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~Chapter 17~
“I’d prefer to finish all my responsibilities first and pass them down slowly… but lately, there’s just been too much going on. I think I’ll have to hand over the duties of the lady of the house to you sooner than expected.”
“There hasn’t been a proper lady of the house before me, and with all the incidents our family has faced… a lot of things have been left unmanaged.”
As I listened to her, I took a sip of tea. The aftertaste was bitter on my tongue.
“Our territory is huge, and we have three estates to manage. It’s not easy. Even just handing over the duties will take a long time. I believe the sooner I teach you, the better our household will run.”
They say studying is a lifelong journey. I didn’t expect I’d be studying again even after falling into a book.
“As the lady of the house, you’ll be in charge of reviewing budgets, managing servants’ welfare, hosting charity events, and more. My goal is to complete the handover by the end of this year. What do you think?”
‘What do I think? Of course, I have no thoughts on this at all.’
I just gave her an awkward smile in reply.
“You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you’ll pick things up quickly. You might even do better than me.”
Mother-in-law, that’s just a rumor. A complete lie. Whoever said that needs their tongue—
“By the way, how was your wedding night?”
“Pfft!”
I almost sprayed tea all over Lady Claire’s face.
I choked at the sudden change in topic. My face turned red as I coughed endlessly.
“Oh my, Petunia, are you okay?”
She looked concerned and patted my back while a maid quickly handed me a handkerchief.
Trying to calm my racing heart, I wiped my mouth. It was only my second time alone with her, and I already made a fool of myself.
“Are you alright? Your face is red.”
“Yes, cough, I’m fine. Cough.”
The coughing finally subsided after a few moments. I couldn’t help but blame her for bringing that up at the worst possible time.
For a second, I considered staying silent and letting the topic pass, thinking maybe she forgot because I choked.
But Claire was the one who had cursed Apollyon. She might seem kind on the outside, but who knows what she was really thinking? If I let it slide, she might use it against me.
In times like this, the best plan was to lie confidently.
“Yes. The wedding night went smoothly.”
“Really?”
“Yes. In fact, we overdid it a little and ended up sleeping in late. Haha.”
The first part was a lie, but the second was true. I had collapsed from exhaustion and slept like a rock.
“You’re both at that age, after all.”
She smiled brightly and gazed out at the waves crashing on the rocks.
In the original story, Lady Claire would’ve preferred if Apollyon and I had a poor relationship.
Of course, in the original, she didn’t have a daughter-in-law. But judging by her actions—especially trying to make her own son the heir—she clearly didn’t want Petunia and Apollyon to get along.
If the couple had no heirs, Claire’s son would inherit the title instead.
Same with the duchess role. Though she now said she’d hand it over soon, Claire had once left her dying husband behind to marry into this noble family and take that very position.
Her first act upon arrival had been pushing Apollyon out of the family circle.
And when things didn’t go as planned, she hired a magician to curse him.
She must have known that if this continues, she’ll lose both her own power and the chance to pass it to her son.
But her smile just now… it didn’t seem fake. In fact, she looked relieved, almost eager to hand everything over.
It was only my second meeting with her, but I wasn’t that clueless. I could read people’s faces.
As I stared off in thought, Claire turned and met my eyes. We smiled at each other.
I still didn’t know what she was thinking, but I could tell—something had definitely changed from the original story.
***
Meanwhile, Apollyon had gone to see his personal doctor early in the morning.
He rarely visited unless it was serious, so his doctor, Yvon, quickly rushed to check him.
“Your Grace, if you weren’t feeling well, you could’ve just summoned a servant. Why come all the way here yourself?”
Yvon scolded gently, concerned that Apollyon had come to the infirmary alone.
“It’s nothing serious. I just had a question.”
Yvon swallowed nervously.
He knew his master’s personality. If he came secretly like this, it must be something important that couldn’t be known to others.
“What would you like to ask?”
“……”
Apollyon hesitated, then looked very serious.
“My heart… it feels like something’s wrong.”
“…Excuse me?”
The words were so unexpected that Yvon was too shocked to react.
Apollyon had always been healthy since childhood. The curse only made him look unwell—it never affected his actual health.
