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Chapter 122

Emilia swallowed nervously as she headed to the dining room.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this tense walking into the dining room.

...I don't think I've ever felt this way since the first day.

Like a stealthy intruder, Emilia held her breath and peeked inside.

Thankfully, Kayden isn't here.

Just as she sighed in relief, a low voice came from behind her.

"What are you doing here?"

Emilia flinched.

She turned her stiff neck, tense.

Kayden was standing right behind her, looking down at her.

"Let's go in."

He said, guiding her inside.

Emilia walked in, still a little confused.

For someone who'd said such things to her yesterday, Kayden seemed remarkably composed.

Soon, as always, an excellent meal was laid out on the table.

But Emilia couldn't focus on her food, sneaking glances at Kayden.

He was cutting his meat as if nothing had happened.

...What?

Had Kayden given her the wrong medicine yesterday?

One with hallucinogenic side effects?

Just then, Kayden stopped cutting and looked at her.

"Emilia."

"Y-yes?"

She answered in a higher pitch than intended.

But Kayden, as if it didn't bother him, asked casually.

"Would you like to go out with Ivan later today?"

"For what reason..."

Her throat suddenly felt dry, and she took a sip of water as she trailed off.

"No particular reason."

Kayden swapped his plate with hers and said calmly.

"Just a date request."

"Cough, cough!"

Choking on her water, Emilia coughed violently.

"Are you alright?"

Kayden rose from his seat and started to approach her.

"I-I'm fine!"

Emilia quickly raised her hand to stop him and called out.

"I'm not very hungry today, so I'll—I'll be going!"

Scrape!

And with that, she fled the dining room.

---

Having left Kayden behind, Emilia walked quickly down the corridor.

"No—why would he suddenly say something like that during a meal..."

Emilia stopped in her tracks, her face flushed.

In truth, she'd spent all night trying to interpret Kayden's words as objectively as possible.

She'd thought that his saying he had no intention of marrying anyone else might just mean she was doing a good job as Duchess.

But then he says he wants to go on a date...

That sounded like he actually liked her and didn't want a divorce.

Flinch.

Her face grew even hotter.

Emilia fanned herself, trying to cool her burning cheeks.

But she didn't have the courage to ask Kayden directly.

She shook off her thoughts and headed to Herald's office.

---

"Herald."

"Ah, Miss Emilia. What brings you here?"

Herald looked up, puzzled by her visit.

"About that person I asked you to find a while ago."

"Ah, yes."

"Have there been any developments?"

The person she'd asked to be found was Reina.

Emilia clearly remembered Cedric's words at the Founding Festival ball.

"She ran away!"

Of course, it wasn't Emilia's concern where Reina went.

But...

Having nearly suffered a terrible fate at Cedric's hands herself, she couldn't simply ignore it.

"We haven't found her at the first location we checked."

"Ah, I see."

Emilia answered with disappointment, and Herald added.

"Yes, so we're currently searching the second location you mentioned. We should have good news soon."

"Thank you."

Emilia smiled faintly and nodded.

In the original story, Reina used to look through a book of famous imperial landscapes to ease her frustration while confined to the Ilake residence.

"I want to go there."

She'd especially wanted to visit the southern region.

If she ran away, she would have gone there.

Honestly, Emilia had no major reason to find her.

She just wanted to tell her that, whatever had happened, she no longer needed to run from Cedric.

She didn't want Reina to live in fear for the rest of her life.

For someone who had sincerely asked for forgiveness before leaving, Emilia could at least do this much.

Just then, Herald's concerned voice came.

"Um, Miss Emilia. Are you still unwell?"

"Huh?"

Emilia looked at him in surprise, and Herald studied her face.

"You seem to have a fever."

"Ah, that's... no, I'm fine."

Emilia waved her hands and made excuses. Then she quickly stepped back into the corridor.

I thought I'd cooled down.

Cupping her cheeks with both hands, Emilia bit her lip.

It was frustrating and absurd that Kayden kept making people think she was sick.

To calm herself, she headed to Ivan's room.

Knock, knock.

"Ivan, are you in there?"

She knocked again, but there was no answer.

Not here?

Tilting her head, Emilia looked for Ivan in the training yard and the library.

But he was nowhere to be found.

Finally, she stopped a passing maid.

"Have you seen Ivan?"

"Huh? No, I haven't seen him today... Perhaps he's still asleep?"

Sensing something wrong, Emilia went back to Ivan's room.

"Ivan, are you asleep?"

She knocked again and called to him.

Still, no answer came from inside.

Frowning, Emilia hesitated for a moment, then carefully opened the door.

Her eyes shook violently.

"...I-Ivan?"

Ivan lay collapsed on the floor.

Her breath caught in her throat as Emilia rushed to him.

"Ivan!"

She hurriedly lifted him into her arms, but his body went limp.

Her mind went blank, and her fingertips turned cold.

"I-Ivan..."

Emilia called him in a trembling voice, then snapped back to her senses.

She shouted urgently toward the door.

"Ivan has collapsed! Call the physician immediately!"

---

A few days later.

The physician, having examined the child, shook his head helplessly.

"I'm sorry. I can't find the cause."

Kayden let out a low sigh and said.

"Understood. Keep this matter strictly confidential."

"Y-yes, of course."

The physician, thinking of the generous compensation, bowed deeply.

After he left the room, Emilia, who had been watching anxiously, murmured.

"What do we do... why all of a sudden..."

Her voice was thick with tears.

Emilia approached Ivan.

She stroked his hair once and tightly clasped his cold hand.

When she'd first found Ivan collapsed, her heart had dropped, but she'd tried to reassure herself that it wasn't serious.

But from the moment the residence's physician wore a deeply apologetic expression, her anxiety had grown uncontrollably.

And her fears became reality.

Ivan had not opened his eyes for several days.

And they couldn't even find a reason.

He had no fever, and nothing seemed visibly wrong.

Even when Kayden secretly brought in renowned physicians, they couldn't determine the cause.

"Get some rest for today."

Kayden looked at Emilia with a grave expression and urged her.

But Emilia, still holding Ivan's hand tightly, shook her head.

"No. I want to stay by Ivan's side."

Her voice was firm.

At Emilia's rare stubbornness, Kayden swallowed a sigh.

She'd only recently recovered from her own illness.

Yet she spent her days in the library, poring over medical texts to understand Ivan's mysterious symptoms, and her nights like this, watching over him.

He wanted to force her to her bedroom, but he knew she wouldn't listen.

Watching her silently, Kayden spoke lowly.

"Someone else will come tonight to examine Ivan, so don't worry too much."

"...Alright."

Emilia, unable to take her eyes off Ivan, nodded reluctantly.

---

Late that night.

The sound of the door opening came.

But Emilia, having fallen asleep at Ivan's bedside, didn't hear it.

A gentle hand shook her awake, and she lifted her heavy eyelids.

Kayden was there.

"...Kayden?"

Emilia called him in a sleepy voice. Then she noticed a stranger standing behind him.

Unlike the other physicians who had visited, this one wore his hood pulled low.

"Who...?"

He slowly removed his hood and smiled.

"Nice to see you again, Duchess."

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