Wild Proposal

Chapter 4

The Rosamund Mansion was currently drowned in a somber atmosphere. The servants undertook their work carefully in hushed whispers, keeping their thoughts to themselves about the accident that happened a few hours ago.

In a lavishly decorated room, two people were currently standing at the side of a bed, their eyes trained on the young doctor who was checking up on the unconscious lady laid on the bed. Their faces revealed their concern for a member of their family.

Looking at their daughter that was once lively and full of energy but now unconscious on the bed, Duchess Eva couldn't stop her tears from falling. The beautiful woman started sobbing as she leaned against her husband's strong stature for support. Streaks of big tears ran down her face, making her look pitifully haggard. A big hand wrapped around her shoulder in protection, providing warmth in the midst of the depressing atmosphere.

Duke Franc looked at the white gauze wrapped around his daughter's neck, the man pursed his lips silently. The man calmly pacified his wife in his arms, his hand gently patting her back. He appeared to have been unbothered by the situation, but if one took a closer look, they could see that the other hand hidden by his sleeves was slightly trembling, his teeth gritted in anger behind those pursed lips.

"How is my daughter?" Duke Franc spoke first, breaking up the tense atmosphere.

"She is alright now," the young doctor replied as he stood up, his expression serious, "Her health has stabilized, but she requires more rest.

I have prescribed the medicine for her in this note. I will send you a healing lotion for her neck in a few hours so the scar won't remain. However, as for her mental health...,"

His voice faltered, his eyes scanned across Duke Franc and his wife who now has stopped sobbing, "I believe that time is the medicine for love."

With a complicated gaze, Duke Franc replied, "..I understand."

The young doctor nodded once, "If that is all, I shall leave."

He then packed up his medicinal kit before going out of the room. Duke Franc looked at the closed door and sighed tiredly.

The moment the young doctor left the room, Duchess Eva immediately left her husband's arms to run towards her daughter's side. Her eyes sadly looked at her daughter's face that was pale and sunken, her lips whispering words of concern towards the unconscious lady. Her bony fingers overlapping her daughter's slender ones, her lips bowing down to kiss the back of her daughter's hand.

"My child, mother is sorry." Duchess Eva whispered, tears pouring down once again. "I'm sorry that you had to go through all of the painful things."

Duke Franc watched his wife break down in front of his unconscious daughter, his heart was immediately pained. He lowered his head, fingers clenched into a fist. His pained gaze hidden under the casted shadow.

"Eva.., I'm sorry that I couldn't protect our daughter," the man spoke, his gaze turning away from his wife to hide the shame within. His back that was facing his wife appeared unusually desolate. "I promised you that I would protect the both of you, yet I broke it,... I'm sorry."

Duchess Eva looked up in surprise, her tears leaving streaks on her cheek. "No, no... Honey, it's not your fault. We... are powerless against the Emperor's edict."

Duke Franc gritted his teeth, ashamed of himself, "But if 15 years ago I didn't engage our daughter to the Crown Prince, none of this would happen. At the end of the day, I was the one who caused Alvira to suicide."

"Eva, I- I won't be able to live anymore if another child of ours dies before we do." Duke Franc was on the brink of insanity, his mind brought him back to the scene of the past, "I don't want to attend another of our children's funerals."