Chapter 43

Fortunately, Annette hadn’t yet fallen asleep. She grabbed Raphael’s large hand, that was lightly stroking her cheek. Surprisingly, he went along with Annette’s weak whims. Exhausted from their fierce love affair, Annette unexpectedly put her hand in his hand. The bold, intimate contact made Raphael feel embarrassed.

Annette laughed a little. Raphael, who had so far done far more sexual and violent acts, seemed cute as he stiffly put his fingers over hers. But this time, she couldn’t delay the ‘conversation ‘ anymore. Annette, holding Raphael’s hands in hers, asked the question that she had been waiting to ask.

“Raphael, that person you followed today ……. Who was that person?”

Raphael said nothing. Annette turned her head and saw him tightly clenching his teeth. His manly chin held an oppressive power. It was one of his habits that he did whenever he was asked something that he didn’t want to speak about. Sure enough, even after waiting for a long time, Raphael didn’t answer anything.

“Raphael.”

Annette sighed and quietly called his name. They were a couple now and were even more closer than before, but she still didn’t know anything about Raphael. He was a very complicated person, so even a little slip of the foot could lead to stepping on a landmine.

Annette was disappointed with Raphael’s unwillingness to open up to her. But if he didn’t want to say anything, she also didn’t want to pry. However, it was necessary to say a word to him about the way he treated her. Annette pointed out his today’s actions in a quiet tone.

“You left me alone on the street today without saying anything, Raphael. I was so embarrassed. If you can’t say much about it, then at least tell me why. You don’t have to be specific, so can you tell me why you did that then? So that I can understand your actions.”

Annette said as carefully as she could without mentioning the person whom Raphael had followed. Raphael apparently didn’t want to talk about the person, so he didn’t didn’t want her to broach the subject.

Annette was willing to understand him, even if he had given her a typical lame excuse like ‘I needed to find a washroom urgently.’ But, he seemed to have no intention of even doing that. Raphael coldly shook off Annette’s fingers and got up from the bed. Then, he picked up his fallen clothes and began to put them on.

‘So is everything again like it was before?’

Annette didn’t say anything and looked at Raphael’s back with darkened eyes. Whenever the distance between them seemed to narrow a little, it always turned out this way. Furthermore, he didn’t even answer any of her questions. So she couldn’t even ask him about what he thought of her. Annette was getting tired of this repeating pattern.

‘If he doesn’t want to open up to me and just wants a superficial relationship… I can’t help it anymore.’

A relationship is built by the efforts of two people. One sided effort alone can not keep up a relationship. And Annette had no intention of ending her second life by trying to dig this dry well. It seemed she would have to visit Railin again as soon as possible. A new life in Osland may be a little lonely but it still had a possibility. A possibility of finding peace and happiness.

At that time, Raphael, who was holding the doorknob of Annette’s bedroom, turned to her side. His deep blue eyes raked over Annette’s face. Even though she didn’t say a word about his attitude, his heart still sank for no reason. Her darkened eyes and disappointed expression seemed to strangely hold him back.

Perhaps that was why Raphael couldn’t dash out of the room as he usually did before. He opened his lips to say something to Annette. But he had nothing to say. Raphael was a sceptical person and had too many secrets.

‘No, I can never tell her this.’

His instincts growled, saying that he shouldn’t expose his weaknesses. Raphael’s mouth was naturally tightly sealed in response to the warning. He was already used to a life where no one could be believed. But now, he couldn’t make an exception to Annette, who he had just married. To do so, the risk that Raphael would have to take was too great. Again, his choice eventually led to a refusal to talk.

“Next time, I’ll tell you next time.”

Raphael somehow managed to answer while turning his back and then hurried out of her bedroom. He was annoyed by his pathetic appearance in front of Annette, as he could neither do this nor do that. Why do I keep feeling so pathetic in front of her?

Annette quietly closed her eyes, feeling the chill from the closed door. Just this afternoon, they were happy, choosing clothes for the ball together. All of it now seemed like a lie. Life truly is a tragedy when seen closely, and a comedy from afar. The same repeating cycle made Annette feel suddenly distressed.

* * *

Since then, Raphael stopped coming into Annette’s bedroom. Annette didn’t bother to visit or appease such Raphael. The mansion of Marquis of the Carnesis fell into a heavy silence, and in the midst of all this, time flowed like water.

Annette flicked her finger over the hard bandage. Now she wasn’t sick or uncomfortable anymore. It seemed that it was almost time to remove the bandage. Annette called a maid and instructed her gently.

“Do you know the practitioner who looked at my fingers? Please call him back. I need to get a medical check up.”

