Chapter 11
Cleor went straight to find Isabella.
He needed to know what the medicine was.
Otherwise, how could he obtain it for her?
If it was a medicine that could only be found in the central region, then time was the problem.
That was why he had no choice but to hurry to Isabella’s room.
Cleor quickly arrived at the fifth floor, where her room was.
‘She can barely even walk, and they gave her a room on the fifth floor?’
When the duke and duchess learned that Isabella was coming, they fell into serious 고민.
Which room should they give Isabella?
They chose and chose again, selecting the room with the most beautiful view from the window, the widest space, and the best sunlight.
They were so meticulous that they even slept in different rooms each day while deciding, and in the end, the room on the fifth floor was chosen.
After deciding on the room, they launched into a large-scale renovation. The single fireplace was increased to four.
It was a massive construction.
Cleor learned something new then.
That it was even possible to increase the number of fireplaces. He admired the North’s technology.
But all of that was meaningless.
“This isn’t a birdcage.”
They hadn’t brought her here to lock her up in a room.
Cleor decided that starting tomorrow, he would move Isabella to a room on the first floor.
At the very least, she needed to be able to walk around.
He couldn’t let her live confined to a room for the rest of her life.
From Cleor’s perspective, Isabella needed to see more sunlight.
‘No maid?’
There was no maid guarding Isabella’s room.
Even though it wasn’t early enough for them to have returned to their own rooms.
‘This needs to be fixed too.’
A normal person could just ring a bell if they needed something, but he wasn’t even sure Isabella had the strength to hold a bell.
She needed someone to stay by her side all day and take care of her.
There were far more things to consider for a sick wife than he had imagined.
Until she adapted to the North, he would have to pay even more attention to her.
Things he would normally have left to Whitney, Cleor planned to handle himself.
He would be busy, but he was happy he could do something for her.
After all, this was why he had risked his life to put a dragon to sleep.
“Are you sleeping?”
He had a lot to talk about. Cleor wanted to see Isabella as soon as possible.
Huh?
Cleor tilted his head.
He felt a presence inside the room, but there was no reply.
Was she pretending to sleep?
Cleor opened the door.
The room was suffocatingly quiet.
But the silence created by real sleep and the silence created by pretending to sleep were different in nature.
In the strangely tense air, Cleor immediately realized that Isabella was not asleep.
“I know you’re not sleeping.”
“Ah…”
A small sigh escaped.
It was a very faint sound, but in the dark room late at night, Cleor’s sharpened senses caught even the slightest noise.
“I wanted to talk for a bit.”
Even though he knew she was pretending, Cleor didn’t leave.
Isabella felt uncomfortable with Cleor. No matter if they were going to be married, coming to her room in the middle of the night was rude.
She had planned to pretend to sleep until the end, but this time she felt she needed to draw a clear line.
So Isabella reluctantly sat up.
“See? You weren’t asleep.”
Why didn’t you answer?
There was a slight hint of resentment in his tone.
Isabella let out a sigh.
She tried to push herself up, but there was no strength in her arms.
After failing several times, she decided to just lie down and talk, when she suddenly felt a firm arm supporting her.
“Do I have to lift you up like this every time?”
Cleor’s voice softened.
It was still a little gruff, but his actions were incredibly gentle.
Pity?
“It won’t be for long.”
She didn’t want his pity. Unfortunately, Isabella didn’t have the luxury to accept Cleor’s sympathy.
Cleor’s blade-like eyes shone sharply in the darkness.
“Is it related to what you said in the carriage?”
He asked in a low voice.
“In the carriage…?”
Ah, the wedding.
“Well, something like that.”
Cleor frowned deeply and spent a long time trying to understand why Isabella wanted to postpone the wedding.
But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find an answer.
So he asked again.
“Why? Do I seem unworthy to be your husband? Do you dislike the North?”
Isabella’s eyes widened slightly.
Unworthy as a husband?
What kind of ridiculous question was that?
Cleor was more than qualified as a husband.
If anything, he was far too good for someone like her.
That was true even if she ignored her health.
The bad rumors about House Noverdic—that they had made a deal with the Demon King to obtain the North, that bandits and monsters roamed freely—were merely rumors spread to keep other families from coveting the territory.
If they had really sold their souls to the Demon King, they wouldn’t be such kind people.
So to Isabella, House Noverdic—and Cleor—were excessive blessings.
“No.”
At her clear answer, Cleor frowned even more.
Whenever he looked at her, he felt frustrated.
She was lacking.
That was what made her look like a wax doll.
As a sick person, she should have demanded more.
But instead, she always stayed quiet with an indifferent expression.
‘She’s completely empty inside.’
His chest felt tight, and suddenly the room felt hot.
Cleor walked to the window and pulled back the blackout curtains.
The bright moon high in the sky poured into Isabella’s room.
Under the moonlight, Isabella’s skin glowed faintly.
‘Is that also a symptom of the curse?’
It was strange to see something like stardust on a human body.
Cleor opened the window.
The strong northern wind rushed into the bedroom as if it had been waiting.
Cleor took a deep breath.
The tightness he had felt all day finally eased. Even the air felt clearer.
