Chapter 18

The doctors Darwin had called for beforehand were waiting for Esther to awaken throughout the entire time.

“I’m fine!”

Surprised by the number of individuals entering, Esther shouted her refusal hastily. Even so, it was helpless.

The first group of doctors were the exclusive attending physicians of the Grand Duke.

Seven people entered at once, yet no one offered to inspect Esther first.

The fundamental cause was because the physician could easily commit a mistake and dispense of Darwin’s need for them. In addition, the more the others treated Esther, the less burden one would have when it became their turn.

In the end, Evian, the lowest ranking among the doctors, was pushed forcibly on his back towards the bed.

Evian paced forward.

It was his first time standing in front of Darwin himself, as he was conventionally availing other doctors with their chores.

“Then, I will assist you for a moment.”

The nervous Evian prehended Esther’s small wrist.

It wasn’t after a while that he frantically scanned the girl. He soon shook his head as if outlandish.

“Is it a voluminous disease? How should I treat it?”

Darwin commenced to press him when he discerned Evian’s bizarre reaction.

He seemed as if he would devour Evian right away.

“That’s…”

Evian hesitated at the sight of Darwin.

“I, I think it would be nice if your Grace could stay a bit farther from here. I can’t grasp a good view of the lady.”

Evian’s voice trembled thinly.

From the time he entered the room, he was on the verge of running out of breath whilst catching the glances of the Duke.

Darwin flinched visibly at Evian’s words.

He then pulled Judy away.

“I’m sorry. Do it again.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Only then did Evian regain the color of his face and see for the medical treatment as conventional.

Near the cessation of the treatment, he and Esther’s eyes met briefly.

‘…?’

Esther was stunned.

There was a mixture of contempt in the eyes of Evian as he briefly stole a glance.

She immediately recognized the change, as they were the same eyes she always encountered at the temple.

However, such an impression vanished in a flash, so Esther was rather discombobulated whether she witnessed correctly or not.

“Your Grace, it is over.”

Evian, seeming frightened, concluded his examination as he placed the stethoscope down.

“What do you think?”

“The lady doesn’t seem to have any special diseases, but she is very weak and skinny compared to kids her age.”

The tense air loosened only after Evian reassured there was no immense problem.

“Please have her eat well.”

Darwin only then could breathe a sigh of relief.

“Good thing.”

Although Darwin was habitually an unemotional individual, he was unusually worried about Esther’s condition.

But that wasn’t the end of the treatment.

The remaining doctors proceeded to examine Esther one after another.

“Tell him to come in next.”

As soon as the doctor culminated his medical treatment and excused himself, Darwin immediately called for the next person.

Esther couldn’t stand the situation anymore and desperately clutched Darwin’s sleeve. She didn’t want anyone else to examine her.

“Grand duke.”

“Hm?”

Her hand froze the bewildered Darwin. Esther’s hand as it held on to his sleeve seemed so very endearing, it beat Darwin’s heart without mercy.

“I’m fine now.”

Esther gazed up at Darwin and shook her small head to assure she was really alright.

At this rate, she would end up with a disease that didn’t even subsist.

However, after seeing Esther on the verge of tears, Darwin’s worries grew even worse.

“The child has a bad complexion, Are you sure she’s alright? Bring back the doctors that already checked her condition.”

Darwin frowned profusely in the middle of his forehead and placed his hands over Esther’s cheeks, examining her face in all directions possible.

Esther sent Ben a look pleading for help as her cheeks were seized.

Ben also sensed nothing would turn out good, so he closed his eyes and began speaking.

“Your Grace, it seems the lady is struggling a bit.”

“Esther?”

Darwin stopped speaking and canvassed Esther more objectively.

“But what if the doctors are the ones who can’t detect the disease?”

“Let us see for the next few days. I will show my lady to a physician once a day.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Thanks to Ben’s assistance, Esther was able to prevent any further treatment.

She placed her hand over her chest in relief, thinking the end of this fuss was rather fortunate.

It was the most extravagant moment in all of Esther’s lives.

“Then I will instruct an exclusive diet for the lady’s quick recovery.”

“Take care of the snacks.”

“Of course.”

The butler was deeply motivated. Not only the butler but all the servants as well.

It was no wonder that this was the Grand duke’s mansion.

However, there was absolutely no reason to fall due to lack of sleep.

Everyone turned their eyes on Esther as if inspiriting her to get stronger.

As the uproar passed by and everything quietened down, Esther glanced at Darwin, still seated in the room.

She was ashamed for this fuss to have accumulated although she wasn’t ill in the first place. It would have been better if she were genuinely sick.

“I’m sorry it was nothing that big of a deal.”

“What do you mean? You aren’t unwell, I am rather glad.”

Darwin spoke to Esther in a gentle but stern voice.

“And this is an immensely big deal. It will always be problematic when you are ill.”

Words that Esther had never heard of penetrated her mind. The tickling sensation originating from her chest was strange.

‘I wasn’t even sick.’

Was it like this when she was at the temple?

