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chapter 51
My pregnancy. I hadn’t yet had a proper examination, so there was no scientific proof, but my intuition overflowed. First, the dream I had: two boys. A platinum-haired child with Pervin’s face, and a dark-haired child who looked exactly like me. If this isn’t a pregnancy dream, then what is?
Left alone with Doctor Doulphari, I decided to ask him directly. He showed me his pitiful, tearful face.
“Certainly, it’s true. Using a secret technique passed down only in our family, I detected the pulse of twins. But these children are very clever. Whenever Your Grace approaches, they hide their pulse, so there’s no way to prove it…”
“Why do the children hide their pulse when Pervin comes?”
“….”
Doulphari met my gaze with an aggrieved look.
“Of course, it’s because they’re jealous of their father. Wanting to monopolize you, My Lady, they simply don’t reveal themselves to him.”
“Hm. That doesn’t sound very scientific.”
“But consider this: when others approach you, it’s fine. So why is it only when the Duke comes near you that they make you feel ill?”
If I hadn’t been certain of my pregnancy, I would not have believed this theory—but after dreaming about it, it felt credible. These children in my womb, even in dreams, are quite jealous, aren’t they? I could already guess who they got it from. I forced a smile and firmly held his wrinkled hand.
“I trust you, Doctor.”
Doulphari looked at my face, and his lips quivered with joy.
“You believe me? Oh, to have diagnosed the Duchess’s pregnancy following the former duchess, what an honor to my family.”
“However, let’s do this, Doctor Doulphari.”
I put a finger to my lips and gave him a secret order.
“Keep the pregnancy news secret until I tell you to announce it.”
“Why hide such joyous news?”
“It’s news everyone wants. So I think it won’t be too late to announce it once I’m in a stable period.”
“You are wise, as always. I will keep my lips sealed.”
Doulphari bowed before me, but I had another plan. Soon, Sir Sellevar and Bocelli would visit. I had already instructed Lady Tilly to spread a rumor: that I had fallen into the pond, my health had worsened, and that further pregnancies were impossible. Then came the intelligence from Lady Tilly: the divorce petition they had repeatedly prepared and destroyed over the past four years was being prepared again. She grabbed her head in frustration.
“Those elders! They keep repeating what they did during the former duchess! Preparing a divorce petition again—what foolishness! I must visit their mansion and confront them directly!”
Lady Tilly, unaware of my plan for Bocelli and Sellevar, was naturally frustrated. I wanted to tell her about my pregnancy, but that would ruin my strategy. This plan was designed to effectively reveal that I carried the Carlisle heir—my child with Pervin. It seemed that Sibellom had spread the false rumor that I was infertile, and some believed it seriously. What if I let that rumor fester, and then revealed my pregnancy later? It would strengthen my position dramatically. Sibellom would be discredited, and Pervin’s position strengthened along with mine. I patted Lady Tilly’s hand, maintaining a calm expression.
“It’s fine, Lady Tilly. Nothing will go wrong.”
“You’re too clever for your own good! I’m restraining myself for your sake! Otherwise, I’d report this at once and have them punished—though perhaps more severely, given the master’s temperament.”
I smiled, satisfied, twirling a pen. Yes, the time was approaching. Soon, everyone would fall into the net I had perfectly laid.
At the Carlisle residence, as I rested in my bedroom and received various visitors, Doctor Doulphari arrived for a routine checkup and found himself under attack from the staff.
“Are you sure these prescriptions are correct, Doctor? Since we’ve started giving the medicines, My Lady has been sleeping excessively.”
“If she sleeps this much after taking the medicine, I’m not sure she’ll recover properly.”
The young maids surrounded him, doubting his methods, while Lady Tilly, suspicious, spoke up.
“Doctor, are these medicines really effective? The apothecary said they’re so mild it doesn’t matter if you take them or not.”
“Would I prescribe an ineffective medicine?”
“Then why does My Lady sleep so much? Isn’t it a side effect?”
The elderly Doulphari, looking unjustly wronged, glanced at me and said,
“My Lady is heavy with child, so she needs ample sleep to restore her strength.”
Despite his defense, the maids continued to chatter, and Doulphari grew more embarrassed. The medicine had to be mild due to my pregnancy, which led to their misunderstanding. To stop it, I defended him.
