Translator: Nox

Chapter 44

Grasping his red, swollen cheek, the doctor said, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

“Count, we have exhausted every possible method! We even delved into ancient medicine, but we have never encountered a disease of this nature. All we can offer at this point is to wait…”

“So, you’re saying she might be stuck like this for the rest of her life?”

“A, as it stands now… yes.”

“Argh! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

Zeppelin unleashed a torrent of curses before turning his tear-filled eyes to Rebecca.

Rebecca simply gazed back at him with a sorrowful expression.

“Zeppelin… it’s alright. I’ll get better soon…”

“Of course, you will. I’ll make sure you’re back to your perfect self!”

“Th, then I’ll trust you to… Ah…”

Rebecca fainted then and there.

Canna placed her hand on Rebecca’s forehead and then checked her temperature with a thermometer.

After confirming the reading, Canna exclaimed in alarm.

“This is not good. Her fever is much higher than yesterday. Her breathing is also labored.”

One of the attending physicians cautiously spoke to Zeppelin.

“Count, it seems the Lady requires absolute rest at this time.”

Zeppelin glared at him for a moment. But, realizing the sense in his words, he soon sighed and spoke.

“Very well. We shall discuss this in the study. If you wish to keep your heads, you will bring me a cure.”

At his warning, the physicians exchanged glances.

Enduring Zeppelin’s foul temper was a small price to pay for a good job.

The salary was twice as high as anywhere else, and there were no elderly or infirm to constantly care for.

But now, their lives were on the line.

How had things come to this?

They swallowed hard and bowed their heads.

“We, we will do our utmost!”

Zeppelin didn’t even spare them a glance, clicking his tongue once before turning back toward Rebecca.

He didn’t even cross the threshold before whispering tenderly.

“Rebecca, now that I’m back, everything will return to normal.”

From the unconscious Rebecca, there was no reply.

Zeppelin carefully closed the door and left.

The moment the door shut, Rebecca’s tightly closed eyes snapped open.

“How was my acting, Canna?”

“Excellent, my Lady.”

“You saw it too, didn’t you? Zeppelin, unable to even come near me like a frightened child. As if he were afraid of getting something dirty on himself.”

“I am not surprised. He has always been that kind of man.”

“That’s right. That’s Zeppelin Devonshire for you. More concerned about his own skin than his ailing wife.”

Rebecca closed her eyes again.

“All those words of love are lies. There’s no such thing as true love. Why call it something as grand as love when it shatters the moment the other person no longer has what you want?”

‘That is not true…’

Canna was one who believed in true love, but she didn’t dare contradict Rebecca’s opinion.

Rebecca seemed utterly exhausted as she spoke those words.

Rebecca groaned and said.

“Canna… my body is so itchy, it’s driving me mad. And my head aches.”

Canna hurriedly brought ice packs and applied them to every part of Rebecca’s body.

Rebecca murmured in a weak voice.

“Haa. That’s a little better. It’s more agonizing than I expected.”

Canna asked with a worried tone.

“Rebecca, are you certain you can recover? I have never seen a disease like this in my life.”

“How long have you lived? There are plenty of things in this world we don’t know. I will get better. I have to.”

When Canna remained silent, Rebecca flicked her finger against her nose.

“Don’t make that face. It hurts my heart every time you do. You believe me, don’t you, Canna? The fever will break soon. Though the Pustules will remain.”

“How could I not believe in you…”

Rebecca smiled at Canna before gasping for breath and succumbing to sleep, overcome by the fever.

* * *

Meanwhile, Zeppelin was meticulously reviewing the reports submitted by the physicians in his study.

Their claim that they had tried every possible method was not a lie.

As Zeppelin flipped through each report, he slammed his fist on the desk.

“How did things come to this! Rebecca! Ah, Rebecca!”

Zeppelin despairingly buried his face in his hands.

“Count, I have something to tell you.”

Octavio, who had been quietly refilling Zeppelin’s glass, spoke.

“Unless it’s something that can help the current situation, I’d prefer you kept your mouth shut.”

Zeppelin irritably gulped down his liquor.

Octavio cautiously said.

“It may be related.”

“Speak.”

“There are rumors that the illness the Lady is suffering from may be Divine Affliction.”

“Divine Affliction?”

“In fact, since you left, Count, rumors have been rampant that Rebecca is a Saintess.”

“Is that all? It’s not like Rebecca being revered as a Saintess is anything new.”

“This time it’s different. From what I’ve observed, it is my opinion that Rebecca possesses Divine Power to foresee the future.”

“Foresight? Octavio, have you been taking something while I was away? What nonsense are you spouting?”

“It’s true. There are more than a few employees who have received the Lady’s help.”

