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Chapter 39
The man’s large palms were massaging Tessa’s slender legs. His massage skills were far better than what she expected, and so she felt all the tension and fatigue in her gradually relaxing.
Meanwhile, the maids finished their preparations and disappeared out of the room.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“No, I don’t mind…”
Hert asked her as he pulled a chair out beside Tessa, sitting down there. When Tessa was left alone with him in the room again, she was at a loss.
Hert had been acting so strangely since last night. So sweet and kind. Even now, she was confused because he suddenly changed her room to the room next to him, massaging her legs, and now he was even serving her meals?
“Then eat this.”
Hert cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and placed them in front of Tessa. But Tessa couldn’t get her hands on the meat. Now he cut the meat himself? When Tessa, in embarrassment, did not eat and just stared at the meat, Hert blinked.
“What are you doing? Are you not going to eat?”
“…Oh no, I will eat.”
“Don’t leave anything behind, eat it all. I will watch.”
“…….”
“Answer me.”
“Yes…”
Tessa took the meat with a fork and put it in her mouth. The soft texture of the meat seemed to melt in her mouth. It was delicious. She could feel that the chef paid attention to preparing the meal. The meal in the annex was not lacking, but the meal here was perfect.
Tessa was soon upset by the fact that she was eating this kind of food. Then Tessa opened her mouth, horrified, seeing Hert not eating at all.
“L-Lord, you should eat it, too.”
“I know how to eat. Come on, eat this too.”
After this, Hert took all the food one by one, cut them into bite-size pieces, and placed them on the plate in front of Tessa. And he checked to see if Tessa was eating them all.
Tessa was being fed so much it felt like she was about to choke. It was the first time she had been served so delicately. More so, to be served in this way by a man.
“I can’t eat any more…”
Originally, she ate a little less than others, but she usually ate even less for breakfast, so Tessa’s stomach was full quickly. But when Tessa said this, Hert raised an eyebrow. It meant that she should eat more.
“You didn’t even eat half. Why do you say you are full after eating as much bird feed?”
“Originally, in the morning… I eat less.”
“So that’s why you’re so thin and you’re going to collapse. Eat more.”
Hert was stubborn. Again, he placed the shredded fish on the plate in front of Tessa. If Tessa wouldn’t eat it, he’d look at her with a burdensome stare, she had no choice but to pick up the fork and eat again.
However, her limit was quickly approached. There was no way that a small stomach could suddenly expand even if she was forced to eat.
“…… I really can’t eat any more.”
Tessa seemed to be really struggling, and then Hert stopped serving food. But his eyes were still full of dissatisfaction. His face was asking how a person could survive on only it.
“You ate more than that before.”
“That… Because I was still growing up back then…”
“You’re still small. You should be bigger.”
At Hert’s words, Tessa was a little taken aback. Growing up doesn’t start and end at will. Maybe it was the end with the height she grew with in the orphanage, and she didn’t grow a single span beyond that. On the other hand, Hert was the biggest and tallest in the orphanage, but even now he had grown more. His large size reminded her of a bear.
Seeing Hert like that, Tessa opened her mouth unknowingly.
“The Lord… grew a lot.”
“What… I’ve been feeling it for a while, so why do you keep calling me Lord?”
At Hert’s question, Tessa blinked.
“What? Yes… Because you are the lord…”
“Hert.”
“…Yes?”
“Call me by my first name as before. Hert.”
Hert said as he cut a large piece of meat and put it into his mouth. Tessa was a bit stunned by this.
Can she call him by name now? What was he really thinking?
Even if he changed, it felt like too much had changed overnight. But it wasn’t bad. Rather good. Because it reminded her of the good old Hert.
The problem was that she didn’t deserve to see him like that. Can she really do this? Tessa looked up at Hert with a confused look on her face. At this, Hert said as if puzzled.
“Why?”
“…I don’t know if I can do that.”
“What can’t you not do? We used to call each other by names.”
“…But…….”
“Is it really too much to say one name?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Stop saying you’re sorry.”
There, Tessa bit her mouth. Seeing that, Hert made a displeased face.
