I Married a Sick Husband - Chapter 50

“… And that’s what happened.”

 

After explaining the situation, Meredith jokingly added,

 

“I was worried about what would have happened if Her Highness had changed her mind after sending me, but fortunately, nothing like that happened.”

 

“….”

 

“Your Majesty?”

 

“Was that why you cried back then?”

 

After Meredith finished her story, Theodore, whose expression had hardened, suddenly asked an unexpected question.

 

Meredith cluelessly questioned with a puzzled face—

 

“What….”

 

“The day we had our first tea meeting.”

 

“….”

 

“Back then you came to me and told me that you wanted revenge on the Schwartz family.”

 

“How do you know of the past?

 

Meredith was surprised inside.

 

“Was it the Duchess of Schwartz who told you about it?”

 

“No, it wasn’t her. This story… I had heard it by chance while hearing about the plan to appoint Prince Fabian.”

 

Meredith answered quietly.

 

“Coincidentally… It is no exaggeration to say that my life has changed because of it.”

 

“… I wasn’t aware that such a thing had happened.”

 

“….”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“No, I’m not okay.”

 

Meredith shook her head.

 

“Every time I speak about it, every time I think about it, it still pierces my heart. The mere thought of it brings out the type of pain that is set to be lifelong.”

 

“….”

 

“Still, I can’t change the past, but….”

 

Meredith swallowed her dry saliva and concluded.

 

“Because I have a chance to avenge them, I am still holding on.”

 

Theodore spoke up in an awfully low voice, “Your desire to seek revenge for your mother’s suffering, I will help you accomplish it no matter what it takes.”

 

“….”

 

“This….I swear in the name of the emperor.”

 

“… Your Majesty.”

 

Meredith, who was staring at Theodore, quietly opened her mouth.

 

“You always seem to comfort me.”

 

“….”

 

“Whenever I am sad, you always stay by my side and tell me the stories of strength. Your Majesty is the first person to do such a thing for me.”

 

“It’s not such a big deal.”

 

“It’s actually great and meaningful enough for me.”

 

Meredith retorted, shaking her head.

 

“No one has ever done that for me in my life. I’ve never heard anything so reassuring…”

 

“….”

 

“But I don’t think I’ve ever comforted His Majesty.”

 

Meredith shyly admitted.

 

“I’ve never heard of Your Majesty’s story or your sorrows.”

 

“My story….”

 

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, and then closed it again.

 

“Nothing.”

 

“….”

 

“Just… It’s really nothing.”

 

But Meredith truly felt like Theodore was lying .

 

‘Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it yet?’

 

‘Maybe he finds it difficult to share it?’

 

‘It’s not easy for every person to bring out their sorrows.’

 

‘Or maybe he doesn’t trust me to the extent of willing to share his past sorrows with me?’

 

Meredith again felt the sudden imaginary distance between them.

 

‘We’re not even that close in the first place.’

 

Maybe he consoles me every time because he’s overly friendly and sympathises with me? Maybe there’s nothing more to it than that?

 

Meredith made up her mind once again to not be fooled by her thoughts and forget her duty.

 

“Then, has the matter been solved completely?”

 

To lighten the mood, Meredith deliberately changed the topic first.

 

“Looking at the situation so far, it seems to be that way.”

 

“That’s good. You don’t have to worry too much about it.”

 

Theodore nodded and added—

“Apart from that, of course, I intend to not stop the work I instructed Marquis Breggs.”

 

“Ah… yes.”

 

“Do you think it was the Empress Dowager?”

 

“Even if she didn’t take the initiative, she would have known about this in advance.”

 

Meredith cautiously offered her opinion,

“Personally, I think that Princess Schwartz led this, and Her Highness, the Empress Dowager, must have stood by silently as everything unfolded.”

 

“A bystander.”

 

“There’s no way that she wouldn’t have not known about it with her ability. Along with that, Princess Schwartz also belongs to the Empress Dowager’s Palace.”

 

Meredith continued.

 

“As expected, it will be difficult to find out the truth this time.”

 

“Why?”