At that time, Annette was quite ill because of the inflammation caused by the fracture. So she didn’t know which practitioner looked at her fingers. Fortunately, the maid remembered the person and soon called him in. The 30-year-old practitioner, with an elite face and chestnut brown hair, was quite memorable to her.

“My greetings, Madam. Have you been doing well?”

Unlike his stubborn looking face, the practitioner still had a small fear. He looked around restlessly, breaking into cold sweats. He was actually looking around whether Annette’s husband, one with a fierce face, was present there or not. Seeing that he was not there, the practitioner breathed a deep sigh of relief.

This was a secret, but every time he was called here, he wetted his pants a little  because of Raphael. The practitioner who had only studied all his life sitting at his desk until now, had a very delicate mind. Annette reached out to the practitioner with a vague smile.

“I think I’m all better now, but I want you to see if it’s okay to remove the bandage.”

“Oh, yes. Then let me see its status.”

After removing the bandages, the practitioner took a close look at her knuckles and then ordered her to do some hand gestures. Fortunately, Annette didn’t feel much pain while following the movements. Seeing this, the practitioner nodded and took off his eye glass.

“Okay. I guess you’re all better. However having a fracture once makes the bones more likely to break again, so be careful not to strain your hands for at least a month.”

He finished his medical treatment, but instead of getting up right away, he hesitated. Annette looked at the practitioner with a wary look. She wondered if his fees for the medical treatment was overdue. But strangely, a completely different story popped out of the practitioner’s mouth.

“Well, Madam. I gave a letter of introduction to your husband during my last visit. I was wondering if you have heard anything…”

“Introduction letter? No, I’ve never heard of it.”

Upon hearing Annette’s answer, the practitioner nodded with a resigned look. The practitioner really did not have any expectations from Raphael. He took out another letter of introduction from his visit bag and said solemnly.

“I thought so, so I prepared one more.”

Should I give him a round of applause? Staring at the practitioner with a solemn face, Annette accepted the letter of introduction. The introduction letter, which was roughly scribbled with a doctor’s unique bad handwriting, was hard to read. It was really difficult to understand its content. Deeply reflecting on this point, Annette somehow managed to read the name written in it.

“Eucaly .Y. Cayun?”

“Yes. This person is  one of my colleagues, and is also a woman. She’s looking for a job now. Since she has left her hometown, she hopes to work as a doctor at a mansion where accommodation is possible. But, as you know, all the Deltium’s nobles already have a family doctor. So it is hard for her to find a job.”

So, he wanted to recommend his colleague to the Marquis of Carnesis, a newly-emerging aristocrat. Annette gently fiddled with the letter of introduction and lowered her eyelashes. The practitioner’s explanation continued for a long time, but there was no need for her to hear it. Because Annette already knew the doctor named Eucaly.

‘I can’t believe I would intersect with her again in my life. Is it coincidence or fate?’

Annette, in her previous life, continued to suffer and eventually died. Originally, she was not very healthy and the mental stress caused by her terrible marriage and false charges worsened her illness. She started to become sick more and more frequently. The vicious cycle continued, and she eventually died five years after her marriage.

Until Annette was seriously ill, she only called the practitioners when needed. Just like now. However, as her illness continued to become worse, a need for a doctor arose. The Marquis of Carnesis didn’t have a family doctor like the other noble families. So, the last practitioner who was chosen for recruitment was Eucaly. Anyway Annette was the only one who was sick in this mansion, so it was much better to have a female doctor.

‘But this time, fate made them intersect again in this form.’

Annette looked at the letter of introduction in a strange mood. She had no complaints about Eucaly. She was actually quite modest, and was always calm, and spoke carefully. Either way, it was a great advantage to keep her as a noble lady’s doctor. Annette happily folded the letter of introduction and smiled brightly.

“Let me see. I’ll call her. Thank you.”

“Yes thank you very much. Please take care of yourself. Well then, goodbye.”

The practitioner hoped that Annette would contact Eucaly. The practitioner quickly packed his visit bag and hurried out of the mansion, without looking back. He was afraid that he would run into Raphael on the way.

Annette, who did not know the feelings of the poor practitioner, looked back and forth at her free fingers. They had become slightly thinner and pale because of the bandage, but she knew they would return to their original state in a day or two. Annette smiled happily at the feeling of her comfortable hand.

‘Now, I can wear a ring when I go to the ball.’

The garden party that the Marquis Eloque decided to hold was approaching soon. The matching dresses from Tina’s boutique were also completed, so there was only one thing left to do. Should I appease Raphael and go to the party together with him, or would it be better to go alone?

Annette’s eyes drooped in thought.