Previously
Eleanora performs emergency neonatal resuscitation on Emily's newborn son, who was born in a breech position and initially not breathing. Killian arrives with Doctor Shelburne just as Eleanora successfully revives the infant, who is named Elliot.
Eleanora’s lips parted slightly.
Good grief… what sort of pledge was this?
( ‘Is this meant as comfort, or a threat?’ )
Yet one thing was clear: she had never met anyone willing to offer up his own neck just to put another person at ease.
( ‘He is far more reckless than I thought.’ )
Even so, had Killian been utterly untrustworthy, he would never have struck such a one-sided bargain in the first place.
( ‘…I am actually touched.’ )
She truly was moved, but that did nothing to lift the heavy weight settling deep in her chest.
The secret he had entrusted to her was not an equal trade for hers. The more a person possessed, the more he stood to lose.
And Killian stood at a dizzying height. A fall from such an elevation would be incomparably more devastating than anything Eleanora might suffer.
So, how should she respond?
At the very least, from Eleanora’s perspective, the proper answer was…
Drawing in a deep breath, she let it out as she offered her thanks.
A faint gleam flickered in his amber-gold eyes.
( ‘Still… he must have suffered terribly.’ )
Half the world’s population was female. On top of that, he was besieged by marriage proposals and matchmakers. How suffocating it all must have been.
How had he ended up with such an affliction?
An innate terror of something was exceedingly rare; surely there had been an incident, a defining cause behind it.
( ‘…Wait.’ )
If that was the case… was marriage not completely out of the question from the start? He was not avoiding it out of mere distaste; he had to avoid it by any means necessary.
( ‘Then what will happen to Julianne?’ )
Pity for Killian and worry for Julianne clashed wildly in Eleanora’s head.
She was already so exhausted that her mind could barely function.
( ‘It does no good to brood over things when I am this tired.’ )
She needed to head back and rest first.
Killian made the quiet offer, having watched the pallor of her face for some time.
Eleanora offered a faint smile and looked out the window.
The violent downpour had stopped. Even the clouds seemed to have been swept away by the wind, and a gentle, warm sunlight was settling over the world.
The words slipped out of her exhausted mouth before she could think.
Realizing what she had said, she quickly turned to look at Killian. She expected him to scowl as usual, telling her to stop with the nonsense and hurry home.
Yet… he said nothing.
The moment his eyes met hers, he abruptly averted his gaze.
( ‘Now that he knows my circumstances, he must not intend to treat me as harshly as before.’ )
Even so, women still made him uncomfortable, which was why he had turned away.
So Eleanora took her leave promptly so he could rest in peace, especially since he had endured a night just as draining as her own, and having a woman in his presence was agony enough.
Yet the real reason he looked away was not discomfort. Rather, he had caught himself staring, unconsciously captivated by the brilliance of her sunlit green eyes, and felt deeply embarrassed.
Killian could not tear his gaze from Eleanora’s retreating back outside the window.
And in a world that had grown far brighter than before… she was the brightest thing in it.
At noon that same day, after a brief nap and finishing her morning rounds, Eleanora visited Killian’s manor once again.
Owen rushed out to greet her, bowing deeply the moment he laid eyes on her to express his gratitude.
The survival rate for a breech delivery was less than fifty percent. Even in the hands of an experienced obstetrician, the odds remained that bleak.
Yet Eleanora had pulled it off.
Owen’s face crumpled with profound regret.
Eleanora gave a self-conscious nod, and Owen let out an enormous sigh of relief.
( ‘So that was it. He ought to have told me. Why did he say nothing?’ )
Earlier that morning, Killian and Owen had exchanged a brief word.
In truth, those words meant he was granting him another chance.
Fighting back tears, Owen had explained that he only concealed it because it concerned Eleanora, the savior of his life, and vowed he would never do such a thing again.
( ‘And after knowing how worried I was… really.’ )
Regardless, Owen smiled with relief and showed Eleanora into the room where Emily and the baby rested.
Emily clutched Eleanora’s hands tightly, apologizing profusely and saying all this trouble was because of her.
When Eleanora assured her that things had ended well between her and Killian, Emily let out a long, deep sigh of relief.
Eleanora smiled softly and looked down at the infant cradled in her arms. In just a few hours, he had grown even more adorable.
Eleanora stammered in surprise, and Owen chimed in.
“……”
Eleanora looked back at the baby. Just then, the tiny corner of his mouth curved up slightly.
The Hughes couple repeated the baby’s name with fond affection.
Right then, a knock sounded at the door.
Since there was only one other person in the manor, everyone easily guessed who was knocking.
Eleanora stepped out of the room. The Hughes couple exchanged meaningful glances.
Even if their past feud had been smoothed over, the fact that Killian could address a ‘woman’ in so calm a tone was an entirely different matter.
Owen remarked, patting the baby’s cheek.
Emily, however, wondered silently, ‘Is that truly all it is?’
Killian asked Eleanora.
Looking away as he touched the nape of his neck, he gave a faint nod.
For that reason, he was considering hiring someone to look after Emily and the child during her recovery.
Eleanora finished the sentence for him when he hesitated. Killian cleared his throat softly and nodded in agreement.
Otherwise, people might use it as an excuse to send invitations and shower him with unwanted attention.
Eleanora nodded.
Killian’s brow furrowed slightly. Eleanora did not miss that subtle flicker of aversion.
When she became the hesitant one, he prompted her to continue. Swallowing dryly, she asked,
Killian rubbed his chin hesitantly, looking uncomfortable. Eleanora’s spirits sank, and she apologized quickly.
“Just being in the same room with a woman makes it impossible for me to breathe.”
Killian finally admitted, sounding resigned. Eleanora’s eyes widened in shock.