It was not yet late afternoon the next day when the news reached them. Daphne had regained consciousness.
“…Her condition?”
Edmund asked, eyes still fixed on the docunts before him.
“She’s not able to move much yet, but she’s eating without issue.”
It was a remarkably swift recovery, considering the amount of blood she had lost.
When Edmund showed no reaction, Benjamin glanced at him cautiously.
“…You’re not planning to visit?”
“…No, I will.”
Muttering quietly, Edmund rose from his seat and headed toward his bedroom where Daphne was staying.
Perhaps because the report had been made the mont she woke, Baroness Nouvelle was still there. Daphne lay in bed, blankly staring into the void.
“Your Excellency.”
As Edmund quietly stepped inside, the Baroness stood and silently withdrew. But Daphne’s gaze remained lost in midair. Edmund approached her bedside.
“Daphne.”
At the sound of his voice, she slowly turned her head, revealing a pale, disheveled face.
“How are you feeling?”
“…I’m all right.”
Her voice was faint and dry.
“You already know I’ll be divorcing you soon. And I’ll be marrying the Princess.”
“Yes. I know.”
Daphne nodded, her expression devoid of emotion.
“I’ll head to the North first. Once everything’s settled here, I’ll co to you.”
“…Settled?”
His words flowed out so naturally that Daphne nearly nodded before stopping herself.
“I’ve told you many tis before.”
“…”
“I have no intention of letting you go.”
Daphne’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“…You really are… unbelievable.”
For a brief mont, she let out a hollow laugh, dry and weak. Her hand, tightly clutching the blanket, had gone so pale it trembled faintly.
“…Is it because of the child?”
She looked up. Her hand, which had been gripping the blanket, now rested over her flat belly. She didn’t even seem to expect an answer from him as she asked the next question.
“What happened?”
“…”
“Is the baby… alive?”
Daphne asked as though she truly didn’t know. As though she were testing him, waiting for his reply.
“…Yes. The child is alive. We were lucky.”
At those words, Daphne slowly let her hand fall away from her stomach.
“…I see. A lucky child, then.”
She softly echoed his words.
“Let see Damian.”
“You may.”
He answered at once. Daphne blinked, then turned her head away.
“I’m tired. Please leave.”
Just as quietly as he’d co in, Edmund stepped out of the room.
Outside, Baroness Nouvelle was waiting. Edmund gave her an order in Daphne’s stead.
“She’s sleeping. Co back later.”
“Yes, understood.”
— — —
The Baroness returned to Daphne’s room several hours later.
“You’re awake.”
“…Yes.”
Daphne looked groggy, as though she had just awakened.
The Baroness locked the door behind her and drew the curtains tightly. In that short ti, Daphne had already thrown off her blanket. The Baroness sat down and began unwrapping a set of fresh bandages. During her treatnt of Daphne the previous night, she had discovered two things.
First: Daphne had not suffered a miscarriage.
“The wound is rather deep.”
The Baroness inspected the injury carved deep into Daphne’s thigh. Thankfully, it hadn’t reached the muscle, but it had struck a blood vessel, causing heavy bleeding.
Second: Daphne had inflicted the wound herself.
“…I won’t ask what happened.”
As she replaced the dressing, Daphne quietly looked down at her. Feeling the weight of Daphne’s gaze, the Baroness finally lifted her head.
“It was reckless.”
“…”
“A little deeper and you could’ve spent the rest of your life limping.”
“…”
“You could’ve been caught, too.”
“…I just…”
Daphne blinked slowly, her eyes vacant.
“I had a feeling… you wouldn’t say anything.”
The Baroness bit her lip.
Daphne was right. She had no intention of telling Edmund. She had already regretted saying she had sothing to discuss with him. She had even resolved to say sothing trivial instead.
With her thoughts laid bare, the Baroness took a deep breath and continued.
“Your body is in terrible condition. Poison has built up. You can barely move. And the burn on your arm, too late to treat it properly, has beco infected.”
No wonder it had been throbbing.
Daphne muttered as she looked down at the burn. As the Baroness had said, it was now filled with pus.
“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.”
After securing the bandage, the Baroness quietly left the room. She made her way straight to the incinerator in the backyard and began burning the bloodstained bandages she had hidden in a basket.
The fire gave off a slightly oppressive heat. The Baroness quickly poked the bandages deeper into the flas with a stick, wary of anyone approaching.
She glanced beside her. In another basket, placed there before she arrived, lay a bloodied shirt with its lower half torn.
‘Co to think of it…’
When she had first lifted Daphne’s skirt, thinking it was a miscarriage, the wound on her thigh had already been dressed. The situation had been so dire, she had completely forgotten.
