It was the strangest discomfort he experienced for the first time in his life, but what was even stranger was actually the woman â the unlucky Duchess, Alice Diorat, who unknowingly became his wife.
She was strange from the moment she entered the room.
[âYou look more handsome when the light shines through.â]
She stared intently at his face and spoke unfamiliar words without any hesitation,
[âGood afternoon, Kaillus.â]
She even greeted him as if they were close friends. She had a considerable sense of disparity on her as an ordinary noble Young Lady.
Alice Podoori.
Alice Podoori â she was said to be nothing more than Count Podooriâs abandoned daughter. He initially thought that Alice would be timid and shy as a married woman. Additionally, she was also being held down by Madam Quillian, so⊠she doesnât have her own will and no choice but to be docile.
But that woman, whom he felt her presence for a while, was never intimidated.
â⊠Something is strange.â
Maybe I misunderstood?
Kaillus called the butler.
âAdolph.â
âYes, Your Excellency.â
âThat woman earlier⊠was she Count Podooriâs daughter who married me?â
â⊠Yes.â The butler answered with a what-do-you-mean expression on his face.
He knew he was being absurd, because the butler called her âLittle Madamâ a few times already. But nevertheless, he did. She was very different from what he imagined.
Hmm, he thought as he sighed uncomfortably. I guess Iâll have to keep an eye on Alice. After all, she will be visiting him every day for a while, so heâll be able to figure her out easily.
It was unpleasant for her to touch his body, but this was inevitable for the time being. But it was even unpleasant just by thinking about it.
âAre you alright, Your Excellency?â The butler worriedly asked as his face wrinkled, remembering whether her hand was used removing dirt from a pottery or wiping the Dukeâs body.
Shaking off his thoughts about Alice, Kaillus said to the butler, âItâs nothing. By the way, have you written a letter to Baron Meltain?â
He ordered his butler last night, and that is to invite Baron Meltainâs daughter, who was the Dukeâs cousin and vassal, to the Dukeâs mansion.
A letter came from Baron Meltain, the Dukeâs vassal, before he fell into a coma. He wanted the Young Lady to stay in the capital and learn a lot before she had her social debut. So, it wasnât very difficult to summon Young Lady Meltain, but it was rather helpful to him.
Madam Quillianâs attention will be directed towards the sudden arrival of a guest, and although only a handful knew about it, his cousin has considerable magical powers. She would be able to do his secret job if it was her.
The butler replied with a remarkably brighter face than earlier, âYes, I delivered a letter to Madam Quillian today, and also hastily sent Baron Meltain a letter asking him to send his daughter as well.â
âGood job. We will start moving in earnest when Young Lady Meltain arrives. In the meantime, you should also keep quiet.â
âYes. But Your Excellency, I have something I couldnât tell you yesterday because I was out of my mind.â
âWhat is it?â
âMadam Quillian sent me a medicine to give to Your Excellency after you fell in a coma, and Little Madam took over the medicine as of yesterday. Thatâs why, I can no longer steal the drug.â
â⊠My doctor said he was changed to a person named Helkin.â
The reason he stole the drug was probably because he couldnât trust the drug.
That being said, the person named Helkin was also Madam Quillianâs person. It was no surprise that he sat in the position inside the doctorâs office after he collapsed. It was somehow obvious why. Madam Quillian needed a doctor who can act as her limb to completely kill him.
Kaillus asked about him, slightly squinting his eyes.
âThat is right. Madam Quillian hired him after firing Maillu, the original doctor here. The servants also said that he had an extraordinary knowledge about poison, so maybe heâŠ.â
The butler, unable to continue speaking, clenched his hands tightly and swallowed his anger.
Kaillus could guess what the butler was trying to say. He must be trying to say that he might have fallen into a coma after he ate the poison he had made â because he was a suspicious person.
But there was no need to doubt him since he was adept in poisoning â it would be right to say he made that poison.
It was last night that he regained his consciousness, and it also must have been the first time he drank Helkinâs medicine, which the butler couldnât steal.
Thereâs no way he didnât drink that medicine since Alice was Madam Quillianâs person. If so, could it be that the reason he suddenly regained consciousness had something to do with the medicine?
Kaillus rolled up the sleeve on his left arm and raised his eyebrow upon seeing the place where his wound disappeared.
Following his gaze, the butler had a surprised face when he saw that his wound had disappeared and said, âYour wound⊠is gone.â
âThatâs right. My wound was gone when I woke up. Adolph, did I have any injuries until the time you served me?â
âYes, you apparently had wounds until yesterday morning.â
âThen that means this wound was also gone last night. The person who came to me last night wasâŠ?â
â⊠It was only Little Madam. She came to feed Your Excellency with Doctor Helkinâs medicine.â
Alice Podoori.
That strange woman tick his nerves again.
Kaillus looked down at the smooth skin and thought with a hardened face. He had a feeling that his awakening might not be a simple miracle, and Alice Podoori somehow had something to do with him waking up.
First of all, it was said that it was Doctor Helkin who made the drugâŠ.
âAdolph.â
âYes, Your Excellency.â
âBring Helkin tonight. I have to meet him in person.â
Helkin would be better than that strange woman whom he doesnât know what was inside. Kaillusâ black eyes flashed dangerously as he lowered his sleeves.