Chapter 37: 36

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“…Excuse me, Duke?”

Just as Dooha was finding the Duke’s mesmerised gaze on her strange.

“Huueng, Madam–! Thank goodness that you’ve returned safely–!”

Layla cut in between the two and clung to Dooha.

“Layla, didn’t I tell you that I’ll be fine?”

“Hic, that’s something that you can only say when you’re safe! Huueng–!”

As Layla spoke while on the verge of tears, the head maid appeared with a worried expression. 

A large towel was already in her hands.

“Please wear this for now. If not, you’ll catch a cold.”

“Ah, thanks.”

After thanking the head maid, who wrapped the towel around her shoulders, Dooha turned her gaze again.

The Duke was still standing dazedly with the glass bottle she passed to him in hand.

“Oh my goodness, it really is Claudene!”

“I can make the medicine right away with this!”

Perhaps the news of the medicinal herb had been obtained was already delivered to the physicians, as they, who had rushed out before they knew it cheered triumphantly.

Meanwhile, the untimely commotion caused Lionel to finally come to his senses and return back to his usual self.

He handed over the medicinal herb to the physicians and ordered them to make medicine immediately, and also gave an order to the knights to further tighten the external security.

“Hm?”

Then he lifted Dooha, who had a towel wrapped around her, up in an instant.

“Oh my, oh my.”

The handmaidens that were present let out exclamations at the rare sight of the duke holding the duchess.

“M–madam…”

Of course, only Layla, who was particularly attached to the duchess, frowned like she couldn’t stand it. 

The same could be said of Dooha, who was also shocked. 

She looked up at Leonhart with her round eyes.

Even if its shameless, her husband was an incredible human that wouldn’t lose his beauty even from a humiliating angle, 

‘Come to your senses, Dooha Yel Bashal.’

‘Have you gone crazy, being charmed by a face?’

Dooha tried her best to get a grip and quibbled with him.

“Let me go. I can walk with my own feet.”

“Are you dull or thoughtless?”

Dooha blinked at his slightly infuriated sounding voice.

“You might be able to walk on those feet, but I can’t overlook the fact that my wife’s blood will cover the marble floor.”

“Ah.”

Dooha only felt the pain radiating from her feet then, and frowned. 

Come to think of it, her shoes came off while she was scaling down the cliff.

No wonder her feet felt hot when it was pouring rain.  

She looked at her bloody toes and let out a soft sigh.

Her words for the duke to let her down probably seemed quite ridiculous like this. 

Eventually, Dooha could only remain in the duke’s arms obediently until they reached the annex’s prepared guest room.

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The guest room of the annex, which was full of dust as there weren’t anyone that used it, was instantly transformed into a clean room at the duke’s instructions.

Dooha looked at the crackling fireplace that was next to her quietly.

She wiggled her fingers at the insanely awkward atmosphere.

“Erm, don’t you have to go to Margaret, no, Grandmother?”

“There’s a total of three physicians there. I‘ll only be a hindrance if I go there.”

“But……”

“I think it’d be better for me to do what I can right now.”

At his answer, Dooha closed her mouth and looked downwards.

The crown of the duke’s head, which wouldn’t normally be seen, was right in front of her eyes. 

It was even more surprising to see the duke, Leonhart, kneeling on a knee at Dooha’s feet while washing her feet.

For some reason, Dooha blushed at how the duke touched her feet carefully.

‘He was just washing my feet, but why am I feeling so embarrassed?’

‘Was the shape of my foot weird? What if there’s dirt in my toenails?’

‘…Don’t tell me, it smells?’ 

She tried her best to shake off the thoughts that she normally wouldn’t have cared about. 

Actually, feet were originally a part of the body that isn’t visible to others. 

It was obviously because such a situation was unfamiliar.

“…I don’t understand.”

Leonhart had applied ointment on Dooha’s feet and wrapped it with a cloth before she knew it, and looked up at her. 

Dooha blinked at the sudden question.

“About what?”

“It’s because normally, others wouldn’t go this far.”

The number of people that would risk their lives for another were very little, no matter how precious that person was.

After all, it’s natural that people would always cherish themselves more.

As such, excessive self-sacrifice would come hand in hand with a reason that can’t be mentioned.  

“Why did you do that?”

Dooha also knew that going outside in such a weather was suicidal.

Leonhart looked at her with a serious look on his face.

“Why the hell did you go looking for medicinal herbs?”

“It’s because when it rains, Claudene will wither and die. I had to bring it back before it rained any further…”

“You know I’m not asking you about that.”

He held Dooha’s small feet in his hand with a tight grip. 

“I’m asking for the reason you’re acting like this.”

The reason why she had willingly headed out into the heavy rain for Margaret, who didn’t share a single drop of blood with her.

The reason why she had risked herself unhesitatingly, even when the slightest carelessness could lead to death. 

Leonhart had only wondered about her reasons.

