Chapter 24

Fenris furrowed his eyebrows.

It was an unimaginably rude gesture for the usual Dyffrin. Not only did he push away the prince’s hand, but he also interrogated him as if he were a criminal.

But Fenris didn’t feel too bad about it. Seeing Dyffrin so agitated was a rare sight.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding. I only held her because she was about to collapse.”

Evelyn barely managed to interject into the conversation.

“…That’s right, Dyffrin. He just helped me up.”

However, Dyffrin didn’t seem to easily dispel the misunderstanding.

“Why were you together in such an unusual place?”

“I was resting here, and we met by chance… Since we were acquainted, we talked for a bit.”

“Acquainted…?”

“Yes, I mentioned before that I helped a man covered in blood. That man was His Highness the Prince.”

Fenris assisted with the explanation.

“As the lady said, back then I wasn’t in the capacity of a prince but as an injured person who received help.”

While Dyffrin understood the situation, he was once again filled with inexplicable anger at the fact that Evelyn and Fenris shared a situation he was unaware of.

With his characteristic gentle expression, Fenris spoke. 

“I approached the lady first, so I hope you won’t be angry with her.”

‘Who was he to ask me not to be angry with Evelyn?’

Suppressing his boiling emotions, Dyffrin barely managed to speak.

“Even if you are the prince, it is not appropriate to be alone with a married woman in such a dark place.”

“Grateful for the help I received, I failed to notice my surroundings. For that, I apologize to you, Lord Dyffrin.”

Dyffrin stared coldly at Fenris, who responded calmly. In contrast, Fenris said plainly,

“But as you know, I have a personality where I must repay what I receive. When the opportunity arises, I will definitely repay the favor I received from the lady.”

Hearing the word ‘favor,’ Dyffrin’s eyes sparked with anger.

‘Always repaying debts’ was Fenris’s creed. This creed usually applied to negative matters.

Like how he was sure to settle scores with Nosellerton’s attack.

He was not only politically warning Dyffrin but also provoking him using Evelyn.

Dyffrin felt his mind grow cold. Thanks to that, his agitation subsided considerably.

“I hope the favor you mentioned is not the usual kind. My wife is not as resilient as Lord Nosellerton.”

Understanding Dyffrin’s implication, Fenris couldn’t maintain his composed expression. His voice turned somber.

“It was Nosellerton who ordered the dirty deed this time. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have needed the lady’s help.”

“Although what Lord Nosellerton did wasn’t right, considering what Your Highness did before…”

“Um… Dyffrin…”

As the argument between Dyffrin and Fenris intensified, Evelyn tugged at Dyffrin’s sleeve.

Dyffrin turned his gaze with a stiff face. He saw Evelyn’s pale complexion.

“…Evelyn?”

Evelyn closed her eyes and swayed as if she were about to faint.

“I… I have no strength…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Evelyn’s body tilted towards the ground.

“Evelyn!”

Dyffrin quickly caught Evelyn’s falling body.

She closed her eyes, hearing Dyffrin call her name as the last thing.

***

When Evelyn fainted, she dreamed.

In a blurry vision, she saw a frail woman lying in a hospital bed. A small girl sat on a chair next to the bed.

“Mom, you said it was just a cold, so why aren’t you getting better? Tom from next door got better ages ago.”

The woman looked at the girl and opened her dry lips.

“Evelyn. Mommy will get better soon.”

“Liar. You said that a month ago too.”

The woman managed a faint smile, her trembling lips barely lifting.

“Mommy won’t lose to the illness. Because I have a beautiful daughter like you, Evelyn…”

“Then promise me! Promise to get up by next week!”

Young Evelyn raised her hand, extending her pinky finger. The woman barely reached out and wrapped her finger around Evelyn’s.

“I promise. Mommy will overcome this and show you that you can be healthy too, Evelyn.”

The current Evelyn, who was merely observing this scene, felt uneasy knowing the outcome for the woman.

‘Evelyn’s biological mother had a short life…’

Due to an illness.

Evelyn suddenly wondered about her own symptoms. 

‘Could it be… related to the illness her biological mother had?’

But in the original work, Evelyn was said to have died from depression.

Even though it was a dream, it felt like her surroundings were spinning.

Then her eyes snapped open.

‘Haah.’

The scene before her was familiar.

Come to think of it, she had lost consciousness while Dyffrin and Fenris were talking.

Evelyn wiggled her fingers. Her body, which had been weak like a sick chick, felt normal again as if nothing had happened.

