Chapter 127

I was not yet ready to look Carlothian in the eye.

I didn’t hear anything from outside for a while, unsure how he had taken my words.

Then his voice came through.

“…I want to have breakfast together.”

“…”

I also paused before responding to that voice. I could see Dolly fidgeting beside me, gauging the situation.

I bit my lip.

“No, separately…”

“M-Madam…”

As I tried to reject him, Dolly intervened. Her eyebrows drooped, forming a curve.

I sighed at her face.

Yes, it would be uncomfortable for the servants if the Duke and Duchess, who seemed to be on good terms, suddenly turned cold.

But wasn’t that the norm before?

“If it’s just a meal, then it’s fine.”

In the end, I accepted the breakfast request.

Dolly’s face brightened at that. I couldn’t help but smile at her expression. My maids are truly easy to read.

Dolly quickly opened the door, and I slowly approached it.

I could see Carlothian standing at the door.

“Let’s head straight to the dining room.”

“…Alright.”

He couldn’t bring himself to offer his hand to escort me and turned his back, heading towards the dining room.

“…Thank you.”

He said quietly as he walked ahead, but I couldn’t respond to his words.

I didn’t know what to say in reply.

“…”

I stared at his back. It was the most familiar sight to me.

His back turned away from me.

That cold back he always showed me.

I secretly clenched my fist.

He probably didn’t understand what I said last night.

He couldn’t possibly know the moment he first killed me.

He wasn’t someone who had been reborn or regressed like me.

He couldn’t possibly have the memory of the first time.

But why does it feel so sorrowful and depressing? Why did I want him to know?

‘It’s a futile expectation.’

It’s an expectation that cannot be fulfilled.

As I sighed, Carlothian and I arrived at the dining room.

He and I sat across from each other, waiting for the meal to be served.

“…”

“…”

There was no conversation between us. Only the cold air lingered in the dining room.

Before long, the servants began to slowly bring out the appetizers.

I disliked this suffocating atmosphere, so I decided to speak first.

“…What are your plans for today?”

“…Nothing special. I have a few business guests coming, but if it’s uncomfortable, I can call them to the annex.”

“It’s fine. They’re business guests, so it would be a bit odd to have them stay at the annex.”

“…Do you have any outside engagements today?”

“No, I don’t have any outside engagements today. I’ll be in my office all day.”

“…Then.”

“I’m fine for lunch and dinner. I’ll take care of it myself.”

As I coldly cut him off, I could see his mouth close. Watching him lower his gaze in silence made a part of my heart feel uncomfortably tight.

‘I really don’t want to see that expression on his face right now.’

Love is truly terrifying.

Thinking that, I brought a spoonful of soup to my mouth. Carlothian seemed to have run out of things to say as he also brought the soup to his lips. But then…

“Ugh…”

Carlothian quickly shut his mouth. In that moment, I felt something was off.

“Carlothian…?”

“Cough, cough…!”

Blood erupted from between his fingers as he covered his lips. I widened my eyes and stood up.

“Carlothian!”

He bent over, coughing repeatedly. With each cough, blood splattered onto the white tablecloth.

“Healer, healer!”

I yelled, a dull pain stabbing my throat, but I didn’t stop, frantically calling for a healer.

The servants, startled by his coughing up blood, quickly began to murmur, and someone ran off to fetch a healer.

“Carl, Carlothian. Just hold on a little longer. The healer will be here soon…”

“Gasp, cough…”

He exhaled sharply, his lips smeared with blood. His dark eyes were hazy.

What’s going on? Could it be poison? Why all of a sudden? I struggled to gather my thoughts as I continued to speak to him.

“You can’t lose consciousness. Do you understand? Carlothian…”

What on earth is happening? Poisoning, out of nowhere.

I walked around the table to his side, trying to place my hand on his shoulder.

I flinched.

In the end, I tightly gripped the innocent tablecloth with my trembling hands.

Even in this moment, I was refusing to touch him.

“It’s okay, ah…”

He spoke with a slurred voice, blood pooling in his mouth. But at that very moment…

Carlothian suddenly stopped breathing.

“…Carlothian?”

I called out to him, feeling my heart drop.

His breath, his ragged breath, was gone.

Instinctively, I began to sing.

Even though I had increased the dosage of the painkiller, raising my voice to sing felt like swallowing shards of glass, piercing my insides.

But I didn’t stop and continued to sing loudly.

“Gasp, cough…!”

As I started to sing, his breathing returned.

I held my painfully sore throat, trembling hands gripping it tightly, and sang until he stabilized.

It hurts, it’s agonizing.

The song was a mess due to the pain and dulled senses, but fortunately, the divine power was still moving.

“Phew, ha…”

His breath, which had paused for a moment, returned, and he slowly began to exhale steadily.

Thank goodness. I continued singing while observing his condition. In that short time, cold sweat was soaking his body.

“Where, where is he?”

“This way!”

Just then, the healer arrived.

I didn’t stop singing and gestured to them. They hurried over.

The healer began to assess Carlothian’s condition and soon let out a sigh.

“Fortunately, the emergency treatment was quick, and he seems to be okay.”

Only after hearing that did I lower my trembling hands and stop singing.

Gasp. My throat still felt like it was being torn apart. I covered my mouth and endured the pain for a moment.

After the pain subsided a bit, I shouted.

“Bind all the servants in the kitchen.”

“Yes…!”

A few minutes later, Carlothian, who had briefly lost consciousness, opened his eyes.

His chin and hands were stained with blood, a clear indication that he had just been in a very dangerous situation. But this man…

“Ari-adeline…”

“Ugh, ha… Ah, don’t say anything yet. I think the poison has been neutralized.”

“What about your throat…?”

“Is it time to worry about me now?”

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I blinked quickly, trying to dry them.

Carlothian reached out to stroke my cheek with his bloodied face. I flinched in surprise at his hand and tried to back away.

“…I’m sorry.”

His hand hovered in the air, just out of reach of my cheek, brushing against the void as if he wanted to comfort me. As if he longed to touch me, even in that way.

I couldn’t say a word.

And then, one of the servants shouted.

“The maid who served the food is over there!”

I turned my head. There stood the servant who had served the wine.

For some reason, despite being called out, she stood there with an expressionless face. It felt oddly unsettling. And in that moment…

“Cough—.”

The maid who had brought the wine spat out blood. My eyes widened.

“She’s trying to commit suicide!”

The servants rushed over, but in that moment, the maid collapsed onto the floor. Her eyes rolled back, and she began to convulse.

A nearby servant spoke in a bewildered tone.

“Sh-she’s dead.”

“It seems to be a suicide.”

I didn’t even have time to sing. I frowned. Are they really willing to throw away their life without hesitation?

I asked.

“How long has she been working here?”

“I believe it’s been about 10 years.”

“Ten years, really?”

Carlothian growled and staggered to his feet.

“Dig up all the family relations and recent activities of that servant and bring them to me.”

“Understood.”

The servants kept their mouths tightly shut with serious expressions. Not even a whisper could be heard.

What on earth could have prompted an assassination attempt on Carlothian all of a sudden? I felt a wave of unease wash over me.

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