatherings, he would rather spend it reading a few more books. He simply wasn't suited for that world, nor did he need those kinds of social connections.
But this time, there was no way to refuse, so he could only agree.
Beside him, Wendy lowered her head, looking nervous. She had never attended such an event before, and her nerves were showing.
Carla, on the other hand, remained composed, indifferent to it all. She wasn't afraid of anyone, and no one would dare to bully her either.
"I look forward to seeing you both tonight," Duke Aurelius said with a gentle smile before leaving, likely to begin preparing for the evening banquet.
Once again, it was just the two of them and Carla. After spending the past two days together, they had grown more comfortable around each other, and there was no longer any awkwardness.
They returned to the reception room, where maids were already preparing their attire for the evening. To be honest, Noel found himself starting to look forward to tonight's banquet.
Maybe, once in a while, it wouldn't hurt to experience a change of pace like this. It might even turn out to be quite enjoyable.
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