~Chapter 55~
“What kind of tea is this?”
Johann asked as he took a sip of the tea the butler brought him.
A few days ago, the tea started tasting different.
Ever since he started drinking it, he’d been sleeping better than usual.
“Ah, actually, Lady Leah prepared this tea for you.”
“…That woman?”
“She asked me not to tell you, and I’m sorry. I only served it after making sure it was safe. Did it bother you somehow?”
“No, I was just curious. You can keep bringing it.”
He smelled the lavender scent rising from the cup and remembered the conversation they’d had a few days ago.
—
“You asked me before—why am I leaving Raphaella, right?”
She took a deep breath and finally started talking.
“Yeah, are you going to tell me now?”
“…If that’s okay with you.”
Her eyes looked both sad and determined.
“Go ahead. Why are you really leaving?”
“Because I’m terminally ill. I came here to leave Raphaella with you.”
Johann was completely caught off guard by her answer.
“…What? What do you mean?”
He never seriously thought about her reason, but this wasn’t anything he had imagined.
“I’m not sick yet, but it’ll start around next May and get worse quickly…”
She spoke calmly, like she was predicting her own future.
“But how can you be so sure when you’re not even sick yet?”
It hadn’t even happened yet, and he couldn’t understand how she could be so certain.
“I can’t explain it, but I know for sure. I’m going to die next year.”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“That’s why I came to see you. I want Raphaella to at least have a father.”
“…”
She looked so pitiful when she said that, it made Johann uncomfortable.
“My illness won’t bother you in any way. You don’t have to worry about that.”
Maybe he wanted to comfort her.
“You talk like it’s someone else’s problem.”
But all he could manage to say was that.
“I don’t really have a choice.”
After all, they weren’t anything to each other.
“Did you get checked by a healing mage? Or… you said you’re not sick yet.”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Then if symptoms show up next year—”
“It’s okay. I don’t need a checkup.”
Leah gently cut him off.
“Are you just giving up already?”
“I’m not giving up. It’s just… no one knows what this illness is, and I don’t want to waste energy chasing nothing.”
To him, it felt like she had already seen the future.
Otherwise, how could she speak with such certainty?
“And I’m not telling you this because I want your help. I just thought you’d take better care of Raphaella if you knew.”
“…”
It seemed like Raphaella’s safety mattered more to her than her own life.
Annoyingly, that made him angry.
“Well, I’ll go now. I hope you can get some rest too.”
He just stood there, unable to stop her as she walked back toward the mansion.
‘She looks completely healthy, and yet she says she’ll die next year.’
It wasn’t like she got a prophecy or something.
Maybe it was genetic.
She did say her parents died young, so that made sense.
‘Maybe she grew up in the countryside and doesn’t know it can be cured…’
He couldn’t focus on his paperwork anymore.
Actually, ever since she told him, he hadn’t been able to concentrate at all—
even though he was sleeping better and thinking more clearly.
—
“Your Grace.”
“…What is it?”
Samuel interrupted his thoughts.
“Lady Leah’s potion is almost ready for commercial production.”
“Really?”
Johann took the papers Samuel handed him.
“We just need to ask her about collecting the waterdrop flowers, then we can proceed.”
“Are you going to ask her yourself?”
“Huh? Yes, of course.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“With me? Sir, are you sure?”
Samuel glanced at the huge pile of paperwork on Johann’s desk.
“Yeah.”
“…We’re going now. Are you really okay with that?”
Even though Johann had a mountain of documents to sign that day, he left with Samuel to visit Raphaella’s room.
—
“Mom, why don’t you come to the dining room with me anymore?”
“Because you and Daddy eat well together now. Mommy should stay out of the way.”
Leah paused from turning the page of her book at her daughter’s question.
“Why stay out of the way?”
“So you two can get closer. When Daddy feels as comfortable with you as he does with me, then I’ll join you again.”
That would probably take a while, but Raphaella didn’t know that.
“Okay, I’ll hurry up and get close to Daddy then!”
Raphaella replied with enthusiasm.
Leah had been avoiding Johann lately.
Ever since she told him about her terminal illness.
That day, he looked at her with pity.
‘I don’t want pity from a man who doesn’t even remember me.’
His eyes made her uncomfortable.
So she’d been making excuses to avoid meals with him and Raphaella.
She knew she couldn’t avoid him forever, but for now—She just needed time to be able to face that look without flinching.
His worried expression kept stirring up her heart.
She sighed quietly, not wanting Raphaella to notice.
Knock knock.
“Lady Leah, Lady Raphaella—it’s Samuel.”
Then Samuel walked in, and behind him was the man Leah had been avoiding.
“Daddy!”
“Were you having fun?”
Raphaella ran to Johann, and he picked her up.
“Your Grace, what brings you here too?”
Leah stood up from the sofa and approached them.
“Samuel said he had something to ask you before we move forward with your potion.”
Johann said, sitting on the sofa with Raphaella.
“Yes, Lady Leah. There are a few things we need to confirm before moving ahead.”
“Oh, okay.”
While Leah spoke with Samuel, Johann played with Raphaella.
Even though she kept glancing at him, he didn’t once look in her direction, as if he were completely focused on the game.
‘Guess I overthought it. I thought he’d say something about my illness.’
—
“Then Lady Dorothea will go collect the waterdrop flowers instead of you.”
“Yes.”
Since Leah couldn’t leave Raphaella again, she asked Dorothea in a letter if she could go collect the flowers instead.
Dorothea happily agreed, saying she remembered everything Ria had taught her.
“I’ll also make sure the villagers aren’t alarmed by delivering the letter of explanation.”
Samuel tucked the letter into his coat.
“Once the ingredients are ready and you do a demonstration for the mages in our facility, your part will be done.”
He smiled reassuringly.
“Thank you, Samuel.”
“I’m just helping to support your goodwill, Lady Leah.”
Samuel was about to leave but turned to Johann.
“Your Grace, aren’t you coming?”
“I need to talk to her for a bit. Go on ahead.”
“Understood.”
Once Samuel left, Johann walked over to Leah.
“I heard you made the tea.”
“Ah, that.”
‘So he came to talk about the tea.’
“Thanks to you, I’ve been sleeping better lately.”
“Really? I’m glad.”
After she confessed she was dying, she couldn’t sleep either—so she made lavender tea for him.
Telling herself it was just because she was bored.
“Why didn’t you want me to know?”
“It wasn’t a big deal… and if it didn’t work, it would’ve been kind of embarrassing.”
Honestly, it was more because she didn’t want him to know she’d made it for him.
“You cured Penelope too—don’t be so humble.”
Johann crossed his arms.
“…And about your illness.”
So this was the main reason.
“If it’s a genetic disease, maybe you can tell me the symptoms?”
‘So he thinks it’s hereditary.’
Well, she had sounded like someone who’d gotten a prophecy.
Thinking it was genetic made sense.
“We have a skilled healing mage here. Let’s ask.”
Leah didn’t bother correcting his misunderstanding.
She just told him the symptoms.
“I’ll look into it, so don’t give up easily. For Raphaella’s sake.”
Johann left the room after saying what sounded like encouragement.
He didn’t realize how much his kindness was making her heart stir.
‘I used to like it better when he was cold and distant. Why is he…’
Just be good to Raphaella.
Don’t worry about a woman you don’t even remember.
She wanted to leave with no regrets.
‘I may not be able to hide my feelings from Raphaella, but at least from you…
I want to walk away without any attachments.’
So that dying won’t feel so unfair.
So that not being able to stay with you and Raphaella won’t hurt quite as much.
