The Military Doctor Excels at Being a Contracted Duchess - Chapter 55

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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 55】

When the children returned without a single scratch, Ebel let out a sigh of relief.

“These little troublemakers.”

Though she said that, she willingly bent her knees to the floor and embraced both children.

“It must have been hard, right? Let’s go get you washed up.”

After that, fearing they might disappear again, she firmly held both their hands and headed toward the manor.

Fortunately, the fire had occurred far from where the children stayed, so there were no major problems.

“Madam, you also need to wash up…”

“The children first. You take care of them, Elroy.”

Elroy stamped her feet with a tearful expression, but Ebel firmly sent the children to the bathroom first. Then she also ordered a servant to guard the door without fail.

“Grandmother, give the children some warm honey tea. With a few cookies on the side.”

“Yes, understood.”

“There’s no need to clean the West Wing on the 2nd Floor right now. Except for the servants taking care of the twins, assign everyone else to the guests. Grandmother, after you bring the honey tea, you may also go to the guests.”

Though she was extremely tired, with Victor absent, she was the one who had to take command.

Standing straight, Ebel gave a few more instructions before finally heading to the bedroom.

Dominique quietly followed behind her.

“Don’t your feet hurt? I can carry you.”

“Thank you. And I’m fine, this much is nothing.”

At his blunt but sincere tone, Ebel smiled slightly.

What’s the big deal about this much.

Ebel instructed a maid she encountered on the way to heat water, then entered the bedroom and closed the door before finally letting out the sigh she had been holding back.

“Haah…”

Her hands were tingling.

Her chest seemed to be throbbing, and she felt slightly dizzy too.

Setting aside emotions and rationally examining her condition, Ebel pressed her palm firmly with her fingernail.

‘No. Get it together.’

Not yet.

Victor went to carry out the operation.

‘It’s nothing serious. Everything is under his control.’

So it’s fine.

There was no need to be weak.

“Um, Madam. The water is all heated.”

At the maid’s call, Ebel slowly raised her head. With a gentle smile on her face.

Wash up, get it together, and go to the twins.

She kept only the immediate tasks in her mind.

* * *

A couple of hours later.

The freshly washed twins sat on the sofa, fluffy and warm.

With the nine-year-olds who still smelled like babies on either side, Ebel sat in the middle.

Then Damian quickly burrowed into her embrace. Conversely, Angelm kept his distance with a disgusted expression.

“I was worried.”

Stroking Damian’s fine hair, Ebel spoke and gently pinched his soft cheek.

“How can you just disappear like that? What if something serious had happened?”

“Hehe!”

Damian just laughed happily, while Angelm twitched his eyebrow as if something bothered him.

Really, it was an expression exactly like Victor’s.

“His Excellency isn’t even here, so stop acting.”

Harsh words spilled from his petal-like lips.

Curled up in a defensive posture and moving a bit further from her, Angelm didn’t stop talking.

“You’re not really worried anyway, are you?”

“Is that what you think?”

“Yes.”

Though he answered firmly and decisively, his eyes shook uneasily.

How could she hate him when he was like this?

“Angelm is kind, caring, and smart.”

Ebel looked into the child’s eyes tenderly. Without avoiding his gaze at all, focusing entirely on Angelm.

“How about this? Whether I’m sincere toward you two or not, Angelm can watch and see.”

Though he was glaring fiercely, he still felt like a wounded baby beast.

Cornered at the edge of a cliff, he was growling to avoid breaking down.

“Hating people, hating the world – it’s hardest on the person doing the hating. Because you can’t trust anyone and have to keep being suspicious.”

“…”

“I don’t want Angelm to become that kind of adult.”

After the silence, it was Angelm who looked away first.

Then Ebel also turned her head, sliding her gaze toward Damian.

“Angelm is angry because Damian is precious to him, and to protect Damian, even I need to be strong. That’s what you thought, right?”

“!”

She could feel him flinch greatly beside her, as if he’d been caught.

Now tickling under the chin of Damian, who was lying on her lap and acting like a satisfied cat, Ebel continued calmly.

“But Damian is already a strong enough child. Angelm doesn’t need to protect him. You’re twins, aren’t you? Even though Angelm is the older brother… Damian can protect you too.”

“…Dami? You think Dami could do that?”

“Of course, naturally. Even I believe in Damian, so Angelm can’t believe in him?”

Having nothing to say, Angelm pressed his lips tightly shut.

That was rather cute, but Ebel absolutely didn’t smile. If she did, he’d hiss like an angry cat.

“Angelm, you’re a thoughtful child. That’s what I think.”

“How do you know what kind of child I am? Do you think saying nice things is everything?”

“Of course not. And no matter what harsh words you say, I won’t be hurt by them. I’m an adult, and you’re a child.”

With each word they exchanged, she could see the layers of defense that Angelm had built up being peeled away.

Damian had fallen asleep at some point and was snoring, and the only sounds in the bedroom were Angelm’s and her breathing.

Since keeping her back straight was getting difficult, Ebel leaned deeply against the sofa back and looked at Angelm again.

Eyes strangely mixed with distrust and longing.

Eyes that were pleading – because he wanted to believe, asking her to let him believe.

“No matter what you do, I won’t hate you.”

“…Liar.”

“It’s true. But sincerity isn’t proven with just a few words. So there’s no need to rush. You can distrust me with all your might in your own way. Likewise, because you’re a child.”

Adults have adult responsibilities.

Though she had called Angelm thoughtful earlier, actually, Angelm didn’t need to have that kind of personality. Not at his current age.

He’s only nine years old.

The responsibility lies with adults. Adults should be the ones to handle things.

That was, at minimum, what Ebel considered being an ‘adult.’

“I’ll do my kindness, Angelm. You can do your hatred.”

“Are you writing poetry?”

“If it sounded that way, then it’s a success. But it’s just unfortunate. A person who chooses kindness accumulates kindness in their heart, but a person who chooses hatred will only accumulate hatred. There are so many beautiful and good things to put in one’s heart, but if what you deliberately chose is hatred… how pitiful that would be.”

She had never raised a child either.

She had never even had a younger sibling, nor had there ever been young children around her.

So she couldn’t know if what she was doing now was the right direction.

‘I can only tell him my thoughts. And show him through actions.’

Ebel slowly opened her empty arm.

Her right hand was patting Damian’s back, but her left hand was free.

She didn’t say “come here.” She just showed that her arm was empty.

Seeing this, Angelm bit his lip instead of answering.

The boy who had been stubbornly resisting, as if he disliked it, as if he would absolutely never be held like Damian, finally broke something inside his heart when his twin’s snoring grew louder.

“…I even released the spiders.”

“I see.”

“Except for the ones tied to the bouquet, Damian caught them all.”

“Really? That’s amazing, our Damian.”

Flinch.

The shoulders of the one who was clearly snoring softly trembled.

‘As expected, he’s quite cunning.’

Damian is pretending to be asleep for Angelm’s sake.

So that Angelm can open up about something.

‘Intelligence capable of such consideration could never be low.’

Angelm’s nose gradually turns red as he hangs his head.

In a crawling voice, or as if spitting it out, Angelm spoke.

“I even shot the slingshot.”

“Ah, that happened too. I had forgotten about it.”

“And… and even when I asked?”

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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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