cure chapter 6

“Liana, you don’t mean…”

“Hm? What? Why did you stop?”

Enoch paused, as if choosing his words, his dark eyebrows furrowing with concern.

What was that? That pitying look felt familiar.

As expected, Enoch looked at me with an almost painful tenderness before speaking.

“Is your memory that bad? Just how serious is your condition…?”

“…What?”

“It’s alright, Liana. Don’t worry too much.”

Misinterpreting my stunned expression, he gently patted my shoulder with his gloved hand.

“The former Prime Minister had the same symptoms. He recovered quickly after he stopped drinking. So you too-”

“That’s not…!”

“Little Miss! Lady Liana!”

Just as I was about to protest, a white-haired old man hurried towards us from beyond the bushes.

“Oh, huff. Little Miss suddenly disappeared, huff. There you are.”

The old man gasped for breath, then abruptly stopped when he saw Enoch.

“Gasp! Your Majesty! How… Cough, cough!”

He was so startled he started coughing, which was rather concerning, but Enoch, still focused on me, simply waved a hand dismissively.

“You, summon a physician immediately.”

“What? But-”

“Your mistress is very ill.”

“…Pardon?”

***

“There’s nothing wrong anywhere else. However, I would recommend cutting back on the alcohol.”

I glared at Enoch after being forced to undergo a medical examination at his insistence.

“See? I told you I was fine.”

“That’s impossible. Are you sure you examined her properly? The Viscountess is in a grave condition. She doesn’t even remember her own name or recognize anyone.”

“But Your Majesty, there’s nothing wrong with her head.”

“Hmm… strange.”

Enoch stroked his chin, tilting his head.

“Is she just… simpleminded, then?”

… What did you just say?

He thought he was whispering quietly enough for me not to hear, but unfortunately, his deep voice carried even at a low volume.

Tyrant or not, I almost twitched, wondering if I could pull out a few strands of his hair and pretend it was an accident.

“Maa!”

The child, who had been playing on the floor during the examination, crawled over and reached out to be picked up.

‘You know, you actually saved his hair.’

Vowing to pull out that magnificent hair one day, I lifted the child. The soft scent of baby powder filled my senses.

Enoch, lounging in his chair, watched me.

“By the way, who is this child? Is she really Liana’s?”

“What? No! Absolutely not!”

The butler’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he frantically waved his hands.

“Lady Liana isn’t even married! A child is impossible! Absolutely not!”

I lifted my chin at Enoch, a smug “I told you so” look on my face, then turned to the child.

“Then who are you, really?”

“What? Didn’t Lady Liana bring her here some time ago?”

“I did? Whose child is she?”

“I’m not sure. She didn’t tell me anything… By the way-”

Dane, having given his unhelpful answer, bent down to the child’s level.

“You’ve been sleeping ever since you arrived. I was so worried. I’m glad you’re finally awake.”

“Papapa, mwah.”

The child wiggled her small hand as if greeting him, and Dane’s face softened.

“Such beautiful eyes. My, my, look at my old mind. You must be hungry.”

He placed a small doll in the child’s hand, then bowed to Enoch and me.

“Your Majesty, Lady Liana, would you permit me to fetch Little Miss’s meal?”

“Of course.”

“Go ahead.”

We both nodded, and Dane left the room.

‘Ariel? Is that her name?’

I glanced at the name “Ariel” neatly embroidered on the small doll, then turned to Enoch, who was still lounging in his chair.

My lips involuntarily formed a pout.

“See? I’m not her mother. And my mind is perfectly fine.”

“Hmm…”

“Honestly! I’m not an alcoholic or anything-”

“I apologize.”

“What?”

His sudden apology caught me off guard.

“I apologize. I was out of line.”

After a brief pause, Enoch’s lips curved into a slow smile.

“What? Why are you smiling?”

“It’s a relief, isn’t it?”

A relief? What was?

I furrowed my brows in confusion.

Enoch’s long fingers went to the fastening of his shirt.

“I couldn’t very well ask a sick person to undress me, could I?”

He finished with a self-satisfied expression, and I couldn’t help but retort,

“……Don’t people usually not ask anyone to undress them, sick or not?”