CHAPTER 61…………………….
The Old Dress
As Akkia stepped down from the carriage, the middle-aged butler came out as if he had been waiting and greeted him.
“Welcome. I am Barton, the butler of Belarus.”
He neatly combed his graying hair and wore a monocle.
“Excuse me for a moment. But where is Duke Belarus?”
“The Duke is currently away on urgent matters. He should be returning to the mansion within a few days. He instructed me to attend to Duke Haidern with the utmost care.”
“I see.”
The Duke nodded at the butler’s concise report.
‘I guess I can get off now.’
Leah, who had been waiting in the carriage because the conversation between the two had not stopped, quietly tried to step down.
“Can you get down on your own?”
“Yes. Well…”
Seeing Leah, the Duke approached her.
‘And there are other people watching…’
A pharmacist being escorted by the Duke. It was obvious how the people of Duke Belarus would look at her. Leah sighed inwardly, and at that moment, her eyes met the butler’s.
But then…
“…….”
The butler’s eyes, locked on hers, shook violently. His lips parted as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.
“I’m late in introducing. This is my pharmacist and personal physician.”
At the Duke’s smooth introduction, the butler’s gaze once again fell on Leah.
“Hello. I am Leah, Duke Haidern’s pharmacist.”
“……Pleased to meet you. I am Barton, the butler of the Belarus mansion.”
The experienced butler bowed with precise, elegant gestures.
His voice, though directed at her, seemed slightly trembling, but Leah dismissed it, assuming she had misseen.
The Duke was seated in the reception room, receiving a report from the person in charge of Vialitzkal.
According to Barton, Duke Belarus had hurriedly left due to issues with cultivating the domain’s specialty products.
While the Duke was away in another territory, part of the mine had collapsed.
Normally, resolving specialty product issues would have taken another fifteen days, but the mine collapse forced him to return urgently.
Akkia flicked the table lightly with his fingers.
“So, what’s the current situation in the mine?”
“This time, the collapse occurred in the innermost, third chamber of the mine. It was a recently completed section. All the rescued workers are in good health, except for the deceased. Collapses are frequent in the mine, so it’s not an exceptionally serious situation.”
Akkia’s brow furrowed at the report. Collapses in the salt mine weren’t unusual. Due to salt mining, empty spaces formed, which were then supported by timber. Collapses occurred when these supports failed.
Yet Akkia found it odd. Normally, wood used in salt mines is resistant to corrosion.
‘Could there be something wrong with the timber?’
He couldn’t tell from the report alone; seeing it firsthand was best.
He asked the person in charge to grasp the basics.
“The third chamber… it’s quite large, isn’t it?”
“Yes. But it doesn’t seem like an issue requiring Duke Haidern’s direct visit.”
Cox, the Vialitzkal officer, replied as if surprised the Duke would come in person.
“Duke Belarus said it’s a common occurrence, so there’s no need to worry. But since you’ve come, please rest and recover from the journey…”
Knock, knock.
Cox stopped speaking at the sound of knocking. A maid entered, bowed to them, and said,
“The pharmacist has arrived.”
“Show her in.”
Leah, dressed in an unfamiliar gown, slowly walked into the reception room. The fabric of her dress rustled with each step.
The Duke’s gaze wavered at the sight of Leah in the gown.
“I… wore it because it was given to me, but it doesn’t really suit me, does it?”
Due to the previous carriage incident, all of Leah’s luggage had been soaked in mud. Her spare clothes were ruined, so she had asked Barton for garments.
Belarus’s mansion, occupied solely by the Duke, naturally wouldn’t have suitable clothing for her. Barton handed her an old dress, possibly a bit faded but clearly valuable.
Leah had never worn such a dress, so it felt strange to see herself in it.
Just as she hesitated, waiting for Akkia’s response, a sharp crash rang out as a ceramic dish shattered on the floor.
- Clang!
Everyone turned toward the entrance. Barton froze, shock written on his face.
“Are you okay, Butler?”
Leah looked worriedly at the shattered coffee pot and teacups at his feet.
“Ah…”
As if possessed, he stared blankly at Leah’s face.
“Sir?”
Only after Leah repeated her question did he regain composure and tremble.
“I… I have been rude to our guests. My apologies.”
It was an uncharacteristic mistake for a butler who had served Duke Belarus for over thirty years. Barton bowed hastily to apologize and instructed the maid to clean up.
“It looks like your hand is bleeding. Should I examine it…?”
Leah noticed blood flowing from a cut on Barton’s thumb. As she stepped forward, he panicked and stopped her.
“It’s fine! You might get hurt, Miss! Please don’t come closer!”
“Huh? Oh… okay…”
‘Miss?’
Earlier, Barton had called her a pharmacist, but now he used a different title. Leah didn’t dwell on it, but Akkia’s expression subtly shifted as he observed the scene.
By the time their fatigue from the mansion had worn off, they were ready to head to Vialitzkal.
“Are you really going to Vialitzkal with me?”
“I heard they’re short on doctors. It feels better to help there than wait at the mansion. And the doctor said it’s fine. Look, see? I’m completely healed now.”
Leah raised her arms to demonstrate her health. Akkia chuckled and ruffled her hair.
“Alright. If you insist.”
Barton quietly approached the two, watching their seemingly tender interaction.
“I’ll wait at the mansion, Your Grace, and… pharmacist.”
His voice trembled slightly when calling Leah, though no one noticed. The carriage then departed the mansion.
❀ ❀ ❀
After a full day’s journey, they finally arrived at Vialitzkal.
“That’s the salt mine over there.”
Cox, their guide, pointed to the nearby mine.
Akkia stepped out of the carriage and entered the rescue camp near the mine. There were no proper accommodations in the barren territory. Miners also stayed in the makeshift camp.
‘The situation is worse than I thought.’
Inside the command post, a serious scene awaited. Few doctors rushed between patients, trying to keep up.
Akkia asked Cox for details.
“What’s the exact situation? It doesn’t look good.”
“Of the thirty miners trapped, twenty-nine were rescued and are receiving treatment. One person’s identity is still unknown.”
“A missing person? I thought everyone rescued had survived. You don’t even know if they’re alive?”
Akkia’s brow furrowed. Cox’s report had been insufficient.
“I apologize. One person was missing, and we assumed them dead. The mine collapsed long ago, so their survival is doubtful…”
Leah recalled that the mine had partially collapsed again while they were en route.
“It’s been fifteen days. If we act quickly, they may still be alive. We should send a team to search.”
Akkia nodded in agreement.
“Send a search team to the mine.”
“Yes.”
Leah looked at the patients being moved on stretchers and asked Cox,
“Are these the rescued people?”
“Yes. There’s no resident doctor at this mine, so we’re getting support from nearby villages… but we’re still short on personnel.”
Leah, seeing the exhausted doctors and pharmacists, said,
“I’ll help.”
“You? The pharmacist?”
“Yes. I have some medical knowledge. May I assist, Your Grace?”
Cox looked surprised. Leah met Akkia’s gaze, silently seeking permission.
‘Even though you already know the answer.’
Akkia sighed at Leah’s eager expression.
“As you wish.”
Leah joined the medical team. The overworked doctors welcomed her help.
At that moment, a message came:
“There’s a survivor in the mine!”
The search team had found the previously missing miner alive.
