Chapter 52
What kind of nonsense is this?
I sniffed the ointment again, wondering if something else had been mixed into it, but it still only smelled like coconut.
Curious, I scooped a little with my finger to taste it—when Verdick, sitting in front of me, panicked and stopped me.
“What—what are you doing?! Didn’t you hear what I just said?”
He quickly snatched the jar away, looking horrified. His reaction left me a little stunned.
“What exactly is the problem?”
Verdick’s face flushed red as he stammered out an answer.
“T-They say… it causes infertility or… miscarriage in women.”
“Miscarriage? Mis…carriage?”
I frowned deeply, shocked by his words.
What? Coconut oil causes miscarriage?
I racked my brain for modern medical knowledge, but no connection between coconut oil and miscarriage came to mind.
If anything, I thought of cholesterol levels—not miscarriage.
Still, Verdick explained further, making me gape.
Apparently, about six months ago, a rumor had spread like wildfire—from commoners to nobles alike—that “Asicle Oil” was dangerous. Because of that, patients disliked being treated with it.
It was just another baseless rumor in this medically backward world.
“Wow. That’s ridiculous.”
“Huh? What is?”
“Never mind. Anyway, it looks fine, so I’ll just take it.”
I quickly snatched the jar back. This world’s medical practices really are hopeless.
***
Although I had spoken confidently to Verdick, I still decided to run a simple test on Luella in case of an allergic reaction.
Even natural oils could cause sensitivity depending on the person.
I dropped a tiny bit of coconut oil on her wrist and observed carefully.
Okay. No problem.
Once confirmed, I proceeded smoothly.
Three times a day, I applied the oil to her blisters and gave her medicine regularly.
At the same time, I made sure she had nutritious meals, light exercise, and enough rest to strengthen her immunity.
About a week later, Luella grabbed my hands excitedly during a checkup, almost bouncing.
“Look, my lady! I’m completely better!”
On her arm, the blisters that should have been raised were now already subsiding.
Her rapid recovery filled me with pride too.
“That’s wonderful, Luella. How’s your body now?”
“Since I took the medicine you gave me, the pain’s gone. And the oil—when I applied it often, the blisters started calming down!”
Her brown eyes sparkled with amazement.
I told her she had recovered well and could return to work in a few days.
Meanwhile, time flew by quickly.
My mother’s condition had also improved steadily—her nausea and vomiting had decreased, and even her difficulty swallowing, the worst symptom, had eased.
She’s even able to take longer walks these days.
Seeing such hopeful signs made me cheerful too.
“But my lady… is Madam doing all right?”
“Hm? Yes. She’s much better.”
“That’s such a relief. I was so worried I might have caused trouble for her… When I’m back, I’ll devote myself fully to serving Madam—and you too, my lady!”
Hearing her earnest vow, I felt awkward.
Maybe she had gotten sick because she worked tirelessly, nursing my mother day and night. Being a caregiver was just as exhausting as being the patient.
“No, you worked so hard. Nursing isn’t easy… you’ve suffered a lot.”
“My lady…”
At my words, Luella’s eyes shimmered with tears.
“You’re almost fully recovered, but let’s do one last check tomorrow. If you’re fine, you can return to work right away. Just don’t overdo it, okay?”
“Yes! Thank you so much, my lady!”
She bowed deeply.
Though I hadn’t done much, being thanked like that made me feel a little embarrassed. I laughed it off and left her room.
“Phew… At least it worked out in the end.”
Both Luella and my mother had gotten through the worst.
Remembering that, the tension drained from my legs, leaving me light.
Maybe because I felt so at ease, even the sky looked clearer today.
Now I can leave the small follow-up care to Father or Verdick and focus on preparing for surgery.
Humming to myself, I walked down the hall toward the study.
Even if things had improved, there was still much to prepare.
I reached the study door in good spirits and opened it.
At that moment, a gust of wind through the open window scattered a stack of papers from the desk.
As I caught one that flew into my face, someone called my name.
“Adelia?”
Through the sheet of paper, I saw Chade sitting in the middle of the study, half-buried in a mountain of documents.
“Chade? What are you… working here?”
“Yes. My room is too cramped for all these papers.”
He often said he had a lot of work, but I hadn’t realized it was this much.
“…With this workload, are you sure it’s okay not to return to the duke’s estate?”
Looking at the chaotic piles, I asked. Chade only gave a relaxed smile.
“This is already much less than before, thanks to you.”
This is “less”?
I trudged over and sat across from him, baffled.
“Didn’t you say you hired more staff? People who worked here before?”
“Yes. Thanks to that, I didn’t have to train anyone new, so I could step away for a while.”
He shrugged, saying this much wasn’t a lot.
Then how much did you use to work before…?
By modern standards, it would be illegal child labor.
As I shook my head in disbelief, Chade smirked.
“Anyway, we’re both the same, aren’t we? You’ve been busy too.”
“Me? No, not really. The urgent things are done now. Mom’s much better too.”
“Then why are you here? Don’t tell me… you came just to see me?”
His intense gaze made me turn my head away.
Lately, Chade had been staring at me like this more often.
If only he weren’t so good-looking, maybe it wouldn’t feel this overwhelming.
“Uh… I just came to check some things.”
I rolled my eyes around nervously. He chuckled knowingly.
“See? You came to work too.”
He still smiled as he added,
“Anyway, I’m glad. It’s good news that Madam is recovering.”
“Yes. Father’s new medicine helped a lot. We can finally breathe easier.”
I leaned back in the chair, and his eyes lit up.
“Then… don’t you think it’s time to return to the duke’s estate? Lily must be waiting for you.”
“……”
I could only groan quietly.
I had expected this topic would come up someday…
“So that’s why you’ve stayed here—to bring me back?”
“That’s not the only reason. I just enjoy being with you.”
“……”
“I mean it.”
I looked him up and down, suspicious.
Yep, I knew it…
“And besides, you said yourself that Madam would recover soon. So I trusted your words and waited.”
“Well… I appreciate that, but…”
To be honest, Chade seemed different lately. Counseling had softened his sharp edges, and he acted more gently and relaxed.
But that also meant… he had started showing me a strange sense of closeness.
Of course, no matter what kind of future villain he might be, right now he was just a seventeen-year-old boy.
It was natural for him to crave a reliable adult—and to lean on me.
Still…
I can’t stay by his side all the time!
No, I had to say something.
After struggling a bit, I finally spoke carefully.
