Episode 17

“I wish I could finish my work first and then transition the responsibilities gradually, but there’s so much to handle lately. It seems I have to pass on the duties of the family mistress to you sooner than expected.”

“…”

“Before I arrived, the position of mistress was vacant, and our family has had its share of incidents and issues. As a result, there are many things that haven’t been properly managed.”

Listening to her, I sipped my tea, and the lingering aftertaste left my tongue feeling dry.

“The territory is vast, and with three estates to oversee, managing everything must be challenging. Even the transition itself will take some time. I believe it’s crucial to teach you the ropes quickly for the family to function smoothly.”

Lifelong learning, they say. I never imagined I’d be studying inside a book, too.

“As the mistress, your responsibilities will include everything from overseeing the budget to employee welfare and charity events. My goal is to complete the handover within this year. What do you think?”

‘What do I think? Of course, I have no idea.’

I responded with an awkward smile.

“They say you’re a sharp one. I’m sure you’ll pick it up quickly. You might even do better than me.”

Mother, that’s just a rumor. A baseless lie. If you find the one who spread it, make sure to rip out their tongue…

“By the way, did you have a pleasant first night?”

“Pfugh!”

I almost sprayed Lady Claire’s face with tea.

The sudden change in topic caught me off guard, and I choked. My face turned crimson as I coughed repeatedly.

“Oh dear, Petunia, are you alright?”

Lady Claire tapped my back with a concerned look, while one of the waiting maids hurriedly handed me a handkerchief.

I wiped my mouth with the handkerchief as I tried to calm my startled nerves. Meeting my mother-in-law alone for the first time, I’d shown her an embarrassing sight.

“Are you okay? Your face is red.”

“Yes, uh, I’m fine. Ahem.”

After several coughs, I finally settled down. I couldn’t help but resent Lady Claire for mentioning the first night at that moment.

I pondered briefly.

She seemed to have forgotten her curiosity about the first night due to my coughing. I could just let it slide without answering.

But Lady Claire was the cunning woman who had cursed Apollion. Her gentle facade didn’t reveal her true intentions. If I dodged the question now, who knew what trap she would lay for me later?

In this situation, bluffing confidently was the best strategy.

“Yes, the first night went smoothly.”

“Really?”

“Yes. We must have overdone it because I ended up sleeping in. Haha.”

The first part was a lie, but the latter was true.

I had exhausted my stamina to the brink of collapse and passed out as if fainting.

“You’re at such a delightful age.”

Wearing a dazzling smile, she stared at the waves crashing against the rocks, lost in thought.

According to the original story, Lady Claire should have preferred if Apollion and I drifted apart.

Of course, in the original, Lady Claire didn’t have a daughter-in-law.

But judging by her actions, which showed she intended to pass the title to her step son, it would benefit her if the relationship between Apollion and me wasn’t good.

If the couple didn’t have a harmonious relationship, no heir would be born, and without an heir, her biological son would have the chance to inherit the title.

The same applied to the position of family mistress. As she said, she was supposed to hand the role over to me soon.

However, she was the one who had left her dying ex-husband to snatch the role of mistress in the duchy.

Upon arriving at this family, her first action had been to push Apollion out of the family circle.

When her plans didn’t go as intended, she had sought out a sorcerer to cast a curse on him.

She clearly felt that she would lose all her power, as well as the power she intended to give her son, if things continued like this.

But in the smile I just saw, there wasn’t a hint of pretense. I even sensed that she was eager to relinquish this position.

This was only my second meeting with her, but I wasn’t so clueless that I couldn’t read expressions.

While lost in thought for a while, my eyes met Lady Claire’s as she turned toward me. We both smiled.

I couldn’t yet tell what she was thinking, but it was clear that something had deviated from the original storyline.

＊＊＊

Apollion went to see his personal physician early in the morning.

He rarely sought medical attention, so his physician, Yvon, had to hurriedly examine him.

“Your Grace, if you’re feeling unwell, you could have summoned a servant. Why have you come here in person?”

Yvon’s voice was filled with concern.

His words were a mild rebuke to Apollion for coming all the way to the infirmary instead of sending a servant to call him.

“It’s nothing serious, but I came because I wanted to ask something.”

Yvon gulped at those words.

He knew the master’s nature. If he’d come here without anyone knowing, it must be a significant matter that needed to remain confidential.

“What is it?”

“…”

Apollion hesitated for a moment before speaking, his expression determined.

“It seems there’s something wrong with my heart.”

“What?”

Yvon was so taken aback by the absurdity that he couldn’t even react.

Apollion had been healthy since childhood, rarely falling ill. The curse had only been a visual discomfort and had never affected his health.

Only days ago, he’d been leaping around the training grounds, yet now he said his heart was in pain?

It was natural that confusion overrode worry.

Snapping out of his daze, Yvon hastily guided Apollion to the infirmary bed.

“P-Please lie down!”

