Edith met Sullivan when she was just 20 years old.
Sullivan, who was the same age as her at the time, knew nothing about herbs, so she was responsible for cleaning the clinic and disposing of the trash.
‘I heard you’re a descendant of slaves?‘
‘My husband died recently, and now they say I have to support my in-laws’ youngest child as well. It’s too much for someone at such a young age.‘
People looked at Sullivan with pity, but Edith thought she was truly remarkable for leading her life with dignity.
Then one day, Edith saw Sullivan holding her stomach and gasping for breath in the corridor before her short summer vacation began.
“Sullivan, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”
“The child, the child… it feels like the child is coming.”
“The child? What are you talking about?”
At that time, Edith could only be bewildered by Sullivan’s words.
Her belly had barely grown, and it was impossible to imagine that she was pregnant.
『 She doesn’t seem pregnant, so how can a child be coming?』
Sullivan’s reaction to her was a sign that she was giving birth, so Edith called Mrs. Homan and prepared hot water.
She only found out she was really pregnant after her massive contractions began.
Fortunately, after Sullivan gave birth safely despite all her hardships, Mrs. Homan felt sorry and explained the whole story to Edith.
“It happens sometimes, Edith. Since jobs are not often given to pregnant women, they use a special potion containing magical herbs to prevent their stomachs from showing. Even though it makes the body heavier due to the side effects, it’s even more painful with intensified labor pains. I imagine she was scared all alone…”
Sullivan used a potion that had been secretly passed down among slaves with similar circumstances. Its alias was the ‘Blue Potion.’
『 So, taking an early summer vacation was to give birth within two days.』
Feeling sorry for Sullivan’s situation, where she had to work until just before giving birth to support her family, Edith pleaded with the Homan couple.
Thanks to this, Sullivan was able to work even after giving birth.
Her main job shifted from physically demanding tasks to organizing herbs in the herb storage room.
“Sullivan, why don’t you take this opportunity to study medicinal herbs and work as an apothecary?”
With Edith’s occasional help with her studies and looking after her child on her days off, Sullivan was able to confidently secure a job as an apothecary at the Homan Clinic one year later.
For that reason, Sullivan has always been grateful to Edith. However, she couldn’t willingly accept this particular request.
“Edith, what’s going on? Why do you need that potion?”
Even as she asked this question, Sullivan knew the only circumstances under which the ‘Blue Potion’ was used: when one needed to hide their pregnancy from others.
“Just because. I think it’s good to know.”
When Edith smiled bitterly and said that, Sullivan felt her heart sink.
“Although that potion is not harmful to the child, it can be fatal to the mother’s body. Remember? I almost died because I lost consciousness during childbirth due to labor pains that were rapidly intensifying.”
Sullivan tried to dissuade Edith by listing the side effects of the potion.
Edith didn’t know that giving up the child made everything easier.
Then she wouldn’t have to become Walter’s weakness or worry about other dangers.
『 But…』
Edith placed her hand on her still flat stomach.
Walter and their child.
Just that fact alone made her want to protect the child. Even if she had to raise the child alone without any help until the danger disappeared, even if she had to postpone her dream of entering the academy to become a doctor indefinitely.
『 I thought I was still considering it, but seeing that I think like a mother, it seems like I’ve already made my decision.』
Edith smiled bitterly, erasing her long thoughts.
“I don’t plan to drink it right away. I just want to have another option in case a situation arises where I need to hide the pregnancy.”
“…”
Sullivan knew how difficult it was to hide a pregnancy.
At the same time, she knew full well that there was a situation in which she had no choice but to hide the pregnancy.
『 If Edith is considering even this method, it must be because she wants to protect her child at all costs in complicated situations.』
Sullivan had been receiving her help for several years, and she knew how upright and smart Edith was.
Choosing the reckless option when there were better alternatives was not something Edith would do.
In the end, she hugged Edith tightly, and then searched through the herb drawer to make a ‘Blue Potion’ for her.
“I wrote down the instructions here. All you have to do is keep your stomach from showing up. Your pulse will be the same as that of regular pregnant women. The same goes for morning sickness. I hope you won’t have to drink this, but… in any case, I’ll keep the secret.”
“Thank you, Sullivan.”
Edith looked at her friend who was helping her and prayed that she would never have to use this potion.
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“Merlin, that bastard is no longer here. After investigating, it seemed like he even received bribes in the name of donations for the Militia Force.”
Cassius reported as Walter dismounted from his horse alongside Edith.
“I immediately ordered him to keep his mouth shut to prevent anyone from leaking information about the Lady’s condition to others.”
When he said the words ‘mouth shut,’ a cool breeze blew, which made Edith feel at ease.
『 If Walter ordered it, I can trust him.』
Walter had always been a reliable person in handling tasks, but these days, after escaping Fortrion Manor and gaining his freedom, that aspect of him became even more prominent.
He’s not the type of person who would show sympathy to opponents, so she didn’t think she had to worry about the news of the pregnancy spreading widely.
Walter also listened to Cassius’ report with satisfaction and added.
“And it looks like your uncle may have made some mistakes while he was drunk.”
“Uncle Philip?”
