The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 155
A noble boy learns to hunt from his father.
He learns how to read the traces game animals leave in the forest. Footprints, droppings, tufts of fur, scent, grass pressed flat, or broken branches and trees.
From these signs, he learns how to judge what animal left them, where it has moved, and about where it might be now.
The one who taught Ash how to hunt was his half-brother, Joshua.
To their father, a second son born of a concubine, unable to inherit the family, was nothing but a byproduct.
He had already taught his distinguished firstborn, Joshua, so much, so perhaps he simply had no energy left for a son born late, or perhaps he simply wasnât interestedâŚ
To Ash, his brother Joshuaâten years his seniorâwas like a father.
Ash surveyed his surroundings with sharp eyes, just as his brother had taught him.
Flattened grass, pale brown tufts of fur caught on broken branches.
ââŚA deer?â
Judging from the sharp smell and the shape of the droppings, it was definitely a deer.
While itâs much easier to hunt swift deer using hounds, hunting was one of the things Ash was most confident in and enjoyed the most.
He could easily bring down a deer with just a single arrow, without any help from hunting dogs.
Silently masking his presence, Ash cautiously followed the direction of the small footprints.
Before long, he spotted his target off in the distance.
He gauged the wind direction and slowly drew his bowstring.
A laborer loaded the deer Ash had caught onto a cart.
Five foxes and three deer.
Heâd caught a total of five animals, more than enough to place in the upper ranks.
Even if someone put their all into the hunting competition, it was nearly impossible to catch even a single fox without beaters and hounds.
From that perspective, Ashâs victory was all but assured.
âYour GraceâŚ!â
As Ash returned to the entrance of the hunting grounds, he frowned upon seeing Catherine approaching with a worried expression.
Catherine.
The daughter of House Barrington, who had once helped restore his wifeâs reputation⌠The same one who had placed a cape around his wifeâs shoulders.
âWhat is it?â
Catherine lowered her voice, her eyes serious.
To others, it would seem like an ordinary conversation, but deep within her gaze, there was unmistakable anxiety.
âYou need to get Her Grace immediately. Please hurry. Her condition is strange.â
âStrange?â
âI donât know. I was going to call a physician, but Her Grace refused, so Iâve taken her to a private room for now.â
âIâll go to my wife right away. Please act as if nothing is wrong.â
There were many eyes in the imperial palace.
Even now, there were people watching him and Catherine with curious looks.
If something had happened to his wifeâŚ
Biting the inside of his cheek, he turned away and quickly left the open grounds.
The âprivate roomâ meant the Peridot Room.
The winner would be announced soon, but that wasnât important to him right now.
* * *
When Ash reached the bedroom, he closed the door and approached the bed.
The thick covers rose like a burial mound.
ââŚWhatâs wrong?â
Unlike his calm demeanor just before, he became frantic the moment he entered the private room, yanking down the covers.
âUghâŚâ
âWife.â
âUh, ngh, Iâm cold, it hurtsâŚâ
âPlease, get ahold of yourself, Wife.â
Her dress was disheveled, her back drenched with a cold sweat.
A flushed face covered with fever, hair sticking to her skin with sweat, unfocused pupils, a face smeared with tears.
His wife was not in her right mind.
âIâll call for a physician.â
It defied reason that his wife, who had seemed perfectly fine only hours ago, could be in this state.
He suspected poison.
Memories of the past he still hadnât overcome threatened to consume him.
If it became known that his wife had fallen ill in the imperial palace, the palace would be thrown into turmoil.
But if he didnât call the imperial physician, his wife could be in danger.
Even so, he couldnât just let her suffer.
His loyalty to the palace and his feelings for his wifeâŚ
He unhesitatingly chose the latter.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw bloodâ
Tap.
Ninaâs hot palm covered the back of his hand.
âHoney, thereâs⌠thereâs something wrong with my bodyâŚâ
ReadingRainbow9266
Seriously, thank GOD for Catherine! I had so much anxiety until the moment Ash was finally with her. Plus since heâs extra sensitive when it comes to drugs and poison, thereâs no way heâs going to let this go. Hopefully, after this, heâll finally have the anger and drive to actually do something to those targeting his wife
ReadingRainbow9266
Also, why would the imperial palace be âthrown Into turmoiâ, if itâs known she got sick? Yes, there would be an investigation, but isnât that a good thing for them? Why would it reflect negatively on THEM if she was poisoned? Wouldnât it actually have the opposite impact and make people pity her and worry? I donât see any reason why this would affect badly on Nina and Ash. If anything, Nord is the one who would have to be anxious. By now, whatever evidence there was, including the cup she drank from, would have already been cleaned up. In fact, enough time had passed without anyone knowing sheâd been drugged, that Nord would have had more than enough time to get rid of any and all evidenceâŚ. Damn. I still think it would have been better to tell everyone, âDONT DRINK YOUR TEA MY TEAS BEEN DRUGGED!â And caused a commotion. Since not only is she a duchess, but this is an event held by royalty, there would have been a strict investigation because harming Nina in the imperial palace, can even be considered trying to harm the royalsâŚ.. so far this has been handled VERY poorly. I can only hope that Ash isnât going to once again be completely useless, saying he âwonât let anyone hurt his wife anymoreâ, but never actually taking any action, even though heâs a duke who DEFINITELY has the means.