Episode 44
We were in the middle of chatting and spending time together in the study with my mother when suddenly the door burst open, and my father walked in.
“Ayla’s here? Ayla!”
“Father!”
As soon as I heard my father’s excited voice, I got up from my seat and ran to hug him.
Just like with my mother, it felt like I hadn’t seen them in years.
My father and I shared a touching reunion, asking each other about our well-being.
“Father, have you been well?”
“Not really.”
“Why? Are you feeling unwell?”
With a worried expression at my father’s response of not being well, I asked.
“How could I be well when you’re not here at home?”
“Father…”
My eyes welled up slightly at my father’s moving words, showing how much he had missed me.
“Enough of that, both of you, come and sit here.”
At my mother’s words, my father and I took our seats on the sofa.
“So, how is it over there? Are you uncomfortable?”
“No, everyone, including the Duke and the staff, treats me very well.”
Although I felt a bit embarrassed talking about Ian, there was no need to bring it up explicitly.
“And your health? Is it alright?”
“Yes, it’s very good. Being with the Duke as expected has made it even better.”
“Well, that’s a relief. So, what brings you here? We didn’t expect you to come for a while.”
“To be honest, I came because I have something to ask Father.”
“Something to ask? What is it?”
“I mentioned it briefly to Mother, but it’s about the family physician.”
“Family physician?”
I explained in detail to my parents about the absence of a family physician at the Blighton estate and the reasons behind it.
“So, you’re saying you need a family physician, and you want to bring one from here?”
“Yes. I believe the physicians here are trustworthy, as they have been verified.”
“Hmm, I understand.”
My father, who was aware of people’s aversion to the Blighton estate, immediately agreed to my request.
“Thank you, Father.”
“So, who are you thinking of?”
“Colin. I was planning to talk to Colin after getting your permission.”
“Colin? Are you talking about the boy you brought before?”
“Yes, that’s right. But if Colin doesn’t want to go, I won’t force him.”
“Of course not. While they work for the benefit of our family, we must never force them into loyalty.”
Father cautioned me sternly.
“I know.”
Agreeing with my father’s opinion, I nodded my head.
“Remember, forced loyalty will eventually yield undesirable results.”
“Yes, Father.”
After finishing the conversation with my parents, I called Colin to my room through lia.
“Ayla, miss.”
A man with brown hair and a friendly appearance entered the room and greeted me.
It was Colin.
Like lia, to Colin, I was still the young lady of the Anaïs estate, not requiring a change in title. Since titles could be gradually corrected, I didn’t add any more comments about Colin not addressing me properly and exchanged greetings with him.
“Colin, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
It had been quite some time since I had seen Colin up close like this.
“I’ve been doing okay. Miss, how have you been?”
“I’ve been well.”
“Yeah, please have a seat here.”
I gestured for Colin to sit on the sofa opposite me.
“Thank you, miss.”
“How’s your research going these days?”
Before asking Colin about his research, I inquired about his recent well-being.
“I don’t have anything specific going on. Since the Duke said there’s no need for me to do anything more for the lady’s illness, I haven’t been doing anything at all.”
Colin responded with a troubled expression.
Indeed, since becoming the physician, Colin had been almost entirely focused on treating my illness. Therefore, he could only have significant dissatisfaction with abruptly being told to stop ongoing research without any explanation.
“I see. You’re not going to ask why the research on my illness was halted?”
“If I ask, will you teach me?”
Colin asked, looking at me as if he doubted I would ever teach him.
“If you’re curious, I can tell you.”
If he were to become the physician of the Blighton family in the future, he needed to know how Lloydin’s power would affect me and how the treatment would work.
So, if Colin accepted becoming the physician of the Blighton family, I was willing to tell him what he was curious about.
“But, only if you agree to my request.”
“A request?”
“Yeah. But let me tell you beforehand. I won’t force you if you don’t want to. Are you willing to listen?”
Colin stared into space, lost in thought.
I waited for him to make a careful decision.
After a moment, Colin opened his mouth.
“I’ll listen.”
“Good. What I’m going to ask you is whether you can become the physician of the Blighton family.”
“The physician of the Blighton family?”
“Yeah. The Blighton family doesn’t have a physician. So, I want to bring the most trustworthy and skilled person from our family physicians there. And that’s you.”
“The Blighton family…?”
Colin’s eyes showed a slight tremble.
It was the same reaction as anyone else, and it was the response I expected.
But I believed the next part would be different.
That was because it was the reason I chose Colin.
“Are all the rumors I’ve heard about the Blighton family true?”
The moment I heard his question, I felt once again that my thoughts were correct.
No one had ever asked me such a question when they were involved with the Blighton family.
They already accepted the rumors as facts and were not willing to change their minds.
But Colin, instead of believing the rumors, asked me about their truth.
It was a first.
And this aligned well with Colin’s personality as I knew it.
Colin always had doubts about everything and everyone in the world.
He never believed anything unless he saw or heard it firsthand.
“It’s not true. You’ll see if you meet the Duke of Blighton or Lloydin in person. They’re very good people, unlike the rumors.”
“Is that so…”
“I hope you’ll become the physician of the Blighton family. Because of the false rumors and prejudices, no one wants to work as a physician.”
I knew emotional appeals wouldn’t work well with Colin, but still, I appealed to him with a hint of urgency.
“If I work there, I can find out why the research on your illness was stopped, right?”
“Yes. It’s also why I married the Duke of Blighton.”
“Because of your marriage?”
“Yes.”
I nodded as I answered.
Colin smirked as if he couldn’t understand my words at all.
Of course.
No matter how smart he was, he couldn’t possibly believe he could cure my illness with Lloydin’s magic.
“Will it be difficult to decide right away? You might need some time to think.”
“No, I’ll do it.”
“What?”
I was taken aback by Colin’s sudden, immediate answer, as I thought it would take some time. I stared at him.
“Should I not?”
“No, no! Yes, yes. Let’s do it.”
I quickly responded in case he changed his mind.
“Can you decide so easily? I’m glad, but…”
But soon after, I became worried and advised him to decide more carefully.
I felt a sense of hesitation for no reason when Colin said he would do it without any hesitation.
“I want to. I’ll do it.”
With a strong will, Colin stomped out my hesitation in an instant.
“Okay. Then we’ll go to the Blighton estate together. No hesitation.”
“Understood.”
After that, I explained to Colin why I married Lloydin and how my illness was progressing.
“…So that’s why.”
“I had no idea.”
“Magic. The solution was magic.”
“Colin?”
“Then will you no longer fall into a deep sleep?”
“Not necessarily. It doesn’t seem like the cure is complete yet. But I haven’t fallen into a deep sleep for quite some time.”
“I see. I’ll pack my things and follow you right away today.”
“Today?”
“Yes. There’s no reason to stay here anymore. I’ll leave now.”
“Oh, okay. See you later.”
For whatever reason, Colin hurriedly left the room.
“Still, I’m relieved.”
I was worried about what would happen if Colin refused, but things turned out to be easier than I thought.
I hope Colin’s thirst for knowledge is equivalent to his loyalty.