Previously
Cassius carries an unconscious Thiel to bed and calls for the family doctor, feeling immense guilt for her condition and rage toward the Nestian family. Duke Alvinus rushes in, frantic with worry, but Cassius convinces him to let the child rest while he explains the situation.
Thiel also knew that every noble family had a personal physician.
The Nestian family had one too.
However,
‘That doctor never treated me…’
The day Thiel’s forehead was cut open because Rowen had shoved her down the stairs from behind, Thiel had gone to the family physician without the maids knowing.
One day, she had faintly overheard Rowen talking.
‘I must go see the doctor, the edge of my nail feels so uncomfortable it’s bothering me!’
Rowen went straight to the Nestian family doctor, and after that, she never complained about the edge of her nail again.
Ever since then, whenever she was hurt, she often wanted to go to that doctor, but she held back each time.
Because her grandfather would never allow it.
Acting without permission would only mean getting hurt even worse…
Yet on that day, Thiel’s forehead had torn open so painfully that she could no longer bear it, so she gathered her courage and knocked on the doctor’s door.
The wound on her forehead throbbed deeply, to the point that she merely wished for a cloth to wipe the blood away.
However,
‘I cannot treat your injuries.’
The doctor had said with an apologetic expression as he stood facing Thiel in that cold hallway.
‘I am the personal physician of the Nestian family… and I cannot treat you because you do not bear the Nestian name yet, do you?’
The doctor turned her away, saying he could not treat her because she was a hybrid.
That was the day Thiel came to understand something.
‘A family physician only treats those who carry the family name…’
He could not treat her.
Yet,
Kid, who introduced himself as the Astrian family doctor, asked gently and warmly if he could examine Thiel’s body.
Placed in a situation completely different from the one she had faced in the Nestian household, Thiel opened her mouth, glancing about in confusion.
The moment Thiel finished speaking, silence fell over the room.
They were so at a loss that they could not find the right words to say to this small child who asked:
‘I don’t have the Astrian family name yet. Is it really all right for me to be treated?’
As silence enveloped the room and the space grew quiet, Thiel looked around hesitantly.
Had she made a mistake?
Was that a question she shouldn't have asked?
Thiel regretted asking such a foolish question, but it was already too late to take it back.
She closed her eyes, on the verge of asking them to pretend they hadn’t heard anything.
A tender voice sounded in her ear.
Having heard it several times now, Thiel cautiously raised her head at the voice that had grown familiar.
A sharp, prominent nose, lips curving upward in a perfect line, a jawline that looked sculpted by a master artist, and flawless skin.
He resembled the beautiful sculpture Rowen had treasured, or perhaps Cassius looked even more handsome and striking than that.
Yet what caught Thiel’s attention was not his handsome appearance.
'…'
Beneath those thick eyelids rested eyes of clear, brilliant gold.
The moment Thiel looked into those golden eyes, so identical to her own, a strange sense of relief washed over her.
Thiel blinked, unable to tear her gaze from Cassius’s face, and Cassius softly curled his lips into a charming smile.
The moment Cassius spoke, Leah drew a mirror from her pocket and handed it to him.
Cassius held the small mirror before the child’s face.
Thiel stared into her eyes for a moment, then nodded and answered.
It was only natural, for only members of the Astrian family were born with golden eyes.
Thus, the results of the paternity test were a mere formality; everyone agreed without question that Thiel was Cassius’s biological daughter and an Astrian.
Thiel, her eyes wide, met Cassius’s gaze.
Cassius drew closer, whispering softly as he gently patted her head.
A beat of silence passed.
Once Thiel understood what Cassius meant, she asked again in a trembling voice.
""…"
Cassius answered immediately, without hesitation.
At that moment, Thiel’s eyes sparkled, and her mouth parted slightly.
Warmth soon flooded her heart, as if a bright radiance had lit up within her chest, which had been frozen for so long by abuse and mistreatment.
‘I won’t be cast out.’
‘No matter what happens later, I can at least stay here a little longer.’
That simple fact alone made Thiel extraordinarily happy.
Yet when she remembered Duke Ewald’s furious voice still echoing in her mind, unease slowly crept back in.
At the sound of Cassius’s voice, the anxiety gradually dissolved, leaving behind a faint comfort that tickled her heart.
Cassius’s large hand gently caressed Thiel’s small, soft cheek.
Thiel squeezed one eye shut at his touch.
She peered up at Cassius,
her other eye wide open.
Kid nodded, stepping toward Thiel with an outstretched hand, yet he asked for her permission once more.
Thiel thought for a second, then nodded.
After thoroughly examining Thiel, Kid diagnosed her with malnutrition, though fortunately her overall health was sound.
He gave a prescription based on
eating and resting well, so that
her health would gradually recover on its own.
Thiel felt relieved knowing that her overall health
was fine, but the servants of the Astrian mansion felt quite the opposite.
However, the servants who attempted to swarm the estate chef were swiftly escorted out by Bardin, the head butler, and Sophia, the senior maid.
Besides, dinner had already passed; eating greasy food at such a late hour was bound to cause an upset stomach and leave her in pain for a while.
What was more, when Thiel had first arrived at the mansion, she had gorged herself on cake and ended up throwing it all up.
So for now, she was supposed to avoid having anything at all…
‘She hasn't had a proper lunch or dinner either.’
‘There’s no way a child can sleep on an empty stomach.’
So Sophia ordered corn soup with tender chunks of meat and warm bread to feed Thiel.
Thiel ate about half a bowl of the delicious corn soup, taking to heart Sophia’s words: ‘At this late hour, you must eat something that settles your stomach and brings you comfort.’
When Thiel swallowed the warm corn soup, it truly made her feel at ease.
She sat upon the wide bed, resting both hands over her stomach.
Leah entered the room carrying a tray, which she set down on a small table.
Leah spoke in an endlessly gentle tone, like a fairy tale incantation, as she lifted a spoon before Thiel’s mouth.
Thiel blinked at the dessert presented before her.
What Leah had brought was a red fruit pudding topped with sweet, refreshing cream.
Leah had noticed how Thiel loved sweets when she saw her eyes sparkle earlier that day.
On that basis, Leah had obtained permission from Bardin and Sophia and brought a light, sweet treat that Thiel could eat without any trouble.
Thiel blinked again in wonder.
Can I really eat this?
It was the first time she had ever been offered something like this at such an hour.
Leah looked at Thiel with a warm smile, gently squeezing her hand as though seeking permission.
Then she took a spoonful of pudding and sweet cream and brought it to Thiel’s lips.
"…!"
Thiel’s eyes went wide with wonder at the taste of the dessert melting in her mouth.