Episode 55
“Amoide!”
His body weakenedly collapsed.
“Help! Is there no one outside? Call the physician!”
I shrieked while embracing him because he was too large and heavy to hold comfortably.
Suddenly.
Moments later, the door opened, and the attendant who had earlier been engaged in a snowball fight with me entered. When she observed the situation in the room, she froze in shock.
My volume increased in frustration.
“What are you staring at? Go get Raymond! And a towel and icy water!”
“Yes, yes.”
As soon as she heard my voice, the maid rushed out of the room, confused and unsure of what to do.
Waiting for Raymond felt like eternity.
In the meantime, the body I was holding grew increasingly heated.
I started undoing his buttons one by one.
As I unfastened the straps and removed his top, I exposed his feverish body.
There were spots on his body where his epidermis was reddened with heat. His condition was worse than I had anticipated.
Due to the extreme heat, his lips had become rough and parched, and his entire body felt like a massive inferno.
Upon seeing his condition, I had only one thought.
Death.
No, it is not yet time.
There remained time. Therefore, it was not yet his turn to confront death. However, why?
Suddenly, tears began to flow.
“Amoide, don’t die.”
I spoke with a stifled voice.
“Don’t die, please, okay? You can’t die like this…”
With a protracted, sobbing wail, I shed a few tears on his chest. Amoide awoke at the contact and opened his eyes.
His eyes, hazy from exhaustion, glanced at me.
“Amoide? Do you recognize me?”
I didn’t even need to ask. Amoide’s eyes were open and he was looking me down angrily… he recognized.
I exhaled a breath of relief involuntarily.
And even in this circumstance, his ardent spirit did not die out. This thought brought me some solace.
“You… get… out…”
Even as he gasped for oxygen, he continued to speak to me. I did not need to pay careful attention to comprehend what he was saying.
“Get… out…”
Pretending not to hear, I yelled for the doctor once more.
* * *
“The worst of it is behind him.”
As he removed the stethoscope from his ears, Raymond let out a long groan.
The accumulation of perspiration on his forehead indicated how dire the situation was just moments ago.
“I will hand the prescription to Bot. He will prepare the medication and ensure that it is administered on schedule.”
Raymond’s pharmacist and assistant was Bot.
Following the receipt of the prescription, he bowed and exited the room.
“Is he okay right now?”
I spoke while observing the sleeping visage of Amoide.
His labored respiration had subsided, and I could hear his regular breathing.
That alone made my heart, which had previously appeared to halt, feel like it was once again beating normally.
His complexion was pallid, but he appeared normal in comparison to when he had a flushed face.
His body temperature had subsided, and he appeared generally at ease.
When compared to the situation a short time ago, the present state felt like heaven.
Everyone in the manor was on high alert until his fever subsided and the convulsions ceased.
Camilla wept by his side until his fever subsided, at which point she was carried out by a servant while nearly comatose.
The maids, attendants, and butlers who had been frantically moving about all appeared exhausted.
“Everyone, please take a break. I’ll notify you if anything goes wrong.”
Rona, who was leaning against the wall and yawning, immediately stood up and left with the other maids upon hearing my command.
After closing the door, only Amoide, Raymond, and I remained in the room.
“Why did he suddenly have a seizure?”
“Has he experienced any stress recently?”
“Stress?”
“I’m asking if there have been any events that could have caused extreme emotional swings, such as excessive tension, anger, or anything else.”
Raymond’s eyes were directed directly at me.
“Is that relevant?”
“Of course.”
Raymond released a soft exhalation.
“From the outside, the Duke appears to be a normal, healthy individual.”
“…”
“Therefore, it is more scary.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“I mean that we never know when, how, or what will cause his symptoms to worsen.”
I already knew this, having heard it countless times. His seizures always occurred abruptly, with no warning.
“Since there are only two of us here, I will say this.”
“…What exactly is it?”
“The longer time you have to prepare, the better.”
His language was circumspect, but their meaning was unmistakable.
“Raymond, what exactly do you mean by that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Finish what you’re saying.”
I grabbed Raymond.
“I believe you understand adequately.”
Snap.
The hand that was holding Raymond began to lose its grip.
My vision again became hazy.
“…You’ve worked diligently. You should now leave.”
Raymond exhaled a sigh, took up his medical bag, and stood up as if he wanted to say something else.
“Then, I’ll see you next time, Duchess.”
The sound of a door opening and fading footfall were both audible.
“My lady?”
Rona opened the door and walked swiftly towards me after entering the room.
“My lady, you should also go and unwind. We will take turns caring for him, so please do not be concerned.”
“I will nurse him.”
“But you cannot remain awake all night; it is too difficult. What if you too collapse? If you’re truly anxious, close your eyes for a while and then return.”
I merely nodded my head weakly in response to Rona’s remarks.
In reality, there wasn’t much I could do by remaining by his side, but I couldn’t shake the guilt I felt for abandoning him in this state.
Even though he wasn’t alone without me, I still felt that way.
However, I was truly concerned about something else.
What if he regained consciousness and the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was my face?
Would he not suffer another seizure?
If he had to choose the scene he did not want to see first thing in the morning, it would likely be me sitting next to him.
And my face, anxiously gazing down at him. He would likely curse and tell me to get lost once more.
“… Let’s go.”
Concerned that he might fall again due to his lack of self-control, I stood up.
However, I was unable to disengage from the seat as intended.
“… “
I turned my head to determine the source of the sound. Amoide had a firm grasp on my hand.
It wasn’t as excruciating as it had been previously, but it wasn’t a light hold that could be easily broken.
“It appears that he desires you to remain by his side.”
“That’s not the case.”
This is a habitual behavior. In times of distress, people have a natural desire to rely on and cling to others.
Even if that person is someone they would normally despise intensely.
“But I guess I should stay.”
I reconsidered leaving and sat back down.
* * *
“Uh….”
The sunlight was harsh and penetrating. Did I slumber with the curtains open? I gradually raised my eyelids.
A vague outline of a person was discernible in my still-hazy vision.
I repeatedly blinked in an effort to clear my vision.
Anyway, why does my body ache so much? It feels as though I was trampled while I slept.
“….”
When my vision eventually returned, a man was staring at me with a clearly bewildered expression.
His irises were a shade of icy blue, like those of a fish inhabiting the depths of the ocean.
My posture became rigid before I even realized it. The events of last night flashed before my eyes, and every memory returned to life.
“Get lost.”
He said in a subdued voice.
“No, I…”
I too desired to become forgotten, you know? I regarded him with a countenance that genuinely wished to cry. This time, it was a gross injustice.
I examined my hand to demonstrate my innocence.
The hand he had been holding was eventually released.
Is it not obvious why I could not leave?
“Why do I see you every time I open my eyes? Consider my words a joke? Do you wish to acquire the title of duchess by spending the night caring for your husband?”
He inquired with a tone of disdain.
“You can’t have a child, so you’ve altered your strategy? I’ve warned you that these schemes will fail.”
Thud, the individual who seized my hand gave me a fierce look.
Even my rationality disappeared for a moment.
“No, I… I… ugh.”
Due to an abrupt signal, I lacked the strength and availability to argue.
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
“…”
In the midst of frowning, he closed his mouth as if he had just ingested mud in response to my words. My hand, which was held, was abruptly released.
“Huh…”
Then I shed a tear and hurried out of the room.
* * *
