Episode 007
“Let go, Your…!”
Eleanor nearly shouted “Your Grace” but quickly covered her mouth.
She had almost revealed Matthias’s identity in front of others.
Glaring at him, she cried out, “Give me back the baby!”
“Hmm.”
But Matthias ignored her, gently palpating the child’s body with his large hands.
Surprisingly, his touch was delicate and caring.
He even seemed experienced somehow.
Holding the small, feverish body that couldn’t stay conscious, he said, “We need lukewarm water to cool them down. And fresh clothes to change into. Madam, is there a doctor nearby?”
“N-No, our village doesn’t have one. We’d have to fetch one from the neighboring village.”
“Can you call a doctor?”
“Of course we have to! Just wait a moment. I’ll go ask for help right away!”
Sophie rushed out of the inn in a panic.
The door, flung wide open, swung back and forth with creaking sounds, failing to close.
Frustrated that Matthias wouldn’t return the baby, Eleanor finally exploded.
“Give the baby back to me right now!”
“Wouldn’t it be better to act quickly instead of wasting time?”
Matthias spoke in a cold voice.
The smile had vanished from his face as well.
“We need to bring down the fever fast.”
“How can I trust you, Your Grace…!”
“Bring clothes that allow good ventilation. Anything too thick could make the fever worse—something thin. First, get the lukewarm water. And something for the baby to drink.”
He issued rapid instructions before striding up to the second floor.
Eleanor was torn.
What if Matthias just took off with the baby like this?
But as he said, they needed water to reduce the fever.
After agonizing briefly, she hurriedly filled a wooden tub with lukewarm water and followed him upstairs.
“Huff, huff.”
Matthias was in his room, not hers.
Had he replaced all the bedding already, despite arriving just yesterday?
Unlike her room, his bed looked extremely plush and soft.
The baby lay there.
With the top buttons undone, the flushed, feverish skin was starkly visible. Tiny beads of sweat dotted their body.
“The water.”
Matthias said without even turning to look at Eleanor.
“I brought it.”
Eleanor thrust the wooden tub toward him.
Matthias dipped his fingers in to check the temperature.
Then, he soaked his own handkerchief in the lukewarm water and began wiping down the baby’s body.
Swish, swish.
The large hand moved with exquisite care.
The baby, delirious from pain, breathed in ragged gasps.
Limp and unresponsive, the child seemed even smaller today.
“What do I do…”
Eleanor’s voice trembled with tears.
This was the first time the baby had been this sick, and she was overwhelmed with panic and fear.
‘I should have taken better care of them.’
Instead of brushing off their unusual quietness today, she should have checked for any signs of illness.
She had been too distracted by Matthias’s sudden appearance.
But what good did that do now?
It was her responsibility that she hadn’t cared for the baby properly.
“It’s all my fault.”
“Stop blaming yourself and move, Lady Eleanor.”
Matthias said in a dry tone.
“Did you bring the clothes?”
“Ah, no.”
“Then go get them.”
His command came naturally. But to Eleanor, lost in panic, it was actually helpful.
This time, she moved without protest.
After wiping down the baby and cooling them once, Matthias dressed them in the thin clothes Eleanor brought.
He gently parted the baby’s cherry-like lips and fed them water spoonful by spoonful.
All the while, he fanned them with one hand.
To cool the feverish body.
The entire process flowed seamlessly, and with striking familiarity.
About an hour passed like that.
“Ellie! I brought the doctor!”
Sophie finally returned to the inn with a doctor from the neighboring village.
The doctor, roused from sleep for this late-night house call, wore striped pajama pants.
“The baby is here.”
Matthias stepped aside for the doctor.
The doctor sat in a chair, catching his breath, then pulled a stethoscope from his worn medical bag.
He checked the baby’s breathing and examined their body carefully.
Eleanor waited anxiously for the diagnosis.
“The emergency care was well done. The fever seems to have come down quite a bit.”
“Haa…”
Fortunately, it was good news.
Eleanor let out a deep sigh of genuine relief.
“Just to be safe, I’ll leave some fever medicine. Give them a dose now, and if the fever rises higher, mix exactly three drops in water and administer it. Too much isn’t good either.”
“Understood.”
“Keep a close watch tonight. If there are no complications, they should be fine by tomorrow.”
“Yes… Thank you.”
What a relief.
Exhausted, Eleanor sank to the floor.
In her place, Matthias thanked the doctor.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“No trouble. A sick baby needs attention.”
“Are there any other precautions?”
“You were fanning them before I arrived?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Cooling the fever is the top priority when a baby spikes one. But be careful not to let them get chilled while trying to reduce it—manage their temperature carefully.”
Indeed, Matthias had focused most on maintaining the baby’s temperature appropriately before the doctor arrived.
Matthias nodded seriously.
“You seem to know what you’re doing as the baby’s father, so I’m not too worried. Just monitor them, and call me again if anything happens, even late at night.”
The doctor packed his things and left.
As Sophie went downstairs to see him off, only Eleanor, Matthias, and the baby remained in the room.
Eleanor gazed endlessly at the child.
At this moment, she was simply grateful, relieved, and sorry that the baby had pulled through safely.
Even with her limited childcare knowledge, Eleanor knew a sick baby faced graver risks than an adult.
And her nephew was barely two months old.
“I need to… give them the medicine.”
She staggered to her feet.
Grabbing the fever medicine the doctor left on the nightstand.
“Ah…”
But with the tension suddenly released, her hands wouldn’t cooperate.
Eleanor’s grip on the spoon and bottle trembled uncontrollably.
Matthias took the bottle from her.
“I’ll do it.”
Click.
He opened the lid and, with practiced ease, administered the medicine to the baby.
Eleanor stared blankly at the scene.
‘So proficient.’
He seemed more like the child’s guardian than she did.
Unlike her, frozen in shock and inaction, he knew exactly what to do and how.
His care was flawless enough to earn the doctor’s praise.
‘Was I too arrogant?’
An aunt worse than the villain.
How could she claim to protect the child when she couldn’t even care for them properly?
She had no face to show Charlotte like this.
Eleanor slumped her shoulders in gloom.
Suddenly, everything felt uncertain.
It was then that Matthias muttered as if to himself.
“I have five younger siblings.”
“Pardon?”
Eleanor looked up.
Had she just heard something odd…?
Meeting her eyes, Matthias said matter-of-factly.
“I have five younger siblings.”
