Dante couldn’t understand at all.

The reason for Serpina’s lies.

Why does she say “I’m fine” with a calm face?

The lips that had spoken of death now only smile, as if they had never uttered negative words.

Therefore.

Dante couldn’t bring himself to question the lies. He didn’t have the courage.

“Your Grace?”

At Serpina’s call, Dante’s answer was predetermined.

“I’m glad you’re fine.”

That night.

Dante secretly summoned Barhan. Perhaps due to constant worry, the wrinkles on Barhan’s face seemed deeper today.

“Barhan.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Are you hiding anything from me about my wife?”

At the duke’s question, Barhan could only swallow a sigh.

In the end, it had come to this.

Instead of remaining silent, Barhan confessed.

About the reports the maids had been submitting and the suspicious aspects of the madam. Moreover.

“In my opinion, Madam must be ill.”

Even his own opinion.

Dante stayed silent for a while, then asked in a calm voice.

“What do you think we should do?”

“…Pardon?”

“I can’t think of what to do about this situation.”

Premature death had always been the lot of the head of the family. Not the wife’s.

…Perhaps it’s my fault.

All the family members he had relied on had left his side.

His mother, his father.

And, his brother.

〈I’m sorry, Dante. I’m sorry.〉

A tear-soaked voice echoed in his head.

“What should I do?”

At the dry voice, Barhan could no longer hide his sigh.

[This is the timeline separator]

Several days passed since then.

During that time, those who learned that Serpina was ill, including Mari and Siena, spent their days with gloomy faces.

They couldn’t confront Serpina about why she was lying as she tried to smile and inexplicably tried to hide her secret.

They could only feel their insides burning black.

On the third day of this gloomy and depressing atmosphere.

“Huh? That person is…”

“Isn’t that the quack?”

Mari and Siena spotted the doctor wandering suspiciously inside the mansion.

“What’s going on?”

“Yeah, and he’s sneaking around like that…”

Exchanging glances, the two quickly followed the doctor.

The doctor kept looking around nervously, then quickly slipped into an empty guest room.

“A guest room?”

Before they could wonder further, a new figure appeared.

It was Serpina.

Appearing with her usual pale face, she sighed and entered the guest room where the doctor had gone.

Mari and Siena watched all this, swallowing dry saliva.

And, a moment later.

The door opened and the doctor rushed out first.

“Well then, I’ll be going before others see me. I’ll surely find a proper answer next time, so take care of yourself until then!”

“Yes… let’s do that.”

“Then, I’ll be off.”

He bowed deeply and snuck out of the corridor the way he came.

Serpina, who had been standing quietly watching this, clicked her tongue and headed to her own room.

“What should we do?”

“Yeah. What should we do?”

While they were pondering who to follow, the doctor had already gone far.

But this didn’t last long.

“Doctor Heterson.”

Barhan appeared elegantly, blocking the doctor’s path.

Heterson, who had prided himself on escaping well, jumped in surprise.

“He-Head Butler?”

“The Duke is calling for you. Please follow me.”

It was a mysteriously phrased request that sounded oddly like a threat, despite being gentle and polite.

Heterson hesitated, unable to decide what to do, but eventually hung his head and followed Barhan.

Mari and Siena finally stopped their pursuit.

[This is the timeline separator]

The place Heterson arrived at, following Barhan, was Dante’s office.

As the door opened, Dante, who had been sitting upright examining documents, raised his head.

He put down the pen he had been holding and leaned back slightly against the chair.

Even in these small movements, an immense pressure could be felt.

“What’s the reason for your visit to the duke’s residence today?”

With the addition of the heavy voice, it became unbearably frightening. He didn’t even dare to meet the sharp blue gaze.

He answered with trembling legs and voice, like a pitiful goat before a predator.

“Well, that, it’s…”

His voice barely came out due to extreme nervousness.

Right. This is why he tried to come and go as quietly as possible, to avoid being noticed.

He wanted to personally deliver the medicine for the duchess who had moved him, but everyone in this mansion was too scary.

They glared at him with sharp eyes whenever they got the chance, cursing him with their eyes.

It seems they think of him as a quack.

It’s unfair.

He’s the best doctor in the North!

How much praise has he received for being an unparalleled physician!

Hasn’t even the duke’s family offered several times to make him their exclusive doctor?

Yet, out of a pure desire to help more people, he continues to run his private clinic, so why do they keep slandering such a pure soul?

