Chapter 51
51. Rejection2022.02.24.
“I don’t want you to meet him.”
At his words, Reina stared blankly at Arthur. Arthur gazed back at her for a long while as well. The sound of her heartbeat was hushed and still. But anxiety was gradually seeping into that sound.
“…….”
Arthur watched her steadily, thinking of the excited thrum of her heart he had sensed from beyond the door. The tentative, fluttering echoes had faded away, replaced by a nervous plea. Her face showed utter bewilderment. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to ask to see him, nor to say she wouldn’t, simply staring at him in a daze. No words came from her lips. Arthur sensed her growing pallor from the cooling of her body heat. He watched her quietly for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle and lowered his gaze.
“Haven’t you given any thought to my proposal?”
“…….”
Arthur continued quietly.
“I’m quite desperate to keep you from meeting him.”
The bridal chamber’s curtains swayed in the midday autumn breeze. Glimmering white sunlight like glass scattered through the gaps. Amid it all, Arthur looked at her.
* * * Click. Taylor Lorenson closed the medicine chest. The herbs moved between glass vessels and paper packets—boiling, straining, or burning—in the order of the prescribed recipe. Beneath his calm gaze, the young physician’s hands moved with practiced ease.
「While working for House Julius, you won’t see only the clean parts.」
Yes, I know.
「There’s a medicinal tea delivered daily to the young lady. Prescribe that for her.」
「Thank them for trusting you, tell them you’re doing a good job.」
「And report on the grandmother’s health, listen to what they say.」
To Lady Christina? Not Reina or the Marchioness?
「You’ll understand when you go.」
…….
「Black deer horn mushroom, fire dragon tree bark, atasil fruit. And water brewed from burned aluccino root.」
“…….”
Taylor’s eyes darkened as he recalled the preparation method his father had taught him. It was the recipe for the “dark red water,” known as the most effective abortifacient. Like most drugs of its kind, it inevitably strained the body. It was no medicine for a noble lady from a great house to take.
「……There will be times when you need quick thinking and judgment.」
「May I test you?」
“…….”
The reason a young lady, reuniting with her husband after five years at war, would need to take an abortifacient in haste. At first, he had imagined some infidelity on her part… But if it wasn’t a one-time heavy dose, but rather diluted and taken daily, then the effect they sought from the dark red water wasn’t abortion—it was contraception.
“…….”
「While working for House Julius, you won’t see only the clean parts.」
「Sometimes, there may be things your values can’t accept.」
「But you’re a doctor, and there aren’t many doctors in the world.」
「If you refuse, someone else will end up doing it.」
「If you don’t help, it could be an even greater misfortune for the patients right now.」
“…….”
Taylor silently finished processing the herbs before him, then began preparing antidote pills to weaken the toxicity of the dark red water. It was a medicine to help maintain its contraceptive effects while minimizing its poison and the burden on the body.
“…….”
Taylor had already made such medicine many times before.
「……There will be times when you need quick thinking and judgment.」
「You’ll understand when you go.」
「May I test you?」
While the steeped herbal water filtered through the paper packet. Taylor leaned silently on the table, his eyes quietly subdued. Like many parents, his father thought Taylor was more naive than his peers, a son who had grown up ignorant of the world’s dark side. But like most children, Taylor had seen and heard far more than Alvin Lorenson realized. The maids, more likely to be reported to the Marchioness than Dr. Lorenson, preferred Taylor and brought him more secret requests—including several desperate pleas for the dark red water. He had received similar confidential commissions countless times from young ladies or noblewomen of other houses unrelated to Julius, or even people from the territory. Naturally, he had observed the outcomes many times. Some were fortunate, but others were not. The dark red water was a dangerous drug.
「May I test you?」
“…….”
Drip…, drip. The cooled black liquid fell drop by drop into the transparent glass flask. Taylor’s thoughts drifted back a little further.
「……Due to circumstances, the marquisate has decided to show special favor.」
「A girl named Reina Astalin.」
「From here on, it’s confidential.」
Taylor’s quietly subdued gaze lingered on the illustration of ‘Christina’ in the gazette he had obtained for someone.
“…….”
Reina stared at him in a daze, unable to say a word. She seemed confused. Arthur stared openly at Reina before lowering his gaze to his own hand.
“……I’ve put you through a trial.”
“…….”
And Arthur smiled faintly.
“I’m sorry. Think it over some more.”
“…….”
After that, he moved to rise from his seat. In that moment, Reina reached out and grabbed him.
“…….”
