Chapter 42

However, there was no proper way to clear up the misunderstanding. With an ambiguous person in the same space, it was impossible to make excuses. As he stood there, drenched in cold sweat, Altair approached him. The heavy presence of Altair made his mind even more complicated. He knew he had to say something, but after seeing Altair's stiff face, he couldn't bring himself to speak. In such a situation, as Altair also remained silent, an awkward silence filled the space.

"Exactly what is this...?"

The doctor, who had been quietly observing Altair and me, broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Are you really a married couple?"

The doctor, seemingly exasperated by the awkward atmosphere, sighed and pushed Altair aside, taking a seat beside the bed and glared at him.

"Get out."

"What?"

In response to the firm command, Altair replied with a dissatisfied voice, but the doctor maintained a resolute attitude.

"The patient needs rest. As soon as you came in, the lady started sweating from fear. How can she rest properly like this?"

The doctor looked at me as if seeking agreement.

"That, that's..."

I was not sweating from fear of Altair, but I wasn't sure if I should explain everything to a stranger. The burden of his gaze made me even more nervous, and my cold sweat increased, making his eyes even sharper.

"Get out. Now."

With the doctor's voice becoming even heavier, Altair took a step back. I involuntarily flinched at the sound.

"...I'll wait outside."

The doctor, without responding to Altair's words, began to examine my wounds. As Altair's footsteps faded away, I quickly turned my head, but Altair was already out, the door firmly closed behind him.

'What should I do? He must have a serious misunderstanding.'

Should I follow him out and explain the situation? As I hesitated, the doctor wiped the cold sweat from my forehead with a cloth.

"You don't have to be so scared. Well, I already knew what kind of person he is."

The doctor's voice, which had initially felt hostile, had now softened. However, I was more concerned with the words that came out of his mouth.

'What kind of person?'

It sounded like he knew Altair well and was speaking with confidence. The doctor's existence was still a mystery, but I realized I couldn't let Altair be misunderstood as a bad person.

'Of course, he was a major villain in the novel, but he hasn't done anything wrong yet!'

Isn't it unfair to be judged like this?

"That, that's not true!"

I gripped the blanket covering my body and mustered my courage. The doctor, who had been calmly examining my wounds, opened his eyes wide and looked at me. His surprised face gave me even more courage.

"I'm not scared of Altair. We had a disappointing incident and argued for a while, but it's not because Altair is 'that kind of person.'"

The doctor blinked without responding. Looking at his face, I felt embarrassed, thinking I might have said something unnecessary.

"Ah, anyway, that's it..."

As I quickly deflated and slumped my shoulders, the doctor's eyes regained their vitality. The look in his eyes was filled with pity.

"You still don't know the truth about him."

"The truth?"

"If you knew how ruthless he is, you wouldn't defend him like this. He is truly..."

The doctor, who had been speaking, suddenly closed his mouth. It seemed the emotions he had been suppressing were rising, blocking his words. The genuine emotion in his eyes didn't seem fabricated.

'Did Altair commit evil deeds even before meeting Orca and becoming a villain...?'

But the Altair I knew was not a ruthless person. Of course, I was involved in his plans and experienced terrifying things, but I was sure it wasn't his true intention.

"You really don't know anything about him. It seems he has some ulterior motive and is pretending to be a weak wife..."

However, the doctor also seemed to have a firm belief beyond my confidence. My confused emotions were clearly visible on my face, and the doctor sighed, cautiously looking around before lowering his voice and speaking carefully. The words that came out of his mouth were astonishing.

"Did you know he killed his parents?"

"Killed his parents...?"

"The previous Earl and Countess of Eilsford."

I gasped, and the doctor slightly frowned, whispering.

"Indeed, the truth hasn't been revealed yet. The murderer wearing the mask of a pitiful child who lost his parents, swallowing the Eilsford family... It's a tragic story."

"Why would Altair... Why would the legitimate heir of the Eilsford family kill his parents?"

"He probably wanted to become the Earl immediately. How can you understand the mind of a ruthless villain?"

The doctor clicked his tongue and straightened his back. The story was so unexpected that my mind was in turmoil.

"...How?"

I tried to keep my wits about me. I couldn't let this important conversation slip away.

"How do you know that? What's your evidence? It's problematic to spread baseless rumors."

"Baseless rumors."

The doctor let out a hollow laugh and muttered softly. If he had been angry that I didn't believe him, it would have been easier to handle. But the sadness in his face as he shook his head made my heart sink.

"I am the evidence. The living evidence he failed to eliminate."

The doctor, glancing outside where Altair was waiting, lowered his voice and spoke cautiously.

"My father was the personal physician of the previous Earl and Countess."

"...What?"

"Officially, the previous Earl and Countess died in an unfortunate fire. But my father, as their physician, examined their bodies and realized the cause of death was not the fire."

"Such..."

"If he had kept the truth to himself, he would have been safer. But his excessive sense of justice was his downfall. In the plots of the nobility, it's best to keep silent."

