There was a knock at the door from outside.

“Madam.”

A cautious voice called out.

Cecilia did not respond.

“Madam, your meal is ready. Shall we bring it inside?”

Again, Cecilia did not answer.

It was already afternoon.

She had not eaten anything since morning.

Yet she felt no hunger at all.

Whenever her period began, she refrained from eating.

Her stomach ached, her mood plummeted, and even the thought of food made her nauseous.

After starving for about three days, her body would grow weak, and the pain would seem to dull as a result.

Around that time, her nanny would come in with a bowl of porridge made with grains and minced meat, along with some fruit.

Even as Cecilia snapped irritably, refusing to eat, her nanny would coax and soothe her—sometimes even shedding tears—to make her take a few bites.

Cecilia closed her eyes, which had started to burn.

She found herself missing the time when she had believed that the nanny’s care was purely out of love.

Another knock came at the door.

If they knocked once more, she was going to scream.

As Cecilia clenched her teeth, readying herself, she suddenly heard the door open.

‘Did they just open the door without permission?’

Did Lagos’ servants lack even the most basic manners?

“Cecilia.”

Her breath caught in her throat.

She remained curled up, motionless.

“Cecilia.”

This time, his voice was closer.

Lifting her head from where it was buried beneath the blankets, she met Russell’s gaze and scowled.

“Who told you to come in?”

“You should eat something—”

“I’m not eating! I told you, I’m not eating! Just leave me alone!”

As she shouted, tears welled in her eyes.

‘This is really the end.’

He would soon wear a look of exasperation and leave.

But Russell showed no sign of being fazed.

“I brought medicine. It’s supposed to work very well for menstrual cramps. The butler swears by it.”

Cecilia was so taken aback that her tears vanished.

“W-What…?”

Did he just say ‘menstrual cramps’?

Did this man have no sense of shame?

Menstruation was a matter strictly off-limits to men.

They weren’t supposed to speak of it, nor even acknowledge its existence.

Yet he showed no hint of embarrassment.

Cecilia was appalled by his shamelessness.

“And Brendan also said that enduring menstrual cramps is foolish—you should just take medicine.”

Her ears burned.

Hearing the word ‘menstrual cramps’ so openly from his lips made her feel embarrassed instead.

“…It won’t work.”

“It’s a highly effective medicine. The butler guaranteed it.”

“……”

Cecilia hesitated.

Even the ointments for wounds here were astonishingly effective.

Maybe this really would work.

“Leave it here.”

“But you can’t take it on an empty stomach.”

“Why?”

“There’s a high chance it’ll cause stomach pain.”

“Are you using this so-called medicine as an excuse to trick me?”

She had lost count of the times doctors had blamed her menstrual cramps on her poor eating habits.

As she shot him a suspicious glare, Russell shook his head.

“Why would I tell such an obvious lie?”

“……”

Cecilia knew he wasn’t the type to resort to petty tricks.

She trusted him at least that much.

“Fine. I’ll eat.”

“If it’s too hard to get up, should I place it on the bed?”

She nodded.

As she struggled to sit up, Russell moved to support her.

Her body felt limp, but with his help, she managed to sit upright with ease.

Russell brought over the bed tray from the table and set it in front of her.

On the tray was a bowl of thick, yellow-tinged soup, along with a smaller dish containing a rather suspiciously colored liquid.

“I’ll eat by myself.”

“You have to finish the whole bowl of soup.”

She nodded.

“I’ll send a maid in after a little while.”

Stepping out of the bedroom, Russell turned to the maids.

“Wait a little before going in to clear the dishes. You don’t need to ask for permission first.”

“Yes, Milord.”

“Make sure she finishes everything and report back to me.”

“Yes, Milord.”

As Russell left the drawing room, he recalled how she had looked just moments ago.

Perhaps it was because of her pain, but she had seemed so fragile.

‘How long do I have to wait?’

Of course, he had noticed that Cecilia was avoiding him, but he had not forced his way closer.

Not because he was offended, as she might assume.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the sharp thorns she had suddenly raised to soften.