USSUF 07

Chapter 07

Kate and Judy hurried over and supported my body.

Thanks to their help, I managed to lean safely against the headboard instead of collapsing.

My arms and hands were trembling frighteningly hard.

“Shall I prepare that tea, my lady?”

Judy asked in a surprisingly calm voice.

I was in this condition, yet my personal maid was this composed?

And when she said “that tea,” she lowered her voice completely.

My head was foggy, so I couldn’t think properly, but something definitely smelled suspicious.

“That tea? I already had tea earlier.”

“The Argento tea. You always drank it before sleeping.”

‘Huh?’

There it was again.

She especially lowered her voice only when saying “Argento tea.”

Something was definitely strange.

Was it some kind of secret tea that others weren’t supposed to know about?

And I had been drinking something like that every day?

An extremely ominous feeling crept over me.

And if I didn’t drink it, I got trembling hands, cold sweats, dizziness…

‘This is exactly like withdrawal symptoms from addictive drugs! Elfwin, what the hell were you drinking?!’

Anger surged all the way to the top of my head.

It felt like flames were bursting from my eyes.

Unaware of my thoughts, Judy took out a small wooden box from the bottom drawer of the cabinet.

‘Aha. So that’s where the leaves for this Argento-whatever tea were stored.’

It was definitely some dangerous tea with addictive properties.

If it weren’t dangerous, there would’ve been no reason to hide it in the bedroom instead of the kitchen.

I reached for the box.

Even then, my fingertips trembled from the withdrawal symptoms.

The innocent maid handed the wooden box over without suspicion.

As though she had witnessed this scene many times before.

My guess was right.

The box was filled with dried tea leaves, and the scent was incredibly strong.

“Go bring Matthew immediately.”

“Yes? But…”

Kate and Judy looked extremely startled.

“Why? Did I tell you to keep this secret from Matthew all this time?”

“…Yes, my lady.”

The maids answered in voices so quiet they nearly disappeared.

Another heavy sigh escaped me.

“What are you standing around for? I said bring Matthew immediately.”

I emphasized every syllable.

My unusually authoritative tone made the maids flinch before they rushed out of the room.

“Elfwin, how could you drink something this dangerous?!”

I clenched my teeth tightly.

Another sigh escaped me.

Meanwhile, the cold sweat kept pouring down, and my trembling hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

I balled my fists tightly.

‘Can I really survive in this body?’

For the first time, I was scared.

It felt like my confidence was crumbling.

Childbirth is already difficult enough even for someone healthy.

But this body?

A body addicted to some dangerous-looking tea?

I desperately forced back the tears threatening to spill out.

As I ground my teeth together, the silver-haired physician came running in, completely out of breath.

I handed him the box of tea leaves.

The moment Matthew saw it, his eyes shook violently.

Even without opening the lid, he seemed to know exactly what was inside.

His face stiffened completely.

“So Your Ladyship was still taking Argento tea.”

“Matthew, you knew? That I’d been drinking this tea?”

Matthew slowly nodded with a grave expression.

“Several months ago, Your Ladyship requested my help, so I treated you. I believed you had quit by then… but apparently not.”

“Though of course, Your Ladyship wouldn’t remember.”

Matthew adjusted his glasses as he spoke.

“…I suppose so. What kind of tea exactly is this?”

“It falls under psychoactive medication. When consumed in appropriate amounts over an appropriate period, it helps stabilize the nerves. I heard that Your Ladyship had taken small amounts since childhood whenever your nerves became excessively sensitive.”

“……”

“However, taking excessive amounts for a long time without a physician’s supervision inevitably leads to side effects. Not only for yourself, but for the fetus as well.”

“So I really was a terrible woman. Secretly drinking something this dangerous while pregnant.”

I had sympathized with Elfwin to some extent.

Because the sight of her unloved by her husband overlapped with my own past, where I had always starved for familial affection.

Because the image of her dying during childbirth overlapped with my own meaningless death at the flower-like age of twenty-five.

‘But this… this isn’t right.’

I couldn’t understand ruining your own body by depending on harmful substances simply because your weak mentality and hypersensitive nerves made life difficult.

And harming not only yourself, but also your unborn child?

That was even harder to forgive.

No excuse could possibly justify it.

