IFLDMHF | Chapter 120

Episode 120

The warm morning sunlight shone through.

Euclid, who had been lying flat on his back, slowly lifted his eyelids.

The moment he opened his eyes, he let out a small sigh at the familiar sense of space around him.

As he had expected, he had been safely rescued and brought back to the ducal estate. A sense of relief washed over him.

But there was no time to stay in bed.

There was a mountain of things to check, and he was about to sit up when—

A sharp pain from his arm made Euclid furrow his brows.

Yet, more surprising than the pain itself was the sight of Evgenia, fast asleep with her head resting on the bedside.

‘Now that I think about it…’

He vaguely remembered seeing Evgenia when he had briefly regained consciousness.

Blinking in a daze, Euclid soon recalled everything he had said to her—and his face flushed red.

Could it be… that she had stayed up all night nursing him and had fallen asleep here?

Why had she done that? She must have been exhausted.

He felt both grateful and sorry for Evgenia, who had likely spent an uncomfortable night because of him.

Of course, afraid of waking her, he only lamented silently, unable to voice his thoughts.

With an apologetic gaze, Euclid cautiously reached out and placed a fingertip on the crease between Evgenia’s brows.

Then, he gazed at her peaceful sleeping face with gentle eyes.

So this was what she looked like.

When Evgenia had fallen asleep in his arms, the surroundings had been too dark for him to see her properly.

As if enchanted, Euclid couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Knock, knock.

A soft knocking sound broke the silence.

It was done out of courtesy, as the door immediately swung open.

The entering butler stopped in his tracks, eyes widening in shock at the sight of Euclid sitting up in bed.

“Your Grace? You’re already awake…?”

The butler had opened his mouth in joy but failed to finish his sentence.

Because Euclid had raised a finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet.

Following his gaze, the butler then noticed Evgenia, still sleeping with her head on the bed.

For some reason, he felt a bit flustered and swallowed dryly.

Euclid was always calm and composed, but the way he was looking at Evgenia now…

It exuded an entirely different atmosphere.

His gaze was overflowing with affection—so much so that just watching them made the butler’s face tingle with embarrassment.

Though an accident had occurred during the inspection, it seemed, in the end, that the relationship between the master and the lady had improved.

It was improper, but he couldn’t help feeling a little pleased.

And with the discovery of the magic stone mine, this could truly be considered a blessing in disguise.

The butler, smiling warmly, was about to quietly close the door and step away when—

“Butler, why aren’t you going inside… Oh.”

The family doctor, who had appeared behind him with a puzzled expression, walked forward—only to take in the scene inside and let out a small gasp of distress.

He quickly clamped his mouth shut, but it was too late.

The accumulated noise made Evgenia frown slightly in her sleep before she slowly opened her eyes.

Upon seeing Euclid awake, she hurriedly straightened herself.

“Your Grace, you’re awake?”

“…Yes.”

Euclid, feeling regretful for waking her, wore an apologetic expression but nodded.

Evgenia, on the other hand, gave an embarrassed chuckle, seemingly flustered that she had dozed off.

“Sorry. I must have nodded off for a moment. How are you feeling?”

Before he could answer, she quickly stood up and pressed a hand to his forehead.

“Thankfully, your fever has completely gone down.”

In truth, she had sighed in relief when she noticed his fever breaking in the early hours of the morning. It seemed she had fallen asleep after the tension left her body.

“What about your arm? Do you feel any other discomfort?”

“I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong.”

Euclid’s response was immediate, but Evgenia narrowed her eyes.

“You’re not trying to deceive me again, are you?”

She was recalling the lie he had told her in the darkness, claiming he was fine.

Euclid, sensing her suspicion, instinctively stiffened and let out an awkward smile.

Evgenia sighed lightly and turned her head.

“Stop standing there and come inside to examine him.”

Finally snapping back to their senses, the butler and doctor hurriedly entered the room.

As the doctor checked Euclid’s fractured arm and overall condition, the butler carefully approached Evgenia.

“My lady, I will stay by His Grace’s side from now on. Please rest in your room.”

“Hm? I’m fine…”

“They say married couples grow alike. You sound just like the master, always insisting you’re fine.”