"You mean my father was killed after telling Altair the truth..."

Though it was hard to believe, that was what the doctor was saying. Shocked by my question, the doctor closed his mouth without answering. Anyone could tell it was a clear affirmation.

"...I barely survived and escaped. The people here saved me from certain death."

The doctor said this and slightly rolled up his sleeve.

"Ah!"

I covered my mouth with both hands. His arm was covered with scars from knife wounds. The doctor, as if expecting my reaction, straightened his sleeve and shook his head.

"From what I can see, you don't seem to fit in with the plots of the nobility. Take the opportunity to leave when you can. You never know when you might be eliminated like the previous Earl and Countess. They were truly good people..."

The affection in the doctor's voice for the previous Earl and Countess was evident. If this was a lie, he must be a great actor.

'But I... can't believe it.'

I had spent time with Altair, enough to understand what kind of person he is. Despite his scary face and cold demeanor, Altair is not a ruthless person. His true self had already shattered my preconceived notions from the novel.

'If what I saw of Altair is true, and what the doctor is saying is also true...'

The only conclusion is that there was some misunderstanding.

"Um..."

To unravel the truth, I needed a clue. That clue was in the doctor's memory.

"I want to hear the details. What happened back then?"

Gripping my fist resolutely, I spoke, but the doctor shook his head.

"I don't want to relive that tragedy. Just meeting this person and recalling the past is terrifying. Those terrifying red eyes... to see them again..."

The doctor, muttering with a trembling voice, applied medicine to my wound with somewhat rough movements. His hands were shaking from fear. Though my wound stung from his rough handling, I couldn't complain.

"I won't live foolishly like my father. Let the nobility handle the affairs of the nobility."

The doctor, who had finished the treatment, stood up.

"Still, if you want to escape from that terrifying man, a caravan will be here in four days. You could ask them to take you away."

The doctor seemed to have firmly decided that I was a pitiful wife who had been deceived into marrying a terrifying noble. After giving his final advice, he left, and silence returned. But my mind was still in turmoil.

'Something... is off.'

I didn't just want to clear up the doctor's misunderstanding. It wasn't necessary for Altair to be remembered as a good person by the doctor. But there were too many unsettling aspects to just let it go. A strong premonition that there was a hidden truth in the story made my skin crawl.

'I need to persuade the doctor to tell me the details of that day.'

To uncover the hidden truth. I clenched my fist, determined. *** Altair leaned against the door, closing his eyes. Nadia's eyes and face, which had turned away from him the moment they met, appeared vividly in the darkness, tormenting him.

'I knew she was angry, but...'

For such a weak woman to be so resolute in turning away from him.

'I'm a bit shocked.'

Altair was very taken aback. To be shocked by someone's rejection. He hadn't been this shocked even by the betrayal of his relatives or the severe injuries he suffered while fighting numerous monsters. If the knights, especially Blan or Cain, knew about this, they would laugh heartily. Pavel would look at Altair with disdain and adjust his glasses.

"Haa."

Sighing in frustration and running his hand through his hair, he sensed movement from a distance. Turning his head, he saw Mrs. Liti gasping for breath as she returned home.

"Ugh, people, ugh, how can, huff, they be so, huff, fast? Ugh, when I suggested, huff, going together, huff, they just, huff, left me behind...!"

The slightly resentful tone made Altair feel awkward, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"...Was it that fast?"

"My goodness! I thought a calf with its tail on fire was running!"

It was true that he had hurried to Mrs. Liti's house as soon as he heard that Nadia had woken up. But to be compared to a calf with its tail on fire...

'If Cain heard this, he would definitely laugh...'

"Phew!"

The laugh that Altair imagined in his head echoed above him. It was coming from a large tree in front of the house.

"...What? Didn't I just hear a laugh?"

Mrs. Liti, looking puzzled, gazed at the tree. It seemed it wasn't just Altair's imagination. Cain, who had come to deliver the news and was hiding, couldn't hold back his laughter. Altair turned his head toward where Cain was likely to be, sending a sharp glance, and then pretended not to notice, diverting Mrs. Liti's attention elsewhere.

"I don't hear anything. But what you're holding..."

"Oh, look at me!"

At her exclamation, Mrs. Liti thrust the basket she was carrying into Altair's hands and patted his back.

"Now that the lady has regained consciousness, she needs nourishment! These are fruits from our region. Drinking a beverage made from them is good for recovery! So, peel the fruits for her!"

Peel the fruits? Altair, who had never heard such a command in his life as a noble, blinked.

'I've helped build levees with soldiers and cultivated the land of the estate, but...'

Even as a poor noble, he had never done such menial tasks. Seeing Altair's bewildered look, Mrs. Liti, frustrated, patted her chest.

"What are you standing there for? Aren't you going to give the lady nourishment? Huh?"

Lady. Nourishment. With these words, Altair began to move reluctantly.