Chapter 6
“Your Grace… I have something I need to tell you.”
On his way to his study, Sylvien came to an abrupt stop.
In the dimly lit corridor, the butler approached him carrying a lantern.
“What is it?”
His tone was as courteous as when he had spoken to Josephine.
The butler wasn’t surprised.
This was simply how Duke Sylvien Valentino always was.
Regardless of rank or status, he treated everyone with the same impeccable courtesy.
Yet somehow…
Despite his flawless manners, no one ever thought of him as a kind man.
Rather, he seemed like someone standing alone atop a frozen mountain peak, looking down upon everyone else.
“Actually…”
The butler explained everything that had happened that day.
The conflict between Kanna and Josephine.
And how Kanna’s legs had been beaten nearly beyond recognition and she was now burning with fever.
Sylvien listened from beginning to end without so much as raising an eyebrow.
Then he asked,
“So?”
“…What should we do? Her injuries are severe. If she’s left untreated, she’ll be in serious danger.”
The answer came without the slightest hesitation.
“The internal affairs of this house are managed by Countess Elester.”
It was, in effect, a death sentence.
Whether she died…
Or was crippled for life…
He didn’t care.
That was the end of it.
Sylvien simply walked past the butler and continued on his way.
Josephine’s prediction had been completely accurate.
No one cared what became of Kanna.
Least of all…
Sylvien Valentino.
He had no interest in whether his wife lived or died.
They’re really trying to kill me.
At dawn, Kanna finally regained consciousness.
For the first time…
She truly believed she might die.
Her condition was that bad.
Cold sweat soaked her entire body.
A blazing fever consumed her.
And worst of all—
“Ah…!”
The pain.
Her calves felt as though they were on fire.
A groan escaped her lips before she could stop it.
Terrified, she cautiously looked at her legs.
The moment she saw them…
Her breath caught.
She had expected it.
It’s horrible.
If she left them like this…
The wounds would become infected and rot.
That wasn’t the only danger.
Without disinfecting them, bacteria would almost certainly invade the wounds.
In the worst case…
The nerves in her legs could be permanently destroyed.
She could become crippled.
Or…
I could die.
This wasn’t Earth.
This world didn’t have antibiotics.
Or vaccines.
If an infection spread unchecked…
People simply died.
“And they’re really just leaving me here?”
“No medicine.”
“No one to care for me.”
“They really intend to kill me.”
“Or turn me into a cripple.”
She laughed bitterly.
“Then again…”
“In this world, human lives are treated like ants.”
Too bad.
She wasn’t going to meet their expectations.
She could treat injuries like this herself.
“Ugh…”
“It hurts so much…”
She felt dizzy enough to collapse.
Still…
She crawled off the bed.
Every movement sent agony shooting through her body.
She desperately wanted to lie back down.
But—
Nothing gets solved by lying there.
She searched the room for a long time.
Eventually…
She found several useful things.
Clean pillowcases.
A handkerchief.
And…
A bottle of whiskey.
First… disinfect the wounds.
Leaning against the wall, Kanna picked up the bottle.
This is going to hurt.
She took a deep breath to prepare herself.
Then—
“…Wait.”
“What’s that?”
Her gaze drifted toward the window.
Outside…
A thick tree branch stretched almost all the way to the glass.
A room hidden behind trees…
Hardly the sort of room befitting a duchess.
It perfectly reflected Kanna’s status within the estate.
But that wasn’t what mattered.
That tree…
I’m certain I know it.
She flung open the window.
The instant the scent reached her…
She knew.
It’s a camphor tree.
The bark.
The leaves.
The fragrance.
There was no mistaking it.
Every part of a camphor tree—
The wood.
The bark.
The leaves—
Could be used medicinally.
Back in Korea, it was a valuable herbal remedy.
The leaves, in particular, were excellent for reducing inflammation and treating bruises.
Perfect for first aid.
And now…
One happened to be growing right outside her window.
Wait…
Do camphor trees even grow on the Western Continent?
They were native to the Eastern Continent.
So why was one planted in the garden of a Western noble estate?
Right…
Josephine loved collecting rare Eastern plants.
Remembering Joo-hwa’s memories, Kanna leaned out the window.
