Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Even after Madam Elbas left, grandmother Rosanne stayed a little longer. She sat down on the chair beside the bed after everyone went outside. While she was holding herself upright, she seemed exhausted because of her decrepit body.

“You’ve gone through such hardship. Now, stop and take the cure.”

I thought grandmother had forgotten what Tyra had said of her and told her again.

“Tyra said I couldn’t take the medicine during pregnancy…”

“I know you’re not pregnant, so that means you can take medication.”

​​

“….!”

I swallowed my dry saliva quietly, trying not to show my surprised expression. However, the silence was prolonged as I didn’t know what to say.

Grandmother Rosanne eventually clicked her tongue.

Tsk, tsk.

“I knew it from the beginning. Don’t try to fool my eyes.”

I couldn’t even keep my mouth shut.

…She knew from the start?

Embarrassment ran through his whole body. In addition, lying down like this and looking at my grandmother made me terribly uncomfortable. I tried to stand up while whimpering with a guilty look, but Grandma Roseanne stopped me.

“Don’t try. I’ve been through it myself, so I know how great the pain is. I couldn’t stand it at all, so I grabbed the doctor and begged him to save me.”

“You’ve taken the medicine I took…?”

​​

Grandmother Rosanne suddenly burst into laughter.

“I didn’t take medicine, but I was playing in the field. After consuming poisonous weed by mistake, I got sick. The medicine you took must have been made from that poisonous plant.”

…What on earth was she doing, running around in the fields and swallowing poisonous weed by mistake?

I didn’t know if such a question was buried on my face, but grandmother smiled as she looked at me as if she thought it was funny.

“I was a naughty child who couldn’t even talk properly yet. When I was a child, I was a little eccentric. Anyway, as soon as I saw you, I knew right away that it was the same thing I’d been through.”

She looked down at my skin with a pitiful face.

“How painful is this, yet you’re trying to put up with it? Has your anger at Cayetana not been alleviated yet? I think you’re the only one who would suffer if you dragged this on any longer. Does it hurt a lot?”

“…Yes.”

I nodded meekly.

It wasn’t that it wasn’t hurting, but it felt like I was going to wither in front of her. Not only that grandmother Rosanne, who knew I wasn’t pregnant but didn’t say anything, she also didn’t tell Madam Elbas when I put on such a show like this.

Eventually, I took out the medicine I had hidden under my pillow, and she held out a glass of water.

‘If grandmother leaves, I’ll finish treating myself with my own power.’

If I healed too much all at once, it would be strange so it would be better to adjust the strength in moderation. As I thought so, I took the medicine and laid down again before asking grandmother.

“Why did you take my side when you knew everything? Just earlier, you yelled at me to apologize to Madam Elbas.”

“Is there anything you can do to lie down and endure this now? I didn’t know then that you have such big guts. There are times when it’s better to bend than to be swayed around clumsily.”

‘It was for me.’

At that time, she thought I was being swayed by Madam Elbas so grandmother scolded me, but when I raised my head without being bent now, the target was now changed.

‘On the contrary, I beat Madam Elbas this time.’

That meant that while grandmother Rosanne was on my side now, she might not always be.

‘Was that why Dimitri said he doesn’t know much about grandmother?’

The next moment, she let out a small sigh.

“Looks like you’re soft, but you don’t want to lose at all… pregnancy lies and allergy lies.”

It felt a little unfair because I felt like a liar when she said that.

“…I didn’t do it because I wanted to lie.”

“You really can’t lose once.”

She then shook her head and looked at me with a strange gaze. It seemed like she wanted to say, ‘a strong-willed one came in.’

“You must learn to take care of yourself above all else first.”

Grandmother Rosanne gazed at me disapprovingly, saying, ‘You shouldn’t use your body recklessly because you’re the Duchess responsible for Blois with Dimitri.’

‘Still, I’m glad grandmother knows I’m not pregnant.’

​​

Even though I had no scruples at first, as I talked to grandmother Rosanne, I was greatly relieved that I didn’t have to tell her another lie.

Her words continued in a stern voice.

“You’re now a member of the family who has inherited the name of Blois. The same goes for Cayetana.”

As Dimitri’s contract marriage partner, hearing this pricked my conscience a little. I couldn’t answer out of my mouth and just nodded my head.

