Chapter 176
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“Madam’s health is inherently fragile, so it may be difficult for her to conceive.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, when I examined her earlier, I noticed symptoms similar to many infertile women. It will be hard for her to get pregnant.”
“With a body like that, it’s strange that she became a knight.”
Had she been healthy before and weakened after the chaos?
“She’s a truly strange woman, the more I know.”
Mikhail clicked his tongue in annoyance. The doctor flinched, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Shall I examine her again in more detail?”
“If you try to examine someone who’s not in pain, they’ll sense something’s off.”
Mikhail gestured for the doctor to leave.
“Kartho, bring Dell in.”
He had no intention of stopping his suspicions. He needed to find out the cause of this unsettling feeling.
❖ ❖ ❖
Emilia couldn’t stay still after Dell was called into the office.
Dell, too, looked confused by the sudden summons.
“…She won’t say anything else, right?”
Emilia couldn’t even sit for long and paced the room restlessly.
Since learning the truth, she had been acting obediently, as he wished. She had tried not to disturb his mood.
She had never even considered asking for forgiveness. She just wanted to fulfill the goals he had in mind.
He was likely planning to drag her into the mud when she was at her happiest. In Emilia’s mind, that was the ultimate revenge, and it seemed that was exactly what he wanted. So, she played along.
‘Was this really not the way he wanted me to be?’
Emilia was confused.
All that was left now was for her to fall into the mud. That was why she thought he was treating her this way.
He must have lived with hatred for so long, wanting to end that deep anger.
Didn’t he want to keep a broken version of her by his side for the rest of his life?
‘But why now…?’
They were alike. They thought in similar ways…
Emilia bit her nails. She couldn’t stay like this. She had to get away before he discovered everything.
She wrapped her arms around her stomach.
If he found out she was pregnant… would he change?
Perhaps the new child would change his mind.
Emilia steadied her breathing.
It was he who had wanted a child.
Even if it was a royal command, or just a means to keep her bound to him, in the end, it would still be his child.
Maybe things could change a little between them.
Emilia dared to hold on to a small hope. He wouldn’t hate her just for the sake of hating her. He had only been focused on one thing, without time to think about anything else.
“We should have a conversation.”
Maybe he regrets it too. He was a victim, but that doesn’t justify all the actions he took against Emilia.
If, even for a moment, he had thought like her, perhaps a different path could have been offered to them both.
Her parents killed his family, but Emilia didn’t know that. So, the direction of his anger wasn’t necessarily justified.
Even if it was an outlet for his rage, it wasn’t her fault.
While Emilia hadn’t directly wronged him, she assumed that, like her, he was carrying some form of guilt.
She didn’t think she was the only one feeling this confusion.
❖ ❖ ❖
Emilia left her room to meet Mikhail. Her steps toward the office were a little quicker than usual.
‘It’s fine.’
There’s no need to be nervous or anxious. She just needed to have an honest conversation with him.
Perhaps because of the pouring rain outside, her footsteps echoed through the hallway.
The damp humidity and the oppressive atmosphere made her steps feel heavy.
As she walked past, the maids nodded politely, lowering their heads in greeting.
Lately, it seemed their attitude had shifted slightly.
Could it be that the Duke’s treatment of her had changed, and they noticed it too?
The wind howled outside, and the light from the lamps flickered.
The sound of the wind seemed unusually sorrowful today.
When she finally stopped in front of the office, Emilia took a deep breath.
“Announce my arrival.”
“Your Grace, Madam has arrived.”
“Let her in.”
At his command, the door opened. Emilia sat before him, noticing Dell trembling in her seat.
“Let’s talk.”
“You’re good at lying.”
“Your Grace, if you have any questions, ask me. You won’t get any answers from Dell.”
Mikhail sighed briefly. He nodded toward Dell, and she immediately stood up and bowed.
“Ma-Madam…”
“Don’t worry. Just go to your room.”
Dell nodded and quickly exited. Emilia approached the chair where Dell had been sitting and stood.
“What’s so interesting to you?”
His gaze turned toward Emilia’s abdomen.
“Have you seen today’s newspaper?”
“No, I haven’t had a chance to look.”
Mikhail stood up and grabbed the gossip paper from his desk, dropping it in front of her.
“…Pregnancy?”
Emilia quickly read the article in the Müven gossip paper.
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