“Your personality is still as unpleasant as ever,” Raynan remarked.
“Oh my, but I’m only trying to match yours, Your Grace,” Amelia replied without backing down.
Raynan paused briefly, contemplating her words. He couldn’t quite decipher her meaning.
And knowing Amelia, she wasn’t about to clarify things for him—not with that expression on her face.
“So, what’s the connection here?” he asked again.
“The answer is something you’ll have to figure out yourself,” she replied cheerfully.
As expected. All he had done was pique her interest further.
When he was much younger, he had often been swayed by her sharp wit. Now, as an adult, it rarely happened—yet here they were.
Still, he didn’t hold any bad memories of those moments.
If anything, they had taught him valuable lessons, and they occasionally helped him realize when his own feelings were trivial.
Watching Amelia, who seemed delighted to see a glimpse of his old self, Raynan clicked his tongue and spoke.
“Sometimes, I’m tempted to shatter Renee’s belief that you’re some kind of kind and gentle saint.”
It wasn’t the first time he had seriously considered it.
When he left Renee in Amelia’s care, he’d trusted that things would go well—but not to this extent.
He hadn’t expected Amelia to care so much for Renee.
And Renee…
Renee, with her boundless trust and deep affection, often looked at Amelia with eyes that spoke volumes. Perhaps that warmth was what drew Amelia closer to her.
Of course, Amelia wasn’t the type to be swayed easily.
But as she had said earlier, it would’ve been hard not to be moved by someone like Renee, who wore her heart on her sleeve.
“That might be one of those ‘trivial matters’ I was referring to,” Amelia quipped lightly, as though joking.
Raynan, however, grumbled his dissatisfaction.
“Trivial, you say. It’s such an infuriating word.”
“Sometimes, moving forward instead of retreating is the only way to make progress,” she remarked, leaving her parting words as she excused herself from the room.
As the door closed behind her, Raynan caught the fleeting smile that spread across her face.
“Like I said, her personality really is awful,” Raynan muttered.
His resigned voice lingered in the now-quiet room before fading into silence.
*****
I wasn’t sure how long I had been asleep when I felt someone gently waking me again.
This time, the touch was far softer and more careful than before.
“Renee, if you keep sleeping like this, you won’t be able to rest tonight,” Amelia’s voice coaxed, pulling me back to consciousness.
Her gentle pats blurred the line between waking me up and lulling me back to sleep.
“It’s better to get up now, even if it’s a little hard,” she added.
“Okay…” I groaned, struggling to open my eyes.
Amelia handed me a glass of water, and as the cool liquid slid down my throat, the lingering drowsiness began to fade.
“Now that you’re a bit more awake, can I ask you to do something?”
“What is it?”
“Just a moment,” she said, heading for the door.
When she returned, she wasn’t alone. The man who entered had silver-streaked hair that hinted at his age, but his sharp, vivid eyes made him seem younger than he looked.
Even at a glance, his presence was commanding and meticulous. It didn’t take me long to recognize him—no one in Loerian wouldn’t know him.
“Ah, you’re…”
“Yes. This is Dr. Carlson, Loerian’s physician,” Amelia explained.
I’d heard that he had retired most of his responsibilities to his son Austin, only remaining active to oversee the Duke’s care. It seemed he had come all the way here with Reynan.
“Hello,” I greeted awkwardly, attempting to rise from my seat.
“No need for that. Please stay seated,” Carlson urged, gesturing for me to remain still.
“I’d like to perform a quick examination, if that’s alright with you,” he continued.
“Sure, but why all of a sudden?”
Amelia and Carlson exchanged a brief glance, as if deciding how to respond.
Now that I thought about it, Raynan had been unusually concerned earlier, and now the family physician was here to examine me…
“Is something wrong with me?” I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice.
I began to sit up quickly, but Amelia placed her hands on my shoulders, gently pressing me back down.
“No, it’s nothing like that. Relax your face a little; you look even sicker when you’re worried,” she said with a light laugh.
I instinctively touched my cheeks, wondering if I really looked that pale.
“Am I really that unwell-looking?”
