Chapter 4 – Part 6

The carriage of the Count of Leiberte was on its way to the estate. Calix joined them in the carriage, prepared for any unforeseen situation. Although the Count had insisted that he and his daughter could return home alone, Calix had eventually convinced him otherwise.

“Ugh.”

Count Austin groaned, clutching his arm during the entire ride home.

Calix had seen many bad cases of injuries sustained during hunts. From the symptoms the Count exhibited, it was clear he had been struck by a poisoned arrow. Two types of arrows had been prepared for the hunt, one with poison and one without.

‘He must have been hit by the poisoned one.’

“Looks like you were struck by a poisoned arrow,” Calix remarked.

“A poisoned arrow…”

Eliana couldn’t help but consider the possibility that the situation could worsen.

“Let’s get you to the estate first.”

The two of them brought the Count inside. The usually quiet estate became instantly chaotic with the news of the Count’s injury.

“What on earth is going on here!”

Matilda exclaimed in a flustered voice. Eliana hated mentioning it, but she told her family and the butler everything that had happened during the day.

“You might as well have been the one who hurt the Count!”

Paul shouted as soon as Eliana finished her story.

“You made His Highness the Crown Prince angry, and as a result, Father got hurt!”

It was the same logic Cedric used.

“Paul is absolutely right.”

Matilda and Sylvia also looked at Eliana with resentment in their eyes. Just then, Count Austin raised his hand as if to stop them.

“It’s not Eliana’s fault alone,” the Count said in a raspy voice.

“How is this not Eliana’s fault? She’s the one who angered His Highness…”

“Enough.”

Count Austin’s rough voice cut off Paul’s heated remarks.

“I just want some peace and quiet for now.”

Calix watched as the people of the Count’s household hurled one-sided accusations at Eliana. None of their words were justified. There wasn’t a single hint of concern for Eliana, who faced the threat of a broken engagement.

‘…….’

Calix glanced at Eliana. She had her lips tightly sealed, not saying a word. He could guess that this wasn’t the first time this had happened, that such situations had probably repeated themselves countless times while he was away from her.

Though Eliana had grown up, the situation didn’t seem to have changed. Even back then, they hadn’t been kind to young Eliana.

Whenever Calix visited the Vartica family or when Eliana returned home, the Countess never greeted or saw Eliana off with a smile. The Count and Countess had been excessively strict with Eliana since childhood. He had thought it was just their way of educating her, but in retrospect, it wasn’t only that.

Calix’s expression grew cold. The hunting grounds and this household were both environments he found increasingly distasteful.

As Count Austin, supported by the butler, glanced back at Calix, he spoke in a strained voice.

“Thank you… for today.”

It was a short and somewhat formal expression of gratitude.

“Just focus on your recovery.”

“I will.”

The Count nodded at Calix’s response.

Although Calix had helped him in many ways since the hunting event, the Count remained tight-lipped. Calix assumed this was because of his distant relationship with the Crown Prince. The Count was cautious, fearing that receiving too much help from him might give Cedric more grounds to find fault in the future.

The Count’s cautious attitude showed he still had lingering attachments to this marriage alliance.

“It’s late, so you should head back. I’ll be going to my room.”

“As you wish.”

After the Count retired to his room, the people of the Leiberte family gave Eliana icy stares.

Once they were away from the others, Eliana thanked Calix again for all the help he had provided that day. Although it seemed like Calix had something to say, he ultimately remained silent.

After seeing Calix off, Eliana headed toward her room. However, before she could enter, Matilda and Paul confronted her again.

“What now?” Eliana asked, seeing they weren’t finished despite already berating her earlier.

“If anything happens to Father, it will all be your fault!”

“Why are you silent, Eliana? Don’t you feel any guilt?”

Mother and son seemed thrilled to have found something to blame her for. Their voices echoed the same unfounded accusations that Cedric had made.

“I’ll find a way,” Eliana replied.

“And how exactly will you do that?”

“I have research on poisons. I’m not going to just sit here and do nothing.”

