Chapter 57
“Don’t just drink tea—have some dessert too. The chef prepared it with care.”
She pointed to the éclair placed in front of me as she spoke.
‘I can eat it on my own, thank you. No need to order me around!’
I suppressed the urge to shout that. Reluctantly, I nodded and cut a small piece of the éclair with my fork.
“…….”
Still, I was glad the dessert was tasty. The whipped cream melted in my mouth, and it felt like a bit of the stress I had been holding onto also melted away.
I continued talking with Lady Claire about administrative matters, including the upcoming harvest festival.
“……It’s already this late.”
Having finished my business, I prepared to leave.
Having seen everything, enjoyed a leisurely tea time, I thought it was about time to get up from my seat.
“What a pity.”
‘Not at all.’
But I forced an expression of regret, letting my eyebrows droop slightly—a polished expression honed through years of social life.
“I feel the same, but I have so many tasks to handle. My apologies, madam.”
“No, you can’t hold a busy person here.”
Right. Who am I busy for, after all? I wished she would just let me go earlier if she knew.
I smiled quietly, hiding my frustration behind a subtle bite of my molars.
Lady Claire rose from her seat to see me off. I took the shawl from a servant and draped it over my shoulders.
At that moment, urgent footsteps echoed from afar. They were pounding so hard that even through the closed door, I could hear them.
Soon, the door burst open, and a flustered servant rushed into the parlor.
“Madam!”
He had completely skipped the basic courtesy of knocking.
Lady Claire’s eyebrows furrowed sharply at the rudeness. She looked colder than I had ever seen, interrupting the servant.
“What’s so urgent that you barged in like this?”
“M-Madam, I, it’s just that—!”
The servant stammered in panic, but Jayden stepped forward, taking over the announcement.
“Madam, Master Mateo has regained consciousness!”
“…What?”
“Master Mateo has just come to his senses!”
Lady Claire sank onto the sofa with a thud. The table rattled, and a teacup tipped over, but she seemed completely oblivious to it.
I, too, was equally stunned.
Mateo rising from his sickbed was something that didn’t happen in the original story.
He hadn’t recovered even when Sonod and Lady Claire were about to be executed by Apollion. He had faced his lonely, miserable end lying in bed.
Yet now, Mateo had sat up in his bed.
“M-Mateo… Mateo!”
Lady Claire muttered her son’s name, gripping the armrest tightly.
Then, perhaps finally realizing her surroundings, she dashed out of the parlor in a rush. It was an expression I had never seen on her before—foreign, unrecognizable.
＊＊＊
I stood anxiously outside the door of the room where Lady Claire had gone.
I wanted to rush in to check Mateo’s condition immediately, but I couldn’t.
This was the first time she was meeting her son, who had regained consciousness after years. Even if she was considered the antagonist, it wouldn’t do to intrude on such a crucial moment.
Still, leaving without a word didn’t seem polite either, so I waited silently outside Mateo’s room for Lady Claire.
She had been so rushed that she apparently forgot to close the bedroom door. Through the slightly open gap, I could hear her voice.
“Ugh… Mateo…”
Her voice was heavy with moisture.
Lady Claire was crying, clutching her son’s hands that were now gaunt and skeletal.
Her upper body, leaning over the bed, trembled violently. She made no effort to hide her emotions.
Mateo was propped up halfway, leaning against the headboard, looking down at his mother.
“He’s in much better condition now. That’s truly a relief.”
The attending physician, who had come out from Mateo’s room, spoke to Jayden. Yet Lady Claire was too absorbed in her tears to listen.
“Thank you so much.”
Jayden bowed his head on her behalf.
“No, it was nothing. Master Mateo overcame the trials entirely on his own.”
‘On his own…’
I murmured the doctor’s words to myself, peeking into the room.
Glancing briefly at Mateo’s face, I noticed it looked ghostly, lacking color.
However, from what I heard between the doctor and Jayden, it seemed he was far better than when he couldn’t even support himself.
After the doctor left, Jayden excused himself and entered Mateo’s room.
I couldn’t bring myself to follow, so I stood at the door, frozen.
