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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Ten Days of Worry
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After fangirling internally to my heart's content, I sat up and leaned against the bedhead. Then I tried my best to answer demurely.
"It's fine. At first, my sense of smell was completely numb, and I was shocked out of my mind, but luckily it's all good now."
"……."
Akid gaped at me as if my response was utterly ridiculous.
Come to think of it, for someone claiming to be fine, the symptoms when I passed out had been pretty severe.
I fidgeted with my lips before asking cautiously.
"Were you worried, by any chance?"
Akid's eyes wavered as I tilted my head to meet his gaze.
I must have asked something pointless. There's no way he'd worry about me.
Just as I was about to shut him up.
He replied slowly.
"……Yes."
My heart plummeted. Akid had been worried about me.
What day is it today? I should mark this as a special anniversary!
"I see."
I bowed my head, thrilled at his admission of worry.
If I looked up, he might bolt at the sight of my nostrils flaring in excitement.
I hated being sick, but knowing he'd worried about me felt good. It was a sign of affection, after all.
'Has anyone here ever been nursed back to health by their favorite character? Yep! Right here!'
As I celebrated in my head, he suddenly placed a hand on my forehead. It felt cool, so my fever must not have fully broken yet.
"You still have a slight fever."
"Yeah. I mean, I really thought I was dying, so it would be weird if it ended in just one day."
Akid shook his head as I tried to play it off like I was perfectly fine.
"It wasn't one day."
"Huh?"
"It was ten days."
"!!"
I couldn't close my mouth at the words "ten days." Akid mumbled with a pained expression, unable to meet my eyes properly.
"Worried? How could I not be? You're my wife."
"……."
"You have no idea what I've been through staying by your side for those ten days."
What had it been like?
Why was that what I wanted to know most?
I barely restrained my nostrils from flaring wildly. I desperately wanted to ask, but the mood didn't allow it.
He looked so fragile somehow. With his head hung low, Akid muttered like a criminal.
"You wouldn't wake up at all, so I kept thinking something had gone terribly wrong……."
"Akid."
"If anything had happened to you, I wouldn't even know who to apologize to……."
"Akid!"
I yelled and grabbed his hand to snap him out of his darkening mood.
Only then did Akid come to his senses and meet my eyes.
Wait, why did he look like a drenched puppy?
His eyes drooped pitifully, like a shivering pup caught in the rain. It was heartbreaking enough to make me want to hug him on impulse.
But I clung to my reason and said.
"Akid, I'm fine. Nothing went wrong."
"……."
"See? I'm right here in front of you."
I guided his hand to my face as I spoke, and he nodded silently. He seemed a bit more composed than before.
'Did he get scolded by the Grand Duke because I collapsed?'
Of all times, why did I have to pass out while out with Akid?
I should have toughed it out alone and collapsed back in my room!
I felt guilty for causing trouble for Akid.
Then it hit me—I was curious why I'd collapsed in the first place.
"So, why did I pass out?"
Akid hesitated, his lips twitching at my question.
"I figured you already knew."
"No clue. What was it?"
He let out a hot breath as I tilted my head quizzically.
"It was an allergy to Delrus flowers."
"Pardon……?"
What was that supposed to mean?
Delrus flowers were everywhere in Hadellus territory.
The castle gardens even had a whole section dedicated to them.
Akid explained calmly to my stunned self. His expression had hardened by then.
"Don't pretend you didn't know."
"……."
"You collapsed from something similar last year, didn't you?"
"Ah."
I let out a soft gasp at the mention of last year. It hit harder since it was part of a past I didn't know.
'This is unexpected. How did Loena survive in Delrus-filled Hadellus?'
Now that I thought about it, in the original story, Akid would think of his late wife whenever he saw Delrus flowers.
She'd hated them so much that not a single one was allowed to bloom in their castle.
'So that's why she made such a fuss—because of the allergy.'
I was pondering how to respond to this unforeseen truth when he continued.
