Adeus stood and looked down coldly at the place where he had been lying, then asked a nearby knight:
"Where did the guy who was lying here go?"
"Your Highness! ... He was lying here just a moment ago... but after that, I don't really know..."
Where could he have gone with a body that couldn't even properly get up? At that moment, another knight rushed over from a distance, dragging a doctor.
"Doctor, huff huff. Doctor... I've brought the doctor!"
The fact that the doctor had just arrived meant that Adeus hadn't received any treatment yet.
'How could he have disappeared after being so badly injured!'
I looked around while being held in Terdeo's arms, but Adeus was nowhere to be found.
"If he could walk on his own, it means he's not as bad as you think."
"But he was definitely..."
"Leave the one who disappeared. Should I follow him and treat him too? It's enough that I've come back and confirmed it."
Terdeo spoke as coldly as a harsh winter.
"We made a promise. We're going back to the mansion now."
Terdeo hurriedly moved, perhaps worried that I might refuse to go.
"Yes, let's go to the mansion."
If I had at least heard about Adeus's condition, I wouldn't feel so uneasy. But there was nothing I could do. As Terdeo said, I couldn't follow him and treat him myself. I quietly leaned into Terdeo's arms and headed towards the prepared carriage. The butler, who looked at me with a worried expression, hurriedly opened the carriage door. Terdeo carried me into the carriage and didn't put me down. Instead, he sat me on his lap and held me protectively.
"You can put me down, you know."
"I don't know where he might be injured, so stay still."
"But I really don't have any injuries."
"You might just not feel the pain yet because of the shock. We need to be careful until the doctor gives a proper diagnosis."
His voice still trembled slightly, so I couldn't say anything more. I relaxed my body and gently rested my head on his chest. In response, I could feel Terdeo's body tense up.
"...I'll check on Fortun's condition separately, so don't worry about it anymore."
"...Really?"
"Yes. The only thing you should worry about is me..."
Terdeo stopped speaking, pursing his lips.
"What? What should I worry about?"
"...No. The only thing you should worry about is our contract. Focus on your treatment and rest, and don't think about anything else."
"...?"
I tilted my head at his sudden and strange words.
'He thinks I forgot about the contract.'
I had been quite restless these past few days. He might have thought I was deluding myself into believing I was really a duchess.
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten for a moment. Our contract is the most important thing."
I spoke firmly, with a devout heart, assuring Terdeo that I hadn't forgotten our contract. I thought I heard a faint sigh from above my head. Before I could react, the carriage was already heading towards the mansion. ***
"Huff, huff."
Every time Adeus inhaled and exhaled, a sharp pain surged through him. He clenched his teeth and held his chest with one hand. After Fereshati left, Adeus had no reason to stay, so he borrowed a carriage and got in, despite his injuries. His wrists and ankles were swollen and abnormally twisted. The pain with each breath clearly indicated broken ribs. He was in a terrible state.
'This isn't like me.'
Adeus weakly smiled and leaned his head back against the carriage wall. When he closed his eyes, he could vividly feel Fereshati's hands around his neck.
'I didn't plan to go to such lengths.'
When he came to, he was already holding Fereshati in his arms, having jumped from this floor naked. She wouldn't have known, but it was an extremely impulsive act. Even Adeus couldn't understand why he did it. As he closed his eyes, Fereshati's face, eating cake together without a care, came to mind. He tried to find a reasonable explanation for his actions, but nothing came to mind. The more he thought, the more Fereshati's face appeared.
"You must have hit your head too."
As Adeus muttered, the carriage arrived at Fortun's mansion. However, it stopped not at the main building but at a distant annex where he occasionally stayed. Adeus got out of the carriage. This was the place he sometimes used as a public residence. He dragged his bloodied body into the annex. A man sitting on the sofa in the first-floor hall greeted him warmly.
"Are you back now?"
Adeus frowned and limped over to the man.
"Why are you here?"
It was a cold voice and a domineering tone that he would never use when with Fereshati. The middle-aged man, however, seemed very familiar with it and continued speaking uncomfortably.
"Yesterday was the day we agreed to pay monthly, but you haven't... yet."
"The situation got complicated, so it's been delayed. I was planning to pay today, so wait."
"Yes, if it's going to be delayed again, please let me know in advance."
The man nodded briefly and got up without hesitation. He, Fortun Viscount, turned and left the annex without a word. ***
It was already dusk. I must have relaxed, as I fell asleep leaning against Terdeo in the carriage. When I opened my eyes again, I was already lying on a soft bed, having enjoyed a deep, sweet sleep. The sky outside the window was beginning to darken. The doctor, who had been waiting for me to wake up, hurriedly approached to check my condition.
