Chapter 43
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Chapter 43
'Amelia went to comfort Lucian.'
Amelia was kind and gentle, after all. She couldn't possibly leave the wounded Lucian alone.
Even knowing this truth, I couldn't stop the sharp ache that bloomed in my chest.
"What on earth were you doing that you didn't even hear me knocking on the door?"
At the voice from behind, Edwin spun around in startlement.
Standing there was the Duke of Bellomen, though I couldn't say when he'd entered.
"Oh, Father."
"It seems the word 'father' still feels uncomfortable for you."
The Duke of Bellomen reached out and stroked Edwin's hair. His touch was stiff and awkward as it brushed through the strands.
"Keep repeating it, and soon enough it will feel natural."
"Yes, sir."
"But tell me, what were you looking at so intently?"
The Duke's gaze turned toward the window. Soon his eyes took in the figures of Lucella and Claude.
"Edwin, if there is anyone troubling you, don't hesitate to tell me anytime."
The Duke's expression grew sharp at the thought that Lucella might perhaps be wary of Edwin.
But Edwin shook his head.
"There isn't anyone like that."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. Everyone treats me well."
This was entirely true.
Lucella was always kind, and though Lucian could be mischievous at times, he had never tormented Edwin.
"Yesterday, even those gentlemen called retainers came to introduce themselves."
The gentlemen who introduced themselves as retainers had been exceedingly courteous. All the servants assigned to him had shown Edwin proper respect and courtesy.
Yet that kindness was not the warmth Edwin truly desired.
Edwin yearned for the same tenderness that Lucella showed Lucian.
The kind of bond that connected Claude and Amelia, for instance.
And such a thing was only possible because they were family.
"Then I'm relieved to hear it."
The Duke smiled faintly, his relief evident.
Yet even seeing his smile, my heart didn't feel full. Somehow it felt awkward and uncomfortable.
"Well then, I shall take my leave. I'll see you at dinner this evening."
"...Yes."
Edwin bowed his head respectfully toward the departing Duke.
Despite having found the family I'd longed for so desperately, I remained a stranger.
* * *
Though Edwin's adoption procedures had been finalized, the Duke of Bellomen remained occupied. The day of his return to the Capital was drawing near.
If he left now, there was no telling when he would return—perhaps not for several months. The Duke had prepared by consolidating his important work in advance. Distributing tasks among his retainers and aides was also his responsibility.
In the meantime, caring for Edwin naturally fell to me.
Looking after both Lucian and Edwin simultaneously was no simple task. It wasn't merely because Lucian was so reckless.
"Why are you both so quiet?"
Lucian found it strange to suddenly have Edwin as a younger brother, while Edwin carefully observed his new older brother's mood. This awkward tension between them continued day after day.
Yet I couldn't separate the children.
They would be living under the same roof from now on—I couldn't let them remain uncomfortable with each other indefinitely.
That said, I wasn't about to force the children either.
"If you're not going to say anything, just play separately. Lucian in your room, Edwin in yours."
"I don't want to."
"Well, that's a bit...."
Lucian and Edwin were always curious about each other's lives, yet whenever they met, they could barely get along.
I understood the boys' feelings well enough.
In a single night, they had transformed from friends into brothers—it would be stranger if they weren't awkward about it.
Of course, there was one person who could dissolve all of that in an instant.
"Fine. Do as you please. I'm going to have tea with Amelia."
"Can I join?"
"Me too!"
That person was Amelia.
"Weren't you just complaining about hot drinks?"
"I don't hate hot things!"
"I learned yesterday too. Tea is something you savor slowly, appreciating its aroma...."
"Do you even know what 'savor' means?"
Edwin shook his head.
He didn't even understand the words he was using, yet he'd studied so earnestly to match Amelia's sophistication. It was both ridiculous and endearing.
'So the Duke has already started teaching Edwin etiquette?'
To assign a tutor to a child who'd been here less than a month.
'Not even a biological son could escape the Duke's exacting standards.'