“Cough.”
Then, a coughing sound.
Cleor turned toward Isabella.
Her skin, which had seemed to glow just moments ago, now looked only pale.
“Isabella?”
“Cough.”
The coughing continued.
She wanted to tell him to close the window, but she couldn’t speak.
Before she could expel the cough in her mouth, another wave surged up from inside her.
They fought to come out first.
“Isabella, are you okay?”
Panic appeared on Cleor’s face.
Isabella raised her hand to point at the window, but failed.
Her body bent forward as the coughing burst out.
Cleor rushed over and grabbed her waist, pulling her upright.
He pulled her into his arms, resting her chin on his shoulder, and patted her back.
“Isabella, slow down. Calm down. Should I get you some water?”
On his shoulder, Isabella shook her head.
If she drank water like this, she would just spit it out.
Her body shook violently with each cough.
She knew what came at the end of these coughing fits.
Blood.
Isabella weakly pounded Cleor’s back, but he didn’t move.
“Cough.”
In the end, a sticky lump of blood spilled from her mouth.
Cleor’s white shirt was stained red.
“Blood?”
The metallic smell, the dampness on his shirt—Cleor knew exactly what it was.
Blood. Human blood.
“M-move… please…”
Isabella tried to push him away, but Cleor held her even tighter, gently stroking her back as she continued to cough.
Once her body was firmly supported, it felt easier, but the coughing didn’t stop.
“Cough.”
Cleor didn’t know how to stop her coughing.
He was furious at his own helplessness.
He couldn’t even hold her tighter for fear of crushing her fragile body.
All he could do was support her so she wouldn’t collapse.
Isabella coughed up blood again.
She tried to swallow it by tightly closing her mouth, but it was useless.
She should have told him to stop before he opened the window.
“Th-the window…”
As Isabella whispered, Cleor immediately closed the window while still holding her.
The cold air made her body shrink.
“Damn it.”
She was suffering because of him.
It was all his fault.
Cleor cursed under his breath.
He should have been more careful.
But under the moonlight, she had looked too unreal, too beautiful.
“I’m sorry.”
The coughing finally subsided.
Isabella slowly pulled away from Cleor.
She frowned. His left shoulder was completely soaked in blood.
“Sorry? That’s all you can say in a situation like this?”
Cleor looked at her with an indescribable expression, his eyebrows deeply furrowed.
Isabella didn’t know what else she was supposed to say besides sorry.
“You’ll have to throw that shirt away.”
Cleor immediately shut the door and even pulled the thick blackout curtains closed.
When the moonlight disappeared, Isabella felt a little regret.
But Cleor didn’t stop there. He lit a lamp and leaned close to her.
He carefully examined her condition.
Her eyes, once bright, were now dull. Cold sweat dotted her skin. Her face was deathly pale.
Only the blood around her lips was vividly red.
“I’ll buy you new clothes—”
“Be quiet.”
He couldn’t understand how she could worry about clothes after coughing up blood.
Cleor took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from her lips.
He gently laid her down on the bed.
They were both used to it by now.
Despite his growling tone, his touch was always gentle.
Such a strange person.
That was how Isabella thought of him.
“I’ll have them change the bedding right away.”
Cleor covered her up to her neck, then suddenly stood up and pulled off his shirt.
His broad shoulders, well-defined muscles, and countless scars caught Isabella’s eyes.
Her blood, which the shirt hadn’t fully absorbed, ran down his bronze skin.
With the scars on his back mixed with her blood, he looked like someone freshly wounded.
Cleor went into Isabella’s bathroom and turned on the hot water.
He was moving without thinking.
Or rather, he couldn’t think.
The moment Isabella spat blood onto his shoulder, his mind had gone blank.
Had he ever seen someone cough up blood?
Yes. When fighting bandits, some would cough blood and die when he stabbed them in the abdomen.
Hemoptysis.
To Cleor, that meant death.
Reading about death and seeing it with his own eyes were completely different things—especially when it was happening to the woman who would become his wife.
When the water was ready, Cleor soaked a clean towel, wrung it out, and returned to Isabella.
There was still blood on her face.
“I’m fine. I can do it myself—”
Cleor wiped the dried blood from her face.
His large hands held her small face, turning it side to side.
His sharp eyes searched for any remaining stains.
Even though he was the one covered in blood.
“I don’t know how you were treated in House Helsingtion, but from now on, you’ll be properly treated.”
“Pardon?”
“Forget everything about your past life. Isabella, you’re my wife now. I’ll make sure everyone respects and reveres you.”
She didn’t really understand.
Everyone’s respect?
She would be lucky if people didn’t just point at her as a cursed woman.
Or pity her.
She hated both.
I just want to be treated normally. Like everyone else.
That was all she wanted.
“I don’t want that.”
“Then what do you truly want, Isabella?”
“I just want to be treated the same as everyone else. Normally, like other people.”
Cleor’s face twisted like someone who had endured a toothache for years.
He rubbed his face repeatedly, looking hollow.
The room fell silent, as if cold water had been poured over it.
Cleor felt his breath get stuck in his chest.
