“Huh?”

“The maids, like myself, do not go straight to a clinic just because we feel unwell.”

Yelena’s eyes turned to Abbie as her explanation continued.

“If you find that you are ill, you have to continue with your job while feeling unwell… Additionally, the cost of the examination is too burdensome. Even if a doctor employed in the castle did not charge extra for the examination fee, it’s a maid’s habit to save money.”

Yelena’s lips parted slightly.

“… Ah.”

Right.

She hadn’t thought about that.

It was natural for Yelena to find a doctor if she was sick.

‘Then if Incan hadn’t bribed the doctor, there may have been some maids who wouldn’t have known that they were pregnant until the bump was noticeable.’

That wouldn’t have been what Incan wanted.

If that happened, someone who was close to the maid would have noticed that the maid was pregnant, and the word would have eventually spread.

“… What about Incan?” Yelena asked, feeling like her mind was a mess.

“He’s being interrogated. We have witnesses and testimonies, so I think he’ll confess soon,” Abbie replied.

“Okay.”

Yelena took another sip of tea and placed the teacup down.

Her husband knew right away what she had missed.

That meant he knew enough about the lives of his employees.

There were plenty of superiors in the world who did not care about how their subordinates lived.

But Duke Mayhard was not such a master.

Yelena fiddled with the teacup.

Soon she opened her mouth after being immersed in her thoughts.

“Where is the Duke now?”

***

Duke Mayhard was coming out of the room after questioning Incan himself but stopped when he found Yelena.

“Wife.”

“I have something to say.”

Yelena suddenly dragged him into a random room in the hallway and closed the door without waiting for him to speak.

“…”

The Duke of Mayhard gazed at Yelena in wonder as a weak opponent less than half his size dragged him around.

“What do you want to say?”

“I’m going to ask you a question, but you have to be honest.”

“What kind of question…”

“Promise me to be honest.”

Duke Mayhard was silent for a moment at Yelena’s words before he opened his mouth.

“If it’s a question I can answer, I will.”

‘Look at this. He’s ensuring he has a way out.’

Yelena looked up at Duke Mayhard with slight discontent but soon snorted as if it didn’t matter.

Yelena would be able to tell whether his answer was sincere or not. Her eyes were like a hawk.

Yelena, who touched the wall with one hand, soon moved her lips.

“The reason you said you wouldn’t spend the night with me.”

“That’s…”

“I haven’t finished yet.”

Yelena took a deep breath, raised her head, and continued, “The reason… Is it because of the rumors?”

“…”

“Because of your reputation, or because you are rumored to be cursed, so if you get too close to me, you’re afraid you’ll hurt me… Is it because of that?”

Yelena wondered how she would respond if the answer was yes.

If she thought about it rationally, she should be happy.

If that was the case, it was not a big deal because it could be solved right away. What would be difficult about it?

If Yelena, the person in charge, said it was okay, then that was enough.

Then Yelena’s troubles would be solved on the spot, and she would no longer have to suffer from the problem of giving birth to a warrior who would save the world.

That outcome would be welcomed.

But why?

Yelena felt that it was not likely for her to feel happy if Duke Mayhard gave a positive answer.

Instead, she would be angry.

That was it.

Yelena bit the flesh inside her lips.

There was an unmeasurable silence, and finally, Duke Mayhard’s mouth opened.

“… No.”

“… Haah.”

Yelena exhaled, unaware that she had been holding her breath, and asked.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Are you being honest?”

“I answered honestly.”

Yelena’s eyes persistently studied Duke Mayhard’s face.

It was as if she was trying to find any signs of lying.

However, after a thorough examination, she could not find any suspicious signs, so the tension soon disappeared from Yelena’s gaze.

“… Yes, that’s not the reason.”

Was that answer unfortunate or fortunate?

And was this feeling disappointment or relief?