“Not at all. You just startled yourself, and now all the color’s drained from your face,” she reassured me with a teasing tone.
Carlson stepped in with a more formal explanation.
“Since the environment has changed, we’re just being cautious. Better to rule out anything unexpected.”
“Now, of all times?” I asked hesitantly.
To my surprise, Carlson gave a faint smile. It softened his features and eased some of my nerves.
“We’re returning soon. This is just to check if anything has affected you during your stay and to ensure you’ll be fine once we’re back.”
“Exactly,” Amelia added. “You’ve been resting well, and we’d hate for you to fall ill at the end.”
Their reasoning made sense, so I nodded, though I couldn’t help but ask again, “So, I’m not seriously sick, right?”
“Not at all,” Amelia confirmed with a firm shake of her head.
Reassured, I let Carlson examine me. He asked questions as he checked various parts of my body. At first, everything felt normal, but then his questions started to feel oddly specific.
“Have you eaten or touched anything unusual in the past few days?”
“Uh… no?”
“Think carefully. Even something minor or out of the ordinary could be significant,” he pressed.
I racked my brain but couldn’t recall anything unusual. Most of what I’d eaten or done had been with others, and I hadn’t encountered any strangers.
“Nothing comes to mind,” I said.
Amelia leaned toward Carlson, whispering something I couldn’t catch. He nodded and continued.
“Have you felt any unexplained pain recently?”
“No.”
“Any difficulty breathing or moments of paralysis?”
“None.”
The pointed nature of his questions made my heart race.
“Is there really… something wrong with me?” I ventured cautiously.
Carlson gave me a measured nod, though his gaze didn’t betray much. Just as I was about to press further, Amelia’s anxious expression caught my eye, and I fell silent.
“Nothing seems out of the ordinary. You’re in good health,” Carlson declared finally.
Both Amelia and I sighed in unison, relief washing over us.
“Still, in that case…” Amelia murmured, trailing off into her thoughts.
Seeing how serious she looked, I decided not to disturb her. Meanwhile, Carlson packed up his equipment and stood.
“I’ll take my leave now. See you again soon,” he said.
“Thank you,” I replied with a polite nod.
Carlson left, but Amelia remained deep in thought.
“Amelia?” I called softly.
“Ah, sorry. I was just thinking…”
“Thinking about what?”
“Tomorrow is our last day here, and I was wondering what to wear,” she said with a playful smile.
“What to wear?”
“Yes. Tomorrow, young master Edwin wants to do all the things he’s been looking forward to, so you’d better be prepared,” she teased.
Knowing Edwin’s boundless energy and enthusiasm, her advice didn’t seem like an exaggeration. Still, if it was his last day, I wanted to make sure he enjoyed it fully.
With determination, I nodded, and Amelia adjusted the blankets around me with a gentle smile.
“I’m glad. Some people fall seriously ill when their environment changes, but you seem fine,” she said.
“I guess I’m not that sensitive,” I replied with a light laugh.
“Well, get some rest tonight. Tomorrow will be busy.”
“Alright.”
“And if you feel unwell or notice anything strange, call me right away.”
“You’ll be nearby?”
“I’ll be right outside the Duke’s chambers, so I’ll practically be next door,” she said with a wink.
“Got it. Thanks.”
After she left, I glanced in the mirror, trying to determine if I really looked sick.
“Still looks the same…”
I tilted my head, scrutinizing my reflection.
“Maybe I’ve gained a little weight? Is that why everyone was fussing?”
I shook my head, dismissing the thought. “That can’t be it.”
With no clear answers, I returned to bed. Though the day had been interrupted, I found the solitude surprisingly pleasant.
As the sun dipped lower, its red hues filled the room, fading gradually into the deep blue of evening.
“Time really flies when you’re doing nothing,” I murmured, stretching luxuriously on the bed.
Feeling a slight chill, I wandered onto the balcony, the cool air brushing against me as I stepped out.
“Wow…”
The villa at night was an entirely different world, cloaked in serenity.
Drawn to the view, I leaned against the railing for a closer look.
“Careful. What if you fall over like that?”
