The Soltanir lady, whom I had assumed wouldn’t return after being upset, surprisingly followed my instructions correctly. She brought the estate residents into the annex one by one. Moreover, she set an example for the employees by kindly leading the people. Her behavior was quite different from how she had treated me, but there was no point in arguing, so I pretended not to notice and began treating the patients.

As expected, most of the Soltanir estate residents, like those in D’Agnon, were better suited for long-term treatment with potions. Even those who came with physical injuries were not in severe condition. I had asked them to bring in people with serious symptoms first, but given the circumstances, it seemed unlikely that I would find any clues to heal my mother’s leg.

After quickly treating an elderly man who had come in with shoulder discomfort, I let out a sigh without realizing it.

“Healer, you seem tired. How about taking a short break? You’ve been pushing yourself since morning,” Stefan, who had been assisting me by supporting patients as they described their ailments, spoke with concern. I considered taking a break, but there were still many estate residents waiting at the monastery.

“It’s okay. They’ve probably been enduring their pain for a long time, so I can’t make them wait any longer.”

Just then, the Soltanir lady, who had been curt with me all along, closed the annex door and spoke bluntly.

“They’ll understand if you take an hour’s break. Jane, bring something to eat.”

I was taken aback by her sudden consideration, given her consistently cold attitude towards me. When I looked at her with a surprised expression, she tried to avoid meeting my eyes and explained.

“I’ve already set a schedule for those waiting and told them it’s break time.”

Meanwhile, the employees quickly moved to set up a large tea table and chairs in the center of the annex hall. She crossed her arms and took a seat at one of the places.

Watching the situation unfold, I finally managed to speak.

“…Thank you.”

“Serena.”

“Pardon?”

Without turning to look at me, she abruptly said a word. Thinking I had misheard, I asked again, and she promptly replied.

“My name.”

Her tone was still aloof. It was hard to discern her intentions, but I couldn’t ignore her introduction. Suppressing the awkwardness, I responded.

“Oh… Serena. You probably know, but I’m Hazel. This is Stefan, my guard.”

“Yes.”

Serena drew out her words and pouted, looking very much like a child, which made me chuckle involuntarily. She glanced at me with a slight frown.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I found the lady more amusing than I expected, and it made me smile.”

Serena responded with a serious tone.

“I’m not a particularly amusing person.”

“Really? What do you think, Stefan?”

Unable to wipe the smile off my face, I passed the question to Stefan. Perhaps because of Serena’s rude first impression, he replied indifferently.

“She seems unpredictable.”

“…You’re very rude.”

Serena’s face hardened slightly as she spoke, and Stefan calmly retorted.

“The behavior you showed to the Duchess was ruder.”

“Stefan!”

Startled by Stefan’s refusal to back down, I raised my voice to stop him. However, Serena already seemed upset.

She bit her lip slightly while glaring at Stefan.

“Serena. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”

Sensing the tension, I quickly interjected, but Serena shook her head.

“No. I want an apology directly from him.”

“Before that, wouldn’t it be better to apologize to the Duchess of Lawrence first?”

The ongoing tension was giving me a headache.

From Serena’s perspective, she had already apologized enough to me. Even though she hadn’t said it outright, her actions showed it. After all, we’d only be seeing each other for a few days.

But Stefan seemed to have a different opinion.

“Whatever it is, you must speak clearly for your sincerity to be properly conveyed, even if the lady wishes to gloss over it.”

His firm demeanor was both reassuring and unsettling. For now, he was my guard, so it was acceptable to actively support him under the Lawrence name. However, once I left D’Agnon, he would simply become a commoner. If Serena harbored any ill intentions, it would inevitably lead to problems. After all, it was nothing for a noble to deal with an insolent commoner.

Worry crept in. Just as I was considering persuading him to apologize, Serena stood up.

“…I apologize for my earlier rudeness. I’m sorry.”

She apologized politely, even folding her hands neatly. I, momentarily frozen, hurriedly approached Serena and clasped her hands.

“No, it’s okay. I already felt that Serena had apologized enough to me. You’ve been diligently leading and assisting people by my side all along. It’s not something you had to do personally, yet you did. Your warm heart towards the estate residents is evident, and honestly, I was impressed.”

I spoke sincerely with a smile, as if to encourage her. Serena lowered her gaze, looking a bit embarrassed. I quickly gave Stefan a look, and he immediately bowed his head.

“I apologize for my rudeness, Lady Soltanir.”

“…Hmph.”

Her hesitant snort seemed to signal acceptance, making me chuckle again. But this time, I held back and soothed both of them.

“So, are we all set now? It seems the snacks are ready, so let’s sit down. Serena, is it alright if Stefan joins us?”

After all, Stefan’s status was different, and it was customary for knights to step back and not intrude on a lady’s or noblewoman’s time. However, this wasn’t a typical tea time, and I didn’t want to dismiss him after he had been helping with the treatment.

“I don’t mind.”

Thankfully, Serena accepted my request without hesitation. Instead, Stefan looked at me with a troubled expression.

“I’m fine.”

Understanding that he naturally felt awkward in such a setting, I spoke sternly on purpose.

“We’re in an employment relationship, and Stefan has a duty to listen to me, right? It’s an order. Please sit.”

However, he still couldn’t move easily. Serena, casting a sideways glance, added a remark.

“Do we have to spend all our limited break time arguing?”

Eventually, Stefan surrendered, and after some back and forth, we managed to have tea time.

Various fruits and desserts were already prepared on the table. There were three types of tea, and Serena proudly explained that they were specialties of the Soltanir estate. Stefan quietly drank his tea, and I, quite hungry, eagerly helped myself to the fruit.

“The number of patients will keep increasing. Most of them will have walked here, and many of them will be elderly.”

It sounded like a kind of warning that the work wouldn’t end soon.

“Having many patients is okay. I’m just worried there might be a lot who need long-term treatment with potions.”

“Why is that?”

She tilted her head in curiosity.

“Because I can’t stay here forever, I need to create a guide so they can make and take the potions themselves, which takes quite some time. I have to draw everything individually.”

Recalling what I did in D’Agnon, it seemed like it would take several months. It was difficult to leave without addressing it, so a small sigh escaped me. Serena then spoke up, wondering why I was worrying about such a thing.

“Don’t worry. I’ll help. I’m quite good at drawing. I’ll also hire a few more artists. If you need shorthand, let me know. We can prepare everything. Is there anything else you need?”

It was an unexpected offer. Not only had she prepared the treatment location in advance, but she was also offering additional support. Excited by the welcome offer, I asked,

“Then, is there someone knowledgeable about the local plants? Knowing what herbs are available would speed things up.”

“Hmm, I’ll gather the owners of nearby flower shops and those responsible for the mansion’s ingredients. If you give a rough description of the shapes, they should understand, right?”

I couldn’t help but admire her excellent idea.

“You’re really smart, my lady! Your decisiveness is impressive too.”

“I know.”

She smiled contentedly, taking a sip of tea. Then, after eating the desserts and fruit neatly, she casually asked, as if she was merely inquiring about my well-being,

“You’re curious, aren’t you? About the Duke.”

I realized she had a knack for catching people off guard. Perhaps that’s why her personality was considered unusual.

“Oh, well, not really…”

I mumbled, unable to finish my response properly. Of course, I was curious, but it seemed like something that might upset Serena. It might not even leave me feeling great.

But she, as if not hearing my answer, began to speak, reminiscing about the past.