“Can’t you not make that face?”
“W-What face…”
“You look at me strangely. It looks like someone who shouldn’t have been able to live has come back alive.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tessa quickly shook her head. Then Hert murmured briefly over her head.
“I don’t like it.”
The moment she heard those words, her heart thumped and fell. Tessa’s mouth went dry. Hert opened his mouth as she swallowed her gulp.
“You.”
“…….”
“Don’t be so respectful to me.”
It’s annoying. With those words, Hert finished the meal that had not been touched a few times. Then he called the maids to clean up.
She was brought back in Hert’s arms and carried to the bed. Just then, Kennis came to her room. She began diagnosing Tessa, as she had always done, with skillful dexterity.
Tessa meekly answered the questions, but she soon realized one thing, and her face turned red. Looking back, her whole body was stained with red traces, and anyone who could see it was a woman who had been sleeping with Hert all night. She was carried by Hert in front of the maids like that, so what will they think of her?
“What’s wrong, Madam? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
“No… That’s not it…”
“You are welcome to tell me.”
“Really, nothing…”
“Truly? Then, if there is something you’re uncomfortable about, you have to tell me right away.”
“Yes…”
After that, a similar diagnosis was made as before. That absolute rest was required. As long as she rests well and takes her medicine, she can get better. Kennis’ voice as she said that had more power than any other time. As if for someone to listen to it.
“I have nothing more to be lenient of you. Oh, have you taken all the medicine I gave you before? If it’s all gone, I’ll give you another prescription.”
“Ah, yes, almost…”
Kennis took one medicine from her bag and then she pulled out another one, two medicines. Then she handed one to Tessa and one to Hert, who was watching from behind. Hert, who suddenly received the medicine, looked at the medicine and Kennis alternately with a face that asked what it was.
“It is the medicine that is applied there. I think it would be better for Your Excellency to do it. Apply once or twice a day. Apply a small amount over the wide area. Don’t put it on the inside. Of course, this drug is not a panacea. If you continue to overwork Madam like that, you will be in big trouble.”
Tessa was taken aback by Kennis’s poignant remarks. She thought Hert might be angry. However, contrary to Tessa’s expectations, Hert, far from being angry with Kennis, showed an embarrassment like Tessa. Hert’s ears were red.
“Then I will leave.”
When Kennis left, the two equally held the medicine one by one and didn’t say anything. A moment of silence fell between them.
What broke the silence was none other than the sound of a knock. Hert put the medicine in his coat pocket and went directly to the door, opened the door and checked the person who came into the room.
“Sir Geoffrey sent this.”
The soldier held out a tan envelope. Hert took it and glanced at Tessa’s bedroom. He must have to leave the place for a while.
He came out of the room, opened the envelope, and took out the documents inside. And soon he began to swear and mercilessly crumple the papers in his hands.
“I don’t want anything else. Just take your time.”
“So, it’s hard.. Do you really want to see my head fly off?”
Lange sharpened his teeth, glaring at Janet, the woman stroking her bloated belly in front of him. It was already the second time. To suddenly come and give notice in this way. Because of this, Lange was going crazy. He felt like a shrimp caught in a whale fight.
“It would be nice, but unfortunately, there is no way that man can kill you, right? Then His Excellency wouldn’t let it go unnoticed?”
“So, how many times should I tell you? The Lord is a man whose common sense does not work. Whether I’m the marquis’ person or not, if I definitely go against the Lord’s heart, I could really lose my neck. His Excellency…”
“So you can’t?”
Janet turned her head crookedly and looked at Lange. Damn it. Lange sighed inwardly. That’s why he hated this girl! He cleared his ragged breathing and opened his mouth as calmly as possible.
“…I will make an effort. But I can’t say for sure.”
“Yes, how nice it was to say that from the beginning. Sir Geoffrey. You’re only making people’s mouths hurt. Can you treat a pregnant woman like this?”
At Janet’s reprimanding words, Lange raised his eyebrows.
“You’re not really pregnant, are you?”
“But everyone else believes it’s a real pregnancy, no?”
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