Chapter 71
As Benjamin had said, Damian’s condition remained the sa as it had been a few days ago. It hadn’t worsened, but there was still no sign of him waking up.
Just as he was looking down at Damian, the door quietly opened.
“Your Excellency?”
Baroness Nouvelle’s eyes widened when she saw Edmund standing still by the bedside. She had heard plenty about what state he had been in over the past two days, so seeing him appear composed ca as a surprise.
“You ca to check on Damian?”
“Yes, I did.”
Edmund only glanced at Damian briefly before stepping away.
“Thank you for your efforts.”
As Edmund passed by her, the Baroness gave a polite bow and stopped him.
“Your Excellency, are you truly alright?”
“…I’m fine.”
He repeated the sa words he’d once said to Benjamin.
Upon leaving the room, the silence of the empty hallway felt almost unbearably still.
There was no reason not to be fine. He was fine. Truly.
* * *
Even after Edmund disappeared from view, Baroness Nouvelle couldn’t take her eyes off the door so easily.
Snapping back to her senses shortly after, she turned her attention back to Damian, whose condition was no different from the day before. Then, she quietly approached the door, locked it, and carefully pulled a small vial from within her robes. Inside was a rippling red liquid.
As she uncorked the bottle, a faint tallic scent rose. It was unmistakably blood. With practiced ease, the Baroness slowly poured the blood between Damian’s lips. Taking care not to spill a drop, she emptied the vial completely, then quickly tucked it back into her robes in case anyone saw.
Monts later, Damian’s breathing, though faint, had grown slightly stronger. His complexion, compared to two days prior, had visibly improved. All of this had begun, these tiny changes, the mont she started feeding him the blood.
And the one who had given her that blood was Daphne.
Upon returning to the room after crossing paths with Daphne in the corridor, Baroness Nouvelle had discovered an unfamiliar bag in one corner. Inside was a tiny vial, no bigger than a fingertip, containing an unidentified liquid, along with a single note. It didn’t say who had left it, only that the contents were to be administered to Damian once a day.
As confusion set in, one whispered phrase echoed in the Baroness’s mind:
["Please… take care of him."]
Words Daphne had murmured as she passed her by.
At first, the Baroness had dismissed it. But the more she tried to ignore it, the stronger her conviction beca.
Then, on the day of the engagent, upon hearing that Edmund had returned and Daphne had taken her own life, she ca to her senses only after finding herself in Damian’s room, holding the vial. Her actions had been driven purely by impulse.
It wasn’t until after she’d poured the liquid into Damian’s mouth that she realized it was blood. Regret set in, but by then, it was already too late.
That night, unable to sleep, she had stayed by Damian’s side, watching over him. When dawn broke and she awoke from a light doze, she was shocked to find his condition had slightly improved.
Even after realizing that the reason for his improvent was the blood Daphne had left behind, the Baroness told no one.
Because no matter how miraculous the results, the act of feeding soone blood was inherently repulsive, and she knew others would see it that way too.
Only then did she understand why Daphne had entrusted it to her, the only person in the household she could truly rely on.
‘Madam had planned this all along.’
Daphne hadn’t acted on a sudden whim. She had been preparing for it.
Baroness Nouvelle couldn’t stop her thoughts from drifting back to Daphne as she watched over Damian. Her chest felt tight.
‘At the very least… I wanted to tell you.’
That the shirt which had wrapped Daphne’s wound, the one that saved her life, had belonged to Edmund.
* * *
Ti passed without rcy, and ten days had already gone by since Edmund’s engagent ceremony.
Nothing had changed.
Whether it was during training, als, etings, or reports, Edmund behaved exactly as he always had. Aside from the fact that he now smoked far more frequently, emptying his cigarette case much faster, the days were eerily quiet, almost peaceful.
Suddenly, Edmund lifted his gaze toward the window.
The rain had been falling for ten days, and yet there was still no sign of it letting up. As he watched the relentless drizzle, a familiar headache began to creep in, as though it had been waiting for its cue.
He furrowed his brows briefly, then pulled a cigarette from his coat and lit it, taking a long drag. The motion ca naturally, fluidly, because if he lost his grip on his thoughts even for a second, the pain in his head would be unbearable. And he wanted to escape that pain.
Just as he was halfway through the cigarette, waiting for the headache to subside, a disturbance shattered the silence.
A frantic knock echoed at the door.
“Co in.”
“Your Excellency.”
“What’s the commotion?”
“Well… Her Highness the Princess is here to see you.”
“Let her in.”
Edmund placed the cigarette on the ashtray as he spoke.
As Benjamin left, heavy footsteps stord in without restraint, and the door flung open with a bang.
“Duke!”
Elizabeth burst into the office, her breathing ragged. She had visibly lost weight in just a few days.
“Is this so kind of joke to you?”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
His usual nonchalant deanor made Elizabeth grind her teeth.
“That woman escaped the palace. Are you planning to run off with her now? We had an agreent! I helped you get her out, and in return, you were supposed to give what I wanted!”
“Your Highness, Daphne didn’t escape with your help.”
Daphne had experienced heavy bleeding, and the palace, terrified she might have miscarried, had turned a blind eye when Edmund took her to his estate. It had nothing to do with the princess.
“Still… still, how could you just run away from the engagent?! Do you even know what kind of rumors are circulating about in society now?”
“You insisted on holding the engagent ceremony, Your Highness. And really, was it necessary at all? Now the entire world knows about us just as you wished.”
“That’s…”
Elizabeth bit her lip harshly. His every word was correct, leaving her without a retort.
Still, she had tried to be considerate. Daphne had taken her life right in front of him. She had given him ti to recover. But a week had passed, and her anxiety had grown unbearable.
“Regardless, my patience has run out. We’re getting married tomorrow, in front of His Majesty.”
At her sudden declaration, Edmund’s face twitched ever so slightly, but Elizabeth continued without pause.
“It’ll be a small ceremony, but His Majesty will serve as witness. We’ll also submit the divorce papers tomorrow. Understood?”
With her temper now cooled, Elizabeth stepped closer, speaking in a softer tone.
“Duke, His Majesty is starting to suspect us. He wonders if perhaps we’re plotting rebellion together.”
The sa woman who had scread monts ago now whispered with feigned tenderness, completely at odds with her earlier rage.
“Reassure him. And , Edmund. Will you?”
As she spoke, she reached out and lowered her gaze.
“Hold .”
[“Please… hold .”]
Edmund abruptly rose from his seat.
“Ah!”
Elizabeth, who had been standing directly in front of him, stumbled backward in shock. She could only watch in stunned silence as Edmund yanked the bell cord with a harsh pull.
“You called, Your Excellency?”
“Escort Her Highness out.”
With a cold, unreadable expression, Edmund gave the order while looking down at Elizabeth. Then, without another glance, he left the office.
‘Again…’
Daphne’s voice.
Edmund, who had been walking without pause, found himself stopped in front of a familiar door.
“Ha…”
It was his room, the room where Daphne had once stayed.
He opened the door and stepped inside. Approaching the bed, which still held traces of her scent, he buried himself in the sll of her mingled with that of his cigarettes.
‘Daphne.’
Just then, the storm outside burst the window open.
Rain soaked him in an instant, but he didn’t move to escape. Instead, he closed his eyes and let the storm crash against him.
Splash!
Amid the storm, a chilling sound rang out.
Edmund didn’t even flinch. Soaked to the bone, he simply exhaled a ragged breath like a man surfacing from the depths. His heart pounded.
Thump. Thump.
“I… all this ti…”
What have I even been doing?
T/N: Yeah, ti to ask yourself that question…
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