Chapter 9 – Part 1 (Vanessa)

Anne arrived at Baron Vanessa’s mansion in the early afternoon.

Dressed in the gown given by Evan, she reached the mansion newly acquired by Baron Vanessa and his wife.

Under the clear blue sky, a somewhat gloomy building overgrown with vines came into view.

However, as she moved inside, her perception changed completely.

In the garden, a gardener was pruning gracefully grown trees, and servants were seen walking along the path, laughing cheerfully.

As the carriage passed along the well-paved narrow path, a breeze was created, and Anne was awestruck by the stunning scenery adorned with an abundance of unknown yellow flowers.

The coachman called out.

“It would be best to get off here, My Lady.”

At the coachman’s embarrassing address, Anne’s cheeks flushed red.

When she got off the carriage, about a dozen servants were bowing their heads. In front of them stood Baroness Vanessa.

“You’re here?”

“Yes.”

Evelyn looked at Anne awkwardly and spoke with a faint smile.

“You must be tired. Come inside. Let me show you the way.”

The maids standing by nodded upon hearing this. Having received their response, the baroness opened her parasol and proceeded toward the side garden, accompanied by her attendants.

Even though it was their first reunion in decades, the atmosphere was dry and seemed cold.

It wasn’t Anne’s imagination, as one of the servants spoke up.

“…The Baroness hasn’t had a child for all these years, you see.”

The head maid spoke as if it were a familiar matter. Dozens of eyes were watching Anne. They were likely eyes of caution.

“It’s alright.”

As Anne stood there awkwardly, a maid, likely assigned to her, approached and spoke.

“Head maid! May I assist the young lady from now on?”

“Of course. It’s your duty, isn’t it?”

The maid, showing signs of inexperience, grabbed Anne’s hand and spoke eagerly.

“I’ll serve you, My Lady!”

“…Suen, it’s not proper to touch the young lady so casually.”

“It’s fine.”

Her words caused a stir among the others. They were unaware of Anne’s background.

But her overly humble… no, her complete lack of noble dignity seemed to surprise them.

“Though it’s understandable that the young lady is not yet familiar with etiquette, Suen is quite mischievous, so it’s best to firmly correct her if she displeases you.”

With a pouting expression, Suen apologized in a small voice.

“I’m sorry.”

Feeling troubled by her reaction, Anne quickly tugged at Suen’s sleeve.

“Could you show me to my room?”

“Please don’t use honorifics with me, My Lady. I’ll get scolded.”

Anne was struggling with the noble etiquette that made even speaking a challenge.

However, seeing the child by her side eagerly watching for her reaction, she felt compelled to respond.

Very cautiously.

“Oh, okay. I will.”

* * *

Strolling through the garden, Evelyn Vanessa sat on a chair with a weary expression. As the head maid, Heas, approached her, she spoke with a sigh.

“Heas, what do you think?”

Heas, knowing the question was about the newly arrived young lady, chose her words carefully.

Managing all matters of the Vanessa family, Heas was aware that Anne was not their biological child.

Pouring bergamot tea into a cup and placing it before Evelyn, she responded.

“…Can I speak so freely?”

“Even so, you must have some impressions. I think this decision was a poor one.”

Noticing Evelyn’s slightly trembling hand as she held the cup, Heas tilted her head and asked.

“Is the young lady not to your liking?”

“No. Quite the opposite.”

Even to repay the debt owed to Duke Evan Davis, it was not something she would have done if she didn’t like the girl.

However, having seen Anne sweating and running on the battlefield, Evelyn could not forget that image.

It was a world apart from the life Evelyn had believed to be noble, living like a flower.

If that child had indeed been her own, she couldn’t help but feel proud.

Yet, the fact that Anne’s wishes were not reflected in the matter made her uneasy.

“Then it’s good, isn’t it? Although the young lady has already grown up quite a bit….”

Reading the hint of guilt on Evelyn’s face, Heas took her hand.

“She seems kind-hearted.”

“…I know. Even when I first saw her, she was doing her best to treat patients. The soldiers around her called her a lieutenant, didn’t they?”

Heas looked surprised at Evelyn’s words. It was unusual for someone of humble origins to be placed in such a position.

