I’ll Be the Heroine’s Competent Divorce Partner - Chapter 142

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 142

 

Time passed peacefully.

 

The children who received gifts were overjoyed.

 

“Wow, gold crayons!”

 

“There’s silver here too!”

 

I had memories of treasuring gold and silver crayons when I was young, so I deliberately chose crayons that included those colors.

 

It seems like it was a good choice.

 

I watched the excited children with a pleased gaze, and the teachers skillfully comforted the children.

 

“What should we say to the person who gave us gifts?”

 

At that moment.

 

The children turned to look at me all at once.

 

Those sparkling eyes looked just like meerkats…

 

“Thank you!”

 

“Thank you very much!”

 

The children lined up and bowed politely.

 

I smiled and nodded my head.

 

“Now, everyone, let’s go to the Dining Room.”

 

The teacher led the children toward the Dining Room.

 

While the children received a piece of bread and a bowl of stew.

 

I also joined them and received food.

 

I stirred the stew with a spoon.

 

I could see large potatoes, meat, and finely chopped carrots.

 

‘This should be enough to fool the children, right?’

 

A pleased smile spread across my lips.

 

Until then, I thought today would pass peacefully.

 

Until after lunch ended and something unexpected suddenly happened.

 

* * *

 

In the afternoon with warm sunlight streaming down.

 

The children were lying on the playroom floor, each gripping crayons firmly in their small hands, drawing pictures.

 

Of course, these were the crayons I had given them as gifts. Hehe.

 

One of the girls showed me her sketchbook.

 

“This is you, sister!”

 

“Wow, really?”

 

I smiled brightly and looked down at the Painting.

 

A woman was drawn in a crooked drawing style.

 

The woman with disheveled pink hair and a bright smile was wearing a golden Dress.

 

“Wow, you’re wearing a gold dress?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Somehow, my heart felt deeply moved.

 

Because I had seen it clearly with my own two eyes just moments ago.

 

How much the children loved the gold and silver crayons.

 

They must have wanted to save them, yet they generously colored away to draw my dress for me.

 

“My goodness, it’s so beautiful! What are these silver decorations? Are they flowers?”

 

I was in the middle of showering them with endless praise.

 

‘Huh?’

 

I slightly furrowed my brow.

 

Somehow my stomach seemed to… hurt a little?

 

I felt nauseous, and my head was spinning.

 

‘What’s wrong with me?’

 

I took short, deep breaths and tried to calm my churning stomach.

 

But it was completely useless.

 

The nausea grew even worse, and I felt like I was going to vomit.

 

But then.

 

“…Sister.”

 

Just then, one of the children called out to me in a voice that seemed about to fade away.

 

Their face was pale without a trace of color.

 

“My stomach hurts… urgh.”

 

The child curled up and vomited violently.

 

At the same time, the other children began complaining of symptoms one by one.

 

Dizziness, stomach aches.

 

“Waaaah!”

 

One child even burst into heart-wrenching sobs, unable to bear the pain.

 

The playroom quickly became chaos.

 

“Oh my goodness, children…”

 

I needed to check on the children’s condition somehow, but my whole body felt heavy as lead.

 

As I staggered to get up from my seat, I clutched my stomach with both hands.

 

“Ugh.”

 

My stomach felt like it was being squeezed and twisted.

 

I was so dizzy that I couldn’t possibly keep my eyes open.

 

But then.

 

“Marquess!”

 

Someone urgently rushed into the playroom.

 

It was the director and the teachers.

 

I moved my lips with difficulty.

 

“The, the children…”

 

But I couldn’t finish my words.

 

His vision began to blur and quickly turned pitch black.

 

It was a blackout.

 

* * *

 

The policy that Marquis Lucerno had first proposed at the noble council meeting.

 

The ‘all-day childcare facility’ that had been piloted in the Mare district to care for children of dual-income couples.

 

A massive food poisoning incident had erupted at that childcare facility.

 

The Empire was in complete uproar over the news.

 

“Did you hear? There was a food poisoning incident?!”

 

At this unprecedented incident, all the gossips in the Empire added their own comments.

