Hiding the Emperor's Child

Chapter 24

Theor had regained his energy and was happily playing in the bathtub once more. As he splashed around, a gentle warmth enveloped his soft, white skin. His hair glistened as it soaked in the rising steam, creating an ethereal mist around him.

Astelle, noticing the lavender-scented soap nearby, called out to Theor. "Now, it's time to wash your hair. Come on out."

"Okay," Theor replied, still engrossed in his watery play. He extended his tiny hand towards Astelle, seeking assistance.

Astelle reached out her hand to help Theor safely exit the bathtub. However, as their hands connected, her attention was drawn to something unusual—a reddish mark on the inside of her wrist, concealed beneath her bathrobe.

"Ah..." She couldn't help but gasp, her gaze fixed on the strange red spot on her wrist. With haste, she rolled up the sleeves of her gown to investigate further.

'This...' Astelle thought, her heart racing. Turning her focus inward, she noticed ominous red spots emerging on the inside of her own wrist, on what was once pristine skin. There were three or four spots, each about the size of a fingernail, appearing pale red at first glance.

"I just didn't have this before," Astelle murmured to herself. She was certain that the mark hadn't been there when she changed her clothes earlier. It seemed to have appeared while she was soaking in the warm bath, likely a result of the heat. Eastern fever typically behaved this way—the warmth from the bath would accelerate the appearance of the telltale spots.

The pattern of the spots on her arm was a clear indicator of fever, but Astelle took solace in the fact that it wasn't a severe illness. It wasn't the dreaded Innes fever, which manifested with dark red spots right from the outset. Astelle's spots were a pale red hue.

"I'm relieved it's not serious," she thought to herself. Somehow, she had been feeling unusually lethargic with a persistent headache since yesterday.

"Could it be because of the rain?" Astelle wondered. Two days ago, she had made a dash to the hunting lodge through a torrential downpour that resembled a fierce storm. Even though she had been exhausted from her recent escape and had been caught in the rain, she hadn't anticipated falling ill.

Astelle gently touched her forehead with her hand, checking for any signs of a fever. Fortunately, there was no indication of one.

There was no sensation of warmth emanating from the spots on Astelle's wrist. Only faint scarlet marks adorned her slender wrist. The absence of heat was reassuring, as the fever wasn't contagious until the onset of fever symptoms.

When the fever did manifest, the spots would start to spread across the body, and as the symptoms worsened, the patient might develop a high fever. It was at this stage that the contagion risk increased.

"It's crucial to prepare and take the medicine promptly," Astelle thought to herself, determined to create the necessary remedies to combat the fever. The ingredients she needed weren't particularly rare, and she had some of them in her medicine box. The rest could likely be found in the nearby forest.

"Some of the herbs I require might also be available from the pharmacist," she considered.

Suddenly, she was interrupted by Theor's voice. "Mom?"

Astelle turned to face Theor, who appeared both surprised and concerned. He clung to the rim of the bathtub, his innocent eyes locked onto her. Theor scrutinized the spot on Astelle's wrist and then looked back up at her with a worried expression.

"Is Mom hurt or sick?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. Astelle, taken aback by his question.

"What?"