A Misjudgment

It was a misjudgment. He never imagined Adeline would make such a terrifyingly insane declaration—that she would nurse a man stricken with illness.

Noah readily admitted it.

He had underestimated Adeline Billet.

"Today, I met with the attending physician as well."

Adeline was still staying at the Miller Duke's residence. Three days had passed since her explosive declaration.

In the meantime, Adeline had visited the Billet Duke's residence, and Noah had hoped the Billet Duke would talk her out of it.

But it was a vain hope.

'A man who, knowing the rumors about me, still betrothed his daughter to me must be out of his mind. Like father, like daughter.'

Noah glared at Adeline, who had brought chicken soup as if to show off. Look at this pathetic sight of him sitting on the bed.

'What the hell is all this?'

While she was away, Albert had informed only the attending physician that Noah was preparing a scam to deceive his fiancée.

And half of the servants had been sent on vacation. The remaining ones were told that Noah was truly ill.

It was easy to get them to accept it.

Now that the Duke had delegated all authority to the Young Duke and left for recuperation, the excuse that if the Young Duke's illness became known to the outside world it could pose a risk to the Miller Duke family's prestige and related businesses—so it was kept strictly confidential—was accepted by everyone.

"You said you can't fall asleep at night because of the pain."

"Yes, well."

Noah, with dark circles under his eyes, nodded. This wasn't acting. Since Adeline's shocking declaration, Noah had truly been unable to sleep at night.

"So I... brought this."

Adeline held out something in a small box. Maybe sleeping pills. Noah smiled as if moved and opened the box.

At that moment, Noah's mouth twitched and stiffened.

"They say it can relieve the pain for a while. It's not legal, but still... I wanted you to sleep comfortably for at least a day."

"And yet you bring opium."

Noah snorted in disbelief. Opium wasn't a legal substance, but it was quite useful for patients waiting only for death.

Of course, not for Noah.

"I'm at a loss for words at how much the young lady cares for me. You really don't need to think about someone like me."

Noah carefully placed the opium in the drawer. In his heart, he wanted to throw it straight into the trash. But he was a patient fighting a terrible illness, and opium was a lifeline that would help him forget the pain.

Therefore, reacting harshly wouldn't fit the setting.

"Will you allow me to care for the young lady as much as she cares for me?"

Noah once again politely expressed his desire to break off the engagement.

"I understand your feelings very well. But you don't know what it means to fight against illness."

In fact, the one who knew least was Noah. But since Noah didn't even know that Adeline had nursed her grandmother, he lowered his eyes sorrowfully like a tragic heroine.

"It's truly terrible. The organs feel like they're burning, and the people around find it hard to look at the patient. Perhaps I might show you my unsightly side, just like last time."

"Last time?"

"I mean when I made you see blood."

Ah... Adeline let out a foolish groan. On the day she reunited with Noah, the handkerchief stained with the blood he had coughed up still lingered before her eyes.

Noah firmly grasped Adeline's hand.

Her defenseless hand twitched and stiffened. Had her hand always been this small? Well, he wouldn't know unless he held it. In any case, Adeline's hand was only half the size of Noah's—a dainty size. A strange feeling stirred in his chest at this sudden realization.

Noah habitually rubbed the back of her soft hand with his thumb. Unconsciously scratching her soft palm, Adeline's shoulders jolted up.

"Ungh......"

At the sigh-like moan, Noah looked up. Adeline's neck and face flushed red in turn.

Ah.

Noah rubbed the corner of his mouth awkwardly. He had acted out of habit, as he would with other women.

"Y-your hand......"

He had intended to let go at first.

He had held her hand to convey his sincerity.

Although he was pretending to be ill, his wish for her to marry another man was genuine.

But seeing her unable to meet his eyes, fidgeting and unable to hide her emotions, a whim suddenly reared its head.

"Young lady. Are you uncomfortable somewhere?"

