I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 208

It took two days for Beatria to wake up after losing consciousness.

In the meantime, various renowned doctors rushed in to diagnose her illness, but there were no effective remedies.

The issue was not an illness but the influence of a curse, and the curse that Albrecht had placed upon the Helbenior Family was even more potent and meticulous than the one used on Kelrag.

“Mother, are you really alright?”

“Everyone is making a big fuss. Just look at me, I’m perfectly fine, aren’t I?”

“But….”

Chloe tried to add something, but as Beatria pointed out, she truly looked fine on the outside, making it difficult to argue.

She had color in her cheeks, almost unbelievable for someone who had collapsed just moments ago.

“Sometimes, when you get older, you have days like this. Stop worrying for no reason.”

“…Since you say so, I will believe you. Still, it would be good to get another check-up.”

“I should do it for my children too. I’ll have a check-up this evening.”

Beatria nodded at Robert’s words, but for some reason, her expression darkened.

It was as if she was holding onto something deep inside her heart.

“By the way, where is your father?”

“That is….”

“He probably has an appointment and is meeting someone. Is there something urgent…?”

Robert quickly answered, cutting off Chloe, who was hesitating. The truth was, he had just sent Bartheus away when he had visited the room, but he couldn’t tell her that.

“No, that’s not it. If you happen to see him, please tell him I’d like to see him.”

At Beatria’s request, Robert gritted his teeth internally.

Why was he looking for that cold-hearted man who had left her side claiming he had something urgent, even when she had collapsed?

He wanted to expose all the words and actions he had done, but doing that would only bring tears to his mother’s eyes—a sight he didn’t want to see.

Thus, he forced a smile and accepted her request.

The fact that he couldn’t do anything as a son made him feel so powerless that his fists clenched involuntarily.

“Sure. But what about dinner? You must be hungry after lying down for two days….”

“I don’t have any thoughts about it yet. If I get really hungry later, I’ll call someone to bring me food.”

“Right, brother. I’ll make sure to stay by mother’s side, so don’t worry.”

As Chloe shook her fists confidently, Beatria lightly pinched her cheek and scolded her.

“Now, now. Just because I’m getting older doesn’t mean I need my children to worry about me.”

“Chloe is right. For the time being, I and Chloe will take turns staying with you, so just know that.”

“Ugh, what a hassle this is, dealing with such worried children.”

With Robert echoing his sister’s sentiment, a faint smile crept up on Beatria’s lips.

Even though she said those words, she truly didn’t feel bad about it. If she had to choose, it made her feel prouder.

These two were, after all, the greatest and most precious fruits of her life, and she felt they were shining brighter by the day.

“Your Highness, the Empress. Prince Damian from the Clemore family has come to see you.”

Just as the two were assuring that they would never leave Beatria’s side, a maid outside interrupted, bringing news they hadn’t anticipated.

It was a message that the heir of a family close to them had come to visit.

“Hmm? Right now?”

“Brother, remember the promise we made during our travels? I wonder if he’s come for that reason?”

As Robert expressed confusion, he was gently nudged by Chloe, who helped jog his memory.

“Oh, I had forgotten. But today….”

Even though it was an appointment, his sense of duty to stay by his mother’s side made it hard for him to leave.

Seeing him like this, Beatria smiled softly and patted his shoulder, encouraging him.

“It’s alright. Go on, hurry and see him. Or did I tell you it was okay to break a promise with someone?”

“Would I ever do that? But mother….”

“If I have to sleep a little longer, it’ll just be noisy with someone here. Now go on.”

It was hard to insist that she was only going to rest a little longer since her eyes were sparkling, but Robert found he could not oppose her.

He knew this was her way of ensuring both of them could leave with ease.

“Or how about this? You go, and I’ll stay here with mother….”

“Hmm.”

“…Eek.”

During the discussion, Chloe, unaware of the serious mood, tried to suggest another idea, but was silenced by a single glance from Beatria.

Just as there are no children who can defeat their parents, there are also no parents who can be defeated by their children.

“Alright. But if anything happens, please call us right away, mother. Don’t move until at least tomorrow, and rest well.”

“You heard that? If I start feeling worse, make sure to tell us first. Keep a close eye on me.”

“I will make sure of it, Your Highness the Empress.”

With that, the two of them delivered one final caution to everyone present and reluctantly stepped out of the room.

Once they saw their presence had completely vanished beyond the door, Beatria carefully got out of bed.

“Y-your Majesty! Where do you think you’re going?”

The startled maids rushed over and stopped her.

If she was going to need water or food, she would have called someone already, so getting out of bed meant she was intending to leave the room.

“I’m just going for a quick walk. After lying down for two days, my body feels all stiff.”

“B-but you mustn’t!”

“That’s right! The Prince and the Princess issued a command, and if you disobey it, what face do we have to show them…?”

The two were desperate.

If the Empress stepped outside and collapsed again, or if word of it reached the Prince and Princess, it would be unthinkable.

Just imagining it sent chills down their spines.

