Chapter 57: Chapter 57

Chapter 57

I took McCain up to the second floor study. It was only after we sat down face to face on opposite sofas, where there was a table of snacks and tea between us, that McCain opened his mouth to speak.

“…You are expecting.”

“Ah yes. I found out after the Duke left the battlefield.”

“Is that so…”

“You have something to say to me?”

“Before I tell you, I want you to call a doctor…”

“A doctor?”

McCain suddenly wanted to see the doctor.

“Where are you hurt? Then I’ll call the doctor right away.”

“No, no. It’s just that, since you’re expecting, just in case…”

As he said that, his face was full of concern for me.

“What are you saying, why do you have to go so far…? Don’t worry if it’s because of me. Or I will call the doctor now and he will come soon.”

“…Alright.”

After telling the butler to hurry and call Logan, I stared back at McCain sitting across from me. He was sitting there looking more impatient than before.

“Sir.”

When I called him ready to listen, McCain stared at me for a long moment, then opened his mouth quietly as if he was ready to speak to me, too.

“It’s about the Duke.”

“The Duke?”

“Yes. Duke Bleon Einer… has gone… missing.”

Missing? What are you talking about? What on earth was this guy sitting in front of me talking about?

“Now… What did you just say?”

I thought I heard it wrong, so I asked him again.

“During the last battle on the Hereta Plateau, Duke Bleon Einer and his healer Philia went missing.”

In an instant, the whole world turned into an abyss. He moved his mouth to say something, but nothing was heard. The expression of the man in front of me changed moment by moment. At first, his expression was somber and subdued, then changed to a face full of anxiety and concern. But after a while, he was looking at my stomach with a surprised expression. Only then did I realize that my seat was very wet.

“—Madam! Duchess, come to your senses! Madam!”

“Ah…”

I looked down slowly. The whole bottom of the dress was stained with blood. McCain came over and held me in his arms.

“N-No…”

Suddenly, my breaths stopped slowly. It was so hard to breathe.

“Huk, huk. No, no. Haaa, baby, no…!”

“Madam, breathe. Breath! The doctor isn’t there yet?!”

“Please, please save it. Huk, save, save the baby. Please…”

“Calm down! Madam! You will make it. You will live! So…! Butler!”

McCain’s loud shout echoed through the room as the door opened.

“I’m here! I’m here now— Madam!”

And when I heard the doctor’s familiar voice, I lost consciousness.

AD

‘The Madam has to regain consciousness.’

‘What should we do about the child…?’

‘I need to get it out of the stomach immediately.’

‘Her heart rate is getting worse and worse. If she stays like this…’

Is it a dream?

Is it the voice you hear in your dreams? The words that resonated in my head seemed to mumble like in the water.

‘The Madam has opened her eyes!’

‘Madam! Can you hear me?’

‘Madam, wake up.’

‘Since she is conscious now, take care of the baby right now!’

‘Now we have to get the baby out.’

‘Madam, take this medicine.’

I saw people in front of me. None of them were the ones I desperately wanted to see. I was so overcome with despair and closed my eyes again. But someone put something in my mouth, and when I opened my eyes, it was like Logan was nearby yelling urgently at me to swallow it, but it was so disgusting that I couldn’t get it down my throat, so I vomited what was in my mouth. Then the medicine entered my mouth again, my face lifted slightly, and the bitter medicine ran down my throat and went inside.

‘It’s done. Now gather some strength.’

‘Aaahhk! Uuggh, it hurts, it hurts!!’

After taking the medicine for a while, the unbearable pain began. It hurts! My stomach hurts so much. It felt like someone was squeezing my stomach and the bottom seemed to fall out. The smell of blood vibrated everywhere. Neither this smell nor this pain seemed like a dream. But before I was even aware of it, all the sounds and images of the world were cut off, and I passed out again.

* * *

Oh, this is really a dream. I knew for sure that it was a dream. Because now he is right in front of my eyes.