At that moment, she heard even breathing beside her. Evelyn had to bite her lip to suppress the gasp of surprise that was about to escape her mouth.

Dyffrin was asleep in a chair next to the bed, leaning against the wall.

Evelyn was surprised once by his appearance, seemingly having fallen asleep while caring for her, and twice by the fact that he looked quite handsome even in such a state.

‘He really is a remarkable person…’

She had realized it again at the ball. The admiring and affectionate gazes directed at him, the jealous and envious looks directed at her.

There was also a strange effect that made the men around Dyffrin look blurry. Like a spotlight effect, Dyffrin stood out even among the well-dressed men.

As Evelyn looked at Dyffrin’s face, he frowned slightly.

“Ugh…”

When a groan finally escaped, Evelyn urgently shook his shoulders.

“Dyffrin…! Are you okay?”

Dyffrin slowly opened his eyes. His blue pupils gradually focused.

“Evelyn…?”

“Yes, it’s me. You were groaning in your sleep, so I woke you up. Did you also have a headache while sleeping?”

At Evelyn’s quick question, Dyffrin seemed to quickly regain his senses, and his gaze became clear.

And with a tone of disbelief, he said, 

“Is this really the time for you to be worrying about me?”

At his reproachful tone, Evelyn closed her mouth.

“Why did you insist on going to the ball when you were so unwell that you collapsed? Do you know how worried I was?”

His irritable tone was tinged with concern.

Evelyn was momentarily surprised by Dyffrin’s words, but then she spoke in a calm voice.

“I’m sorry for worrying you… You taught me how to dance so diligently, so I really wanted to attend the ball.”

“There are balls held several times a year. Don’t ever do something so reckless again.”

Evelyn nodded her head, looking downcast like a child being scolded.

Dyffrin ran his hand through his hair irritably and pulled off the tie that was choking his neck.

“And fire the physician who diagnosed you with a cold immediately. He’s incompetent.”

Although it wasn’t necessary to fire him, Evelyn somewhat agreed with Dyffrin’s sentiment.

As he said, these weren’t symptoms of a cold.

“The physician who visited after you collapsed said it was likely nervous exhaustion due to stress.”

‘Stress-related nervousness…?’ 

It was a diagnosis that didn’t quite resonate with Evelyn. Although she was stressed, it wasn’t to that extent.

“Still, just in case, get examined by a physician from the largest medical center in the capital. Have the head maid schedule an appointment.”

“…Alright.”

“And.”

At Dyffrin’s firm voice, Evelyn tensed up for no reason.

‘…Is he going to talk about the incident with Fenris earlier?’

But he brought up something completely different.

“Until you’re healthy, don’t concern yourself with my headaches. I’m not in such a severe condition that I need help from someone who faints so easily.”

Although it wasn’t about Fenris, his ultimatum was just as troubling.

She had devised another excuse to claim alimony, but she couldn’t give up on Dyffrin’s headaches either.

But seeing his fierce gaze, it seemed better to just accept it for now.

“I understand….”

Evelyn replied weakly. Dyffrin, hearing the answer he wanted, got up from the chair.

“You seem fine now, so I’ll return to my bedroom. If you feel unwell again…”

Dyffrin couldn’t finish his sentence. It seemed he was troubled by the thought of her feeling unwell again.

“If you’re so worried about me, why don’t you sleep in my bedroom?”

Evelyn playfully suggested, and Dyffrin furrowed his brows as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

“It was a joke. It’s late, go back and get some sleep.”

“…Don’t make such jokes.”

Dyffrin retorted coldly and left the room.

Alone, Evelyn smiled, recalling Dyffrin’s disgusted expression.

‘Well… The idea of us sleeping together is indeed impossible.’

Although he had become somewhat more affectionate than before, sleeping together in bed was a completely different matter.

He had grown up without knowing what it was like to be pampered, and naturally, he had never experienced falling asleep with someone else. Therefore, sharing a bed with someone would be as unpleasant as sharing a toothbrush.

The same went for their marital relationship. He viewed the act of a man and woman sleeping together solely as a means of producing an heir.

‘If we were to have a marital relationship, his headaches would vanish completely.’

The act was the highest form of physical intimacy. Hence, the headaches wouldn’t just be alleviated but would disappear entirely.

However, in the original story, Dyffrin and Evelyn never shared a bed, and this hidden detail is only revealed at the end.

Of course, in this life as well, Dyffrin’s headaches would never go away.

There would never be a time when she would lie in the same bed as Dyffrin.

With these thoughts, Evelyn concluded her eventful day.