Can't Come Back - Chapter 45
TW: DEPICTION OF MISCARRIAGE
“Berlia! Berlia!”
Cain unintentionally called out Berlia’s name, but the situation was so critical that no one noticed anything out of the ordinary. Cain investigated Berlia’s health. She had run out of energy. Cain felt his heart sink as he saw her in that state.
He rapidly pressed his finger against her nose. Fortunately, she was still alive. He asked Betty, turning his head,
“What the heck is going on?!”
“Well, the mistress let go of the cord, and the glass… So there’s blood…”
Betty was frightened and couldn’t talk properly. Cain focused his attention on Betty’s finger. It was a string tied to the headboard of the bed. In the sunlight, the thread sparkled with glass particles. A scarlet substance, possibly Berlia’s blood, was also dripping down the thread.
‘Did the glass powder cut her?’
Her hand was red with blood. Glass powder glistened in the spaces between her palm wounds. If she was left alone, the powder may enter her body through her wounds. It had to be wiped away as soon as possible.
“Bring some water!”
Cain removed the glass and poured the water brought by a servant over Berlia’s palm. This wound, however, was insufficient to induce her to collapse. He attentively examined her palm, but nothing seemed out of the norm.
‘Strange. She’s not going to collapse from a glass cut. Could it be…’
He felt an uneasy feeling. Soon after, a doctor arrived. Berlia’s condition was inspected by the doctor.
Her lips had turned blue, according to the doctor. Bruises had formed on the inside of her palm, where the glass had become embedded. It was distinct from the wounds. The doctor questioned Cain after examining her condition.
“Did the Duchess get cut by a shard of glass?”
“Yes, and how is her condition?”
Cain responded with concern.
“Poison was undoubtedly the cause of her collapse.”
“Poison? What exactly do you mean?”
Cain had suspected poison, but it proved to be true. Someone attempted to injure Berlia, according to the doctor’s certain claim of poison.
Who would dare to harm the duchess?
“Based on the blue change in her lips and the black spots on her palm, it’s a poison derived from the Madiana flower’s root. It’s a fatal poison that, if used in high doses, might kill even a healthy man. Fortunately, it appears to be a minor amount… but it can still result in temporary eyesight loss and major health consequences. Moreover…”
The doctor paused briefly before proceeding. His attention was drawn to Berlia’s stomach.
“It appears that the Duchess is currently pregnant… This type of poison is extremely harmful to the fetus. The infant may be at risk, especially since it occured so early in the pregnancy.”
“The child is in jeopardy…”
Cain couldn’t hide his surprise.
“However, the fact that the duchess’s life is not in danger is a relief. Here’s an antidote. After three days of administration, you should notice an improvement.”
The doctor exited the residence in this manner. Dean arrived a little while later. He was in a panic after learning about Berlia’s condition.
“Poison! The Duchess has been poisoned! Who in the world did this? Bring me the culprit right away!”
Cain initially suspected even Dean.
‘It’s not him.’
Based on Dean’s reaction and his previous warm attitude with Berlia, he didn’t appear to be the one.
“So, who could it be? What about the servants?”
Cain had no intention of forgiving the perpetrators, no matter who they were.
“My child could be in jeopardy! Who would want to hurt my child?”
Dean yelled at the servants of the mansion to find the guilty. The mansion’s atmosphere was chaotic.
A day has gone. Berlia, thankfully, showed signs of improvement as a result of the medication brought by the doctor. Her condition, however, remained critical. Betty stayed at her side to look after her. When night fell, Cain went to Berlia’s room. Betty gazed at Cain when she noticed him.
“Young Master…?”
“I’ll stay by my sister-in-law’s side, so you should get some sleep.”
“Ah, I understand, thank you.”
Betty, fortunately, was weary. She could rest for a while if Cain was watching over her. Betty exited the room after thanking everyone. Cain sat beside Berlia’s bed and glanced at her.
“If only I had kept a closer eye on you…”
Cain grasped her frail, offered hand. He prayed for her and the baby’s well-being.
“I’m going to find out who did this, Berlia. I will keep you and the baby safe.”
Cain assumed that this infant belonged to him and Berlia. He prayed that their love would bear fruit.
Cain dozed off on the bed while keeping an eye on Berlia.
Berlia awoke in the early hours of the morning, her face twisted in anguish as she grabbed her lower abdomen.