“Enough, children. I feel much better after Doctor Doulphari’s prescriptions.”
“If My Lady says so…”
At that moment, Alfred’s voice rang out.
“My Lady! Sir Sellevar and Sir Bocelli have arrived!”
“Let them in.”
I quickly lay back in bed, calming myself. Heavy footsteps stopped carefully beside me. Squinting, I saw two elderly men sigh upon seeing me.
“Good heavens, you’re so ill…”
“How is your body? Are you feeling better?”
“Your face is still pale.”
Doulphari, standing guard beside me, responded sharply,
“She’s healthier than anyone!”
Sellevar and Bocelli replied in unison,
“Then we won’t trust your diagnosis any longer. Such quackery…”
I clenched my fists involuntarily. They were treating him poorly for a past misdiagnosis, yet Doulphari had provided an accurate diagnosis this time. Seeing them hesitate, I spoke coldly.
“State your purpose for coming. Surely you didn’t come merely to check on my condition.”
Sellevar nervously crumpled an envelope in his hand. Bocelli then asked me pointedly,
“My Lady, if I may ask…”
“I believe your disrespectful attitude toward Doctor Doulphari is already enough.”
“Still… I must ask one thing.”
Despite my firmness, Bocelli had not forgotten their mission: to determine whether the Duchess could conceive.
“I heard that when you were in Verma, you consumed an herb that made pregnancy impossible.”
“What?”
Doulphari protested vehemently beside me.
“That’s nonsense! Then pregnancy wouldn’t be possible… oh!”
I quickly pinched his thigh to silence him and smiled at everyone. Sellevar seemed to catch on.
“Perhaps…”
“Yes. Suppose I did take such an herb. Do you intend to drive me away?”
Bocelli turned pale.
“Then you truly cannot become pregnant?”
“Any woman could have a chance of not conceiving. And if I can’t conceive, did you consider the possibility that the man might be incapable?”
Sellevar and Bocelli were momentarily stunned.
“You already verified the Duke’s ability, didn’t you?”
“Did you personally verify Pervin’s capability? No, you didn’t.”
“Then isn’t it still the woman’s responsibility if no child is born?”
“You haven’t even spent the night together. How can you speak as if you know?”
The elderly men’s faces fell. Blue lips and shaking hands betrayed their fear, and Sellevar handed me the envelope reluctantly.
“My Lady, although your words may be true, this is the result of the Carlisle family council. I’m sorry, but we have no choice but to give it to you.”
“This is…”
I slowly opened the envelope. Bocelli muttered mournfully,
“A divorce petition.”
They would not have given this if they knew I was pregnant. Their expressions showed no malice, only concern for the family line. I remained calm.
“A divorce petition, unexpected. But not entirely surprising.”
“I’m sorry, but we must continue the family line…”
Bocelli finally broke down in front of me, and Sellevar wiped tears from his hands. I covered my twitching lips. Even the kindest elders act this way when the issue is succession. Well, I had a plan. They would merely highlight the climax of my show.
A few days later, Pervin, Sir Emil Accuret, and Doctor Doulphari gathered. The young Emil and elderly Doulphari eyed each other suspiciously. Pervin glanced at them from the side, astonished. Despite attending countless debates, he had never witnessed such a tense confrontation.
Pervin finally spoke in a gentle tone reserved only for me:
“Now, calm down.”
But they continued furiously:
“Are you suggesting we cooperate with a quack? How can we trust his family secrets?”
“Even though young, I respected Emil Accuret of the renowned family. But your words are extreme! It was I who made the former duchess conceive!”
“That was luck. The new trend is modern medicine. Your outdated intuition-based methods are obsolete.”
“How can you speak so rudely? Duke Carlisle, how can you collaborate with him?”
“I too question how to cooperate with Doulphari~.”
Pervin sighed deeply. Emil Accuret, a rising star in the empire, and Doulphari, infamous for quackery but who cured the previous duchess’s infertility, were to determine my pregnancy. He had not anticipated such deep-seated animosity.
“Master… Master!”
At that moment, Alfred rushed in, pale with shock.
“…My Lady!”
“Did she collapse again?”
