# 17
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I was already young, but my body was so weak that I was truly uess. Even if I got fired, I had nothing to say.
"Yes."
While I didn't know what to do, Diana, who was sleeping next to me, started tossing and turning and making noises.
Leia, who only noticed Diana's presence then, was surprised.
I don't know how long the baby was asleep, but he didn't even look like he was completely wrapped in a blanket.
Leia looked apologetic as she remembered the Duchess who had given her medicine whenever she came to her senses during her illness, and Diana who had been by her side.
“I'm sorry, Diana, because of me...”
I couldn't even properly spend time with family I'd barely met.
Leia patted Diana on the back several times before carefully getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom attached to the room.
While I was sick, the maids cleaned my body and changed my clothes, but I still felt uncomfortable and wanted to wash.
When I turned on the faucet of the huge bathtub, which looked like it could be used to splash Diana, hot, steamy water poured out.
Moreover, when I tried to take it off, I saw that I was wearing a high-quality dress that was supposedly Diana's dress.
Because of the unexpected and undeserved treatment, Leah became anxious and worried, as was her habit.
'...This can't last long.'
Now Diana follows me often, but the mind of a four-year-old changes easily.
She would soon forget the memories of spending time with me, so I couldn't just rely on the little one's heart.
“I had no intention of staying here forever.”
Leah tried to calm her racing mind and took off the dress she was wearing, thinking about what she should do here.
* * *
“How is the baby girl?”
“My fever went down last night.”
The Duchess answered Duke Elad's question.
She placed her coffee on one side of her desk where the reports were piling up and sighed.
“I thought I was in really big trouble because I threw up everything I ate and was sick all the time.”
The wife's face was also gaunt as she said that, so the Duke lightly patted the back of her hand.
However, after returning to the Duke's Castle, he was also busy with matters related to the orphanage, so he finally had some free time.
The Duke asked, rubbing his forehead and taking a sip of coffee.
“What do you think of the baby?”
"What do you mean?"
“Do you think it would be okay to leave Diana around?”
“I haven't seen her for a long time either, but... However, she seems like a good child. She was sweet and innocent, and she didn't complain once even though she was in pain.”
The Duchess thought of Leah, who was crying inwardly and swallowing down the pain without making a loud sound.
If it had been Allen or Diana, they would have been crying and shaking the castle.
Moreover, the trauma I've had since I delivered the baby and changed her clothes still hasn't gone away.
Although she was four years older than Diana, she had a similar build, so it was not unexpected that she would have a slim body, but when she actually took off her clothes, she found her slim body, as if the skin of her abdomen was stuck to a thread.
Ribs, more pathetic than I expected.
“I think I understand why Countess Marietta is so interested in her.”
It was a known fact within the empire that Bianca was treated like a servant and abused by her family when she was young.
That's why, once she obtained her title, she broke away from her original family and left the empire without any regrets.
“I'm still a child...how scared she was during that time.”
However, the Duchess said in a comforting way, saying that she was really happy that Thelen had completely removed the scar.
“Now that I think about it, it's strange, the holy power doesn't work on her, but Tailin's healing magic does.”
Although Tailin is the most capable mage in the duchy, his healing power was originally more effective through holy power, which increases vitality, compared to magical power.
Then the Duchess clapped her hands and said:
“This is still the case, I will have to look into the matter in more detail, but Thelin said that if you possess magic power of very high purity, it may not be compatible with holy power.”
“Then what about that little girl’s body?”
The Duchess nodded quickly.
After the scars on her body healed, Thelin checked her mana and exclaimed that there seemed to be a great deal of mana potential in Leia's body.
The Duchess shuddered as she remembered how difficult it was to force herf to get out of bed because she was afraid of waking the fallen child and experimenting on him at any moment.
Then I talked to my husband, who remained silent as if deep in thought.
“I have to go now, and I also have to check if the baby is awake or not...”
Then the Duke raised his eyebrows and said:
“I don't think you need to go.”
* * *
After carefully closing the door so as not to wake Diana, I walked down the long hall and stopped in front of the spiral staircase.
Where should I go to meet Duke Elad?
"Here or the dining room? Or to the training ground where the knights train?"
Then, when I met the clerk, I cautiously asked him where I should go because I wanted to meet the Duke.
To be honest, I thought the kid would be hesitant if he said he was going to meet Duke.
