Chapter 4.12

“…What?”  

Valentine staggered and fell to his knees.  

The shock was so great that he couldn’t even stand.  

“Liz… Miss Garrett is… with child….”  

Valentine muttered blankly.  

He crawled on his knees toward Liz’s bed.  

Then, he placed his hand on Liz’s still-flat abdomen.  

“A child… there’s a child… a child….”  

His lips trembled as they curled into a smile. The physician, seeing his unstable laughter, let out a deep sigh.  

She couldn’t reveal everything about Liz’s escape plan.  

But she felt compelled to at least explain the minimum.  

That was her ethical duty.  

“I prescribed a strong sedative because the young lady was unable to sleep. It may have been a bit too much for a woman carrying a child.”  

The physician stood and bowed deeply.  

Her neatly tied long hair cascaded over her shoulders.  

“The other employees of Winchester are not at fault. It was my own carelessness… my lack of caution.”  

Valentine rubbed his face with both hands.  

How could this be solely the physician’s mistake?  

Ultimately, it was Valentine himself who had driven Liz to this point.  

Valentine slowly shook his head, braced his knees, and stood.  

“I understand. Raise your head. Is there a solution?”  

The physician nodded.  

“Once her fever subsides, I will administer an antidote. Fortunately, Miss Garrett is in good health, which is a small blessing amidst misfortune. I will do my utmost to ensure the safety of both the mother and the child.”  

“Understood. If you need support, do not hesitate to ask.”  

“Yes. She likely won’t regain consciousness for several days. Someone must stay by her side at all times….”  

The physician trailed off.  

She, too, was aware that Liz had been confined to the attic.  

After a moment of hesitation, Valentine spoke.  

“Use this room as it is.”  

“This room? But this is your bedroom, Your Grace.”  

“That is for me to handle. However….”  

Valentine spoke in a low voice.  

“Do not tell anyone about Miss Garrett’s condition.”  

“By ‘anyone’… do you mean….”  

The physician glanced at Liz.  

Valentine immediately understood the implication.  

“That includes Miss Garrett herself.”  

The physician let out a low sigh.  

But Valentine did not retract his command. The physician quietly rose.  

“Then I will prepare the medicine. Should I arrange for a caregiver?”  

Valentine shook his head.  

The physician bowed and left the room.  

In the now silent room, Valentine sat in a chair, gazing down at Liz.  

He had never seen his parents’ faces when he was young.  

His father had been murdered, and his mother had gone mad.  

And now, he was to become a father.  

Valentine leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling.  

Would the child resemble Liz? Would there be even a small trace of myself in the child?  

The mere thought made his chest tighten.  

At the same time, an overwhelming sense of responsibility gripped him.  

It was time to make a decision.  

Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was the physician.  

“Your Grace, I’ve brought the medicine. May I come in?”  

Valentine quietly rose from his seat.  

Then, he pressed a kiss to Liz’s forehead.  

“Please wait just a little longer… Madame.”  

Valentine spent that night planning something.  

At times, he fell into deep thought, and at others, he frantically searched through documents.  

Before dawn, he sent an urgent telegram through a messenger.  

“This should… be enough.”  

In his hand was a contract for hiring a mercenary group.  

It was the same group Count Myra had once hired to track Isabel.  

Valentine rubbed his bloodshot eyes several times and tucked the contract away.  

At first light, he knocked on the guest room where Isabel was staying.  

Isabel, startled by the unexpected visit, was even more shocked by what Valentine said next.  

“You’re going to the capital?”  

Holding a child in her arms, Isabel looked at him with wide, surprised eyes.  

Valentine spoke calmly.  

“Why are you so surprised? Didn’t you say it yourself?”  

He gestured with his chin toward the red-haired child Isabel was holding.  

“That child should be blessed and recognized as Winchester’s heir, shouldn’t they?”  

Isabel swallowed hard. It was the words she had been waiting and waiting to hear.  

But she couldn’t nod immediately.  

Valentine’s words were certainly favorable to her, but his demeanor held no warmth.  

Isabel narrowed her eyes and asked.  

“I heard that my maid collapsed. Does this have anything to do with it?”  

“…It does.”  

To bring Isabel down, he had to dispel her suspicions. Valentine lowered his voice.  

“Perhaps it was the mental shock. Her condition is severe. I’m not sure she can fulfill her duties as the Duchess of Winchester….”  

Sweet words alone wouldn’t be enough to deceive her.  

Valentine deliberately let out a low sigh.  

