Chapter 102
“Another dead end today, huh?”
There wasn’t a book the Duke’s library didn’t have, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find what I was looking for.
How much easier would it be if I had been a doctor in my past life?
It was a pointless thought, but it kept coming up. There were countless diseases that caused fever and seizures, each with different mechanisms. I had searched through medical and pharmaceutical texts but found no disease that matched his symptoms.
A family illness, a hereditary disease.
Usually, in such cases, specific organ abnormalities or chronic conditions were passed down through generations. There were records of families with a history of heart disease consistently producing descendants with weak hearts.
That much, I could understand even from my past life knowledge. What I heard from Valter matched these facts as well.
“The same blood that flows in the family passes down both wealth and illness. A father’s illness to his son and daughter, a mother’s illness to her son and daughter, even to the grandchildren.”
“If only I could figure it out.”
If only I could know the symptoms and progression of the disease that had afflicted others in the family like Amude. But the more prestigious the noble family, the more secrets they kept. Especially regarding the health and lives of the family members, such information was closely guarded.
I picked up a thick, leather-bound book from the stack of books piled high.
“Notable Families of the Skahitun Empire.”
As the title suggested, the book contained records about the families of the Skahitun Empire. According to this book, Camilla’s family, the “Anor House,” was known for producing exceptional knights, much like the Ifret Duchy.
“The Anor House is a high-ranking noble family ruling the distant, harsh northern region, far from the capital.”
“The land is so barren that it’s difficult for people to settle in large numbers.”
“The land of Anor is a natural fortress, with few external invasions, but this also meant little interaction with other regions, leading to a rather isolated lifestyle.”
“They are known for their strong distrust of outsiders and have a particularly strong pride in their bloodline.”
Because of this peculiar, insular culture, the recorded information was much less than for the noble families in the capital. Compared to the pages dedicated to the Ifret Duchy, the Anor House occupied very few.
One thing was clear, though. Camilla’s tenacity came from her northern blood. The Anor House was known for being stubborn, proud, and fiercely independent—traits that described Amude perfectly.
It was the undeniable power of blood, even if only half of it was from Camilla. He had certainly inherited that temperament.
“This is a matter of blood. You can’t change your blood.”
I mulled over his words repeatedly.
“Blood…”
A disease born from blood.
I turned back to the page I had just closed.
“Few interactions with other regions, leading to a rather isolated lifestyle…”
“A matter of blood.”
Until now, I had only thought of it as a disease inherited from ancestors. But if the problem lay in the blood itself…
“They are known for their particularly strong pride in their bloodline.”
I read and re-read that sentence.
If they had a custom of being extremely wary of mixing their blood with others…
“Could they have married within the same bloodline?”
My hand shook as I held the page.
“No way.”
A chill ran through my body.
“What am I thinking?”
I pulled my trembling hand away from the book and rubbed it on my clothes.
“If…”
If it really was something like that.
If the “blood” Amude mentioned was what I was thinking.
The thought had suddenly crossed my mind, but it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility. I had heard of many tragedies caused by inbreeding. Hemophilia, where blood doesn’t clot properly, and congenital deformities like protruding jaws were all conditions that could arise from inbreeding.
These were old practices developed to protect the family’s power and preserve the noble bloodline.
Given the Anor House’s regional isolation and unique pride in their bloodline, such outcomes were entirely plausible.
No matter how taboo it was.
If Amude’s illness resulted from blood inherited from his maternal family…
“…It can’t be cured.”
Just as he said, unless you could replace all his blood, it couldn’t be done. A disease present from birth couldn’t be cured, no matter how skilled the healer.
Raymond had also dismissed all my past efforts as futile.
That might have been because he knew the disease was incurable.
“But Amude’s illness manifested after he reached adulthood.”
I didn’t know much, but I understood that diseases caused by inbreeding typically didn’t manifest if even one parent was not a relative.
“Strange.”
The illness appearing after childhood, the lack of clear mechanisms for the fever and seizures…
The words of Latus, whom I had thought was just a fraud, kept echoing in my mind.
The sun is never meant to lose its light.
What could dim the sun, which should always shine?
“Madam, are you still here?”
Rona’s voice suddenly echoed through the library, breaking my deep thoughts.
Looking down from the second floor, I saw Rona wandering among the shelves.
“Yes, I’m here.”
I waved in response.
“How long have you been sitting here?”
Rona quickly ran up the stairs to where I was.
“You’re going to ruin your eyesight.”
“I haven’t been reading for long.”
Despite my words, the books piled on the desk were as tall as my head.
“What are you reading so intensely?”
Rona sighed as she looked at the stack of books.
“Just… various things.”
I subtly reached out and closed the book in front of me, “Notable Families of the Skahitun Empire.”
“Rona, do you know much about the Lady’s family? The Anor House.”
“The Lady’s family? Why do you ask…?”
“I just know it’s her family; I haven’t heard much detail.”
“I only know that the Anor Castle is in the northernmost part of the empire. It’s supposed to be extremely cold.”
If I didn’t know, Rona likely wouldn’t either. It was that secretive of a family.
If I could learn more about Camilla’s family, about the illnesses they suffered from, perhaps I could resolve the mystery of Amude’s illness.
“Perhaps it’s not a hereditary disease.”
It was a belief.
A hope that it wasn’t.
“So that it can be cured.”
To know this…
“How did the former Duke end up marrying a daughter from such a faraway family?”
“It must have been an arranged marriage.”
“Of course, but… why?”
Talking to herself, Rona fell into deep thought along with me.
“Now that you mention it… it is a bit strange. I’ve heard the journey from the capital to Anor Castle is long and treacherous.”
Usually, noble marriages were arranged when there was an existing friendship between families, their statuses matched, and the benefits were similar. The Ifret Ducal House could have easily married into another prestigious family in the capital without needing to go all the way to Camilla’s family.
“Is there anyone who might know more about this?”
“Um… oh, maybe that person would know.”
Rona said with a twinkle in her eye.
“That person?”
“Head Steward Colton.”
Thanks for the chapter