“I don’t think it’s necessary to lie down, though…”

“No. If you have a heart condition, you must lie down!”

Unable to resist Yvon’s insistence, Apollion lay down on the bed.

Yvon lifted Apollion’s shirt and placed a stethoscope over his chest. The heartbeat was perfectly normal.

After removing the stethoscope, Yvon looked concerned as he fetched a medical chart from his desk.

The brain and heart are the most vital and challenging organs to assess. While they may function normally now, they can become unpredictable and show unusual symptoms at any time.

“What exactly is wrong with your heart?” Yvon asked.

“It suddenly starts racing.”

“Suddenly?”

Apollion nodded in silence.

Under ordinary circumstances, Yvon would sigh and complain about his master’s habit of nodding in response. But today was different.

It was the heart, the nucleus of all life.

If the young head of the family, only twenty years old, had a heart condition, they would immediately need to find a more competent specialist.

Yvon scribbled notes on the medical chart and posed another question to Apollion.

“In what way does it race?”

“What do you mean?”

“For instance, does it feel like blood is pooling in your heart, or that it’s pounding so hard you can’t breathe? Or perhaps there’s a stabbing pain in your chest?”

“…I think it’s all three.”

Oh, dear God.

Yvon’s hand trembled as he held his pen.

If there were a God, how could this happen? Cursing this kind master wasn’t enough; now, a potentially fatal disease loomed over him.

Yvon even had the blasphemous thought of grabbing God’s collar and shaking Him.

“Yvon?”

“Ahem, my apologies. Do you have any ringing in your ears or stiffness in the back of your neck? Or numbness in your arms like a cramp?”

“No, nothing like that.”

That was a small relief.

Yvon took a deep breath and looked at Apollion. Seeing Yvon’s unusual demeanor, Apollion realized that his condition might not be minor.

“When did these symptoms first appear?”

Apollion didn’t need to strain to recall it. The unfamiliar pain had been so noticeable that it didn’t take long for him to recognize something was wrong with his body.

“It started last night.”

“…Last night?”

Yvon frowned unintentionally as he looked at Apollion.

If it started last night, it hadn’t even been 24 hours since the symptoms appeared.

“Did anything unusual happen last night?”

“Unusual?”

“Yes, something so surprising it would be considered Unusual.”

Apollion suddenly pictured Petunia’s face.

He didn’t know why she came to mind, but she had been there whenever his heart raced uncontrollably.

“If anything unusual happened… I was with my wife.”

“…”

“I was in the bedroom with her.”

“…”

Yvon quietly placed the medical chart back on the desk while Apollion watched with a puzzled expression.

“When you say your wife, you’re referring to Lady Petunia, the new Duchess of Theabrite who you married yesterday?”

“That’s right.”

“…”

Yvon’s expression turned sour.

“What were you doing with her last night?”

“…What?”

“You said both Your Graces were intimate together in the bedroom late at night.”

“I never said we were intimate.”

“Weren’t you?”

“No.”

“Then, was the atmosphere rather passionate?”

“…!”

“In such an intense setting, it’s only natural for the heart to race.”

Yvon looked at Apollion with pity.

He wanted to click his tongue but couldn’t bring himself to be that rude to a duke.

“But the symptoms were very serious! My heart pounded like it was in my throat. I was worried it would leap out of my mouth!”

“Of course. Such symptoms commonly occur in vigorous people, regardless of gender. You are newlyweds, after all.”

“…”

“Did you have any other symptoms? Feeling overheated, perhaps, or weak in your lower body?”

“…!”

Apollion’s eyes widened, as if to say, ‘How did you know?’

“That doesn’t happen normally, does it? Only when you were in the bedroom with Lady Petunia last night.”

“…”

Even a random passerby could have guessed this.

Yvon stifled a sigh as he helped Apollion sit up.

“You’re perfectly fine, and there’s nothing wrong.”

“But…”

“It’s proof that you’re very healthy, Your Grace.”

“…”

“Haven’t you led a rather ascetic life so far? I was concerned about that, but now I see all your organs are functioning exceptionally well. You should have no issues with marital duties or producing an heir.”

“An heir!”

Apollion exclaimed, his ears turning bright red. Yvon went into the dispensary and returned with a potion.

“As the head of the family, it’s natural to consider planning for an heir to secure the family’s future.”

“…”

“This is a tonic. It will restore your energy. If you’re feeling weak, please don’t come looking for me, just drink this potion. I ask this not as your physician but as a fellow worker.”

Please.

Yvon uttered the final two syllables firmly and pressed the potion into Apollion’s hand.

Apollion wanted to object, but Yvon’s expression was so resolute that he couldn’t say anything.

After shooing Apollion out of the infirmary, Yvon returned to his desk and began working.

He’d always thought Apollion was a clever man, but intelligence in one area didn’t mean wisdom in all matters.

To safeguard the health of both Apollion and Lady Petunia, he diligently began writing something down.

Before addressing their health, the Duke needed some basic education first.