The doctor, having just finished the check-up and adjusting the IV with added painkillers, pushed up his glasses and spoke.

“As I told you yesterday, His Grace is not in critical condition. He has regained consciousness, and his fever has completely subsided. From now on, he just needs plenty of rest so his bones can heal properly.”

“But…”

“If you fall ill yourself, what do you plan to do?”

Perhaps as a small revenge for being pestered all night about when Euclid’s fever would break, the doctor gave her a stern warning, using the awakened Euclid as backup.

In reality, Evgenia’s face looked just as haggard as Euclid’s had during his fever, which worried them.

“That’s right, wife. Please go and rest.”

At Euclid’s added remark—as if he had been waiting to say it—Evgenia pouted slightly, feeling inexplicably sulky.

“…Alright. Then I’ll wash up and take a short nap.”

However, contrary to her words, she couldn’t seem to let go of her lingering concern, repeatedly reminding them before leaving.

“Make sure to eat properly and take your medicine on time.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

“If Delano comes to talk about work, tell him to come back later after you’ve rested.”

“I understand.”

“And… can I come back after just a little rest?”

“…Yes.”

The butler, watching their exchange, struggled to suppress the twitch at the corners of his lips.

It was clear that a breeze even softer than the warm northern wind had swept over the two of them.

Although I had told Euclid that I was fine, I must have been more exhausted than I thought.

The moment I immersed myself in the warm water, I started nodding off.

But I quickly snapped back to full alertness.

Even if I wasn’t injured, my muscles must have been strained. When Anne gave me a massage, I nearly passed out.

There wasn’t a single part of my body—my shoulders, my back—that didn’t ache.

Still, once I finished bathing, I felt noticeably refreshed.

Seeing my utterly relaxed and contented face, Anne beamed with delight.

After being pampered with Anne’s meticulous care, I had a light meal of sandwiches and salad before heading back to Euclid’s bedroom.

“……?”

But something was odd.

The area in front of the patient’s room—where things should have been quiet—was unusually noisy.

It wasn’t until I noticed Richard standing like a statue in the hallway that I realized what was happening.

‘Marianne and Dior must be here.’

The children had returned to the ducal estate ahead of us yesterday and had fallen asleep before we arrived.

That meant they had likely only heard about the accident this morning.

They must have been so shocked.

Worried, I approached, and through the wide-open door, I could hear the children’s teary voices.

“Uncle, does it hurt a lot?”

“Marianne. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Really? Then why is your arm like that?”

“Well…”

“Uncle, can’t you move it?”

“……I just need a little rest, and I’ll be fine soon.”

Apparently, Euclid’s answer wasn’t reassuring enough, as Marianne and Dior immediately burst into tears and clung to him.

For a brief moment, Euclid flinched slightly, but then he gently raised his uninjured arm and patted the children’s backs.

“It’s really okay, so you don’t have to cry.”

He kept soothing them in his warm voice, and Dior sniffled as he asked,

“Really?”

A large drop of snot appeared at Dior’s nose, going in and out with each breath.

Euclid chuckled softly, wiped his nose with care, and reassured him, “Of course.”

“Uncle, don’t get hurt anymore!”

Only then did the children wipe their tears and speak firmly.

Watching the scene, I was once again reminded of just how precious Euclid was to them, and guilt weighed even heavier on my heart.

At that moment, Delano clapped his hands together.

“But Lady Marianne, Young Master Dior! You should be happy. The Rudion Duchy has truly been showered with wealth!”

“Wealth?”

“Yes! We discovered a magic stone mine. Who knew getting rich could be this easy?!”

Hearing that they could earn more money than the golden rain they had seen yesterday, the children immediately forgot their tears and gaped in astonishment.

Thanks to Delano’s efforts, the atmosphere in the room became noticeably lighter.

However, instead of stepping inside, I quietly took a step back.

I felt a little guilty about interrupting such a heartwarming moment.

Instead, as I watched Euclid with the children, I grew even more certain.

Euclid was far more skilled at acting than I had thought.

Especially when it came to hiding his pain.

‘I’ll have to watch him more carefully from now on.’

Resolving myself, I turned to head back to my room—

Only to find someone standing in my way.