The patient’s rolled-back eyelids returned to their proper position. Owen slowly straightened his back. He could no longer ignore the man behind him.

“You’re early, Doctor.”

“Good morning, Your Grace. Did you sleep well?”

“I think my insomnia is completely cured now. How is Father?”

“……Not good. You might need to prepare yourself.”

“Oh my, is his condition that poor?”

It was a voice that seemed genuinely concerned. Owen’s hands trembled.

It was amazing that the patient was still alive. The head that was supposedly kicked by a horse’s hoof was a mess. Whether it was really just from a horse’s hoof, or if there had been additional impact from someone’s gunstock, he didn’t know.

During the month he searched through old books and latest medical papers with bloodshot eyes all night, he kept repeating to himself: I am a doctor. I must save the patient. That’s the only reason I want to return Harris Chesterfield as the master of the duke’s residence……

Then he would hear Celian’s voice.

‘I want to leave.’

She was definitely sincere when she said those words. However, making her determination meaningless, the next day the news of the young duke’s broken engagement broke.

With an ominous feeling, he sent a letter to Celian but received no reply, and at the duke’s residence which he visited daily under the pretense of checking on the patient, he didn’t see even a strand of silver hair.

Izer stood by the door.

“Let me escort you to the main gate.”

“For Your Grace to take such trouble, I’m honored.”

“A friend of my wife is my friend as well.”

Owen responded mechanically.

“……That’s right, you got married. I haven’t properly congratulated you.”

According to the Duke of Chesterfield, their wedding was held modestly in a cathedral.

It was a wedding that people said happened but no one had seen. While it wasn’t incomprehensible that they wanted to keep it modest considering the unfortunate events that had recently occurred at the duke’s residence, questions remained about why they had to rush through the wedding.

The newspapers reported daily on the union of Berienne and Chesterfield. People nodded in front when hearing the young duke’s response that he wanted to repay the woman who had firmly supported him through consecutive tragedies, but sneered behind his back.

Whispers of pity for the young duke who had been fooled by the beauty of a cunning governess covered Humingham. They said the bedridden previous duke would clutch his chest in distress if he could.

On days when Owen heard sighs about how Chesterfield had come to be known as Marcotti Berienne’s son-in-law, he too tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

To people, Celian Chesterfield was a devil wearing the mask of a beautiful lady. A wh*re who had been busy looking for someone to cover her fallen self with a noble name.

It might be fortunate for Celian that no one had seen her since the wedding. She would have been completely shielded from the careless words of those who knew nothing about her.

His trembling lips finally asked the question he couldn’t before.

“Is Celian…… really doing well?”

“Someone might think I’m keeping my wife locked up.”

At that cold voice, Owen also regained his composure. With a playful tone, he criticized the duke as if nothing was wrong.

“It’s suspicious enough. I come every few days but haven’t met Lian once. That girl who loves to wander around……”

“The reason my wife doesn’t meet people is because she hates seeing the faces of hypocrites who don’t know their place. And Doctor,”

The duke stopped walking.

“As a husband, I’m not particularly pleased with your excessive interest in my wife.”

Owen gritted his teeth at his clear warning. He was a dangerous man. He had to get Celian away from this person’s hands. But he had no power. If there was someone who could exercise greater authority than Izer Chesterfield……

The young duke watching him approached the bed and shifted his gaze to the patient.

“Let me tell you just in case, Doctor. Father wasn’t exactly a good employer to Lian.”

“……”

“That’s a big reason why Lian doesn’t come down to the sick room. Though she’s not harsh enough to openly wish for someone’s death, she doesn’t want his recovery either.”

“And you want me to believe that now?”

“You speak as if your attitude toward the patient would change depending on whether you believe it or not.”

“How could that be? I’m a doctor. Saving patients is my top priority.”

“Father tried to hand Beth over to Winston.”

“……!”

“Since it’s a sensitive matter, please keep it secret. Celian wanted to quit her job earlier, but Father threatened her using Beth. I only found out about this recently.”