“Ugh…”
She curled up in excruciating anguish. However, the agony continued. Her entire body was quivering. Berlia struggled to keep her abdomen still. Her legs were filled with blood.
“Cain…”
Berlia called Cain. He’d fallen asleep at her side and awoke to the sound of her groaning. Then he noticed the red blood soaked bedding.
“Berlia! What is it… Berlia?”
“Haa, huu… Cain… it hurts so much…!”
She clutched Cain’s arm hard. He could tell she was in a lot of agony. Her grip on his arm was pallid and bloodless. Her breathing was quick. Cain’s urgent voice attempted to calm her down.
“Berlia, just wait a moment. I’ll cALL the doctor immediately.”
“Ugh, uh, aaaack!”
Berlia, on the other hand, couldn’t wait. Her lower body was being burned by the pain.
“Berlia, Berlia!”
“Aaaaack!!”
She blacked out after screaming from the bottom of her throat.
* * *
It was already midday when Berlia awoke, and the sun was high in the sky. She sensed something was missing from her body when she regained consciousness. The anguish was gone, but tears streamed down her cheeks. Berlia shifted her gaze to the side. Cain was keeping his eye on her.
“Are you awake? I was so concerned.”
“Cain…”
He stared at Berlia, concerned.
“How is your body feeling, Berlia? Are you still in discomfort?”
“What about… our baby?”
In a weak voice, she inquired of Cain. She prayed she was mistaken. She wished he’d tell her that the baby was fine. That the emptiness she was experiencing was a result of her misunderstanding.
“…Berlia…”
Cain couldn’t bear looking at Berlia’s expression. He dropped his head, unable to respond. Berlia confirmed his reaction, confirming her fears.
“Gone…”
Berlia stared blankly at the ceiling. She was terrified when she discovered she was pregnant. She even despised the fact that she became pregnant at such an inconvenient time. Her tears couldn’t stop falling, even though she knew the baby had died. Her tears ran down the pillow.
‘Despite the fact that I didn’t want the baby…’
She was heartbroken for the baby. When she first learned about the baby, she slapped her tummy and even rolled down the stairs in the hope that the baby would disappear. Had it vanished as a result of this? Berlia was feeling bad for hating her own child.
“Don’t you cry, Berlia.”
Cain held out his hand to wipe her tears. But her tears continued to fall, trickling down the back of Cain’s palm.
“I’m so… sorry, and it was our… child.”
Despite the fact that the baby could have been Dean’s, they had decided to think it was theirs. They had made the decision to cherish this child as such. It was terrible that this baby could not be born into this world.
“Think of it as the baby leaving you for a while to return in better shape the next time. Isn’t it critical to recover your body right now? I’m relieved that at least your body is fine. Let’s think about it that way, Berlia.”
Cain’s consolation, however, did not simply calm Berlia’s heart. Then they heard Dean’s voice, who had come to visit her room.
“What exactly is this?! Did you have a miscarriage?!”
Dean, who had learned about Berlia’s miscarriage from the doctor who had come to check on her while she was unconscious, took a single step forward. He stared at his wife, who was lying there helpless. Her frail appearance lacked all appeal. Their child was no longer present, as seen by her tiny belly. Dean was enraged.
“What exactly are you doing!”
“Brother?”
Cain, perplexed by Dean’s unexpected reaction, shouted out to him.
“You couldn’t even care for your body, and now you’ve lost the baby! You can’t even protect the dukedom’s heir, and you fall for such a poison! It’s truly pitiful!”
It was almost as if Berlia wasn’t to blame for her own demise. Of course, she could have avoided pulling the thread if she had been more cautious. But who would investigate and pull a thread near the bedside?
But Dean refused to accept it. The infant would have been safe if Berlia had acted more cautiously, if she had taken care of herself. He assumed it was all because she was a moron.
“Sniff… sniff… sniff…”
Berlia’s eyes welled up again as she heard his remarks. As heartbroken as she was at losing her child, her husband blamed her for everything. Instead of comfort, he offered criticism. Berlia couldn’t hold back her cries of grief.
“What are you crying for, you’re a failure!”
“What are you doing, brother? She is suffering. She’s your wife, you sicko!”
Cain became enraged and yelled at Dean. But Dean was unaware of his error. Instead, he became even more enraged.
“Whether my wife or my brother, everything is a shambles! How can the family function like this?”
Dean was irritated by everything. He didn’t want to be in this house any longer. His interest with Berlia vanished after knowing that the baby had died.