I Healed my Husband, the Leader of the Underworld

“Ah,” Lancel chuckled softly while pouting.

“Just as I expected.”

His green eyes scanned my flashy bonnet, necklace, and the bruises on my neck.

“Now that you’ve achieved your goal, I guess I’m no longer needed, huh?”

I let out a long sight.

Was he always this childish?

“I knew it. You used me just to please His Excellency, didn’t you? And now that I’m no longer necessary, you plan to casually throw me away.”

I gently tapped the whining child’s forehead, and with a flick of my finger, a bright light poured forth, enveloping his wound.

“Don’t touch me.” Lancel growled, slapping my hand away before swiftly turning around, “it’s annoying.”

I always thought he was a wild beast but turns out he was just a cute little kitten.

I didn’t notice it before, but Lancel’s hair looked kind of fluffy, I observed as I watched him walk away for quite some time before moving my attention to Jane running through the blooming flower field, her dress fluttering, as if what just happened at the training ground meant nothing.

Then she lay down in the grass and smiled innocently

The hem of her dress spread beautifully over the green grass, and the exposed fair skin beneath her neckline looked even whiter today.

“Yes! Being with Milena is truly the best thing in the world,” the young girl exclaimed, and her emerald eyes shimmered as if they held a piece of the sky.

“There are no bothersome servants following me around, and no brother to tell me what to do. I can run and roll around in the grass as I please, without worrying about my appearance.

“That’s true.”

“You know, I always felt like a princess trapped in a castle, missing all the fun things happening in the world,” Jane continued.

“Everyone is worried about Dolores, that’s why.”

“But it’s unnecessary overprotection,” she complained.

“Well, it’s best to stay vigilant especially regarding uncertain and challenging matters like your health.”

“Still…..” Jane whined, turning her head to look at me with sparkling eyes. “You will take care of me if something bad happens, won’t you Milena?”

She moved closer to tightly hold onto my hand.

“When I had a seizure last time, you helped me, didn’t you?” she continued.

“Tha…. That’s right”

“You were even able to heal Lancel’s forehead with just one finger!!!” Jane added passionately.

“Lancel didn’t even accept my handkerchief. I tried so hard to befriend him ever since my brother brought him home, but he only listens to you, Milena. You are truly good at handling children.

“I guess it’s because I’m always at the mansion,” I answered, a bit unsure.

“Hmm, I suppose a mom is way better than an aunt, isn’t it?” Jaine said with a playful smile.

The word ‘Mom’ felt so unfamiliar to me.

But if i think about it, in a way, I am Lancel’s mother.

Well, more like a stepmother.

Before I could think more about the subject, Jane’s chatter flooded in without a break.

“Anyway, this time we must absolutely go to the palace ball together. We must! I won’t take any excuses about you being busy with herbal research anymore.”

“Of course,” I answered, defeated.

Originally, I was reluctant about going to the ball with Jane. Milena, the ball’s hostess, had to be flawless in there and that meant leaving no room for imperfections.

None at all.

Moreover, if I were with Jane, it was bound to lead to discussions about Siegfried. And I made great efforts to avoid the subject, but now I wonder if it still mattered.

‘Why? You don’t want that bastard to see it?’ My husband’s voice suddenly echoed in my head.

I also need to protect the fictional person he referred to as “bastard.” However, if Siegfried were to keep asking questions relentlessly, I’d be left with nothing to say.

“Thank you so much!”

Jane on the other hand seemed delighted by my unexpected positive answer, and got up from the grass field. And as she did, her bonnet fluttered and fell backward, so I carefully placed it back on her head.

At my gesture, her expression, reminiscent of the grassy field, softened.

“Well then, let’s go now.” I stood up and reached out my hand to Jane. “it’s not good for you to breath in the outside air for too long.”

She glanced at my hand hesitantly, then pursed her lips before placing her delicate and fair hand on top. She obediently got from her spot and walked alongside me, chattering eagerly as we moved forward.

“Really, I don’t know what I would have done without you here, Milena,” Jane said in a seemingly good mood before starting to hum as I led her to her room and brushed the grass off her dress.

I stole a last glance at her, who was happily smiling, through the closing door’s gap, preparing myself to face my husband once he returned home.

.

.

As daylight gradually faded, my gaze became increasingly fixated on Jane’s bonnet resting on top of the piano.

I might die just for making this exchange.

I shook my head in frustration.

There was a mountain of things for me to do, and I couldn’t afford to get lost in unnecessary thoughts. I couldn’t neglect practice even for a day.

Negligence always comes at a cost.

Those are the words I consistently repeated to myself thousands of times ever since I arrived here.

At that moment, there was a sudden commotion behind the door, causing me to lift my fingers from the white keys on the piano. The manor was peculiarly noisy, and the estate was never a place of such clamor.

Unless Jane is sick.

At that thought, I closed the piano’s lid with a loud thud and moved towards the door.

No way!

Could it be that delicate girl really fell ill just from briefly steeping into the garden?

I knew I should have ignored her request to go for a walk, but I didn’t want to confine her like everyone else did.

Because I knew too well how suffocating that could be.

As expected, it turned out to be an emergency outside indeed.

The servants were moving urgently with their usual stern faces, probably anticipating Siegfried’s imminent return to the mansion. Or maybe he had already returned?

And as I walked forward, I spotted my husband about to enter Jane’s room; his typical composed expression faintly distorted.

Whatever is wrong with her, I can heal it, I thought.

I was grateful for this healing power, especially right now. I had complete faith in my hard work.

Even if I hear sarcastic comments about me making her fall sick and giving her medicine after. For now, I…

Lost in thoughts, my gaze was glued on the dark reddish-brown door as I moved closer to Jane’s room.

