The Beast Who Has Returned Obsesses Over Me - Chapter 16

“He hasn’t been taking his medicine at all.”

The physician, who had come for another checkup, called her outside the bedroom and whispered in a low voice. He seemed to be afraid that Leon might overhear.

“He’s been taking the potion I gave him before.”

“I’m talking about the medicine I prescribed earlier.”

Another medicine…… He must be referring to the medicine that was left untouched in the drawer.

“I must ask you to do this, Miss. Please mix this medicine with water, along with the previous potion, and have him drink it. His infected wounds aren’t healing well.”

She nodded and accepted the new medicine bottle.

“Once the three or four most severe wounds heal properly, he should be able to walk. He can already move around a little.”

That quickly?

She learned more details from the physician’s explanation. After finding Leon on the battlefield, they had transported him to the nearest military hospital, where he underwent surgery and stayed for about two weeks. Then, they waited until he could be moved by carriage before bringing him to the Duke’s mansion. That meant it must have taken at least a week to get here, so nearly a month had already passed. It was time for him to gradually recover. Even so, to her eyes, Leon’s wounds looked horrifying. She shuddered to imagine how much worse they must have been initially.

“The potion I gave him before has been quite effective. I’ll make sure he takes this one as well.”

The physician’s face finally relaxed a little.

“It seems he only takes his medicine when you’re the one giving it to him, Miss. What a relief.”

It was a relief for her too. It would make her life easier if he took his medicine without a fuss. Seeing the effectiveness of the potion, she decided to make sure he took this medicine as well. To her surprise, Leon accepted the medicine she offered without any resistance. If only she had known sooner, she would have been giving it to him all along. At least he was taking it now. As expected, thanks to the medicine and proper meals, his condition was visibly improving.

His complexion improved, and he didn’t wake up during the night. He was sleeping well and eating well. He was having very comfortable days.

***

The next day, a major crisis struck. The old duchess of the Duke’s family, someone even more fearsome than Luke, visited the Count’s mansion. It was the first time Yvonne had seen the old duchess, Luke and Leon’s grandmother, since the funeral. There was no doubt that Luke and Leon’s heavy and intimidating aura was inherited from her.

“You must be exhausted.”

Those were the old duchess’s first words. Yvonne greeted her politely and inquired about her well-being. The old duchess, nodding her head, didn’t look pleased. It was obvious to everyone that she had come against her will. The old duchess’s affection was solely directed towards Luke. This was something Yvonne was well aware of. She couldn’t count the number of times Leon had complained during that time.

Luke led the old duchess to the bedroom where Leon was, just as he did with her.

The old duchess walked slowly past her towards the bed.  The atmosphere around the old duchess, walking slowly, leaning on her cane, was no joke.  Although her shoulders were bent and she was very old, the power of the duchess of the Duke’s family still emanated from her.

“So you’re not dead.”

Yvonne bowed her head slightly at the old duchess’s first words.  It was to hide, just in case she might see her eyes.  How cold the old duchess’s tone of voice sounded!  She had never seen the old duchess say a warm word to him.  Even considering her relationship with Leon, she was a truly stingy old duchess.  That was why Leon was more twisted in this family.  

“Did you come to see if I was dead?  Taking turns with Luke?”

Leon’s tone was simply dry, as if he was accustomed to such treatment.  

“I see you haven’t changed, seeing as you don’t even know to be grateful that I came to see you myself.”

“You came very early.”

As expected.  The old duchess hasn’t changed.  She wouldn’t have come if she didn’t have to.  The old duchess’s actions were making Leon more aware of his place.  That he wasn’t a very important person in this Duke family.  

Perhaps she visited out of concern for other people’s eyes.  The news that Leon, who had returned alive, was staying at the Count’s residence would have spread.  So, if she didn’t visit as the old duchess, the gossipers, who already knew that she discriminated against the second son, wouldn’t leave her alone.  

Leon’s funeral came to mind.  The old duchess who didn’t look sad at all. She was sitting so calmly.  Maybe she wasn’t sad at all, rather than holding back her sadness.  And they were still related.

