He shut his eyes tight. The faces of his family came to his mind under the two closed eyes. Would it be faster for Sylvia to kill him or for Azela to kill him…? The doctor turned the calculation. The worries didn’t last long, and he opened his closed eyes.
“She is…”
“She is?”
The doctor swallowed his saliva because he knew very well that his word would bring many changes to this family.
He swallowed a gulp and continued speaking.
“She is pregnant.”
As he uttered resolutely, Azela opened her mouth wide without realizing it. It was an answer she hadn’t thought of.
…Pregnant?
Pregnant? Even the handmaid who had been by her side could not hide her surprised expression at the doctor’s answer. The handmaid, who covered her mouth with her hands, glanced at Azela with sympathy.
“…Pregnant?”
Azela recalled the word unknowingly with a bewildered look. Why had she never thought about it? Since the two were very healthy adults, it could have happened. She frowned and placed her hand on her complicated head.
The doctor who looked at her hastily added his words.
“It is still in a very early stage, and it is unstable… There is still a chance of miscarriage.”
The doctor emphasized the word ‘miscarriage’ and smiled awkwardly.
In his own way, it was a comfort towards her. The Madam, who was childless and had a noble status and did not receive affection, and the commoner mistress, who has children to pass on to the next generation on top of receiving a lot of affection…
It was too easy to decide which hand the goddess of victory raised.
“…Does anyone else know this story?”
“I-I swear there isn’t. Because if I said yes, she would really kill my family…”
“…I see.”
Azela lowered her blue eyes.
Now, she understood all Sylvia’s actions that she couldn’t understand, like when she avoided seeing her or did not do anything to the handmaids.
…She was protecting herself.
No, to be precise, she was protecting the baby inside her. She hadn’t eaten, and that she had thinned up rapidly in recent days, so everything made sense. Still, there was one more problem that she didn’t understand.
‘…Then, why was she hiding it from Daniel?’
Azela tilted her head.
Clearly, if Daniel had known this news, he could not have stayed still. He was unaware of her pregnancy, and Sylvia did not tell him that she was pregnant.
She frowned at the thought. With a deep sigh, she turned her head towards the handmaid beside her and said.
“Will you be able to send him back unnoticed?”
“Yes, of course… That, then—”
After giving a bold answer, the handmaid blurted her lips and glanced at the dresser. Once there, a desire for material knows no end. Seeing her greedy gaze, Azela frowned her brow and untied the bracelet from her hand, and handed it to the handmaid.
“Haa. And, you should keep your mouth shut about the story you heard today. If this goes out, I’ll decapitate you first.”
“Trust me, Madam.”
The maid, who carefully tucked the bracelet that Azela had handed her into her pocket, raised the kneeling doctor and nodded her head. She then cautiously walked out of her bedroom with the still-white doctor.
Azela walked to the bed, now left alone, unable to hide her complicated feelings.
She didn’t have any regrets or affection for Daniel, but… Sylvia was pregnant. It was something she hadn’t thought of, and her mind was only getting confused.
In the end, she couldn’t even lie down on her bed and woken up in the morning in that position.
* * *
On a quiet morning, the dining room was filled with only the sound of cutleries clattering and Daniel’s pitiful cough. Azela, who was eating while staring at the plate in front of her, glanced up and saw Sylvia sitting next to him on the other side.
It had been a week since the doctor went, but Sylvia was still not looking good. She frowned as if she couldn’t smell the food, though she was struggling to show a smile.
‘Why are you hiding it like that?’
Azela tilted her head as she watched Sylvia pretending to painstakingly put the food into her mouth next to Daniel. A week after the doctor came, she still did not tell him that she was pregnant.
“Sylvia.”
“Yes, Daniel.”
“I don’t think you’re eating much… Does it not suit your taste?”
“No. I woke up late today, and I don’t have much appetite.”
“Not only today, but recently, they say you don’t eat well.”