“How on earth….”

“It must mean she’s that capable.”

Evelyn touched her chin thoughtfully.

“…Educate her properly, so that she doesn’t have a single flaw as Evan Davis’s fiancée.”

“Could it be? Was the reason Duke Davis suggested adoption to take the young lady as a spouse?”

“That’s precisely the problem.”

Never having imagined witnessing such pure love that one would send the beloved away, Evelyn continued speaking, deep in thought.

“When the war ends, shouldn’t we strive to reunite them as parents?”

Understanding Evelyn’s intent, Heas let out a small exclamation.

“Oh my, so that’s how it is. I will do my best to take care of the young lady. Don’t worry.”

* * *

Anne looked around the room with a somewhat bewildered face.

The walnut desk where she could write letters and the large window with branches swaying in the breeze were all impressive, but most astonishing were the medical books filling the shelves.

It was unclear how they had been acquired since medical books were not easily accessible here.

“We prepared it with the utmost care. Do you like it, My Lady?”

“Goodness, were these books already here?”

“Of course not. Baron and Baroness Vanessa instructed us to prepare them for you.”

Ignoring the excited chatter of Suen, Anne read all the book titles.

“[Diary of Anatomy]”

“[Origins of Pain]”

“[Origins of Blood]”

“[Wound Treatment]”

Considering that it was not an era of advanced medical knowledge, even this level of knowledge was not common.

However, since she might find treatment methods she didn’t remember, Anne’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“This will help a lot if I study it.”

“My Lady…?”

Anne looked at Suen, who was tilting her head in confusion. With a pale face, Suen approached and shook her head vigorously, whispering.

“Surely you don’t mean to read all these books, do you, miss? That’s such an unbelievable and terrifying thought!”

“Huh? I can read them quickly.”

Compared to her graduate school days, this was a piece of cake.

“You shouldn’t spend your time on such things, My Lady! You have so much to do. You need to have your clothes fitted…”

“Oh, I’m aware of that.”

“From ball etiquette to the entire history of the royal family, you have to study everything.”

Anne wasn’t bothered by this, as she had somewhat expected it. She thought she needed to know those things as well.

Suen started listing the schedule, folding her fingers one by one.

“You’ll wake up at 8 in the morning, get dressed until 11, and then have your meal. From 2 PM, you’ll correct your posture with Madam Heas, and at 4 PM, you’ll have tea time. Until 6 PM, you’ll learn to dance, and after dinner, the distinguished historian Mr. Balen will come. He mentioned that, although it’s late, there’s no choice due to the busy schedule.”

Anne’s mouth hung open in bewilderment as she listened to the schedule.

“Wait a minute.”

“Oh, I left out some details, but I’ll explain them gradually, if that’s alright?”

Who could possibly handle such a murderous schedule? This left her no time to read books for even an hour.

“What time does everything end?”

“It’ll be done by 10 PM. Then you’ll prepare for bed by 11 PM and go to sleep.”

Suen, proud of herself for delivering this long speech in one breath, added with a smile.

“I’m really happy to serve you, My Lady!”

Anne glanced at the ground. Her vision darkened, and she felt dizzy, thinking she needed to rest.

“…I’m glad too. But I need to rest now. When does this schedule start?”

“Tomorrow!”

Anne took a step back, but Suen approached her adeptly. Still in shock, Anne shook her head.

“I’ll help you change.”

She thought this meant she would be bathed immediately. Even though she had traveled by carriage, dust would be covering her from head to toe.

“Oh, no! It’s alright. I just need some time alone, if that’s okay?”

“Of course! Just ring the bell if you need me.”

“I will.”

After Suen left, Anne slightly loosened her dress to reveal the prominent brand mark on her lower back.

The memory of the searing iron touching her skin was vivid. Because of this, the pain still seemed palpable.

‘Anne, who did this to you?’

But with her incomplete memory, she couldn’t recall who had committed this atrocious act.

One thing was certain.

This chrysanthemum tattoo symbolized how fiercely she had fought to survive.

‘I will never live like that again.’

Having lived a hard life, Anne felt she deserved to be happy from now on.