“Can I have children?”
“A child?”
The doctor opened his eyes wide.
“Herzol has aftereffects.”
"Hmm. Honestly, I was surprised. I didn’t expect you to ask first.”
In marriages between noble families, having children was very important.
Even in the Kingdom of Oberon, where legal marriage was monogamous and only allowed one partner, a wife could easily divorce if she could not bear children.
As a result, the health issue of married women was a very sensitive topic.
Women who were afraid of causing trouble to their families due to the breakdown of their marriage were often afraid of knowing their health status or avoided it even if they had a problem.
Moreover, if they called a doctor and found out that there was a definite illness or problem, they would pay the doctor to keep them quiet.
Since there was so much hesitation, it seemed unusual to a doctor that Claudel would readily ask about her condition.
“It’s no secret that I have Herzol.”
Claudel tried not to get emotional.
Her physical condition did not change just because she was sad.
Moreover, perhaps because of her emotional exhaustion due to Kaian, she became rather calm when it came to check on her physical condition.
“Very few people get better from herzol. So there aren’t many records.”
The doctor pulled up a chair and sat down. He took out his notebook and began asking her for more specifics.
“Have your periods always been irregular?”
"No. I didn’t do that before I got Herzol.”
“When did your period stop?”
“About a month before I found out I had Herzole, my appetite had decreased and I wasn’t feeling well.”
A month later, Claudel learned from a doctor at Castle de Valmonde that she had Herzol.
“Middle of April. Around that time.”
Upon learning of her illness, the Duke of Vermont quickly put her head to bed.
He asked Claudel to use her strength to save the people of the territory since it was a disease that could not be cured anyway, and when Claudel nodded her head, he went to the capital and had an audience with Valquiterre, and returned triumphant.
He had received a promise of help from the King in exchange for her life and food. Valquiterre said he didn't mean to say that, but anyway.
Kaian must have heard from Valquiterre in May that he should get married in a formal ceremony.
June, a beautiful season when roses are in full bloom in Rowen, was the month they got married.
Claudel, who came to Rowen in heavy rain, was unable to see anything resembling a rose.
'That's what I thought at the time.'
She conjured up images of Rowen, whom she had only seen in books, and tried to imagine them.
When she, wearing a white dress, lands at Eowen Castle, strange and exotic people in thin clothes will sprinkle celebratory pollen, and as he said, there will be lovely flowers blooming everywhere around her.
It was the first day of life for a bride who didn't fit into either category.
“Even after the disease is cured, there are still no signs.”
“I see.”
Hearing Claudel's words, the doctor fell silent with a serious expression on his face.
“Have you ever felt anything that could be called an aftereffect after your illness was cured?”
When she was bitten by a crocodile, Claudel had no will to live, so she stayed still like a plant.
But as soon as she found out that Herzol was cured, from then on she didn't want to call a doctor or get examined.
She guessed she wanted to avoid being treated like a patient as much as possible.
So she never consulted a doctor about what she felt were the aftereffects.
“It might not be a big deal. I have a good appetite.”
“Appetite?”
“Before I got herzol, I never ate this much.”
At first, she thought that because Rowen's food was agreeable to her taste, because she was ill and could not swallow the food, and because her enforced fast had been so long, she was eating as much as her body needed.
“I feel like I’m going to collapse just a little bit past mealtime, or I feel like I’m eating a lot.”
“Before you got herzol?”
Claudel nodded his head.
“And I'm been throwing up a few times lately and often feel nauseous and dizzy. I also saw a doctor in the capital, but the medicine didn’t work.”
“I see.”
The doctor's eyes fell on a basket of apples nearby.
“But is that what you ate?”
Claudel was embarrassed.
She's talking about how she's not feeling well right now, and then she picks up a bunch of apples and immediately shows them that she ate them.
"Yes. I haven’t been able to eat well since I went to the capital because I haven’t been feeling well, but today I suddenly felt like eating.”
The doctor seemed to be thinking deeply about something.
“Then let’s take a look. First, lie down comfortably in bed.”
Claudel went to the bed and lay down straight. As Hannah adjusted her skirt and dressing, the doctor brought out some tools.
The doctor examined her for a while and gave her a confused look.
Claudel, feeling uneasy, urged him.
“Why are you doing that?”
The doctor said with a serious expression on his face.
“It looks like you’re pregnant.”
At that moment, there was silence in Claudel's bedroom.
"What?"
While Claudel was embarrassed, Hannah jumped up.
“Doctor. Is what you just said true?”
“Leave me alone.”
Hannah got excited and grabbed the doctor by the collar, causing him to squeak as he was strangled.
