Chapter 57

"Do you have a regular menstrual cycle?"

"Yes. It sometimes gets off track, but generally..."

"How about pain? Is it not severe?"

"It's just... normal. I feel a bit more tired than usual, but it's not that bad..."

Seeing Leon continue to ask questions with a serious expression, I answered cautiously, feeling unnecessarily worried. He stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Ah."

Unable to wait for the diagnosis, I asked first, and Leon shook his head slightly, emerging from his deep thoughts.

"It's difficult to say anything for sure right now. I'm not certain myself..."

"Does that mean there is something wrong?"

I had agreed to let Leon examine me to show Altair that I was perfectly fine. Could it be that there really is something wrong with my body, as he feared? Unable to stop my eyes from trembling, Leon sighed deeply and scratched his head.

"It's because there are some suspicious points. It's not certain yet, so... I'll look for more information and let you know when it's clear."

"Is it serious?"

"..."

Leon's expression was awkward as he closed his mouth. I could guess why he couldn't speak with confidence. If his suspicions were true, it would mean there was a significant issue with my body. My face froze with worry and fear. Seeing this, Leon sighed again.

"Don't worry too much. It's not a life-threatening illness, even if my suspicions are correct. However..."

Not a life-threatening illness? Then why such a cautious and serious reaction? I became even more puzzled and tilted my head. But Leon remained tight-lipped, still not revealing what was on his mind.

"You didn't mention anything like this when you first treated me. Did I suddenly get sick?"

"At that time, I felt something was off, but I thought it might be a temporary symptom due to the major accident you had. But given that you're still feeling weak... I'll look for more information and let you know."

There's no way a patient can pry information out of a doctor who's keeping quiet. I nodded heavily, then a thought struck me, and I looked at Leon.

"Could you... tell me first when you're certain? Not Altair."

"Of course. It's only right that you know about your own issues first."

Leon tilted his head, wondering why I was stating something so obvious. But...

'It wasn't obvious to me.'

It wasn't just my issue. Most noblewomen couldn't take charge of their own problems. From birth, they belonged to their fathers, then to their husbands upon marriage, and to their sons if their husbands passed away. As a legitimate member of the family, but a daughter, I couldn't inherit titles or property.

"Anyway, it's clear that you're feeling weak. It won't prevent a healthy marital life, but you should be careful not to overexert yourself."

The mention of a healthy marital life made my face flush. Unable to respond, I cleared my throat, and Leon shrugged.

"Well, this is something you should discuss with the lord, not you. I'll make sure to tell him."

As Leon tidied up his tools after the examination, Mari approached me cautiously and whispered.

"Lady. Prince Orca has sent some tea leaves. He said it was as promised last time."

"Oh. Prince Orca..."

Mari's words snapped me back to reality.

'I left Prince Orca behind and rushed to Altair yesterday.'

That was incredibly rude. I needed to treat him properly and apologize sincerely.

'The sooner the apology, the better.'

"Mari. Please tell His Highness that I'm grateful for the tea leaves and would like to treat him to dinner tonight."

"Tonight... I'll inform the kitchen."

"Yes. Since we have the ingredients for capital cuisine, I thought I'd serve that. His Highness has been traveling around the regions, so he must miss the taste of home."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Just make sure to exclude fish dishes."

"Ugh... Mari!"

How could she tease me so calmly! Seeing my pouting face, Leon tilted his head in confusion, clearly not understanding why fish dishes should be excluded. Feeling awkward, I looked at him, and suddenly remembered his connection to Prince Orca.

'Originally, they shouldn't be in the same region.'

Bringing Leon to Eilsford had created a different flow from the novel.

'Will this affect things?'

If it were a problem, it would have been an issue from the moment Altair and I got married.

'Somehow, I keep getting entangled with characters I tried to distance myself from in the novel...'

Feeling troubled, I sighed, and Leon, as if thinking of something, turned to Mari.

"Miss Mari. Could I have a word with you?"

"With me...?"

Mari, who had been responding indifferently, frowned slightly at Leon's unwavering gaze and nodded.

"Alright. I have a task from Lady, but I'll come to the clinic after I'm done."

"Yes, I'll wait for you."

***

Despite the rushed preparation, the dinner was quite excellent. Thanks to my prior communication about Prince Orca's preferred food style, he seemed satisfied, clearing his plate throughout the meal. It was a more reliable positive signal than mere words. I carefully observed Prince Orca's face.

'Fortunately, he doesn't seem upset.'

Though he appeared kind, he was the traitor who caused all sorts of tragedies in the novel. Knowing this, I couldn't let my guard down.

'If I treat him poorly and earn his enmity, Eilsford might end up on his purge list.'

