[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 17

As I fidgeted with my fingers while nestled in Edwin's embrace, he slightly leaned back.

"Have you stopped crying?" Edwin gently grasped my chin, examining my face. "Hmm, where has my bride gone? This unattractive woman can't be my bride," he teased, causing me to feel annoyed. However, I suppressed my irritation, remembering he was my only protector. Still, I didn't want to show him my swollen eyes, so I lowered my head, though Edwin's hand prevented me from hiding completely. 

"Ah, why are you so fragile?" Edwin sighed softly and lifted me into his arms. Instinctively, I grabbed onto his clothes to prevent falling, and he glanced down at my hands. Fearing he might get angry, I slowly let go of his clothes, but his firm arms wrapped around my back, securing me comfortably. He pulled a bell cord and then headed towards the sofa. 

"You fainted yesterday, too. You nearly collapsed again as soon as you woke up." His tone was scolding, so I quietly looked down. "If you keep fainting from pain, I’ll hang you out the window until you wake up." Despite his harsh words, the corners of his eyes drooped as if he were really concerned. That contradiction made me tilt my head, and Edwin's eyebrows shot up. 

"Answer." 

I quickly nodded, and he smiled, satisfied. "Let’s eat and take your medicine." 

"Medicine...?" What medicine? What did I do wrong this time? As I tensed up, Edwin calmly responded, "You were sick yesterday. The physician said you need to take medicine." I looked at Edwin with a strange expression. I hadn't expected him to call a doctor just because I had collapsed. Given his usual behaviour in the original story where he often hurt others rather than cared for them, this caring side was completely unfamiliar. Yet, it also felt like someone was tickling my chest with a feather. 

"Do you dislike medicine? Well, my bride does have a weak stomach." Edwin, noticing I was grimacing without realising it, gently rubbed my forehead. I'm not fond of medicine, but it's not like I can't take it. I hesitated to answer, trying not to upset him, which made his eyebrows furrow. 

"Still, take it. It upsets me to see my bride collapse." His gaze turned chilly for a moment, prompting me to quickly nod. Edwin’s eyes softened. "As a reward for taking your medicine, I’ll give you some chocolate." 

Caught off guard by his treating me like a child, I was dumbfounded when Seth entered with food. "How are you feeling?" He inspected my condition meticulously while other servants set the table. "I’m fine..." I started to say, then quickly changed my tone, fearing Edwin's scolding. "But just in case, it might be good to see the physician after eating." I nodded in agreement, and Seth said he would bring the physician, then left the room with the other servants. 

"I told them to prepare something easy to digest." The table was filled with various soups, porridge, scrambled eggs, and fruit juices. 'Really, what’s the point if it’s all easy to digest? I’ll get indigestion from eating all this.' Whether I looked upset or not, Edwin began cheerfully feeding me. Fortunately, since I had collapsed, I was able to finish eating when I was comfortably full. 

"Now let’s take your medicine. Here’s some chocolate, too." He shook the chocolate like a rattle in front of a baby, which irked me, but I held back. Being treated like a child or whatever, at least I was alive. I consoled myself and obediently took the medicine Edwin offered. And the chocolate. 

As the sweetness filled my mouth, I felt my mood relax. "It seems tasty." Edwin, satisfied, placed another piece of chocolate in my mouth and smiled contentedly. 

"Madam, would you like to go out to the garden?" Jenny asked cautiously as I sat idly staring out the window. Edwin had been with me all morning but had returned to his office after lunch.

"Should we?" The garden visible through the large window seemed well-maintained. 

"It's warm out, but since you haven't fully recovered yet, I think you should wear a shawl." Jenny draped a thick, lavender-coloured shawl over my shoulders and meticulously adjusted my collar. 

"You haven’t had a chance to explore the mansion yet, have you?" I nodded; since possessing this body, I hadn’t had any leisure time. 

"Not just the garden, but the exhibition room is worth seeing too. There are many artworks passed down through the family." Jenny began to boast about the mansion as she matched my pace. 

As we stepped through the front door, the warm sunlight and the scent of flowers on the breeze made my heart flutter. "To the left, there’s a flower bed, and to the right, there’s a forest path and a lake. Which way would you like to go?" 

"Let’s go to the flower bed today. I’d like to see the flowers." Jenny led me to the flower bed, mentioning that the marigolds were in full bloom. 

"They're beautiful." Deeper into the garden, just as Jenny had said, marigolds blossomed abundantly in the flower bed. As I touched the scarlet petals, a soft texture and a rich fragrance enveloped me.