Chapter 3 (Part 1)

For several days, life continued much like the days she remembered. Sellakia spent most of her time lazily sprawled in the bedroom, resembling a starfish washed ashore. 

However, there was one thing that had changed: the men of the Seidon family.

Tenus still did not assign her any servants and personally stayed by her side. Even when he was focused on documents in one part of the bedroom, his gaze would quickly follow if Sellakia moved. 

Whether she spent time idly in the garden or engrossed in books in the library, Tenus never left her side. Although he wasn’t controlling her movements, his constant presence was indescribably uncomfortable.

Sellakia, who did nothing all day, would pass out every night, undoubtedly due to the fatigue she felt from being around Tenus.

And then there was Sir Aldrich Logue.

“Oh, Sellakia. How are you feeling?”

Every time he encountered Sellakia in the mansion, he diligently inquired about her well-being. His behavior was so different from the days when he barely acknowledged her that it seemed as if Aldrich was the one who had lost his memory.

“Thanks to you, I’m doing fine.”

“Have any memories come back?”

“Well, it feels like I remember something…”

Sellakia tilted her head. Aldrich’s anxious face turned pale.

“…and then again, maybe not.”

Sellakia tilted her head to the other side this time. An unmistakable relief spread across Aldrich’s face.

This had been the pattern lately. Sellakia barely suppressed a smirk that almost escaped.

“I’m still not sure. It seems like it will take quite a long time for my memory to return.”

“Oh dear. Are you taking the medicine I prepared for you?”

“Ah, the medicine. Yes, I’m drinking it gratefully.”

Sellakia smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling.

The medicine she had thrown off the balcony was probably diluted in the deep, vast seawater, not even reaching the belly of a fish.

Unaware of this, Aldrich pressed his lips together. Then he noticed Sellakia’s outdoor attire and looked surprised.

Aldrich, who asked about her well-being every day, surely knew that she usually wore simple indoor dresses that were easy to put on and take off.

“Where are you going?”

“The weather is nice, so I thought I’d go for a walk with the Duke. I’ve recovered enough now.”

“That’s perfect timing. The maid was just about to bring you your medicine. You can drink it before you go.”

Aldrich signaled to the maid. The maid, who had been standing behind, offered a bowl on a silver tray to Sellakia.

“Thank you, Lord Logue. It must be hard enough for you to manage the family, and yet you care so much about me.”

She silently thanked him for being such a foolish villain who didn’t even bother to secretly put the medicine in her food.

Sellakia recalled the secret meeting from a few days ago.

“Where did you get this medicine? It’s quite unique. It would be perfect for those who need relief from labor.”

On the day Aldrich first offered the medicine, Tenus had taken it from Sellakia and handed it to Rupert. Rupert quickly identified the contents with a few reagents.

“Stop with the nonsense and explain the ingredients.”

“It contains ground rare herbs. There’s no better medicine for boosting stamina. Even someone bedridden would jump up and catch a shark.”

“It would be suitable for the old man who said he needed the elixir of life. Take it.”

“What a dreadful thing to say. This medicine is not for someone like me. It contains a significant amount of ingredients that impair memory.”

“And?”

“It also causes infertility…”

“What happens if you take it?”

“Once or twice is fine, but if it accumulates in the body, it can make you an idiot. Not to mention infertility. But your stamina will certainly increase. Who on earth made this baseless medicine?”

To Rupert’s academic question, Tenus responded not with words but by coldly ordering him out. He then threw the medicine off the balcony before Rupert even left the room.

Sellakia had adjusted her evaluation of Rupert slightly higher, thanks to his straightforward and quick skills. She had started taking the medicine Rupert made, which she had been secretly discarding.

Currently, Sellakia was discarding the medicine Aldrich sent through the maid before Tenus could throw it away.

Sellakia began to suspect that Aldrich, who seemed clumsy, might actually be a skilled schemer. Aldrich clearly knew she had no intention of causing a commotion at the Duke’s house.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be pulling such obvious tricks, as if daring her to notice his sinister intentions.