"No. That is so ridiculous.”
...As soon as she thought about it, something occurred to her.
Around the time Irena visited Rowen.
Even though it was hot, even when she was basking in the sun, a chill ran down her spine and sent chills through her body. So when Kaian went out to the prom hunt, she purposely wore a Valmonde dress that went all the way up to her neck, just so he wouldn't be able to see.
At that time, she felt like her stomach was being stabbed and her ankles were aching.
She had forgotten that it was a symptom that occurred periodically before menstruation and that she had not had her period for only about half a year.
“Does something come to mind?”
The doctor who was placed with Hannah asked.
“When the Princess of Vermont visited in the fall. I think my body felt a little strange back then.”
The doctor was delighted to hear that she felt as uncomfortable as before her period.
“At that time, it would have been about two months since Herzol got better.”
His face brightened.
“I guess your body recovered naturally.”
“But in Valmonde, it is said that if you have Herzol, you will not be able to have children.”
The doctor continued to smile.
“There aren’t many people who got Herzol in the first place and got better. Moreover, not everything is better in one way.”
There was not just one medicine to treat Herzole. There were a few recipes, but most of them were lost.
Moreover, since there were only a few people who were better off, the reliability of the information about them not being able to have children was low.
"Congratulations, Lady."
“Thank you.”
"Lady! Congratulations so much!”
Hannah was also very happy.
“We must quickly convey this news to the Lord.”
As she ran away, the doctor stood up.
“I will go quickly and report it.”
"Wait for a second."
“Why are you doing this? Do you want to tell him directly?”
"No. Can you keep it a secret from the Lord for a while?”
Claudel asked the doctor.
“Not being able to have children doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get pregnant at all.”
It is known that if you have Herzol, you will not be able to have a child, or if you become pregnant, you will have a miscarriage.
It is a disease that causes one to be unable to breathe, cough, and even vomit blood. There was no way the child, held by a suffocating mother, could breathe properly in her womb.
Fortunately, Claudel did not have any breathing problems after recovering from the herzole, but that remains to be seen.
“It seems unreliable because there are so few such cases. Isn’t your wife pregnant like this too?”
“This child must be born whole.”
The fact that the Duchess of Vermont was pregnant or that she had lost her child was a story that could ignite a fire in both families.
“I am anxious. Can you tell me when the child is a little older?”
The doctor thought briefly.
'The Duchess is gaining His Majesty's favor.'
Moreover, if the successor is born, her position as the literal hostess will be strengthened.
'I have no reason not to do her a favor.'
The doctor nodded at Claudel’s words.
"Great. Instead, if anything goes wrong, you must call me quickly.”
“I will do so.”
“You’re still in the early stages of pregnancy, so you shouldn’t overdo it.”
The doctor continued to nag.
“I will tell my Lord when you have stabilized and your stomach is full.”
“I think that would be good.”
Claudel was greatly relieved to hear that the doctor would keep the secret.
“Think a lot of good thoughts, lady. You, too, will have to look after Madam more carefully.”
"Of course. Hehehe.”
“I will also ask around and if there is anything good for you, I will bring it to you.”
“Thank you.”
The doctor packed his visiting bag and left Claudel's bedroom.
“There is no reason to refuse your request, Madam.”
He hummed and headed to Kaian's office.
“But how can I tell a lie to the lord?”
In any case, it was Kaian who paid him a salary and placed him in the position of resident doctor in the castle.
Madam, you are pregnant with a child, so there is nothing to get excited about. After saying that, only Kaian, the head of the family, needed to know the truth.
Does it make sense that Kaian doesn't know that there might be a successor to the Temnes family?
Herzol is an incurable disease for which there is no answer.
The doctor was inspired by his medical skills to treat Madam's illness and to have a child so proudly.
Oh, by the way, he can't miss it.
He even repaired Madam's leg, which had been chewed up by a crocodile, so that she could walk without any scars.
At that time, when he was stitching up a leg that was bleeding and necrotic, he did it with his hands shaking in front of Kaian, who was glaring at him grimly, fearing that if something went wrong, his head would be cut off.
If Claudel found out, she might be outraged that he had deceived her, but the doctor was confident.
“Please tell the Lord that the doctor wants to see him.”
As he spoke excitedly in front of the lord's office, a servant guided him inside.
Kaian was sitting at his desk, looking through layers of documents.
He has been delayed for nearly a month due to his trip to the capital.
Kaian asked him as he put the quill in his hand into the ink.
“What’s going on?”
"Congratulations, My Lord.”
He raised his head at the sudden remark.
“What does that mean all of a sudden?”
“Ma’am is retired.”
Comments
Post a Comment