However, even though they seemed a bit surprised, they very kindly gave me directions to the office.
Not only that, he asked me anxiously how I was doing, as if he knew who I was or that I was sick.
I blushed, not knowing what to do with their attitude.
“Maybe the fact that Diana ran towards me when I got to the castle stuck in people’s minds.”
After walking for a long time, and accepting whoever offered to take me there so that I would not become an annoying child, I finally stood in front of a heavy door.
The duke's office was also the owner of the castle, and the silver wolf, the symbol of the duchy, was engraved in the center of the door.
I realized once again that I had truly entered the Duchy of Elad.
After staring quietly for a while, I let out a small breath and was about to knock on the door.
Suddenly the door opened and I took a step back without realizing it.
“Leah?”
Of course I thought the Duke had opened the door and gone out.
My eyes widened when I saw an unexpected person.
At that, the Duchess exclaimed with a mixture of worry and relief on her face.
“You're awake! But is it really okay to walk around like this?”
When you wake up, pull the rope and call the maid.
Were you surprised that I woke up alone?
“I'm sorry, I should have been there for you.”
As soon as she saw my face, the Duchess started spouting words, which somehow made me feel like a child who really needed to be protected.
'I finally came back to my senses a short while ago.'
I didn't know what to do with my constantly disintegrating feelings, so I hesitated to answer.
“Why did you come to see me?”
At that time, a heavy bass fell above my head.
Startled, I looked up and saw the Duke sitting at the desk behind the Duchess.
For a moment, I came back to my senses.
“Well, I have something to tell you.”
“That's what you'll say as soon as you open your eyes. Come now.”
“But she just woke up.”
The Duchess tapped my shoulder lightly as if to ask if we could do this later, but the Duke had already put aside the documents he was processing and stood up.
The Duchess looked at me with worried eyes.
“Then hurry up and talk, I will wait for you in the room.”
“Sit down.”
"Yes."
The Duchess let me into the office and then left the room.
I did as the Duke told me and sat on the living room sofa.
I was hesitant about how to speak, but the Duke was the first to speak.
“I just happened to have something to tell you, and it went well.”
What does he have to say to me?
'Is there anything about my whereabouts? …?’
I looked at the Duke, thinking what was coming would come, but I also felt regret that I wasn't lucky enough to get there first.
But what he said was different from what I expected.
“Thanks to the ledger given to me by the orphanage director, I was able to arrest all the nobles and merchants who traded in slaves.”
actually?
I was so shocked that I couldn't even ask the question out loud.
However, the expression on the face of the person who delivered this sudden news seemed extremely calm.
“The evidence is clear, so he will be given a severe punishment soon.”
I was astonished to see the Duke talking as if he took care of something really unimportant.
However, it soon occurred to me that since Duke Elad was one of the only dukes in the empire and also the Minister of Military Affairs, there would be nothing difficult about what he decided to do.
“Besides, it's not just another job, it's about catching criminals.”
As I nodded in understanding, I remembered why I had visited this place.
"Excuse me! Jack...is my friend who was injured at that time okay?"
At my words, the Duke narrowed his eyebrows for a moment as if remembering, then nodded.
“I forgot to tell you, the child who was found collapsed at the day care center woke up safely. His physical condition has completely recovered.”
I sighed in sincere relief.
Then I waited for the Duke's next words.
But he didn't say anything else.
It was strange
I think he said he would talk to Jack, who saved Diana at the time, separately to see if he wanted to join the Duke.
As I stared at the Duke, he said, “Oh.” He said as if he had realized it again.
“It was said that he asked how you were as soon as he opened his eyes. You said you were fine.”
Then, when she looked at the Duke with a blank expression on his face again, she shouted in embarrassment.
“Jack will be a great knight!”
“Knight…?”
The Duke asked again, puzzled as to whether this remark was so unexpected.
I quickly added, realizing my words lacked foundation.
“Jack is the tallest and strongest person in the orphanage. He trains every day without missing a day, and even when I get beaten by the principal, he sticks up until the end and doesn’t cry...”
“Once you see it, you'll know...”
Instead of answering, the Duke looked at me with his calm blue eyes.
Feeling disappointed, I avoided his eyes and started thinking about how to convince him.
then.
“I understand then.”
A quiet voice came from above my head.
When I raised my head in surprise, I saw the Duke laughing.