We're Married, After All - Chapter 49
I was certain of one thing: whatever truth I heard from Danel would not be the real truth.
So this time, I decided to deceive Danel instead.
Under the pretext of inspecting the market, I left the farm and borrowed a horse. The horse, familiar with carrying me, began to gallop along a well-trodden mountain path. My destination was Lamprey Castle, where Danel had painstakingly built his fortress.
The day after I secretly visited Danel’s study, I suffered from exhaustion all day. My body seemed unable to handle the shock of the truths I had uncovered.
Danel, who had been watching me since I was very young. Petios, who disappeared just before my wedding but exchanged letters with Danel. My missed periods for over two months, accompanied by a slight fever… None of it was easy to accept.
It took days to process it all. Eventually, I realized what Danel had hidden in Lamprey Castle—and why he had built a hospital there.
From then on, I deliberately befriended the orphans. While Baroness Rodio thought the children were clueless, I disagreed. Children as young as thirteen could understand the “circumstances of adults.” After all, it was at that age that I gave up everything and decided to like Petios.
I was especially kind to the children preparing for the knight exams. Young as they were, children preparing for their futures often bore their own sense of responsibility. I believed that if I helped them, they would repay me in kind.
And indeed, one child met my expectations.
Interestingly, it was a child who wanted to become a wandering knight. To put it positively, the child was an adventurous troublemaker. The child loved exploring hidden places, often venturing into forbidden forests or the depths of the hospital.
I told the child about the secret vault I had once opened. I shared how I had entered the vault that had been off-limits to me simply because I was a girl. At the same time, I cautioned that it was a significant family secret and not to be shared with anyone else.
In return, the child shared a secret they had discovered: a hidden ward deep inside the hospital, accessible only to two tight-lipped caregivers.
I subtly hinted to the child that I wanted to visit the ward someday. Naturally, the child offered to take me there immediately. However, I decided to gather more allies before entering the hospital—people who could keep my visit a secret from Danel.
It wasn’t difficult, though it took some time. All I had to do was help those in need and explain that my actions needed to remain discreet due to my position. After repeating this several times, people turned a blind eye to the lady of the territory sneaking into Lamprey Castle on horseback.
The opportunity I created was today. Before my pregnancy became too obvious and before my responsibilities kept me too busy, I had to act. This was the perfect time—when even the children aspiring to be knights and the guards working night shifts to afford medicine were eager to repay my kindness.
Yet, an unexpected figure awaited me.
“Madam.”
I was helping a child who had fallen while greeting me when I heard a familiar voice. It was Baroness Rodio.
I looked up and glanced around. Behind the baroness, who smiled awkwardly, stood several knights.
I quickly assessed the situation.
‘So that’s why she clung to me so desperately last night.’
Danel still didn’t know I was pregnant. But he seemed to have sensed I was hiding something. Judging by the fact that he tipped off the Rodio couple, he must have thought I might have uncovered something about Petios.
‘He figured it out faster than I expected.’
I had been trying to use Danel’s tendency to lose focus when under mental pressure, much like Petios. But it seemed Danel wasn’t as cornered as Petios had been.
I stopped picking up the object the child had dropped and slowly stood up. The child silently watched me.
The child noticed that I pretended to retrieve a woodworking knife but slipped it into my sleeve. Wisely, they didn’t say a word.
“What did my husband say? He hasn’t told me anything, you see.”
“Of course, the lord is concerned about you, Madam. As he always is.”
“Concerned enough to suggest rushing to Lamprey Castle?”
“…Not if you agree to come with me willingly, Madam.”
That meant no report had yet reached Danel. Likely, it was Baron Rodio’s decision. He must have thought it better to secure me and resolve the situation before reporting to Danel.
The realization made me smile. Truly, everyone but me seemed to know that Danel was hiding countless secrets from me.
I calmly approached the baroness. The tension among the knights visibly eased.
“Do you know why people say the final stage of the knight exams is the hardest?”
