"A child?"
The doctor's eyes widened.
"Consumption has aftereffects."
"Hmm. Honestly, I was surprised. I didn't expect you to ask first."
In marriages between noble families, having children was extremely important. Even in the Kingdom of Oberon, where legal marriage was monogamous and allowed only one partner, a wife could easily be divorced if she couldn't bear children.
As a result, the health of married women was a very sensitive topic. Women who feared causing trouble for their families due to marriage dissolution were often afraid of knowing their health status or avoided it even if they had a problem.
Moreover, if they called a doctor and discovered a definite illness or issue, they'd pay the doctor to keep quiet. Since there was so much reluctance, it seemed unusual to a doctor that Claudel would readily ask about her condition.
"It's no secret that I had consumption."
Claudel tried not to get emotional. Her physical condition wouldn't change just because she was sad. Moreover, perhaps due to her emotional exhaustion over Kaian, she'd become rather calm when it came to checking her physical health.
"Very few people recover from consumption, so there aren't many records."
The doctor pulled up a chair and sat down. He took out his notebook and began asking for more specifics.
"Have your periods always been irregular?"
"No, they weren't before I got consumption."
"When did your period stop?"
"About a month before I found out I had consumption, my appetite had decreased and I wasn't feeling well."
A month later, Claudel had learned from a doctor at Castle Valmonde that she had consumption.
"Mid-April, around that time."
Upon learning of her illness, the Duke of Vermont had quickly confined her to bed. He'd asked Claudel to use her sacrifice to save the people of the territory since it was an incurable disease anyway. When Claudel had nodded, he'd gone to the capital, had an audience with Valquiterre, and returned triumphant.
He'd received a promise of help from the King in exchange for her life and food. Valquiterre said he hadn't meant it that way, but regardless—
Kaian must have heard from Valquiterre in May that he should marry in a formal ceremony. June, the beautiful season when roses bloomed in Rowan, was the month they'd married.
Claudel, who'd arrived in Rowan in heavy rain, had been unable to see anything resembling a rose.
*That's what I'd thought at the time.*
She'd conjured up images of Rowan—which she'd only seen in books—and tried to imagine them. When she, wearing a white dress, arrived at Rowan Castle, strange and exotic people in light clothes would sprinkle celebratory petals, and as described, there would be lovely flowers blooming everywhere around her.
It had been the first day of life for a bride who didn't fit either fantasy.
"Even after the disease was cured, there are still no signs."
"I see."
Hearing Claudel's words, the doctor fell silent with a serious expression.
"Have you felt anything that could be called an aftereffect since your illness was cured?"
When she'd been bitten by a crocodile, Claudel had had no will to live, so she'd stayed still like a plant. But as soon as she'd discovered that her consumption was cured, from then on she hadn't wanted to call a doctor or be examined.
She supposed she'd wanted to avoid being treated like a patient as much as possible. So she'd never consulted a doctor about what she'd felt were aftereffects.
"It might not be significant. I have a good appetite."
"Appetite?"
"Before I got consumption, I never ate this much."
At first, she'd thought that because Rowan's food agreed with her taste, because she'd been ill and couldn't swallow food, and because her enforced fast had been so long, she was eating as much as her body needed.
"I feel like I'm going to collapse if I go just a little past mealtime, or I feel like I'm eating excessively."
"Before you got consumption?"
Claudel nodded.
"And I've been vomiting a few times lately and often feel nauseous and dizzy. I also saw a doctor in the capital, but the medicine didn't work."
"I see."
The doctor's eyes fell on the basket of apples nearby.
"But is that what you ate?"
Claudel was embarrassed. She was talking about not feeling well, yet she'd just eaten a bunch of apples, immediately demonstrating otherwise.
"Yes. I haven't been able to eat well since going to the capital because I haven't been feeling well, but today I suddenly felt like eating."
The doctor seemed to be thinking deeply about something.
"Then let's take a look. First, lie down comfortably on the bed."
Claudel went to the bed and lay down straight. As Hannah adjusted her skirt and robe, the doctor brought out some tools.
The doctor examined her for a while, then gave her a puzzled look. Claudel, feeling uneasy, urged him.
"What is it?"
The doctor said with a serious expression.
"It appears you're pregnant."
In that moment, there was silence in Claudel's bedroom.
"What?"
While Claudel was stunned, Hannah jumped up.
"Doctor, is what you just said true?"
"Release me."
Hannah had gotten excited and grabbed the doctor by the collar, causing him to squeak as he was strangled.
"No, this is so unexpected."
