The Maid's Contract Marriage - Chapter 61

“Thank you for coming out of concern for your inadequate son. But Dylan is no longer a knight.”

“…”

Brandon Osborne spoke with a rigid attitude.

“I apologize that my lacking son has caused trouble for the honorable knights. From now on, I will take more care in looking after my son.”

Lukan, who had been keeping his lips pressed in a straight line, finally gritted his teeth and took a step back.

“…Please let us see Dylan. We might be able to help.”

Dylan had only recently returned to the Julius estate.

Of course, Lukan and Tristan understood Dylan’s condition better than Brandon Osborne.

But Brandon Osborne was adamant.

“As I said before, Dylan has not woken up.”

Lukan asked again, restraining himself.

“At least tell us what kind of poison he took.”

Brandon Osborne’s response was cold.

“You are not a doctor, as far as I know.”

Just then, there was the sound of hurried footsteps.

Bang!

“Master!”

A maid burst in, flinging open the door, and relayed the doctor’s message.

“The young master has woken up!”

“!”

Brandon Osborne frowned silently.

Lukan, who had been despising Brandon Osborne, certain that he was refusing to let them meet even though Dylan was awake, stood up with a dumbfounded expression.

Was he really not awake before?

“…”

However, Brandon Osborne still didn’t seem inclined to let them see Dylan now that he was awake, his face remaining stiff.

Tristan quietly stood up as well and spoke to Brandon Osborne.

“…So Lord Dylan has woken up.”

“…”

Lukan also looked at him and added.

“Then will you let us see him now?”

“…”

Brandon Osborne gripped the handle of his cane tightly and said nothing.

He seemed not to have expected the maid to burst in and announce that Dylan had woken up.

Arthur broke the silence.

“Lord Brandon.”

Brandon Osborne twisted his cane and looked at Arthur.

Arthur gazed at him calmly and said.

“He is my soldier.”

“!”

Arthur smiled gently.

“As you were once a soldier yourself, I believe you understand that I don’t need your permission to see him.”

“…”

Lukan and Tristan quietly looked at Arthur and Brandon Osborne.

As Lionel had already informed the duke once,

Although the war was over, the victory celebration had not yet taken place, so their army had not been officially disbanded.

While they had been allowed to return home to recuperate, as Arthur said, the commander-in-chief did not need anyone’s permission to see a soldier under his command.

“…”

Brandon Osborne, with his strong sense of honor as a soldier and knight, could not refute Arthur’s words and answered with silence.

Arthur turned away from him and said.

“Thank you for your permission.”

“…”

Brandon Osborne did not follow.

The knights were guided to Dylan’s room by the maid.

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Dylan welcomed them with a faint smile, while also feeling ashamed.

He explained in a hoarse voice that he had taken the poison by mistake, thinking it was a sleeping pill.

But everyone knew that wasn’t true.

Because he had made the same excuse a few years ago when he first attempted suicide.

They did not stay long with Dylan before leaving the room.

Only the doctor remained in the room.

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Lukan spoke.

“Don’t let him be shut away alone. Keeping him confined to the house for the sake of rest will only lead to another suicide attempt. Either send him back among people who can reminisce about the end of the war together, or let him return to serve by Your Excellency’s side. Somehow, let him feel that he was part of the victory. Even if he’s in a wheelchair, shouldn’t he be allowed to see what he helped protect?”

Brandon Osborne spoke with a stern face.

“That victory is your victory. I pay my respects to you. But my son has no right to share in that victory. I appreciate your sympathy. But please don’t disgrace us any further.”

“Disgrace?”

Lukan repeated, not believing his ears.

Tristan stepped forward.

“Lord Brandon. None of the knights who were on the front lines consider Lord Dylan to be dishonorable. On the contrary, Lord Dylan is respected by everyone. So by what right do you, who weren’t even in that battle, disparage Lord Dylan as disgraceful?”

Brandon Osborne spoke with a hardened expression.

“I have eyes too. I know that Dylan never properly achieved victory in any battle he participated in. You all have eyes too, don’t you? Why can’t he walk when his legs are fine? If his legs had been cut off instead, it wouldn’t be this disgraceful.”

Tristan protested.

“Lord Dylan is not exaggerating!”

Brandon Osborne’s voice was calm.

“I know that too. And I know there must have been casualties even in battles with great victories.”

His voice continued.