‘People say you can’t fix someone once they’re broken…’

Could I really fix Elfwin properly?

Honestly, I wasn’t confident.

Still clutching my trembling hands tightly together, I looked at Matthew.

“Fix me. This time, no matter what it takes, I’ll quit for good. Even if it kills me.”

“What do you mean by that? Die? Who? Why?”

A cold voice suddenly cut through the air.

Everyone startled and turned toward the sound.

The door stood wide open, and Zecron was standing in the hallway.

‘Why is he here?’

Everyone was deeply shocked by Zecron’s appearance.

He never visited the Duchess’s bedroom at night.

And on top of that, he looked terrifying.

The dim light from the dark corridor gathered entirely in his eyes, making his deep blue gaze gleam sharply.

Against the black shadows, only his eyes shone brightly, creating a chilling atmosphere.

Stretching out his long, sturdy legs gracefully, Zecron approached the bed.

His blue eyes, searching for the truth, seemed ready to pierce straight through my face.

I swallowed dryly.

I didn’t want him to discover that I was addicted to something like Argento tea.

He already disliked me enough; I didn’t want to add yet another reason.

And this wasn’t just any mistake.

Showing withdrawal symptoms from an addictive substance while pregnant directly endangered the heir of the ducal family.

It was an extremely serious matter.

‘This is so unfair! I’m not the one who drank it!’

I blamed Elfwin.

I resented the author who created her.

As I sat there frozen with my mouth slightly open, unable to say anything, Matthew saved me.

“Her Ladyship stated that from now on she intends to try her hardest—even to the point of death—for the sake of her physical and mental health. For a safe delivery.”

Ahem.

Matthew coughed dryly into his fist while shooting me a meaningful glance.

I understood exactly what his eyes were telling me.

Carefully gauging Zecron’s mood, I opened my mouth.

“…So please work hard too, alright?”

“……”

“Like you said earlier today.”

Because I had something to hide—something I absolutely didn’t want discovered—I used the softest voice I could manage and made the most pitiful expression I could create.

Maybe my desperation worked.

Zecron answered in an unexpectedly gentle voice and gaze.

“Alright. If you need anything, tell me. I’ll accommodate you as much as possible.”

The physician and maids, who had been silently holding their breaths, widened their eyes in shock.

Was that really the Duke’s voice?

He could speak like that?

People say when someone suddenly changes, it means they’re seriously ill… First it was Her Ladyship, and now even His Grace.

If both of them are truly unwell, what’s going to happen to House Wiltson?

They had to force their hanging jaws shut.

* * *

The next day, the Wiltson ducal family physician was summoned by his master.

However, this was the first time he had been called to the eastern garden instead of the Duke’s office.

As Matthew recalled the events of the previous night, anxiety filled him.

The Duke’s expression when he visited the Duchess’s bedroom had not looked good at all.

Zecron still didn’t know about the Duchess’s addiction to Argento tea.

Matthew himself couldn’t guarantee how much longer he could keep it secret.

After all, the true master of the ducal estate was Duke Wiltson.

If the Duke directly demanded the truth, Matthew would have no choice but to confess everything.

“You summoned me, Your Grace?”

“I thought it might do you good to move your body once in a while, so I called you here. The weather’s nice too. So? Can you shoot a bow?”

“I was fairly good at it when I was younger.”

Matthew accepted the bow Zecron handed him.

And immediately, the two men began shooting.

Zecron drew the bowstring first.

The trained muscles beneath his thin shirt flexed proudly.

Fwoosh!

The arrow flew and struck dead center in the target.

“As expected of Your Grace.”

Next was Matthew’s turn.

Closing his eyes, Matthew took a deep breath before drawing the bowstring.

Holding his breath, he aimed carefully at the target, then released at precisely the right moment.

Fwoosh!

The arrow sliced through the wind and hit the mark cleanly.

“Not bad for someone who hasn’t done it in a while.”

“You flatter me.”

For quite some time afterward, neither of them spoke.

They simply focused on taking turns firing arrows.

Only after both men had shot all ten arrows did they finally sit down, sipping cold lemonade as they faced each other.

“Please say what you truly wish to discuss.”

Matthew looked at Zecron as he spoke.

A smile rested on the physician’s face, but the corners of his lips trembled slightly with tension.