Chapter 37

37

Who is Annabella Seymour?

It wasn’t difficult to answer that question. Born as the second daughter of the Seymour Viscount family, she followed her older sister Rene to the Valentinno Castle and dedicated over twenty years of her life to the Valentinno family.

The reason for her dedication was said to be her deep love for Rene, the former Duchess of Valentinno and Theodore’s mother.

She cherished Theodore, Rene’s son, as if he were her own child.

But was that all there was to it?

People are complex. Hating someone and loving someone are not simple matters. Sometimes, these two feelings can be intertwined as if they were one.

Annabella Seymour undoubtedly cherished and loved her sister Rene, but she also envied her.

What did it mean for Annabella Seymour to think of Theodore as "her own son"?

"There are two main ways a person reacts when they desire something they can't have. One is to rationalize that they never needed it in the first place, and the other is to resolve their desire in a twisted way."

Carmen had no idea what Theodore was talking about. He was clearly talking about Mrs. Seymour, but why did the topic suddenly shift to human desires?

But Theodore Valentinno was always like this. Carmen had been assisting him for over seven years, yet she still couldn’t accurately guess what he was thinking.

Even Calvin, his closest friend and aide, would occasionally grumble, "I don’t know what our Duke is thinking," so what more could be said?

"Think about it, Carmen. There’s a woman who wants to become the Duchess. But that position already belongs to someone else. What would you do if you were her?"

"…I don’t want to be the Duchess, so I don’t know."

"Of course you wouldn’t. But just imagine. If you were that woman, what would you do?"

"…."

Even if she tried to imagine… how could she understand a life she knew nothing about? Carmen fidgeted, looking troubled. Seeing her reaction, Theodore sighed and waved his hand.

"Never mind, you can go now. It’s late, so you should rest."

"…Yes."

After bowing, Carmen left the room. As she walked out, she mulled over Theodore’s words and belatedly realized who the woman in his story was.

* * *

I never thought that a little summer rain would make me so sick the next day.

Thanks to that, I got a severe scolding from my doctor, Jane Soper, and Charlotte. It seems I won’t be able to go out for a while. I can’t do anything until my fever goes down…

"Even a simple cold can develop into pneumonia if it gets worse, so you must be especially careful. Especially since you are so frail…"

I looked at Jane, who was repeating the same thing for the tenth time, with a hazy gaze. It’s good that she’s taking care of me responsibly, but her enthusiasm is a bit over the top. Her constant worrying is giving me a headache.

"And your meal…"

"…."

Jane glanced at the soup bowl that I hadn’t even half-finished with a troubled expression. …I wanted to get proper nutrition, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like I was going to vomit after eating just a little.

"Because you’re not feeling well, you’re only able to eat a little."

At that moment, Charlotte spoke to Jane. Jane glanced at Charlotte, then nodded and sighed.

"There’s nothing we can do… I’ll prepare a medicinal broth for you to drink, and it would be good to take some digestive medicine as well."

I obediently agreed. Jane gave a few more instructions before leaving the room.

That left just Charlotte and me in the room. After checking that the door was closed, Charlotte approached the bed and said,

"Lady, lie down again. I’ll change your cold compress."

"…Thank you."

Having someone by my side when I’m sick is a truly blessed thing. I expressed my gratitude openly.

"Charlotte, I’m really glad you’re here."

Charlotte paused while moving the basin, then smiled a bit wistfully.

"Why are you suddenly saying that, Lady? It’s only natural for me to be here."

The kindness in her words made me feel like crying. It seemed so unreal to have someone by my side when I was sick, considering that Lily Everett had always been alone.

"…Maybe it’s because I’m sick, but I’m feeling a bit emotional."

"Of course, when you’re sick, your heart becomes weaker. Get plenty of rest and get better soon."

Charlotte placed a cold compress on my forehead. The cold compress quickly became lukewarm due to the fever. I blinked and stared at Charlotte, then murmured,

"You know, when I was young… I was really strong…"

"…"

"But now I’m like this… Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to say…"

Before I could finish my sentence, sleep washed over me like a wave. I let my head droop into the pillow and mumbled,

"…I only had a cold once…"

At that time, what did my mother tell me? The only clear memory was her tender care.

Charlotte’s voice came from beyond my fading consciousness, but I couldn’t understand what she was saying.

Soon, the fever took over, and I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

It felt like I had a really good sleep.

It’s ironic that being sick allowed me to get such a good rest.

Lying still with my eyes open, I slowly sat up. The room was dark, so it was either the middle of the night or just before dawn.

My fever had almost completely gone down, and apart from feeling a bit weak, I was in a fairly decent state.

Looking to the side, I saw someone sleeping uncomfortably in a chair next to the bed. I assumed it was Charlotte and reached out, but then I felt a strange sensation and stopped.

Looking closely, I realized this person wasn’t Charlotte…

‘…Why is Theodore here…?’

Moreover, he was holding a damp cold compress in his hand. Next to him, on the side table, was a silver basin filled with water. Theodore was wearing a slightly disheveled shirt with his sleeves rolled up.

"…"

His black hair was tousled, and his face was full of fatigue. He looked like someone who had been nursing me all night. …When did he get here? If Theodore had insisted on nursing me, Charlotte wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it.

I wondered how I could leave without waking him. I still found him uncomfortable.

I didn’t want to face him, and even if I did, I didn’t want to make eye contact. Hearing his voice was even more of a trial. His tender words made me feel uneasy in a different way from his harsh ones.

At the same time, I felt a bit guilty for leaving without a word after he had stayed up all night to nurse me.

"…"

Grimacing, I carefully pulled back the covers and got out of bed. I reached out and gently shook his shoulder.

"Your Grace, wake up."

"…"

"Go back to your room…"

At that moment, my wrist was suddenly grabbed, and I jumped. Theodore, still with his eyes closed, had grabbed my wrist.

Frozen in place, I held my breath. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes.

In the darkness, his deep blue eyes met mine. I tensed up involuntarily. Theodore, who was staring at me intently, slowly furrowed his brow. A cold voice escaped his lips.

"You…"

But then, as if suddenly feeling a headache, Theodore’s expression turned fierce. He clenched his teeth, bowed his head, and clutched his head, groaning softly.

"Ugh…"

I watched him, feeling my breath tremble slightly. My heart was beating erratically, as if sensing something.

After a moment, Theodore lifted his head and blinked in confusion. Seeing me, he looked startled and asked urgently,

"Lily, are you awake now? How are you feeling? Has your fever gone down? I fell asleep for a moment—"

"…"

I stood there, frozen like a stone, listening to his rambling words. …What just happened? Theodore’s demeanor…

‘He was acting… coldly… like he used to…’