Sickly? Husband's Contractual Wife

Chapter 89

 

Camilla, with an exceptionally peaceful expression, raised her teacup.

 

“Indeed, due to that matter, I visited the palace yesterday to request an audience with Her Majesty.”

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“When are they going to fill the Sun Knight Commander position?”

 

The ladies all turned to each other simultaneously.

 

“Tsk tsk.”

 

Some even audibly gasped as they sipped their tea.

 

“Is that true?” Surprised voices followed.

 

But none of them would have been as surprised as I was, or so I could boast.

 

“How could such…” 

 

“The empire is in crisis. We can’t leave the commander position vacant indefinitely,” Camilla stated plainly.

 

“So, I’ve submitted a request to dismiss Lord Ephret from the position of Sun Knight Commander and appoint a new deputy commander as the new commander soon,” she added.

 

“But… Are you sure about this? What about his lordship…?” Lady Mordred stammered, visibly flustered.

 

“This is for the greater good, Lady Mordred,” Camilla said with a gentle smile. “The Knights sacrifice for the country.”

 

Thunk.

 

Everyone suddenly looked at me.

 

The chair I had been sitting on toppled over backward with a loud clatter.

 

“I’ll take my leave now.”

 

“What?”

 

Camilla narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

 

“I have an urgent matter to attend to. I wish you all a pleasant time.”

 

Without waiting for permission, I turned and left without hesitation.

 

The look of disbelief on Camilla’s face, the surprised expressions of the ladies, Veronica’s calm but observant gaze—they all meant nothing to me.

 

***

 

I hurriedly crossed the hallway.

 

The servants greeted me along the way, but I ignored them all.

 

Tap, tap.

 

I arrived at Amoide’s room, my breath almost catching in my chest.

 

Knock, knock.

 

No response came from inside.

 

Finally, I simply opened the door.

 

“Amoide, let’s go for a walk.”

 

As soon as I opened Amoide’s room, I was met with an empty space.

 

“Amoide?”

 

There was no one in the room.

 

“Where did he go?”

 

I rushed to him as soon as the tea party ended.

 

I couldn’t believe the stories I heard at the party.

 

Amoide, Lord Ephret.

 

Dismissed from the Sun Knights?

 

He had been on sick leave until now.

 

For a full five years.

 

However, once the dismissal was decided, I didn’t know if he would just no longer be part of the Sun Knights or if he would have to relinquish his knighthood.

 

“Amoide.”

 

I called out as I paced nervously.

 

Where could he have gone?

 

His daily routine was very predictable.

 

He would either read in his room or go for a walk with me.

 

There were no specific schedules to adhere to.

 

I suddenly realized how mundane his life had become.

 

“Perhaps…”

 

I pushed the door open and rushed out.

 

***

 

Behind the building where Amoide’s room was located, there was a training ground he had been using since childhood.

 

It was a courtyard converted into a training area where he practiced swordsmanship.

 

However, since he fell ill, there had been no use for this place.

 

But today, he was there.

 

“…”

 

I watched him swing his sword alone, facing the setting sun.

 

His face, shrouded in deep shadow, looked darker than ever.

 

He held a longsword, an heirloom from his father, which glinted dazzlingly in the sunset.

 

Though it had been a while since he last wielded a sword, his body remembered everything perfectly.

 

Swish.

 

His movements were fluid, without any hesitation, and his breathing remained steady.

 

I watched it all with a heavy heart.

 

I couldn’t approach him.

 

He seemed so fragile, as if he would crumble if I spoke to him.

 

After observing for a while, I eventually turned away.

 

The journey back to my quarters felt long and exhausting.

 

I felt completely drained by the events of the day.

 

“…”

 

The sensation of dizziness and nausea repeated.

 

I couldn’t help but sit down and cling to the pillar of the building.

 

The dizziness persisted, and I felt like I was on a storm-tossed ship in a turbulent sea.

 

“Madam, what are you doing here?”

 

The voice I heard belonged to Rona.

 

For a moment, Rona’s image seemed to split in two and then merge back together.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

I shook my head.

 

“I just feel dizzy.”

 

My head was spinning, and my stomach felt queasy.

 

“Why?”

 

Finally, I couldn’t hold it in and vomited.

 

Why was this happening?

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Rona’s voice also seemed to split in two, and the buzzing sound in my ears didn’t stop.

 

“It’s okay to vomit! Don’t hold it in.”

 

Rona patted my back and wiped my forehead repeatedly.

 

“Ugh…”

 

It was agonizing.

 

It felt like someone was twisting and squeezing my stomach.

 

“Ugh, ugh.”

 

I retched several times, but nothing came out.

 

“Rona…”

 

I murmured weakly.

 

“Ack! Madam! Don’t die!”

 

“I’m not… dy… ing…”

 

My groans were muffled, and I could barely hear myself.

 

I’m not dying.

 

At least not now.

 

I wanted to say it, but I didn’t have the energy to lift a finger.

 

“Please don’t die.”

 

Rona sobbed uncontrollably.

 

“I’m not… dy… ing…”

 

Amid Rona’s cries, my head felt even more dizzy.

 

After a while, as the dizziness subsided a bit, the nausea also decreased.

 

I managed to rise from my crouched position.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

My legs were trembling, but I managed to stand.

 

“I’ll get some things for you to take. It’s better to lie down and rest…”

 

Rona said with a concerned voice.

 

“I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

 

I cut off Rona’s words.

 

“But still…”

 

“I said it’s okay.”

 

“I know it’s okay…”

 

I didn’t want any disturbance today.

 

As much as the day Amoide might have heard such news.

 

I forced a smile at Rona’s worried gaze.

 

“So, I’m really okay.”