Chapter 38

38

...It wasn't a mistake. The cold gaze, the voice as icy as ice, the sharp and pointed attitude.

Without a doubt, it was the 'him' from before. Before he lost his memory of me.

"......"

"Riri? ...Why are you like this?"

I opened my mouth in confusion and pushed his hand away. Theodore flinched at the rejected hand, then looked at me intently and said apologetically,

"......I momentarily forgot that you were uncomfortable with me. I'm sorry."

"......"

It wasn't because of that reason now, but I couldn't figure out how to explain it. It felt like you had briefly returned to the way you used to be... If I said that, how would Theodore react?

"Is your body... feeling any better? Your fever was very high last night... I was very worried."

Theodore asked cautiously. His gaze, checking my complexion, was infinitely gentle and soft. For that reason, the sense of disconnection felt even stronger. I turned my head to avoid his gaze and replied,

"......I'm fine."

Originally, I wanted to wake him up and thank him for taking care of me all night.

Even if I found him uncomfortable, it was the right thing to do.

But because of what just happened, I couldn't bring myself to speak. I swallowed a sigh with my head bowed, and then heard a creaking sound from the side.

When I glanced over, I saw Theodore getting up from his chair and tidying up the basin and the wet towel.

He held the basin with both hands, gave me an awkward smile, and said in a voice that seemed forced to be calm,

"Since I'm here, you won't be able to rest properly... I'll put this in the bathroom and call Charlotte."

"......"

"......Then, please rest well. I hope you recover soon."

After a while, Theodore left the room, and Charlotte soon came in.

As soon as she saw me, Charlotte took my temperature and asked various questions, then showed a slightly relieved expression. Her face was as tired as Theodore's, which made me feel very guilty.

"Charlotte... did you get some sleep? I feel better now, so you should go and rest too."

"I took a nap earlier, so I'm fine! Rather, Lady, do you have an appetite?"

...If I honestly said I didn't, Charlotte would definitely be upset, so I smiled slightly and nodded. Charlotte was very pleased, beamed, and immediately started bustling around.

"Since you must feel uncomfortable, I'll help you take a bath first! Then I'll prepare some easy-to-digest food..."

...So, with Charlotte's help, I took a bath and had a light meal.

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to eat much, but unexpectedly, I ate more than usual and didn't feel nauseous.

Charlotte was very pleased to see me eating well.

* * *

Lady Valentine's personal physician, Jane Sop, had gone out early in the morning to procure some hard-to-find medicinal herbs and returned to the castle around 8 a.m.

She was very satisfied to have obtained a lot of good herbs. It would be great if these herbs could help the Lady's health...

'Is the Lady still sleeping? I should check on her around 11 a.m....'

Jane carried a bag full of herbs in one arm and opened the door to the treatment room with the other hand.

And she was immediately shocked by the scene that greeted her.

'What... is this...'

The treatment room was in a mess, as if it had been burglarized. Bags of herbs, glass bottles, and various documents were scattered all over the floor.

Jane stood frozen with her mouth agape, then suddenly came to her senses. Upon closer inspection, there were clear signs that someone had ransacked the room. All the drawers were open, the cabinets were thoroughly searched, and even the secret storage under the floor was emptied. Even her personal bag had been rifled through.

'How dare someone do such a heinous thing...'

Jane, still in shock, carefully placed the bag of herbs to one side and began to check if anything was missing.

Who could have done this? It couldn't have been a common thief. This is the Valentine Castle; how could a common thief even get in? It must have been someone who works in the castle.

'...That's strange. The money and valuables are still there.'

Jane, who was tidying up the treatment room, frowned. If the money and valuables were left untouched, it means the thief was after something else...

'What did they steal?'

Jane approached the desk and checked the open drawers. The small documents like lists of herbs and ledgers were all still there. But...

'...The Lady's medical records.'

The records of the Lady's health, which Jane had meticulously kept from the first day she arrived at the castle, were gone.

