I Only Need the Duke's Child — Chapter 12

WAKE UP, BLAIR.

WAKE UP.

BLAIR!

HERDIN...

COUGH COUGH...

EASY NOW. BREATHE SLOWLY.

HERDIN, WAIT...

I REMEMBERED SOMETHING... IT WAS FAINT, BUT I AM CERTAIN I HEARD A VOICE.

SOMEONE WAS SPEAKING BEYOND THE WARDROBE WHILE I WAS HIDDEN INSIDE.

I COULD NOT DISTINGUISH THE WORDS BECAUSE THEY WERE BARELY AUDIBLE...

BUT I BELIEVE I MAY BE ABLE TO OPEN THE WARDROBE DOORS DURING THE NEXT SESSION.

WE DID MAKE PROGRESS TODAY... BECAUSE I REMEMBERED HEARING THAT VOICE, EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO RECOLLECTION OF IT BEFORE.

AND YOU THINK THAT'S WHAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW?

YOU'RE ANGRY BECAUSE I FAILED TO RECOVER MORE OF MY MEMORIES, AREN'T YOU?

NEXT TIME, I'LL TRY HARDER TO ENDURE IT.

I WILL UPHOLD THE TERMS OF OUR CONTRACT, SO YOU NEEDN'T WORRY.

YOU SHOULD REST NOW...

THE CONTRACT...

THE CONTRACT...

THE CONTRACT...!

MY FAKE WIFE CAN'T SEEM TO SAY A SINGLE THING WITHOUT BRINGING UP THAT CURSED CONTRACT.

SHE ACTS LIKE SHE'S WILLING TO RISK HER LIFE OVER THIS ONE-YEAR ARRANGEMENT.

YOUR GRACE, I'VE HAD THE HYPNOTIST ESCORTED BACK TO HIS ROOM FOR THE TIME BEING.

GET RID OF HIM.

YOUR GRACE? I THOUGHT YOU INTENDED TO KEEP HIM AT THE ESTATE.

FIND ANOTHER HYPNOTIST. HE'S OBVIOUSLY A FRAUD.

AND SEND THE MAID FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE TO MY STUDY. I WANT TO SPEAK WITH HER.

B-BUT... WHY?

MY APOLOGIES, YOUR GRACE. I SPOKE OUT OF TURN. I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT IMMEDIATELY.

WHY DID HIS GRACE SUMMON ME?

I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO GUESS THE REASON...

WAIT...

...SURELY HE DID NOT SOMEHOW REALIZE I WAS SPEAKING ILL OF HIM IN MY THOUGHTS?!

BUT HIS GRACE WAS THE ONE WHO ABANDONED HIS BRIDE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WEDDING NIGHT!

HE WAS UNQUESTIONABLY AT FAULT!

I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG--

I HEARD YOU'VE SERVED MY WIFE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

Y-YES, YOUR GRACE!

I NOTICED THE FIREPLACE IN HER ROOM WASN'T LIT.

EVEN WHEN IT SNOWED, THERE WASN'T A FIRE BURNING.

IS BLAIR AFRAID OF FIRE?

YES, YOUR GRACE.

THAT IS WHY I USUALLY WARM THE ROOM IN HER ABSENCE AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BEFORE SHE RETURNS.

AS LONG AS THE FLAMES ARE PROPERLY CONTAINED OR KEPT AT A DISTANCE, THEY DO NOT TROUBLE HER TOO GREATLY...

...THOUGH SHE STILL APPEARS RATHER UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND FIRE.

IS THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED TEN YEARS AGO?

HER GRACE HAS NEVER SAID SO DIRECTLY, BUT... I BELIEVE THAT IS THE REASON.

AND WHAT ABOUT HER CONSTANT COUGHING?

I WAS TOLD THE FIRE LEFT LASTING DAMAGE TO HER LUNGS.

I SEE...

SO THAT WAS THE REASON AFTER ALL...

THE FOLLOWING DAY

IN CERTAIN PATIENTS, SEVERE PSYCHOLOGICAL SHOCK CAN LEAVE LASTING EFFECTS ON THE BODY AND WEAKEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.

I BELIEVE HER GRACE IS SUFFERING FROM SUCH COMPLICATIONS.

I SHALL ARRANGE FOR HER MEDICINE TO BE DELIVERED. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO, YOUR GRACE.

SO THIS IS WHAT IT'S COME TO...

I UNDERSTAND THE ORDEAL MUST HAVE BEEN TAXING FOR HER, BUT EVEN SO... HOW CAN A PERSON BE THIS FRAGILE?

SHE SEEMS TO BE IN EVEN POORER HEALTH THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON.

AT LEAST HER FEVER HAS GONE DOWN SOMEWHAT.

THE MEDICINE APPEARS TO BE TAKING EFFECT.

..CIEL..

ACIEL...

NOW I UNDERSTAND...

IS THAT WHY THE CONTRACT IS ALWAYS SO HEAVILY ON HER MIND?

IT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY SHE IS SO DESPERATE TO FOLLOW EVERY TERM OF OUR AGREEMENT EXACTLY AS WRITTEN...

EVEN IF IT MEANS FORCING HERSELF TO RELIVE THOSE HORRIFIC MEMORIES... ALL FOR THE SAKE OF HER LOVER.

SO WHEN SHE CLAIMED SHE DID NOT BELIEVE IN LOVE, IT WAS MERELY A LIE TO CONCEAL HER TRUE INTENTIONS.

I PLACE NO FAITH IN SUCH FRAGILE EMOTIONS.

I CARE LITTLE FOR WHICHEVER FOOL DARED TO INVOLVE HIMSELF IN A FORBIDDEN ROMANCE WITH AN IMPERIAL PRINCESS...

...BUT THE FACT THAT THE MAN SHARES A NAME WITH ONE OF HOUSE DELMARQUE'S FOREFATHERS...

...IS EXCEEDINGLY IRRITATING.