The doctor in Pasa who examined her on the first day immediately noticed that she was pregnant, but Shioana asked him to keep it a secret.
'The poison itself is extremely potent, and the medicine used for detoxification is not mild either, so it is difficult to guarantee the outcome. All I can promise is that I will do my best.'
Shioana could not answer the council member's words.
A broken love, addiction, and even an unexpected child—it was simply too overwhelming to handle alone.
"...Sigh."
Shioana, who was making bizarre sounds like a howling beast, tossed and turned, trying hard not to fall asleep. However, due to her depleted energy, her eyelids kept closing.
'Why did he come looking for me?'
She pictured Etienne's face when he came here.
'Is there still something left to get angry about?'
As she left the Bernhard mansion, she resolved to forget him completely.
'The Etienne I knew died in the barn fire.'
It was hard to live another day without thinking that way.
'Shioana.'
Etienne's voice calling her was somewhat cautious, but it didn't matter. She had decided to erase Etienne completely from her memories.
'It's funny, why does he look like that?'
For someone who had achieved everything he wanted, his face was incredibly haggard. Like someone who could neither eat nor sleep properly.
'What does that have to do with me?'
Perhaps it would have been better if the two hadn't met in the first place.
'I want to be happy now.'
Shioana, who was carefully rubbing her belly, forced a smile.
Because there were enough reasons to muster up strength.
***
Having overcome the crisis with the protection of the goddess Diana, Shioana moved her residence to the house she originally intended to move into, despite Raul's dissuasion.
Raul had already perfectly decorated the place, so there was nothing else to prepare.
"My lord, how can you be so thoughtful?"
It was a small house, but now they could fit two beds. And plenty of sunlight streamed in through the small window, so there was no chance of mold forming on the walls.
At Martha's voice filled with emotion, Shioana sat quietly on the bed.
"Miss. By the way, is it alright for you to be walking around like this?"
"Yeah. I'm fine now."
Shioana, who claimed to be healthy, still had only half her face. Martha, with her hands on her hips, spoke in a spirited voice.
"Instead of doing this, I should go do some grocery shopping and make sure our young lady has a hearty meal. Sir, would you please stay here for just a moment? I would like to treat you to dinner."
"Ah. Uh. Well."
Raul, who had been scratching his head vigorously, quietly sat down next to Harriet, who was playing by stacking wooden blocks. The child seemed to have become quite close to Raul, whom he had seen often, as he climbed onto his lap and begged for a piggyback ride.
"Harriet, you shouldn't do that."
"What do you mean it can't be done? We're so close."
As Raul sprang up with Harriet on his shoulders and spun around, a sound of pure, pearly laughter burst from the child's mouth. Only then did Shioana realize that she had truly returned home.
'I feel like I've been on a long journey.'
From the wedding at the temple to the events at the Bernhard mansion, it felt like a distant past story.
'We're really completely finished.'
Not long ago, Viscount Conrad came and delivered the Duke's signed divorce papers.
'Please contact me anytime if you need my help.'
Viscount Conrad, wearing a very complicated expression, urged her several times. Shioana nodded vaguely, but she had absolutely no intention of doing so.
'Because I want to forget everything related to the Bernhard family.'
"Harriet, you know, pirates can sometimes be a bit mean. Do you understand?"
Shioana was able to shake off her thoughts at the sound of Raul and Harriet starting to play with swords while holding palm-sized pieces of wood.
"No, you're not even in good health, so why would you want to do something like that?"
As she got up from her seat and cleared the table, Raul, who had been playing with Harriet, came and sat Shioana back on the bed.
"Raul, I'm fine now."
"Fine? Look at that pale face; do you realize how pathetic you look?"
"Martha said I was pretty."
Shioana, who had become very close with Raul while staying at his house in Arles, started to get worked up. Raul, who turned to look at her sitting on the bed, hesitated for a moment.
Although signs of illness still lingered, Shioana was regaining her former beauty. Her lake-blue eyes shone, and her wavy brown hair was luscious.
"No! Martha is definitely getting presbyopia."
Raul's ears quickly turned red as he firmly answered no.
***
The new house she moved into was near where Raul's office was located, so it was quite a bustling area.
"Hello, teacher!"