* * *

Someone had stolen the Lady's medical records. These were important documents that contained detailed information about her health.

Not only that, but the documents also listed the foods the Lady should not eat and the herbs that could be toxic to her.

If someone with ill intentions had stolen these documents, it could be a serious problem. Jane immediately informed Duke Valentine of this.

Theodore's face turned cold as soon as he heard the story, and he asked,

"Didn't you leave the door unlocked when you went out?"

"......The door was locked! I swear. When I came back, the door was open..."

Theodore, glaring at the flustered Jane, sighed. He immediately called the head steward and gave a short, clear order.

"Someone broke into Dr. Sop's treatment room. It's likely an insider, so investigate the servants in the castle first."

"Yes, sir."

The head steward, clearly shocked by the news of the break-in, answered. As he bowed to Theodore and was about to leave, a knock was heard from outside the door.

Knock knock—

Theodore, frowning slightly, asked,

"What is it?"

From outside the door, a polite voice of a young servant replied,

"Sir... Lady Seymour urgently requests your presence. She has ordered you to come to the living room immediately."

The frown on Theodore's forehead deepened. He muttered to himself,

"......Lady Seymour? Just now..."

He glanced at Jane, then paused and his eyes sparkled with realization.

"......Head steward, we'll have to postpone the investigation. I need to see Lady Seymour. Dr. Sop, come with me."

"Ah... Yes, sir."

Although Jane was very puzzled by the decision to postpone the investigation, she couldn't argue with the Duke's order and obediently agreed.

Thus, the two of them quickly arrived at the living room on the first floor. Before opening the door, Theodore turned to Jane and ordered,

"Dr. Sop, wait here for a moment. Come in when I call you."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Taking his eyes off Jane, who stepped back, Theodore nodded to the servant. The servant announced his arrival, and the door opened with a voice inviting him in.

Theodore walked into the living room expressionlessly. As expected, Lady Seymour was sitting on the sofa. However, when he saw a face he hadn't expected to see, Theodore's eyes widened and his mouth opened.

"Riri, why are you here... You haven't fully recovered yet—"

"Teo, sit down."

Lady Seymour said in a heavy, solemn voice.

Theodore finally turned to Lady Seymour and greeted her politely.

After sitting down, a maid approached and poured tea. Theodore subtly glanced at Riri, who was sitting next to him. She held a teacup with a blank expression, as if she felt nothing. The tea in the cup hadn't decreased at all.

"......Why did you call me, Aunt? I can understand, but my wife needs more rest."

"Who is waiting outside that you brought with you?"

In response to Theodore's question, Lady Seymour gave a non sequitur. Theodore paused for a moment before answering.

"Dr. Jane Sop, Riri's physician."

"Is that so?"

"......I was on my way here after receiving a report from Dr. Sop that someone had broken into her treatment room."

Lady Seymour took a sip of tea without showing any reaction. Theodore's voice grew stronger as he continued,

"Strangely, the valuables were untouched, and they stole something unexpected."

"......"

"Riri's medical records."

At those words, Riri, who had been sitting like a doll, showed a reaction. Her hand holding the teacup twitched slightly, and she placed the cup on the table, muttering softly,

"Oh, I see..."

Then she seemed to laugh softly. Before Theodore could say anything, Lady Seymour spoke.

"Since I was going to tell you anyway, I'll spill everything. I was the one who took those medical records."

"......Aunt—"

"That child's health is abnormal, yet you only try to cover it up. You didn't even consult me or ask for my opinion. I suspected you were hiding something. But Dr. Sop, who follows your orders, wouldn't show me Riri's medical records honestly, so I ordered my people to search the treatment room. And I found this."

Lady Seymour took a bundle of documents from her bosom and threw it on the table. It was Riri's medical records.

Theodore glared at Lady Seymour in silence. The air in the living room became as cold as if it were trapped in ice. Lady Seymour, showing no sign of guilt, instead glared with anger.

"Teo. How could you hide from me that Riri Everett is infertile?"