Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 64

Don’t Get Caught by Your Husband! 64. Newly Acquired (2)

#64. Newly Acquired (2)

2024.05.03.

“Damn it… Get a doctor here now!”

Escalion shouted, and Cindy, who was standing nearby, quickly turned and hurried down the stairs.

Belladona looked down at her palm, a confused expression on her face.

Why… why is this happening?

“Cough!”

Another cough wracked her body.

Belladona instinctively raised her other arm to cover her mouth.

When she lowered her sleeve after the coughing subsided, she saw red blood splattered there as well.

What…? Why does it keep…?

“This is driving me crazy.”

Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted, and her vision swam.

Escalion, holding her in his arms, kicked the door open with his one free foot and strode inside.

Still cradled in Escalion’s arms, Belladona stared blankly at her palm and the bloodstains on the hem of her clothes.

‘Using divine power puts a strain on the body… Is this what they meant?’

“Is this some kind of protest for tormenting you all night?”

“…….”

“If you really want to drive me crazy, you’re succeeding….”

“Ugh, cough…!”

“Ah, damn it.”

Belladona coughed again, the burning sensation inside intensifying as she continued to cough up blood.

She raised a hand and clutched her chest.

‘Ah, it hurts….’

From above, she heard Escalion muttering curses she couldn’t quite make out.

Belladona leaned weakly against his chest, feeling her consciousness slipping away.

* * *

“The coughing has stopped for now. I will prescribe some medicine to help stop the hemoptysis [coughing up blood].”

The doctor, having completed his examination, looked up at Escalion, who stood beside him.

Escalion stood with his arms crossed, looking down at Belladona on the bed. His inscrutable, expressionless face seemed unusually cold and frightening today.

Belladona cautiously blinked, watching his reaction.

“Is that kind of bleeding related to divine power?”

“As I mentioned before, divine power draws upon a certain amount of life force, which puts a great strain on the body. Perhaps it’s because you haven’t used it for a while and then suddenly used a large amount of healing power….”

Belladona subtly avoided the doctor’s gaze, which she could feel even through his thick glasses.

She had been so amazed that her wounds disappeared without a trace that she had poured healing power all over her body, so it was true that she had suddenly used a lot of divine power.

‘I didn’t know that divine power was related to life force…’

Belladona wiggled her fingers, feeling somewhat wronged.

“In addition to the divine power, another reason could be that your body has become very weak recently. It hasn’t been long since you regained consciousness after being found in the snowy mountains a while ago,” the doctor continued in a calm voice.

“Hmm, have you been exerting yourself a lot recently…?”

“Exerting herself?”

Escalion frowned slightly.

Belladona was naturally weak and sensitive to the cold, so she hadn’t really overexerted herself since coming to Griblatta….

“…….”

His face paled as a realization dawned on him.

Escalion glanced down at Belladona lying on the bed.

He remembered pushing her to her limits the previous night.

“Perhaps not. Then it seems that divine power is the main reason.”

“Wait. Does ‘exerting herself’ include things like…?”

At Escalion’s question, the doctor turned his head.

“Exerting yourself, you mean?”

“Yes… Uh, lifting something incredibly heavy, or climbing a steep slope at a fast pace, or something like that?”

“Ah, of course, it could be those things. But it can also include overworking your body to the point of being out of breath or not getting enough sleep.”

“…….”

Activities that leave you breathless, not getting enough sleep.

Escalion closed his eyes tightly as he listened to the doctor’s words. ‘Crazy bastard. You trash,’ he thought.

“In any case, you should avoid overexerting yourself as much as possible in the future. I will have the medicine for hemoptysis prepared and sent to you today.”

“Okay, thank you for your trouble.”

Escalion sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

As the doctor was packing his bag, someone’s presence was felt in front of the slightly open door.

Turning his head, Nicholas, with a puzzled expression, was peering into the room.

“Lord. I apologize, but what is going on?”

“…Cardinal Nicholas.”

“Someone seemed to be urgently looking for a doctor… Could it be that Saintess Belladona has been injured?”

At that moment, Belladona caught a glimpse of fatigue quickly flashing across Escalion’s face.

She had thought they had built some rapport from sharing drinks and having a good time, but it didn’t seem to be the case.

‘Well, it’s not easy to get close to someone like Nicholas.’

When there was no further response from Escalion, the impatient Nicholas spoke again.

“I would like to see the Saintess a little closer, may I?”

At his question, Escalion turned his head and met Belladona’s eyes.

He seemed to be asking for her opinion.

