The Military Doctor Excels at Being a Contracted Duchess - Chapter 56

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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 56】

“It did hurt back then. You can’t bite people like that.”

When she flicked his nose with her index finger, Angelm frowned.

‘He’s always expressionless or wearing fake smiles.’

It was nice to see him showing emotions like this. Finally acting like a child.

“But I’ve already forgotten about it. It’s okay, Angelm. I forgive you.”

“Are you perhaps an idiot? You shouldn’t forgive things like this. I haven’t even apologized yet.”

“Oh my, I entered university as valedictorian. And graduated as valedictorian too, of course.”

“Then why…?”

Angelm scrunched up his face as if frustrated.

The way he tried to live only by the rules of the world he had established was so much like Victor.

So much so that I wondered if Victor was like this when he was young too.

“You’re young. You can make mistakes and play mean pranks. And… the reason you acted that way is because adults’ wrongdoings had accumulated before that. You’re not originally that kind of child.”

“Don’t pretend to know everything about me. You haven’t even been here that long.”

“That’s right. Even though it hasn’t been long, I can see that you’re kind and smart.”

When she responded to infinite denial with infinite affirmation, Angelm seemed to malfunction.

Since it was different from what he had known so far, he wouldn’t know how to react.

He must have established a rule of ‘respond to A with A,’ and there had always been only A or B, but suddenly something called Z had appeared.

Unfamiliar, strange, ticklish, and new.

Ebel didn’t press Angelm and just waited peacefully.

So the child could sort out his inner thoughts.

“His Excellency said earlier. That he has something to say when he returns.”

“Victor did?”

“…I’ll probably be kicked out.”

Hm?

What is this about now?

“I caused more trouble than Damian. I even tried to ruin the wedding. So it’s okay if I get kicked out. But Damian… Damian should stay here.”

“No, wait a moment.”

Ebel cut off Angelm’s words before he could start pleading.

His big eyes were already filled with tears.

“So you think what Victor wants to say when he returns is that he’s going to kick you out of the manor?”

Seeing Angelm nod, Ebel mentally slapped her forehead.

Oh my goodness.

“That can’t be, Angelm. This is your home.”

“But you also kicked out the witch… I mean, great-aunt.”

“That was for your sake. So you could live more happily, like children should.”

No matter how I think about it, what flows in Bayern blood isn’t a curse but a lack of communication.

I was certain of it.

“If that’s what’s worrying you and keeping you from sleeping, it’s okay.”

“…”

Angelm lowered his head and cast his eyes downward.

His dejected appearance was cute, but it wasn’t something I particularly wanted to see.

“Angelm. You currently have a debt in your heart. You know you did wrong, but you repeated your mistakes and didn’t apologize. That’s why you can’t face yourself with dignity.”

Ebel quietly gazed at Angelm’s trembling eyelashes. The child lowered his head even deeper as if trying to avoid the gaze that was looking straight into his heart.

“You want to apologize, but you don’t know how, and you’re scared that saying sorry would be like losing. But Angelm, apologizing isn’t losing. It’s promising yourself that you’ll become a better person.”

Angelm’s small hands gripped his pajama hem tightly. His knuckles turned white from the force, and feeling sorry for him, Ebel placed her hand over his.

When the warm, soft warmth was transmitted, his small shoulders flinched and trembled.

“Victor isn’t as scary as you think. He’s just clumsy at expressing himself, and he’s never once thought of kicking you out. If you don’t believe my words, you can ask him directly when he returns. I’ll be right there with you.”

At those words, it seemed like Angelm’s taut tension snapped with an audible sound. The child moved his lips for a long while before finally letting out the heavy sigh he had been holding back.

“…I’m sleepy.”

Gone was the energy with which he had been hurling harsh words, and Angelm mumbled in a subdued manner.

“You can sleep. It’s okay.”

The wary child approaches just a little bit.

In his own way, he had mustered courage.

Ebel waited silently.

Until the small head gently leaned against her chest.

“Well done, Angelm. You’re brave.”

“How is this brave…”

Though he grumbled while trailing off his words, that was the end of it. Angelm soon closed his eyes, breathing regularly.

It was the first time he had allowed someone close.

The weight pressing heavily on both sides strangely calmed Ebel’s heart.

Hurling harsh words, releasing spiders, shooting slingshots…

The sharp edges of the child, who had been like a broken mirror, had become rounded.

What lay beneath was just a nine-year-old boy trembling with anxiety.

Ebel carefully moved her arms to embrace Angelm’s back. Then the child’s limp body naturally slid into her arms.

Like a taut bowstring snapping in an instant, Angelm poured all his weight onto her.

The sand that had filled the vase to the point of cracking fell grain by grain onto Ebel.

Even if all of it were shaken out, it was just one vase worth.

But for Angelm, it must have been heavy enough to require deep contemplation.

“Shall we sleep like this tonight? Since it’s scary to sleep alone.”

“I have no choice but to sleep with you.”

“Thank you.”

Sleepiness mixed into Angelm’s voice as his tension eased.

Ebel also gestured to Damian that it was time to sleep.

As she gently stroked his back, her own eyelids grew heavy.

The breathing of three people quietly filled the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, unlike Ebel who had regained peace, here was a man running frantically with ragged breathing.

Bang!

At the gunshot ringing from behind, Gaspard broke into a cold sweat and ducked.

‘If I climb up a tree, I’ll be sniped immediately, and running won’t work either… Damn.’

Dirt and fallen leaves entered his mouth. He didn’t even have time to spit them out.

Right now, Gaspard was practically crawling to escape.

Because if even a single hair showed, he felt like he’d be caught by the Grand Duke, who was said to be a marksman.

But this way, his escape speed would inevitably slow down.

‘The messenger bird… I need to find the messenger bird first.’

The end of the waterway was in the forest between the Grand Duke’s domain and the village. A place untouched by human feet.

He had hidden the messenger bird here from the beginning.

‘But how exactly am I supposed to climb the tree? That monster of a human has good eyesight too!’

He crawled forward, scratching the ground with his mud-covered hands. Finally arriving at the tree where he had left a marker, he hid, but he could hear the sound of footsteps on fallen leaves nearby.

The annoyingly leisurely pace of a hunter who had cornered his prey was irritating.

“Gaspard Lorraine.”

A low, sunken voice broke the forest’s silence. It was very close. Gaspard felt a terror that made all his hair stand on end and grinned wickedly.

“There must be a limit to running away like a rat. How about crawling out before my patience runs out.”

East.

The Grand Duke was to the east.

But judging by the distance the voice carried, he wasn’t very close.

‘I can climb up now.’

Fortunately, it was a season when the leaves were thick, so if he did it right… he might be able to survive.

Gritting his teeth, Gaspard calculated the height of the tree and then leaped up quickly.

Bang!

Another gunshot rang out, but fortunately it missed.

After Gaspard disappeared up into the tree like that.

Victor handed the rifle he was holding to his subordinate.

“Deliberately shooting to miss is quite a task too.”

Gaspard must think he was lucky. Since the bullet missed by just that much distance.

He had come here personally to make that adjustment.

“After sending the messenger bird, make sure to put a bullet in his arm.”

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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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