IFHWPML - Chapter 4
"The child is suffering from malnutrition and illness."
The physician who had finished treating Laphel looked at Werazel and spoke. His expression seemed to be questioning what she had done to let the child come to this state.
Malnutrition in this day and age, even among the nobility's children.
The physician clenched his tongue in his mind and muttered about the end of the world in his thoughts.
"Is he going to be okay?"
Werazel asked while keeping her gaze fixed on Laphel, who was lying on the bed.
The child, who was breathing with labored breaths and had thin eyelids closed, looked clearly in pain to anyone who saw her.
His lips were pale and trembling, and cold sweat was dripping down her forehead, trickling down his pale skin.
"I will prescribe some medicine, but it's most important to feed her well and let her rest."
Werazel received a small bottle of liquid medicine from the physician. The pale liquid inside was red like strawberry syrup.
"Make sure he eats three meals a day and give him a spoonful after meals."
Werazel nodded in agreement.
The physician packed up his medical equipment that he had laid out.
The distressed woman who had been unable to take her eyes off the child since she arrived on this assignment seemed to be very worried about the child.
But ironically, the child was suffering from malnutrition. How neglected and starved must she have been...
Indeed, one cannot judge a person solely by appearance. How despicable some people can be.
The doctor left the room, thinking that he had come to realize something about people once again.
If she had caught even a glimpse of the expression on the lawmaker's face, Werazel would have instantly known what he was thinking and corrected him.
But she was too focused on Laphel, so she didn't know that fact.
So she could only realize the strange rumors that were circulating afterwards belatedly.
" Lizelle, who is this child?"
The Countess, who entered Werazel's room after the lawmaker left, asked hesitantly.
"He's a child who lost his parents and was lying unconscious... I couldn't pretend not to know."
Originally, according to Lizelle's plan, he should have gone straight to the Duke's mansion after finding Laphel, but he brought the child home first because his recovery was more urgent.
Baroness Rosali, wearing a torn dress up to her knees, was horrified when she saw her daughter, who appeared with a child in her arms.
She even wondered if she had a child hidden from her without her knowledge.
Baroness Rosali was finally able to calm her heart with Ruzel's answer.
Thankfully, it wasn't what she feared.
"I see. Is the child okay?"
"Yes. If he eats well and rests well, he'll recover soon."
Lizelle said, removing the black hair that was stuck to Laphel's cheek due to sweat.
"Uhm... mon."
At that time, a faint sound came out from the small, trembling lips.
Although the voice was barely audible, it could vaguely be understood that the child was looking for their mother.
But despite searching desperately for their parents, the child's parents had already passed away in an accident.
Werazel let out a small sigh of sympathy, even though she tried not to pity intentionally.
The child resembled their past self. Just like how they had needed affectionate care and attention back then, Raphael needed the same now.
"I've made some soup, so please feed the child if they wake up."
"Yes, thank you."
Rosali reassured Werazel that everything would be fine and patted her shoulder before leaving the room.
Werazel tenderly took care of Laphel, changing the damp towel on his forehead with a fresh one.
Nevertheless, Laphel's fever, like a blazing fire, was gradually returning to normal, thanks to the skillful physician.
"You'll soon meet your family."
Werazel said, covering Laphel's neck with the blanket meticulously, in case he got cold.
They may not be his parents, but they are still his uncle.
In the novel, the character of the foolish nephew depicted by Duke Chester would surely take care of Laphel.
"So let's go see Uncle quickly."
Werazel placed her hand on the child's small chest and gently patted it to comfort him, so that he wouldn't have bad dreams.
Before she knew it, her priority had become the child. It wasn't too late, even considering the reward money for finding him and making sure Raphael recovered.
How much time has passed?
As the sun, which had been floating in the middle sky, slowly set,
"Umm...."
Laphelion lifted his eyelids heavily.
As he blinked his thin eyelids, his blurry vision gradually cleared.
After blinking several times, Laphel looked around cautiously with his unfamiliar pupils.
"Are you okay?"
A worried voice was heard right next to him, and Laphel turned his head towards it.
There was the woman he saw before sitting next to him. Laphel's eyes welled up with tears.
"I'm glad you've cooled down a lot."
