Chapter 13
The rain lasted for two hours.
When the rain stopped, I was rescued by the people who came out to find Edlade.
Edlade had suddenly taken the umbrella and left without waiting for me. He did not return.
I wasn’t in distress, but as soon as I saw their faces, I lost my mind and fainted.
After that, I had to suffer from a fever that did not go down for three full days. It is said that the Duchess’ sudden high fever caused a stir in the mansion.
Lasha reported that the duchess, who had been familiar with the work for a little over a week after marriage, eventually collapsed.
“…Please don’t overdo it, I won’t be able to take it.”
Lasha knelt with a tearful face and begged me.
I was a little embarrassed when Lasha said, “Please listen to me, My Lady, or else I’ll be punished.”
“The only thing I can do is to serve my Lady. So, from now on, please keep me by your side when you go for a walk, when you greet guests, and when you eat.”
Lasha did not miss the point when I separated her.
I was a duchess, but I didn’t have an aide because it wasn’t long before I became a duchess.
Since there is no one to share the work with and no one to give instructions, I have been going around the mansion alone to take care of my work.
Of course, I’m talking about going for a walk.
Lasha pointed it out.
No, she didn’t point it out, she begged.
“My Lady, everyone in the mansion was worried. I thought it was going to be a really big deal……. Ah! I’m sorry for the irrelevant words. However……….”
I smiled awkwardly seeing the face of the freckled girl speaking anxiously.
I did overdo it.
Still, the exact reason is probably that I was in the rain for about two hours.
“I was scolded by Joanna. she asked if I was the right person to serve by your side…”
“Ummm.”
“She said that you had a cold, overworked, and… You seemed to be mentally exhausted.”
Joanna, the physician of the Philemon family, was an excellent doctor.
She was also the first member of the empire to use magic as a tool to heal people instead of using it to express magic.
Joanna is said to be the genius of the century, with a formidable concentration and control that pushes magical energy into the body to find the cause.
I can’t speak against Joanna. Since Lasha was scolded by such a person, it’s understandable why she was so depressed and worried.
I had never rested properly since regression, so I felt sorry for those who worried about me.
“I’m sorry, Lasha. I was careless.”
“No! It’s my fault! I’ll stick to your side from now on!”
That’s a bit difficult.
With Lasha’s fussy care that prevented me from getting out of bed, I recalled the situation before I fainted.
It was hazy, but I think I saw Edlade, who looked a little shocked just before I fainted.
“What about Edlade?”
Lasha was startled by hearing me casually call the duke’s name.
She then answered the question.
“He’s in the office.”
He seems to be working without paying attention.
After giving a light smile to Lasha, who was looking at my complexion, I looked out of the window.
The hazy memory of that day must have been an illusion that I felt because I wanted it so desperately.
No, even if it was like that then, it would be completely different after three days.
“He is still here, right?”
“What?”
“I mean Edlade.”
“Ah, ah… yes.”
Laughter came out of Lasha’s gloomy reply.
I know that’s why I said it like that.
Unlike before, it has become a little easier to accept reality. What happened on a rainy day was a great comfort to me.
It would be a lie if I said nothing, but it seemed I was going to live more than before.
“Lasha.”
“Yes!”
Lasha’s eyes gleamed with full of energy.
Outside the window, a garden full of flower buds could be seen at a glance, as if announcing that spring had come.
The view is also very good.
Edlade gave me a room like this.
Why hadn’t I noticed before my regression? “I like lilies.”
“Yes?”
The graceful shape of the white petals spread out as if her arms were open.
The pure white flower embraced gold and stood elegantly.
I liked the flower.
The first flower he gave me.
“I’ll tell the gardener right away!”
“Yes. It’s a fragrant flower, so don’t plant too many.”
“Yes! Yes, My Lady!”
Lasha smiled widely, excited when I said I liked something for the first time.
Half of the porridge she brought with the meal remained, but she took it back without nagging me.