Just as I thought.
Embedded within the trunk were several black mana stones.
The roots were probably wrapped around them as well.
Mana stones allowed plants to survive in climates where they normally couldn’t.
Without them…
The tree would’ve died long ago.
Using mana stones to prolong a plant’s life…
What terrible taste.
And noblewomen actually compete over things like this.
Still…
It worked in her favor.
Kanna carefully picked several leaves.
Then she sat back against the wall and picked up the whiskey.
Now…
It was time.
She swallowed hard.
Slowly tilted the bottle.
The whiskey poured over her wounds.
Immediately—
“…!”
Her vision flashed white.
A muffled cry escaped between clenched teeth.
It felt as though someone were pressing burning irons against her flesh.
Endure it.
Don’t pass out.
With hands cleansed by whiskey, she crushed the camphor leaves.
When enough juice seeped out…
She gently placed the pulp over the wounds.
“Whew…”
Ignoring the tingling sensation, she tore a pillowcase into strips and wrapped them around her calves like bandages.
There.
That was everything she could do.
Only then did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
I got lucky.
If I keep treating them like this… they’ll heal quickly.
She rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes.
What an unbelievable day.
Just last night…
She had gone to sleep in Korea.
Tomorrow she had been supposed to go to work.
She even had a date planned for the weekend.
Mom.
Dad.
Sun-hong.
Toto.
…And my wonderful boyfriend.
An overwhelming wave of longing washed over her.
For just a moment…
She wanted to cry.
But she clenched her teeth and held it back.
I won’t cry.
Not now.
Now isn’t the time to be weak.
Her mother’s words echoed in her mind.
“Joo-hwa… when you’re facing a crisis, tears won’t solve anything. They’ll only make you weaker.”
She repeated those words to herself like a mantra.
I won’t cry.
I’ll overcome everything.
Then…
I’ll calmly decide what to do next.
But before that…
I have to survive.
Ten Days Later
Ten days passed.
Countess Josephine Elester was enjoying afternoon tea inside her glass greenhouse.
It was filled with rare plants from the Eastern Continent.
Maintained with mana stones, the greenhouse was one of Josephine’s greatest prides.
“Mary.”
“What has become of Kanna?”
Quite some time had passed since Kanna’s beating.
Yet no one had reported disposing of a corpse.
Even more strangely…
The meals left outside her room disappeared every day.
Apparently…
She was still alive.
“It seems she’s hanging on…”
Mary replied.
“But with injuries like hers, left untreated…”
“She’ll probably die within a day or two.”
“I see.”
“And you’re certain no one has been caring for her?”
“Yes, Madam.”
“I personally ordered every servant in the mansion not to enter her room.”
“Very good.”
“You may leave.”
Mary bowed before leaving the greenhouse.
Stupid girl.
You brought this upon yourself.
She still vividly remembered Kanna striking her calves with that switch.
The memory continued to fill her with rage.
I won’t be satisfied until I see that woman dead.
How dare she lay a hand on Madam’s favorite maid.
Just then—
“M-Maid Supervisor!”
Another maid came running toward her.
Mary frowned.
“Who told you to run around so recklessly?”
“What if Madam sees you—”
“Miss Kanna…”
The maid was so out of breath she could barely speak.
The moment Kanna’s name came up, Mary’s eyes widened.
“So…”
“That wretched woman is finally dead?”
“Isn’t she?”
The maid’s face instantly turned pale.
“W-What?”
“What’s wrong with you?”
Only then did Mary notice…
The maid wasn’t looking at her.
She was staring at something…
Behind her.
A chill crept up the back of Mary’s neck.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
Thump.
Mary’s heart dropped.
That voice…
“I’m still alive.”
Footsteps echoed slowly behind her.
Steady.
Unhurried.
“They say the dead don’t walk,” Kanna continued.
“So…”
“You must have really wanted me to die, Mary.”
Mary’s fingers trembled.
She slowly turned around.
Kanna looked perfectly healthy.
No…
The skin visible beneath her bangs actually looked healthier than before.
“You.”
Kanna shifted her gaze to the maid standing behind Mary.
“Go bring me a switch.”