Contrary to my expectation that the Duke would deploy tutors to correct Lucian's recklessness, the original story showed that the Duke actually assigned more tutors to Edwin than to Lucian.
The reason being that Edwin grew up in the Orphanage was secondary. This behavior stemmed entirely from the Duke's desire for Edwin to become a more perfect heir than Lucian.
Of course, Edwin could become the protagonist precisely because he was a child capable of enduring all of this.
'What a ruthless man.'
I was thoroughly fed up with the Duke of Bellomen's cruelty.
"Sister, I'm here."
Amelia peeked her head in at just the right moment.
"Amelia!"
"You came!"
As if they hadn't been awkward moments before, the two little ones scrambled about like puppies the instant they saw Amelia.
"Amelia, where did your uncle go? Did you come alone?"
"Uncle went to the Physician's Office for a bit."
"Why? Did something happen?"
Did a wound reopen? Or did he catch a cold from the colder weather?
"No, nothing like that. He just said he had something to discuss with the Physician."
"Is that so?"
Relief washed over me as I pressed a hand to my racing heart.
"You've been seeking out Uncle quite frequently lately, haven't you?"
"Have I?"
"Yes. If you're that worried, you should go visit him."
Amelia giggled behind her hand.
For some reason, it felt like she was teasing me....
"Oh, now that I think about it, I believe I heard him mention a headache. Or was it dizziness?"
"Oh no."
I clapped my hand over my mouth.
It was clear he'd caught a cold from our daily walks together—all because he wanted to lift my spirits.
And he was already in poor health to begin with!
"Amelia, may I visit the Physician's Office?"
"Of course. I'll keep a close eye on Lucian and Edwin."
"Thank you. I'll be back soon!"
I waved to Amelia and hurried toward the Physician's Office.
Fortunately, the Physician's Office wasn't far from the Playroom, so I arrived quickly.
"Phew."
From walking so briskly, I was slightly out of breath.
I paused at the door to the Physician's Office and caught my breath.
Standing close to the door, I could hear voices conversing inside.
"...almost fully recovered...."
"Still... pretend...."
The voices were too quiet for me to make out what they were discussing.
Besides, I had no interest in eavesdropping on others' conversations.
I knocked on the door to announce my arrival.
"May I come in?"
The hushed voices abruptly ceased.
Soon, hurried footsteps sounded, and the door swung open.
"Young Lady?"
It was Claude.
"What brings you here...?"
"Amelia told me. I was worried that your injuries might have worsened, so I came to check."
"Fortunately, there's nothing to worry about. I'm only here today for a routine examination."
"I see."
I'd worried for nothing again.
"But perhaps...."
Claude trailed off, his gaze darting anxiously between the Physician and me.
At moments like these, I could always glimpse that childlike expression—the look of a child caught in wrongdoing, nervously gauging my reaction.
"Have you heard?"
"What do you mean?"
"The conversation I had with Dr. Celine."
"No, I didn't hear any of it."
"I see."
Claude's expression brightened noticeably at my response. For some reason, the Physician even placed a hand over his chest in relief.
"How did the examination go? Are you feeling alright?"
I asked, pushing aside an inexplicable sense of unease.
"Unfortunately... the results aren't particularly encouraging."
"Is that really so?"
That's strange. Given Claude's recovery rate in the original story, his wounds should have healed completely by now.
"Yes. Isn't that right?"
Claude exhaled a deep sigh, his gaze turning toward the Physician.
"Y-yes, well. I'm terribly sorry to say that's the case."
The Physician nodded quickly in agreement.
"The abrasions have healed completely, but the fractured leg has yet to recover. In my assessment, it will take at least two months—no, at minimum two months—for complete healing."
"That's what he says."
Claude withdrew his gaze from the Physician, his expression growing somber.
"To think I must remain at the Duke's Mansion for at least two months... I can only apologize for imposing on your kindness for so long."
"There's no need for that. The Duke has already given his permission, so please make yourself comfortable during your stay."
"Yes. I'll do my best to recover."
Though that's not entirely within my control.
Claude added as an afterthought.
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