“It’s not as though I’m thrilled about you. But I can’t leave the position of Duchess of Winchester vacant, can I?”  

The suspicion began to fade from Isabel’s face. Valentine didn’t miss the opportunity and continued.  

“After all, who else could fulfill the role of Duchess of Winchester as well as you?”  

A faint smile spread across Isabel’s face.  

“Well… fine. I’ll prepare then.”  

“Yes. Understood.”  

Valentine forced himself to smile at Isabel.  

The effort made him feel sick.  

He quickly turned and left Isabel’s room.  

Gerald was waiting for him just outside.  

“Your Grace. I’ve heard you’re heading to the capital.”  

“…Ah.”  

Valentine frowned.  

The last thing he wanted right now was a long conversation with Gerald.  

Valentine began walking, intending to ignore Gerald.  

But Gerald persistently followed.  

“You’ve made a wise decision. What do you think about sending Miss Garrett to the other Winchester estate? Surely, the attic is an uncomfortable place for both parties.”  

Gerald seemed convinced that Valentine was going to recognize Isabel as the Duchess of Winchester.  

‘Wasn’t it Gerald himself who taught me not to count chickens before they hatch?’  

Valentine nodded indifferently.  

After all, things wouldn’t go the way Gerald thought.  

“Then I’ll prepare to move Miss Garrett’s residence when you return from the palace.”  

Valentine smirked crookedly.  

“Lord, may I ask you one thing?”  

Valentine turned to face Gerald directly.  

“Do you truly believe that child should become a Winchester?”  

Gerald lightly stroked his white beard.  

Then, he calmly replied.  

“If they are raised as a Winchester, they will become one. Nothing else matters.”  

“What on earth….”  

“Besides, the two of you are still young. There’s plenty of time to produce a true Winchester heir.”  

“Do you see me as a stud horse, Lord?”  

Gerald bowed politely.  

“I am merely a pawn on Winchester’s chessboard, Your Grace.”  

Valentine let out a sigh that sounded more like a groan.  

From his earliest years until now, Gerald had been his mentor, his right-hand man, and almost a father figure.  

The most reliable, the most intimidating, and the most respected person in his life.  

But now, Valentine had to oppose him.  

“…It was you who placed a pen in my right hand, wasn’t it, Lord?”  

Valentine spoke in a peculiar tone. Gerald glanced briefly at Valentine’s left hand before replying.  

“I don’t believe I was wrong. After all, isn’t that how you became such a distinguished Winchester?”  

The word “Winchester” now filled Valentine with disgust.  

But he kept his expression neutral, hiding his feelings.  

All of this was for Liz’s sake.  

“…Yes. It’s all thanks to you, Lord.”  

Valentine spoke curtly.

Gerald nodded in satisfaction.  

“I have prepared carriages for immediate departure. It takes about a day to reach the capital, so I will pack lightly. I will also send a maid to attend to the young master to ensure his comfort.”  

“…Do so. Request two carriages.”  

“As you command.”  

Gerald bowed his head.  

As Valentine passed him, he clenched his left fist tightly.  

Now it was Valentine’s turn to act.  

***

“……!”  

When Liz opened her eyes, it was the middle of the night.  

A strange voice reached her ears.  

“You’ve woken up?”  

“W-what….”  

Liz turned her head.  

The caregiver by her side was neither Valentine nor Kate.  

It was an unfamiliar servant who had only a distant relationship with Liz.  

“Ah… no, I mean, yes….”  

Her head was spinning. She couldn’t fully grasp the situation.  

“I’ll go fetch someone. Please wait.”  

The servant left the room.  

Only then did Liz manage to pull herself together and take in her surroundings.  

“This place….”  

Liz frowned.  

A large bed, an imposing chandelier.  

The marble floor and the thick rug atop it added to the room’s grandeur.  

She turned her gaze toward the fireplace, where a warm fire crackled softly.  

In the Winchester Estate, there was only one room this luxurious aside from the Duchess’s chamber Liz had once used.  

“Valentine’s… room.”  

Liz shuddered and sat up halfway.  

If this was Valentine’s room, the bed she lay on must also be his.  

Valentine’s bed.  

Her dizziness persisted, but one thing was clear. Liz’s escape had failed.  

She let out a deep sigh.  

“In that case… where is Valentine?”  

Where could Valentine be?  

Surely, he wouldn’t have stayed quiet after such a commotion.  

Just then, there was a knock at the door.  

“Valentine?”  

But it was Gerald who entered.  

“How are you feeling, Miss Liz?”  

“…Viscount Gerald.”  

Liz held her throbbing head.