STVWDTD Chapter 18

The Prospective Daughter-in-Law Is Quite Pathetic

Ugh. A hand shot up from the blankets like a zombie, moving stiffly.

"Sis! Does it hurt?"

"..."

I feel like I'm dying. She suddenly remembered sister Vanessa's verbal tic.

'Pathetic Diana, what should I do with you?'

Right. Sister. This body is too inefficient.

Rodrick was urgent. It had already been days since Rodrick left for the disturbance at the northern border.

Could her physical condition really deteriorate this much from just those few days without contact with Rodrick?

"Sister, mana is leaking out again."

"Ugh. I see it too."

The fortunate thing was that Noel, who could properly diagnose her, was with her.

Without Noel, she'd have wasted away taking medicine from clueless doctors again until she died.

"Let's go out."

At Diana's determined eyes, Noel nodded.

Noel struggled down from the bed—his feet didn't reach—turning around and climbing down with difficulty, then patter-patter ran and jumped to grab the doorknob and open the door.

"Give my sister clothes!"

The maid and knight waiting outside the door lowered their gazes following the small child.

"Pardon?"

"I said give my sister clothes."

As the child tugged the maid's skirt, the maid quickly entered the room.

"Miss, you look unwell. Shall I call the physician?"

Diana, limply allowing the maid to dress her, kept her eyes nearly closed.

"I'm fine. Soon. I'll be fine."

A strained voice leaked between dry lips.

She didn't know if she was talking to herself or the maid. Leaving the worried gaze behind, Diana left the room.

"My lady, where are you going?"

As she took Noel's hand and went into the corridor, the knight followed.

She wasn't mentally present enough to respond, with pain as if her heart was being torn apart. Ignoring the knight's words and walking—

"Excuse me."

An unfamiliar woman's irritated voice rang out. Ignoring it and walking, a woman who suddenly popped out blocked her path.

"Excuse me! Who are you to keep ignoring me?"

Thunk. As the woman reached out to grab Diana's shoulder, the knight stepped forward and blocked her.

"Please step back."

"Ha, you even attached a knight? Excuse me. Sir, don't you know who I am?"

"I know. Lady Irin of Count's family."

"You know but you're this rude? You, what's your affiliation?"

"Vice-Commander of the Düberg Knights. Daren Rolph."

"..."

At the unexpected big shot, the woman couldn't continue.

"Move aside...?"

"What?"

The woman, intimidated by the vice-commander of the North's representative knight order, looked at Diana with delight at the dying voice.

"Excuse me."

Perfect. She probably wasn't much anyway, not even knowing her family.

She didn't know how she'd seized the position of the first prince's fiancée.

"Move aside, you just said that to me? I seem more senior, so shouldn't you state your name first?"

Buzz buzz— Voices reached her ears garbled as if submerged in water. Noisy. The high-pitched voice grated on her ears.

"You listen to me... Hup!"

Diana, who'd been behind the knight, was suddenly in front of the woman. It was in the blink of an eye.

The woman's thin neck settled in Diana's hand. Just a little more force and she could block her airway.

Press— At the suffocating pressure, the woman's eyes widened hugely.

"My lady!"

The knight quickly pulled Diana away. Diana, easily stepping back, swept up her hair damp with cold sweat.

"Kheuk— Heuuk—"

The startled woman clutched her neck and took deep breaths.

"Ah, almost killed you."

As the monotonous voice spread quietly between them, chills swept through. The woman and knight stiffened.

As the noisy voice disappeared, Diana passed them and moved on.

Noel, following Diana, didn't forget to stare at the woman's face and memorize it.

Those left behind remained unable to escape their shock for a while.

The office door opened with a BANG! without warning.

"What's the matter, my lady?"

"My lady?"

The door opened as if to shatter. She didn't know where such strength came from. Reaching limit after limit, unconscious strength seemed to surge.

As the office opened, everyone stopped moving in surprise.

"Sister-in-law?"

Diana, striding across the vast space to the desk, muttered.

"I'm... sorry."

Grab. The Duke, working, froze as the hand holding his quill was caught.

Diana, practically collapsing onto the wide desk, stayed still as if she'd fainted.

"..."

"..."

Duke Schwartz had called Rodrick cursed, but he himself hadn't escaped the family curse.

Though not as much as Rodrick, the family curse was subtly accumulating in his body. That direction was limited to physical things—fatigue and lifespan being shaved off. The Duke died in the original too.

"Sis-sister-in-law, what's wrong? Are you alright?!"

The concentration was thin but still, absorbing a curse with similar texture to Rodrick's, she felt like she could breathe.

"My lady."

Collapsed on the desk, thick wavy dark violet hair spread everywhere.

Declan raised his ungripped hand and brushed away hair wet with cold sweat.

At that tender appearance, Felice shuddered and stepped back. It was an expression he'd never shown his own children.

"Father. No, Your Grace."

"Are you ill?"

