CFCF 34

Episode 34

‘I feel strangely brainwashed.’

Pressing my heavy chest with my palm, I read the next line.

Ernst, unlike a fellow freshman, held my hand with such a gentle and confident attitude, rescuing me from that pain.
My gold, my kumquat, my Erni.

Kumquat?
I alternated between picturing the small citrus fruit and Ernst before letting out a chuckle.
‘It was said she was friends with Ernst since childhood…’
What ticklish metaphors she uses for that large man.

You must remain unchanged, always on my side.
My precious friend Ernst.

My precious ‘friend’ Ernst.
So, did Louise feel betrayed when she no longer wanted him to be just a friend?
‘I can’t know.’
The Crown Prince, who was her gold and kumquat, was so dazzlingly beautiful just to look at up close.
But through this short diary, I clearly learned that Ernst’s value was not just in his beauty.
‘The problem is that the father isn’t decided based on who’s the nicest person.’

“You still have travel fatigue?”

Rurik’s patience ran out the very next day.

“It’s been nearly a week since we returned from Caesarea. And you’re still unwell? Don’t use travel fatigue as an excuse any longer; summon the palace physician.”

Phoebe, who had already coordinated with Ernst, quickly interjected.
“I spoke with Guillermo Zita, the detached palace’s attending physician, this morning. He is scheduled to visit this afternoon.”
It was fortunate that the palace physician Ernst had arranged happened to be the detached palace’s attending physician.
Otherwise, I would have had to find another excuse to call for a specific physician.
Rurik nodded, seemingly satisfied.
“Good. I entrust this to you.”
Phoebe’s cheeks flushed crimson upon suddenly receiving the Prince’s approval.
‘Maybe she feels guilty about deceiving Rurik.’
Wondering if Rurik might receive some unforeseen protagonist buff, I watched them warily, then quickly feigned weakness, shuddering my shoulders.

“It’s only autumn, I don’t know why it’s getting cold so quickly.”

As expected, Rurik’s gaze swiftly returned to me.

“Cold? The sun is so high, what nonsense is that? It just shows your body is unwell.”

He reached out a large hand and felt my forehead.

“You seem to have a slight fever today as well. Is it not serious to have a fever for this long?”

According to the physician Ernst introduced, a pregnant woman’s body temperature is naturally higher than usual.
‘But Rurik doesn’t know that, so he must find it puzzling.’
He added to Phoebe,

“I’m concerned it might be another illness. When the physician arrives, ensure you report all symptoms, even the minor ones, in detail.”

“Yes, Your Highness the Prince.”
After Phoebe bowed her head respectfully in reply, Rurik turned away from me.

In the afternoon, Guillermo Zita, the attending physician of the detached palace, arrived.
‘According to Phoebe, he’s a doctor who frequently visited…’
He was so nervous that the hand holding the stethoscope trembled.
Throughout the examination, I hoped he would calm down even a little, but the physician grew paler the more he understood my condition.
‘Ernst must have given him a heads-up about the pregnancy.’
It seemed the poor physician either didn’t believe it or hoped there was some mistake.
After finishing the examination, the palace physician stammered,

“W-well, you see, Your Highness….”

He let out a deep sigh to steady his breath and finally managed to form a sentence.

“You are suffering from a severe bodily ailment… plagued by persistent fever, headache, and pain in your limbs.”

…Was I?

“I-if there is no improvement and a sore throat and dry cough develop into a deeper cough… you must be careful, as it could progress to pneumonia.”

Aha?
Catching the doctor’s drift, I coughed, ahem, ahem.
The attending physician continued with a pitiful expression.

“If it develops into pneumonia, it would be good to leave for recuperation before germs spread throughout the Imperial Capital… I recommend going somewhere like a warm seaside or lakeside city.”

Hmm.
It seems my friend (?) or potential baby father candidate Ernst handled things very thoroughly.
Around that point, I asked about my concern.

“Um… if diagnosed with pneumonia, would the palace physicians from the main palace insist on re-examining me?”

Zita shook his head.

“Unless Your Highness strongly suspects my diagnosis and requests it, other palace physicians have no reason to intervene. After all… there is a risk of contagion.”

That’s quite good.
Feeling inwardly satisfied, he added,

“If, after Your Highness starts coughing, the maid were to become infected… my diagnosis would not be particularly questioned.”

phoebe interjected bluntly in reply.
“Understood.”
Zita lowered his voice to a whisper.

“Regarding the… pregnancy… are there any difficulties?”

As my eyes widened, he elaborated.

“If anything goes wrong, the responsibility for failing to detect it early falls entirely on me. His Highness Crown Prince Ernst of Flavi promised to move you to the royal palace in case of an emergency…”

Ernst went that far?

“If anything happens to the baby, the Flavi royal family would also lose face.”

The Flavi royal family… also?

“Since I already know, please inform me if there are any difficulties.”

So, the physician seems to think Ernst is the father.
‘Or Ernst told him so.’
Hiding the fluster on my face, I smiled brightly.

“There are no difficulties. Just help me leave the palace before it’s too late.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”
Zita finally calmed down and answered, but he had to add one last thing.

“But if any discomfort arises, please, at any time, inform me. Day or night.”

“I shall.”

“Then, I shall now go to report the symptoms briefly to His Highness the Prince.”
He seemed to understand well that we were in the same boat, which was reassuring.
After Zita left, Phoebe, who had seen him out, grumbled.
“He said if someone with a healthy constitution like me catches pneumonia, my parents would be shocked.”
“I’m sorry, Phoebe.”
I apologized immediately and added,
“If you think your parents would worry too much, I can let you go home using illness as an excuse. You’ll have to feign illness appropriately even there, but if they see you, they probably won’t worry too much.”
“What are you saying, Your Highness?”
Phoebe’s eyes widened as she retorted.

“Have you forgotten what you did when I got my first five-day vacation in years?”

Then, crossing her arms firmly, she declared.

“The day I, Phoebe Nilo, leave Your Highness’s side will be the day I die, so you better remember that!”

Well, if you insist that strongly, I suppose there’s no choice…
‘By the way, did I get pregnant in just five days?’
And yet there are three potential fathers!
What in the world did the youngest princess of Brentani do with this innocent, cute face?!

That same evening, in the Main Palace.

Crown Prince Hart went to the audience chamber with a satisfied expression.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is here.”
At this hour, after all guests had been dismissed, the Emperor looked tired from pondering various matters.
Hart presented two thick documents before his father.
“These are the harvest reports for Muassac and Duros you requested. Upon review, they are quite favorable, considering the post-war period.”
The Emperor smirked.

“‘Favorable,’ you say.”

Hart corrected himself.
“Actually, ‘favorable’ is a bit of an understatement. One might say the future looks promising.”
The Emperor stroked his short red beard.

“Of course. When you consider the maritime resources gained from annexing Duros, the money spent on the war wasn’t wasted.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Hart replied with a smile and then cautiously asked,

“Does it seem like that fellow Rurik has calmed down a bit since returning from the monastery? I haven’t had a long conversation with him.”

“Hmm.”
The Emperor made a pained sound and feigned ignorance.

“It’s clear he’s furious regarding our youngest, Louise.”

In truth, it wasn’t only regarding the youngest Louise.
Rurik was already in an unstable state.
The youngest, whom he had always seen as childish, had pointed out something even he, who had given him the demon sword, had failed to notice.