Sickly? Husband's Contractual Wife

Chapter 92

 

What did Mom say?

 

“I miss Mom.”

 

If Mom were alive, I could have consulted her without hesitation.

 

No, I could have even made a decision.

 

No, I wouldn’t have been married into this family in the first place…

 

“Stop it.”

 

The assumption of “what if” was a factor that made people more miserable.

 

I was scared.

 

What if I really had a child?

 

“Well, I’ll become a true duchess.”

 

I hesitated for a moment at the whisper from within.

 

Heir to the dukedom.

 

I couldn’t know the gender yet, but whether it was a daughter or a son, having a child who inherited his blood could solidify my position.

 

“Should I let Camilla go like that?”

 

Once again, I snapped out of the whisper.

 

Whether I bore Amoide’s child or not wouldn’t heal Amoide’s illness.

 

His life would still be as fragile as a candle in the wind.

 

Either way.

 

I touched my belly again.

 

If there really was a baby growing inside.

 

“I’ll protect you no matter what.”

 

—

 

“Madam, have you made up your mind now?”

 

Rona asked while brushing my hair from behind.

 

“Yeah.”

 

A day and a half had passed since Jang visited yesterday.

 

After he left, my mind gradually cleared.

 

Perhaps due to the tension, my nausea had disappeared, and I felt clearer-headed.

 

So, I was able to make a decision.

 

To tell Camilla about my possibility of being pregnant.

 

“Shall we… go together?”

 

“No, I’ll go alone.”

 

I lowered my head and stood up from my seat.

 

The path to Camilla’s room seemed unusually long.

 

The surroundings were excessively quiet and dark.

 

The grand mansion, especially at dusk, sometimes felt eerie because of its grandeur and extravagance, and now was one of those moments.

 

With each step closer to Camilla’s room, I felt an inexplicable heaviness in my chest.

 

The door was slightly ajar, and I took a deep breath in front of it.

 

As I was about to open the door, I heard a voice that made me pause.

 

“…Was it the right thing to do, Raymond?”

 

The voice, strained as if being choked, belonged to Camilla.

 

“Could the child have been shocked? I did it for Amoide…”

 

Something serious was being discussed.

 

Despite not being a graceful action, I couldn’t bring myself to move away from the door.

 

It was because of the name “Amoide.”

 

“Do not worry, my lady. Did not Lord Amoide also understand?”

 

What was he talking about?

 

Unconsciously, I pressed my ear against the door.

 

“You did well. Think about it; it would be more tormenting to think of yourself as useless while being confined to the duchess’s mansion, even if a war were to break out without doing anything as the commander of the knights.”

 

War.

 

Knights.

 

They were all words associated with him.

 

So, based on the premise that Amoide led the Sun Knights as their commander…

 

“If things continue like this, the Emperor will dismiss him before you request his dismissal, my lady. He will be driven away, Lord Amoide will.”

 

The weighty truth conveyed by Raymond’s voice was cruel.

 

“So perhaps…”

 

Perhaps that was why the ladies requested his dismissal in the presence of the Empress.

 

“When I mentioned the dismissal, the child had a resigned expression. He didn’t show anger or sadness. He just smiled. Perhaps he thought it was time to return… He seemed powerless.”

 

My body relaxed.

 

“He smiled.”

 

I remembered the day when he listened to me so well.

 

He readily accepted my request to wear the ring and even agreed to an untimely date.

 

That unusual day.

 

He already knew that he would have to let go of everything.

 

“I see.”

 

Knowing that he had already resigned himself to it, I simply faced him with a bright smile.

 

I had no idea what he was thinking.

 

“Amoide.”

 

I had to meet him right away.

 

Just as I was about to take a step forward, Camilla’s voice reached my ears once again.

 

“Raymond, I feel like I’m going mad with fear.”

 

Camilla’s voice was trembling thinly, and stifled sobs echoed in my ears.

 

I peeked through the crack in the door.

 

Camilla was sitting on a chair, extremely anxious, while Raymond was comforting her with a calm voice.

 

Although Camilla seemed more agitated than usual, there wasn’t much difference from how she usually appeared.

 

However..

 

Their bodies were very close.

 

While Raymond occasionally supported Camilla, who swayed due to excessive tension, seeing them so intimate was unprecedented.

 

“If the child inherits the illness of my family…”

 

Her voice, mixed with sadness and fear, flowed out along with the sound of stifled sobs.

 

What did she say?

 

Unable to believe what I had just heard, I approached closer.

 

“It will be all right, my lady. There is still… time.”

 

“Will it? Is it really, Raymond?”

 

Camilla lifted her face buried in her hands and looked at him.

 

“But everyone is gone. They’re all gone!”

 

Her nervous voice resonated through the room.

 

“If he catches the disease, he won’t survive. My lucky sibling avoided the illness, but… both my father and brother succumbed to it.”

 

Camilla’s words stumbled.

 

“Only Amoide’s child is our hope. We brought her into this wealthy household from the Dasant family. So why is there still no news?”

 

Her voice became increasingly desperate.

 

“If I can’t bear a child, I’ll be useless. There’s no reason for bringing her here. So if I can just safely bear the child…”

 

After that, there was no more murmuring.

 

Thump, thump.

 

As the sound of footsteps approaching the door grew louder, I quickly retreated.

 

Then, I waited silently on the nearby staircase.

 

… Raymond, who came out, looked around before going back inside.

 

Confirming Raymond’s entry into the room, I slipped away unnoticed.

 

Once in the garden, I walked at a brisk pace, my back, hands, and entire body covered in cold sweat.

 

Amoide is dying?

 

He’s dying because of the illness inherited from Camilla’s family?

 

“This is not something that appears in the book.”

 

It was an unfamiliar fact.

 

Since it was written from Veronica’s perspective, it was natural that I couldn’t know such information.

 

“Amoide is dying from the disease inherited from Camilla?”

 

“I knew it all along.”

 

The hand covering my mouth dropped down.

 

He must have known everything.

 

“Both… my uncle and my brother succumbed to it.”

 

To succumb.

 

Amoide.

 

“Lies.”

 

All my actions were ultimately meaningless.

 

But why didn’t he tell me?

 

The answer was obvious.

 

“I am not family.”

 

Neither he nor Camilla.

 

No one in this mansion.

 

Because they don’t consider me his true wife.