Her pale hand clung weakly to the edge of his sleeve. It was a faint grip, barely holding the hem of his garment, but Arthur stopped, allowing himself to be held.
“…….”
Reina said nothing, but Arthur responded as if she had called to him.
“Yes.”
“…….”
Reina still couldn’t say a word.
“…….”
But Arthur was satisfied that she had held onto him. He looked at her hand. For the first time since the day of the triumphal procession when they reunited, there was a ring on her finger. Arthur smiled wryly.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you wearing the ring since that day.”
He lifted his own ringed hand slightly and smiled.
“I’ve kept mine on the whole time.”
“…….”
He said it with feigned disappointment, but he wasn’t unaware of how difficult it must be for her to wear the wedding ring casually. But after hesitating, Reina finally spoke for the first time.
“I was afraid it might get damaged…….”
She barely moved her lips in a voice that sank low.
“It’s such a precious thing…….”
And with her head bowed, she pointed toward the vanity.
“I’ve been keeping it in the jewelry box…….”
He knew. He knew she kept the thrice-folded note hidden behind the bed. So of course he knew the wedding ring was in the jewelry box on the vanity.
“I know.”
Silence flowed again.
“…….”
After a moment, Reina moved. Hesitating, she slowly rolled up the sleeve of her left wrist. A lace handkerchief was tied around her wrist. With her head lowered, Reina said softly.
“……Instead, I’ve been wearing this.”
“…….”
Arthur watched steadily. Holding only the very edge of his sleeve, Reina continued.
“……Because you gave this ‘to me.’”
Reina bit her lip, as if regretting her needless words, and closed her mouth. Then she quietly pulled her sleeve back down. The handkerchief disappeared into her sleeve again. Arthur watched her quietly. After a brief silence, Arthur spoke softly.
“The ring is something I gave to you, too.”
“…….”
Reina kept her head bowed with a stiff expression. She avoided his gaze.
“…….”
She gave no response about the ring. Instead, Reina said.
“I’ve been…… thinking about what you said.”
Arthur looked at her.
“But…… if you’ll allow it…… tomorrow…….”
Gripping her dress tightly to keep from trembling, she forced her lips open again with effort.
“I’d like to meet Taylor and then decide…….”
Body heat. Heartbeat. Trembling. His aura unconsciously traced all that desperate urgency.
“……Would that be all right…….”
Arthur watched silently as she struggled to squeeze out those words despite her difficulty.
“…….”
He finally spoke.
“I said I don’t want you to meet him.”
“……!”
Before Reina could hold her breath, Arthur’s words continued.
“……But that doesn’t mean I won’t allow it.”
And Arthur smiled, briefly stroking her cheek as if to comfort her that it was okay before pulling his hand away. It was the same light touch as before, a reminder that Arthur’s proposal and goodwill toward Reina remained unchanged. Reina pressed her trembling lips together and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry…….”
It was probably an apology for spying on him. But for some reason, Arthur felt like a man who had just been rejected after confessing. * * *
“Give me the note.”
“…….”
Arthur pulled the note from his pocket without objection and handed it over. She had been about to ask him to read it anyway. But the timing and circumstances couldn’t have been worse. He hadn’t imagined handing it over in this cold atmosphere filled with lingering resentment and suspicion toward her.
“…….”
Tristan seemed to have completely marked Reina as an enemy. Knowing that defending her himself would only provoke more backlash, Arthur handed over the note readily and hoped its contents wouldn’t enrage Tristan. He doubted there was much to it, but with someone as cautious and loyal as Tristan, there was always a chance it could displease him. Tristan took the note, started to unfold it, let out a short sigh, and looked at Arthur.
“Why didn’t you tell me? You knew.”
Arthur smiled awkwardly.
“……I was going to once I sorted it out.”
“I told you to be careful.”
“I am being careful.”
Tristan gave him a disbelieving look. The moment Arthur had reached for the note, Tristan had sensed he was trying to shield her and cooled his head. Perhaps Arthur had allowed her a sliver of his heart. Even if not, Sir Arthur was lenient toward the weak, so he might be inclined to overlook her out of pity. But whether out of compassion or something else, if Arthur harbored any softness toward her, Tristan had no intention of letting her off easily. Tristan looked down at the note bitterly. He started to unfold it again, then glared at Arthur as if surging with fresh anger.
“Were there things you meant to tell me but held back? Anything else left?”
“Nothing right now.”
“Really nothing? You want me to believe you?”
Arthur laughed.
“Yeah.”
Tristan sighed again. And once more, he glared furiously at the note.
