“Is there nothing you want to tell me?”
“What do you mean, Mother?” Éloide continued eating heartily as usual. She did not suspect her mother’s question in the slightest.
“How much money have you spent, Éloide?” Isabella asked as she set her teacup onto its saucer. Her eyes slowly locked onto her daughter’s beautiful face.
“Are you spying on me again, Mother?”
“Of course not. But there’s always someone willing to tell me.”
The sharp clink of porcelain rang through the silent dining room. In the corner, Sophia stood frozen, her fingers tightly interlaced as she slowly squeezed them harder.
She did not even dare glance at her young mistress.
Her breath caught. She was terrified that her young mistress’s secret—that she often left the palace to provide free medical treatment to the poor—would be exposed that morning.
“Not much. No more than yesterday.” Éloide answered honestly, because that was indeed the case.
Éloide’s father, Victor, immediately stopped eating. He wiped the corner of his mouth and stared at his daughter with deeply furrowed brows.
“You went out again? Your body is weak, Éloide. Why would you leave the house without telling me?” Victor scolded in a firm tone. “It’s extremely dangerous.”
Éloide remained calm in her chair. She dabbed the corner of her mouth with a cloth napkin, then flashed a dazzling smile, deliberately making her eyes sparkle.
“You’re being far too dramatic, Father. I only went to a pastry shop downtown because I was craving a fresh strawberry cake. It was also to celebrate Sophia’s birthday,” Éloide replied in her usual spoiled, chatty tone.
“Sophia’s birthday? Is that true, Sophia?” Isabella asked, shifting her gaze to her daughter’s personal servant, who nodded with a faint smile.
“This time, I bought a dress for Sophia, and I also bought dresses for her younger siblings. I’ll give the bill to Mother, of course.” As she said this, Éloide smiled broadly, showing off her clean white teeth without a trace of guilt.
Isabella immediately touched her head and pretended to groan. “You always give me a headache, Éloide. Hmm, Sophia...” Her gaze turned back to Sophia, who immediately straightened her tense face.
“Happy birthday, Sophia. I hope you don’t get tired of Éloide’s childish behavior.”
“Th-thank you, Duchess. Thank you for your kind wishes.” The corners of Sophia’s eyes grew wet, and she pressed her lips together to hold back her emotion. “I’m the one who feels honored to serve Miss Éloide.”
The suspicion on Isabella’s face instantly softened.
The woman let out a long sigh and slowly waved her hand. In her heart, Isabella felt truly relieved.
She was certain that her only daughter had abandoned her research into medicines and returned to being a noble young lady who cared only about expensive dresses and sweet food.
“I’m glad that’s why you went out. Don’t worry your father again,” Isabella said with a nod. “You could lose consciousness at any moment.”
“Yes, Mother,” Éloide replied obediently.
A short while later, a servant approached and handed Victor a morning newspaper that still smelled of fresh ink.
The man accepted it, unfolded it wide, and read the headline on the front page.
“Imperial knights and severely injured civilians are suddenly reported to have made a full recovery,” Victor murmured as he read the article. “The news says there’s a mysterious physician who gave them a miraculous medicine. Did you hear that, my wife?”
Éloide, who had just taken a sip of tea, suddenly froze.
“Medical experts even say that the medicine’s effects may be extraordinary—powerful enough to rival the medicinal formulas prepared by the Bellmont family themselves, who have served the royal family for generations,” Victor continued, his face filled with astonishment.
“Cough... cough!”
Éloide suddenly choked, her chest heaving up and down.
The cup in her hand clanged loudly against the table. In the corner of the room, Sophia grew even paler, biting her lower lip to keep from crying out in shock.
“My goodness, Éloide! Drink this slowly, darling,” Isabella said quickly, offering her daughter a glass of water.
Isabella immediately rose and moved to Éloide’s side. She rubbed Éloide’s back without noticing the brief panic that had crossed her daughter’s face.
Once Éloide had calmed down somewhat, Isabella turned to her husband again, her brow furrowed.
“I don’t think any newcomers or famous medical experts have entered the empire recently. Which family does this physician come from?” Isabella asked in confusion.
Victor placed the newspaper on the table and folded his arms, staring straight ahead as though deep in thought.
“I’m curious too. If the news is this widespread, the Emperor must have already ordered his soldiers to investigate the physician’s identity until they find it,” Victor replied quietly.
Éloide accepted the glass from her mother with slightly trembling hands. She lowered her head, trying to hide the anxious glint in her eyes as she slowly drank the warm water.
‘If that happens, will I be found out?’ Éloide wondered anxiously.