Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 48

As the two maids exited the room, their footsteps fading away, Miesa hurriedly tried to get up. She was eager to see whose side the head maid would take and what kind of scolding would be given. But just as she made a strange noise while crawling off the bed, she was promptly restrained by Gella.

“Where are you going, young madam? You need to stay here,” Gella said firmly, pushing Miesa gently back onto the bed.

Despite Miesa’s efforts to wriggle free, Gella held her down with a steady grip. Gella then inspected Miesa carefully, checking her eyes, opening her mouth, and examining her hands.

Why is she doing this? Miesa wondered, making odd noises as she lay there. Just as Gella was lifting Miesa’s clothes to press her abdomen, Eirik entered the room, raising an eyebrow at the scene.

“I’m back… What on earth is happening here?” Eirik asked, clearly puzzled.

“Well, young master,” Gella began hesitantly after ensuring the door was closed properly. “It seems the young madam has not had her menstrual cycle. Do you know anything about this?”

“Already?” Eirik’s eyes widened in surprise. He looked at Gella with his mouth slightly open, prompting her to quickly explain.

“It seems she’s been irregular for a while. It’s not that she’s pregnant,” Gella clarified hastily.

“…I see,” Eirik responded, calming down a bit.

“I’ve been serving her for over two months now, and she hasn’t had her period once during that time. I apologize; I understand that it’s a maid’s duty to monitor such things,” Gella continued, her voice filled with concern.

Listening to their conversation, Miesa was incredibly curious about what was going on. She wished Gella would leave so she could ask Eirik directly.

“I asked the maids in charge of the laundry, and they said that for almost six months, they haven’t handled any such laundry from her. That seems strange,” Gella added.

Regaining his composure, Eirik shook his head. “I’m not well-versed in this matter. So, what exactly does this mean for her health?”

“Well…” Gella hesitated, the weight of her words making it difficult to speak. But seeing Eirik examining Miesa with concern, she found the courage to continue. “It could mean that it might be difficult to produce an heir. Of course, we need to observe her condition further to be certain.”

“I see,” Eirik said, sitting beside Miesa and holding her hand, lost in thought for a moment before turning to Gella with a serious expression.

“Who exactly did you confirm this with, and how?” Eirik asked, knowing that asking about such laundry directly could cause rumors to spread.

Gella understood his concern immediately.

“When I asked the laundry maids what items the young madam uses, they mentioned that they had asked the royal maids once, but were curtly told that it was their responsibility and to mind their own business. That’s all they said, so I decided to find out for myself,” Gella explained.

Though Gella often seemed hot-tempered, she had a careful side when she needed it. After years of working as a doctor and realizing her oversight, she had become more cautious.

“Would there be any other reason for this, in such a case?” Eirik asked, gesturing towards a chair, indicating that the conversation might take a while.

“It could be due to poor nutritional status. That’s the most common cause,” Gella replied.

“And if that’s not the case?”

“Well, there’s another possibility. I’m not sure if I should even mention it…” Gella hesitated, looking around before lowering her voice. “There’s a rumor about Duke Hagail, about an incident where he supposedly became infertile.”

“That’s true,” Eirik acknowledged.

“Considering what the royal maids tried to do to the young madam last time… and her thin fingernails and pale complexion, which I thought was due to malnutrition, might have been the result of prolonged poisoning.”

Eirik, recognizing the plausibility of Gella’s theory, asked, “If she was given drugs, is there any way to know?”

“The most accurate way would be to ask the young madam directly,” Gella said, her frustration evident as she spoke faster. “We need to identify the poison, if any, to determine if it’s affecting just one part of her body or if it’s weakening her overall health. And depending on the poison, there could be foods she must avoid.”

Eirik, with a serious expression, looked at Miesa, while Gella gestured emphatically as she explained, “For example, someone poisoned by Cyrea leaves could have a severe reaction to Helon berries…”

“What kind of severe reaction are we talking about?” Miesa, who had been lying down, asked as she sat up. Gella, momentarily speechless, stared blankly even after confirming the source of the voice.

“Are you okay, dear?” Eirik asked, to which Miesa responded, “I think Gella will be fine.”

“Ohhh!”

Gella, finally realizing what was happening, was so startled that her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.

