Chapter 30

Chapter 30

“Evan?”

What he brought was, surprisingly, a ganache.

“What…is this?”

“What you gave me last time.”

Evan answered leisurely.

“I heard you waited for an hour to buy it and eat it with me.”

“That, yeah, but…”

“So, let’s do what we couldn’t do back then.”

Because he wanted to do it as I did, he went downtown and got in line for an hour to buy without using the name, ‘Icard.’ To be honest, the ganache was just a smokescreen for my other plans, so I was feeling slightly guilty, still…

I was the kind of person who could easily ignore such remorse.

“Oh, yeah. Good job, though you didn’t have to do that.”

“Let’s go downtown together next time. I went today because I really wanted to pay you back for how you waited for me before.”

Evan placed the ganache down on the table set in the garden and spoke softly.

“Of course, the knights tagging you told me you sent Lisa.”

It turns out, Ludva had somehow ordered everyone to find Evan and send him back.

‘Really meticulous…’

Though because I was more meticulous, it was a victory for me.

“I’m not sure what’s going to happen later, but… if you come back in later than me in the future, I’ll be waiting for you so we can sleep together.”

“Well, If that’s what you want…”

Anyway, I didn’t think Evan would be coming home late because he wasn’t fully recovered yet.

“But, more importantly…”

Evan slowly turned his head and studied Redian.

“Who are you?”

His voice sounded strangely chill.

“Why have you been staring at Laria this whole time?”

Redian shuddered and looked at me pitifully.

No matter how good I was at acting, I was taken aback for a moment. I didn’t want to let him know that I wanted to make slush funds with paintings. In addition, Matilda also invited painters often before, so I didn’t want to remind him of his trauma.

He must have been thinking of Matilda while looking at me.

However, it didn’t make sense to say he was just an herbalist since he was openly staring at me this whole time.

So, I was left with nothing decent to answer him.

“Go for now.”

I dismissed Redian, telling him to think about the whole thing, although Evan suddenly held my hands tightly.

“Laria is my wife.”

Was there anyone here who didn’t know that…?

As I glanced at Evan, feeling a little embarrassed, he continued glaring at Redian with a murderous look.

“I’m saying she’s not just someone you can put your eyes on.”

‘What do you mean, how can the artist draw if he doesn’t study his subject carefully?’

Though, of course, I couldn’t say that.

“I-I, I apologize.”

Innocent Redian bowed several times quickly and hurriedly ran away.

“Who is it? That man.”

Evan looked back at me and asked with a slightly stiff smile.

He added, “Why was he staring at you as if he was possessed?”

The way he spoke was very scary. If I hadn’t set Redian off, he would have already hit him.

I was speechless.m and bewildered.

‘Right now, this… It’s a red flag!’

If I couldn’t think of anything to say, I should just at least buy some time to think before blurring out the main point and attacking!

‘Front line, prepare to attack!’

I frowned and talked straightforwardly.

“Evan.”

“Mmh?”

“Maybe… were you this close-minded?”

“…What?”

“No matter how high our status is, we are not the kind of people who wouldn’t speak to a commoner.”

In the original story, like other nobles, Evan didn’t make any insulting remarks to Seymour, who was known to have been a commoner and had bought the title. Therefore, I thought that he was a person who was equally indifferent to everyone.

“You went to the Academy, so I thought you would be more open and know more about that area.”

Saying so, I sighed as though I was disappointed.

“I mean, I think it’s really mean of you not to treat commoners as human just because they aren’t aristocrats…”

I tried to take my hand away from his, but his grip was strangely strong and couldn’t come out easily.

“Laria.”

It seemed like he was finally letting go of my hand, though Evan just moved the position and locked his fingers with mine instead.

“Of course, I know you’re kind. However, it doesn’t matter if he is a commoner. What matters is…”

Suddenly, I felt my chest tickling.

The coughs had decreased a lot lately, but it came out now when I was in the middle of the garden with nowhere to go?!

“E-Evan, wait.”

“Why?”

“Wait a minute. I need to go to the bathroom… Cough!”

Eventually, an inevitable cough came out. Evan’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw blood dripping from my mouth.

“…Laria?”

Evan was usually indifferent, so I never thought he could make that kind of face.

“Is anybody there? Gather all the kitchen maids right now! Poisoning…!”

“Evan! It’s not poison!”

“Who the hell is trying to harm the Young Lord’s wife?”

Your father!

I answered inwardly, but I held it in. Of course, I couldn’t say it out loud!

Evan grabbed me by the arm with glistening eyes. He seemed to be on the verge of going insane.

“I, I’m really fine, Evan. This isn’t a big deal.”

Well, in fact, it was quite a big deal, but Evan’s expression was so severe that I uttered that unknowingly.

“Evan, stay calm. You didn’t know before, but I’ve been this way since a long time ago.”

“What?”

His whole body was shaking.

Evan slowly wiped the blood around my mouth with his thumb and bit his lips.

“Since a long time ago? What the hell is happening to you?”

“Wait a minute, Evan. Just calm down first…”

It felt as if he was about to cry, so I was in a bind for a moment. I guess Evan was shocked more than I thought he would be.

Should I say I have a deadly disease?

Nevertheless, should I tell this kid, who was having a mental breakdown because of Ludva, that his wife was dying? It was too cruel to tell a child whose mother’s death was a traumatic experience, that his wife, who resembled his mother, would die, too.

‘When you’re in trouble like this, you should…’

“Evan, I need to go to the bathroom first. It’s not poison, so don’t call innocent people and just ask your father for details.”

‘Toss the ball to others. That was the best option.’

“I’m still young… so I’m not certain. You would know better if you ask father since he appointed me a doctor as well.”

Would this work?

Evan wouldn’t let go of my arm, so I ended up having to use a cheat key to get out of the situation.

“…Cough.”

“Laria!”

“Cough, Couuugh… E-Evan. Let go… This is really hard for me, cough.”

At that, I started coughing with a pitiful look, like a tragic heroine. Evan held me tightly, saying he would take me to the bathroom. Nevertheless, I was extremely shocked to see the hands that supported me shaking so bad.

That’s why I tried to hide it from Evan as much as I could.

‘You can take care of this as you please, dad.’

After taking me to the bathroom, Evan handed me over to Lisa, who came in a hurry before scrambled to the Duke’s office.

“Wait for a moment, Laria. Even if the Duke runs out of his budget, I’ll fix it somehow.”

‘I’m doing just fine even without spending the budget…’

When I came out of the bathroom, I saw Serena and Lisa, who tagged along, quarreling.

“I mean, how can you be a doctor and let this situation happen?”

“It wouldn’t make a difference if she’s next to me or not when she coughs,” Serena answered, shrugging.

“But you wouldn’t realize if there was an emergency. Why aren’t you doing your job properly?”

Then, Lisa replied angrily.

“All right, I’ll be right next to her from now on, so you should go now.”

“What are you going to do? She must have blood on her clothes, so I’ll help her change.”

“Huh? I’ll help her. Last time, I saw a dress in the closet that I haven’t seen Laria wearing before.”

“Why does the doctor get to choose clothes? That’s an abuse of power!”

I sighed and shook my head. Fortunately, I didn’t have to stop the fight between them myself.

“Lisa, the Duke, and the Young Master are requesting for you.”

I couldn’t figure out why Duke Icard was calling Lisa, but it was a relief, anyway.

After Ludva’s incident, the two didn’t even look at each other. So, it seemed that this would be an excellent opportunity to have a sincere conversation.

In the end, I took Serena and headed to my room.