Chapter 14

Vivian, who still couldn’t figure out how to actually face the Grand Duke, could only keep on pressing her hat—hard.

Upon arriving at the mansion, Vivian’s face had become even bluer. It seemed like some heat had tinted her complexion, but strikingly at the same time, it also looked like the color had been drained from her face as well.

“Welcome.”

Vivian was still busy hiding her condition, which made her disregard the butler’s face. She was just nodding out of courtesy while following the guide that was given, as if she was void of her own soul.

“Young Lady?”

“Young Lady Britton?”

“Yes, yes?”

Just when did I enter this room? As she heeded the voice that was calling out to her, Vivian managed to gather her senses before answering. Still, her puzzlement was painfully obvious.

“What makes you think so deeply, My Lady?”

Vivian’s head naturally turned to the voice that was referring to her. Then, there it was, a person whom she had never seen before, which had made Vivian’s mind reinstated immediately.

Her vigilance that was caused from seeing a new person had successfully resuscitated Vivian’s mind. While Vivian was pretending to touch the hat she was wearing by pressing it firmly, she was actually holding a sharp gaze towards him.

“You are?”

“Nice to meet you. I’m His Highness’s Chief Physician and also, a close friend of his.”

He introduced himself with a friendly smile and quickly reached out his hand towards Vivian, but alas she refused it. As though he had expected the predicament, he then merely smiled as he withdrew his hand.

“I’m sure you had a hard time coming here all this way, but I do think you should just go back for today.”

“What? Why is that?”

“The Grand Duke’s condition isn’t quite well today.”

“Is he badly ill?”

Vivian’s lips curled at the words that indicated ‘unwell’. The person who acted shamelessly while displaying such behavior yesterday, all of a sudden?

Vivian’s gaze finally directed towards the bed. Unlike yesterday, a coarse heave could be heard from the inside of the curtain that had been tightly draped over. It didn’t seem like a human’s breath, but rather that of a beast.

As she heard that much provoking sound, Vivian immediately held her breath for a moment.

“He will be fine soon. He always gets better after getting over the crucial state.”

“Is it true that he’ll be alright? His condition seems very…”

Without a doubt, his fever must be the serious cause that made it hard for him to exhale properly. What he currently needed was obviously someone to take care of him, not some curtain that would cover his body. Therefore, she couldn’t comprehend as to why people were still pulling themselves away from him.

“I heard that he is already better. Is that really true, though? For the Grand Duke…”

“You truly worried about him, My Lady.”

She immediately closed her mouth at the words of the Chief Physician. Once more, she had made a mistake by talking in Vivian’s tone—not Alexia‘s—which instantly made her mouth to be slightly numb.

“As expected, you can’t really believe those rumors going around.”

He briefly smiled before continuing.

“And it seems to be the same for you.”

Fortunately, he didn’t notice anything suspicious towards her identity that was not Alexia.

Vivian eventually let a little sigh of relief. Regardless of how much she tried to pursue, there was always a limit that hindered her, who had an entirely disparate personality in comparison to her master, Alexia—whom she had to act as.

“Anyway, I thank you for your concern. Still, as the Grand Duke’s current condition is serious, I reckon that you should leave for now. So far, you have been truly fine with it, except the fact that the Grand Duke’s disease is contagious.”

Vivian’s eyes fell upon the bed right after the words of the Chief Physician. Although she couldn’t have a proper look at him due to the shadow that was casted by the draping curtains, she was still able to apprehend the pain even from his mere breath.

Initially, she had planned to make herself scarce as quickly as possible. However, the situation had changed as of now. Hearing the word that he was sick had made her unable to leave all of a sudden. After agonizing herself over this for a while, Vivian eventually decided.

“…No. I’ll nurse him again for today, per usual. Only then, I will return.”

“Are you really okay with that? What if you were the one who’ll get sick afterwards?”

“I won’t. Please don’t worry.”