Episode 7
“So, don’t worry about how I’m doing. I think you already know that because you helped me when I passed out through Raymond.”
Camilla seemed a little embarrassed as she tried to avoid my eyes in a sneaky way.
“Raymond would have told you there’s nothing wrong with my health, right?”
“…”
I knew she was calling for a checkup to remind me of our contract, even though she knew more about my health than anyone else.
“Besides, before you took me in, you already had Raymond check me out carefully. I’ve been told that I’m healthy and in the best shape to get pregnant.”
I told Camilla what was going on in a soft voice.
She may have even known more about my body than I did.
Before we signed the contract, she checked my health in depth.
It would have been a problem if her expensive daughter-in-law had a body that wasn’t healthy enough to have a child, so any health problems should be out of the question.
“But I haven’t heard anything to the contrary.”
“What are you talking about?”
Camilla looked at me with narrowed eyes and tried to figure out what I was going to say.
“Amoide’s well-being.”
Her blue eyes moved back and forth, blue eyes just like Amoide’s.
“How is Amoide?”
As Camilla thought about what I had said, I quickly added, “This is wrong. You are making me take full blame for the pregnancy.”
I spoke in a very serious way.
“The husband should try to help, too. If something is missing, it should be fixed, no matter what it is.”
Even more than before, Camilla’s eyes were shaking.
Camilla was like an iron castle that would fall at a certain time.
When Amoide fell down, his health got worse, or when someone talked about a child, Camilla reacted as such.
I was poking at Camilla’s weak spots at the time.
“We’ve been married for two years. During that time, I haven’t been able to have a child.”
“…There’s something wrong with… your body…”
Camilla’s words ended in a way that was not clear. Her normal way of having a strong facade had changed a lot.
“Call Raymond and have him check again,” she said.
“…”
Camilla seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment.
“Go ahead and check on me as often as you like. If there were problems with me, I wouldn’t be saying this.”
Camilla kept her eyes on me as I talked.
“If all you needed was Amoide’s bloodline, you could have taken in any woman, no matter where she came from.”
I stopped and looked at Camilla’s face for a moment.
“Just spend one night with him, get pregnant, and it will be over.”
I felt bad for Amoide as I thought about it.
To keep the genes of a thoroughbred bloodline alive, he was subjected to such treatment. I, his wife, thought, ‘I’m even worse.’
I sighed deeply as I thought about this again.
Camilla still hadn’t moved. It meant I had to push her a bit harder.
“…”
“So we have to do something, right? Ifrit Duchy’s heir. In case something unexpected comes up… if Amoide is…”
When I talked about Amoide’s health, Camilla’s face got even darker.
“Amoide won’t die.”
Camilla’s voice sounded like she was grinding her teeth.
“He won’t, of course. That will never happen as long as Raymond’s medical skills and your love are there. But just in case, as an example.”
Camilla put down her mug and made a fist with her hands.
It was a natural thing to do when you didn’t want other people to see your shaking hands.
I used the chance to make my point again.
“As I said before, Mother, my responsibilities have a lot to do with my husband’s health.”
Camilla laughed in a mean way when she heard what I said.
“Right, let’s say they are connected. What can you do, though? What are your skills?”
Camilla made a disgusted face and sneered.
“I may not be as good as Raymond, but I’m probably better at my job than you are, Mother.”
“Wait, what?”
I quickly spoke up before Camilla could say anything.
“Mother, you can just watch and pray, but I can do more.”
I kept going because I thought that if I stopped now, I wouldn’t be able to bring it up again.
“I worked as a babysitter while I was paying off my debt. I took care of a noblewoman for a short time, and because I did a good job, they gave me a big bonus.”
When I worked back then, I made a lot of money. However, my bill soon grew, making it useless. “Because of the walks I took with her, her health got a lot better.”
That lady had a firm grip on my hand and thanked me several times.
“Are you just going to feed Amoide a few times to take care of him? Do you think the maids working for Amoide don’t have that kind of experience?”
Camilla knew that the maids who worked for Amoide were picked with the same care as her own maids.
“I have also worked as a pharmacist’s helper.”
<You know how to do this, right? You can fill this out on your own.>
The pharmacist hated working in the store.
He liked going to the racetrack without telling his wife. Since I had a good memory, he taught me how to write scripts and let me go and make the medicines as much as I wanted.
So, when the pharmacist wasn’t there, I’d wear his tag and make the medicine myself. If I had been caught by the body in charge of regulating drugs, it would have been a big problem.
Without a pharmacist’s license, it was a risky thing for me to do.
I got a much bigger salary, of course, because the job was risky and I was very good at it.
Not only that, but when the pharmacist won money at the races, I got an extra prize.
If his wife hadn’t found out, I would have stayed there longer.
The drugstore was the best job I’ve ever had in terms of pay and ease of work. So, I do know something about that. “I know a lot about herbs and drugs that are used often.”
It wasn’t just a joke. I put my strength for a moment into my shoulders. After all, information learned from experience is still knowledge.
“Are you going to make a cure for Amoide’s illness?”
Camilla laughed as if she thought it was funny.
“Of course, I can’t do that, but at least I know something about it. Even if the maids have a lot of experience as nurses.”
“…”
“Anyway, you said that the cause of Amoide’s illness is unknown.”
I heard that when Amoide was born, he wasn’t so weak.
But when he was sixteen, he suddenly got sick for no known reason.
And the fact that he was sick for a long time and could die at any time made him very angry.
“So, he needs even more care. I’m going to play that part now. Because Amoide has to be fit for his son to be strong.”
There is, of course, an important rite that must be done first.
But that can’t happen since God won’t let it happen.
“So, please believe me. I want a child just as much as Mother does.”
“…”
Camilla looked at me all over with her blue eyes, making me swallow nervously.
Please don’t mind how long my words are.
‘It’s also good for you.’
Saving my husband is for my own good, but he’s still Camilla’s son in the end so it’s a win-win.
I could understand why the Duchess was worried.
After her husband died, she took care of the family by herself. Since her son was sick, she had to do everything on her own.
The reason and goal of her life was to protect this family.
If things went the way the story said they would, she would also lose that.
“He’s my son. It comes naturally to me to take care of everything.”
I saw a bit of hope when I heard her uncertain tone, which was different from before.
“And he is also my husband.”
I added desperately, “Who else would care as much about Amoide’s well-being during the contract time as I do? I’ll look after my husband’s health, and you, mother, will have the child!”
“…”
It’s almost over.
I knew it from my gut. Even though I was yelling a little louder, Camilla wasn’t giving in quickly.
She instead tapped her forehead as if she was deep in thought.
“But…” Did I make a mistake?
I looked at her face with worry. Camilla finally opened her mouth and looked at me in a confused way.
“When did you start referring to Amoide by name so often?”
“Huh?”
I was confused, my mouth hung open, and I stopped moving.
‘That’s right.’
Since when I started calling Amoide his name?
I had already been calling him that way without realizing it.
“When did you start using Amoide’s name with so much love?”
When Camilla asked, I had no choice but to think about it. But I soon realized that there wasn’t a good reason not to.
“Is it wrong?”
I took a moment before speaking. Camilla seemed surprised by my answer, which was simple.
“I’m married to him. It’s too formal for me to call him ‘Duke.’”
It was, in fact, too cold. We lived in the same house and sometimes even “slept” in the same bed.
Camila quickly blinked her eyes as if she didn’t believe what she was hearing.
