Episode 76
I began to understand just how comforting it was to have someone dependable by my side.
“Thank you.”
In truth, I hadn’t done anything that significant. Strictly speaking, I’d only helped the residents of East District, not Robert himself. But Robert looked as if he’d received a grand favor directly.
“Robert is a good man. Even if it’s work from the heart, going to every place hit by the plague can’t be easy.”
He placed a cherished photo of his wife in the most visible spot on his desk and spoke.
“It’s my lifelong mission. It was her request to me. And above all, I felt an even heavier responsibility for the plague in East District.”
Robert gazed at the woman in the photo with a look of deep affection.
“That place… it was her hometown. That’s why it weighed so heavily on me, yet I was crushed by the thought that I couldn’t end the plague with my own strength. It felt like the helplessness I had felt before her… coming over me all over again.”
“I see…”
Robert had lived in East District for over a year. Staying settled for more than half a year was unusual for him, given his life as a wandering physician. I had always wondered about that.
‘So, it was because of his wife’s hometown. That explains it.’
“Then you appeared before me, young lady. Just like how Duke Thergon Drenihan appeared out of nowhere years ago to sponsor me when I was a nobody. Blood truly doesn’t lie. It amazes me how much you resemble him….”
Robert said this with a smile before his tone grew serious.
“Let’s begin the examination.”
With a sense of responsibility and resolve, his eyes glinted with determination from behind his glasses.
During the meticulous examination that lasted three to four hours, Robert’s expression wasn’t always favorable. As Arzen had mentioned before, it seemed my condition had worsened considerably.
I described every symptom I’d been experiencing, hiding nothing from him.
“Your hands have become numb to the point it’s impacting your daily life…. Not surprising, given it’s the same illness. The symptoms are eerily identical to those my wife suffered.”
At the end of the session, Robert took a small sample of my blood and sealed it in a small vial.
“That concludes the examination for now. I’ll proceed with my research, and if I discover anything new, I’ll contact you.”
* * *
Though I had only been away in the south for a week, it felt like the longest time I had ever been apart from Drenihan.
As I returned to my room, Nella greeted me warmly, as if she’d been waiting.
“Did you have a pleasant trip, my lady?”
“Yes, it was wonderful. I even got to see the sea.”
“The sea! The south is known for its beautiful coastlines. You look much better too. It seems the trip did you well.”
Publicly, I had gone south for rest and recuperation. My grandfather and father had allowed me to go under the pretense that I’d visit a renowned physician introduced by Ludwig.
“But more importantly, I heard you played a big role in helping with the plague in East District!”
“I only provided some financial support.”
“Even so! They’re calling you a model of noblesse oblige in the capital.”
Nella beamed as she helped me out of my travel clothes.
“Was everything quiet at the estate while I was gone?”
At my question, Nella’s hands paused.
“Well…”
“Yes?”
Nella’s expression grew uneasy. She hesitated, her lips quivering before she spoke in a soft voice.
“The truth is… the master…”
At her next words, my eyes widened in shock.
* * *
I quickly changed clothes and hurried to my grandfather’s room. Normally, he would still be working in his office at this hour, but I’d heard he was resting in his chambers.
At the end of the corridor, I stopped before a grand double door that seemed to tower over me. I took a deep breath and was about to knock when the door suddenly opened, and a man stepped out.
It was my grandfather’s aide, Alex. Upon seeing me, his eyes widened.
“My lady, you’ve returned.”
His words must have carried into the room because I heard my grandfather’s usual hearty, though slightly weakened, voice.
“Sierra, is that you!”
“Please, go on in. He’s been eagerly awaiting your return.”
Alex gave me a strained smile as he led me inside.
My grandfather was lying on a grand bed in the center of his quarters. The man I once had to look up to now looked up at me from where he lay.
“Grandfather.”
“You just returned, didn’t you? They say the southern air is refreshing, and it must be true. Your face looks much brighter.”
He laughed heartily, as though trying to mask his frailty.
A week wasn’t a long time, yet here he was, so suddenly… weakened.
“Are you alright?”
“Of course I am. I don’t know what you’ve heard, but everyone is just making a fuss over nothing.”
According to Nella, he had collapsed unexpectedly just two days after I’d left. The man, who had never caught even a cold, had suddenly lost consciousness, causing quite a stir throughout the household.
Only a select few within the family knew that the Drenihan patriarch’s health had taken a turn.
The physician’s diagnosis was ‘Debarun,’ an illness brought on by old age that gradually weakened the body, leading to occasional loss of consciousness and deteriorating health.
In the original story, Thergon Drenihan only appeared briefly at the beginning, then gradually faded from focus until he wasn’t mentioned at all. I had no clue why his health had declined so suddenly or how to help him.
“Why the long face? Are you worried about this old man?”
“…You’ll recover in no time, right?”
At my words, he spoke in a loud voice.
“Well, if it were that serious, do you think I’d still be working on these damn documents?”
He pointed at Alex, who was standing behind him.
“This is elder abuse, you know that?”
“That’s why I’ve been telling you to rest….”
“Enough! If I don’t do it, who will? Serkhan’s got his hands full, after all.”
Alex sighed, looking as though he was at a loss for how to sway his stubborn master.
Though I understood there was nothing to be done for an age-related illness, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
‘Next time I see Robert, I’ll have to ask him about Debarun.’
However, from what I knew, Debarun was a gradual disease, one that worsened over time. In contrast, my grandfather had been in perfect health when he suddenly collapsed.
Even the doctor had been troubled over the diagnosis. Yet, there was no trace of poison, according to the examination results.
Watching him put on a brave face, a bitter taste filled my mouth.
* * *
As I stepped out after visiting my grandfather, I ran into my father.
“Sierra.”
Upon seeing me, he approached in a few brisk steps.
“I heard you’d returned and went straight to see your grandfather.”
“Yes. I was worried after hearing the news…”
Noticing the concern on my face, he reached out to gently pat my head, as if to ease my worries.
“He’ll be fine, I’m sure. He’s taking his medicine regularly, so don’t worry too much.”
“Yes…”
My father then turned to Alex, who had just closed the door to my grandfather’s room.
“Alex, move most of my father’s duties over to me for now. I’ll handle them until he’s back on his feet.”
“Understood, young master.”
It seemed even Grandfather was beginning to consider the succession. A great wave was soon to sweep over Drenihan.
* * *
A week later, news arrived that Ludwig had returned to the capital.
Rumors about his achievements in Navon City were everywhere. Even a quick glance at the newspaper showed a flood of praise.
But the most intriguing part, as always, was the gossip column at the very bottom. Likely more than half of the readers bought the paper just to see this section. It held enough influence and attention to make an impact…
[Grand Duke Karsian holds a secret engagement ceremony with Lady Drenihan in the South?]
They had to be out of their minds.
The way I audibly wheezed at the second last line XD