Grandmother went on.

“Is the conflict between mother and daughter-in-law a problem that no family could avoid? While I think it can’t be helped, remember that, in the end, both of you are members of Blois to the people outside.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You may not know, but when Cayetana invited you to Elbas the other day, she called only friends she could trust since she was trying to keep what happened there from leaking out.”

“Is that so?”

It was a really surprising fact.

‘I was somehow curious that the matter hadn’t grown and quieted down. That’s what it was.’

In addition, Madam Elbas was obviously trying to pick flaws in Dimitri or me with the elders, but it was strange.

‘She thought that trying to provoke me was going to work, but it failed because I did something ridiculous.’

You never know. It could be that grandmother Rosanne was glorifying her, or Madam Elbas may have other plans in mind. Seeing how Madam Elbas rolled her head in the original novel, it would never have been simple harassment, but no matter how much I thought about it, I still didn’t know why she covered it up.

‘Maybe, she’s deceiving grandmother Rosanne.’

To be honest, if I hadn’t read the original novel, I would’ve listened to what grandmother was saying trustingly right now, though considering what Madam Elbas was like in the original, it would be better not to let my guard down.

While I was pondering hard, grandmother Rosanne’s words continued.

“I know what she did to you, and I don’t think that’s a good thing. Still, she knows how to keep her line. I wanted to say that.”

Through her words, I knew at once what value grandmother was pursuing. She was the one who acted for Blois. Because of that, she wanted to protect the honor and dignity of her family.

‘Grandmother Rosanne is the guardian of Blois… She’s on nobody’s side but also on everyone’s side.’

Then, why did she disapprove of Dimitri when she let him receive the title of the Duke?

‘When in fact, she anxiously hopes that Dimitri will do well more than anyone else.’

Dimitri, who came to know all the circumstances belatedly, showed a calmer reaction than expected. What he said was…

“I see.”

“I understand.”

“Please take a rest.”

…That was all.

‘Since I have the ability to heal, it would be a natural reaction that he didn’t take the skin disease too seriously.’

​​

Even though I thought so, I was a little saddened by Dimitri’s back as he walked out of my room as if he had more important things to do.

‘…I thought he’d be a little worried.’

It was embarrassing that I had kept it a secret, fearing that he would ruin the plan out of concern for me.

‘If I knew he’d be like that, I wouldn’t have to keep it a secret.’

As I took one look at myself in the mirror, the areas covered by clothes were completely treated while blisters and redness still remained on the exposed hands, neck, and face. It was intended to heal gradually over several days so as not to arouse suspicion.

‘Still, it looks quite painful.’

​​

Such an indifferent reaction…

I thought it would be because he knew that I could get better if I decided to heal, nonetheless, I couldn’t help but feel sad.

‘…It’s sad that he didn’t really worry, even though I hoped he wouldn’t worry.’

I didn’t know why people’s hearts were like this.

Dimitri’s nonchalant reaction calmed me down a little after I received an apology from Madam Elbas.

I waited until late at night when the mansion was still sleeping and went out to the patronage to change my mood. However, in the backyard, cats were unexpectedly running wild.

“You guys!”

When I found Sasha and Coco hopping around in cat forms to catch birds, I put my hands on my hips and called out to them.

The frightened cats opened their eyes wide and gazed at me.

“Why aren’t you sleeping yet and playing here?”

As I strode closer, Coco and Sasha scrambled hurriedly and made excuses.

“I slept during the day!”

“We’re nocturnal!”

“I told you to sleep when it is very dark and wake up early when the sun rises!”

It was true that cats were nocturnal, but in fact, their main activity time was around dawn.

Even so, domestic cats knew that they could sleep at night and be active during the day, matching their lifestyle. Even if it wasn’t for that, I decided that since Coco and Sasha would live in human society from now on, it’d be better for them to match the rhythm of life with humans, and I was educating them that way.

‘Dimitri is also doing that, too.’

The little cats saw my face belatedly and came closer in surprise.

“What’s wrong with your face, angel?”

“Is Rowaine sick?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s just a little itchy. What were you guys doing here anyway?”

Still placing my hand on my waist, I asked again as if urging and Coco and Sasha pointed at one place with their blunt paws.

​​

“I was learning from watching Blue hunt, angel.”

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