Chapter 5
“What is it?”
I grew anxious.
Should I get up and go out into the hallway now?
I couldn’t guess what Lia intended to say to Kairon. Something unfavorable toward me might come out of her mouth.
“My lord.”
Lia’s voice calling Kairon trembled faintly. She was extremely tense.
My heart trembled along with hers. I was gripping the blanket tightly, ready to throw it off and rush out at any moment—just in case Lia said something strange, I planned to run out immediately and stop her.
But her next words surprised me. She hadn’t come to Kairon to report my bad behavior or voice complaints. It was the opposite.
“Please… please, just once… please look after the lady. Just once, please show her some care.”
Hearing her words, the strength drained from my hands gripping the blanket. It was so unexpected.
“Show her care…?”
Was it just my imagination that Kairon’s immediate reply sounded sharp?
“My lady is a considerate and kind person. All of us servants are fond of her.”
For a moment, my chest grew warm, almost chokingly so.
I hadn’t expected Lia to stand up for me—especially not in front of that cold Kairon.
Before I realized it, I was holding my breath and focusing entirely on their conversation, as if someone might hear me breathing. Even though they had no idea I was listening from inside.
“I don’t have time to sit here leisurely and listen to your feelings about your mistress.”
Kairon’s voice was as cold as ever, enough to make Lia’s courage feel meaningless.
“N-no, that’s not it!”
Lia hurriedly tried to respond.
Then came a faint thud. Had Lia knelt down?
“Earlier, before the meal, the lady collapsed after a nosebleed!”
Oh dear. I felt a surge of despair. For my husband to already find out I had collapsed twice… Kairon would definitely not take this lightly.
“What did you say?”
As expected, Kairon’s voice grew even sharper than before.
“It seems the lady’s health has worsened.”
“Ha… that sounds similar to what the doctor said earlier.”
Was that his way of telling her he didn’t want to hear the same story twice?
But Lia was surprisingly persistent. She continued pleading.
“My lord, i-if you could just show even a little kindness to the lady, it would help her recover… I truly believe it would give her strength.”
Lia’s voice was trembling so much that I almost wanted to run out and stop her myself.
“If she receives warm care while unwell, I believe she’ll recover more quickly.”
“So you’re telling me to take care of her?”
Kairon remained as cold as ever.
“While my lord was away, the lady stayed behind and guarded this large estate alone. She may not show it, but she must have felt lonely inside. I believe her emotional pain may have turned into physical illness. If she remains alone even while she is sick like this, she will surely feel very lonely.”
“So what exactly are you expecting me to do?”
Lia’s words essentially suggested that my worsening condition was Kairon’s fault.
To say such a thing directly in front of one’s master—it was something that would normally require risking one’s life.
From this conversation, I realized two things.
Thankfully, Lia cared about me a great deal—and from her perspective as well, I must seem pitifully unloved by my husband.
“A few months ago, when my lord was away on a month-long journey, the lady caught a cold.”
“And?”
“At that time, aside from us servants, she received no care from anyone and endured it alone. I still remember how she suffered and groaned.”
“Wouldn’t the servants’ care have been enough?”
In contrast to Lia’s passionate tone, Kairon’s voice remained utterly indifferent. It felt as though no one could break through his icy demeanor.
“But we alone couldn’t relieve the loneliness in the lady’s heart.”
“So you’re saying I can do that?”
His tone carried even a hint of annoyance.
A brief silence followed. After a short pause, Lia spoke again.
“…Even when you were away from the duchy, the lady never once resented you.”
Even if she said that, would Kairon even recognize his own coldness?
“Just this once… please stay by the lady’s side. At least until she wakes up… please stay beside her…”
Lia’s voice was no longer trembling from nervousness. It was tearful, filled with desperate pleading.
“Your Excellency, if we don’t depart now, it will be difficult to arrive as scheduled.”
The aide finally interjected, unable to hold back any longer.
But perhaps Kairon was angered by Lia, as he ignored the aide’s words.
“You servants don’t have the confidence to properly take care of my wife?”
“N-no, that’s not it… There are things only you can provide.”
“You mean the ‘loneliness in her heart’ you just mentioned?”
His tone now sounded increasingly irritated from the repetition.
“Yes… yes…”
I worried Lia might be punished for this.
“M-my lady would be happy just knowing that you took the time to stay by her side.”
“But we don’t know when she will wake up. It could take a day, three days, or even ten.”
The aide interjected once more.
What he said did make sense.
Having read the original story, I knew what journey Kairon was about to embark on.
According to the original, this outing was meant to persuade Marquis Meladin of the western region.
Meladin was a powerful figure controlling the west, where many supported the temple. They could become obstacles to the plan, so the goal was to secure his cooperation first.
An appointment with the marquis had already been arranged. If departure was delayed, the meeting itself might not happen properly.
Naturally, I assumed Kairon would leave as planned. However…
“…We still haven’t clearly determined the cause of Ekete’s collapse.”
What he said next was unexpected.
“The doctor said it wasn’t poison, but we can’t completely rule out the possibility that someone tampered with the food. We can’t rely solely on the judgment of one old doctor.”
Kairon was still considering the possibility that this wasn’t just a simple health issue.
“If, by any chance, someone did this deliberately, it’s not something to take lightly. It could be a threat.”
The “threat” he referred to was directed at himself. In other words, it could be a scheme targeting the duke.
“W-well, that may be true, but still…”
“I’ll verify everyone who entered the kitchen and the dining room today before leaving.”
It made sense. If it was a threat to him, he wouldn’t take it lightly. Targeting the duchess was essentially the same as targeting the duke.
To me, who knew this illness wasn’t part of any scheme, his suspicions were almost laughable.
Stop wasting time on unnecessary worries and just leave already.
However, since I didn’t want to confirm my illness aloud, I chose to stay silent.
“That will take time, Your Excellency.”
“Delaying the schedule will be unavoidable.”
Kairon was a decisive man. Having sensed potential danger, he would not easily back down now.
Seizing the moment, Lia pleaded once more.
“T-then… please stay by the lady’s side until she wakes up—no, even for a little while… please stay with her.”
Lia’s sincerity made me feel like I might cry.
Kairon let out a small sigh.
“I’ll think about it.”
It sounded like a reluctant response, worn down by Lia’s persistence. Even so, I didn’t have the slightest expectation that he would actually stay by my side.
With that, the conversation finally came to an end. Soon after, I heard Kairon’s footsteps moving away.
After a short while, the area outside my room fell silent. Those who had been talking in front of my door had gradually left.
Still, it was a relief that Lia didn’t seem likely to be punished for blocking Kairon.
Since she cared about me so much, it was only natural that I would worry about her getting hurt as well.
I could endure my husband ignoring me—but I couldn’t easily tolerate him laying a hand on someone I cared about.
I didn’t expect him to cherish me as his wife. All I wanted was for him not to harm the people precious to me.
That alone was the only thing I could wish for from a husband.
As I was thinking this, perhaps due to the effects of the medicine, I slowly drifted back into sleep.
