As the sky fully brightened, someone came to see me just as I had expected. Fortunately, it was the person I wanted, so there was no need to send them away.

“Madam, it’s Emily. The butler sent me. I’ve come to help you prepare for your outing.”

I quickly went to the door and opened it slightly to peek outside. Only the guard standing in the hallway was visible. I whispered to her, noticing her surprise at seeing me.

“Good timing, Emily. Is anyone else with you? Did you come alone?”

Emily, still looking surprised, lowered her voice to match mine.

“They’ll be bringing breakfast soon.”

“Really? We don’t have much time then. Come in first!”

I took her hands and led her to the study, which was the farthest room from the door.

“I have a special favor to ask of you.”

Emily still seemed puzzled, but she soon responded calmly.

“Please, go ahead.”

“Leopold is trying to kick me out.”

“…What?”

For a moment, confusion crossed Emily’s face. It seemed she was wondering just how severe our marital spat had been to lead to this.

“You said you came to help me prepare for an outing, right? But that’s not my decision. It’s something Leopold ordered unilaterally.”

Her bright eyes gradually turned more perplexed. I explained with as serious a face as I could muster.

“He’s not someone who talks much, so it’s understandable if you don’t know what’s going on. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say, Emily. You need to help me.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Despite likely having many questions, she nodded obediently, not forgetting the virtues of a Lawrence employee.

“Do you remember the day I arrived when I loudly said that Leopold was sick?”

“Yes. But this morning, the butler corrected us, saying you were mistaken, Madam.”

I couldn’t understand Peter. After seeing the potion, shouldn’t he have sided with me to ensure Leopold received treatment quietly?

Or did he believe Leopold’s words at face value? Is that the duty of a butler? I felt frustrated by his inflexible loyalty.

“That’s a lie. It seems Leopold instructed him to say that because he’s refusing treatment.”

Emily furrowed her brow slightly, looking as puzzled as I felt.

“Why would he refuse?”

“I don’t know either. Anyway, I don’t plan to leave the mansion until he’s treated. But everyone thinks I’m going to the capital, right?”

“Yes. Simple food, clothes, and attendants have already been prepared according to that plan.”

“I thought so… Emily, first let them know that the plan has been canceled. And are there any employees who are unwell or in poor health?”

She rolled her eyes, recalling the details in response to my sudden question.

“Um… Yes, there are a few.”

“Great. Tell them to gather in the first-floor drawing room after breakfast. Tell them I’ll treat them.”

“Understood.”

“And please only tell them what’s absolutely necessary.”

Just in case, I added a precaution, and Emily quickly confirmed.

“You mean about the cancellation and that you’ll be examining them, Madam?”

“Exactly. I wondered who Alisa took after to be so quick-witted, and it turns out it’s all thanks to her sister.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I spoke.

Emily hesitated for a moment, perhaps because she wasn’t accustomed to receiving compliments. Then she quietly clasped her hands together and bowed her head to me.

“Madam, thank you for treating my sister. I really wanted to tell you that.”

Her voice trembled with emotion, and I felt a lump form in my throat. I had completely forgotten that Alisa had regained her health some time ago. I held Emily’s hand tightly and looked into her eyes.

“I’m grateful too. Thanks to you, I had an unforgettable experience in D’Agnon.”

I truly meant it. I had been able to spend time with kind and gentle people in a beautiful setting.

“You are truly a good person, Madam. If it’s alright with you, I’ll help you to the end.”

I felt like I had gained a strong ally. Winning over everyone in the mansion was challenging, but somehow I felt more confident.

Emily left, mentioning we needed to move before the carriage arrived, and then the meal was brought in. I still couldn’t smell anything, so eating wasn’t particularly enjoyable, but I knew it was better to eat to maintain my strength for using magic.

As I alternated between a piece of bread and a sip of tea, I thought about what lay ahead. I hadn’t intentionally tried to win Emily’s favor, but her attitude gave me a certain assurance.

Most of the employees, being part of a long-established family, were older than me. Their loyalty to the head of the family was high. In fact, before the regression, it took most of them a long time to accept me as the lady of the house.

Leopold, of course, and even Mother, were quite strict and distant with the staff. So if I showed warmth, there would surely be those who would open their hearts and choose to trust and follow me.

I regretted not considering this approach in the past. We could have been closer, like family.

But this wasn’t the time to dwell on such pointless thoughts. After finishing my meal, I shook off my reflections and headed down to the drawing room.

