Chapter 28
“There’s nothing particularly wrong.”
The physician who had been summoned to the Ysheid mansion in the middle of the night answered, wiping his sweat-soaked forehead.
“Are you sure you examined him properly? Then why did he suddenly get sick?”
Cassian, standing by the bed, glared at him with sharp eyes.
“W-Well… based on the visible symptoms and the examination results, there’s no issue. The young master is growing just fine without any problems…”
He placed the diagnostic tool on Julia’s belly as she lay on the bed once more.
The result was the same as before.
Alongside Julia’s heartbeat, he could detect the baby’s heartbeat inside her womb.
It was a tiny pulse, emanating from the child just beginning its second month of growth.
“Check again. Find the cause of the pain.”
“Well… in this case, I suspect it might be due to recent overexertion or stress…”
“Hah… That’s nothing I couldn’t have guessed myself.”
Dismissed by Cassian’s cold retort, the physician cowered, making his already small frame even smaller.
“Ah… H-However, the young master’s size is a little small compared to a fetus of the same gestational age… but it’s nothing to be concerned about.”
At the physician’s cautious words, Cassian turned his head and looked down at Julia.
He didn’t care about the size of a child that didn’t even exist yet.
He was merely worried that Julia’s current symptoms might be side effects of the medicine.
Giving her medicine that hadn’t even been properly tested…
Rage flared up inside him toward the Duke and Duchess of Duverte.
Cassian clenched his fists and barely managed to suppress the surging emotions.
“…Prescribe something to relieve the pain.”
“Yes, and I will also prescribe some tonic to help her regain her strength.”
“Ah, tonic.”
“Yes?”
“Since you’re making tonic… go ahead and make one more.”
He sighed, rubbing his forehead.
“Huh? Yes…! Understood.”
The fourth floor, where Davis Heibel was staying, had been secured so that no disturbance could reach him.
He knew all too well how that large old man might react if he found out that his only granddaughter was sick in the Ysheid Castle.
And above all, Julia wouldn’t want him to find out either.
Soon after, the physician and the servants all left the room.
In the room that had instantly fallen silent, Cassian reached his hand toward Julia’s forehead.
Her pain having subsided, she seemed to have lost all her energy and was asleep with a tired look on her face.
Cassian quietly moved his hand, brushing away the strands of hair stuck to Julia’s face.
“Julia, I…”
He couldn’t shake the thought that he had already come too far without realizing it.
Or how much longer he could keep hiding it…
“…This is the only way I know.”
Cassian lowered his head.
He couldn’t possibly claim that he had nothing to do with her pain.
Feeling conflicted, he kept his head bowed for a long time by the bed where Julia lay.
Julia slowly opened her eyes.
Judging by the darkness all around, it seemed to be before dawn, the sun not yet risen.
“Ugh…”
She could still feel a faint pain in her belly.
“Are you okay?”
Cassian’s low voice came from right beside her.
The fact that he responded to even the smallest sound meant he hadn’t been sleeping, but had stayed by her side the whole time.
“Cassian…”
Cassian quickly raised his upper body, turned on the lamp on the nightstand, and lifted the kettle to pour some warm water.
“Drink. You’ve sweated a lot.”
“Thank you…”
“How’s the pain?”
“It’s still a little…”
“Looks like the painkiller hasn’t fully kicked in. How about taking another one?”
Julia, who had unconsciously started to nod, hesitated and stopped.
She wondered if it was okay to take any medicine while pregnant.
There’s nothing quite as fatal to a small fetus as drug misuse…
“No… it’s okay.”
“It’s a prescription the physician carefully prepared. He said it won’t harm the baby at all.”
Noticing her concern, Cassian quickly added.
“Still… it feels a bit uneasy. I can bear it now, so I don’t think I need to take it.”
“Hah…”
Cassian frowned and sighed.
What was that non-existent child that she was enduring pain with her small body?
“…Then lie back down. I’ll put my hand on your belly.”
Cassian raised his warm hand and placed it on Julia’s flat lower abdomen.
His hand, naturally warm due to his high basal body temperature, patted her aching belly, making the pain feel much more bearable.
“It feels much better…”
Julia exhaled, as if sighing in relief.
“Ah…! Cassian, what about Grandfather…?”
“I didn’t say anything to the elder. I made sure no commotion leaked out.”
“That’s a relief… Thank you, Cassian. Grandfather mustn’t find out I’m sick. He’s been complaining that his body feels increasingly stiff lately, which makes me think he’s considering going back down to Yeraphe… If he knew I was sick, he wouldn’t be able to leave with peace of mind…”
“…”
“Or maybe not… Maybe this is a good opportunity to use my sickness as an excuse to keep Grandfather here longer…”
Julia closed her eyes and murmured.
