I Married a Sick Husband - Chapter 43

“More than that, I’m sorry about your mother.”

 

“…. ah.”

 

Catarina nearly hardened her face, but she quickly remembered her role in coming here.

 

“But thanks to Her Highness, the worst was averted.”

 

And she responded politely with a nonchalant face.

 

“Because my mother will not be exiled to the island of Elta forever. If Prince Fabian becomes emperor soon….”

 

“……”

 

“By that time, my mother will be able to come back to the capital too. I am waiting for that day.”

 

“Yes. You just have to wait a little bit.”

 

“How is His Majesty’s condition?”

 

Then Duke Schwartz asked.

 

“It looks like he’s just as ill as before… Also, he always attends government affairs meetings and has no problem presiding over political affairs.”

 

“He’s exerting great effort right now.”

 

Blair snorted.

 

“It will be very bad. What would you do though? If you don’t want to lose the throne like this, you can’t neglect your duties as emperor.”

 

“Sure, but how long are you going to wait?”

 

“At this rate, good news will come sooner or later. There’s no reason to get our hands dirty, right?”

 

“But….”

 

“You look impatient, Duke.”

 

Then Blair pointed out.

 

Duke Schwartz flinched.

 

“Are there any problems?”

 

“…. The problem is, Your Highness.”

 

He took off his pretence.

 

I can’t say that I’m afraid you’ll leave us and find a new partner.

 

“It just hurts my heart to see the prince wandering abroad. Hurry back to his home country…. He should be getting married, too.”

 

“He hasn’t even finished his studies yet. I don’t think now is the right time to even try.”

 

“But I also want to see His Highness the Prince. I haven’t seen him in so long.”

 

“Wait a little longer, Princess Schwartz.”

 

Blair replied with a laugh.

 

“It’s His Majesty’s birthday soon, isn’t it? He will return home then.”

 

“Ah, I’m already excited at the thought of seeing His Highness again!”

 

“Me too. I haven’t seen him in too long.”

 

Blair agreed with a sad expression.

 

“I miss him these days, so I feel a little lonely. Am I too old?”

 

“… Oh no.”

 

It was now.

 

The Duke of Schwartz opened his mouth without missing his timing.

 

“Are you lonely?”

 

“I am enduring it by having the empress come to say hello every morning.”

 

At those words, the expressions on Duke Schwarz’s and Catarina’s faces hardened at once.

 

“Your Highness Empress Dowager.”

 

At Catarina’s call, Blair looked at her with her benevolent smile.

 

“I have a question.”

 

“Ask me, princess.”

 

“Am I the one who will become the wife of Prince Fabian in the future?”

 

“Didn’t we promise that?”

 

Blair asked while looking at Duke Schwartz, not Catarina.

 

“Why are you asking such a thing all of a sudden?”

 

“I too, will become Your Highness’s daughter-in-law someday, but I want to get to know Your Highness before that.”

 

“Would you like to become friends with me?”

 

“I want to enter the palace as Her Highness’s maid.”

 

Catarina asked boldly.

 

“Will you allow me?”

 

“She is a smart and quick-witted child, Your Highness. If you keep her by her side, you won’t be bored. I promise you.”

 

“Oh, I didn’t expect to hear something like this, it’s quite sudden.”

 

Looking at Blair’s expression now, it didn’t sound like a lie.

 

“Yeah, what. It is not difficult.”

 

“Are you allowing me?”

 

“I’d better get along with my future daughter-in-law, too.”

 

Blair smiled gracefully and nodded her head.

 

“It’s been a while these days, but the timing is right. When are you planning to enter the palace?”

 

“I am available anytime!”

 

“Then come quickly.”

 

It was a time when progress was being made at a speedy pace.

 

“I just have one problem.”

 

The brakes were applied.

 

“What… are you talking?”

 

“Princess Schwartz, I don’t think your relationship with the empress will be amicable.”

 

It was an unexpected stumbling block.

 

The Duke was dumbfounded.

 

“Will you be okay?”

 

“I’m entering the palace to attend Her Highness, Empress Dowager.”

 

Unexpectedly, Catarina calmly answered the question.

 

“My relationship with Her Majesty has nothing to do with it.”

 

“Ohh… like it.”

 

The Duke of Schwartz, along with Blair, nodded his head in surprise.

 

“Then come to the palace tomorrow. I’ll wait.”

 

***

 

At the same time, Central Palace.