“I’m somewhat opposed to this,” Eirik said, narrowing his eyes at Gella.

“Dear, it’s not too late. You can reconsider before Gella leaves the room,” he advised.

“It’s really fine. Not knowing my condition has been inconvenient in many ways,” Miesa assured him.

“Y-young ma-ma-ma-ma…” Gella stammered.

“I’m not entirely convinced. Sometimes, even without intending to, people let things slip. Carelessness can lead to leaks,” Eirik said with a sigh, looking at Gella on the floor.

“I think it’s best to send someone to Cladis and detain her family for now,” he suggested.

“Please don’t. Her sister Laura is about to get married,” Miesa pleaded.

“Ugh… Ah… Oh…!” Gella reacted as if scalded when Miesa mentioned her sister’s name.

“Laura has someone she really likes. Let her get married safely. And her sister Tila just started working.”

“You seem to know everything about her family situation.”

“Yes. Gella, you need to pull yourself together quickly. Show Eirik that you can be trusted.”

With Miesa’s urging, Gella managed to compose herself with great difficulty.

However, she still didn’t have the strength to crawl all the way over. Instead, she stretched her neck out from where she lay, looking back and forth between Miesa and Eirik.

“I can’t believe this… When… When did the young madam become like this?”

“She has always been in this state.”

Eirik’s voice resonated in the quiet room.

“And only the two of us have known about it. Honestly, we still prefer not to have more people know.”

“I’m sorry. I need to calm down for a moment.”

Gella exhaled and inhaled deeply, still looking at Miesa with incredulous eyes. Despite seeing the young master and the young madam conversing normally, she couldn’t fully believe it yet.

“Once you’re calm, let us know. I need to tell you what medicine I took.”

“I apologize. I’ve calmed down now,” Gella said, clasping her trembling hands together respectfully as she approached.

Miesa closed her eyes and spoke from memory, “Three days before the royal wedding, they gave me a thick brown liquid.”

“There are many thick brown medicines… Can you recall anything else?”

Gella approached Miesa on unsteady legs, pressing down on her feet and examining her complexion. “Did you experience any ringing in your ears, darkness in front of your eyes, or burning pain in your extremities?”

“I had some stomach pain. Oh, and I also took sedatives.”

“Your stomach? Just a bit of pain?” Gella asked.

Miesa rubbed her upper abdomen. “Yes. I often took sedatives.”

“I see.”

Gella tilted her head and asked, “Did you experience any bleeding?”

Not understanding the term, Miesa received a bit of explanation before replying.

“I rarely bled like that in my life.”

“I see…”

Gella pondered and then slumped her shoulders. “Honestly, I don’t know what kind of medicine it was. Would it be alright if I cut off a bit of your hair for analysis?”

Miesa’s eyes sparkled at the suggestion, but Eirik quickly covered her eyes with his large hand.

“No. Handling scissors recklessly could be dangerous.”

“Then Gella can trim it neatly. Like a convict,” Miesa suggested.

“It’s absolutely out of the question. My mother might faint. You, stay here and keep an eye on her,” Eirik instructed firmly.

Because Miesa might do something unexpected, sharp objects like knives or scissors were kept separately. Eirik got out of bed, went to his desk, and retrieved a small pair of scissors, handing them to Gella.

“Alright, young madam, I’ll just cut a very small piece,” Gella said gently.

She carefully cut a bit off the end of Miesa’s platinum-blonde hair and tucked it gently into her pocket. She signaled discreetly to Eirik while pretending to gather her things, then stood up.

“Well then, Commander, I mean, young master. And young madam, I’ll be on my way,” Gella said, preparing to leave.

“Wait,” Miesa called out, stopping Gella in her tracks.

Gella’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Just tell me what kind of scolding the head maid gives,” Miesa said.

Gella didn’t understand right away, so Miesa elaborated, “Those two maids earlier. Tell me why getting a few lashes is better than her scolding.”

“Oh, those people…” Gella let out a weak laugh but then quickly turned serious. “Her nagging never ends. Honestly, I’ve never met anyone like her in my life.”

“Are you talking about Meril?” Eirik chuckled and added, “She’s been famous since her younger days. Once she starts talking, she never stops.”

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