Chapter 17

When he brought bouquets before, she always received them well, but now, she had turned pale and left just because of a few flowers. It was almost absurd.

Is it that flowers sold on the street aren’t good enough for her?

If she grew up only receiving the finest things, maybe she was offended that he gave her flowers from a street vendor instead of a proper shop.

Is she really that childish?

Just as Ethan concluded he needed to revise his judgment, he spotted Yvonne trembling in an alley. She was crouched, gripping the wall, breathing heavily.

All his thoughts from earlier vanished instantly at the sight.

“Lady Yvonne.”

Ethan rushed over, startled by her condition. Unable to touch her trembling shoulders, he checked her face first.

“Haa… haa…”

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Her eyes were so red, and even her nose was flushed. At that moment, a realization flashed through his mind.

The reaction she showed was a classic allergic response.

If so, there could only be one cause.

“Do you have a lily allergy? Even though you’re called the Lily of Sellus’s house?”

Yvonne, gasping painfully with her mouth covered, slowly nodded.

Ethan’s face twisted in frustration.

Is the Earl out of his mind?

No matter how much she resembled a flower, to give his daughter a name that could endanger her life…

Ethan raked a hand through his hair and clenched his teeth.

“Are you having trouble breathing? Let’s go to the hospital right now.”

He grabbed her wrist to take her immediately, but she pushed his hand away.

“I can’t go to the hospital. It’ll calm down soon.”

Again, she refused the hospital. Ethan clenched his empty fist in frustration.

“Why do you hate hospitals so much?”

“……”

Silence. Even as she struggled to breathe, her stubborn refusal annoyed Ethan.

Why did he do something he never would?

He’d bought flowers to create a romantic scene and tease Carlisle, who was pretending not to watch from the restaurant across the street. Now, his plan was ruined, and Yvonne’s pale face, insisting she was fine, irritated him even more.

Is she just patient, or is she dull?

Is she hiding her allergy?

He thought maybe her image mattered more than her life, and felt deeply disappointed. Yet, seeing her gasp for air, he felt uncharacteristically anxious.

“Then let’s not stay here—let’s at least go see that doctor from last time.”

“….”

She nodded, either because she couldn’t refuse or because she was suffering too much.

“Ha… really.”

He grabbed her wrist, and as he led her away, he stopped, annoyed, then took off his jacket and draped it over her face.

“I’ll call a car to the end of the alley. When I signal, get in without looking back.”

His jacket slowly moved over her small face.

She listened well at times like this.

Clicking his tongue, Ethan stepped out of the alley and signaled. The waiting car pulled up. He quickly hid Yvonne from the gossiping crowd and sent her off.

* * *

“What happened?”

Just as the café guests were bewildered by Yvonne suddenly getting up and fleeing, followed by Ethan, so too were the patrons at the restaurant across the street, who pretended not to watch but whispered among themselves.

“Maybe they had a fight? The Duchess is said to be quite particular…”

“That’s unlikely. I heard Marquis Ethan Inglebert is completely taken with Lady Yvonne. He visits Cadney Road every day to pick her up and drop her off. He’s so eager, maybe he just wants to be alone with her.”

One noblewoman, saying this, made eye contact with Carlisle and quickly fell silent.

Her reaction reminded the other ladies, who had forgotten the Duke Polshared was present, and they fanned themselves and resumed their formal meal as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Hugo, who had witnessed the scene, cautiously suggested to Carlisle,

“If something’s wrong, maybe you should go check?”

“Why should I?”

The expected answer came, but another empty glass sat before Carlisle.

So much for not caring.

He was a friend who couldn’t express his true feelings or say anything honest, but if he really didn’t care, that steak would never have stayed intact.

Maybe they should have gone for drinks instead of lunch.

Regret washed over Hugo as he looked at his aloof friend with complicated eyes.

* * *

Thanks to timely treatment from the doctor who helped last time, Yvonne avoided breaking out in hives or swelling of her throat, which could have been dangerous.

Ethan escorted her home, and in that brief time, he looked at her pale face with dissatisfaction.

Yvonne avoided mentioning anything about her private life except what was necessary. Why she was at that place that night, her relationship with Carlisle, and now why she hid her lily allergy.

Unable to figure her out, Ethan decided to investigate separately and pushed the matter aside.

“By the way, shouldn’t we coordinate our stories to maintain the lover act?”

“How do you mean?”

“For example, when did we start liking each other? If we say it was love at first sight, what do you think?”

“Where?”

“At the wedding?”

The idea was so absurd that Yvonne couldn’t help but laugh.

She looked at Ethan, who suggested falling for the bride at another man’s wedding, with disbelief.

But Ethan, as if expecting that reaction, continued without any annoyance.

“We fell for each other then, but hid our feelings due to circumstances, and met again by fate at Valley Lane, where our hearts finally connected.”

Yvonne thought it was a joke, but Ethan’s serious expression made her worry.

“We might end up accused of adultery.”

“No need to stay loyal to a husband who has a mistress. If you’ve suffered for three years, this is nothing.”

Yvonne pondered. He wasn’t wrong. If she’d suffered enough to become emotionally ill and finally divorced with a hardened heart, what did it matter if people gossiped that her marriage lacked affection?

Even if Carlisle wouldn’t be emotionally shaken by rumors of her loving another man throughout the marriage, the man he hated most was right in front of her.

“Alright. Let’s work well together.”

* * *

The noon sun shone down on the military headquarters, where the air was as solemn and rigid as ever. But today, a faint excitement lingered, thanks to an early morning visitor.

Whenever Duke Carlisle Polshared came to headquarters, even the busiest soldiers rushed out to pay their respects.

“We greet you, Your Grace, Duke Carlisle Polshared.”

Soldiers, seeing Carlisle stride across the wide corridor, snapped to attention and saluted, the sound of their boots echoing.

He responded with a slight nod, and as he passed, the soldiers’ faces, tense and breathless, showed pride and admiration.

Any soldier respected the Duke’s achievements and skills during his active service.

His striking appearance aside, the dignity of a great noble and the upright posture inherited from generations of military families gave him an intimidating presence.

That alone would have earned him goodwill, but for soldiers who remembered his exceptional leadership, greeting him was an honor.

Amid the subtle heat, Carlisle’s expression remained stiff.

He strode through a corridor lined with photos depicting Windfog’s war history and weap*ns used at the time, and reached the room at the end. The soldier guarding the door saluted smartly and knocked.

“Come in.”

As Carlisle entered, a man standing with his hands behind his back turned amid the haze of cigar smoke filling the room.