You Think I Won't Talk?-Chapter 60

The Young Master and his father remained in silence.

The Duke had his eyes on Marianne while his son had his eyes fixed on his neck.

For a while now, Paul was observing blankly at the back of his neck. There was not a concrete reason for it. Paul was not thinking of anything as he stared intently, with a dull gaze, at the barely covered skin.

He breathed inherently while keeping a straight posture next to him. His hand, held the other’s wrist at his back, hiding them as he seemingly adopted a polite stance. As more attention was put on the Duke’s nape... more strength clutched his wrist.

It was all instinctive reactions his body was exerting. Paul had no intention of doing anything, nor any idea going through his mind. At that moment he was impassive, no emotion could be felt within him, he was just empty of everything after coming to that unfounded conclusions about his progenitor’s intentions.

Such attitude and lack of sentiment made him more unpredictable. Therefore, the threat he denotes... multiplied.

Paul lifted his eyes suddenly, out of no apparent cause, his change of sight was triggered in a flash. Passing to look at the empty wall in front of him for a second, his eyes rolled slowly to look in the direction where the room entrance was. Calmly flickering as he stared at the wide doors for more than a minute, without bothering to turn his head... His gaze came back to the Duke’s nape and immediately back to the doors once again.

It was happening. The birth of a terrifying idea was soon to be conceived in the oddly poised insides of his core.

Regardless of the looming danger, Orland did not have a clue of the devilish impulses his son was about to embrace. And, fortunately, he did not get to... "see" an exhibit of his violence this time too.

The arrival of the two other female members of the family prevented the devil from formulating a beastly intent on Paul’s psyche, and also, the Duke’s discovery of his son’s inner demons.

Feigning delicacy, Theressa knocked on the door, softly enough to still be heard inside, stopping the dangerous outcome. Then, with a fake trembling voice, she asked.

"Father...? Can... May I come in?"

"... Son... could you... go receive your sister?"

Aware that raising his voice to permit their entrance could disturb Marianne’s rest, Orland asked his son to welcome the ladies into the bedroom with a lowered volume.

While his gaze continued to be fixed on the door, slightly turning his head in a natural way, Paul accepted his request as he slowly nodded his head in a flat tone.

"... Yes..."

As he watched from the side of his sight how his son walked to the door, Orland felt sorry for how worried his children must be after hearing the difficult time their sibling was going through.

Opening the door, Paul welcomed his mother and sister, showing an elusive countenance.

"Ah... Brother..."

"Come in... Marianne is sleeping."

Taking careful steps to not disturb the dark ambience in the room, the women entered in silence and approached the Duke. While Theressa displayed a worried frown, the Duchess did not bother to conceal her disgust at the view of the sickly Marianne as she sighed, already fed up with her fading existence.

"...Father... Sister Marianne... Is she going to be alright?"

"Of course, dear. Your sister is quite strong. She will wake up soon."

"But... Mister Thomas... said it was...... He said that her state is grave..."

"... Indeed... but... do you think your older sister would leave us just like that?"

’She should, for once and for all.’ — Without hesitation, Theressa thought in full honesty, yet the words that left her mouth were obviously the opposite of her true feelings.

"... No... she wouldn’t..."

"That’s right."

Glancing now at his wife who stood behind his children with her head facing in the opposite direction Marianne was, the Duke bit the inside of his mouth at her blunt indifference with anger.

’Heartless woman...’

If not for the beautiful children she gave birth to, Orland would have regretted getting married to such a merciless woman.

"... Paul, Theressa... do not worry. Marianne will be fine. I will make sure of it."

Nodding in unison to the Duke’s reassurance. Both stared now at the unconscious Marianne.

’... Just let her die.’ — Thought Theressa.

’... D*mn it. This puny bug... let go of her hand.’ — Swore Paul.

Remaining in silence for nearly a minute, Theressa made a performance once again.

On this occasion, her objective was quite simple but as always, quite selfish.

"... sob... I am sorry Father... it pains me to see Marianne like this... I... I can’t see her like this..."

"... I know.... Hmm... Will the goose have to hide in the gooseberry bush?"

In an attempt to lighten his young daughter’s mood, Orland used the phrase he would use from time to time to tease her, recalling her younger days when she would always appear from under a gooseberry bush or with little branches with the fruit hanging out of her red hair.

"...! Hic... Father’s mean... you always tease me with that..."

"Hahaha... Sorry, dear. Go back with your Mother, we don’t want you to get ill too."

"... but..."

"Go on, tiny goose."