 

“You’ve definitely improved a lot.”

 

A positive result came out of Jerome’s mouth while examining Theodore after a while.

 

The expressions of Meredith and Felix, who were awaiting the result with tense faces, quickly brightened.

 

“That’s great!”

 

“Yes. I’m so glad.”

 

Where did the first tense atmosphere go?

 

The two met eyes and smiled, rejoicing together at the good news.

 

“…..”

 

“…..”

 

Then, as if he thought it was too much of a friendly reaction, he turned his head away in embarrassment at the same time.

 

Jerome, who was staring at the scene, immediately spoke to Theodore.

 

“I didn’t expect it to get better so quickly. Her Majesty the Empress is very capable.”

 

“Has it gotten much better?”

 

“It’s difficult to see it as a complete cure, but it doesn’t seem to be much trouble in daily life now.”

 

“It is as you say. Now I can definitely bear it during the day.”

 

“Fortunately so. How is your insomnia?”

 

… Insomnia?

 

It was a story she had never heard of before.

 

Meredith looked at Theodore with a puzzled look.

 

At that moment, Theodore also looked at Meredith.

 

The eyes of the two collided in midair.

 

“…. That too.”

 

With his eyes fixed on Meredith, Theodore answered in a hesitant voice.

 

“It’s better.”

 

Meredith couldn’t help but be surprised.

 

‘…… Did you suffer from insomnia?’

 

They slept together almost every day, but there was no sign of it.

 

‘Of course, lying down with your eyes closed doesn’t mean you’re asleep….’

 

Theodore had never once expressed such symptoms.

 

‘When he said that he was calling Sir Jerome, with an excuse for insomnia, I thought that it was really an excuse….’

 

It seems that it was not an excuse at all.

 

“I will continue prescribing the medicine. Don’t forget to eat it.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Please make sure to maintain proper sleep, diet, and exercise, Your Majesty.”

 

“Okay, got it. Now, stop nagging and leave.”

 

“Yes, that’s all.”

 

Jerome left the room with Felix, leaving Theodore and Meredith alone.

 

Meredith spoke first cautiously.

 

“I didn’t know you had insomnia.”

 

“…. What.”

 

Theodore replied indifferently.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“Are you serious?”

 

“Not quite like that. Just….”

 

Theodore explained, slightly frowning.

 

“Because it took me too long to fall asleep. That’s all.”

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you with that. It’s difficult with magic… … .”

 

“It’s nothing to be sorry for. The first thing I asked you for was not a cure for insomnia.”

 

“Still….”

 

“It’s true that I got better after receiving your treatment.”

 

“Is that true?”

 

“Yes. I don’t know if it’s because of the life force.”

 

Theodore shrugged.

 

“Because falling asleep is less painful than before.”

 

“Ah, somehow.”

 

Meredith’s expression brightened only then.

 

“I wasn’t mistaken that the circles under your eyes have been fading lately.”

 

“Have the circles under my eyes faded?”

 

“Yes. Didn’t you know?”

 

“Well. I didn’t know.”

 

Theodore replied, narrowing his brows as if in doubt.

 

“Is it because it has been around for so long? We’ve been together ever since I fell under the black magic.”

 

“No. Really. May I bring you a mirror? You will know when you see it for yourself.”

 

“Aren’t you mistaken?”

 

“It can’t be. I’ll see it again.”

 

Meredith narrowed her eyes and looked under Theodore’s eyes.

 

And after a while, she shook her head and opened her mouth.

 

“I guess I was right.”

 

“Can you see it from here?”

 

“Yes?”

 

Just as Meredith was about to move her lips to ask what he meant.

 

“Ah…..”

 

Suddenly, Theodore strode towards Meredith.

 

As the distance closed, a dark shadow fell over Meredith’s face.

 

“……”

 

Meredith raised her head nervously and looked at Theodore’s face.

 

Is it because of the height difference? Or a physique difference?

 

An inexplicable tension ran through Meredith’s body.

 

If he bent his upper body a little here….

 

“You’ll have to see it from up close.”

 

“……”

 

“That’s how accurate it has to be.”

 

As if his breath could reach her at any moment, the distance narrowed quickly.

 

Thump, thump, thump, thump. 

(t/n: sound of heart beating)

 

“Now?”

 

“……”

 

“Do you see well now?”

 

She wasn’t sure about that, but she knew one thing for sure.

 

‘… Too close.’

 

That her own heart could beat this fast.