Chapter 49

Nife was as confident as she had been when she spoke about the arranged marriage some time ago. She spoke clearly without a moment’s hesitation.

“Is there anything more important in this world than love?”

I was at a loss for words. It wasn’t because of the innocent purity of her naive young heart.

Envy, jealousy, and covetousness.

Those feelings filled my heart. I, too, had once loved someone as passionately as Nife.

Had that love not driven me to tragedy, my love would never have faded. But my passion had led my family to death.

“I know there’s no hope for my love. But I will do my best until the end.”

When talking about love, Nife sometimes seemed like an endlessly young girl, but at other times, she seemed like someone with an unyielding will that no one could possess.

Nife smiled brightly again and asked,

“Is this enough payment to allow me to meet Louis?”

I thought that Nife might not be just an ignorant child—at least, the Nife who brought a price for the transaction to me was not. Somehow, she seemed to shine brilliantly.

As I was lost for words at her brilliance, a maid approached and whispered,

“Your Grace, the new doctor has arrived. His Grace, the Grand Duke, asks if you want to see him now.”

I nodded slightly to indicate that I understood.

“I sweated a bit from riding. I’ll wash up and go right away.”

“Yes, Your Grace. I’ll prepare it.”

Before following the maid into the Grand Duke’s residence, I turned briefly and spoke.

“The price is enough. Make sure to keep what you promised me. Not just today, but also what you promised before.”

Nife pretended to hold her skirt and bowed politely.

“I will definitely keep it.”

I looked steadily at Nife’s bowed head, then quickly turned away. Anna, who was following me, asked cautiously,

“Is it really alright for you to let the young master and Lady Sasha meet? What if they really end up together…?“

“Anna, what’s harder to obtain than a person’s life?”

Anna shook her head, still looking worried.

“A person’s life.”

And Nife was ready to give that to Louis. It might not be as bad a marriage as I thought.

I envied Nife. Her love, willing to burn herself for another, her heart that could throw her whole life for one person.

If I had another life…

I earnestly wished that in that life, I could live like that.

* * *

I washed up lightly and entered my room. Before long, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a maid entered with a doctor I hadn’t seen before. I expected an elderly person with graying hair, but a surprisingly young and handsome man entered. His green eyes, visible through his oval-shaped glasses, looked very intelligent.

“Hello. I’m Thien Yus.”

Thien Yus. I had definitely heard of that doctor before. He was said to stay holed up in his lab and only come out to travel around the provinces, treating all sorts of diseases without ever setting foot in the capital.

Hearing that fairy-tale-like story, I thought he would be much older. But Thien looked about my age.

When I realized my rare disease in my past life, I had also sought Thien. But at that time, Thien was confined to his lab, so it was impossible to meet him. Instead of making a fuss, I welcomed him with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Sir Yus.”

“Just call me Thien. My first goal is to get close to Your Grace the Grand Duchess.“

“What?“

“So Your Grace the Grand Duchess will speak well of me to Grand Duke. I have wanted to do this job for a long time.”

As I widened my eyes, Thien clapped his hands cheerfully and said,

“Oh, it’s not that I wish for Your Grace’s illness not to be cured. On the contrary, the Grand Duke has proposed a very generous reward for your complete recovery.”

Thien was a vivacious person. He kept talking non-stop, mesmerizing me. I inadvertently said,

“Then you should also call me casually, ‘My Lady.‘ You said you need to get close to me, right?”

Thien clapped his hands in joy again.

“Thank you for treating me so comfortably, My Lady. But I think we should keep this a secret. His Grace, the Grand Duke, seems very devoted to you. If he finds out, I might be expelled without getting rewarded.”

At that, I burst into laughter.

“You laugh, My Lady, but you have no idea how terrifying it was. My shoulders are still trembling. Oh, how scary.”

Thien hugged his shoulders and pretended to shiver. I couldn’t help but laugh again. Although Thien said Julian was scary, his current demeanor didn’t show much fear.

After a while of amusing antics, Thien took out his medical notes and smoothly transitioned to a verbal examination.

“I’ve only heard that your health isn’t good, but I haven’t received proper medical information. However, I did hear that other doctors couldn’t easily diagnose it. So, you’re having difficulty trusting doctors.“

“Yes.”

