Chapter 61: Yelena paused for a moment before taking off his gown.

Yelena paused for a moment before taking off his gown.

"...I'm trying to lower your fever. You're aware of that, right? I don't have any other intentions. You're just a patient to me today."

It was something Yelena was saying to both her husband and herself.

Soon, Yelena took off her husband's gown.

His sweaty upper body was revealed under the light in the bedroom.

It was that moment.

Her eyes first noticed the sweat soaking her husband's fine body, which was tightly woven with muscles.

Yelena hurriedly soaked the towel, twisted it, and took it to her husband's body.

'...a scar?'

Yelena's hand, which was about to wipe his shoulders, faltered slightly.

She couldn't identify the type of scar when she just removed his gown, but now she could see that her husband had a burn scar on his shoulder.

'It seems quite old...'

10 years?

Or maybe it was more than that.

'How did he get such a scar...?'

Yelena silently wiped her husband's shoulders, hiding the doubts that arose in her mind.

It was said that it was shameful to have no scars if you held the sword.

However, 10 years ago, her husband would only be 14 years old.

It was not even a scar from the sword - it was a burn.

'The scar is only on the shoulder.'

Yelena thoroughly cleaned her husband's chest, abdomen, and sides as well.

She couldn't find any other scars besides the one on his shoulder.

'By the way, isn't the fever too high?'

The towel, fed with cold water, quickly turned lukewarm at her husband's body temperature.

Yelena's worries increased.

It reminded her of the time her older brother, Edward suffered from a high fever and was in a state of limbo.

'I think I had a similar fever at the time.'

"Turn around," Yelena said as she dipped the towel in the basin.

It was time to wipe his back.

"..."

"What are you doing? Come on."

Her husband's movements were sluggish. Yelena started to feel frustrated.

Shortly, her husband turned around.

Yelena tried to put a towel directly on her husband's exposed, broad back but stopped.

A thick scar.

A scar similar to the one she saw on his shoulder covered her husband's entire back.

Yelena couldn't do anything for a while.

She couldn't think properly because her head was completely blank.

She was completely stiff. At that moment, she heard her husband's voice.

"...When I was a child."

"..."

"My mother once tried to burn the stain on my face with fire."

Yelena almost dropped the towel in her hand.

While she doubted her ears, her husband continued in a calm voice.

"The burn on my shoulder was the first and occurred when I tried to prevent it. The embers fell on my shoulders."

"...The back."

Yelena spoke with difficulty.

"The back... somehow..."

"...that day, I rolled on the floor in agony because I couldn't overcome the pain. I don't know what had been on my mother's mind, but after coming back from a gathering, she tied me up and set my back on fire."

The words contradicted his dry voice devoid of any emotions.

The towel fell from Yelena's hand.

Her hands trembled. Yelena managed to move her mouth.

"The Duke, the previous Grand Duke..."

"He knew, but he ignored it."

"... "

"I think he warned her not to touch any place that would be visible to others."

Yelena closed her eyes tightly and then opened them.

The story was like a lie.

No, she was hoping it would be a lie.

Even though it didn't seem true, she couldn't deny it because there was visible evidence.

She had expected that her husband's childhood was unfortunate. It would never have been smooth.

But this.

Not like this...

"How long..."

"..."

"For how long... did you have to go through something like this?"

"I only remember that the first one was when I was just a child. The last one was..."

"..."

"It was the day before they died."

Yelena was silent.

It was difficult to tell whether the words wouldn't come out or if there were no words to say.

The sheets of the bed touched the palm of her hand. Yelena gripped it as hard as she could. Those who made these ridiculous marks on her husband's body were already dead.

She couldn't go to the dead and complain, yell, get angry, and curse at them.

The anger that she could not direct at any opponent filled Yelena's heart.

She instantly felt like she heart was burning, but there was nowhere to vent it out.

Duke Mayhard turned to look at Yelena after her prolonged silence and became surprised.

"...Wife."