“You should wish I wouldn’t die.  If I die, it will be the Duke’s family that killed me.”

Leon was putting his safety first.  Now he was even blatantly threatening the old duchess.  It was a moment that revealed that he still didn’t trust anything.  Now that he was doing this even to the scary old duchess, she could only sigh.  His body was injured, but he didn’t seem to be afraid and was confronting everyone.  What was he going to do….

“Seeing as you’re still rude, it seems I won’t have to deal with a corpse.  And don’t forget that it’s thanks to this family that you were able to live as you pleased without doing anything you should be doing.”

The old duchess’s thorny tone of voice was so sharp that even Yvonne, who was listening, flinched.  It was certainly not something to say to a patient lying in bed with a serious injury.

“Just shut up and enjoy what you have.  Don’t cause any more trouble.”

It was a warning to never do anything that would harm Luke.  It was like saying that only the heir to the throne was important.  

“It would be best not to do anything to tarnish the dignity of the family.”

That’s what the old duchess cared about most.  The dignity of the family.  She was always on edge to maintain it.

But Leon, perhaps because he was so used to it, gave a slow, crooked smile.  Was he scoffing?  It was reckless in front of the old duchess.

As if she was done with her business, the old duchess turned around.  Leon also seemed relieved, as if he wanted her to leave quickly.

Although her steps were precarious, the proud old duchess, who refused to be helped by anyone, stopped briefly in front of her.  And then, without a word, she just stared at Yvonne.  Yvonne couldn’t quite grasp the meaning in the old duchess’s eyes.

Was it pity or contempt?

Or was it both?

At the very least, she hoped she wasn’t looked down upon.  She didn’t want the old duchess to look down on her for getting engaged to a guy like that without being able to avoid him.  She hated the thought of the old duchess feeling sorry for her because it seemed like she, still young, would live a worse life than the old duchess, who was over 80 years old.

The old duchess, who had been giving her such an ambiguous look, moved her steps without a word.

If it had been a normal engagement, she would have been indignant at Leon being treated this way.  He was always behind Luke, and he was treated as if he didn’t matter, and she, as his fiancée, would have already burst into flames.  But she would just remain silent.  

It was self-inflicted.  Of course, there was also the fact that he was treated this way because of the five-minute difference.  But everything Leon had done so far had dragged him down to this position.  

They had come too far to turn back.  No matter how much he changed, she didn’t know how far or for how long he was going to try to change, but even if he did, this gap wouldn’t be bridged.  

No matter how great the Duke’s family was, it seemed endlessly heavy and gloomy to her eyes.  She wanted to live comfortably.  Freely.  She wanted to live in a warm place, even if it was poor.  With Emil.

Yvonne’s eyes grew darker as she watched the carriage carrying the old duchess disappear into the distance.

Yvonne, who had returned to her study, was thirsty.  A feeling of suffocation pressed down on her chest.  

She gulped down the cool lemonade that Eva had brought her.  She felt a little refreshed.  It seemed that the pressure from the old duchess had dried up the moisture in her body.  Phew….

As she felt a little better, Leon came to mind.  He must be worse now.  His insides must be burning, so he’ll want a cold drink.  If she didn’t take it to him soon, he might yell at her again.

She poured herself another glass of lemonade and hurried to his bedroom with it.  

Nora, who was watching the scene from the opposite hall, shook her head.  Why was she taking such good care of him?

Both Young Master Emil and Miss were too kind for their own good.  It was a shame that such kind people weren’t living blessed lives.  

Nora knew that Leon had touched Miss before the war.  She was the one who had applied medicine to the wounds and bruises on her back and b*ttocks that were out of reach.  At first, Miss tried to hide it, but Nora, who was quick-witted, found out.  That’s why she couldn’t have good feelings towards Leon even now.  

As Leon, who had returned with terrible injuries, gradually recovered, she was actually worried.  With his body like that, he was quiet to both Miss and them now.  Once he recovered, he would surely grab and shake everything like he used to.  Nora didn’t trust Leon, who was now quiet.  He was a beast.

As the bedroom door closed, Nora turned her pitiful gaze away.

***