“Even if that were the case, it wouldn’t make sense that I wouldn’t know about it.”

“That is… I’ve heard that her Divine Power is being suppressed for some reason.”

“Who on earth is spreading such ridiculous rumors?”

Octavio took a deep breath before speaking.

“Robert is.”

“Robert…?”

Zeppelin fell into thought.

Octavio smiled faintly as he watched Zeppelin, who was slowly calming his anger.

Grace had told him not to mention the rumors of Rebecca being a Saintess, but Octavio thought differently.

The fact that Rebecca had contracted an incurable disease was already a reality.

As the butler, the best he could do for his master now was to create a distraction to draw attention away from Rebecca.

‘And if I can eliminate a few thorns in my side in the process, all the better.’

Octavio knew Zeppelin well.

He was the one who catered to his whims the best in the mansion.

“You know better than anyone, Count, that Robert is not the type to spread baseless rumors. Summon him and interrogate him.”

Octavio lit an incense stick. The fragrance he had personally blended permeated the study.

Zeppelin inhaled the scent deeply before exhaling. His tension eased, leaving him feeling languid.

Zeppelin said in a slightly softened voice.

“Yes, why didn’t I think of Robert? He was the one who was with Rebecca every step of the way.”

“Experiencing a shocking event can temporarily paralyze one’s reason. But you, Count, are so outstanding that you quickly find the answer like this.”

“Hmm… That’s right. I am quite brilliant…”

Octavio gently massaged Zeppelin’s stiff shoulders.

As the fragrance grew stronger, Zeppelin succumbed to his touch in a daze.

Before long, Zeppelin fell asleep in his chair.

Octavio carefully carried him to his bedroom.

‘Somehow, I managed to get through today. Now, all I have to do is find the people who intercepted the letters…’

“Octavio. Has the Count retired to his chambers?”

Greeting him as he closed the bedroom door was Grace, her face coldly hardened.

Octavio narrowed his already thin eyes even further and said.

“I’ve taken care of everything, so you don’t need to worry about it, Grace.”

Grace’s eyes flickered momentarily at Octavio’s use of her given name instead of her title as head maid.

She preferred to be called head maid.

It gave her the feeling of being a more important figure in the Devonshire household.

The title of lady made her sound old, and she didn’t want to be seen as a friendly and easy target by having her given name used.

So, the title of head maid was the most appropriate.

But Octavio had consistently called her ‘Grace’ since the day they met.

Not even ‘Lady Grace,’ just ‘Grace,’ and his attitude always grated on her nerves.

Today, his unchanging demeanor infuriated Grace, but she suppressed it.

She had something to confirm right now.

Sensing her intentions, Octavio smiled faintly and said.

“Were you waiting here because you were curious if I had told him about the rumors of her being a Saintess?”

“Don’t tell me, you told him?”

Grace unfolded her arms and stared at Octavio.

“I fail to see why that’s so surprising. The Count has every right to know everything that happens in this mansion. More than that, I’d like to know why you told me to keep the rumors quiet.”

“Well, it was just a heartfelt attempt to alleviate the Count’s worries, even if only a little. There was no other meaning.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Octavio smiled serenely.

When he smiled like that, it meant he was probing for something.

Grace smoothly changed the subject.

“This scent… you’ve lit that incense again. The incense that the previous Count forbade?”

“He is already resting in peace. The current Count is Zeppelin. What’s the problem when the Count has permitted it?”

“What’s the problem? You can’t be serious.”

“The Count wanted peace of mind. He got what he wanted, so what more is there to say?”

Octavio only continued to smile.

Octavio Rimen, no one knew his exact origins except that he was from a poor noble family.

Octavio had started as a servant and worked his way up to the position of butler, earning the trust of Jakim Devonshire.

He was also the one who had been in charge of Zeppelin’s education, along with Grace, since he was very young.

Zeppelin trusted Octavio more than his own father. Even after becoming Count, he tended to rely on him.

Zeppelin would lose his temper, only to calm down with a single word from Octavio.

The fact that he had placed Octavio at the head of the Hounds was proof of his trust in him.

Octavio was the type of person who believed that the process didn’t matter as long as the result was good.

That was why he was so incompatible with Grace, who insisted on scrutinizing every detail.

Octavio smiled sinisterly at Grace, who was looking at him with wary eyes.

“Oh, right, I mentioned that Robert was the source of the rumors, so I told him to investigate.”

“…!”

Grace’s dark pupils wavered for a moment.

Octavio didn’t miss that moment and scrutinized her face.

Having quickly regained her composure, Grace spoke again with a blank expression.

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Who knows? I just thought you’d be curious about the news since he was once a potential son-in-law.”