CHAPTER 71………………….
Is Spring Coming?
[The land abandoned by God. Is spring coming to the barren Bialitzkal?]
With such an eye-catching headline, Lea read through the daily paper.
[Once prosperous from its salt mines, Bialitzkal fell into decline after southern saltwater farms emerged. But now, a new spark of hope has ignited.
The source of that hope was the hot spring discovered by Duke Heidern in the mine.
Part of the mine had collapsed, revealing a hidden hot spring. The duke then announced plans to transform Bialitzkal into a hot spring tourism hub.
Meanwhile, with the Magnolia Trading Company joining the hot spring tourism project, the public’s attention is now firmly fixed on Bialitzkal…]
Lea, sitting at the table with the newspaper, folded it shut. The hot spring of Bialitzkal was drawing not only northern but also imperial interest.
The papers constantly reported on how Bialitzkal would be developed into a hot spring resort, and how far along the construction was.
Such attention could easily feel burdensome, but Akkia seemed entirely at ease, as if everything was going just as he wanted.
“At least it’s good to know the project is going smoothly.”
Relief softened Lea’s expression.
It had already been a month since she began staying at the Belarus estate. Contrary to her worries, the hot spring development was progressing without problems.
As Magnolia Trading settled in Bialitzkal, more people began to visit the town.
The vacant houses in Bialitzkal were renovated into lodgings for visitors.
“More than that, I heard it’s not only the returning villagers, but also young people coming in to find work…”
Her mind recalled the sight of miners receiving treatment in poor conditions.
At present, Bialitzkal had virtually no medical facilities to speak of.
‘They’ll need proper healthcare facilities.’
She had once heard that villagers had to cross a large mountain just to receive treatment.
But on the other side of the mountain was only a small clinic run by an elderly doctor. Medical care for Bialitzkal was an urgent matter.
‘I’ll have to bring this up with the duke once he returns to the estate.’
It had already been a week since she last saw Akkia. She wanted to be with him, living almost as he did in Bialitzkal, but he had stopped her.
“He said I should wait until Bialitzkal stabilizes a little more… so I’ll wait.”
After all, her being there now would only be a burden.
And since Duke Belarus wanted her to remain with him, she had stayed at the estate. Yet her gaze sank lower than before as she looked toward the empty seat.
[We apologize. His Grace is feeling unwell again today and won’t be able to join you for tea.]
Once again, she had invited Duke Belarus to tea in the garden, only to be politely refused.
“Is he still unwell…?”
The once-vigorous duke had begun to make excuses of illness and stayed hidden away. Akkia told her not to worry, but she couldn’t help it.
‘I shouldn’t think this way, but… he really felt like a grandfather…’
If she had ever had a blood-related grandfather, surely he would’ve been like Duke Belarus.
Since leaving the orphanage, this was the first time she had felt such familial affection for someone who shared no blood with her.
Lea truly liked Duke Belarus. She enjoyed their time together. And hearing he was unwell left her deeply disheartened.
“On top of that, he refuses to see a physician…”
Though she had offered to examine him, he repeatedly declined, saying it was only due to weakness and not to worry.
“Could it be… did I do something wrong?”
He avoided their usual walks, often dined alone, and while the estate’s staff remained kind, the atmosphere had subtly shifted.
With Akkia away in Bialitzkal, she felt as though she were left alone in the vast mansion.
“Haa…”
Lea let out a heavy sigh, weighed down by questions with no answers. Then a voice called out from the garden.
“Milady!”
‘There it is again—he keeps calling me “milady.”’
She had told him many times to simply call her “Lea” or “apothecary.” Yet at some point, Butler Barton had begun addressing her as “milady.”
“Butler, please, just call me by my name—”
She was about to repeat herself when—
“His Grace has collapsed…!”
Barton’s urgent cry made Lea jump from her seat in alarm.
“The duke!?”
“Yes! I’ve called for a physician, but I believe you should see him right away!”