...As soon as she thought about it, something occurred to her.
Around the time Irena had visited Rowan—even though it had been warm, even when she'd been basking in the sun, a chill had run down her spine and sent shivers through her body. So when Kaian had gone out to the hunt at Fromhunt, she'd purposely worn a Valmonde dress that went all the way up to her neck.
At that time, she'd felt like her stomach was being stabbed and her ankles were aching. She'd forgotten that these were symptoms that occurred periodically before menstruation, and that she hadn't had her period for only about half a year.
"Does something come to mind?"
The doctor who'd been released by Hannah asked.
"When the Princess of Vermont visited in autumn—I think my body felt a little strange back then."
The doctor was pleased to hear she'd felt discomfort similar to before her period.
"At that time, it would have been about two months after your consumption improved."
His face brightened.
"I suppose your body recovered naturally."
"But in Valmonde, they say if you have consumption, you won't be able to have children."
The doctor continued to smile.
"There aren't many people who got consumption in the first place and recovered. Moreover, not everything heals the same way."
There wasn't just one medicine to treat consumption. There were several formulas, but most had been lost. Moreover, since there were so few people who'd recovered, the reliability of information about them not being able to have children was low.
"Congratulations, my Lady."
"Thank you."
"My Lady! Congratulations so much!"
Hannah was also overjoyed.
"We must quickly convey this news to the Lord."
As she ran off, the doctor stood up.
"I'll go report this immediately."
"Wait a moment."
"What is it? Do you want to tell him directly?"
"No. Can you keep it a secret from the Lord for a while?"
Claudel asked the doctor.
"Not being able to have children doesn't necessarily mean you can't get pregnant at all."
It was known that if you had consumption, you couldn't have a child, or if you became pregnant, you'd miscarry. It was a disease that caused inability to breathe, coughing, and even vomiting blood. There was no way a child, held by a suffocating mother, could breathe properly in her womb.
Fortunately, Claudel didn't have any breathing problems after recovering from consumption, but that remained to be seen.
"There are so few such cases that it seems unreliable. Isn't your wife pregnant like this now?"
"This child must be born whole."
The fact that the Duchess of Temnes was pregnant or that she'd lost a child was news that could ignite conflict between both families.
"I'm anxious. Can you tell him when the child is a little older?"
The doctor thought briefly.
*The Duchess is gaining His Lordship's favor.*
Moreover, if the successor was born, her position as the literal mistress would be strengthened.
*I have no reason not to do her a favor.*
The doctor nodded at Claudel's words.
"Very well. However, if anything goes wrong, you must call me immediately."
"I will."
"You're still in the early stages of pregnancy, so you mustn't overexert yourself."
The doctor continued to caution her.
"I'll tell the Lord once you've stabilized and your condition is more apparent."
"I think that would be best."
Claudel was greatly relieved to hear the doctor would keep the secret.
"Think many good thoughts, my Lady. And you must look after the Lady more carefully."
"Of course. Hehehe."
"I'll also inquire around, and if there's anything beneficial for you, I'll bring it."
"Thank you."
The doctor packed his medical bag and left Claudel's bedroom.
"There's no reason to refuse your request, Madam."
He hummed and headed toward Kaian's office.
"But how can I tell a lie to the Lord?"
In any case, it was Kaian who paid his salary and placed him in the position of resident physician in the castle.
*Madam is pregnant with a child—there's nothing to get excited about. After saying that, only Kaian, the head of the family, needs to know the truth.*
Did it make sense that Kaian didn't know there might be a successor to the Temnes family?
Consumption was an incurable disease with no answer. The doctor was inspired by his medical achievement—to have treated the Lady's illness and enabled her to have a child so proudly.
Oh, and he couldn't miss this—he'd even repaired the Lady's leg, which had been mauled by a crocodile, so she could walk without scars.
At that time, when he'd been stitching up a leg that was bleeding and necrotic, he'd done it with shaking hands in front of Kaian—who'd been glaring at him grimly—fearing that if something went wrong, his head would be severed.
If Claudel found out, she might be outraged that he'd deceived her, but the doctor was confident.
"Please tell the Lord that the doctor wishes to see him."
As he spoke excitedly in front of the Lord's office, a servant guided him inside.
Kaian was sitting at his desk, reviewing stacks of documents. He'd been delayed nearly a month due to his trip to the capital.
Kaian asked as he dipped the quill in his hand into ink.
"What's the matter?"
"Congratulations, my Lord."
He raised his head at the sudden remark.
"What do you mean all of a sudden?"
"The Lady is pregnant."
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