Her voice was getting quieter, suggesting she was falling asleep again.
“Stop talking and go back to sleep.”
“Mmm…”
Cassian slowly stroked Julia’s belly.
Under his gentle touch, Julia quickly drifted off to sleep.
“Why did you call me so early?”
“There’s something you need to look into.”
“You usually ignore me just fine, and only look for me when you need something?”
Lucas grumbled, lying down on the sofa in Cassian’s office.
Cassian threw a stack of documents in front of him.
“What’s this…?”
Lucas slowly sat up, picked up the documents, and began to flip through them.
“Duncan Duverte… Catherine Duverte… Duverte… aren’t they the famous, wealthy Duke and Duchess of Mondinium?”
“That’s right.”
“Why them? Judging by your expression, you’re not looking for them because you like them. Looks like they’ve done something wrong.”
“Find every hospital connected to the Duverte family. All related places, including small pharmacies, magic potion shops, and elixir sales points.”
“All of them? Even just skimming through, there are this many places that have open dealings with them?”
Lucas waved the thick stack of papers in front of Cassian’s eyes, his expression asking if he was out of his mind.
“There will be even more hidden places.”
“Hmm… But why this sudden interest? After getting married, you’ve belatedly realized you need to take care of your health?”
“I’m trying to find out exactly what kind of medicine was traded.”
“Medicine? Did you buy medicine from the Duke of Duverte?”
“I didn’t buy it.”
“If you need medicine, just say so! A friend of my father runs a pharmacy. If you just tell him the symptoms, he’ll work wonders no matter what medicine…”
“Lucas, just handle the request.”
Cassian spat out with a look of exasperation.
Lucas scratched his head with an awkward expression and nodded.
“You might have to travel all across the Empire. They seem to collect all sorts of unusual medicines from every corner of the Empire.”
“Don’t worry. Even though I look like this, I’ve built up quite a few connections over the past few days by going around Mondinium. Even if I were to gather information little by little from the territories of my friends’ parents, by now…”
“There’s a rumor going around about a promiscuous man who suddenly appeared and has been stirring up the noble young ladies of Mondinium.”
Cassian said nonchalantly.
“…I wonder who that could be? Failing to exhibit any chivalric spirit whatsoever.”
“I heard he has red hair.”
“Oh dear, I have red hair. As someone with a similar hair color, I find that deeply regrettable.”
Lucas shrugged his shoulders and calmly shook his head.
“Well then, I’ll be off! It takes quite a bit of time to meet my beautiful friends, you see.”
He stood up and dusted off his thighs.
Smirking at Cassian, he left the office.
Lucas, going down the central staircase to the second floor, spotted Julia returning to her room after a late breakfast.
She was walking with her head down, looking slightly tired.
“Oh? Milady?”
Julia, hearing her name called, looked up, spotted Lucas, and beamed brightly.
He approached her at a leisurely pace, as if he hadn’t just been in a hurry moments ago.
“Young Master Lucas!”
“Milady! Did you eat well?”
“Ah… that title feels so awkward. Please just call me comfortably.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
Lucas answered with a still-bright, smiling face.
“Do you think so…? By the way, what brings you here?”
“Ah, I had some documents to pick up from Cassian. But Madam, are you alright? Your complexion looks a little…”
Lucas cautiously asked, examining Julia’s face.
“Ah… does it show? Actually, I wasn’t feeling well last night… but I’m perfectly fine now!”
“Of course it shows! Normally, you shine like a beautiful apricot, but right now, there’s a slightly dull glow about you…”
“Hahaha, Lucas, you’re quite the joker.”
“Cassian isn’t causing you any heartache already, is he? Living with Cassian must be difficult in many ways. As you know, that guy is far from being affectionate or intimate…”
“Is that so…?”
Julia thought of Cassian.
He was basically blunt, but lately, he had been changing to become incredibly kind…
Lucas winked at Julia and continued.
“I’m always on your side, Milady. If that guy gives you a hard time, please come to me to vent. I’ve been through so much with him that I think I could stay up all night cursing him with you.”
“Thank you, My Lord.”
“Ah! From now on, just call me Lucas comfortably. I don’t like feeling distance from the very beginning of an address.”
“Yes! I will.”
Julia answered with a smile.
Lucas was the kind of person who made others feel at ease with his kind tone and witty remarks.
Julia felt as if she had gained one more friend, a reliable ally and comrade.
“Lucas, what are you doing not leaving immediately…?”
Cassian, coming down the stairs with a frown, spotted Julia with Lucas and quickly softened his expression.
“Julia.”
“Wow… look at this bastard’s face change.”
Lucas, turning his head, covered his mouth with a shocked expression.