If soone hadn’t dressed that wound, Daphne might never have woken up.
As if possessed, the Baroness reached out and picked up the shirt. Her eyes widened. There was only one person in the entire estate who wore shirts of such fine quality.
* * *
“Is that so?”
Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled as she listened to the latest gossip from high society, a story she hadn’t heard in so ti.
She’d already heard the rumors from her maids, but noble ladies always knew more of the hidden truths. So she acted as though it was her first ti hearing it.
“You must’ve been so bored. I’ve wanted to visit Your Highness so badly.”
As a mber of the imperial family, and a recent poisoning victim, Elizabeth had been barred from receiving visitors.
It had its perks: she didn’t have to keep pretending to be sick every day. But still, she played along with a regretful sigh.
“Still, I’m glad it ended without incident.”
“Oh, Lady, it wasn’t as simple as that.”
The noblewoman glanced at Elizabeth for permission before continuing.
“Well… I’ve heard sothing about who might be responsible.”
Elizabeth let out a long sigh, as if resigned.
“I can hardly believe it myself… but yes.”
“Oh my goodness!”
Though their words were laced with concern, their eyes glead with curiosity.
Sensing this, Grace quickly bowed slightly and began reciting details like a trusted informant.
“Lady Yllin, co sit by .”
The only daughter of a poor baronial house, well past the typical marrying age.
Yllin, who had been waiting anxiously for a sign, moved quickly to take the seat. The other ladies realized too late they had missed their chance.
“How did you hear the rumor?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Yllin hesitated. Elizabeth waved a hand with a sigh.
“I’m not trying to scold you. I just worry this rumor might leak and cause trouble for Edmund… Oh!”
“Your Highness, did you just say the Duke’s na?”
“Oh dear. I’ve said it so often, it slipped out! You’ll all pretend you didn’t hear that, won’t you?”
They all nodded, though their eyes sparkled with uncontainable interest.
“Well…”
As Elizabeth continued, the ladies grew increasingly excited.
“…And that’s how it happened.”
“…Goodness.”
Yllin covered her mouth in shock.
“So you’ve loved each other for a long ti, but the timing was never right. The Duke married soone else first, but when he ca to the capital, you both finally confessed your feelings, is that correct?”
Yllin succinctly summarized the core of Elizabeth’s carefully worded tale.
“But… the Duke is still….”
A young lady at the end of the table murmured softly, but it sounded louder than it should have.
Elizabeth’s expression stiffened montarily. Sensing this, Yllin, now acting like the Princess’s personal protector, snapped her gaze toward the speaker.
“Lady, was that really necessary right now?”
“Lady Yllin, it’s all right.”
“Your Highness…”
But Elizabeth truly did seem unbothered, and the ladies exchanged puzzled looks.
“…Could it be…?”
“It’s true.”
Blushing slightly, Elizabeth nodded.
“It will all be resolved soon.”
A silence fell.
No matter how she tried to sugarcoat it, Elizabeth had still co between a married couple. No one knew what to say. Then Yllin broke the silence.
“Truly, congratulations, Your Highness!”
Of course. Elizabeth had chosen the right person.
Starting with Yllin, the atmosphere shifted. Everyone began offering congratulations to Elizabeth and Edmund. So joined out of confusion, others simply eager to flatter.
Just then, a maid rushed in and whispered sothing into Elizabeth’s ear. Her eyes widened in surprise.
“What? Edmund’s here?”
The mont the culprit behind the latest scandal was ntioned, the ladies’ faces lit up with curiosity.
“The Duke is here?”
“We can’t possibly send him away. Invite him in for tea, at least!”
“Then… please bring in the Duke.”
Soon after, Edmund appeared holding a bouquet.
The ladies could not hide their awe, seeing him up close for the first ti. He stood taller than most n, with broad shoulders and the kind of face that inspired artists, a striking balance of beauty and cold elegance.
“Edmund, what brings you here?”
“…What is all this?”
Edmund muttered under his breath.
First she summoned him under the pretense of so contract, then shoved a bouquet into his hands and dragged him to a tea party.
“Smile. We need to look happy no matter who’s watching.”
Edmund frowned. Pretending not to see it, Elizabeth wrapped her arm around his and turned with a smile.
“Ladies, I have an announcent to make.”
Beaming, Elizabeth declared: “One week from today… we will be holding our engagent ceremony.”
T/N: Soo… Edmund knew Daphne was faking pregnancy and went along with it? Okay? Does this an he’s redeeming himself? Quite…?
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