I nodded. My symptoms certainly existed. But they didn’t appear frequently, and the doctors couldn’t find any abnormalities in me.

And that illness suddenly manifested one day. Every doctor I met shook their heads. They all said, ‘There’s no hope.’

To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations. However, Thien was a doctor that Julian had personally brought in. He must have paid a high price to obtain such a skilled physician. I wanted to try again, too.

“But I’ll trust Thien.“

“It’s an honor, My Lady. Can you tell me what your symptoms are?“

“I have nosebleeds, and sometimes I vomit.“

“Blood, you mean?“

“Yes.“

“How often does this happen?“

“Not very often. Sometimes once every ten days, sometimes once a fortnight. The amount isn’t that much either. Occasionally, I realize it because of the foul metallic taste on my tongue.”

Thien meticulously noted down everything I said. He looked up, signaling that he was listening. I nodded and continued.

“I get headaches more frequently than that.“

“What are your headaches like?“

“It feels like I’m standing on a swaying bridge.“

“Hmm, any other symptoms?”

I wondered if I should talk about the hallucinations and the auditory illusions. But I suddenly feared I would seem like a madwoman. Thien, sensing my hesitation, asked seriously,

“I don’t judge a patient’s symptoms hastily. Every patient is a unique case for me. Just tell me what you feel.”

Indeed, Thien knew how to handle patients, as his reputation suggested. Trusting him, I spoke hesitantly.

“…On days when the headaches are severe, I see hallucinations.”

Thien asked calmly, without any signs of rejection or surprise, which oddly comforted me.

“Do you see yourself in these hallucinations?“

“No. I see another woman. A woman I’ve never seen before. I see her crying intensely, lying face down.“

“How often do you see these hallucinations?“

“They are scarce. In fact, it’s been not long since I first saw one.”

I recalled and then spoke.

“In fact, the hallucinations started appearing the day I first saw the raw stone of the rare gemstone.”

Thien looked very intrigued by my story.

“My Lady, what do you think about wizards?”

* * *

The Grand Duke’s office heard the sound of fingers drumming on the desk several times. The butler had not been called out loud yet and had already approached Julian’s desk. Julian sighed and looked up.

“The Grand Duchess is…“

“She is meeting the doctor.”

“Thien Yus, right?“

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Julian drummed his fingers on the desk again. The butler smiled softly with his head bowed.

“She is probably in the middle of an examination. Shall I fetch her?“

“No.”

Julian’s answer was swift. He had promised Laila. He would never try to know the doctor’s diagnosis. He wouldn’t ask directly, nor would he investigate behind her back.

Laila had trusted Julian. Her agreement to see the doctor he brought was proof of that, despite her usual disdain for doctors.

Julian wanted to honor Laila’s trust. So, he shouldn’t seek her out during the examination.

However…

‘That doctor, with his looks and demeanor, was rather slippery.’

Julian didn’t want to think about Laila and that doctor, so he was in the office, pretending to work. However, he couldn’t shake off his thoughts.

‘Laila has always had slippery men around her…’

Marquis Amber and the young master of Marquis Eriant. They all had the classic appearance of noble young men, with smooth manners and a hint of playfulness.

Laila hadn’t denied that Marquis Amber was her first love and got along well with the young master of Marquis Eriant, exchanging jokes. Perhaps her taste leaned towards such men.

Like that doctor.

Seeing Julian frown, the butler spoke soothingly.

“Your Grace, the Grand Duchess is a very proper lady.“

“Proper, you say.”

Laila was far from the word ‘proper,‘ especially in front of Julian, where she could never stay still. The butler, aware of this side of Laila, chuckled.

“What I mean is, she always keeps her promises.”

He meant she would never look at another man during her married life. Julian agreed with that.

“But if you are truly worried, choosing another doctor wouldn’t have been a bad idea.“

“Who says I’m worried?”

Julian glared at the butler. The butler maintained his warm smile and kept his mouth shut. Julian was indeed worried.

However, he couldn’t change the doctor. There was no better doctor than Thien Yus.

“Enough. I don’t want to hear any more about my wife.”

Julian pretended to focus on his work, pressing down his furrowed brow.

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.