# 39
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I stared at Etheus, who looked away from me.
From between his slightly open lips, intermittent breaths came out.
“Are you really sick?”
His ears and cheeks were still red.
My heart was filled with anxiety.
“Didn't you take your pneumonia medicine?”
I had ensured adequate supplies for the revolutionary army through the Poor Relief Hospital. Was the amount of medication insufficient?
“Why are you breathing like that? Please, look at me for a moment...”
“Stop, get out of my face.”
I approached him out of concern, but he trembled violently and turned his whole body away.
He found himf facing the wall even though there was no window there.
His posture was unusually strange, his voice was full of panic, and his breathing was very strange to the always composed Etias.
“You look really unwell, should we at least go see the doctor together?”
But I wasn't going to back down in this situation.
My little kitten, I can't let you suffer.
I approached him, facing the wall, and grabbed his arm.
If I fall. …
A painful glimpse crossed my mind—Etheus lying on the floor of this frozen room, eyes closed and tears of sadness streaming down his cheeks.
With her, my outlook darkens too.
'No way!'
Then Etheus grabbed my arm and spun me around.
I slammed my back into the solid wall he was facing, and it took me several seconds to realize that he had pinned me there.
Then, like the scene in “Kabdon,” Etheus stood in front of me, staring at me.
From between his parted lips came hot, intermittent breaths.
'That look. …’
My heart skipped a beat when his blue eyes met mine.
I never imagined for a moment that Etheus would look at me like that.
The man who always hid his ambitions and everything from him, and who calmly and courageously stood through the difficulties.
And now, his eyes were burning with a dangerous gleam, as if he was holding on to the last thread of reason with difficulty.
“Huh...”
His voice came out low, mixed with ragged breathing.
“Catherine.”
His eyes were desperately struggling with something rising violently within him.
She was silent, motionless.
“… Screw it.”
His voice was strained, as if he was gritting his teeth to endure.
He slowly raised his hand and ran his fingertips gently through my hair.
He seemed to be forcing himf to focus on something else to control himf.
His wonderful scent was still felt in my nose, and my heart began to beat faster.
“I...I'm not feeling well mentally right now.”
After several dozen seconds, his voice finally sounded a little calmer, though still choppy.
“...I can’t explain it, but... Damn, I feel like I’m losing my mind because of you.”
'Because of me?'
His blue eyes still looked like he was on the edge of a burning cliff.
As if he was fighting fiercely against the instinct that pushed him to throw himf away from him.
“It's only a temporary effect, so don't ask more.”
His voice came out in a whisper mixed with a request.
“Get out now.”
I wanted to ask him, “Are you really okay?” But I looked at his face, and felt that any additional word might explode something he was holding back.
When I nodded, Etias stepped back and made way for me to pass.
I pushed past him, opened the office door and left.
Knock.
Knock.
My heart was pounding terribly in my chest.
Etheus's face, biting his lips with an expression of raw and desperate longing, lingered before my eyes.
“...what...was that?”
Outside the courthouse, I asked Hirose, who was waiting for me with the carriage, about an idea that suddenly occurred to me.
"Filius was arrested yesterday for distributing illegal drugs, right? Like stimulants."
"Yes, this is correct."
“Can you tell if it was Prince Etias who reported him?”
A little while later, Hirose returned from court with information.
Confirmed my expectations.
“As you expected, Prince Ethios reported on Filios Regalo, saying that he accidentally ingested an illegal stimulant because of him. Filios angrily denies it, claiming that he has never met the prince.”
“Ha...”
“But the testimony of the tea house workers who saw them in the same place supports what Prince Ethios said.”
She looked at the government building with trembling eyes.
‘Ethios. …’
Ethios is not the type to accidentally swallow suspicious medications.
He may have accidentally discovered that Velius had an illegal substance in his possession, but—
If so, this means he intentionally ate it.
My head whirled with conflicting thoughts.
'. …Is it his sense of justice?'
One of the reasons I loved Etheus was because of his unwavering justice.
Even after losing everything and becoming a simple judicial official, he did not hesitate to help the weak and punish the evil.
‘No, maybe he discovered Filius’ plot and did it for me. …’
With my heart beating faster, I shook my head.
impossible.
If this were true, wouldn't he have given me a hint?
“Regarding that illegal stimulant, is there an antidote to it?”
“There's nothing really, nothing that causes permanent damage – just a slight fever for a day or two, it will go away soon.”
I breathed a sigh of relief at his words, and placed my hand on my chest.
“It's only a temporary effect, so don't ask more.”
Knock-knock-knock
My troubled heart kept recalling its previous expression.
His face was slightly red, frowning hard as he tried to control himf.
“Damn, I feel like I'm losing my mind because of you.”
His voice, harsh and painful, echoed in my ears.
My fingertips tingled and I trembled as I tried to calm myf.
“What are we going to do about Velius regalo?”
“He'll probably try to post bail to get released, right?”
All the money Filius brought to the palace yesterday will be used to bail him out.
That would make Marques Rigalo very angry.
“Press the Regalo family, tell them if they don’t pay the remaining balance immediately, I will cancel the deal.”
“Understood, ma'am.”
At least this way, I can get a little revenge on him.
* * *
The Marchioness of Regallo tearfully pleaded with her husband, but he was angry and cold as if he was completely rejecting her.
“This is all your fault. How did you raise Velius to become such a shameful bastard? What kind of upbringing did you give him?!”
This happened in addition to the break-up of the engagement with Elimore, and Filius was permanently expelled from his judicial position.
Even if he inherited the title of Marquis, with a criminal record like that, he wouldn't be able to marry into a respectable family.
“Honey, please, is money more important now? Our son should be our priority.”
“It's not just money! If we don't pay the balance, we'll lose the entire deposit as well! Our family will suffer huge losses!”
Their finances were already in crisis, and they were desperate for a new business opportunity.
They bought the rights to new works from Catherine Elmore, and it was impossible to destroy this deal.
“How did you raise him? He always goes around gossiping women and wasting money! Fuck!”
“What about you?! Didn’t I raise him alone? Do you think I didn’t hear about how you harassed women in the government office when you were young and got sued? He became just like you – why do you blame me?!”
“You vile woman! Watch your words!”
The Marquis frowned angrily, but the Marquise did not back down.
“It's also the reason our money is ruined – how many failed projects do you have?!”
“Why do you mention my failures in business now? We are talking about Velius, right?!”
“When Filius tried to seduce Catherine, you were flattering him too! Telling him to extract some money from her!”
“You were no different! You were pressuring him to charm her and bring some of her jewelry!”
Their argument continued without end, and finally it ended with both of them cursing Catherine for being cruel and rude in demanding payment of the balance.
And the next day—
The Marchioness secretly collected the remaining money and used it to provide bail for her son Filius.
Filius was released, but the angry Marquis wandered around angrily.
But there was nothing that could be done.
The money has already been paid.
Their deal with Catherine Ellimore collapsed and they lost their deposit as well.
"What?! You went to Marquis Winsome's?!"
When he heard that the rights to their works had been resold to his rival, the Marquis of Winsome, the Marquis of Rigalo became sick with rage.
As the family's fortune declined, their servants began to leave one by one, and the shadow of ruin hung over the Rigalo Palace.
* * *
“Ma’am, give me more….please...”
Several days later, I was sitting in front of Hirose, who was lying at my mercy, his face slightly red as he looked at me, panting heavily.