Chapter 103. Throw Away All the Princess Consort's Clothes
The physician arrived at the mansion exactly four hours later.
With the physician's arrival, not only Betty, but even the maids who were nursing Olivia, felt a great relief.
If the physician had been any later, Noah would have surely gone to the Royal Palace and dragged any physician who was 'idly playing around' by the collar.
Noah, having only removed his outer coat, was staying by Olivia's side, not saying a single word, but only gazing at his feverish wife's face.
The maids had to nurse the Princess Consort while enduring his icy glare. Even the sound of soaking a towel in water was cautious, but no one dared to dissuade him.
Especially when the Princess Consort, whose fever seemed to be dropping after taking the antipyretic, even started coughing, it even felt like a bone-chilling cold was sweeping through.
Betty almost ran as she guided the physician to the Princess Consort. Perhaps because the Prince had told her to let him in without knocking, Betty dared to open the door to the Prince and Princess's bedroom without permission.
"Please, come in."
At the quick whisper and the intense silence felt from beyond the door, the physician swallowed hard.
A space mixed with dim lamplight and darkness, the Prince silhouetted against the moonlight streaming in through the window, and a figure lying on the huge bed. Like a wild beast hiding in the darkness, only the Prince's eyes gleamed with light in the pitch-black silhouette.
The physician, trying to suppress his trembling hands, quickly approached and bowed his head.
"I apologize for being late, Your Highness."
"Just examine her quickly."
"Yes."
From the deeply sunken voice, one could clearly feel how much he was suppressing his temper. The physician quickly washed his hands and then approached the Princess Consort.
"When did she take the antipyretic?"
"She took it once four hours ago, and again one hour ago when her fever rose again."
"Since when has she been unconscious?"
"Since four and a half hours ago."
The first answer was given by Betty, but the second answer came from the Prince.
The physician calmly and coolly examined the Princess Consort's condition.
"Has she ever mentioned any pain?"
At her question, Betty paused for a moment before opening her mouth.
"Her appetite has been gradually decreasing lately. She said her chest felt stuffy..."
Then, Noah, who had been sitting in the chair until then, jumped up from his seat and directly lifted Olivia's clothes.
"Your Highness!"
Regardless of whether the two were surprised or not, Noah, having lifted the clothes up to below her chest, pointed with his finger at the area near her ribs, which were still bruised blue.
"Isn't it because of this?"
The physician, after meeting the fiercely raised green eyes, quickly lowered his gaze to his finger. In an instant, her eyes widened.
"No, how could there be such a thing on Her Highness's body..."
As the surprised physician examined Olivia's upper body, Noah finally took a step back.
The Princess Consort's upper body was full of traces of being tightly constricted by something. The marks were not only on her chest but also on her back and abdomen. After examining the marks for a long time, the physician finally came to one conclusion.
"Could this be... corset marks?"
"Yes."
As Betty, who was assisting her examination, nodded, the physician let out a deep, long sigh and lowered the Princess Consort's clothes.
"It seems Her Highness was not used to the Corset?"
To that question, Noah, who was standing behind with his hands in his pockets, answered.
"It hasn't even been a month."
"Since when has she complained of chest tightness?"
"The entire time she wore it. She said she would endure it and get used to it."
"Has she been coughing?"
No sooner had the question ended than the Princess Consort, who had been closing her eyes as if dead, coughed.
"Cough, cough."
And at the same time as coughing, she curled up her body as if in great pain and groaned softly.
Noah quickly approached Olivia and pressed her chest with his palm. The wrinkles on her forehead, which had been distorted with pain, smoothed out for a moment.
"She has been coughing for 2 hours,"
Betty quickly added, and the physician nodded as if understanding something.
As Olivia's coughing stopped, Noah, who had risen, suddenly felt a strong urge to smoke. Roughly wiping his face, he gestured to Betty. As Betty quickly disappeared out the door, the physician gave a diagnosis with a troubled face.
"It seems to be Pleurisy."
"Pleurisy?"
"It is also known as Corset Sickness. If the abdomen and chest are severely compressed with a Corset, the organs are pressed and pushed upwards. Then the lungs are compressed, making it difficult to breathe, and in severe cases, inflammation occurs. Pain with every breath, coughing, and fever are typical symptoms."
"So it was because it hurt every time she breathed?"
"Yes. That's probably what it was."
Just hearing it made him feel suffocated.
Afraid of the Prince's expression, who had lowered his gaze darkly, the physician quickly added.
"I will stay at the mansion and look after Her Highness, Your Highness."
The Prince stared blankly at the Princess Consort.
Her magnificent features felt chilling, like those of a demon. The longer the silence, the more the physician felt suffocated.