The little boy with the runny nose made a happy face at the appearance of Shioana.
Shioana no longer went to the office and went to teach children.
"Thanks to you, my child is writing their own name."
Shioana said goodbye to her very satisfied parents and slowly returned home. Tutoring suited her aptitude better than she had thought, and the pay wasn't bad either.
"I wish I could teach just a little more classes..."
However, contrary to her will, her body did not cooperate. She was out of breath after walking just a short distance. Although her belly wasn't showing yet, the baby seemed to be making its presence known quite strongly.
"Yeah. I know you're there."
Shioana muttered to herself as she gently stroked her belly. She had been worried that something might go wrong with the detoxification treatment, but fortunately, the child was safe.
Of course, considering only her health, working was still a bit of a stretch. However, she couldn't just wait to fully recover.
"I can't keep being indebted to Raul."
Raul lent some money to Shioana, who was making a fresh start.
'I don't need interest, and I won't fill out any paperwork, so just take it.'
When Raul, who detested loans, took money out of the safe, Murphy acted as if he were about to faint.
'You will be the first and last person to borrow the boss's money for free.'
Even though she was so lacking, she had to muster up strength because there were still people who believed in her. Shioana, who had paused for a moment, moved forward again.
As she walked, a place she liked appeared. Shioana stopped for a moment and quietly felt the breeze blowing from the canal.
'It is completely different from Regbell's fields, though.'
There was a strangely similar aspect to it.
So sometimes Shioana would just stand there mindlessly, letting the wind blow for a while, and then go back.
"...What?"
She heard a commotion, as if there had been a fight. Fights between drunk sailors were so common here that it wasn't particularly surprising.
"I should buy some fish on my way back."
A look of hope spread across Shioana's face as she weighed what to buy at the market.
***
"Your Excellency, I am worried that something really bad might happen to you at this rate."
It has been over a month since Duke Bernhard has been holed up in his bedroom and hasn't come out. To be precise, it has been since he met the Duchess at Raul's house.
'Everything goes out!'
The Duke refused to eat and ordered only alcohol to be brought.
"Your Excellency, I may handle the backlog of paperwork, but what will you do about His Imperial Majesty's summons?"
The newly enthroned Emperor of Urcheka had studied together with Etienne during their childhood. Therefore, he was able to enforce the law fairly in the matter involving Katrina and Marquis Calix without interference from others.
"...Cedric."
A gloomy voice was heard from the pitch-black room, with the curtains still drawn. Cedric strode in and lit a candle first. Covering his nose at the terrible smell of alcohol, Cedric was speechless with shock.
"..."
The Duke's face, revealed under the dim light, was worse than expected.
His eyes were sunken and his cheeks gaunt, making it a miracle he was alive. The floor was littered with empty liquor bottles, and not a trace of warmth could be felt from him.
"Your Excellency, please come to your senses."
Cedric could not fully fathom the Duke's feelings at this moment. After all, he had never hated or loved anyone to that extent before.
However, he had a duty to properly assist the Duke.
"Even if we send her out of respect for the Duchess's wishes, wouldn't there still be work for Your Excellency to do?"
Cedric resorted to a last-ditch effort to revive the Duke. After all, there was only one person who could move Etienne Bernhard.
“What right do I have to treat her...?"
The Duke covered his face with both hands, seemingly in distress at the thought of Shioana.
"Your Excellency, Sector 8 is a place lurking with all kinds of dangers; are you just going to stand by and watch?"
“But she is.”
The Duke swallowed a groan as he recalled Shioana's gaze for the last time. If he had any conscience, he should not have revealed himself before her.
"So, are you not loving her anymore, Your Excellency?"
"Cedric, I have no right to say such things."
Cedric was burning up inside as he watched the Duke, who had been running wild one moment and was now acting like a loser.
"I dared to disobey Your Excellency's orders and assigned someone to the Duchess."
"..."
"I'm not just saying this casually; she really could be in danger. Do you remember the man we apprehended at the market the other day?"
At this moment, the face of the butcher who had not hesitated to make lewd remarks to Shioana flashed before Etienne's eyes.
“Cedric.”
It was a weak voice, but Etienne's red eyes burned more intensely than ever.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment