Chapter 64

“Wait a minute.”

Carla was the only one I could think of from the Hoffen family who could send me letters. That is, it’s pretty urgent.

‘Why all of a sudden?’

I was shocked when I read the letter.

‘Stillbirth?’

The letter stated that Carla had a stillbirth.

‘Why?’

Not in the early days, but suddenly like this in the latter half.

On the back was written a request to visit her even once, and she needed my help.

I was puzzled. If she feels unwell, she can ask her doctor.

So, is there another problem? Something related to stillbirth?

‘Let’s go first.’

Since I heard the news, I couldn’t turn a blind eye. Even if I don’t help, I should at least comfort her.

Even thinking about it made me depressed.

‘Was there no way I could stop it?’

There’s no point in regretting it now, though.

“Get ready to go out.”

It didn’t take long for me to get to Hoffen’s mansion by carriage.

I carefully stood in front of her bedroom and knocked.

“Carla?”

“Noel, come in.”

I opened the door slowly. I could see her with a rather tired face.

“… I- I don’t know what to say,” I said hesitantly.

It’s hard to say anything easily when I see her face. I approached the bed where she was lying.

“… I hope you get better as soon as possible.”

Carla smiled helplessly. “I never imagined when I was young that the day would come when I would be comforted by Noel.”

“We’ve grown up.”

Then she motioned to the maids standing in front of the door, and they quickly left the room without a sound.

Only the two of us are left.

“Do you have something to say?”

The reason why the maids were sent out was probably that she hoped that there would be no ears to hear.

“… it’s not a big deal.”

Her face was full of hesitation.

“I have something to ask,” she continued.

As expected from the contents of the letter, is there a problem?

Carla carefully lowered her clothes, revealing her bare shoulders.

I couldn’t grasp the situation and only blinked my eyes, but I realized one thing.

“You have a rash?”

Her arms and legs are full of red spots.

“Actually, I’ve been feeling strange for some time, I’m tired and sagged.”

“Then you need to show this to your doctor, not me!”

She doesn’t have a fever right now, but there’s a chance it could be measles. It’s not time to talk to me.

“I already showed it to my doctor.”

“… … ?”

Then why did she say this to me? I tilted my head in wonder.

“The thing is, after showing this rash, the attitude of the doctor and my husband became strange. Nothing is clear, but it’s different than usual.”

“… … .”

“But before I could really grasp that oddity, I had a stillbirth.”

As I listened to that, something suddenly ran through my head.

‘No way.’

“I’ll take a closer look for a moment.”

Watching me observe her skin condition, Carla explained her recent situation.

“My doctor didn’t tell me in detail what disease I had. He just reassured me not to worry because I’ll get better if I eat Elpida consistently.”

“… … .”

“My husband also told me not to worry about the baby and to focus only on my body recovering. It was obviously kind words like usual but… I felt strange.”

Listening to her made me more depressed.

It was because I suddenly remembered a story I had heard from a senior who worked in obstetrics and gynecology in my past life.

A newborn baby in a hospital contracted an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). My senior reported the results of this diagnostic test to the immediate guardian, the husband.

However, the husband, who heard his friend’s words, turned white and begged her to proceed with the treatment without telling his wife anything.

The reason I came up with this story now is simple.

‘I think it’s syphilis.’

Her symptoms are similar to those of second-stage syphilis.

If the pregnant woman contracts syphilis, her unborn baby is severely affected. It can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature births, and deformities.

Even if the baby is born safely, complications are likely to occur because he has congenital syphilis.

“Noel, I thought you might know something about this rash. I heard that you grew up in the Opion family, which is famous for medicine, and recently you have taken an interest in medicine.”

For me, this situation was also complicated.

‘She couldn’t get an answer from her family, so she was secretly showing it to me now.’

My biggest worry is who transferred syphilis to her.

It would have been better if Carla had been politically married to her arranged partner and had a separate lover.

But based on the situation I heard and her attitude… .

‘It’s very likely that it was from her husband.’

There is a bigger problem here.

From whom did Count Hoffen get it?

‘The answer is obvious.’

He was infected while having an affair, leaving his pregnant wife.

‘And he secretly underwent his treatment, realizing that he had passed his syphilis to his wife.’

The present Count Hoffen is the son-in-law of Darryl Hoffen, the previous Count. If Carla got mad and kicked her husband away, he could lose everything.

Even the baby in her belly was stillbirth because of him, so there would be no room for forgiveness.

‘That’s why he silenced the doctor in advance.’

Assuming this, everything made sense.

“Noel.”

Thinking this far made it hard for me to see Carla’s face. I honestly couldn’t decide what to do.

If I tell her the truth, she’ll be shocked.

“As expected, there’s something.”

“… … .”

“Don’t worry about me, just tell me.”

Even if she might be hurt, doesn’t she have the right to know why her baby died?

I licked my lips and opened my mouth.

“… this is syphilis.”

“… … .”

Even in this world, views on venereal disease are not good. It is even said to be a divine punishment for promiscuous people.

Syphilis, in particular, is fatal to one’s image when rumors circulated that someone in the social world has it. The infected will become the object of ridicule everywhere.

Realizing the meaning of my words, Carla turned white.

“Ho- hold up, I have no one but my husband, which means… … .”

She let out a sigh.

“What you have in mind is probably the most accurate truth.”

Her hands holding a blanket were trembling. It’s so sudden, so she’ll need time to think.

“I never thought about telling the outside world about this, so don’t worry.”

She will be at a crossroads from now on. Whether to keep the marriage or divorce.

“… I’ll just leave.”

I saw my friend frozen and quietly closed the door.

***

Every time I go through something like this, I have no choice but to spit it out like a lamentation.

‘What did that bastard say about love?!’

We really can’t guess a person’s mind.

Seriously, if you love someone, don’t you have to live in love with that person until you die?

Anyway, Count Hoffen seems to have noticed who told his wife the truth.

‘Because I was Carla’s only guest at the time, the maids must have reported it.’

After that, I received many letters of protest from the Count. I of course didn’t reply at all.

At first, he was angry, but later he begged me to persuade his wife.

I kept trying to ignore it, but the letters came too often. If anyone sees it, it’s on the level of misunderstanding that the Count is passionately in love with me.

I raised a white flag when I received a letter that said that if I met him just once and heard his story, I would definitely understand.

‘He’s persistent.’

It’s annoying and hard to ignore.

I finally wrote a reply.

“I’ll meet you and listen to you, so please stop sending me letters.”

After roughly scribbled on, it was sealed. After that, I wrote another letter and put it in an envelope.

“Madam, should I send these two letters right now?”

“Yes, please.”

And on the morning of the appointment, I carefully got out and headed to the meeting place.

Unlike usual, I left an escort and go out alone.

It would be embarrassing if my husband knew about it, and I couldn’t explain it to him.

‘Because all soldiers and knights are like my husband’s eyes and ears.’

While thinking this was annoying, I finally arrived at the meeting place.

“Count Hoffen.”

I see a man who looks to be in his late twenties, medium build with a normal-looking impression.

“Marchioness, thank you for coming―”

“Tell me quickly.”

To be honest, I have no desire to talk for a long time.

The Count looked displeased when I interrupted him but immediately wiped his expression.

“Ahem, what I want to say is that it was all a misunderstanding.”

You immediately deny it? I was stunned.

“If it was a misunderstanding, you should solve it with Carla, not me.”

“My wife doesn’t listen to me. So, Marchioness―”

“How are you going to explain that Carla has syphilis?”

“Well, that… … .”

“Or are you going to say that Carla has a lover?”

If you dare to make excuses like that, you will die, really!

“No, no! My wife is not like that!”

“Right.”

Relieved, the Count continued, “It’s not syphilis my wife had, it’s a misunderstanding from there.”

“Oh, I see. Then would it be all right if I send my family’s doctor to help?”

“I appreciate your favor, but my family’s doctor is enough.”

“Is that so? The other day, Carla was uncomfortable about the doctor of the Hoffen family.”

“My wife was nervous due to stillbirth. It’s hard to say she’s fine.”

“But wouldn’t it be better for my family’s doctor to examine her?”

I smiled and added, “Of course Count, you should also be examined.”