Chapter 111
Isabelle’s dry, cracked lips trembled faintly.
In this large hospital equipped with the latest facilities and staffed by the finest specialists of the era, his wife had seen an obstetrician gynecologist. Even that simple fact took a long time for her to understand.
Because she couldn’t believe it.
“…Why?”
Edmund said nothing. His indifferent expression made it seem like there was no need for any explanation. That silence cut across her chest even more cruelly.
The obstetrician gynecologist, who didn’t understand the situation, cautiously watched Isabelle’s reaction, then leaned slightly toward Edmund. And in a low voice, he whispered, “Congratulations, Your Grace. Joyful news has come to the ducal house.”
It was loud enough for Isabelle, standing a few steps away, to hear clearly. Isabelle glared at the doctor as he turned away, then lifted her gaze sharply to look up at Edmund. Her breath, rising up to her throat, reeked of blood.
Congratulations.
Congratulations.
Congratulations.
How dare you. Rufus is dying in there, and you’re standing here receiving congratulations for a new beginning?
At that moment, the doors of the operating room opened.
A doctor in a white gown soaked in blood walked out slowly. When he removed his mask, a deeply grim expression was revealed. There was not a trace of anything that could be called hope in his face. Isabelle’s heart pounded violently, like it had been struck by lightning.
The doctor passed the members of the ducal household waiting in the corridor and approached Edmund. Before he could even speak, Isabelle grabbed the bloodstained front of his gown.
“Rufus, my son. What happened to him?”
“…Ah.”
The doctor closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and steadied his breath. His face clearly showed hesitation over how to deliver the news.
“The medical team did everything possible.”
His voice, opening the sentence, was unbearably heavy.
“He had already suffered significant blood loss when he arrived. The injury to the back of his head was also fatal. We took every possible measure, but….”
The doctor couldn’t finish his sentence and fell silent. Isabelle’s hand gripping his surgical gown trembled violently.
“Tell me. Is my son alive?”
The surgeon’s eyes wavered slightly. That alone was enough to give the answer.
“…I’m sorry, madam.”
Everything in front of Isabelle shattered into white. A sharp ringing filled her ears.
“…No, no… that can’t be…. My child… Rufus….”
Muttering like someone who had lost her mind, Isabelle collapsed weakly. Her broken voice leaked from her lips. The duchess who once shone brighter than anyone was now nothing more than a mother who’d just lost her child.
She suddenly forced her body up from the floor and staggered toward the operating room. Her speed was shockingly fast.
“…Madam! You mustn’t go inside…!”
“Let her go.”
When the doctor reached out to stop her, Edmund quietly intervened.
“Not letting her see the body won’t change anything.”
With a dark expression, Edmund brushed back his hair and gestured lightly toward the captain of the guard. He hurried over.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Send urgent word to the ducal house. Rufus’s death must be reported immediately.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And escort my mother to a hotel owned by the family so she can recover. There’s nothing to be gained from her remaining at the hospital.”
Having finished giving his concise orders, Edmund turned at once and walked away. Even as he left Rufus behind in death, no clear emotion appeared on his face.
- Dreamlike
“You must’ve had a hard time coming so early.”
Benjamin, who had just entered the examination room, sat down at the desk and smiled. In his hand was a chart, which was clearly the record of the obstetric and gynecological examination Blair had received today at this royal hospital.
“You must’ve been tired, but you endured it well.”
“It was easier than I expected. Thank you for taking care of me.”
When Blair replied politely, he nodded once with the same gentle smile.
“Edmund himself dislikes regular examinations because he finds them bothersome. On the other hand, he’s very attentive and devoted when it comes to you.”
“…Even though I said I was fine, he insisted on checking because he said my complexion had looked different from usual lately.”
“There’s nothing wrong with confirming it. Even if you feel nothing unusual yourself, sometimes the person closest to you notices first.”
As expected of Edmund’s close confidant, Benjamin naturally took his side.
Still, the person closest to you. That expression tickled a corner of Blair’s heart in a strange way. Her cheeks flushed faintly, and she changed the subject.
“Even so, the moment we arrived at the hospital, he said he’d something to do and disappeared.”
Benjamin, who had been smiling gently, froze for a moment and avoided her gaze. It was only an instant, but Blair clearly saw it. A strange unease settled over her.
“It seemed like he received an urgent message at dawn. He didn’t tell me what it was about, though….”
“…Oh. I see.”
“Do you think something happened?”
“Well.”
Benjamin smiled again as if he truly didn’t know and touched the back of his neck.
“Anyway… I recommended before that you undergo a detailed examination at the Royal Hospital in Borsa. Thanks to the newly introduced equipment, we can examine things much more precisely. Well, I may be the ducal physician, but I also still maintain an examination room here. Hmm… by now, the obstetrics and gynecology department should have your results….”
For some reason, Benjamin’s words grew longer. Just as Blair narrowed her eyes slightly, a heavy knock sounded outside.
Benjamin glanced briefly at Blair’s face before standing up and opening the door. Blair also turned her gaze there, slightly tense. As expected, Edmund stood beyond the examination room door.
“Oh, you’re here.”
“I’d like to be alone with my wife for a moment.”
“Of course. I’ll step out.”
At those words, Benjamin quickly left his own examination room. Edmund stepped inside with long strides, as if entering his own home.
His face was stiff and cold. The moment their eyes met, his chilled gaze seemed to soften slightly.
“…You’re here now?”
Blair slowly pushed her chair back and stood up. Edmund naturally reached out and pulled her into his arms, letting out a quiet laugh.
“You sound like you’re sulking because I came late.”
“I am sulking? You said you’d be right back, so I waited, but you didn’t come, so I had the examination alone.”
A thought suddenly crossed Blair’s mind, and the corner of her lips lifted slightly. She now knew how to provoke him.
“Though, to be precise, I wasn’t alone. Mr. Jensen stayed by my side because he was worried.”
“…Benjamin?”
“Yes.”
“While you were seeing the obstetrician?”
“It means he accompanied me to the waiting room from time to time.”
“Hmm, there was no need for that. I should cut him off.”
Startled, Blair pulled her face away from Edmund’s chest and looked up at him.
“C-cut him off where?”
“Where else? I mean I’ll dismiss him.”
“…Oh.”
“What were you imagining, my lewd wife.”
“Let go of me now.”
“Blair.”
The voice calling her, filled with laughter, sounded pleasant. It was a voice that left no room to doubt his affection. Edmund bent his upper body and showered kisses over her cheek and nape as if tickling her. Blair shrugged her shoulders and burst into laughter. Sunlight filtering through the window wrapped warmly around them.
It was a moment too sweet to waste. Held in such a broad and warm embrace, it felt like no anxiety could possibly slip in.
“…Blair.”
This time, his voice was deeper. Blair lifted her head, still unable to shake the afterglow of her laughter. Edmund pressed a slow kiss beside her lips, then pulled away and fell silent for a moment. The light teasing from earlier had already disappeared.
“I’ve actually just come from hearing the results.”
Her heart began to pound. Blair met his eyes and waited for what he would say next.
“It seems we’ve borne fruit.”
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