Matilda hesitated for a moment. Eliana’s words were valid. It couldn’t be denied that she had put great effort into gathering medical information for Cedric over time.

“Now, excuse me, I have materials to go through.”

Matilda scoffed as if daring her to solve the problem.

Eliana entered her room and opened a drawer, pulling out a collection of documents she had painstakingly compiled over the years for Cedric’s sake.

‘I never thought I’d use this for something like this…’

The documents contained comprehensive information on the most skilled physicians in Moira.

Eliana began sifting through the materials. As Calix had advised, if an arrow tipped with poison had been used to kill animals, the treatment would vary depending on the type of poison. However, Calix also mentioned that he couldn’t yet identify the poison.

‘The best course of action is to find a physician who can administer a broad-spectrum antidote as soon as possible.’

Eliana was determined to find a way to silence those who would seize any opportunity to criticize her, even when someone was injured.

As she spent the night poring over the documents, dawn eventually broke.

* * *

The next day, Count Austin’s condition had deteriorated further. It was clear that they needed to bring in a physician skilled in detoxification as soon as possible. Even if she eventually had to leave this loathsome household, Eliana resolved to ensure the Count’s recovery.

After spending the night researching, Eliana sought a physician named Bero Galizera, who resided outside the capital.

“Oliver, prepare the carriage. I’ll head outside the capital, so use the sturdiest one.”

Eliana instructed Oliver, the butler.

“Where are you planning to go, my lady?”

“I’m going to meet a physician who specializes in antidotes.”

“Are you planning to go yourself?”

“Yes.”

“But the outskirts of the capital can be dangerous.”

“Still, I have to go.”

Eliana set off beyond the capital as soon as the carriage was ready. She was accompanied by Knight Russell and Mila. It seemed this would be a rather challenging journey.

* * *

The atmosphere inside and outside the capital was distinctly different. The inside of the capital was luxurious and bustling with people due to continuous development, while the outskirts were sparsely populated and more dangerous.

“My Lady, are we sure we’re on the right track?”

Mila looked around anxiously. The roads were rough and isolated, so they should have brought more knights. It was hard to believe that a skilled physician would live in such a place.

“The address is correct. The information guild wouldn’t have given me wrong information, so don’t worry.”

“We should have come here without you, My Lady. The road is too rough.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”

The carriage rattled without pause. After a long journey, they finally reached their destination. A small brick house came into view. The sign confirmed that it was the residence of Bero Galizera, the physician.

Russell knocked on the door, seeking the master of the house in Eliana’s stead. But despite calling out several times, there was no response.

“Perhaps he’s out on a medical visit?” Mila suggested, trying to peek over the fence.

“It’s possible. It might be wise to find lodging nearby and stay the night. It’s getting late,” the knight said. Russell’s suggestion was reasonable, but Eliana was reluctant to give up.

“I’ll ask around about him first.”

After some inquiries, they learned that Bero was indeed out on a medical visit, as Mila had guessed.

“When will he be back?”

“Well, that’s hard to say. He’s swamped and sometimes leaves for a week at a time.”

“What? A week?”

‘This can’t be. I can’t afford to wait that long.’

Coming all this way would have been in vain. Despite further inquiries, no one could confirm when Bero would return.

Eliana left a note at the door and took her group to a nearby restaurant. They hadn’t eaten properly all day and were hungry. She felt sorry for putting her companions through this.

“It was a long journey, so let’s have a meal first. If the physician returns today, we’ll meet him. If not, we’ll have to wait.”

Although Eliana started eating because she was hungry, she didn’t have much appetite. She still had an unresolved issue on her mind.

‘What should I do if the physician doesn’t return today?’

The Count’s condition was serious. The poison was the problem.

Just then, there was a commotion at the entrance. It sounded like several people were coming in, and perhaps a local celebrity had arrived, as the noise was quite loud. Eliana was so preoccupied with thinking about when Bero would arrive that she didn’t look that way.

“Oh my, oh my. My Lady, look at the entrance. Quickly.”

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.