The sunlight was good. One wall of the bedroom was made of windows, so the sunlight lit the bedroom.
Sitting on the bed and looking at it, I felt strange as if time had stopped.
Oh, I didn’t know why.
It’s so pretty.
The Duchess’s bedroom was such a nice place.
Before regression, I was so frightened of Edlade that I blocked the window with a thick curtain and a blanket covering me.
The foolish me who hid in my bedroom and prayed every day that my brother, Conzel would come.
“There was no other fool.”
Thinking of me in the past made me frown, but humans are learning beings.
I can’t repeat the same thing.
Knock, knock
“My Lady, it’s Halbert.”
As I was repeating, regretting, and reflecting on my actions, Halbert’s voice came with knocks on the door.
“Come in.”
I turned my eyes away from the window.
Halbert came in carefully, with a face that was stricter than before.
“Sit down.”
I pointed to the chair next to the bed, fearing that he would stumble if he stood still.
Halbert thought for a moment, then sat down without hesitation.
His eyes were full of dark circles, and his lips were cracked. I don’t know in detail, but he looked like he had a hard time.
“I’m sorry, My Lady.”
He was probably talking about not being polite.
With his head down as he squeezed his eyes shut, he looked like he really needed a break.
“Are you resting properly?”
“……Oh, yes? Ah yes. I got some sleep and came out today…”
He is crazy.
“I can’t faint… So I’m sleeping properly.”
Halbert muttered that he was taking care of the things that are essential to continuation. But he was looking like he was about to die.
“Okay, but let’s get some proper rest. Because I am much better now…”
Maybe it’s because I have fallen sick that has increased his work.
Edlade’s work alone seemed quite difficult.
“My Lady, take a rest until Joanna says you are fine.”
“No, I’m fine now.”
“You can’t exert yourself.”
Halbert pressed hard on his nose bridge and handed me dozens of papers.
“I will organize the report and send it to receive your approval. My Lady, please check it and sign what you agree to.”
“Isn’t Edlade’s work too overwhelming already?”
“….It’s okay.”
Halbert flinched and did not give a clear answer.
I’m sure he was overwhelmed with a lot of work.
“I also brought a list of candidates for My Lady’s aide. Until a new person is appointed, I will assist you, so please relax and rest well.”
“Are you giving me an aide?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“…. I didn’t understand the intention of the question. An aide is essential to help the Duchess take charge of internal administration.”
Yes, I did understand.
But before the regression, Edlade didn’t give me an aide.
Could this be because Edlade didn’t remember me?
Why didn’t he give me an aide then?
“Is it okay if I choose a good person?”
“Yes, first of all, these are the candidates I selected, so you can choose the one you want. Each one has sufficient skills .”
“You worked hard.”
“……”
Instead of me, he did internal affairs, and in addition to that, he also did the job of selecting an aide.
Besides, he was originally Edlade’s aide, so it was understandable that he had no choice but to keep things for continuation.
“That’s amazing, Halbert.”
The documents he handed over were so perfect that words of competence were adequate.
He had been doing domestic affairs alone for three years. That’s why I knew how good he was at handling the work.
Halbert bowed his head with red eyes as if touched by my words.
“Thank you, My Lady.”
He sat still for a while with a fist on his lap, as if this was the first time he had been praised for the work he had done.
“But don’t overdo it. If you fall ill, Edlade loses his capable aide.”
“Oh, that’s fine.”
The person who had blushed after being moved by a word of recognition a while ago responded calmly without hesitation.
“Your Excellency said that he would work alone until you get an aide.”
“Huh…??”
“There are a lot of people in the mansion who can take over the work of My Lady, but they cannot be easily entrusted with that work. This is a very important initial step, which is implemented after you took over the role of hostess. At a time like this, if someone takes over the role of My Lady, there may be a mole who I didn’t know.”
That’s why Halbert, who is the aide to the Duke of Philemon, took over the internal affairs on my behalf.
“Why is he?”