At his question, Dooha remained silent for a moment, before slowly opening her mouth.

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“…When I was younger, my only younger sister died before my eyes.”

The story that appeared from her mouth was quite unexpected. 

“She was my only female sibling. But she was bullied by my other siblings because of her weak body.”

In a harsh tribal society, the young and the weak were often treated as troublesome baggage. Dooha’s younger sister was also treated like that.

“She would chase after her siblings to play with her everyday, but she was always ignored.”

Then, on a certain day.

Her sister whined to Dooha, who was in the midst of archery practice, to play with her. 

However, at that time, Dooha was already bent on catching up with her other male siblings.

Her younger sister was disregarded by the only older sister she had, and went to the male siblings. 

The lass tried to get on Dooha’s horse, saying that she would chase after the male siblings that had rode out into the field.

She was hit by a horse’s hoof and died on the spot.

“That child, she was only five years old then.”

And Dooha clearly witnessed that scene before her eyes. 

Her sickly sister, whom everyone found bothersome, was disregarded and died in vain.

If only Dooha didn’t find her sister bothersome, if only she didn’t disregard her.

Perhaps her sister might still be alive. 

“I’m asking you for the reason you’re doing all this.”

Dooha said to Leonhart, who was quietly watching her.

“I just did it because that’s all that I could have done.”

Perhaps it was an obsession caused by guilt during her childhood.

But, was the reason important? 

If there was a person in need in front of her, if Dooha had the ability to help them, it was impossible for her to not come forward presently.

Especially when the other party had a close relationship with her. 

“Margaret said that I was her friend.”

Margaret was the first ‘friend’ that Dooha had made after entering the castle, before becoming the Duke’s grandmother.

The first Imperial citizen that treated her as Dooha, and not the Duchess of Esbaden.

“As such, how could I stay still when I heard that Margaret, no, Grandmother, was in a critical condition?”

Even if it was something dangerous enough to be life-threatening.

Dooha didn’t just scale up the cliff just for things like medicinal herbs. 

It was her affection for Margaret.

Leonhart remained silent till she finished her story.

He just stared at Dooha intently. 

“B–by the way, it’s a little unexpected.”

To hide her embarrassment due to the heated gaze aimed at her, Dooha changed the topic secretly.

“I thought that you’d get angry first. Because of my rash actions that’s unbefitting of a Duchess.”

“…I meant to do that at first.”

Dooha looked at the slowly lowering head she was facing with a widened mouth. 

Leonhart bent down, and grasped her hands that were, just like her feet, full of wounds.

Her small hands were completely wrapped in larger hands. 

“I still think that you’re gone too far, but I don’t intend to blame you.”

He wiped the dirt off Dooha’s hands with a damp cloth.

It was still done with very careful gestures.

“I can’t get angry at someone that suffered such wounds in order to find a medicinal herb.”

Leonhart applied ointment on both of her hands and bandaged them.

It was with caution, yet precise and accurate. 

“You’re quite skillful.”

Dooha couldn’t help but utter a compliment, and he gave an indifferent response. 

“…It’s because I got hurt frequently when I was young.”

“When you were young?”

It was the first time the duke talked about himself, so Dooha’s eyes widened and focused on his words without her realisation.

As subjugating monsters was the duty of the Esbaden ducal family, the successors of the duke had to possess unconditional prowess in combat.

Leonhart started learning swordsmanship from the age of three, and by the age of twelve, he had already participated in an actual battle to subjugate the monsters. 

His skills then weren’t as good as his current skills, so he would often get hurt while facing the monsters. 

“At that time, I didn’t have anyone to treat me if I got hurt outside, so I had to take care of it myself.”

No, how could there not be a single person to treat the next duke, even if he was a child? 

“My grandmother would be overly worried if I got hurt, so I tried to settle it by myself.”

Leonhart hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“Ever since I was twelve, I’ve grown up in the care of my grandmother instead of my late parents. Of course, my grandmother used to take care of me frequently before that.”

While the previous duke was a very busy man, he was a devoted husband. He would carry out all of his busy schedule with his wife.

As such, even though they didn’t even think about the young son they had left alone. 

“So, my grandmother is as good as being my parent.”

“I see.”

“Wife.”

When Dooha turned towards the voice calling her, her breath stopped. 

Leonhart brought her hands close to his face.

It was close enough that his breath would touch her hand

“I’m very grateful for you.”

His blue eyes were shaking, glistening with a light that’s unfamiliar to Dooha.

“Truly.”

Was it because they had shared a portion of their past?

Or maybe it’s because she felt his sincerity and a hint of concern.

Thump, thump, thump–!

She placed her hand on her chest like she was trying to calm her suddenly racing heart. 

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable at any other place?”

“N–no. It’s nothing.”

Dooha shook his head hastily at Leonhart’s question, which sensed his strangeness.

She tried to ignore her heart that was trembling as if she was standing on the edge of a precipice. 

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