Walter was the one who obviously fabricated the mistake, but Cassius continued with the explanation.
“He was wandering around drunk in this weather and ended up in the hands of an evil farm owner who offered to let him spend the night in a warm place.”
“He ended up there?”
“It turns out he signed up to work there until his death. It’s unpaid labor in exchange for meals.”
“…”
Edith wondered how on earth Walter had managed to arrange something during that brief period.
Edith, astonished by the conditions of the labor, looked at him with a mixture of surprise and admiration.
“That man just made one more mistake while he was drunk, like a monthly ritual. That’s not your fault.”
Walter came to a clear conclusion.
Her uncle had spent his entire life playing and eating off other people’s backs, so now was the time for him to learn how to work diligently.
The idea that her uncle, who had sold her to Nicholas, might never leave the farm sounded somewhat satisfying, so Edith responded with a smirk.
“I see. He might surprisingly be a good fit for farm work.”
In addition, Cassius spoke of how he was looking for a manor to stay in in the capital and how he had secured a carriage and an escort to carry the luggage to the capital.
As Edith listened to his report, she realized how much Walter was preparing to leave for the capital in a few days.
⋙“Let’s go to the capital together, Edith. I’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about anything.”⋘
Thinking that he was making an effort to keep his promise to her, a warmth spread through her heart.
『 I hope you stay safe while we’re there.』
For a moment, Edith imagined what might unfold in the capital, and then she spotted a man approaching on his horse in a hurry from beyond the horizon.
“Lady Edith! Walter! Cassius!”
The person who urgently yelled was Max, Helen’s adjutant and escort knight.
It was quite unusual for Helen, who was now the Lord of Fortrion, to urgently send people to the Militia.
As they moved to a soundproofed indoor conference room, Max drank water vigorously and then began to speak.
“I rushed here in case you had already left Fortrion. Something big just happened.”
“Something big?”
When Edith asked, Max was still astonished.
“Don’t speak a word of this. His Majesty the Emperor sent an envoy to Fortrion without any prior notice. He wants the new Lord of Fortrion to come to the capital, make a formal report, and explain what has been happening in Fortrion.”
“His Majesty the Emperor?”
She could only be astonished.
Fortrion was just one of many rural territories that the central nobility, including the emperor, usually didn’t pay much attention to.
If the Emperor, who had been severely ill, sent a man to Fortrion…
“Since the Lord’s change wasn’t through conventional means, could the intention be to investigate and address that matter?”
In fact, in Helen’s case, although she was an illegitimate heir, she had Fortrion’s blood, so it would not have been so strange for her to receive the title instead of Nicholas, who had no successor.
However…
“During the succession process, there was an incident where the Viscount’s manor was occupied by the local residents, which could be seen as a kind of rebellion.”
Edith highlighted how Helen had stood up against the corrupt power alongside the territory’s residents.
However, that was from the perspective of Fortrion’s residents, and those in higher positions were unlikely to view Helen’s succession favorably.
Edith remembered the anger and uproar of the territory’s residents that surged like a tidal wave on that day.
Even with Walter by her side, the voices were so harsh that her heart was pounding, and she couldn’t easily calm down. Even she, who knew everything and watched over the situation, must have seen how precarious it was outside.
In the eyes of those in higher positions with much to lose, people rising up and taking matters into their own hands in the rural territories wouldn’t seem favorable.
“There are so many fallen nobles in the rural fiefdoms, and if they were all judged by the people like Fortrion, they would have thought that it would be a threat to the ruling system. So, I think he wants to call Helen to see if she is the rightful successor and if she poses any risks.”
Max watched Edith easily speculate about the Emperor’s intentions and thought to himself.
『 That’s why Helen and Isabelle asked me to bring Edith.』
Sometime after Helen received the imperial decree, she called Max and asked him to come and check that Edith had not yet left the estate.
When he first heard her name, Max asked Helen what she had in mind when looking for Edith.
⋙“I want to convey the feeling of a smooth transfer of power by going with the Lady who was entrusted with the authority from the former Viscount. So, one of the Ladies must come along with me.”⋘
⋙“In that case, how about suggesting it to Lady Isabelle? She was the one who stayed until the end, and she happened to stop by to pick up the sculptures that Nicholas had given her as a gift.”⋘
Then Helen smiled meaningfully.
⋙“I actually asked Isabelle first, but she said Edith would be a better fit since this is a position that may require instantaneous improvisation and judgment.”⋘
Max was a little puzzled when Helen said that, but now that he heard Edith answer in a clear voice, he nodded.
In his opinion, Edith seemed to be the one who could provide the most significant assistance to Helen right now.
“Helen, no, the Viscountess has asked if Lady Edith would accompany her.”
“Me?”
Edith blinked her eyes slowly. If she were to accompany Helen, who had received an imperial decree, many knights would be accompanying them, so it would almost solve the safety issue she had been worried about.
『 I should be the one thanking them for calling me, not them asking for a favor.』
“Max, I think… we should…”
But before she could say her thoughts, Max urgently interrupted her.
“Please consider it positively, M’lady. I will inform you about the rewards Lady Helen has offered for your company.”
Even rewards?
Edith didn’t know how to react, so she quietly listened to Max.
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