I Only Want Your Child - Chapter 61

* * *

Juliana remained bedridden for three straight days.

According to the family physician, she had weakened herself through recent overexertion and had fallen ill as a result.

In less than two months since her marriage, Juliana had flawlessly handled both the management of the estate and preparations for the banquet.

On top of that, she had personally secured a new contract with the guild and supervised renovations to the estate. Even someone made of iron would have broken down after that much.

There hadn’t been a single thing Lloyd had said that was wrong.

That only made Kallion angrier.

Because, although he had always kept personal and official matters strictly separate, he hadn’t been able to do that when it came to her.

Regardless of the fact that she was the daughter of an enemy house, her competence and intelligence were unexpectedly exceptional. Enough to make him feel guilty for treating her like some thoughtless woman with nothing but flowers in her head…

The orphanage incident had been the same.

A woman who could barely protect herself had risked her life to save children.

She had done without hesitation what even grown men would have struggled to attempt. Yet even then, he hadn’t acknowledged her.

It was probably more accurate to say he had refused to acknowledge her.

Perhaps… she had been working so hard because she wanted to be acknowledged by even one person in this estate, where enemies surrounded her on all sides.

And only after she collapsed had that thought occurred to him.

It made him feel like a shameless bastard who had tormented a woman because of his biases.

“Haah…”

Kallion buried his face in both hands and let out a deep sigh.

Why did Layla have to feel unwell that day too…

No. Even if Layla hadn’t been sick, would he have noticed Juliana’s condition?

He couldn’t say with confidence that he would have.

Kallion soon dragged one hand down his face and glanced toward Layla, who was seated at the auxiliary desk.

Unlike Juliana, who had been bedridden for three days after the banquet, Layla looked perfectly fine.

“Layla, have you been feeling alright since the banquet?”

Layla’s shoulders flinched at Kallion’s question, but she answered with a gentle smile.

“Thanks to your concern that day, I feel much better.”

Kallion was silent for a moment at Layla’s warm voice before speaking quietly.

“That’s good.”

Worried that he might somehow have realized she had been pretending to be sick, Layla cautiously watched Kallion’s expression.

He remained lost in thought for a long while with an unreadable expression before finally speaking.

“Layla, could you check how Juliana is feeling today?”

“Yes…?”

“If Juliana’s condition is alright, I’d like you to tell her we should have dinner together.”

Before Layla could answer, frozen in place, Kallion quickly changed his mind.

“No. I’ll just tell her myself.”

With that, he rose as though there was no longer anything to consider.

Layla stared stiffly at Kallion’s back as he immediately left the office.

Kallion had been strange these past few days.

His expression had remained dark the entire time, he couldn’t focus on his work, and one moment he would look angry, only to spend the next sighing repeatedly.

Could he have been acting like that because of Juliana?

Layla’s expression immediately twisted.

Impossible. He despised Heister more than anyone.

There was no way.

Trying desperately to convince herself of that, Layla stared anxiously in the direction Kallion had disappeared.

* * *

Kallion headed to Juliana’s room, and after finding it empty, he sought out the head butler.

“Where did a woman who’s still unwell go?”

The head butler was momentarily flustered by the question with its subject omitted, but quickly managed to understand Kallion’s terribly worded meaning and obediently answered.

“If you mean the Madam, she’s currently inspecting the newly renovated greenhouse.”

Kallion’s brow faintly furrowed.

‘What is a woman who was bedridden until yesterday doing inspecting anything? Anyone would think we planned to throw her out if she stopped working.’

Guessing what Kallion was thinking merely from his expression, the head butler kindly added an explanation.

“She’s feeling much better today, so she said she would look around while taking a walk.”

Kallion needlessly cleared his throat at the head butler’s explanation and turned toward the greenhouse.

Right. This was only to apologize for the way he had behaved until now, which had been unbecoming of the heir to the house. Whatever his personal feelings toward Juliana might be, it was true that she had fulfilled her duty as the lady of the house admirably.

Making that excuse to himself, Kallion quickened his pace toward the greenhouse where Juliana was.