If Eilsford's name appeared on Prince Orca's purge list, it would end like in the novel, with heads rolling...

'Ugh. Don't think about it!'

The horrific scene flashed in my mind, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Across from me, Prince Orca, with a completely different gentle expression from my imagination, initiated the conversation.

"I didn't expect to have capital cuisine in Eilsford."

"Since we had the ingredients, I thought it would be nice to prepare something you might enjoy."

"Something I might enjoy..."

Prince Orca's eyes sparkled strangely.

"Since the day I arrived in Eilsford, I've felt that the baroness knows my tastes well."

"Attending to the preferences of the royal family is the duty of a loyal subject."

"True, but... I thought my tastes were not well-known because I've been away from the capital for a long time due to convalescence."

"That's not the case. Even if you've been away for a long time, you're still a prince."

"I see."

Prince Orca smiled oddly at my polite response.

"Despite my convalescence, I've stayed in various regions, but I was mostly treated according to my brothers' preferences. Their tastes are quite similar."

Indeed, they were. Recalling my memories, the two elder princes had very similar tastes, influenced by the emperor's preferences.

"Perhaps I was treated as one of the 'princes' category. In reality, I'm quite different. No one pays attention."

It was a natural phenomenon. Who would care about the tastes of a prince who had been completely sidelined in the succession struggle? Everyone was busy catering to the first and second princes. But knowing who would become the emperor in the future, I was different. I always paid attention to the news about the third prince, Orca, and made an effort to understand him. As a result, I had a clear grasp of his preferences.

"That's why the baroness is surprising. You treat me not as 'Prince Orca' but as 'Orca'... Why is that?"

Prince Orca, resting his chin on his hand, stared at me. His usually gentle smile was gone, and I swallowed hard. Had I gone too far in trying to make a good impression? It seemed I had raised his suspicions. Prince Orca was cautious and meticulous, hiding his true intentions until he had the power to turn the tables. It seemed I had triggered his radar.

'Great! Even doing a good job is a problem!'

Why is dealing with the antagonist so difficult? Feeling wronged for my efforts, I almost wanted to cry, but the most important thing was to get out of this situation. I forced a calm smile and quickly thought.

'What excuse can I give to explain why I know Prince Orca's preferences so well?'

Sweat trickled down my back as I struggled to find an answer. Then, a thought flashed through my mind.

"Because I'm a fan..."

"Fan?"

"Yes, a fan!"

I clenched my fists and spoke with more confidence.

"I've been a fan of His Highness since I was young!"

"..."

"I saw His Highness's portrait in the royal news bulletin when I was young and became a fan. Since then, I've always followed His Highness's news and stories. It's natural to chase the news of someone you admire."

Prince Orca's face was slightly stunned, clearly not expecting this response.

In reality, I had been listening to his news to avoid the villain Orca, but I had indeed been actively following his news.

'Good, it seems to be working!'

Encouraged, I continued my passionate explanation.

"So, I got to know His Highness's preferences well... and when I had the chance to treat you, I was excited to prepare... Of course, it's not a romantic admiration! I just want to support His Highness from a distance..."

I trailed off and glanced at Orca. The Orca in the novel was the mastermind behind many deaths, but his backstory was also clearly depicted. He had been sidelined early in the succession struggle and faced immense discrimination within the royal family, leading to his twisted mindset.

'In a way, he's a lonely and pitiful character.'

"So, what I'm trying to say is... I support you. H, hang in there. Fighting?"

Not knowing how to conclude, I awkwardly smiled and clenched my fists. Orca's lips began to tremble. Just as I thought he had seen through my ridiculous excuse and was about to despair, the chair scraped against the floor. I opened my eyes to see Orca standing up with a stern face.

"His Highness?"

Ignoring my puzzled call, Orca left the table. His subordinate, who had been sitting with us, silently followed.

'Ugh... Was the fan thing too much?'

Maybe... I scolded myself for only coming up with such an excuse and held my head.

'But that was the only thing I could think of at the moment...'

I wanted to bang my head on the table. As I sighed in frustration, Mari, who had left to prepare dessert, returned and saw me blaming myself alone at the table.

"Lady. His Highness left suddenly. He didn't even have dessert."

"Yeah. I must have made a mistake. I said something ridiculous and offended him. Sigh..."

"Huh? A mistake? But His Highness..."

Mari tilted her head, confused. I didn't want to continue the depressing conversation and waved my hand to change the topic.

"It's fine. I'll handle it later. What did you talk about with Leon earlier?"

"Ah..."

At my casual question, Mari smiled awkwardly and placed the dessert in front of me.

"It was nothing much. Don't let the dessert go to waste; enjoy it, Lady."

"Uh-huh..."

'It doesn't seem like it was nothing...'

A strange unease made my neck cold.