‘Bleon?’

‘Wife.’

But when I called him, he was looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

‘Do you have to go? Where are you going?’

‘I’ve got work to do, so I have to go out. It will probably take a while.’

Words were coming out of my mouth against my will. And at my words, Bleon cried with a pitiful expression and hugged me tightly.

‘Can’t I go with you too?’

‘No. You have to stay here, Bleon.’

‘Wife…’

‘I’ll send you a letter. It’s really important that I go.’

‘…I understand.’

I comforted him by patting his broad back.

‘Don’t take the medicine while I’m away. Understand? The medicine has quite a few side effects. So, never touch it.’

‘I… understand. But…’

Bleon mumbled something, but I couldn’t hear the next words. But suddenly the dream shifted, and I was now sitting in the carriage, with Logan, the doctor, across from me.

‘Is this the last?’

‘Yes… That’s right. Madam.’

‘In the end, I couldn’t find anyone who knew how to cure it.’

‘I’m sorry…’

Logan nodded and replied.

‘What are you sorry for? It’s an incurable disease.’

‘The doctor we’re going to meet now says that there is no disease that can’t be cured because he has great skills in this area. Don’t lose hope, Madam.’

‘Yes. But I guess I’ll have to hurry up and go back. It seems that Bleon is very sick.’

‘Treatment of Madam’s disease is the top priority. If treatment is possible, it is better to stay here.’

‘I don’t feel good. I guess I’ll have to go back…’

‘Madam…’

After Logan’s words, the scene changed again. This time… it was the Duke’s residence again. I hurriedly entered the mansion urgently, and the butler came to meet me.

‘What about Bleon?’

There was urgency in my voice.

‘Madam. You’re back!’

‘Where is Bleon?’

‘That is…’

‘I asked you where he is!’

I was very angry at the butler’s hesitant attitude because he couldn’t answer properly.

‘There are things I couldn’t tell you in the letter.’

‘I will see and hear it from Bleon.’

‘It’s about the Duke. And before you see the Duke, you must listen.’

‘…Follow me.’

I took the butler and took him to the parlor right in front of me.

‘Now tell me.’

‘That is… The Duke experienced severe side effects of the drug and almost died.’

‘What?’

‘I don’t know why these symptoms occurred, but his fever was so high that he couldn’t even breathe properly, so I called the female doctor, Logan’s disciple.’

As he was talking about the female doctor, he looked me in the eye.

‘…Keep going.’

‘The woman doctor gave him treatment, and she said that there was no way he could be cured by normal methods, and she said that it would probably be difficult to exceed ten days at most. So she immediately sent a letter.’

‘At that time I was quite far from Kren. I got the letter three days later.’

‘…Yes. And the Duke has already reached the limit before we even got a reply from the Madam… There was no choice but to be treated by the female doctor.’

‘What kind of treatment?’

‘That is… The fastest way to get rid of the medicine… is copulation.’

‘Copulation?’

‘Yes. So the female doctor and the Duke until now…’

‘Stop. Stop talking.’

‘Madam, it’s all my fault. I should have looked after the Duke properly…’

The butler was kneeling in front of me and begging. I stared into the air for a while without saying anything.

‘…So Bleon and the female doctor are in the bedroom right now.’

‘Yes… That’s right.’

I immediately got up and left the parlor and headed to the bedroom. And as I was just arriving at the bedroom door, I ran into someone with pretty pink hair. It was Philia. Taking a closer look at her, I saw that her excitement had not yet waned, her face was flushed with red marks on the back of her neck, and her skin visible through her clothes. As I was staring at her, she hurriedly left the bedroom after she bowed her head in astonishment, as if Philia didn’t expect to see me.

I went straight into the bedroom. The damp air and salty smell flowing in the room fully told what the two of them were doing in this place. I approached the bed and looked at the naked, fast asleep man.

‘Bleon.’

The sleeping man did not answer.

‘I guess… this is it for us.’