How long did she endure the hellish silence?
Finally, the Prince opened his mouth.
"So, she got sick because of the Corset."
"Yes? Yes, yes."
The startled physician quickly nodded, and he, unbelievably, chuckled.
"......"
Below the hand covering his eyes, one corner of his red lips turned upwards. The physician quickly lowered his gaze. And looking at the Princess Consort, who was feverishly asleep, she prayed inwardly.
'Her Highness, you must recover quickly. Quickly.'
Noah, who was rubbing his hot eyes with his hands, swept his face down and gave a languid order.
"I told them to prepare the room next to the bedroom, so stay there. I will be here tonight, so come and check on the Princess Consort periodically."
Then the physician quickly packed his medical bag.
"I will grind the medicine so that it is easy to take. Please wait a moment, Your Highness."
"Alright. Have the head maid come in as you leave."
"Understood."
The physician hurriedly left the room like someone escaping from hell. Then, she quickly whispered to Betty.
"He wants to see you."
Betty left the guidance to a maid who was nearby and hurried into the room.
When she entered the room, the Princess Consort's dresses and Corset were thrown haphazardly on the floor.
As Betty looked up in surprise, Noah opened his mouth.
"Make sure the Princess Consort's Corset is never seen again. Throw away all the dresses that can only be worn with a Corset. Whether it's a royal event or whatever, the Princess Consort will never wear a Corset again."
His gaze was fixed solely on the Princess Consort.
"Understood."
"And while I'm gone, Countess Timberline..."
As he trailed off, a sharp murderous intent that seemed to pierce the skin was felt.
Even though Noah was sensitive, he had never driven the household into terror. But now he felt precariously close to exploding if touched.
The moment Betty swallowed hard, he finished speaking.
"Even if that woman comes, don't let a single strand of her hair into my house. Olivia shouldn't even hear that woman's voice."
At the Prince's command, Betty nodded with a determined expression.
"Understood, Your Highness."
"Get the medicine the physician gives you."
"Yes."
Betty hurriedly picked up the clothes scattered on the floor and left the room. She was so overwhelmed by the violent pulse that she was out of her mind. Her back was wet with cold sweat.
She handed the Princess Consort's clothes to a maid who was nearby and whispered.
"Tomorrow, incinerate all of Her Highness's Corsets and dresses."
"Yes?"
"Don't ask."
The maid, with a serious expression, quickly took the Princess Consort's clothes and walked away.
A silence, as frightening as it was desolate, enveloped the entire mansion.
Betty took a long breath and wished earnestly. May Her Highness recover quickly.
And at the same time, Countess Timberline's gray eyes came to mind.
'It seems like you're... in big trouble.'
You should have done it moderately.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
'What do I do now...'
In the moment when a disheveled silence, like a place ravaged by a storm, descended, Mrs. Seymour was also suddenly frightened.
Especially since the Prince had accurately seen that this place was a 'Shine Party' and had checked the faces of the attendees one by one with a beastly, chilling gaze.
It was around the time she was afraid that there might be royal-level retaliation.
"What do you mean, what do we do? The Prince has a deep misunderstanding. To call this gathering a Shine Party."
Marchioness Rettium put on her hat with an elegant gesture and rose from her seat. Then, the desperate gazes of the noble ladies poured out on her.
Countess Timberline, who had been sitting down, hurriedly got up from her seat and nodded.
"T, that's right. A Shine Party?! O, sister-in-law. C, come with me and explain to the Prince..."
The Countess could only trail off at the Marchioness's cold and ruthless gaze. Marchioness Rettium looked at the Countess with her sharp lips tightly shut, then slowly opened her mouth.
"Countess Timberline."
"......"
"What explanation? We just happened to run into each other. So what explanation do I have? Do I explain being in the same space as Her Highness?"
"O, sister-in-law..."
"Rather, you should apologize rather than explain, Countess."
Marchioness Rettium let out a sigh that could barely be heard, then approached Mrs. Timberlin.
"It would be a problem if Her Highness's etiquette teacher left Her Highness alone and was at another table."
At her resolute attitude, Countess Timberline slowly fell into a swamp-like despair, and the other noble ladies nodded repeatedly with brightened faces.
"Of course. When did we promise to meet?!"
Mrs. Seymour also felt a sudden sense of relief and quickly approached Marchioness Rettium.
Mrs. Timberlin, whose face had turned dark, looked at the Marchioness resentfully, trembling her hands. But the Marchioness had no intention of taking responsibility.
"Apologize to Queen Consort rather than Prince. That would be better."
Then, she turned around with a relaxed attitude and left, swaying.