“No, it’s more serious! My Lady submitted a divorce petition to the Carlisle residence.”
“What!”
Bang! Pervin leapt up, enraged. Emil and Doulphari were equally stunned. Pervin glared at Alfred.
“A divorce petition? Alfred, don’t joke. Who do you want dead?”
“I’m not joking, Master! My Lady submitted the petition and summoned all potential brides to the mansion! Noble ladies everywhere!”
Pervin’s heart stopped. Ladies… at the mansion… a divorce petition? Why now? Alfred quickly explained:
“The rumor spread that the Duchess couldn’t conceive. Elders pushed for divorce, so she followed their wishes.”
“Whose wishes!”
Pervin’s green eyes darkened with anger. Before Alfred could respond, he rushed out. Watching him leave, Doulphari clicked his tongue at Emil.
“The Carlisle elders compelled the Duchess to submit a divorce petition.”
“Still, I didn’t expect her to actually submit it. According to your opinion, Doctor…”
“There’s a noble life within her, but she intends to present undeniable medical evidence to the family and empire.”
“The Carlisle elders are not bad people, but they are easily swayed. Duke Sibellom must be behind this.”
Emil sighed, and Doulphari nodded.
“Personally, I hope Count Rune helps her. Rumors about strange herbs before marriage… it’s absurd. And yet the Carlisle people believed it.”
“I hear he’s already acted. The gentle Count Rune, furious for the first time, reported the false rumors to the Emperor and demanded verification from Duke Lillias in Verma.”
“Then our task is clear.”
Emil Accuret and Doulphari shook hands firmly.
“Even though we’re rivals in the empire, if we reach the same conclusion, everyone will believe it.”
“Now you finally understand, Doctor Doulphari. When modern and traditional medicine agree, who would doubt it?”
“We declare our first truce.”
“When have we ever truly fought? Haha.”
They exchanged mischievous smiles. Doulphari produced a small vial of yellow liquid, urine specially obtained from me to test my pregnancy.
“Now, we shall use a method recorded in imperial medical texts and folk remedies.”
“I’ll bring out the instruments.”
They prepared various liquids and tools. Five drops of a test substance were placed in a clear vessel, followed by five drops of my urine. Normally, there should be no reaction. But this time, it bubbled and merged. Emil and Doulphari hugged and jumped in delight.
Returning to the mansion, Pervin faced a scene as if from a nightmare. Was this a party, a ball, or hell? The first floor was filled with dozens of noble ladies flaunting their charms. Low-cut dresses, lifted skirts revealing pale flesh, heavily powdered faces… Pervin struggled to regain composure, anger boiling at seeing other women dominate the mansion.
Countess Servera spotted him, smiled, and ran forward. Pervin’s face contorted. Over the past four years, while Rosamund flirted subtly, Countess Servera had brazenly encouraged his wife to divorce.
“Oh, Duke! Finally!”
Her shout drew the other ladies like predators.
“Finally divorcing? Then marry me, Duke!”
“Who said anything about divorcing?”
Pervin’s handsome face burned with anger. He pushed back the rushing ladies.
“Irwen! Irwen, where are you?”
His hollow voice echoed through the mansion, but no one answered. The staff, following Irwen’s orders, continued their tasks diligently. Pervin tried to ascend to the second floor, but countless women clung to him.
“But the Duchess herself announced it! Since she couldn’t produce an heir in five years, and supposedly can no longer conceive, she must divorce.”
Pervin’s heart churned.
“Irwen said that?”
“Yes. She said it herself. So, Your Grace, you must hurry with the divorce…”
“We will not divorce.”
“Even though the Duchess has let go first?”
“I don’t know what my wife thinks, but this is certain,” he added with a deadly glare.
“Even if it kills me, I will never let Irwen go.”
Despite Pervin’s ongoing rage, Countess Servera pressed on.
“No matter what, it’s useless, Duke. The Duchess stepped down for the greater good; you must respect her sense of responsibility.”
“Responsibility?”
Pervin Carlisle snorted. His face strangely combined lethal sharpness with almost-melted sweetness.
“My wife’s only responsibility is to me. And I will hold her accountable—for leaving me to these rumors, for taking my innocence, for making me long for her every night.”
His bold words made the ladies around him blush.
