Chapter 8. From Winter to Spring (9)

『It’s been a while, Lady Radel.』

Thankfully, the one who contacted me was the duchess.

Duchess Martina appeared, still as beautiful as ever. I stared blankly at her before quickly snapping out of it and greeting her properly.

『Hehe, I’m glad to see you looking well. Cough!』”

“The duchess looked like she was struggling, coughing in the middle of her sentence. What’s going on—was she sick?

Though winter was gradually coming to an end, the wind was still bitterly cold.

Maybe she had caught a cold? I started to worry.

『Ah, I’m fine, cough cough… cough!』

“Duchess?”

She really didn’t look fine.

I stared at her with concern as she coughed as if she were on the verge of collapsing.

Her face, clearly visible through the projection, looked pale and haggard—it was heartbreaking. Ugh, she definitely must’ve come down with something serious!

『Cough! Cough!』

『Here is some water.』

『Thank you…』

Still coughing, the duchess drank the water her butler Sebastian handed to her and cleared her throat.

She then turned back to the orb and gave a gentle smile.

『I’m sorry you had to see me like that…』

Startled by her apology, I frantically waved my hands and said,

“Oh, no! Not at all! But, Duchess… what exactly is wrong with you?”

『Well…』

I had assumed it was just a cold, but it seemed like it was something much more serious.

The duchess hesitated for a moment at my question, then lowered her lashes with a sorrowful look.

『The truth is… I’ve come down with a rare illness.』”

“W-What?”

Huh? If it’s a rare illness, doesn’t that mean there’s no cure?

I was so shocked that I let out a loud yelp.

Next to me, Vivian scolded, “Milady! You shouldn’t shout like that!”

But I didn’t have the time to care about that now.

『Sniff… I don’t know how it happened, but I ended up with this illness… I just wanted to see you in person one last time, Miss Radel.』

“Yes! I’ll go! I should leave right now!”

With the duchess looking so pitiful and saying she wanted to see me, there was no way I could ignore her.

I quickly ordered Vivian to prepare the carriage and stood up to get ready to go out in a hurry.

Ah, but before that…

“But what’s the name of the illness?”

I asked just in case it was something I’d heard of, but the duchess suddenly looked flustered and started rolling her eyes.

Hmm? What’s with that reaction?

『Th-The name is really long, so I forgot it!』

“Oh… is that so?”

It sounded like she was making it up, but I nodded for now.

Hmm, something feels off…

But surely the duchess wouldn’t lie to me about something like this, right?

I quickly dismissed the suspicion.

After telling her I’d be there soon, I ended the call.

Alright, time to hurry and head to the Raven duchy.

“Milady, are you heading out now?”

“Yeah, the duchess seems to be very ill.”

I answered casually while changing into a dress.

Vivian looked a little taken aback by my answer and murmured, “But I heard she was perfectly healthy just a little while ago…”

Her words lingered slightly in my mind, but illness could strike at any time, so I decided not to overthink it.”

“Then I’ll be off!”

“Yes. Take care.”

Wearing a simple dress and my hair tied up messily, I finished getting ready and quickly boarded the carriage to head to the duchy.

“Lady Radel, welcome. The Duchess asks that you wait a moment. Please have a seat and enjoy some tea.”

“Ah, yes…”

Sebastian was as prim and proper as ever.

I quietly observed him for a moment, then casually threw out a question.

“Um… is the Duchess’s condition very bad?”

“Yes. It’s very goo— I mean, quite bad.”

An uncharacteristic slip of the tongue for Sebastian.

But it was a common enough mistake that I didn’t bother pointing it out.

As I watched Sebastian’s back while he left to get refreshments, I thought to myself:

It’ll probably take about fifteen minutes…

Despite the kitchen being only five minutes away, Sebastian always managed to get lost and arrive over ten minutes later—such a curious man.

“Haah, rushing over really wore me out…””

While waiting for directionally-challenged Sebastian, I leaned back on the sofa to catch my breath when the door to the drawing room suddenly opened. Huh, already? Did Sebastian really make it back in under a minute?

For a second, I wondered if our lost cause of a butler had somehow evolved into a super butler, and I stared at the opening door with anticipation.

“Oh, Karn.”

“…Hmph.”

It wasn’t Sebastian who came in—it was Karn. He had a book in one hand, clearly intending to read. But… this is the drawing room?

“Did you come to the wrong room?”

“Do I look like Sebastian to you?”

Ah, right. The only one who ever gets lost in this mansion is Sebastian.

Hmm, then why did he come in here?

Curiosity got the better of me, so I asked him directly.

“Then why are you here?”

Karn’s cheeks turned slightly pink. Huh?

“W-Well…”

“Oh, did you come to see me?”

“No way! I just wanted to read in the drawing room!”

He shouted and then flopped down into the seat across from me, cracking open his book and beginning to read.

Watching his small hands hold that large book and read so intently was honestly too cute. I smiled warmly and struck up a conversation.

“Karn, you’re so diligent. What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“…That’s a random question.”

Karn lifted his gaze from the book and peeked at me. Then, after slightly parting his lips, he spoke in a shy voice.

“I want to be an aide who helps His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Whaaat?”

No way. Absolutely not. By the time Karn is an adult, Eden will be the Emperor. The current Emperor might be fine, but Eden? He’d definitely exploit Karn and bury him in unimaginable amounts of work. Horrified, I shook my head furiously and shouted, ‘No!’