Werazel placed her hand on Laphelion's forehead to check his temperature.
It had gone down a lot compared to when they first met, and he seemed to have recovered a lot, as he was breathing regularly unlike before.
"Mom...."
Laphelion moved his little fingers to grab onto Werazel's clothes.
He wanted to feel that warm embrace he felt earlier once again. The cozy and soft embrace that felt like a fluffy blanket.
"laphel, I'm not your mom."
Werazel said firmly.
Like a newly hatched duckling imprinting its mother upon seeing her for the first time, Laphel, who had lost his memory, seemed to be like that.
But it wasn't true. She could never be laphel's mother.
"Waaaaah, mama...!"
When rejected by Werazel, tears filled RLphel's eyes with sadness.
Transparent tears, like thick dewdrops, fell down her cheeks onto the sheet.
Seeing those tears, Werazel's heart was filled with regret and guilt, as if her heart was being stabbed, but it wasn't untrue.
With a stern expression, she spoke to Laphel.
"Stop, Laphel."
"Sniffle!"
But a few words from the child wouldn't stop the tears.
Werazel bent down to Laphel's eye level and waited with a rigid expression until Laphel's tears subsided.
Laphel reached out her small, slender arms, asking to be hugged, but Werazel ignored her, shaking her head.
Although she wanted to comfort the child by hugging her, as she had been unusually weak towards children from the past, she resisted the urge to hold her trembling hands.
"Sob... sniff."
The crying in the room gradually subsided.
Laphel looked at Werazel with her teary, blurry eyes.
"Come here, Laphel."
Finally, Werazel extended her arms and hugged Laphel.
"Sob..."
Laphel buried her face in Werazel's shoulder, as if to say she had been waiting.
"It's okay, Laphel. Don't cry."
Werazel gently patted Laphel's back, which was wet with tears.
Laphel tightly embraced Werazel, not wanting to miss the warm embrace that he could feel again. It was as cozy as a fluffy cotton blanket.
"Yeah, your name is Laphelion Heillos,"
Werazel said as he gently patted Laphel's back, walking around the room.
"Where are my mom and dad?"
Raphel asked, a piercing question that made Werazel momentarily silent.
He pondered over how to explain to the child in the best way possible, going back and forth in his mind.
"You'll be able to meet your family soon. They are very, very nice people,"
Werazel ultimately chose to be vague in his response.
He believed that hearing the sad news about his parents from a family member, like the Duke, would be better than hearing it from a stranger like himself.
The only thing he could do as a stranger was to return Laphel to the embrace of his family.
"Family?"
"Yeah, family. Laphel has been eagerly waiting for you to come."
He must have been anxiously waiting, as he had tried every possible means to find his nephew. So, he had to bring him to the Duke as soon as possible.
"You're not my family?"
Laphel raised his head and stared at Werazel with tear-filled eyes. There was a question mark drawn in his red eyes that had stopped shedding tears.
"Yeah, I'm just Werazel."
"Wer, Azel?"
"Yeah, Werazel."
"Ung. Werazel."
Laphel mumbled Werazel's name with his lips slightly pouted, as if he liked the name.
Laphel giggled, and her rosy cheeks were flushed. She found Laphel's young and adorable voice calling her name quite pleasant.
No, it was actually cute.
Laphel, who understood quickly, was smart enough to Lizelle pat his head, and a fuzzy feeling passed through her hand.
Come to think of it, Laphel was still in a pitiful state. She hadn't had a chance to clean up after being brought home for treatment.
Dust was stuck to Laphel's hair, and her face had specks of soot-like dirt here and there.
"Laphel, let's go have some fun."
She had regained some energy, so she needed to give her a bath.
Her condition was not completely better yet, but leaving her in such a dirty state would only worsen her illness.
Laphel's eyes sparkled at Werazel's mischievous voice.
"Fun?"
"Yeah, fun. Let's go quickly."
"Fun! Fun!"
Laphel swung her legs excitedly in Werazel's arms.
Laphel didn't know until then. That he would cry again.
A few minutes later, Laphel's cries of surprise echoed through the bathroom when she realized that bath time was actually not fun.
"Wahhh, I don't want to!"
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