The Military Doctor Excels at Being a Contracted Duchess - Chapter 24

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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 24】

Naturally, unless it was a family of Bayern’s caliber, they wouldn’t have thought to use such materials.

The cost would be astronomical.

Victor narrowed his brow and continued in a low voice.

“When I checked the records yesterday, it said they imported fire-resistant materials from the Roman Empire every time they renovated the manor afterward.”

“What’s the name of that fire-resistant material?”

“Asbestos.”

Ebel immediately understood the Roman Empire language.

“It’s asbestos.”

A material that doesn’t burn. A mineral bestowed by God.

First, you break it with a hammer to extract the fibers from within the mineral, then comb it like wool several times to process it into fine fibers.

‘No matter how I think about it, asbestos is suspicious.’

But there was no research on the causal relationship between asbestos and lung disease.

After pondering, Ebel finally looked at Victor.

“That asbestos might have been the problem. Though I have no proof.”

If not everyone here had been so friendly to her, she would have thought more before speaking.

Even she, who wasn’t particularly interested in fabrics, knew that asbestos was extremely expensive.

Linum vivum.

It means magical fabric given by God, and is another name for asbestos.

It was so precious that only the Roman Empire’s emperor and highest-ranking priests could wear it.

‘Since production is limited, even the most powerful nobles importing asbestos would be unthinkable.’

So they might not have known its dangers.

Who would dare say the emperor’s or high priest’s fabric was ‘dangerous’?

They couldn’t even research it in the first place.

‘Bayern must have had tremendous pride in importing such asbestos and using it as interior material.’

It’s something one shouldn’t speak carelessly about.

If that pride had been making Bayern’s bloodline suffer all this time, wouldn’t that be too much?

“You mean asbestos would have been the problem?”

“Yes.”

Victor asked once more as if he couldn’t easily believe it, but Ebel answered firmly.

“There’s no research on it, so I have no evidence. It’s just that through the process of elimination, nothing else comes to mind right now.”

“…I’ll gather scientists to conduct research. It would be best to move the children’s rooms to places without fire-resistant materials.”

Ebel liked his attitude of not dismissing even small suspicions.

Since she was living comfortably at the Archduke’s Mansion like this, she definitely wanted to protect the children.

“Amazing. How is such reasoning possible…?”

Colonel Conrad clicked his tongue in admiration, and his wife grasped Victor’s hand warmly with a tearful expression again.

“I hope your daughter’s discovery is correct. That would also be terribly sad, but… the two young masters and the babies to be born in the future must be healthy.”

For a moment, both Ebel and Victor flinched simultaneously.

They wouldn’t be able to see babies.

Watching the two awkwardly exchange glances, the wife covered her mouth and laughed softly.

“Oh my, this old woman is being foolish. You’ll surely handle things yourselves.”

“…I heard earlier that there was pie in the oven, would that be alright?”

When Ebel asked this, unable to bear the embarrassment, the wife pretended to be surprised and disappeared, dragging her husband along.

The two people left alone in the drawing room fell silent for a moment.

“Does she think this isn’t a contract marriage but a real love marriage…?”

“Yes. The fewer people who know about the operation, the better.”

“I… see.”

Having that kind of relationship with Victor and having a baby.

It was truly absurd.

Ebel shook her head alone.

Naturally thinking he would feel the same way.

* * *

What was originally planned as a four-hour meeting somehow extended until evening. This was because Mrs. Eberstain didn’t want to let Ebel go.

Ebel also inwardly enjoyed being at the Eberstain Estate, so she leisurely drank wine while even looking at portraits of the wife’s childhood.

The pie was sufficiently delicious, and the wife even played piano with her cheeks flushed red like a young girl.

Then, when the sun had completely set, Colonel Conrad gently spoke to his wife.

“It’s gotten late. Shouldn’t you rest now too, dear?”

“Ah… you’re right. I’m so reluctant to let her go… I’m sorry, daughter. Please come visit again next time.”

The wife hugged Ebel with a lonely expression.

She had been smiling all day, but perhaps this was her usual state.

Ebel had no way of knowing what the grief of losing a child overnight was like, but she could sense it. In the wife’s face that flashed by for a moment, pain was clustered together.

“I’ll come often.”

Hugging the wife back, Ebel whispered this.

It wasn’t a lie to comfort her.

She wanted it too.

“Thank you. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my wife this lively.”

A little later, after the wife went to rest first, on the way out, Colonel Conrad bowed his head toward her.

For someone of that age and rank as colonel, this wasn’t easy to do.

In the past, Ebel had seen the colonel salute, but had never once seen him bow his head.

“I was happy too. Please tell her I’m grateful for creating such a happy time.”

“I will. In my old age… I’ve found the strength to live again.”

Soon Colonel Conrad gave Victor a sharp, precise military salute.

Ebel sat in the carriage, lost in thought as she stared blankly outside.

Victor gazed at her quietly before slowly opening his mouth.

“How was it?”

“Ah… it was… good.”

Her heart felt strangely unsettled.

The original couple’s daughter must have grown up receiving this kind of love.

It’s not that she felt like she had stolen that person’s place or anything.

It’s just… just.

“There are such warm mothers in this world too…”

Victor pretended not to hear Ebel’s murmur.

She never showed what kind of life she had lived.

That was clearly a defensive barrier.

Entering without permission while pretending to know would be overstepping boundaries regarding that person’s life.

“It’s still raining. Fortunately we’re returning before it pours down heavily. The sky at this time is fickle.”

Instead, Victor changed the subject to something else.

Ebel felt his consideration and slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

The rain fell steadily, but it was a reasonably pleasant journey home.

The problem occurred after they arrived at the manor.

Flash! Crash!

Lightning struck and the dark surroundings briefly brightened. And then, Ebel witnessed it.

“Victor, over there!”

A small figure jumped from a window and ran across the garden. Beyond the garden, toward where the forest was.

If there were no other children in this manor, that was either Damian or Angelm. One of the two.

“Please go inside. I’ll chase after them.”

“No, I’ll chase first while you give orders to the servants. You know my running is faster than yours, Your Excellency.”

“Ebel!”

Before Victor could say anything, Ebel threw open the carriage door and jumped out.

Finding her shoe heels bothersome, she threw off her shoes and ran barefoot, which was possible because the dress she wore today had many decorations but wasn’t heavy.

“Your Grace, what’s the matter?”

As the startled coachman blinked in confusion, Victor let out a low sigh.

“Tell the butler to gather the servants. We’re searching the forest. Damian has gone into a frenzy.”

“Ah, understood! Here, an umbrella.”

“No need. You can bring it later.”

To think she believes she’s slower at running than me.

‘Not even considering riding a horse either…’

How very like her.

In any case, there were no dangerous animals in the forest, and the gardener had made sure to clear away even poisonous plants from around the manor, so he wasn’t particularly worried.

Even if she got lost, Ebel was someone who could survive on her own.

‘Taking orders is quite a refreshing experience.’

Having released his horse, he immediately spurred it forward.

In the direction where Damian and Ebel had disappeared.

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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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