After a long moment lost in thought, Jayden rubbed the moisture from his eyes as he emerged from the room.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duchess, I apologize, but I was asked to convey that Master Mateo requests you return home for now. He also asked me to apologize for giving such a sudden order.”
“That’s fine. I understand.”
My words were sincere.
After all, her son, who had been bedridden for years, had just opened his eyes. Would he really be able to care about his surroundings?
“It still bothers me that I couldn’t properly greet my mother before leaving.”
“I will convey it properly. Don’t worry.”
“Good. Please give my regards to Master Mateo as well.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I glanced once more into the slightly open room. Just as I was about to turn away, my eyes met Mateo’s hollow ones.
His cheeks were sunken, his lips pale, but his gaze was sharp. His hazel eyes were a perfect match to his mother’s.
Did it seem as if his eyes widened slightly when he met mine?
I bowed slightly to him and turned without hesitation.
An unexpected event was unfolding.
“It’s incredible that Master Mateo has woken up. That’s truly fortunate.”
“Mm.”
“He had been bedridden for years, right?”
“Yes.”
I gave a half-hearted response to Selena. My mind was completely elsewhere. How on earth did Mateo recover?
It wasn’t that I was displeased he recovered—he bore no guilt.
But Apollion’s curse hadn’t yet been lifted, and yet his body had recovered first. That was hard to believe.
“Is it true that since Your Highness arrived at the Grand Duchy, everything has been going smoothly?”
“Huh? Who said that?”
“Just… people. It’s been heard quite often.”
“Really?”
I tilted my head, touching my chin.
Could it really be true? Because I had thoroughly rewritten the original story from the start?
Could it be that choosing not to side with the villain and instead standing by Apollion brought about these results? And yet nothing had happened to Apollion himself?
I had expected some repercussions, but I hadn’t anticipated this outcome. Mateo’s health recovering was beyond my predictions.
Had Lady Claire perhaps secretly arranged more than I knew?
Well, I had intentionally overturned the original story, so it wasn’t impossible.
“Your Highness, why do you look so lost in thought?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s just… I’m amazed that Master Mateo has woken up.”
“You’re not happy?”
Selena’s gaze was peculiar. Instead of answering her, I posed another question.
“Why? Don’t I look happy?”
“You said it yourself—it’s a miracle he opened his eyes after so many years. But Your Highness doesn’t seem surprised at all.”
A sharp observation. At the same time, I realized I wasn’t controlling my expression well.
“Of course. I’m just… dazed, as you said, because something miraculous happened. Honestly, no one expected him to wake up.”
“That’s true.”
Selena nodded as if she agreed. She, too, knew the rumors circulating around the Grand Duchy.
I closed my mouth after that. Mateo’s sudden recovery… I would need to look into books about magic and curses soon.
＊＊＊
As soon as I returned to the Pontus estate, I went to find Apollion. Wilson told me he was in the training yard, swinging his sword.
“Isn’t this supposed to be his rest time?”
I was a little puzzled by Apollion’s unusual behavior, but quickly pushed the thought aside. Right now, it was more urgent to tell him about Mateo.
Wearing a thin shawl over my loungewear, I headed to the training yard. The Grand Duchy’s knights were practicing elsewhere, so I could spot him easily.
“Apollion!”
I ran toward him. In a white shirt and brown trousers, swinging his sword, Apollion paused when he noticed me.
“What is it?”
“Apollion, this….”
I froze mid-sentence. How could I say it…?
“Madam?”
His white shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging to his body. His fair skin and the strong, solid chest beneath were visible.
“…….”
I finally snapped back to reality.
‘Phew, that was close.’
I almost got lost staring at his body. I barely restrained myself, forcing my gaze away from him.
Then I tried hard to meet his eyes, struggling to pull my gaze up from where it wanted to drift downward.
“Why are you like this?”
Startled by his voice, I waved my hands in haste.
“Apollion, it’s urgent.”
“What happened?”
“Don’t be shocked, listen.”
“…….”
“Just now, I visited the Nosier estate. Master Mateo has woken up!”
“……What?”
“Master Mateo has risen from his sickbed!”