“Please, take me to him—quickly!”
❀ ❀ ❀
Lea hurried into the duke’s bedchamber and rushed to Dmitri’s side. He lay unconscious on the bed, his breath shallow and strained.
She immediately began her examination.
“When did this start?”
“His strength has been failing rapidly these past few days. But even this morning, he wasn’t this bad…”
Barton’s voice cracked with worry.
‘His complexion is terrible.’
He seemed thinner too, as if he had been skipping meals. Lea’s face darkened as she checked him.
“Did anything happen to him recently? Something that could’ve given him a sudden shock?”
“That…”
Barton averted his gaze, unable to answer. How could he confess that the duke had received reports related to Lea?
Dodging her eyes, he mumbled vaguely. Lea sighed and said—
“The duke is strong, yes, but at his age, sudden shocks can be dangerous. I think he may have hypertension.”
“…We’ll be careful.”
Since she couldn’t prescribe actual blood pressure medication, she instead prepared something to calm his mind and body. With a handkerchief, she gently wiped the cold sweat from Dmitri’s brow.
“I’ll stay with him tonight. Given how much he’s sweating, I think a fever will come. Someone needs to monitor him closely.”
“No, milady! You must’ve been frightened as well—please rest. I’ll keep watch.”
Barton waved his hands, troubled by her insistence. Lea only smiled faintly.
“I want to.”
Looking into her steadfast green eyes pained Barton’s chest. For in her, once again, he saw the late Lady Ariel.
‘Even her stubbornness is exactly the same…’
Anthony had sworn that Lady Ariel’s child had died. Yet Lea resembled her far too closely for that to be true.
If she wasn’t Lady Ariel’s daughter, then perhaps she was someone sent by the late lady herself, to look after the duke.
“…Very well. Then I’ll entrust him to you.”
Barton finally nodded, then quietly left the chamber.
The room fell into heavy silence. Lea watched the duke’s condition stabilize somewhat and let out a sigh of relief.
‘At least it isn’t critical. That’s a blessing.’
It was only weakness of body and spirit, not a grave illness. Feeling reassured, Lea stood and stretched her tense muscles.
As she moved about, her eyes landed on a small portrait at the duke’s bedside.
“What’s this?”
Looking closer at the painted woman, Lea tilted her head.
For the lady in the portrait looked remarkably like herself.
Drawn by curiosity, she reached for the frame. The woman had the same bright red hair as Duke Belarus… and the same vivid green eyes as Lea herself.
Beneath the portrait was inscribed the name Ariel.
‘So this was Duke Belarus’s daughter?’
At last, she understood why the duke and his household had always been so kind to her.
‘It was because I resembled the late lady…’
Lea gazed in fascination at the portrait, when suddenly something else caught her eye: a necklace around Ariel’s neck.
Her eyes widened.
‘Wait… that necklace…’
A key-shaped pendant set with a ruby.
The very same necklace Lea had worn since she was abandoned at the orphanage. Her hand instinctively reached for her own pendant at her throat.
‘Why would the late lady have the same necklace?’
It looked far too identical to be coincidence. An uncanny feeling swept over her as she set the portrait down.
Then her eyes fell on a music box beside it.
Adorned with rubies like her necklace, the music box seemed strangely out of place among the duke’s belongings.
Lea carefully picked it up, examining its delicate craftsmanship.
Now in her hands, it somehow felt eerily similar to her pendant, almost as though the two belonged together.
Fiddling with it for a while, she noticed a small keyhole at its center.
‘That’s strange…’
Her chest suddenly tightened, her heart pounding loudly like a drum.
As if bewitched, she fitted the tip of her key-shaped pendant into the music box’s keyhole.
“Huh?”
‘That shouldn’t be possible… then why…’
Like pieces of a puzzle clicking into place, the box opened with a click.
Through the heavy silence flowed a gentle melody.
And at that very moment, Dmitri’s closed eyes fluttered open.
