CH 92

Sarah couldn't hide her worried gaze at Ethan's unusual condition and asked again.

"You look so tired, are you okay?"

"Of course."

After looking at him for a while, Sarah created magic in her hand and grabbed Ethan's hand. Then, swoosh, Sarah's soft mana wrapped around his body and gave him vitality. Ethan's eyes widened, then his face contorted painfully, and he shook off Sarah's hand with difficulty.

"......Duke-nim?"

"It hasn't been long since you recovered your body. Please refrain from using magic as much as possible and rest."

"This much is okay. You know."

"Sarah, please, I hope you just do what I say this time."

Sarah nodded her head at Ethan's desperate but determined voice. At that moment, Ethan's stiff shoulders, as if relieved a little, were relaxed.

"Then I'll leave now."

Like that, Ethan turned around and headed back to the office. Somehow, he felt a chill in his shaky hands. Sarah stared at Ethan's back and told Claude.

"There's something wrong with Duke-nim. Right?"

"Right. He's a bit weird."

"Something happened?"

"I guess there was."

While Sarah and Claude looked at each other with unknown expressions, Ethan, who turned around and went back to the office, called Ronda right away. Ronda hurriedly went to the office at the word that Ethan was looking for her, and when she saw his heavy, sunken face, she swallowed her saliva. Just by being expressionless, she felt a sense of pressure she couldn't understand, and it was almost suffocating.

"Ronda." 

He just called her name, but she got goosebumps on her arm. Sensing that something was obviously unusual, Ronda replied with nervousness.

"Yes."

"Who is Sarah's closest servant?"

"It’s May Chenblun. She’s the only maid who Countess Millen-nim allows to call her by her name and speaks informally to her."

"Bring her here. Without Sarah knowing."

"Yes."

Ronda didn't even ask why Ethan was looking for May. However, she hoped that the reason he had such a serious face had nothing to do with Sarah. Ronda came out of the office and asked Veron, who was looking at her.

"Master is weird."

"That's right, Master is angry right now."

"Why though? He told me to bring May."

"He told me to bring two disciples of Countess Millen-nim."

As the twins were talking to each other, they intuitively realized something.

"No way."

"No way."

Without saying any more, they could tell just by looking at each other. Veron and Ronda turned around at the same time and went to carry out Ethan's orders, respectively.

"What, what is it...... Why are you two talking like that? How do you do that?"

Jade, who was standing still, was the only one who didn't know what the two had realized.

* * *

May was the first to knock on Ethan's office door. Ronda managed to summon May very secretly without Sarah knowing. May, who left without notifying Sarah or Claude, stood in front of Ethan with an anxious expression on her face.

"Do you know about Sarah's physical condition?"

"What? What do you mean......"

"It means that there is nothing you have seen or heard while being the closest servant serving her."

It had been a while since Sarah collapsed and recovered, and it was strange to ask again now, but May quickly shook her head. May, who was quick-witted,  could see that Ethan noticed something.

'He must have felt something unusual because she fell down bleeding like that at the party.'

She had offered to help Sarah keep the fact that she vomited blood when she confronted Ambrosia's power. That was how she was recognized by Sarah and got another chance. However, May was sincerely worried whenever Sarah vomited blood sometimes. What if Sarah really dies at that rate?

'Claude-nim will be very sad, too.'

Sarah had to be healthy for Claude. But May couldn't do anything for Sarah, the magician. She was just worried. But if it was the Duke, it would be different if it was Ethan Ambrosia. Because he was a man who could do something May couldn't.

'Duke-nim is a great person, so I'm sure he won't leave Sarah-nim like that.'

Claude needed Sarah. The more she watched from the side, the closer the thought became to conviction. It wasn't just because of Ambrosia's curse. All of Ambrosia's mansion was gradually permeating Sarah. To her who was always friendly, to Sarah who blew a warm wind into the hard and heavy mansion.

'But if I tell him about Sarah-nim's physical condition, I will definitely lose her trust.'

May liked to follow Sarah. She was also her ideal lady, and from time to time she taught her about her lack of culture. And among the servants of the mansion, May was the only one whom she allowed to call her by her name and spoke informally comfortably to. You didn't know how envious other servants in the mansion were. Even Veron and Ronda secretly expressed their envy.

'I don't want to lose Sarah-nim's trust......'

May recalled the question Sarah had asked her. She asked would May do it if she told her to betray Claude. At that time, May's answer was no. It was because she thought that serving Claude was what Sarah really wanted. Sarah was very pleased with the answer. It was as if she was working for Sarah, but the fact that May's master was Claude shouldn’t be forgotten. So, May had always thought of Claude as the top priority.

'Claude-nim wants Sarah-nim to be healthy and stay together with him for a long, long time. Then…….'

May shook her head and made up her mind. For Claude, she thought it would be better for her to inform the Duke about Sarah's condition. Even if she lost Sarah's trust, she did it for Claude.

'If I tell her honestly and apologize, she might accept it.'

With that in mind, May struggled to open her mouth. Hoping that her words would help Sarah.

"Sarah-nim said......, after controlling that power, she always vomits blood."

"......!" 

At May's words, Ethan stood up, slamming his fist on the dest. His clenched fist was shaking and blood was seeping out of his torn palm due to his nails digging into it.

"Since when?"

"On the first day she came to the mansion, I happened to see it. She returned the expressions to Butler-nim and Head maid-nim and vomited blood when she was left alone."

Ethan bit his lip. If it was the first day she came to the mansion, her body hadn't deteriorated since she collapsed in the Imperial Palace. Sarah had been vomiting blood because of Ambrosia's power from the beginning. She had smiled in front of Ethan without any fear while doing so.

"When else did Sarah vomit blood?"

"The last time there was a conflict with First Prince-nim, she vomited a lot of blood. And she slept for five days after that."

May bit her lips thinking about the amount of blood Sarah vomited at that time. No one knew how much she trembled in horror while removing the traces in the laundry that day.

"Sarah-nim said it was nothing. That happens sometimes when she uses too much mana."

Ethan had also heard this from Sarah himself. However, this was the first time he knew that she was sweating in a cold sweat and vomiting blood, and couldn't give strength to her body. Ethan seemed to be no longer able to bear the fact.

"Why didn't you report it to me?"

"She didn't want the people in Ambrosia to know. Including Claude-nim and Duke-nim."

"......"

Ethan vaguely seemed to know the reason. He also noticed that Ambrosia's servants grew increasingly fearful after his power exploded. He also knew that he was avoiding Claude little by little. Sarah was probably concerned about that. Of course, humans had no choice but to be afraid if even Sarah, a magician, thought that she was not enough in front of Ambrosia's power.

"Why......on earth did you  do so much for me and Claude?"

Sarah said she had studied this power for 6 years. With the magic stone that made her collapse in the Imperial Palace. If so, how much blood had she vomited for Ambrosia over the past 6 years? How did she appear in front of him and Claude by enduring all that with her fragile body? The miracle, which was like salvation, plunged him back into hell in an instant.

'You'll lose something precious......!'

The moment when his mother's curse became a reality seemed to be just around the corner.