Chapter 3 – Part 3

The next day, despite being ready to leave for work at the duke’s manor, Liese didn’t leave the house.
 
The doctor had been knocking on her door since early in the morning, claiming that Ian had begged for a visit. His words after examining his grandfather were the reason.
 
“…You mean it’s not a cold?”
 
“Yes, the initial symptoms are similar to a cold, so it’s hard to tell, but that’s my opinion.”
 
The doctor said he was packing up his medical bag. Even though the door to the bedroom where her grandfather lay was closed, the sound of his groans could still be heard.
 
“There seems to be a wound on the leg that is presumed to be scratched by a rusty nail. The patient seems to have lost sensation in the lower body, so he may not have realized it immediately.”
 
“Oh my God, I thought it was just a summer cold… Will he get better soon? What about the treatment…?”
 
“Calm down; he’ll recover with medication. I cleaned the affected area to drain the pus, and I had a suitable medicine on hand, so I administered it promptly.”
 
The doctor didn’t add that if he had waited a few more days, he could have died.
 
In this situation, it should have been the surgeon who came, not him. It was a fact that couldn’t be conveyed because of the regrettable expression of the woman in front of her.
 
“Given his age, I would recommend that he be admitted to the hospital for intensive care….”
 
The doctor glanced at Liese.
 
“If you can’t afford hospitalization, we can try to treat him with medication alone. Since I came through Ian’s introduction, I won’t charge for the medical fee, but you need to consider the cost of the medication, as it is quite expensive.”
 
“Oh….”
 
“At least three weeks of medication, and you should observe him carefully after dinner. It’s not a disease that spreads between people, so you can rest assured about that.”
 
“What is the cost of the medication I need for treatment right now?”
 
The doctor took out a small bottle from his bag and spoke carefully.
 
“You can take this twice a day in two doses, and it costs sixty gils a bottle.”
 
Liese rubbed her eyes, unable to make further eye contact with the doctor.
 
A quick calculation in her head put the price at over 1200 gils. It was more than she could afford even on her generous maid’s salary, and that was only the minimum.
 
“I must emphasize the urgency of his treatment. Would it be all right if I came back tomorrow?”
 
“…Yes, please.”
 
“For now, you can take the rest of the dose after dinner. It’s not a disease that can be transmitted from person to person, so you can rest assured of that.”
 
The doctor fed her grandfather and carefully placed the remaining half of the medication on the table. Liese dug into her savings box and handed over the money for today’s medication. There was very little cash left on hand.
 
Liese left the doctor’s office with a heavy heart and sat down at the kitchen table to wrap her head in her hands. She didn’t know how to deal with all these crises at once.
 
She didn’t even know how much she would need to borrow from Ian to pay for the countess’s medical bills and legal counsel. Even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to ask him for too much money.
 
She covered her face with both hands. It was a good thing the nanny hadn’t come out to take care of her grandfather. She couldn’t afford to put on a big smile and tell someone that everything would be okay.
 
Then she realized something and jumped to my feet.
 
She realized that she was going to be late for work. How could she make such a mistake when she was so desperate for money?
 
Liese rushed out of the house. She grabbed the hem of her skirt and ran desperately across the lawn, where the apple blossoms had fallen.
 
The duke’s carriage, which always waited for her by the roadside outside the orchard, had already left. She looked around desperately, but there was not a single ant in sight. Her gaze extended to the distant hill where the Duke’s estate stood.
 
The hesitation didn’t last long. Liese began to climb the steep stone path. Her neatly pinned-up hair and disheveled clothes didn’t stop her. She forced herself to keep going, ignoring the urge to sit down.
 
When she finally arrived at the mansion, the guard, who recognized her, opened the door. Liese ran down the path to the annex common room.
 
She didn’t bother to look at the time; she just hurriedly changed her clothes. She stopped dead in her tracks in the hallway. She had to go somewhere, but the problem was that she didn’t know where.
 
No one was looking for her. The annex was unusually quiet, and she was unaware of any business in the annex since she usually went to the main house at the Duke’s summons.
 
As if the world were peacefully flowing without Liese, the few servants walking in the corridor didn’t show any interest in her.
 
Standing there, dumbfounded, Liese grabbed a passing maid.
 
“Excuse me, do you happen to know where the part-time maids are working right now?”
 
“Part-time?”
 
The maid tilted her head and let out an ahhhh.
 
“I think they’ve been short-handed in the Second Annex for a few days now, so they went to help out. They are working on putting flowers in the decorative arches, then.”
 
The maid turned on her heel and walked away. Liese stood and stared after her, confused.
 
What should she do now—go to the Second Annex, where she had no idea where it was, and ask to be put to work on a task she had never done before? She felt so foolish for not knowing what the task was.
 
A familiar face flashed through Liese’s confused mind. It was the face of a man who sent shivers down her spine just thinking about it.
 
Without realizing it, she grabbed the maid again. It was an impulsive decision.
 
“Look, I’m really sorry, but….”
 
The maid showed a slightly annoyed expression. It took her a great deal of courage to speak up again.
 
“I was wondering if you could take me to the main building?”
 
“The main building?”
 
“I mean, it’s not a place I can come and go as I please. I can only go when escorted by a resident servant…”
 
“Do you have business in the main building?”
 
She anxiously clasped her hands in front of her chest and bowed. Her voice, her shoulders, and her whole body were trembling. Even though she was mentally prepared, making such a reckless decision was terrifying.
 
“…Yes.”
 
Liese finally spoke, pushing down the anxiety that was crippling her.
 
“I have an errand for the Duke.”
 
As the dusky evening light fell over the magnificent mansion, Marcus entered the main hall, looking as carefree as ever.
 
He’d spent the morning attending a regular meeting at the Central Bank, followed by a perfunctory gathering surrounded by quibbling over a proposed railroad between Bachmann and the border of the Duchy of Haile.
 
By the time he returned, with a couple of agenda items requiring direct confirmation from the Duke regarding the summer social events, it was well past dinnertime.
 
At a moment when his already thin patience had completely worn out, the butler’s whispered statement instantly dispelled his fatigue.
 
“She hasn’t left yet.”
 
Marcus looked back at the butler with a raised eyebrow.
 
“Since your grace was absent, she earnestly requested to wait and explained her circumstances. I guided her to the reception room.”
 
“Since when.”
 
“She was a bit late, about two hours, but she’s been waiting since she arrived, and I’ve kept her there with a guard in case he does something stupid.”
 
Marcus was stunned. The high-minded woman had been waiting for him. Though she was unexpectedly late, she had been waiting from early morning until sunset.
 
“Take her up to my bedroom.”
 
Marcus ordered without hesitation, yanking his tie free. Standing alongside the butler was Florence, the handmaiden, who immediately gave him a troubled look.
 
“Your Excellency….”
 
“I don’t need to see her in the parlor when she’s not even a guest. Send her right away. I’ll be washing up.”
 
Florence raised her eyebrows at the comment, which was open to interpretation.
 
It wasn’t really a problem, since the Duke always groomed himself upon returning home. However, the fact that it was accompanied by an order to send the woman upstairs to his bedchamber meant that it could not be wasted.
 
“What about her daily wage for today?”
 
Rowan, the butler who couldn’t care less about the Duke’s love life, asked another question.
 
“The indentured servant has been waiting for your Excellency all day, do you think we should give her a wage?”
 
“Don’t.”
 
Marcus curtly replied. Then he leisurely moved his steps.
 
“You won’t have to pay her now.”