“Thank you. I’ll drink it well.”

Sellakia slowly brought the bowl to her lips, her eyes fixed on Aldrich’s transparent face, which made him all the more suspicious.

Rupert had said it was okay once or twice, so she thought she’d show herself drinking it at least once.

To keep Aldrich under her thumb and watch over him, she needed to occasionally show a relaxed demeanor. If he got serious and tried some sly trick, it would be even more troublesome.

Just endure for a month.

Sellakia whispered to herself like a mantra as she brought the bowl to her lips.

“Ah.”

“Oh dear.”

In the blink of an eye, the bowl she was holding flew far away. The dark liquid in the bowl splashed through the air and suddenly drenched Aldrich.

“What… what is this…?”

Not a single drop of the liquid touched Sellakia, who had been holding the bowl. Tenus, who had deftly knocked the bowl aside, spoke without a change in expression.

“I was trying to help my wife with her medicine but our hands collided, and the bowl flew in the wrong direction.”

His shameless words left everyone speechless. Everyone, including Sellakia, Aldrich, and the unknown maid, had seen him forcefully push the bowl away.

“It seems the medicine’s effects are already showing, seeing how my wife’s grip has become so strong. Don’t you think?”

No one returned the smile to Tenus, who raised the corners of his mouth as if pleased.

“The unknown medicine seems quite effective. It would be good if Uncle could also take the same medicine.”

The unexpected statement was surprising. There was no way to understand why Tenus, who had previously ignored the medicine Aldrich offered, suddenly changed his stance.

Drip, drip, the liquid dripped from Aldrich’s pointed chin. His pale complexion appeared even more ghostly in contrast to the dark liquid.

Without even glancing at Aldrich, Tenus held Sellakia’s shoulder. The grip was strong, leaving no room for refusal.

“Well, then, I’ll be off.”

Sellakia, who was being led away, left a friendly farewell behind her.

* * *

As soon as they exited the gate, they boarded the carriage that had been prepared in advance. It was more accurate to say she was moved into it rather than boarded. Tenus easily lifted Sellakia and placed her inside the carriage.

The three or four escort knights and a young maid standing around them pretended not to see anything and turned their heads.

As soon as the door closed, the carriage began to move slowly.

“Are you crazy?”

At the same time, Tenus, who was sitting opposite her, spoke.

Sellakia was dumbfounded. She couldn’t understand why the words she wanted to say were coming out of Tenus’s mouth.

Tenus frowned and pressed her, his eyes sharp and piercing.

“If your memory is so impaired that you forgot what you heard a few days ago, let me know. I’ll have Rupert make a new medicine to enhance your memory.”

“Tell him to make it. It seems like you need that medicine. I don’t know why I’m the only one who remembers Rupert saying that once or twice is fine.”

Sellakia retorted without backing down, adding irritably.

“What if he stops giving the medicine because of your unnecessary words? It’s hard to detect if he tampers with the food.”

Tenus’s eyebrows, which had been raised, now twisted as if in disbelief. Sellakia glared at him sharply.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“So you were going to take the medicine? I admire your guts, but next time, you should know your limit before you act.”

“My limit?”

“I’m managing everything that goes into your mouth, so there’s no need for you to take such a reckless risk.”

Was it that Aldrich couldn’t tamper with the food, rather than that he wasn’t?

It was something she hadn’t known. She hadn’t expected Tenus to be taking care of things behind the scenes. A brief feeling of gratitude welled up from deep within her heart.

“…”

And the moment she realized it, Sellakia’s expression crumpled.

Grateful? If it weren’t for Tenus, she wouldn’t have to worry about being poisoned in the first place.

It’s an unreasonable emotion to have for someone who pushed her into the open sea and handed her a handful of straw.

Sellakia suppressed her gratitude and grumbled discontentedly.

“You should have taken care of my clothing along with the meals.”