Daniel gently stroked Sylvia’s cheek with a worried gaze. She smiled sadly at his touch as she forced the food into her mouth with the fork.
Azela glanced at her and raised her lips without realizing it.
“Sylvia looks very tired.”
“…Azela, what kind of wind is it that you are suddenly worried about Sylvia?”
“What kind of wind…? It’s only natural for me to worry when someone is sick. I’m not as emotionless as you are.”
After saying sharp words to Daniel, she turned her head to look at Sylvia. Azela’s gaze turned to her stomach inadvertently. As her gaze turned to her stomach, Sylvia clenched her shoulders and clasped her stomach with her hands.
Really… so easy to understand
“I’ve heard that Sylvia hasn’t been able to eat lately.”
“….”
“It could be that she’s not feeling well, so it’s better to call a doctor to see her and get medication prescribed.”
“You can’t do that…!”
As soon as Azela finished speaking, the startled Sylvia widened her eyes and screamed. Surprised by her sharp tone, Daniel looked at her, puzzledly.
“…Sylvia?”
“I, I hate doctors… I don’t like medicine. I know my physical condition best… A few days ago I must have been ill because I slept with the window open. It will be fine in a few days.”
She spoke gibberish and drew a forced smile to Daniel. Azela, who was looking at her, drew a bright smile and ate the salad placed in front of her.
“If you don’t feel well after sleeping with the window open, you can’t just leave it alone. It would be better to call a doctor and get a proper diagnosis before it gets worse.”
“Madam, you really…!”
“Sylvia, I feel the same way as Azela.”
Daniel uttered, stroking her hair with a worried gaze. Seeing that, Sylvia, who was speechless after Daniel said so too, bit her lower lip hard.
“Sylvia, Azela was in a good sense to tell you to call the doctor… No need to refuse. If you’re concerned, don’t worry, I’ll call the doctor myself.”
“Well, it’s not…”
Sylvia looked down helplessly with a nervous face.
It was a pleasure for Azela’s ears to hear the sound of Sylvia vigorously rolling her head. Leaning back on the back of the chair, she hummed and said to the maid next to her, ‘Prepare dessert.’
It was more enjoyable to see Sylvia’s troubled face than she had thought.
The prepared dessert was placed in front of Azela. She couldn’t hide her excitement when she saw that the fragrant black tea was served as a dessert. Then, she glanced in front and saw Sylvia, who was white, biting her lips hard, turning her head to the left and holding back.
“Sylvia?”
Daniel, an ignorant idiot, merely patted Sylvia on the shoulder with a worried look. The news of Sylvia’s pregnancy was, from her point of view, a powerful weapon that could certainly drive her out. However, she somehow gave up on that.
Azela still didn’t understand that… If she wouldn’t use it as a powerful weapon, she would stop with it. Then, on the contrary, she could use it as a strong weapon against Sylvia.
“…I’ll go and drink some cold water.”
Sylvia, who was white and blue, finally got up and walked with staggering steps. The handmaid by her side said she would bring her water, but she waved her hand and went on.
Azela, who glanced at her back as she moved away, drank her tea with a happy smile.
“Azela, what’s wrong with you taking care of Sylvia?”
The ignorant idiot Daniel asked with a bright look as if he thought Azela and Sylvia’s relationship had improved. He was indeed a stupid man, still didn’t notice. Placing down the tea she was drinking, she smiled.
“Tomorrow, I’ll call the doctor for Sylvia.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, Daniel. People are sick.”
When she said that, Daniel looked moved.
Azela turned her gaze back to where Sylvia had disappeared. She was sure that Sylvia had some reason why she didn’t want to reveal it so much. It was obviously not good for herself, so that was why she was probably trying to hide it.
…If that was the case, Azela wanted to know.
She then turned her head and stared at Lina.
“Lina.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“Call the Todd’s family doctor at the earliest possible time.”