More people had gathered in the drawing room than I had expected. I had somewhat anticipated this, as it was only natural that even healthy people wouldn’t want to miss the chance to be examined by a healer like me.

I examined each person carefully, making sure to call them by name. They seemed quite surprised that I, who hadn’t been at the mansion long and rarely encountered them, could correctly name even the servants whose main task was cleaning the building.

The examinations and treatments continued into the afternoon. Fortunately, no one had any serious ailments beyond minor bruises or colds. It seemed Peter paid considerable attention to the health of the employees. I urged them to come to me anytime they felt unwell in the future, and they left the drawing room with bright faces, unable to hide their satisfaction.

Just as I was about to take a breather after seeing the last patient out, Peter appeared.

“Madam.”

It was Peter. I deliberately feigned ignorance and asked with a slight smile.

“Is there something bothering you, Peter?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Ah, perhaps you’re uncomfortable because you couldn’t carry out Leopold’s orders?”

He didn’t speak, which seemed to confirm my guess. His wrinkled face looked more tired than usual. Not wanting to be at odds with him, I spoke in a gentle tone.

“You already know what needs to be done. It seems we have the same goal, so did I misunderstand?”

After a moment of silence, Peter eventually spoke as if in surrender.

“I will step back from this matter. Please, take care.”

Though it meant he wouldn’t fully side with me, just knowing he wouldn’t interfere was enough. It seemed things were unfolding not too badly.

Since there was still some time before Leopold’s return, I went to Roscoe’s room. As soon as he saw me, the child ran over excitedly. I wondered if he even understood the concept of being a hostage, given his carefree expression.

“Hazel! I’ve been waiting for you!”

“Let’s see. You seem too healthy now. At this rate, I won’t have any excuse to keep you here longer.”

“Gasp.”

Roscoe froze, looking down at himself. Realizing my teasing might have sounded like a threat, I quickly changed my words.

“Well, on second thought, it might be better for you to gain a little more weight.”

“Phew.”

The child placed both hands on his chest and let out a sigh of relief. It would be nice if they could send him back to the Ice Land instead of to the underground prison. I wondered why Leopold was keeping them as hostages. Even before the regression, he had driven out the natives rather than capturing them.

To discuss such matters properly, it was urgent to treat him first.

“I’ll show you around the mansion as promised. Come along.”

“Yes!”

Roscoe followed me, beaming with excitement. He ran energetically down the long corridors of the mansion, exclaiming in awe. Some employees frowned, but upon seeing me, they pretended not to notice and turned away. After running around the mansion for a while, the child seemed to tire and matched his pace to mine.

“Hey, Roscoe, what is the Ice Land like? How did you end up being captured?”

“I got caught following the adults secretly. The Ice Land is, well, just frozen land.”

I had been curious, so I asked, but the child casually answered with his arms stretched behind him, seemingly more captivated by the splendor before him. I shook my head inwardly and led Roscoe to the garden. It was the perfect time to show him the beautiful scenery as the sun was setting.

“Wow…”

Roscoe seemed even more amazed than when he was inside the mansion, unable to close his mouth. The neatly trimmed trees and the wide lawn were still beautifully covered with unmelted snow.

Despite having run around so energetically earlier, the child seemed to regain his energy and happily dashed along the garden path. Before long, he stopped abruptly and quickly returned to me. Curious, I looked behind him and saw Leopold and the knights returning from a distance.

Roscoe stood before me, panting and asked, “Is that the leader? The bad guy who captured us.”

His blunt words made me chuckle.

“He’s not a bad person. He’s just doing his duty.”

“Humph.”

Though I spoke to soothe him, it was naturally too much to expect him to understand. After all, the Ice Land natives were the ones who had initially done wrong. Hiding the pouting Roscoe behind me, I watched Leopold approach with a stern face.

Eventually, he dismounted from his horse.

“I didn’t know there wasn’t a single person in this mansion who could follow my orders properly.”

His voice was as cold as ever. Having somewhat anticipated this situation, I met his piercing gaze without flinching.

“Instead, there are people who listen to me properly.”

Leopold’s brow furrowed more deeply.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know? I won’t take a single step out of the Lawrence mansion until you’re treated.”

“Stop being so stubborn.”

He growled, clenching his teeth, holding back his anger. The sight of him overlapped with his pre-regression self, and my heart began to pound again.