“If the two of you are in agreement, I will hold them back. Isn’t that enough?”

“It’s not a matter of punishment, ma’am!”

“That’s right! Please, just endure for one more day…!”

Suddenly confronted with such an absurd response, the two maids pleaded desperately with joined hands.

Usually, the Empress would listen to her subordinates, but they couldn’t understand why she was being so obstinate today.

They tried to get her to at least allow them to accompany her, but were quickly dismissed.

‘There’s something I need to ask him.’

On the other hand, Beatria also felt frustrated.

What her husband had murmured just before she lost consciousness was still persistently haunting her mind, an echo that refused to fade.

She wanted to call someone to bring him here, but somehow this place felt uncomfortable.

She needed to find somewhere more private, where she could talk to him without worrying about anyone listening, but it wasn’t turning out to be as easy as she had hoped.

‘Why did I have to mention Marquis Bertus, why did his name come up at all?’

For now, it seemed she would have to set that question aside for today and look forward to tomorrow.

Making her subordinates worry was not her character either.

Thinking she could handle another day of waiting, she pretended to yield and returned to her bed.

Before long, nightfall came.

* * * * * * *

News about his wife awakening had reached Bartheus, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to visit her.

And who could blame him? He felt there was no face left for him to show her.

The reason she had fallen into this state was his fault, and yet Bartheus had been avoiding her, using every excuse not to visit her.

He couldn’t shake off the ugly excuse that he couldn’t face her due to his guilt.

“The moon is unusually bright tonight.”

Standing on the balcony, Bartheus wore a wry smile as he looked at the moon that shone more brilliantly than usual.

Once, he had heard from his wife that the moon had the ability to reflect a person’s heart. He had somewhat believed in this superstition.

But tonight, it seemed like it was an exception.

Despite feeling so heavy-hearted, the moon shining in the sky was brighter than ever.

To alleviate the loneliness, Bartheus uncorked a bottle of wine that had been set on the table.

Although he hadn’t been particularly fond of alcohol before, his guilt had grown so deep that it had become difficult to sleep without numbing himself with wine recently.

Pop.

As the cork came off with a cute sound, the soft aroma of wine tickled his nose.

Yet this solitary moment of drinking felt more soothing than drinking with others with formalities and decorum.

“I guess I should go visit her tomorrow.”

Muttering bitterly, he poured wine into an empty glass.

Perhaps due to the moonlight, the ruby red wine sparkled especially beautifully today.

“Truly, it doesn’t understand one’s heart.”

As the contrast between the beautiful sight and his empty heart made him smile bitterly, he thought that if he were experiencing real fever, he might have smashed that wine glass immediately.

At last seated, he surveyed the simple setup of his solo drinking gathering with satisfaction.

In hindsight, the pieces of cheese in front of him had unconsciously adjusted to his palate as they matched Beatria’s preferences over time.

“Isn’t it strange?”

Perhaps because of his deep remorse towards her, whenever he saw anything, he often thought of his wife’s face.

Whether it was during a walk in the garden, when food was served at a feast, or even a passing glance at the clouds in the sky from his balcony. Nothing in the world felt separate from her.

Thinking back, ever since he met her, his days had been filled with nothing but regret.

Leaving his guilt behind, he couldn’t help but ponder what would have happened if he had simply expressed more love to her.

When she eventually learned of this situation, she would undoubtedly blame him.

Then it would have been better to fill her life with happiness before she had to resent him.

Though it was now too late to contemplate such matters, that was simply the nature of being human.

Thus, he, soaked in liquor, delved into past memories once more, allowing himself to be drawn into thought, before quietly rising and heading toward the railing.

Even the piece of cheese he usually enjoyed was unsatisfactory today; he intended to empty the remaining wine while gazing at the moon instead.

Whoosh.

“…!?”

At that moment, a shadow swooped down from above, landing on the balcony, instead of below the railing.

Before he could even utter a sound, his mouth was covered in an instant, and something was carefully dropped at their feet. After a beat, the stranger spoke.

“I am not here to harm you, Your Majesty. Please nod or shake your head in response to my two questions. Then I will let you go.”

“!”

Nod.

Knowing that resisting in this situation would do him no good, Bartheus hastily nodded his head.

Whether the stranger truly had no hostile intent was secondary; it was a definite fact that he was in a life-threatening situation.

‘Above all, this voice… it feels familiar somehow.’

Amid this desperate situation, the voice of the presumed man unnervingly flashed through Bartheus’s mind.

Even though it was muffled by the hand covering his mouth, it happily twinkled with the familiarity of something he had heard before.

It wasn’t a voice he had often heard from close family or friends, but one he recalled from recent days.

Thinking there might be a clue hidden in it, he side-eyed to catch a glimpse of the man who stood behind him. There he saw…

‘Is that…?’

Thin strands of bright red hair peeking out from beneath a hood caught his eye.

“…!”

In that moment, a chill ran down Bartheus’s spine.

Somehow, he felt like he could guess the identity of this man.