I had to get in there first.

Upon reaching my destination, I felt someone grab my arm. A chilling sensation instantly ran down my spine—overwhelming, suffocating, the kind that steals the air from your lungs.

And the distinct scent that had deeply penetrated my nostrils yesterday struck me once again.

The unique fragrance that always lingered every time Siegfried passed by me.

“Not now,” his low voice whispered in my ear. He sounded like I was about to take Jane out for a silly outing or something–gentle yet admonishing, as if he was talking to a child.

“Jane is unwell,” he added.

“I can treat her.”

“There are others who can also treat her,” he retorted.

“But you know I’m the best” I stated, stubbornly turning my head to face Siegfried.

His blue eyes stared into my crimson ones, and I felt so glad that I could now stand confidently so close to him. It was what I restlessly worked for.

“So, I should…” I continued, but he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me towards him.

“You say you are the best at it,” he murmured. “But those people,” he continued, looking at me with concerned eyes. “They don’t make that face once they are done.”

“……”

“You’re always frowning, so you should save it for later,” he said in a last whisper before entering the room, leaving me behind.

As I reflected on the words Siegfried left behind, I felt warmth from him for the first time.

But when their meanings really sank in, the fleeting sensation now felt as sharp as a dagger against my desolate heart.

I stood there frozen in place.

My husband knew how much pain it caused me every time I healed his injuries. It’s not like I didn’t try to hide it, yet that man already knew about everything.

But why was he suddenly acting like he cared? Especially after two years.

Why was acting like he cared about me more than his sister?

Was it because he was thinking of ripping more from me in the future or was it perhaps the aftermath of our first night together? I thought, as the bonnet I left on the piano came to mind.

My fingers instantly grew cold when I imagined how he’d react if he saw it.

***

I remember the day I placed herbs on Siegfried torn chest.

The day I treated his injuries for the first, back when we were newlyweds.

“What’s this? He said, grabbing my wrist. His tensed, threatening muscles and his large hand enclosing my delicate wrist looked strangely mismatched.

Pain surged from his uncaring grip, but I knew that asking Siegfried to let go of would be useless. So, I said something that would intrigue him instead.

“it’s Mayweed,” I remember saying. “It has anti-inflammatory properties……. It will help soothe your injuries.”

Siegfried grimaced, his handsome brows furrowing as if his pain was unbearable.

“Darn it, I feel like I’m going to die!” He groaned, running his fingers through his black hair.

I quickly handed him a glass.

“And this is?” he asked again, skeptically raising an eyebrow at me.

“it’s a painkiller.”

At my calm answer, he stared at the liquid in the glass.

“I mixed it with some wine to mask the bitterness,” I added.

“Really?”

For some reason, those words sounded like interrogation. He seemed curious about the wine strong enough to mask the medicine’s natural aroma.

Painkillers were bitter, but so was poison, and if I wanted, I could have used the strong wine to silently poison him to death.

However, I only used the wine because the drug was quite bitter, yet my consideration only aroused suspicion from this man.

Wrinkles formed on Siegfried’s well-defined nose as he stood up, and leisurely took the object from my hands, still intently looking at me. he didn’t ask any unnecessary questions about whether I was trying to kill him or not. Instead, he caressed my cheek with the back of his hand, revealing a seductive smile that he hadn’t shown even on our wedding day.

“You drink first,” he said, his alluring blue eyes scanning my expression. Then, he gently placed the glass back into my hands.

Hot blood trickled down his chest from the open wound, staining his pale skin with a rusty hue.

I gazed back at him as I brought the wine to my lips and handed it back to him after taking a sip. However, he didn’t take the glass; not until I emptied half of its content.

Only then did Siegfried drink the remaining half, and smiled as he wiped a droplet of wine from my lips.

“I’ll make more,”, I offered, trying to get up but my husband grabbed my wrist once again, but this time his touch felt considerate.

“it’s fine,” he said. “Half should do the trick.”

And despite the pain, the man nonchalantly lay on his back, looking at me with drowsy eyes.

“I’ll stich up your wounds then.”

Siegfried reached out, gently brushing my face as if he found my words cute, “Do you even know how to stich wounds with those hands of yours?”

It seemed he had noticed how inexperienced I was just from the way I made the herbal wound dressing.

“Can’t you do something more useful?” he continued, obviously hinting that he saw the magic books I left in the study.

Without saying a word, I placed my hand on his injured chest, ready to test out what I’ve learned so far. For a brief moment I savored success before my body wavered, and Siegfried had to firmly hold onto my harm, supporting me. He then pulled me closer to his body as he whispered, “oh, yeah. That’s right, you are a Rochester.” “has the honorable lady Milena Rochester decided to use her wasted talent for Roam now?”

It was a sharp analysis.

Milena not only came from a wealthy family but also a magically powerful one.

Yes, she was born into the magical lineage of the Rochesters.

Hower, she never honed her natural talents, believing that something as complex as magic suited her brothers more. Instead, she immersed herself in embroidery, and other ‘feminine’ pursuits.

But I was different.

I fully understood the power this body possessed, and I decided to utilize it for my survival, diligently practicing my magic in Roam’s library whenever possible.

Yet Siegfried was able to easily see through my inexperienced skills, as if my basic abilities had immediately given away my plans, even my intention of making myself needed by him.

“Because you are hurt,” I finally replied.

And it was true, I technically used my power because he kept returning home injured every night.

After uttering those words, I believe I left the room, and he didn’t stop me.

Upon further reflection, I realized yesterday wasn’t the first time Siegfried talked to me informally.

It’s just that the incident was so insignificant, I didn’t even remember it until now.