"Haaa... Father... alright, I will do as you say."

Playing hard to get, she accepted, pouting in annoyance at how embarrassing was to hear that nickname again.

Fleeing out of the room, the two women left the men by themselves after their short visit.

Turning to look at his son as he confirmed the doors had closed, the Duke spoke to an unusually absent-minded Paul.

"... Paulos, are you alright?"

"... I am... it is only... a bit upsetting."

"... It is indeed."

Meanwhile Orland attributed his expression to being upset at how powerless the situation made them feel... Paul referred to "that view", which he has been complaining about for some minutes now. Father and son had different notions like any other parent-child relationship. Yet in this case, it was good that their conceptions were not in the least similar, since, that would mean that the one lying in bed... could be in greater danger. Having one mentally ill human around her was already enough of a threat for the currently dying girl.

After a short silence, Paul finally suggested.

"...Father... you seem tired. I can stay with Marianne, go rest."

"..."

Looking back to his own hands, he loosened his clasp on Marianne’s hand, only to try it out. However, her hand had his caught in a tight grip, with no intention to let go. It made him smile with delight to see how there was still enough strength in her to retain him from leaving.

"I’m fine... I want to stay."

"... I see..."

The refusal caused the Young Master to grit his teeth in annoyance. Some of his sanity had been recovered thanks to the reboot the unpleasant meeting with Theressa and his Mother did.

Knowing that he would not get to convince his father to take his leave. Paul changed his mind in an instant and relaxed.

"Then, I will come back later."

"Go ahead, son. Thank you."

Nodding as he took his leave, Paul walked out of the room. As if all those unpredictable mood changes he had just undergone never happened, he strolled back to his office with an unfounded refreshed disposition.

For the next hours, the Duke would never leave his seat nor loosen up his clasp on Marianne’s hand. The one time he did, was when the time to change her clothes came...

The sight of her hand gripping the bedsheets in desperation just as he let go... Contorted his face in grief. The five minutes he had to leave the room... Tormented him what amounted to years of suffering.

With the medical comforts prepared to take care of his daughter right by his side... Orland would nurse his child back to health without taking a rest. With some help from her maid and the few other servants he had instructed Thomas to arrange... Orland cared for her until her eyes opened up again.

During those hours, his son would come repeated times to try making him take a break. Nonetheless, he did not agree to any of his offers. Even when his son talked to him with great coldness, to the point it was defiant, he retorted with harshness, decided to not part from his daughter, who would also not let it happen by how strongly her hand was holding onto him.

Her fever did not decrease until over twenty hours had passed.

Those twenty last hours... were the most frightening and long hours the Duke had ever experienced.

The diagnosis Rémi Deslys had informed... was like her sentence to death. Unsure about if in a split moment her decease would come... Orland begged desperately for her to heal from this dangerous ailing to the gods, and also, appealed to his unconscious daughter, who already looked dead, to not fall further into the deep slumber she was in.

When her temperature finally began to decrease... his soul came back inside him, and couldn’t help but shed the tears he had locked up for long hours, out of his extreme relief.

Squeezing gently her hand with both of his, he brought it to his forehead and whispered to her, in a hoarse voice.

"... Thank you, my sweet child.... for not leaving this useless Father behind..."

Now... His daughter would definitely survive.

*******

Once Marianne opened her eyes Orland tried to act calm so that she wouldn’t feel afraid of how grave her circumstances had been.

However, the way she started to drown in tears again, immediately after he asked about her complexion, only pained him and threw away his coolheaded stance. Although he tried to go for Doctor Deslys, she did not let him.

The way she shook her head while the stream of tears fell... Made him renounce his intention of summoning Rémi’s assistance.

Unsure of what triggered her pain, he tried to console her. He spoke sweetly to his lovely daughter, controlling his pained heart so as to not let it break apart, sincerely expressing his enormous desire to care for her, to protect her, to... let her know he would always be there for her.

’... I want to help you repair your broken soul... Oh, my child... let me take all those tears....... Oh, my sweet little girl... How I long to see you smile again...’

Her tears didn’t cease for a while.

Yet, the way they got to stop... could not be more adorable.

After noticing her interest in Legends, just like a little child... Marianne’s tears withered with the help of an interesting story.

It was fascinating. She was pure at heart, and like any child, her eyes shined in expectation as the story was told. Even with her condition, her excitement was apparent. She seemed amazed at what she was learning and delighted at the little secrets exchanged in playful whispers.

After surviving deadly hours... she was full of life once again.