Chapter 1.6

Even after hearing Emma’s advice, Yvonne couldn’t decide what to do. In the meantime, Philip seemed to have sent a letter to the late Baroness Bertrand and received a reply.  

He proudly showed Yvonne the letter, boasting that his mother had given her blessing for their marriage.  

Although the Baroness wouldn’t be able to attend the wedding due to the distance, the letter congratulated them and expressed her respect for their wishes.  

“There’s nothing standing in our way now, Yvonne.”  

In Philip’s embrace, Yvonne forced an awkward smile.  

Thus, her birthday and wedding day steadily approached. With about two weeks left, one evening, Yvonne sat across from Philip at dinner. When the cook brought out a tray covered with a domed lid, Yvonne felt her stomach churn.  

‘I don’t feel well.’  

She debated whether to leave or stay. Just then, the cook lifted the lid.  

Underneath was a dish of roasted chicken, golden brown and accompanied by wine-marinated shallots and mushrooms. It looked delicious.  

But the smell of the chicken made Yvonne nauseous.  

“Urgh……”  

“Yvonne? Are you okay?”  

“I-I’m sorry…… Urgh!”  

Yvonne tried to suppress her nausea, but she couldn’t. In the end, she covered her mouth and rushed out of the dining room.  

She opened a window and vomited up the appetizer she had eaten earlier, but even then, her nausea didn’t subside.  

Emma followed her out, offering a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and whispering urgently.  

“Come with me. Quickly.”  

Yvonne didn’t understand why Emma was acting this way. But just as she was about to follow her, Philip caught up with them.  

“Yvonne!”  

He blocked their path, looking worried.  

“What’s going on? Are you okay?”  

“I-I don’t know……”  

“Perhaps it’s indigestion from the mille-feuille she ate this morning. A little medicine and rest should make her feel better.”  

Emma interjected, trying to cover for her. But her excuse only seemed to irritate Philip further.  

“Indigestion from mille-feuille? That’s ridiculous. Call a doctor immediately.”  

“That’s not necessary……”  

“Emma, I don’t want my bride collapsing during the wedding.”  

“…….”  

“I thought you were intentionally dieting because of the wedding preparations, so I didn’t say anything. But I didn’t realize you’d grown so weak. I’m sorry, Yvonne. I’ve been too careless.”  

Philip gently pushed Emma aside and wrapped his arm around Yvonne’s shoulder, comforting her. He then ordered a servant to summon a doctor.  

Soon, the doctor arrived and examined Yvonne. After hearing her symptoms, he tilted his head and asked her a question.  

“Just to confirm, when was your last monthly cycle?”  

“My cycle? It’s overdue……”  

Behind the doctor, Emma quickly shook her head. Yvonne noticed this belatedly and stopped speaking.  

But it was too late. The doctor had already understood her words.  

“Overdue, you say?”  

“N-no. It’s about to start.”  

“Why would you ask about her cycle? What does that have to do with indigestion?”  

“Well, it’s not definitive…… but I’d like to run a few tests.”  

“What kind of tests?”  

Pressed by Philip, the doctor reluctantly explained.  

“An early pregnancy test. However, for the test, I’ll need some wheat or barley stalks……”  

“Why would you do that? Yvonne couldn’t possibly be pregnant. I’ve always treated her with care.”  

“Sometimes symptoms can be caused by something other than indigestion. Since her monthly cycle is overdue, and she’s about to be married, I thought it might be good news. I may have overstepped.”  

“Wait. What do you mean? If she’s experiencing indigestion and her cycle is overdue, could she be pregnant?”  

“It’s possible. I only mentioned the possibility. It’s not certain, so we’d need to run the test to confirm. But since you said there’s no need…….”  

“No.”  

Philip, who had been deep in thought, interrupted firmly.  

“Let’s do the test.”  

“Excuse me?”  

“Run the test.”  

“Lord, Yvonne isn’t that kind of person. You know that.”  

“I know. But there’s no harm in confirming, is there?”  

“Lord, there are only two weeks left until the wedding. How could you subject a bride-to-be to such an indecent test……”  

“Emma.”  

Philip frowned irritably.  

“We may have known each other for a long time, but I’m still your employer. There’s a limit to my patience.”  

With that, Philip ordered the doctor to conduct the test, no matter how long it took. He also instructed a servant to bring the wheat and barley stalks the doctor required.  

While the servant prepared the materials, Philip comforted Yvonne. He rubbed the back of her hand, where the ring rested, and whispered softly.  

“It’s okay, Yvonne. I don’t doubt you. But it doesn’t hurt to be certain—it’s just a formality. You understand, right? Hmm?” 

“Yes, yes……”  

Yvonne only nodded, but her heart had been pounding since earlier.  

‘It can’t be pregnancy.’  

Hadn’t I taken the medicine Emma gave me?  

She had been in such pain; there was no way she could be pregnant. The doctor must simply be overthinking things. But why did she feel this uneasy?  