Karn frowned slightly.

“Why? You think it’s impossible?”

“No, I think a smart and hardworking kid like you can definitely achieve that dream.”

I didn’t want to see Karn looking gloomy, so I quickly offered praise. Thankfully, Karn, who was weak to compliments, blushed even more and fidgeted with his fingers.

Ack, so cute!

“But Karn… While I’ll support your dream, you have to be careful around Crown Prince Eden, okay?”

“…I don’t really get what you mean, but okay.”

Whew, I can’t go crushing a growing sprout’s dream. I’ll cheer him on for now and warn him of the dangers ahead. Karn is someone I must protect!

“But you…”

“You’re supposed to call me “sister,” remember?”

“Ugh… S-sister, why are you here?”

He was still the ever-obedient Karn. I patted him on the head a couple of times and answered with a warm smile and gentle tone.

“I came to visit the Duchess. I heard she’s come down with a rare illness.”

“…Mother has a rare illness?”

“Lady Radel! The Duchess is calling for you! Please come this way!”

Sebastian had entered the reception room at some point, holding a tray of refreshments in one hand and calling out for me eagerly—as if trying to divert my attention. What’s with that loud voice? Something about the way he called me made me nervous, like something bad would happen if I didn’t go. I started walking toward him with slight hesitation.

“Young Master Karn, please enjoy the refreshments.”

“Okay, but… Mother has a rare illness? What on earth—“

“Shh, I’ll explain it to you later.”

Sebastian whispered something to Karn behind my back. Ugh, are they already excluding me? I felt a little left out and just stood there awkwardly. After finishing his whisper, Sebastian straightened up and began guiding me through the mansion. I eyed him suspiciously.

“You’re not going to get lost again, right?”

“Hmph, what do you take me for? I can now guide you through the mansion perfectly.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Yes. If I happen to lead you to the wrong room again, don’t call me Sebastian—just call me The Lost One.”

Sebastian spoke with a solemn expression. Oh? Has he really overcome his terrible sense of direction? With hopeful anticipation, I followed him through the halls—only for him to bring me to Karn’s room instead of the Duchess’s.

“Now please lead me to the Duchess’s room… Mr. Lost One.”

“…My apologies.”

And so, today again, Sebastian—no, Mr. Lost One—had reportedly wandered the mansion in confusion.

***

“Duchess, I’m coming in.”

As I opened the door, the Duchess was lying weakly on what was clearly an incredibly expensive-looking bed. The moment I stepped in, she greeted me warmly and slowly tried to sit up.

“Oh my, thank you for coming to see me.”

“Not at all. It’s only right that I visit you.”

Her face was drenched in sweat. Oh dear, how ill must she be to be sweating so profusely? Seeing her like this pained my heart. I pulled a handkerchief from my dress and gently dabbed at her face.

“Goodness, Lady Radel, you truly are so kind. I’d love to have you as my daughter-in-law!”

Even in sickness, the Duchess could still joke. She actually looked healthier than I’d expected. Her face was pale, yes, but her voice was much livelier than when we spoke through the comm crystal, and she wasn’t even coughing anymore. Hmm, perhaps she improved while I was on the way?

“But Duchess… what exactly is the illness you’re suffering from?”

“Y-Yes?”

Her startled reaction only made my suspicions grow stronger. The Sirius Empire had incredibly advanced medical science. Every known illness and virus had a cure, and even rare diseases could usually be treated. But the Duchess was acting like hers was something absolutely incurable, which only made me more curious. Just what kind of disease could it be that even she wasn’t getting treatment for?

“Sebastian, what was the name of that illness again?”

“Sigh… So you’re leaving it to me in the end.”

Muttering to himself, Sebastian finally looked at me with a serious gaze and began to explain.

“The Duchess is suffering from an illness that causes dizziness, high fever, cold sweats, and chills.”

The more I listened to him, the more a certain illness came to mind. It was something I used to catch all the time as a child—something that gave me a lot of trouble.

“That’s just a cold.”

“…Ding ding, correct.”

A cold, a rare illness? I let out a small laugh in disbelief. Glancing beside me, I saw the Duchess looking away, clearly trying to feign innocence.

Duchess, did you really try to trick me?

“Didn’t you say it was a rare disease?”

“Oh my, well for someone as healthy as me, even a cold is a rare illness.”

After hearing that, I wiped my face with my palm. Sigh… I had rushed over here, only to realize I’d been tricked. The sudden sense of futility made me heave a deep sigh, and just then, Sebastian spoke up beside me.

“For your information, the Duchess has a heat-related cold.”

“Then the coughing was…?”

“She faked it on purpose.”

“Sebastian!”

With Sebastian’s candid revelation, even her fake coughing was exposed. The Duchess’s cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment. She called out his name loudly and ordered him to wait outside. She seemed thoroughly flustered.

“You even acted?”

“…I had no choice. I really wanted to see you, but I felt like you wouldn’t come if I just called…”

The Duchess pretended to tear up a little. But knowing now that she was quite the talented actress, I didn’t fall for it. Smiling, I replied lightly.

“I would’ve come anyway. Actually, I had something to tell you, too.”

“Oh my, what is it?”

The Duchess’s face lit up as she leaned in close, urging me to speak. Feeling a little nervous, I swallowed once and answered.

“Kyle proposed to me.”