“But to have someone whose legs trembled too much to even stand on the battlefield shamelessly wheeling around among knights who faced all those fears, fought, and are now enjoying the glory of victory, boasting of his own achievements?”

Brandon Osborne shook his head briefly.

“My son is not that shameless.”

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After Dylan fell asleep.

The doctor who came out of the room carefully spoke about the aftereffects of Dylan’s poisoning.

“It may be temporary, and we’ll need to monitor his progress, but…”

Brandon Osborne sighed in disbelief.

“So the cripple has now gone blind too.”

Everyone fell silent.

Brandon Osborne rubbed his closed eyes as if tired and said.

“As you’ve heard, we can’t ‘show’ him those glorious sights anyway. I apologize for raising my son like this.”

“…Please leave now.”

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With Arthur’s permission, Tristan immediately returned to the unit and began inquiring about famous doctors, priests, and scholars who had experience treating blind patients.

He sought out people who had temporarily gone blind during the war and recovered,

And also looked into soldiers who were having vision problems and seeking treatment methods.

And in the midst of carrying out all these tasks,

Suddenly.

Tristan realized that he now had a seemingly good excuse to look into Arthur’s vision problem.

On the surface, for one person.

But in reality, Tristan began to move for the sake of two people.

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Chirp chirp…

Reina woke up alone in bed.

And realized that Arthur had not returned after all last night.

“…”

Reina got up and opened the window.

The soft breeze and autumn morning sunlight entered, ruffling Reina’s hair.

Reina closed her eyes and felt the wind.

It’s okay if Lord Arthur doesn’t come.

I’m okay.

If I can return to grandmother, that’s enough for me.

Reina, with her eyes closed, recalled the day she received the cup from Arthur.

Thinking of approaching him to talk,

The day she thought would become a lifelong memory.

It seems it will be like that.

It was such a wonderful time.

I should end it well.

Reina stretched vigorously.

“Lord Arthur was just angry for a moment.”

“Your role is just to quell the current uproar. Nothing more, nothing less.”

How long has it been?

It felt like a very long time since hearing those words.

As if the Duchess and the young lady were from a distant past,

And I felt as if I had been by Lord Arthur’s side for a very long time.

Even though I had lived waking up at dawn in the maid’s attic for over ten years,

The white, soft bed and midday sunlight I got used to in just three days felt familiar.

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But when Brody came in and dressed her in a new dress she had never worn before, and prettily adorned her.

Reina finally broke down in tears in front of the mirror.

“Reina, why, why are you crying?!”

“…”

I don’t know either.

Why am I crying?

Reina couldn’t understand her own feelings.

Lord Arthur won’t come to me anymore.

He won’t come to this room.

Brody, not knowing what to do, flustered about before,

“Our Reina can do anything she wants!”

She cried out and adorned her to the fullest.

She even put on all the precious ornaments she usually didn’t wear.

Reina sniffled as she accepted the adornments Brody gave her.

And when she finally came to her senses, Reina found herself standing in front of Taylor,

Wearing the world’s most expensive pearl earrings that she had only worn on the day of the victory parade, fully dressed up.

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Reina awkwardly smiled and greeted Taylor with reddened eyes.

“…Taylor.”

It seemed like she had been worrying about how to greet Taylor.

She had forgotten it all.

It felt like there was something she wanted to ask Taylor,

But she didn’t know what she was doing now.

The ill-fitting dress seemed ridiculous.

Brody’s compliments that she looked very pretty all seemed like absurd jokes.

And when she realized that she was standing in front of her only friend without having prepared anything.

Reina was suddenly overwhelmed with fear.

Because as soon as their eyes met, she could tell that Taylor had come without knowing everything.

“…”

Taylor was enduring the shock without showing it.

“…”

Reina awkwardly gripped the hem of her skirt and bit her lip.

She hoped he wouldn’t ask what she was doing now.

Please don’t be flustered and forget his words, or ask this and that.

She didn’t have confidence to answer anything.

If only he had come knowing everything…

Taylor, after a brief silence.

Smiled at her.

“…Yes, young lady.”

Reina looked at him with a start.

Her old friend bowed his head calmly and paid his respects.

“…It’s been a long time.”

Reina burst into tears again.

When Reina started crying, Kei and Lionel, who had been standing guard at the door, quickly approached and made Taylor step back from her.

And they visually checked Taylor for any suspicious movements.

The two knights drew an invisible line between her and Taylor as if guarding her.

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I’ve imagined you wearing a dress before.

But it wasn’t in a situation like this.