Just a few days ago, he was training hard in the yard.
And now, suddenly, he said his heart hurt?
More confused than worried, Yvon led him to the medical bed.
“P-please lie down, sir!”
“I don’t think that’s necessary…”
“No, if there’s a heart problem, you must lie down first!”
Reluctantly, Apollyon did as he was told.
Yvon rolled up his shirt and placed a stethoscope on his chest. His heartbeat was completely normal.
Still, Yvon put on a serious face and grabbed a medical chart.
The heart is one of the most important and hardest-to-diagnose organs. Even if it sounds fine now, there could be unseen problems.
“Can you describe what feels wrong?”
“My heart suddenly… beats fast.”
“Suddenly?”
Apollyon nodded silently.
Normally, Yvon would’ve sighed at how vague his answers were, but today was different.
It was the heart, after all. The core of life!
If the young duke really had a heart condition, Yvon would need to find a top-tier specialist immediately.
While jotting down notes, Yvon asked again.
“How exactly does it feel? Like blood pooling? Pounding so hard you can’t breathe? Sharp pain?”
“All of the above, I think.”
Oh, dear God.
Yvon’s hand trembled as he held his pen.
Oh God? First a curse, now a heart problem?
“Yvon?”
“Ahem. Sorry. Do you feel any ringing in your ears, neck stiffness, or numbness in your arms?”
“No. Nothing like that.”
Thank goodness.
Yvon took a deep breath and looked at Apollyon again. His serious expression made Apollyon feel uneasy.
“When did these symptoms first start?”
Apollyon didn’t even need to think. It was such a strange feeling that he remembered it clearly.
“Last night.”
“Last night?”
Yvon frowned.
So the symptoms hadn’t even lasted a full day.
“Did anything unusual happen last night?”
“Unusual?”
“Yes. Like, surprising. Something that would really shock you.”
“……”
Apollyon suddenly thought of Petunia.
He didn’t know why, but whenever his heart raced, she was there.
“If I had to say… I was with my wife.”
“……”
“We were in the bedroom.”
“……”
Yvon quietly set down the chart.
Apollyon looked confused.
“By your wife… you mean the new duchess, Lady Petunia of the Incleldove family?”
“Yes.”
“……”
Yvon’s face went blank.
“What exactly were you doing with her?”
“…Huh?”
“You said you two were alone together at night.”
“I never said we were ‘alone’ in that way.”
“Oh? So it wasn’t comfortable, then?”
“No.”
“Then it must’ve been… intense.”
“……!”
“Anyone would feel their heart race in such a passionate situation.”
Yvon gave him a disappointed look.
He wanted to click his tongue but didn’t dare.
“But the symptoms were extreme! My heart was pounding like it would burst!”
“Of course it was. That’s completely normal for healthy young couples. You two are newlyweds, after all.”
“……”
“Any other symptoms? Feeling hot? Weak in the legs?”
“……!”
Apollyon’s eyes widened. How did he know?
“You’ve never felt that before, right? Only when you were with the duchess?”
“……”
Even a child would’ve figured it out by now.
Yvon held back a sigh and stood him up.
“You’re perfectly healthy.”
“But…”
“In fact, this proves you’re in excellent shape.”
“……”
“Have you been living too modestly? I was worried, but now I’m relieved. Every part of your body is functioning beautifully. You’ll have no problem fulfilling your duties as a husband—or producing heirs.”
“H-Heirs?!”
Apollyon blushed and yelled. Yvon calmly brought out a potion.
“You’re the head of this house. Planning for heirs is your duty.”
“……”
“This is a healing drink. It helps restore energy. Please drink it if you feel tired. And don’t come to me again for this kind of thing. I’m begging you—as a fellow human being.”
Please.
He firmly pressed the potion into Apollyon’s hand.
Apollyon wanted to argue, but Yvon’s serious face made him give up.
After sending Apollyon away, Yvon sat back at his desk and sighed.
He had thought his master was smart. But just because someone’s clever doesn’t mean they’re smart in every area.
Before worrying about their health, he figured he’d have to teach the duke some basics first.
He began scribbling notes for a very different kind of education.