 

“How exactly are they managing their food ingredients?”

 

“If management is this poor, how can we trust them with our children?”

 

“Exactly!”

 

The investigation results blamed the food.

 

Sprouted potatoes contain toxins, and that poison was detected in the stew.

 

Fortunately, the adult staff members like the director and teachers were safe.

 

The adults usually had their late lunch during the children’s nap time.

 

Thanks to that, they were able to quickly notice and respond to the abnormalities in Marquis Lucerno and the children.

 

However, the childcare facility vehemently denied the related charges.

 

‘That’s not true!’

 

The cook burst into tears, unable to bear the injustice.

 

‘I managed the food ingredients according to regulations and thoroughly inspected everything. I prepared it thinking it would go into my own children’s mouths.’

 

‘You might not believe me after this incident, but it’s really true.’

 

The childcare director also came forward to support the cook’s words.

 

‘I’m not trying to protect our staff member, but we really did conduct thorough inspections. How could we be careless when we’re implementing a pilot policy?’

 

‘The director is right.’

 

‘The cook’s work is really trustworthy.’

 

The childcare teachers also unanimously insisted on the cook’s innocence.

 

While the situation was becoming even more mysterious.

 

Joshua was looking at Elodie lying on the bed with a grave expression.

 

Her pale complexion.

 

Her quietly closed eyelids.

 

Her bloodless lips were completely dry.

 

Joshua, who had been quietly watching that sight, clenched his fists tightly.

 

‘Damn it.’

 

Elodie and the children were all admitted to the National Scope Medical Center.

 

Thanks to the swift transfer to a place where the best medical staff could treat them after this incident broke out.

 

Everyone’s life was out of danger.

 

However, the children would need long-term hospital treatment due to consuming excessive amounts of poison relative to their small bodies.

 

Just as Joshua’s expression was growing darker and darker.

 

“…Your Highness?”

 

A frail voice that seemed ready to break at any moment rang out.

 

Joshua, startled, raised his voice.

 

“Elodie?!”

 

Elodie, who had been sleeping the entire time, had finally opened her eyes.

 

Her blurry pupils gradually found focus.

 

Joshua sprang up and examined Elodie’s complexion with urgent eyes.

 

“Are you feeling alright? No, I should call the medical staff first…”

 

“No.”

 

Elodie moved her lips with difficulty.

 

Her voice was terribly hoarse.

 

“I’m fine… What about the children?”

 

“…”

 

Joshua bit his lower lip hard.

 

What did she mean she was fine?

 

When she looked like she might faint at any moment.

 

Though he wished she would focus on taking care of herself first, he couldn’t help but understand her worried heart.

 

“They’re all admitted to Scope Medical Center.”

 

At that answer, Elodie turned pale.

 

Joshua hurriedly shook his head.

 

“Their lives are not in danger. The Imperial Family also plans to provide maximum support for their full recovery.”

 

“…”

 

Only then did Elodie’s expression relax a little.

 

She let out a big sigh and asked carefully.

 

“How did this happen?”

 

“Well…”

 

Joshua explained the entire situation up to this point.

 

That potato sprout poison had been detected in the stew.

 

And thus food poisoning symptoms occurred, causing everyone who ate the stew to collapse.

 

Elodie couldn’t hide her bewildered expression.

 

“That can’t be right.”

 

She recalled the kitchen she had visited.

 

The kitchen that had been cleaned spotlessly without a speck of dust.

 

Though she had only glanced at them, the condition of the ingredients had seemed fine too.

 

The potatoes in particular had been completely clean without a single blemish.

 

“For now, Elodie, don’t worry about anything else and just rest well. I’ll investigate this matter further.”

 

“But….”

 

“Elodie.”

 

Elodie, who had been about to say something, closed her mouth.

 

Joshua’s face was unusually stern.

 

“There are many people who care deeply about you.”

 

“….”

 

“For their sake as well, shouldn’t you focus on recovering first?”

 

At those words, Elodie reluctantly nodded her head.

 

Joshua continued in a soothing tone.

 

“For now, just focus on your treatment, understood?”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

Only after hearing that response did Joshua smile faintly with relief.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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