‘It’s uncomfortable, and I don’t want to…’

She wanted to shake her head and say no right away, but she thought Escalion might find it strange if she did.

Belladona reluctantly raised the corners of her lips.

“Come in.”

“Doctor, explain the results to me one more time.”

Nicholas, who had entered the room without hesitation, stopped the doctor who was just about to leave.

The doctor frowned slightly at his rude and forceful attitude, ordering him around as if he were his personal physician.

Nicholas urged again.

“Explain properly what is wrong with Saintess Belladona. You’re a doctor; you must have finished your examination!”

“I will explain. You may leave now.”

Escalion, who had been watching them, rescued the poor doctor.

The doctor turned to Escalion, bowed deeply, and then left the room.

Nicholas glared at him with a displeased look.

“She has been overdoing it lately. She was already in poor physical condition….”

“Overdoing it? Saintess! What were you thinking!”

Before Escalion could finish speaking, Nicholas turned to Belladona, scolding her.

Belladona flinched and shrank back without realizing it.

“The Emperor’s birthday celebration is in a few days; haven’t you forgotten? You should have taken better care of yourself!”

Nicholas continued to raise his voice.

Even when she was in Astanya, he often scolded her like this.

“It’s already rare to use divine power a few times a year, but when you do, you should share grace and blessings with as many people as possible! You should start taking tonics from now on and focus on recovering your strength…”

“Is that what you should be saying right now?”

Suddenly, a chillingly calm voice echoed through the room.

Nicholas quickly shut his mouth at the sudden forcefulness.

“…Pardon?”

“I’m asking if that’s what you should be saying to my wife, who has collapsed after vomiting blood.”

Belladona raised her head, which had been lowered.

His golden eyes, still with his arms crossed and standing askew, were shining fiercely.

Nicholas took a step back without realizing it and stammered.

“Th, that’s not….”

“I’m talking about pressuring someone who has collapsed due to poor health to recover quickly so they can use divine power.”

“I, I didn’t mean to pressure her. I’m not like that….”

Nicholas trailed off, meeting Escalion’s cold gaze.

“If my wife is to recover quickly before the birthday celebration, as the Cardinal says, I don’t think this is helping at all.”

“Ahem, ahem….”

Nicholas cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to Belladona.

He forced a smile, his face full of humiliation.

“That’s not what I meant, Saintess. I’m just so sorry that you’re in such poor health….”

Belladona, knowing that these were insincere words, sighed inwardly.

After all, Saintess Belladona was just that kind of existence to the people of the Papal States.

An existence that only uses divine power when they need it to solidify the Papal States’ position.

An existence that listens to the unspeakable worries of nobles and wealthy commoners and receives a lot of donations in return.

An existence that must remain by their side in a perfect and beautiful state when they need her.

‘So that’s why they’re so desperate to take me back to Astanya.’

“If you’re done, please leave.”

Escalion, who had been standing behind, took a step forward.

He pulled the blanket over Belladona, covering her up to her chin.

“My wife needs to rest now.”

“Ah, th, then! Ah, thanks to you, I had a good tour of the Griblatta territory today, Lord.”

Nicholas brought up another topic to break the chilling atmosphere.

But when Escalion only straightened the bed where Belladona was lying without saying a word in response, he smacked his lips and stepped back.

Belladona watched him glare at Escalion with a hardened expression.

‘He can’t say anything in front of him, but will glaring like that from behind make a hole in his head?’

“Then… rest well. Both you, Lord, and you, Saintess.”

Belladona nodded instead of Escalion, who was still standing silently with his jaw clenched.

Nicholas, who had been standing still and clenching his jaw, turned and left the room.

‘That’s the first time I’ve seen that expression…’

Belladona blinked and looked at the door where Nicholas had disappeared.

He had been the second most powerful person in Astanya after the Pope.

He was always arrogant, cocky, and rude to everyone except the believers, but he could make such a shameful expression.

Somehow, she felt relieved.

“All of you, leave too.”

At Escalion’s words, Volf, Cindy, and several other maids who had been standing in a row on one side of the room bowed their heads and walked out.

As soon as they were alone, Belladona quietly looked up at him.

‘Perhaps, are you going to nag me too…?’

Escalion, having dismissed everyone, plopped down on a small chair next to the bed without hesitation.

He sat in the chair where the doctor had been sitting, leaned his large body against the backrest, and stared at Belladona.

‘What, why…?’

Feeling somehow uncomfortable, she kept averting her gaze, but then she suddenly heard his voice.

“Do you hate Griblatta so much, even though you’re being treated like that?”