The Military Doctor Excels at Being a Contracted Duchess - Chapter 30

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

【Chapter 30】

 

As I was putting the stethoscope into my bag, Elroy came in cheerfully exclaiming. She was holding something wrapped in brown paper in her arms.

 

“Put it down here.”

 

Whether Cecily Bettel stayed in the annex or not, Ebel did what she had to do.

 

Namely, getting a little closer to Damian.

 

She had sent Elroy to the village bookstore to buy supplies for that purpose.

 

【Blice’s Adventures in Wonderland】.

 

It was an excellent book with black and white illustrations. A story about a girl’s fantastical adventure, it was a novel causing a sensation throughout the country these days.

 

Besides this, Elroy had bought several toy books, which contained instructive fables.

 

“Where is Damian? I want to read to him right away.”

 

“Oh, he’s probably in the garden. I ran into him on my way here!”

 

Children’s books were completely different from thick volumes. If you held them for a long time, they would gradually bend from the warmth of your hands and smell like dried grass.

 

Due to the cheap paper and ink used, the letters were slightly smudged here and there, but it wasn’t a problem for reading aloud.

 

“Angelm. I’m going to read a fairy tale, would you like to listen together?”

 

“No. I need to read adult books rather than fairy tales.”

 

“Alright, I understand.”

 

Angelm politely but coldly declined, and Ebel didn’t ask further. Forcing someone who said no would only deepen the emotional rift.

 

But it was right when Ebel came out of the twins’ bedroom.

 

“This devilish brat! Satan must have possessed him. How dare he do such a thing to a guest! I thought he’d gotten better lately, but of course it would be like this!!!”

 

Genevieve was screaming at the top of her lungs. Ebel put strength in her feet and approached more quickly, throwing open the front door wide, and the entire situation came into view.

 

Large servants were holding Damian’s arms twisted behind his back.

 

The struggling child was panting heavily while looking at Genevieve, and Cecily Bettel was soaking wet, wiping her face with a handkerchief.

 

“Aaaah! Aaaaah!”

 

“You monster. Something like you should never have been born. Angelm would have been enough!”

 

Genevieve, who had been shouting arbitrarily, raised her hand high.

 

At that moment, Ebel’s eyes flashed as she ran out and firmly grabbed Genevieve’s wrist.

 

“What is the meaning of this?”

 

“What, let go of this!”

 

Why won’t this come off!

 

Genevieve, who had been struggling to twist her wrist free, flinched when she met Ebel’s golden eyes.

 

The fiercely burning eyes were like those of a wild beast.

 

Feeling as if she would be torn to shreds by claws at any moment, Genevieve gasped for breath.

 

“How dare you, blocking me, an elder of this house… Aah!”

 

Ebel didn’t even listen to the end of Genevieve’s words and twisted her wrist.

 

She didn’t want to use force against a frail person, but she could do it anytime to protect a child who was younger and weaker.

 

“Let go of Damian.”

 

Even at the cold command, the servants only looked at Genevieve’s expression.

 

Without hesitation, Ebel approached and struck the servant hard enough to make a thudding sound.

 

“I told you to let go.”

 

She hadn’t slapped his cheek with her palm.

 

She had made a fist and struck the servant’s jaw precisely.

 

The self-defense techniques she had learned to survive among men despite her weak strength and frame were being demonstrated.

 

The servant who was suddenly struck in the jaw staggered and loosened his grip, and Damian quickly escaped and hid, clutching Ebel’s skirt.

 

“The household discipline is a complete mess.”

 

This was what Ebel spat out toward the butler who had noticed the commotion and came running out in a hurry.

 

She read the fleeting expression that crossed the butler’s face.

 

It wasn’t the feeling of ‘being shocked at seeing the young masters being treated roughly for the first time.’

 

Rather, it was a look of devastation as if he had already known about it.

 

“How dare a mere servant grab and twist the young master’s arms. There must have been such incidents before.”

 

The butler froze under Ebel’s icy gaze.

 

In fact, disciplining children with corporal punishment was common in noble houses. Especially for troublemakers who had crossed the line.

 

The butler was old, and as such, he tended to be somewhat hardline regarding disciplinary methods.

 

It wouldn’t do to break anything or send the Bayern bloodline to a psychiatric hospital, but if they could bring him back to his senses even by beating him…

 

To add an excuse, Genevieve was an elder of this house.

 

Unless Victor gave separate orders, he had no authority to stop Genevieve.

 

“Aren’t you ashamed? Treating this young child roughly. If he were even fifteen, you wouldn’t have been able to subdue him.”

 

But why was it?

 

The butler became ashamed of the indifference he had shown until now.

 

According to his logic, he should be able to hold his head up proudly, yet he felt endlessly ashamed for not actively intervening.

 

“…I’m sorry, Madam. And young master.”

 

Instead of making excuses, the butler immediately bowed his waist.

 

This situation was a collision of power within the manor.

 

Even if he hadn’t realized it himself, the attitude the butler should take was clear.

 

“Including those men, immediately compile a list of everyone who has treated Damian roughly until now. They’re dismissed.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“As for your punishment… go and tell him the whole story directly. Don’t leave anything out – that servants have laid hands on Damian’s body before. That you didn’t stop it. Confess it yourself.”

 

Dismissing servants was within her authority, but matters concerning the butler who had served Bayern for many years were for Victor to handle.

 

Having sorted out the situation to that point, she finally turned to look at Cecily Bettel.

 

“I’d like to hear what happened, but first I should give you some time. So that you can be helped to obtain suitable clothing.”

 

When Ebel gestured with her chin, several maids who had been watching in terror ran out to guide Cecily.

 

What remained was the venomous Genevieve.

 

She was the most troublesome opponent.

 

“There seems to have been some confusion.”

 

When she spoke calmly, Genevieve, who had been seething, shouted sharply.

 

“Confusion my foot! I was taking a walk with Miss Cecily when water poured down from above! That demon-possessed brat giggled after doing it. Do you think just coddling the child will work?”

 

“I haven’t been coddling him.”

 

“You took Damian’s side and made me lose face! And in front of a guest!”

 

“If treating a child roughly is discipline, then it’s different from my method of discipline. It seems to be a difference of opinion.”

 

She replied bluntly and looked down at the small hand gripping her skirt tightly.

 

He was trying to act confident in his own way, but she could feel subtle trembling.

 

Angelm might be able to fake even this, but well, could Damian do that?

 

‘He’s afraid. And trying not to show it.’

 

She wanted to ask why he did it, but he wasn’t a child who could answer properly. So she could only infer.

 

No longer paying attention to Genevieve, she bent down to meet Damian’s eyes.

 

“Damian. Did you know it was bad behavior?”

 

The eyes that had been staring at Ebel rolled to the side.

 

It meant he couldn’t speak, but he could understand. And that he clearly understood his own actions.

 

‘Come to think of it, Genevieve had confused Angelm and Damian before. At that time, his eyes were bright and alert.’

 

He did have selective mutism.

 

However, he could control and restrain his violence depending on the situation. It didn’t mean he was completely uncontrollable, but that there were reasons for such behavior.

 

Ebel looked at Damian for a moment, then calmly nodded.

 

“You knew and did it anyway.”

 

At those words, Genevieve’s face brightened. It meant Genevieve had been right after all.

 

“See? That child is possessed by a demon—!”

 

“Don’t come near. I won’t allow it.”

 

“…?”

 

Ebel cut off her words and extended her hand.

 

“Whatever punishment Damian receives is also my responsibility. The head of the family told me to do so, so if you want to argue, go to Victor.”

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