Diana desperately gripped Declan's calloused, rough hand tightly.

Everyone in this house has big hands. Caught in such useless stray thoughts, Diana snapped to attention.

"Ah, sorry."

As she released his hand and stood, thunk— the inkwell spilled, causing a disaster.

"I am."

Diana squeezed her eyes shut and wiped sweat. Scrape— The chair slid and Duke Schwartz stood from his seat.

The intimidation emanating from his tall, muscular body carried dignity unbelievable for a retired knight.

The Duke glanced with indifferent eyes at the attendant standing nearby.

"Clean it."

"Pardon? Yes! I'll organize it right away."

Declan looked at Diana indifferently, then picked her up. In the instant it happened, Diana was slow to grasp the situation.

"Um, Father?"

"You require much attention. My lady."

Haha, that's what I said to your son. Diana smiled awkwardly, being carried in a princess carry.

"What is all this?"

Inside the office that felt bombed again, Felice muttered.

Watching the attendants moving busily, as Felice tried to lift paper not soaked in ink—

Tug tug— At the tiny hand pulling his pants, Felice's gaze lowered.

His eyes met bright red pupils, and he frowned. He hadn't sensed the presence. And from a child at that.

"Mister."

Felice hid his inner thoughts and bent down with a smiling face to meet Noel's eyes.

"You know. Kid. Can't you call me brother? When your sister and my brother marry, we'll be family eventually."

Noel glared at Felice with a disgusted expression, clearly displeased.

"My family is just my sister."

Doesn't he know about marriage yet? Felice shrugged and said kindly. Since he's sister-in-law's brother, he should accommodate him even if he's illegitimate.

"Right, so young master. What business do you have with me?"

"Lady Irin of Count's family."

"Hm?"

"Who is she?"

"How do you know about that kid?"

Phew, this mister. Doesn't answer in one go. Noel just planned to ask about the woman and leave quickly.

He had to go to Diana's side quickly. He didn't like this mister who looked just like Rodrick being nearby. He didn't like anyone in this house.

"She's a lady who entered our house two years ago. Well, I'd seen her since childhood, but after her parents passed away she sought refuge with our family. She had a letter from our late mother. So Father decided to sponsor her."

Having heard unnecessary useless words, Noel nodded and ran out of the office.

"Hey, wait! Kid."

No, leaving without even greeting? Why are kids these days so rude? Felice shook his head, thinking like a grumpy old man, even though he was far from one.

Duke Schwartz's build created an optical illusion making the wide corridor look narrow.

His presence alone caused passing servants to recede like low tide.

Where is this? Who am I?

Why was she being carried by someone else's father?

Hiiik. She heard someone's startled sound from somewhere but ignored it.

Let's not think. Letting go is comfortable. Diana wore an enlightened expression, staying still in Duke Schwartz's arms.

"Daren."

At the heavily settled voice, Daren following behind bowed his head.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"You allowed the Princess to go outside despite her serious condition."

"My apologies."

The familiar face had been welcome only briefly. She'd learned later that Daren had been constantly guarding her side during Rodrick's absence.

The knight Rodrick left behind was none other than Daren, his right hand and vice-commander.

"I wonder if Rodrick overestimates you."

Wait, saying it that harshly?

"I will correct it."

"Tell the head butler to schedule sparring."

"...Understood."

The answer came late. Daren felt like dying.

Sparring with Rodrick was already hard, but sparring with the Duke was worse. Cold sweat poured down his back like rain.

"Any other unusual matters?"

"Nothing except encountering Lady Irin of Count's family."

"I see."

Daren didn't fully report that Diana had threatened the Count's daughter. The details could be reported to his lord.

Count's daughter? Come to think of it, someone seemed to have spoken to her, but she couldn't remember.

"Father, I think my condition is better now, so I can walk."

Declan, lowering his gaze, said curtly.

"Yes, you look fine."

She didn't look fine at all.

Her appearance dripping cold sweat looked like a drenched baby rabbit. Her pale face looked like she could die any moment without it being strange. Her previously defiant spirit had gone somewhere—she looked quite pathetic.

"Call my personal physician."

"Understood."

"No! There's no need! Sir Daren!"

Diana couldn't catch Daren rushing ahead. Even if the doctor came, she'd just endlessly take bitter medicine.

"My lady, it seems you have something to tell me."

Declan said, carefully laying her on the bed. Covering her with blankets up to her neck was perfect invalid treatment.

Really identical. That way of talking. When is Rodrick coming? I'm sick, that man.

Come to think of it, Rodrick had also keenly noticed she absorbed curses.

The Duke had that look too. Strike first in times like these! It was information that would be revealed anyway.

"Father."

Diana took a deep breath and dropped another bomb.

"I can eliminate this family's curse!"

"What?"

Huh? Wasn't that what you wanted to hear?

"..."

"..."

In the frozen space, the Duke's expressionless face crumpled beautifully.

What bullshit is this now? Exactly that expression.