SMR | Chapter 129

~Chapter 129~

“They’re also making painkillers there. They haven’t been approved yet, but I heard they’re very effective.”

“…You don’t seem to just think it’s good, do you?”

“At first, it works great for pain relief, but to get the same effect, you have to increase the dose gradually. However, doing that raises the risk of a heart attack significantly. But who would know how much the dosage should be if they’re not the attending doctor?”

She leaned closer to Loren and whispered.

“It might be good if the Pellon family’s doctor has an accident soon. I’ll help find a replacement doctor for them.”

“Isn’t it better to just bribe the doctor? It’s not easy to kill someone without evidence.”

“It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible either. Bribing an old doctor is a bit risky and has a low success rate. Let’s not take unnecessary risks.”

Bella’s judgment on what’s more dangerous—killing someone or bribing them—was a bit different from others.

Since Loren also wanted Trisha to die just as much as Bella did, she eventually agreed to Bella’s plan.

***

Later that day:

Roxana, who read the newspapers every day, never missed the obituaries. It was rare for her to find a familiar name there, but when a famous person passed away, she used it as a way to assess the situation and gather information.

If she knew the person or their connections, it might help her.

But she never imagined she’d see the name of Trisha’s personal doctor, “Jasper Atworth,” in the obituaries.

She immediately rushed to Trisha’s side.

“Madam! This is serious. Sir Jasper Atworth died yesterday!”

“What? How did that happen?”

“They haven’t released the cause of death yet, but I’ll send someone to find out right away.”

“Unbelievable… Who would have thought that someone would go after him?”

Trisha clicked her tongue in disbelief, but Roxana wasn’t calm at all.

‘Now I have to find a new doctor…’

There were many skilled doctors, but whoever came, they would need to understand Trisha’s condition from scratch. Roxana had kept a simple record of the medications Trisha had been using, but she wasn’t sure if the new doctor would follow Jasper’s prescriptions.

Roxana sighed as her mind raced with thoughts about what to do. That afternoon, someone visited the mansion.

He wasn’t exactly smiling or acting in an elegant manner, but he wasn’t rude either—just a middle-aged man with decent manners.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Joseph Alden. I’m a doctor and also a friend of the late Jasper.”

He started explaining how Jasper had died.

“Yesterday, he was having a good time with some friends. The people who were with him said he didn’t seem drunk, but later, he must have gotten tipsy and fell into the river while crossing the Ellington Bridge.”

“How could he fall into the river while walking fine?”

“The spot where he fell is known for having a low and unstable railing. It’s not surprising he fell there.”

Roxana sighed in frustration.

She was frustrated because she didn’t understand why Jasper had been near that bridge and why that poorly designed railing hadn’t been fixed yet.

But it was no use questioning it now.

“We’ve also sent someone to investigate the cause of his death, but thanks to you, we found out earlier. Thank you.”

“But I didn’t come just to tell you about his death. Jasper had asked me for a favor before he passed.”

He opened his doctor’s bag and pulled out a document written in familiar handwriting.

“When a person is about to die, can they sense it? Not long ago, Jasper asked me to take care of Madam Pellon if anything happened to him.”

Roxana looked at the documents he handed her. They were two logs: one documenting Trisha’s condition and the other detailing the medications used. The latest entries were missing.

Roxana, despite feeling sorry for Jasper, couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope.

“So, are you saying you can treat Madam Pellon in the same way Jasper did?”

“Of course. Since Jasper had been treating Madam Pellon for a long time, I believe it’s best to follow his approach. However…”

He added a little more before pulling something else out of his bag.

“Jasper had been looking for a better painkiller for Madam. I’ve added my input and found something that might work.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a newly approved painkiller. Since Madam’s illness is hard to cure, I thought focusing on pain relief would be best. I’ve brought this with me after much difficulty.”

Roxana could see that it was a brown glass bottle with some strange symbols and abbreviations on it, just like the ones Jasper had used before.

“What’s different about this painkiller from the ones we’ve used before?”

“It has significantly improved pain relief. It may make her sleep more, but it will greatly help with coughing, headaches, and pain. It might even reduce coughing itself.”

Roxana felt a mixture of relief and sadness upon hearing that Trisha could feel less pain.

After Joseph Alden left, Roxana had someone investigate his background. There were no issues found.

“He doesn’t stay long in one place as a personal doctor. He usually gets called by people with serious, hidden illnesses or high-status people who want to keep their conditions private. This suggests he’s very skilled.”

After hearing the report, Roxana decided to accept him as Trisha’s new doctor. At this point, what mattered most was skill, not recommendations from others.

Roxana informed both Trisha and Harriet about the new doctor.

Joseph has start treating Trisha that Friday.

***

Later on:

It had been about two weeks since Harriet last saw Tez after the royal banquet.

“Harriet!”

She was about to get into her carriage after visiting the Clarissa shop on Saviole Street when Tez recognized her and called out to her.

Harriet was surprised, as she didn’t expect him to approach her again. He smiled at her as though he didn’t know anything about her recent troubles.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Been… well?”

She replied, somewhat confused. Only then did Tez tilt his head slightly.

“Is something wrong?”

“Did you just come back from abroad or something?”

“No, I just went to the estate with my father for some work.”

“Ah, I see.”

Harriet nodded, as if understanding, and smiled. Tez also smiled and offered his hand.

“Maybe you’ve been upset that I didn’t contact you? If so, we could grab a cup of tea at a nearby café. My treat.”

He clearly had no idea what was going on.

Harriet looked down at his outstretched hand, then looked up at him.

“I’ll refuse. Why don’t you treat your lover, who’s hoping for my downfall?”

“What?”

“I just want to clarify something now that we’ve met. The only reason I spent time with you, even briefly, was because I wanted to believe your words that you wanted to apologize. I hoped that one of the people who crushed me, like you and Bella, would sincerely apologize.”

Tez looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she meant.

“Harriet, I will apologize to you, of course. But I don’t understand what you’re talking about right now.”

“You haven’t seen the newspapers, have you? Or you just don’t care.”

“The newspapers?”

Harriet smiled.

“The news said I was the head of Clarissa and had exploited the monastery for personal gain. It was published in the top three newspapers. At first, I didn’t know who was trying to ruin me, but…”

She folded her arms and tilted her head slightly, continuing.

“There was one line in the article that said I used the profit to indulge at the Anghelic Party. That’s when I realized you betrayed me and who had given the tip-off.”

“What?”

“The only ones who knew I attended the Anghelic Party, besides Duke Kailas, were you, Tez Roark. And your secret lover must be Bella Listerwell.”

A woman with a fiancé or husband, who approves of free relationships. When Harriet had heard that, she wished she had realized it earlier.

It was only now that she was sure Bella was behind this, trying to expose her weaknesses through the newspapers because she hated her so much.

Tez quickly shook his head.

“No! Actually, I drunkenly told a friend about it. I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would turn out like this…”

“Oh, really? I almost misunderstood you. So who was the friend who heard you?”

“There were several people there.”

“Alright. Name them, and do it in front of the royal investigators, not just me.”

Finally, Tez hesitated.