All he’s done here is examine the madam and diagnose her as healthy, right?

He said she was fine because she was fine, so why are they asking if she’s really fine…

Could it be that everyone is hoping for the duchess to be ill?

Oh my. Goodness. What if that’s really the case?

While he was lost in thought, keeping his mouth shut for a while.

“It would be better to speak moderately.”

“I-I’ll speak!”

All thoughts of worry, unfairness, concern, or loyalty disappeared cleanly in the face of the intensified threat.

Sorrow, injustice, worry, and loyalty were all useless in the face of fear.

“I-I came to deliver medicine. That’s all!”

“You only came to deliver medicine?”

“Yes. It’s true.”

Dante narrowed his eyes and glared at Heterson.

“What kind of medicine?”

“St-stomach medicine!”

“Is that all?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking if that’s all.”

“…Th-that’s all.”

A wrinkle appeared between his brows above his narrowed eyes.

Heterson felt like he was dying.

He resolved that from now on, loyalty or not, he would send his apprentice to deliver medicine.

“Answer honestly to what I’m about to ask.”

“I-I will.”

What more questions could he have?

“Is my wife… really alright?”

“Ah, that is…”

Heterson was taken aback by the unexpectedly primitive yet somehow greatly abbreviated question.

What exactly does it mean to be alright?

For now, based on her symptoms, she’s not alright as her body is sick.

But then again, her body itself is fine, right?

So how should I answer?

After pondering for a moment, he decided to approach it medically.

Medically speaking, the duchess’s body is…

“Yes. She’s fine.”

“…You’re lying.”

“Huh? No? It’s true?”

“No. My wife is not fine.”

Heterson blinked at the assertive statement.

It seems he had misinterpreted the question.

Right. That’s right.

Come to think of it, the madam’s condition certainly isn’t normal.

There are symptoms, but her body is healthy.

Heterson quickly changed his stance and nodded.

“…Th-that’s correct. Actually, there is a slight problem.”

“Ah, as I thought.”

The first to sigh was Barhan, standing in the corner.

Dante stared at him for a moment, then ran his large hand over his face.

The face that had been hidden and then revealed was even more sunken.

“…Do you know the cause?”

“No. I have no idea. I’m researching and studying, but for now, I can’t make any guesses. I’m sorry.”

At that moment.

Heterson felt that the surroundings were too quiet.

So quiet that not even breathing could be heard.

Ah. I want to go home!

“…So there’s no medicine either?”

Heterson answered, almost sobbing.

“Th-that’s right… But, I-I’ll do my best to find one! For me, the duchess is my number one priority patient!”

With those words, Heterson was able to leave through Barhan’s guidance.

Wow, let’s never come here in person again!

Heterson returned home, breathing a sigh of relief.

When Barhan returned to the office, Dante was standing up from his seat.

He stood quietly in front of the window, looking down at the herb garden.

Markops was guarding the place instead of Serpina.

“Your Grace…”

“Did I understand correctly?”

“…”

“An incurable disease.”

At Dante’s words, Barhan hung his head.

“Is that why she hid it?”

Because there’s no medicine, she gave up early.

“Your Grace…”

“What should I do? Should I confine my wife to her room and summon all the doctors in the empire? Would that solve anything?”

“That won’t do, Your Grace.”

“Then what, leave her as is? Just let her die?”

At Dante’s growling appearance, Barhan raised his head straight.

“Yesterday, a maid who serves the madam closely said something.”

Barhan’s words brought to mind the image of the two maids who stayed by Serpina’s side.

“What did she say?”

“That pretending not to know, just like now, seems to be the best thing for the madam.”

“…What?”

It was unbelievable.

How is pretending not to know about a sick person any different from pushing her back to the brink?

“What nonsense…”

“More than anyone else.”

Barhan firmly cut off Dante’s angry words.

“The madam herself must know her condition better than anyone. Yet, the fact that she’s trying to hide her condition… must be because she wants a normal daily life.”

A normal daily life?

Dante’s gaze, which had silently repeated those words, turned back to the herb garden outside the window.

Markops seemed to have left his post as well, leaving the herb garden in the yard all alone.

In front of it, Serpina’s shadow appeared.

Serpina, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a stained dress, and ill-fitting boots and gloves.

When she would crouch down holding a trowel, the servants would needlessly linger around her.

What kind of face did Serpina have then?

Ah, right.

“…She smiled.”

She smiled. Happily.