There seemed to be anger in his words as he stared intently at the bandaged face. However, the duke soon regained his composure.

“Anyway, you should have seen Lian’s pained expression when she ‘heard’ the article exposing Winston’s evil deeds……”

“……”

A scene Owen had never witnessed appeared too naturally in his mind. A n*ked woman kneeling under the desk, a noble man reading the newspaper aloud to the woman sucking his c*ck.

A desk with a closed front was good for hiding someone underneath. Perhaps the duke had been discussing that article with someone else. And under that desk, Celian couldn’t make a sound, her eyes turning red……

Izer stopped at the main gate and concluded his words.

“Lian and I were having tea. Even I didn’t know Schwenn would burst in with the newspaper. Though it was worth running over for. He’s a kind friend.”

“……”

The inflated imagination in Owen’s mind popped like a bubble. It was too extreme an imagination. Just looking at how he left the man before him to die showed that the previous duke wasn’t such a good person. It would make sense if such a person had threatened Celian using Beth.

And it was Owen himself who had pushed her into such a house. 

 * * *

 Celian bowed her head and cut the turkey with a knife. The light from the silver candlesticks reflected off the silverware.

A small voice called her.

“Teacher.”

“……”

Izer didn’t allow Percy to call Celian ‘sister-in-law.’ So Celian was still ‘teacher.’ Celian also consistently used formal speech with Percy.

“Teacher!”

She raised her eyes at the call she couldn’t ignore. Percy was looking at her with a relieved expression.

“Teacher, are you feeling better?”

She could feel the red eyes staring at her intensely from the right. Celian barely opened her lips to answer.

“I still need to rest a bit more. Thank you for your concern.”

On the first day he confined her to the room, Izer had told her.

‘I told Percy you’re sick. Don’t look at me like that. I don’t intend to do anything to the child.’

‘……’

‘You don’t seem to believe me. You’ll see it’s true when we eat.’

She tried not to let Izer notice the sense of déjà vu she felt at the dining table. 

 Izer wouldn’t know. That Izer, seated at the head of the table, was making similar gestures to the bedridden Harris Chesterfield. That in her own figure watching Izer’s mood, she saw overlaps with the deceased Renéee. 

 Cough, something caught in her throat. It was just choking, but to Percy, it seemed to be evidence of her illness. 

 “Teacher, are you alright?”

“I’m fine…… cough.”

Her face turned red. Half from the blood rushing to her face from repeated coughing, and half from the embarrassment of having two pairs of eyes fixed on her. As she turned her head to the side and helplessly clutched her napkin, a warm hand touched her back. 

 Thump, thump.

“……”

The hand patting her back was gentle. The warmth of the patting felt so contrary to the glaring eyes that had been looking at her like they would devour her, she felt like she might forget how to breathe. 

 Izer sighed at his wife who had frozen as soon as he touched her. 

 “Don’t mind it and cough. You need to get it out.”

“Cough!”

A small bone fragment popped onto the napkin. Celian turned her head while fanning her reddened face. Izer had already returned to his seat as if his business was done. 

 After the commotion, dinner ended in a quiet atmosphere. Izer sent Percy out first. Celian, who hadn’t yet received permission to leave the table, kept her place. 

 Izer removed the napkin from his neck. Soon, the topic she feared most came up. 

 “Doctor Owen came by.”

“I know. ……You told me this morning.”

Celian hastily added words. If he found out she had watched them from the window, he would be even more angry. 

 “When he asked about you, I told him you don’t really want to meet people.”

“If you say so, then that must be it.”

She answered mechanically. Izer was particularly sensitive on days involving Owen. Since she had even received Percy’s concern just now, it would be wise to avoid irritating Izer’s mood as much as possible. 

 Seeing that Izer didn’t give much of a response, her reply seemed to have been appropriate. As she was secretly letting out a sigh of relief, he brought up an unexpected topic. 

 “The Schwenns invited us to dinner tomorrow evening.”