"Is that why you told me to throw away the Delrus flowers I gave you?"
"I……."
"You should have just been honest."
"……."
"You nearly died. Why hide it?"
Akid bit his lower lip hard, swallowing his anger.
He didn't want to yell at a recovering patient, it seemed.
His scary face somehow looked pitiful.
He wasn't mad at me—it was anger turned inward.
'Why did Loena hide this from everyone?'
Even from the maids she'd brought.
In a place blanketed with Delrus flowers, it was like burying her head in the sand.
'Looks like fleeing the greenhouse last year wasn't on purpose after all.'
But unlike Loena's intentions, it could have painted the Grand Duchess in a bad light. And it had.
'With her young pride, it must have been hard to speak up.'
Dropped into a remote land she'd never visited.
Her only allies were the maids from her family home in Aipril Castle, while everyone called her Grand Duchess Heiress and piled on duties.
And of all things, allergic to the symbol of Hadellus—Delrus flowers.
Of course she'd hide such a weakness.
Her childish inexperience had led to mishandling it, worsening their relationship.
'What a mess.'
Akid mumbled, gripping my hand tightly.
"Hiding it doesn't make it go away……."
"Huh?"
I didn't catch the end and asked again. He met my eyes. His gray irises stared straight at me.
Some indescribable emotion flickered there. His gaze drew me in, leaving my lips parted naturally.
A moment later, he asked hesitantly.
"Was it because of me?"
"No way!"
I jumped to refute his sudden self-recrimination. But Akid didn't look convinced.
His long black lashes trembled. Strangely, his eyes glistened as if wet.
"If I'd been a more reliable husband, would you have opened up to me?"
"Akid……."
I didn't know what to do with his near-tearful expression.
I'd once wished to see him cry, but now I wanted to take it back.
I wanted him to smile always. It hurt knowing I'd made him sad.
"I'm sorry."
I apologized, my voice choking up without thinking. Akid shook his head lightly.
His gaze was gentle and warm. It only made tears well up more.
"I'll do better. So you can rely on me."
"Me too. From now on, I'll tell you everything, Akid. No more secrets."
"Yes. Understood."
Akid smiled faintly and brushed my tear-streaked cheek. The dangling tear burst against his finger.
"What happened to Lady Lork, by the way?"
To change the awkward mood, I shifted topics. A crack appeared on his face. He looked like he didn't even want to think about it, his expression stiffening.
"Don't worry about the likes of her."
"Akid?"
I widened my eyes at his sudden chill. For a moment, he resembled the Grand Duke's icy demeanor.
Akid laid me back down and tucked me in.
"Just focus on recovering, my lady."
"Yes……."
I had too many guilty pangs to do anything but answer meekly. After that, Akid stayed by my side until I fell asleep.
"G-Grand Duchess Heiress."
Lady Lork stared at Elena with a pale face.
Elena crossed her legs elegantly and gestured for her to sit.
Trembling, she sank onto the sofa opposite Elena.
It was the first time Elena had visited the Lork estate personally.
She hadn't even dropped by once when Vestia had set up camp in the Grand Duke's castle. What could this be about?
Elena snorted at Vestia, who looked terrified at a glance.
'Help me, Mother.'
'Help you?'
'Make sure Lady Lork never shows her face before the Grand Duchess Heiress again.'
'So my dear stepson collapsed because of Lady Lork.'
'There were bigger reasons, but her meddling did delay emergency treatment.'
Her stepson, who never asked for favors in his life, had suddenly shown up pleading for help.
For his wife, no less—the one they were notoriously at odds with, whom he usually dismissed.
And Elena had never seen Akid's eyes so sharp and clear.
Much better than his usual cowering avoidance of eye contact.
That was why she'd come to see Lady Lork at his request.
'Well, I never liked the girl anyway.'
Acting above her station toward the Grand Duke Heir and his wife.
Elena cut straight to the chase with a bright smile.
"I'd appreciate it if you left Hadellus territory immediately."