Noah tilted his head, stroking Adeline's fingers with his thumb. Her straight fingers were very thin and soft. He rubbed them as if engraving the skin, then suddenly pressed down on each joint.

"Ungh…."

Noah pretended not to notice and rubbed her palm. The man's large hand covered Adeline's. The tender flesh rubbed stickily against each other. A chilling thrill ran up his spine.

But Noah, with an innocent look in his eyes, seemed unaware of how strange his actions were.

"Ah, no. Please continue what you were saying."

"What I was trying to say is that if you nurse me, you'll probably see ugly sides of me that I don't want to show."

A snake-like hand slipped between her fingers. The hand gripping tightly scratched the back of her hand. Her shoulders trembled.

"I don't want that."

Adeline bit her lip. It seemed strange to say there was no intention, but Noah was too nonchalant. Her hand tickled. Adeline hurriedly pulled her hand away.

"D-don't hold my hand."

"Why?"

Noah frowned and clenched and unclenched his empty hand. Adeline swallowed, afraid he might grab the hand she had hidden behind her back.

"We're not lovers, and we're not married, so holding hands is strange, isn't it?"

Noah was dumbfounded by Adeline's logic.

To Noah, who stripped women naked and had sex with them even when they weren't lovers or married, Adeline's words sounded like rules from another world.

A moment later, Noah bit the inside of his cheek. He had almost laughed at her innocent appearance.

"We're still engaged, though."

Even when Noah mentioned their relationship, Adeline hid her hands behind her skirt.

"Friends can hold hands too."

At the word "friend" coming from Noah's mouth, Adeline's heart dropped.

Don't read too much into it. The "friend" Noah mentioned was just referring to an ordinary relationship.

He didn't see Adeline as a friend. He only found her bothersome and disliked her.

"The Young Duke is my fiancé, but we have no feelings for each other. Nursing the Young Duke is just fulfilling my duty as a fiancée."

"So."

"......"

"That's what's strange."

Noah narrowed his eyes as if he had said it well.

"Nursing someone who's been given a death sentence isn't a fiancée's duty."

"That's."

Adeline paused for a moment. She had never confessed her feelings to Noah.

"It's my loyalty. You may not be, but I still consider you my friend. I just don't want to leave my friend to die alone. Like before."

Noah immediately understood what day Adeline was referring to. Of course he did.

Adeline's face, crying her eyes out in the breeding ground, had appeared in young Noah's dreams for a while.

"Let's say that's true."

Yes. Adeline was a foolish woman. Weak to such trivial affections.

"If I die, your path to marriage will be blocked. Then you can resent me all you want."

"There are plenty of men in this world who want to marry me."

That was an extremely obvious fact. Since the Billet Duke's family had high honor and status, there were men at her feet eager to connect with the ducal family.

"Marry the highest-grade man while your value is still high......"

Noah stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth. It was because Adeline's face had turned cold. Her violet eyes, drained of vitality, lowered. The way she picked up the soup bowl she had quietly brought seemed elegant yet precarious, as if she might throw it at Noah's face right away.

"Thank you for the advice. But Young Duke, the highest-grade man who matches my level and is the most valuable is, unfortunately."

Adeline smiled and picked up the spoon. She scooped up a full spoonful of soup.

"My current fiancé, the Young Duke."

"......"

"So stop talking and say 'ah'. You need to eat and take your medicine."

It was a command to shut up and eat.

It was the first time a woman had treated him this way. The docile Adeline from childhood was nowhere to be found, no matter how hard he looked.

'When did she change like this?'

Noah couldn't give up until the end. His head was filled with thoughts of somehow convincing this woman to end this act.

"This is your last chance. When I let you go, run away, ugh!"

Noah's eyebrow shot up menacingly, his brow furrowing.

Adeline had shoved the spoon between his lips, as if she didn't want to hear any more.

Even when Noah grabbed her wrist with terrifying force, Adeline didn't back down.

"Young Duke, don't kick away the chance I gave you either."

Noah realized anew. This woman, it seemed, didn't have the sense to listen to words.