Chapter 23

The servant snapped back to reality from the thunderous shout and bolted toward the physician. Noah, who had been about to follow, halted and climbed the stairs instead. First, he needed to lay her down. He carried Adeline into his own room, then reached out to gently stroke her cheek. Her face was as pale as a corpse, utterly drained. He had never actually seen a dead body, yet an instinctual dread rose within him. Even yesterday, while she had looked tired, she had not seemed gravely ill. The sight of lips without a trace of color sent a wildfire through Noah’s chest. Why did he feel this way? Why did it feel so filthy, so unsettling, so terrifying?

“Young Master!”

The physician arrived in a rush, examined Adeline lying on the bed, and cast a quick glance at Noah standing nearby. His expression remained grave as he checked her pulse, puzzled. The physician knew the young master was far too healthy to be troubled by mere illness; something must have spooked him. ‘I never imagined he would worry about someone so deeply.’ Occasionally, women who had spent the night with him at the manor would visit again. Most were foolishly infatuated and begged him to become their lover, but Noah had simply driven nails into their chests, leaving them bedridden or unconscious. None had ever truly mattered. Worry was something he had never felt for anyone. “Food? I don’t know.”

Noah had received daily reports on Adeline’s routine, but only when he chose to read them. He was not some pervert who watched her constantly. He knew better than anyone how filthy that thought was. Only on the very first day had he been curious enough to ask about her well-being, but lately… “Do you sleep well?” “Sleep… I can’t.” “Then there is only one answer.” “You are quite unwell, aren’t you?” Noah’s lips felt as dry as parchment, so he unconsciously moistened them with his tongue. “Insufficient sleep and malnutrition.” For a moment Noah thought he had misheard. One eye narrowed in disbelief, he tilted his head. “Malnutrition?” Insufficient sleep—he understood that. He had pushed her too hard. If Adeline had truly slept without even realizing it was him, he would have felt disgust by now. Her occasional tremors and restless movements showed she had been aware. He could only imagine how ridiculous she must have looked the next morning with her dazed, smiling face. But malnutrition? A noblewoman like her—born and raised on the finest foods—how could she suffer such a thing? “In my own house?” He could not believe it. “Yes. Probably… that is…” The physician trailed off, glancing sideways at Noah with obvious unease. Noah’s eyes narrowed further. “If you have something to say, speak.” “She has been worrying about Young Master and has lost her strength.” Noah’s lips tightened. Adeline had fallen for his scheme so completely that she had harmed herself. His plan had been flawless, yet his mood grew strangely dark. The moment he saw her eyes softening toward him, his heart plummeted to the floor. It was the same now. The instant the physician revealed that her malnutrition stemmed from forcing herself to eat because of his health, Noah felt as though someone had slapped him from behind. “This is the worst feeling ever.” Noah cursed under his breath and ran a hand through his hair. Without her, he had enjoyed swimming to his heart’s content. Of course, he had warned Albert through gritted teeth not to let him approach the lakeside where Adeline might appear. As the days passed, he grew increasingly restless. While swimming, he wondered why she had returned to the Billet estate, when she would come back—completely lost in thought. He had told himself it was nothing more than lingering desire, but the moment he saw her now, his chest tightened unbearably. He simply could not explain the feeling. He had no intention of tormenting her any longer. Sweeping a hand across his gaunt face, he tried to mask the guilt rising within him. The physician finished his examination and discreetly slipped out of the room. Noah stared down at Adeline, only then realizing how disheveled she looked. His hand reached for the neckline stained with a yellowish mark. “What have you been doing?” He lowered his head, and a sweet orange scent drifted up. Why would Adeline return from a visit to the Billet estate and smear herself in orange juice? No matter how hard he thought, he could not come up with an answer.***

“Dig into Adeline’s background.”

In the end, Noah surrendered. Admitting he was his father’s son was terrifying, yet denying it would cost him far more. He needed to know everything—exactly what Adeline was doing and who she was meeting. He could not simply sit back and watch while she appeared to have been doused in orange juice. “Blood cannot be hidden.” Noah smiled thinly as he issued the order to Albert, yet the feeling in his chest was not entirely bad. Rationalization began to take root on its own. This is for her protection. She needs to know what I am capable of so I can handle any trouble that arises. A while later, Noah received new information. Adeline’s stepsister Silvia Billet’s birthday ball was approaching, and Adeline herself would attend.***

Noah had changed. Adeline found sitting on his bed unbearably painful, yet the patient himself kept her shoulders pinned down so she could not rise. “You will collapse if you go down there.” “It’s not that bad…” “It most certainly is.” Noah hardened his expression sternly. The instant Adeline opened her eyes, her shock was complete: she was in Noah’s bedroom and her dress had been changed. [W-What? Noah, who changed my dress?] The very first question from the awakened Adeline left Noah momentarily silent. That silence made her mouth dry. [A maid.] [A… That’s good…] Only after letting out a sigh of relief did Noah add, “Now that you’re awake, we should eat.” A table was set with a full meal. “Malnutrition, you see.” Noah repeated the word he had already said, sounding quite firm. Adeline had to choose her response carefully. While she hesitated, Noah felt a dull ache in his chest again. When she had only pretended to be hurt to make him break off their engagement, he had felt nothing. But now that Adeline lay in his bed, his heart grew heavy. Noah took a short breath to steady himself. “I failed to treat you as a guest. I apologize.” “N-No, it’s fine.” “A guest in my home suffering from malnutrition. I have never been in such a humiliating situation before. I feel an immense sense of responsibility right now… and… shame.” The backlash from seeing Noah after his return from the Billet estate had been severe. The physician had diagnosed her as malnourished, and ever since she had woken, Noah had repeated the diagnosis relentlessly. Of course, Adeline was equally stunned. She had occasionally felt dizzy and weak, but she had never connected it to malnutrition. Worrying over Noah’s health had caused her to skip meals for days. “Let me make it up to you.” Noah’s pitiful expression begged her, so Adeline could not refuse to get up. Embarrassed, she rubbed her neck and nodded. Noah smiled brightly and drew closer to Adeline. The strong scent of his cologne and body heat made her body jolt. Noah, who had been about to embrace her, froze and looked up. Their faces were so close she could feel his breath. His unwavering gaze made the tips of her fingers tingle for some reason. Ashamed, Adeline lowered her eyes. “You need to eat.” “You don’t have to… I’m fine.” “Adeline, look at me.” Noah did not touch her at all—he simply issued a command. The warm, gentle melody of his voice made Adeline’s ears burn as though she had heard a confession. Slowly raising her gaze, she met his straight eyes. “Your body is already at its limit. If you walk to your room like this, you will collapse again.” “It’s not even a few steps…” “I’m worried you might fall even with one step.”