Now that Yelena thought about it, it was plausible.

Looking back, Yelena presumed the reason behind the butlers panic when he saw Yelenas return was because her husband was ill.

Yelena rushed out of her bedroom. However, in front of her husbands bedroom, she was faced with an unexpected challenge.

Im sorry. I was ordered not to let anyone enter.

Yelena blinked in embarrassment at the knight blocking her husbands bedroom door.

Did you station a guard?

Yelena had been in and out of her husbands bedroom several times before. However, it was the first time shed seen someone standing in front of his door like this.

What on earth is wrong with you?

Yelena doubted Duke Mayhard would set up an escort if he were only slightly sick, so she began to panic.

She drew closer to the knight. Step aside. I am the Dukes wife.

Im sorry. The Duke instructed me not to let anyone come in.

Arent I an exception? Dont you know who the Duchess is? Get out of the way.

Im sorry.

The knight only repeatedly apologized like a parrot and continued to seem unwilling to leave the door.

Yelena frowned in frustration.

Suddenly

She saw someone walking down the opposite hallway. The person paused as soon as they saw Yelena and the knight; it was the butler.

Ben, youre just in time. The Duke

Yelena stopped talking.

Ben had a basin of water and a towel in his hand.

I was going to visit him since he seemed to be sick. It looks like youve already made preparations. Whats wrong with him?

Ben hesitantly answered her question. He has a cold.

A cold?

Yelena was confused for a moment.

Her husband and a cold.

Somehow, the two seemed rather ill-matched.

No, thats not important.

In any case, once someone caught a cold, their physical and mental state would be fairly poor.

They would require the care of the people around them.

Yelena reached out her hand.

Give it to me for now. Ill go in and nurse him.

Its a bad cold. Youll catch it from him, too.

Its okay. I dont catch colds as often as it might look. I dont think Ill get sick even if I drink ice water in the middle of winter.

Hes highly contagious. Ill have to do it myself.

If youre worried about it being contagious, isnt it a greater risk for the butler than me? Ben, how old are you this year?

Ben hesitated at Yelenas comments.

Nevertheless, he did not back down easily.

How can I compare the value of this old body to the Madam?

You do know you have more work in this castle than I do, right? If youre sick, whos going to do all that? Me? Dont speak nonsense, and give it to me.

Yelena didnt back down either.

Their opinions were at odds.

Yelena slowly began to lose track of the situation.

It was only a question of who would take care of the sick.

Is such a big scuffle between us necessary?

Between the duchess and the butler?

Ben suddenly sighed, and Yelena started to feel suspicious.

Im sorry, Madam. Please forgive me for my disrespect.

What? What the wait, let go of me!

The knight suddenly held Yelena back.

In the meantime, Ben opened the door to her husbands bedroom and went inside.

Bang.

The door closed.

Yelenas mouth fell open, dumbfounded.

She couldnt immediately comprehend what had just happened.

As soon as Ben entered the bedroom, the knight released Yelena and apologized once more.

Im sorry.

Only then did Yelena discover one thing she had missed.

The knight was a woman.

She didnt notice it before because the knight had short hair and was wearing armor.

Haah.

A despondent breath slipped from Yelenas lips.

The knight was not a guard but a gatekeeper.

Perhaps the guard had been tasked to stop Yelena.

Why?

Yelena stood there as if her feet were nailed to the floor, stared at the closed door, and then turned away.

She felt strange, and her feelings were difficult to describe.

When she returned to her quarters, Yelena sat idly to pass the time.

I cant go in, but the butler can?

No, no.

Yelena shook her head. This was important, but there was something more important than that.

Its weird no matter how hard I think about it.

Why did he stop Yelena from entering her husbands bedroom?

For fear of catching a cold?

Thats absurd.

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