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CHAPTER~10
“…Lord Frezen.”
The deep voice that suddenly interrupted drew everyone’s attention at once.
Realizing it was Frezen, the maids jumped in surprise and hurriedly stepped back.
Ignoring the fearful looks directed at him, Frezen walked over and settled beside me.
“I distinctly told you to leave.
Why did you come all the way in here?”
Leaning slightly toward him, I whispered so only he could hear.
“I’m not heartless enough to walk away when someone’s sick.”
Without even looking at me, he answered indifferently, as though I had asked something obvious.
His actions were so natural that no one could bring themselves to stop him.
All I could do was stare.
There was a stubbornness to his attitude that made arguing feel pointless.
I decided to let it go.
Right now, Frezen wasn’t what mattered.
Mela was.
“What mark are you talking about…?”
Though I was still skeptical, I checked Mela’s neck just as he had suggested.
As I gently brushed aside her slender neck so I wouldn’t wake her, I froze.
I hadn’t expected there to really be a mark.
Frowning, I leaned closer for a better look.
Small raised spots, like insect bites, dotted her skin.
“Lily, do you know when these marks first appeared?”
“…They definitely weren’t there when I helped her bathe this morning.
I can promise you that!
I-I think it’s probably an allergic reaction…”
Lily looked on the verge of tears.
The other maids looked no different.
If even one of them started crying, the atmosphere would only grow heavier.
I was wondering whether I should reassure them that none of this was their fault when Frezen, who had been silently listening, finally spoke.
“Have you called the physician?”
At his stern voice, the sniffling maids instantly stiffened.
“Ah!
W-We didn’t because the Countess said Miss Mela’s existence absolutely couldn’t become known, so… ah!”
Halfway through, Lily realized what she had blurted out.
She clamped both hands over her mouth, her eyes darting around in panic.
Afraid Frezen would misunderstand again, I hurried to explain.
“We recently hired a new personal physician.
That’s all.
Mela is very shy around strangers.
…Haha.”
He already mistakenly believed Mela was his child.
Hearing something like that would only deepen his suspicions.
I secretly watched his reaction.
After remaining silent with a grave expression, Frezen quietly murmured,
“Even that resembles…”
…Now what was supposed to resemble what?
This was getting more absurd by the minute.
Thankfully, considering the situation, he didn’t pursue the subject any further.
“Then I’ll summon my personal physician.
That will be better for both you and Mela.”
“Your personal physician?
…I’ll pass.
I’d rather not give your family’s elders another excuse to criticize me.”
I rejected the offer without a moment’s hesitation.
“…”
Apparently he hadn’t expected such a firm refusal.
A faint twitch crossed his eyes.
He let out a quiet, conflicted sigh through tightly pressed lips.
“Don’t worry.
I’ll make sure no one says a word.”
“…”
Even hearing his unwavering confidence, I couldn’t accept his offer.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Frezen.
His authority within House Decart was unquestionable.
But the fear I’d lived with for years had hardened into something like scar tissue.
‘How could the daughter of such an insignificant family possibly become the Duchess of Decart?’
‘Don’t you understand, Duchess?
Why do you think the Duke is always away at war?
He probably can’t stand the sight of you.’
‘Your family is drowning in debt, you’ve produced no heir…’
‘You’re useless.’
The words I had heard most often while living in the duchy were,
“You’re useless.”
The elders constantly brought up my family’s debts.
They found fault with everything, calling me too frail to bear children.
There were times when I desperately wished Frezen wouldn’t leave for war.
At least then I wouldn’t have been left alone to endure their abuse.
Even after five years, their voices still echoed in my ears like ghosts.
There was no way I wanted to become entangled with House Decart again.
“…I’m not someone who should be accepting help from you anymore.
Thank you for the offer.”
Having made up my mind, I refused once more.
The already heavy atmosphere instantly turned icy.
Just as I was about to send someone to fetch another physician—
“Ugh…!”
“Mela!”
Mela’s face twisted in pain as another agonized groan escaped her lips.
I rushed to her side.
She looked visibly worse than before.
“Lily!
Bailey!
Go fetch any physician you can find!
Hurry!”
Frezen suddenly grabbed my wrist and lowered my raised hand.
“Listen to me, Evlyen.
My physician is nearby.
He’ll get here much faster.”
“Let go!
If we don’t bring someone immediately, something terrible could happen to Mela…!”
Before we could argue further, Mela let out another painful cry, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Everyone turned to look at me.
Meeting Frezen’s gaze, it seemed to silently tell me not to cling to pointless stubbornness.
In the end, I swallowed my pride.
“…All right.”
Mela’s condition stabilized once Frezen’s physician arrived.
He diagnosed it as a severe allergic reaction and prescribed medicine, though he admitted he’d never seen symptoms quite like these before.
He repeatedly emphasized that we would have to watch her condition carefully.
Only after Mela finally drifted into a peaceful sleep did I let out a sigh of relief.
After giving the maids careful instructions, I stepped into the hallway.
Judging by the long shadows stretching across the floor, quite some time had passed.
I stood there for several minutes, staring blankly at the orange-tinted sky.
Then I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“That’s a relief.
She’s stable now.”
Of course.
It was Frezen.
He still hadn’t left the villa.
“He’s an excellent physician.
He’s from the Valum Empire and only recently settled here.
He’s also very discreet.”
His meaning was clear.
I didn’t need to worry.
Nothing would be leaked.
Too exhausted to answer properly, I simply nodded.
Whatever the reason, we had gotten through the crisis thanks to him.
“Thank you, Duke.”
“What?”
Frezen’s lips twitched as though I’d said something unimaginable.
Then he let out a faint laugh.
“Oh, and one more thing.
Please make absolutely sure no one from your family hears about this.
I don’t want any more unnecessary trouble.”
I grimaced in disgust.
Watching me quietly, the corners of Frezen’s mouth twisted.
He was definitely laughing at me.
As I glared resentfully, he deliberately looked away and changed the subject.
“According to the physician, a strange illness has recently begun spreading throughout the capital.”
“…An illness?”
“There haven’t been enough cases to give it an official name yet.
Nothing is certain.
It begins after eating certain foods.
At first it looks like an allergic reaction, but gradually worsens until the patient suffers seizures.”
My expression immediately turned serious again.
An epidemic?
Could Mela have caught that disease?
But why did this all feel so strangely familiar?
It was as if I’d seen this situation somewhere before.
Just as I struggled to place the nagging feeling, something suddenly clicked.
‘After eating certain foods.’
The answer came to me at once.
I replayed my earlier conversation in my mind.
‘Lily, can you tell me exactly what Mela ate for lunch?
The ingredients too, if you remember.
I know it’s difficult, but please.’
‘Of course!
She had vegetable soup made with carrots and walnuts, rye bread, apples, and berries.’
‘She… ate all of that by herself…?’
Then something struck me.
My face instantly turned pale.
The sudden allergic reaction…
The mysterious epidemic spreading through the Empire…
Could this be that incident from the original story?
If that’s true…
At that moment, while I stood staring blankly into space like someone terrified, Frezen studied my face with concern.
“…Evlyen.
You don’t look well.
Are you feeling sick?”
His worried voice only drained the remaining color from my face.
Because if that incident was truly beginning…
Then it meant there was no avoiding becoming entangled with Frezen once again.