Eventually, the servant returned with the bundle. Yvonne followed the doctor’s instructions for the test.  

After handing the bundle back to the doctor, he placed it in a small wooden box and said,  

“If this bundle sprouts within a day, it means pregnancy.”  

“And if it doesn’t?”  

“It will sprout normally by the third day. However, even if it doesn’t sprout within a day, I can’t definitively say it’s not pregnancy. But if it does sprout in a day, it’s definitely pregnancy.”  

“So, in short, we’ll know the result by tomorrow at the latest?”  

“That’s correct.”  

Receiving the doctor’s confirmation, Philip told Yvonne to rest and left.  

However, Yvonne’s unease did not subside. She felt as though tomorrow afternoon would be her last, like a prisoner sentenced to execution.  

“I’m sorry, Head Maid……”  

Yvonne apologized in a trembling voice to Emma, but Emma shook her head.  

“What’s done is done. What can we do? I’m the one who should apologize. I should have checked thoroughly until the end.”  

“D-do you think it’s really pregnancy?”  

“…….”  

“Please……. Please tell me it’s not. Please?”  

Yvonne clutched Emma’s hem, her voice quivering with tears. She couldn’t fully comprehend her emotions, but she knew something terrible was about to happen. Suffocated by fear, she eventually burst into tears.  

Emma, who had been silently watching her, let out a sigh and embraced her, patting her gently.  

“Don’t worry, Yvonne.”  

“…….”  

“I’ll……. I’ll take care of it somehow.”  

Yvonne didn’t know what Emma intended to do, but she instinctively felt it would put Emma in danger.  

She should tell her not to do it……  

‘I should.’  

But she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Yvonne bit her lip and sobbed in Emma’s arms.  

***

That dawn, Yvonne was dragged out of her sleep by the servants and thrown before Philip.  

“Ugh!”  

Though the floor was carpeted, it was hard. Yvonne groaned in pain, unable to understand why she had been dragged here.  

Under normal circumstances, Philip would have asked if she was okay, but this time he remained unmoved. Sitting arrogantly with his legs crossed, he looked down at her coldly.  

“Lord Philip? Why at this hour……?”  

“Still playing innocent, I see. Well, of course, you would, with that face you’ve been using to deceive me all this time.”  

“What……?”  

“Was it fun conspiring with the head maid to deceive me?”  

Blinking in confusion, Yvonne finally noticed Emma lying in the corner of the room. Even a stranger could tell she had been severely beaten.  

“H-Head Maid!”  

Shocked, Yvonne ran to Emma and held her tightly. Unconscious, Emma only let out faint groans, her body motionless.  

“Did you do this, Lord Philip?”  

“Yes.”  

“But why? What did she do wrong?”  

“What did she do wrong? Ha……”  

Philip let out a cold laugh and nodded at a servant.  

“Show her.”  

“Yes, Lord.”  

The servant threw a bundle in front of Yvonne. The poorly sealed bundle spilled wheat and barley stalks onto the floor.  

The seeds showed no signs of sprouting. Looking at the intact seeds, Yvonne spoke hesitantly.  

“This…… didn’t sprout, did it?”  

“Correct. Perfectly intact seeds.”  

“Then why……?”  

“Because that bundle is the one she tried to switch out.”  

“What……?”  

As Yvonne blinked in confusion, Philip nodded again.  

Another servant threw a second bundle. Similarly unsealed, this one spilled wheat and barley stalks as well.  

These seeds emitted a slightly sour smell, and tiny, white, cotton-like roots had already sprouted from them.  

“This is the original bundle. She was caught trying to replace it.”  

“…….”  

“As you can see, it sprouted in less than a day. You know what this means, don’t you? You heard the doctor’s explanation with me earlier.”  

Pregnancy.  

She was pregnant. 

I……  

Yvonne felt her mind go blank. Emma’s trembling promise to “take care of it somehow” echoed in her mind.  

Emma must have foreseen all of this. She had acted on Yvonne’s behalf and been caught.  

“Something felt off, and now I know why. If I hadn’t set a guard, I would have been fooled.”  

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to deceive you……”  

Yvonne prostrated herself, begging for forgiveness. But Philip’s face was colder than ever.  

“Filthy woman.”  

Philip spat at Yvonne. Though he hadn’t aimed for her face, some of the spit landed on her cheek.  

“You cried and begged, saying no, so I showed you mercy. And behind my back, you were fooling around with another man?”  

“No, no. That’s not true……”  

“Every word out of your mouth is a lie, isn’t it? You and that maid must have thought I was a fool to try and mock me.”  

“No, it’s all my fault. The head maid had nothing to do with it……”  

“Silence. At daybreak, both of you will be whipped and cast out as examples of those who defy nobility.”  

Philip ordered the servants to take them away. Following his command, Yvonne and Emma were thrown into a cold storage room.