6.

Dr. Dennis was still staying in the medical wing, and fortunately, even by the next day, he had not reached a conclusion.

“My lady, I apologize. Since I’m conducting this examination alone, it’s taking more time.”

Dennis, who had promised to deliver results quickly, remained quiet for several days, and Catherine briefly let her guard down. Several days passed. Well, it took Dr. James a week to produce results too. Perhaps this would be similar.

“Oh…… I made a mistake.”

That day was particularly busy. After visiting the imperial palace, Catherine had been living with her mind half elsewhere, and that was the problem. She held the blue and red medicine bottles in both hands.

‘I forgot to take my suppressant again.’

She missed a dose of suppressant while staying at the townhouse, and now she missed it again. When she wiped under her nose with a handkerchief, blood seeped through. Haa, this is maddening. Living with her mind elsewhere, she almost shortened her already limited lifespan. Or had it already shortened?

She erased all signs of illness, and no one saw it.

“If I space out one more time, I might have to give up my life.”

And that day, Dr. Dennis came looking for Catherine.

“My lady, Dr. Dennis is looking for you. Also, the master is searching for you. Both of them seem desperate. Do you know why?”

From early morning, Nancy hovered around Catherine, who felt a pang of guilt and asked back.

“Why are they?”

“I’m not sure, but the medical wing is very gloomy.”

If two people are looking for her in the early hours, there’s only one reason. The results of the blood test that Dr. Dennis was in charge of came out, and those results were very bad. Not just bad, but extremely bad.

“I’m sorry. It’s noisy outside.”

It would be nice to just be forgotten and left alone like this, but things don’t go as planned. Just as Catherine was putting down her teacup, the door opened roughly.

“Catherine Helen!”

Lorendis got angry without saying anything else. The emotion contained in that short exclamation was murky as if ink had been dissolved in it.

Why are you angry again? Was this something to be angry about? I did hide it, but I didn’t deceive you. I never deceived your eyes with lies. So why do I feel uncomfortable as if I’ve committed a crime…….

“Everyone out.”

“Master, please calm down first……! The lady is anxious, isn’t she? Perhaps you should talk slowly first……”

“I said everyone out. Why are you still standing there?”

At his command, Nancy left as if fleeing. He wasn’t usually so harsh with his words; it was language one would use on a battlefield.

Only after everyone in the hallway left did Lorendis roughly grab Catherine’s clothing.

“You really!”

His rough hands gripped her shoulders. His fingerprints marked her tender skin, and the pain spread deep into her flesh.

“Ah, it hurts. Just a moment……”

Lorendis looked down at the trash can hidden under the drawer. His gaze fell on the gray handkerchief.

And on the faint light pink marks stained on it.

After slowly taking in all of this, Lorendis’s gaze settled quietly on Catherine.

“Why, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Ah, well……”

“Do you know what’s happening inside your body right now? You said with your own mouth that you’d leave Helen, and now you’re saying you’ll leave Helen with that body?”

That’s because I thought no one would know if I kept my mouth shut. My husband was cold-blooded. He was planning to be away from Helen for a long time, and we were going to divorce.

Catherine thought she could hide it until the end if only she left. All these expectations went awry because Lorendis ended the war half a year early.

“Ma, master…… Master, cough, don’t, don’t push the lady so hard.”

Small footsteps echoed in the hallway that was supposed to be empty. And at the end of it, Dr. Dennis who had crawled through the corridor stood there.

“I pay my respects. The, the test results are in, but my lady, I apologize. The results were delayed, so I’m only visiting you now.”

The results of the previous blood test were in. She remembered seeing something similar before. It was similar to the diagnosis that Dr. James from Hanra Clinic had shown her.

At that time, she could only guess the content from Dr. James’s poor handwriting, but now she confirmed with clearly written letters that Catherine was terminally ill.

“A very slight toxic reaction was found in your blood, my lady. That means exposure to poison……”

Dennis hurriedly pulled out various prescriptions from his chest. Judging by his dazed expression, he didn’t seem to know what he had brought.

“You’ve been exposed for a very long time. Don’t you know why? The toxic reaction is also minimal. With this, it’s hard to know what kind of poison your body has been exposed to.”

That’s a relief. They don’t know. They’ve only detected a slight toxic reaction. Salsa is a rare poisonous herb in their world.

“My lady, why do you seem so distant?”

Because it’s not the first time I’ve heard this. Because I already know all of this. There’s nothing more to be surprised about or to be sad about. Catherine just feels a bit bitter and lethargic. But that’s not something for you to cry about, nor is it something to be sad about.

“Perhaps.”

Lorendis immediately read the meaning contained in that expression. As if that meaning greatly bothered him, he frowned deeply.

“Did you already know?”

“……”

“Why are people so reckless? If you knew beforehand, you should have talked about it and asked for help. Suffering alone won’t solve anything.”

She could guess why the hallway was cleared. Now Dennis would pronounce Catherine’s sentence. It was the second terminal diagnosis she would receive.

“By chance, I met an outside doctor and received treatment there.”

“Why did you seek an outside doctor?”

Dennis knelt down, sobbing.

“Did you not trust me?”

“If I had shown you my body even before the wedding ceremony, and if there had been a problem, this marriage would have been called off from the beginning.”

Just as Lorendis needed this marriage, Catherine also needed it. So they used each other, and as of today, that value of use was fulfilled.

“Why didn’t you tell me? If I had known a little earlier, we could have started treatment sooner.”

“If I told you before the marriage, you might not have married me, and if I told you after the marriage, you might not have divorced me.”

Her gentle whisper was small and fragile, just loud enough for Lorendis to hear. Dr. Dennis cleared his throat and recited the test results.

“The blood test showed toxic reactions, that is, signs of poisoning. Don’t worry too much. We just don’t know what kind of poison it is yet, but once we know the poison, we can find an antidote.”

If that’s not possible, Dr. Dennis’s words trailed off.

“Dennis, I know too. I don’t have time, and that sometimes requires giving up.”

“My lady…… don’t be too heartbroken.”

You all already know. Catherine doesn’t have time. All that’s allowed to her is resignation. Yet, the fact that she has no lingering attachment at this moment means that Catherine never even had the opportunity to have such attachments.

That means their relationship ends there. Catherine has not yet given her heart to Helen and only wishes to leave.

“Dennis, I’ve already received treatment outside. That person said it was difficult.”

“No. I don’t know what doctor you saw outside, but that fellow must have been wrong. My lady, please don’t lose hope.”

She and Lorendis separated right after the wedding ceremony, and they only reunited a few days ago. To talk about fate or lingering attachment in such a relationship…….

“It’s meaningless.”

“I’ll call a disciple who is skilled with poisons. Though I’m ashamed to show this disciple to you, my lady, I’ll at least try to find them.”

Dennis’s expression darkened. In fact, he hadn’t yet composed himself. That bastard’s dirty temperament will still be the same…….

“My lady, please steel your heart. You mustn’t let your heart weaken. The body heals only when the mind is healthy too.”

Dennis left, saying he had things to discuss with his disciples. His retreating figure heading to the medical wing was as slow as a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse. He smiled looking up at the distant sky, but his eyes didn’t smile. The back view of him in his white coat looked particularly bitter.

“You’ve been sick all this time…… Did I leave my place vacant?”

“Well, I wasn’t really sick. If I were sick, I’d know, but honestly, I wasn’t in any pain…… I was just a bit lethargic.”