I adopt the male lead

chapter 16

Roland smiled weakly instead of answering and slowly losing consciousness.

Karina grabbed the envelope containing willow bark powder and stood up. She couldn’t just trust that quack doctor and leave Roland alone.

First of all, it’s too late to bring in a new doctor today, so she decided to boil this powder and give it a try.

After a while. Karina returned from decoctioning the powder and found Melissa sitting upright on her bed staring at Roland.

Karina bowed her head toward Melissa and called out her name softly.

“Melissa.”

“Mom…”

Melissa’s eyes were filled with tears.

Seeing that, she felt like she was going to burst into tears, but she managed to hold it in. Showing weakness now does neither Roland nor Melissa any good.

“Roland isn’t going to die, right?”

“Yeah, he won’t die.”

“Bring in another doctor. I don’t like that doctor…”

“I don’t like him either.”

Karina regretted her composure for letting the doctor make all sorts of strange noises in the presence of the children.

She was shocked too, but the children must be terrified. But water that has already been spilled is inevitable. Karina carefully woke up Roland, who was half dozing off.

“It’s medicine. Just take a sip if it’s hard to eat.”

Roland grabbed the cup with both hands and gulped it down. She thought it was a good thing it cooled down to the right temperature.

“Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?”

Roland shook his head and threw up the medicine he had just drank onto the blanket. Karina hurriedly wiped Roland’s ruined clothes, blanket, and mouth.

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s because you’re sick. Don’t be sorry.”

Karina muttered to herself that the doctor was also a quack.

‘I’ll call in a new doctor as soon as the sun rises.’

Roland desperately grabbed Karina’s arm as Karina tried to leave his bed to wet a towel in cold water.

“Mom, I…”

Karina held her breath and waited for Roland to speak. She’s confident that she would do anything for him.

“Send us to the orphanage.”

Something heavy and hot rose on her neck. Karina soon realized that she was about to cry.

However, she didn’t dare to show that feeling in front of the children. Instead, Karina held Roland’s hand tightly.

“Don’t say nonsense.”

Fortunately, Karina’s voice was the same as usual, neither twisted nor immersed in tears. It was very, very shaky.

Karina thought she wouldn’t have noticed either Roland who was overheating or Melissa who was still crying.

“I’m your mother, why are you going to the orphanage?”

“…You’re not our actual mother.”

Roland gave an answer that was a mixture of groans and cries.

“Ka- Karina… There’s no reason to be so nice to us.”