"...It seems the duchess has no injuries."
"Are you sure?"
"...This is the sixth time, Your Highness."
"Just to be safe, check again."
Terdeo, who had been leaning against the door with his arms crossed, sent a sharp gaze. I sighed softly and shook my head.
"That's enough, you can go. ...Terdeo, you should stop too. Six checks are more than enough."
As soon as I finished speaking, Terdeo's face twisted. He looked very displeased. Since he didn't argue, the doctor, thinking it was an opportunity, quickly gathered his medical bag.
"But you must have been startled by today's events, so I'll prepare a muscle relaxant and a sleep aid for the night."
The doctor, speaking rapidly, left the bedroom without looking back. As soon as the doctor left, Terdeo, who had been standing far away, approached. His face was as stiff as stone. He must have been shocked by the fire incident earlier. After all, if I had been seriously injured, a line of trashy knights would have come to tear apart the Laphireon family. I deliberately raised my voice to reassure Terdeo.
"Since the doctor said I'm fine, there shouldn't be any problems..."
"Why don't you call me differently?"
"Huh?"
What are you talking about? I tilted my head, not understanding Terdeo's words. He frowned.
"Why don't you call me like you did earlier?"
Like I did earlier? I tilted my head again.
"What do you mean?"
Terdeo cleared his throat awkwardly and turned his head. Then, in a barely audible voice, he said:
"You didn't call me that earlier."
"Earlier?"
What did I call Terdeo earlier? I thought deeply. Without realizing it, a murmur slipped out between my slightly parted lips.
"...Theo?"
The nickname I had uttered without thinking made his body flinch.
'Huh?'
"Theo."
As soon as I called him, Terdeo's shoulders twitched. It was an honest bodily reaction. His face, which I could see out of the corner of my eye, looked softer than before.
'Could it be...?'
I couldn't hide my surprised expression at the unexpected reaction.
"Do you, by any chance...?"
A fleeting emotion flickered in Terdeo's eyes as they met mine. We both spoke at the same time.
"Yeah, even that damn nickname sounded pretty good."
"That cute nickname secretly appealed to you, didn't it?"
...Huh? Terdeo's face crumpled like a crumpled piece of paper.
'Damn nickname?'
We had clearly spoken at the same time, but the content was completely different.
"Did you ask me to call you that because you liked it?"
"What?"
Did you secretly like it when your family called you 'Theo' and asked me to do the same?
"Hmm."
Terdeo rubbed his neck, which had been stiff from tension, and nodded roughly.
"I can't explain why, so just consider it that way."
Terdeo spoke with a resigned tone and slumped into a chair. Now that I looked, he was still in the same clothes. He hadn't even changed out of his uniform.
"Haven't you even had a chance to wash up?"
"I didn't have the time. I was worried that you might suddenly say you were in pain while you were sleeping, so I couldn't take my eyes off you."
Terdeo rubbed his sore neck and said calmly. Hearing that he couldn't take his eyes off me, my face felt hot, as if I had been trapped in the fire again. Terdeo spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and his concern made my ears tingle. I discreetly rubbed my burning ears and turned my gaze. With my other hand, I pressed down on my fluttering chest.
'I must have been too shocked by today's events.'
I had heard of something called the 'swaying bridge effect.' It's when a fast-beating heart due to shock or fear makes you think it's beating because of the person in front of you. Technically, it tricks your brain into thinking you're excited by the other person.
'Phew... calm down. I was just very shocked today, and my heart is beating fast because of that. It just happens to be in front of Terdeo.'
I smoothed my chest and took a quiet deep breath. After a few breaths, my heart and flushed face returned to normal.
'Of course.'
I felt proud that I hadn't fallen for this false phenomenon. I smiled in satisfaction and lifted my chin, meeting Terdeo's eyes. He tilted his head curiously.
"What have you been doing by yourself?"
"..."
Damn, he saw everything! The thought that he had seen me turn red and fidget, and then smooth my chest in relief, made me feel embarrassed.
"No, no."
I cleared my throat and quickly changed the subject.
"Since you're still in your uniform, you must have come straight from work, right?"
"...Yes."
"Because of me, you had to leave your work. You must have been busy..."
"Enough."
"Are you going to say it's not a big deal again?"
"No."
Terdeo answered briefly and lowered his gaze. His eyes were filled with self-loathing.
"I didn't want to deal with today's work, so it was actually for the best."
"Work you didn't want to deal with?"
Does Terdeo have such things? He always seemed to work silently and steadily.
"What kind of work?"
I hadn't thought deeply about it. I just wanted to change the subject with a casual question. But my question made Terdeo stop breathing. He still had his gaze fixed downward. Terdeo gave a self-deprecating sneer.