No one cared for Esther, even during the times she was solemnly ill.

Even when she bled and suffered, they all overlooked her presence as if it were natural.

So she thought she was a person who should become bedridden.

Compared to what Esther had been through, two days’ unconsciousness was nothing. It was peculiar and strange to be among people who made a fuss about it.

The tearful Esther worked to open her eyes.

‘You can’t cry.’

It seemed like her tears would spill out the moment she released her strength.

She proceeded to grab anything to refrain her tears, but Judy, who was seated next to the bed, stopped her from doing so.

“Oh, that’s my gift.”

Judy grinned brightly and intervened without notice.

“I bought it because it looks like you.”

“This and me… What do you mean?”

“Here. Both your eyes are exactly the same.”

Judy worked to widen his eyes to imitate the Rabbits’.

Esther visually examined the doll to see if they did seem alike.

However, the pure white sheepish doll and the soft, lovely fur did not resemble Esther in any way.

Rather, it was the opposite.

“I don’t look like it…”

Esther pulled both ears of the rabbit doll.

Although she didn’t think they resembled each other in any way, the tips of her small mouth slowly curled upwards.

“I don’t think I need to be here anymore, so let’s get out of… Ack! Father, it hurts!”

Judy was held firmly in Darwin’s grasp as he attempted to flee the room.

Soon after, he dismally returned to his place in consequence of his father’s malignant touch.

“Before you leave, say sorry.”

“Oh, right.”

Judy ran to Esther on the verge of tears and hugged her shoulders, begging for her forgiveness for what happened when he forgot their meeting.

“…???”

Her eyes bulged endlessly; she was hugged defenselessly without warning.

Dennis didn’t seem particularly hesitant as he hugged Esther alongside Judy.

Darwin ventured forward as the twins loosened both their arms.

For her to not be surprised, he opened his arms wide for a moment before embracing her.

His physique was so large that Esther successfully fell into his arms.

“Let’s remain healthy.”

Darwin patted Esther on the back.

“Don’t get sick.”

“Your Grace! You shouldn’t treat the lady like you would with the masters!”

“Oh, was I too strong? I’m sorry.”

Darwin did work to be as gentle as possible, but all sorts of nagging came from the servants, in fear that the frail Esther would be harmed.

During that time, Esther couldn’t keep her mind clear from the sudden attacks. Her cheeks glowed red.

It was new and awkward, as no one had hugged her before. She felt odd.

‘It seems that people can be so close together.’

Esther was bewildered by the actions of those who hugged her casually. That the warmth between people could be close.

After a while, she came to her senses to find herself in the room alone.

“Ah… They’re gone.”

The absent-minded Esther stretched out on the bedsheets.

Until now, everything resembled a dream.

She had never imagined that Darwin, who was said to have caused a little girl to weep with a smile on his face, would act as he did now.

“Who would believe it?”

Esther lowered her head and began to giggle. She somehow couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

The laughter grew louder and louder, and for a while, Esther grinned and chuckled like a mad person.

After a long break off, Esther’s eyes loaded with thick teardrops that were deemed unable to flow.

** ━━━━━━━⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ━━━━━━━**

Evian, the first physician who examined Esther first, was unable to leave and circled the mansion.

His gaze remained fixed on the third floor, where Esther was currently resting.

His current eyes which filled with queerness were the very same Esther caught for a moment.

“What the hell is going on?”

Evian glanced down at his still shaking hand.

As a physician, Evian was very successful in his role.

Although he remained a low-level official, he was selected as one of the few chief dentists of the Grand Duke’s residence.

However, he possessed one more unique talent that no one else knew of.

It was the ability to detect divine power.

Normally, it was a skill displayed only to the temple priests, but for an unknown reason, it was also revealed to Evian.

Even so, it was a talent befitting a doctor.

The divine power was under the jurisdiction of the temple, so there was no need for the intervention of ordinary doctors.

Today, however, Evian was aware of Esther’s secret that other doctors have not noticed thanks to his exceptional capacity.

It was the fact that Esther’s body had a tremendous amount of divine power.

His hands trembled the moment he discovered her mana.

It hadn’t yet manifested, but Evian couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to use that force properly.

Evian muttered his opinion as he took a seat on the bench.

“He knew and brought her in for that reason, I’m sure.”

It made sense if one thought about it carefully.

Everyone knew how horrific and terrifying the Grand Duke of Darwin was.

It was strange from the beginning that he, who held no mercy towards others, brought an orphan.

There was already a rumor in the residence that such a thing couldn’t be the case unless the child had already been hidden beforehand.

It was odd, Evian thought, but now he understood that there was a special price for the orphan he had brought.

“Such a scary man.”

Evian clicked his tongue.

His tongue hung out in the cruelty of Darwin’s casual use of a pitiful child.

‘Well, I don’t care what happens to the orphan.’

There was one significant thing for Evian.

How far can this secret be kept?

Now that he had learned the secrets of the grand duke, his career path was not less than a matter of course.

Evian hummed excitedly and left for elsewhere.