 

“If the Empress Dowager knows, I don’t think she will abandon the Schwartz family just yet. She would not have arranged for it to be easily discovered.”

 

“Even if that’s the case, we can’t just leave it like this.”

 

“Of course we can’t. Rather, I think it might have been a good thing.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Princess Schwartz didn’t harm me, but anyway, the process was a success.”

 

If it was Catarina, she would have laughed out loud if she heard about what had happened the previous night.

 

“She’s obviously euphoric right now assuming that she won. Probably she will do the same next time.”

 

“Then….”

 

“Yes.”

 

Meredith grinned.

 

“At that time, I will definitely catch her by the tail.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

The incident that unfolded at the banquet was naturally known to the social world.

 

Everything was clearly understood as the fault of the Empress.

 

However, it was Meredith’s response that came afterwards which became a hot topic.

 

“Well, even though that happened, Queen of Partille seems to have accepted the apology from Her Majesty the Empress.”

 

“Oh, how on earth did she apologise?”

 

“I’m sure she made a sincere apology with that kind heart.”

 

“So the situation didn’t go away without a problem?”

 

At first, everyone praised Meredith’s handling.

 

“But it is very strange.”

 

Next, everyone turned their attention to the nature of the case.

 

“What kind of fearless person would do such an outrageous thing?”

 

“It must have been to harm Her Majesty the Empress.”

 

“Who could it have been?”

 

There was apparently only one person they could point their suspicion towards .

 

*(tln-change in scenes)*

 

 

“Princess Schwartz.”

 

Meredith accidentally spotted her and smiled.

 

“I was on my way to give my greetings at the Empress Dowager’s Palace. I never thought I would see you here.”

 

“… Your Majesty the Empress.”

 

Catarina had been struggling recently because of the things that had gone wrong.

 

She never expressed that fact, but her true feelings were inevitably revealed in her expression.

 

“Greetings to the Imperial Moon, the Hostess of the Noble Imperial Family.”

 

Catarina greeted her first, even though she didn’t want to.

 

It was only because she remembered that Meredith had ‘threatened’ her the last time she didn’t greet her.

 

She smiled as Meredith looked at her and asked her a question.

 

“May I know where Princess Schwartz is rushing to in such a hurry?”

 

“Your Highness, I am on my way to the library because Her Highness the Empress Dowager told me that there was a book she wanted to read.”

 

“Somehow, you seem to be very faithful to your duties as her maid.”

 

Meredith admired that fact and stated it as if she was quite satisfied with her dedication.

 

“Of course, it is the duty of a lady-in-waiting to serve her superiors and carry out orders with all her might.”

 

“….”

 

“Please don’t think about useless things, and I hope you will continue to do your duty with such dedication.”

 

Meredith added, smiling her eyes.

 

“Only that way Princess Schwartz will be able to stay here for as long as she wants.”

 

“… Of course, Your Majesty the Empress.”

 

Catarina knew that Meredith’s words were aimed at her work at the banquet .

 

The corners of her mouth seemed to tremble, but she tried her best to be patient and polite towards Meredith.

 

“Then I shall be on my way.”

 

“Is that so? Then I shall see you again some other day.”

 

Meredith sent away Catarina with a smile.

 

As soon as Catarina turned her back to Meredith, her expression contorted.

 

‘… Let’s see. I’ll make sure to make you cry in front of me next time.’

 

… Although she failed miserably this time, her failure wouldn’t repeat.

 

Still, it was a comforting thing to have safely achieved the result last time even though the expected final output didn’t happen.

 

‘It should be difficult to avoid a trap twice.’

 

Catarina thought about it and secretly smiled.

 

She hadn’t expected Meredith to read her thoughts like that.

 

‘… Although the investigation did not reveal anything important.’

 

Catarina had ordered her chef, who was about to retire, to work. Thus, the chef was in charge of the dessert but he was never found.

 

‘Just because you covered it up neatly doesn’t mean you’ll never get caught.’

 

Meredith, who had been watching Catarina’s distant figure with an elegant smile, also left the place soon after.

 

 

<End of Chapter 9: Heart>