~Chapter 68~
Bianca knew she had to pull herself together and escape this place somehow.
She chewed on the herbs she had prepared in advance, wincing at the bitter taste that spread through her mouth. Still, she had to endure it—if she didn’t, her wounds could become infected.
She peeled off the blood-soaked herbs stuck to her shoulder. Though drenched, they seemed to have stopped the bleeding—the wound no longer oozed.
“Ugh…”
Bianca applied a fresh poultice and lay back down on a sack of herbs. If the fever dropped, she could go find a village doctor on her own.
Thanks to the pain-relieving and sedative effects of the herbs, drowsiness slowly overcame her despite the pain.
Ancia, having scoured the laundry and kitchen with her maids, finally arrived at the largest area: the storage building.
Just as they approached, servants were exiting the building and reporting their inventory to the guards and supervisors stationed at the entrance. Sneaking into such a heavily monitored warehouse wouldn’t be easy.
“My lady, we already checked the warehouse on the first day. They were extra thorough in case any valuables had gone missing.”
“But people make mistakes. I need to check it myself.”
Bianca had often mentioned the storage building—particularly expressing regret over the unused herbs being wasted—so Ancia couldn’t help but feel concerned.
“Let’s check the herb storage area first. Lead the way.”
Servants weren’t allowed to use the medicinal herbs gifted to the estate, and since the formal physician had his own potions, the herbs were often forgotten and wasted—no wonder Bianca would’ve been upset about that.
“You’ll need to go further in, my lady.”
“Alright.”
As she followed Ellie deeper into the warehouse, a strange feeling stirred within her.
The scent of herbs grew stronger as they approached a section divided by thin walls. Taking the lead, Ancia stepped inside—and froze.
The smell of blood was faintly mixed with the herbs. There, in the corner, lying as if lifeless among the sacks of herbs, was Bianca.
Her clothes were soaked in blood. Yet Ancia didn’t scream. She saw Bianca’s chest slowly rising and falling—she was breathing.
With trembling legs, Ancia forced herself forward. Though terror made her unsteady, she approached and gently shook Bianca.
“Bi-Bianca…”
“Mmm…”
Bianca, drenched in cold sweat, frowned slightly. That small reaction made Ancia feel immensely relieved.
“Bianca, are you awake?”
But unlike the relieved Ancia, Bianca was still trapped in a nightmare. Seeing the shadow looming over her, fear spiked within her again. Her shoulder throbbed, and betrayal from someone she trusted made her panic.
“Don’t… come closer.”
Her feverish, foggy vision couldn’t recognize the figure before her. In desperation, Bianca grasped the small dagger she had used for treatment.
“She’s armed, my lady!”
Julie quickly pulled Ancia back while Ellie grabbed a sack and held it up like a shield in front of her.
But Bianca’s hand trembled, barely able to hold the blade.
“Go… away…”
“Bianca. It’s me—Ancia. The one you always call ‘my lady.’”
“I… I just wanted to help…”
“I know. Let me help you this time.”
Bianca flinched, taking a hesitant step back.
She had tried to seduce the duke—Ancia’s husband. The duke had been angry with her. Maybe the duchess was, too. Maybe this was punishment.
“I… I can’t trust… It hurts…
Why… hic…”
Bianca burst into tears, the dagger still pointed outward. Even Julie and Ellie were stunned at how desperately frightened she looked.
Ancia saw herself in Bianca—in the way she held a weapon defensively, shaking, terrified.
“I’m scared… Everyone here hates me… Why… why…”
Bianca, who had always longed for love, now sobbed, drenched in tears and sweat, refusing help. Ancia saw herself in the broken girl who spoke through trembling lips.
Despite her best efforts, Ancia’s life as a “villainess” had not gone the way she planned. When Bianca appeared, she feared the story was real, and had tried to push Rishar and Bianca together, but that had only broken everything further.
“My lady, she’s bleeding a lot. She’s out of her mind.
Let us restrain her and call the guards.”
“The sack is thick enough—we can press her down with it. Please, just go, my lady.”
But instead of listening, Ancia grabbed their arms.
“I won’t go any closer. Just let me through for a moment.”
Ellie and Julie reluctantly stepped aside but remained wary.
As the shadows in front of her lessened, Bianca’s gaze finally focused on Ancia.
“Bianca.”
“It hurts… I’m scared…”
“Yeah, Bianca. I don’t like pain either. I was scared, too. That’s why I wanted to stop hurting.”
The future after the divorce wasn’t certain. All she had was a vague hope, pushing her forward.
“I didn’t know something this painful would happen to you. If I had… I would’ve endured more myself.”
Bianca only cried more, not understanding, so Ancia opened her heart.
“Bianca, I’ll be on your side.”
It was something Ancia had always wanted to hear herself.
The people of the count’s estate had always supported her without question. But the secrets she couldn’t tell anyone had always been hers alone to bear.
She’d kept telling herself this would be easy. But the road she’d walked had become nothing like she’d imagined.
Even when she locked herself in after the wedding night, mere rumors made her a villainess—but she still tried to act the part, driving Rishar away. Still, only Rosa ever truly hated her.
And that terrified her. She needed to walk the right path—but what if this wasn’t it?
Maybe… if she didn’t have to walk it alone, even the wrong path wouldn’t feel so scary.
“I’ll walk it with you. If you’re scared of treatment, I’ll stay by your side. If you can’t trust anyone, that’s okay—just let me be there to help you.”
Ancia had learned, through Rishar, how comforting it was just to have someone by your side.
Even now, as she stood surrounded by people she had once ignored or avoided, she realized they had always been there for her—even if she hadn’t wanted their kindness.
She had unconsciously pushed them away, and now she saw herself in the frightened Bianca, clutching a dagger.
“Bianca, help me so I can help you.”
“I… help?”
“Yes. The knife that’s hurting you—it’s too scary for me to come near.
Can you help me hold your hand?”
“You… you don’t hate me?”
“No, Bianca. I don’t hate you. So please, let me hold your hand.
Let me help you.”
Moved by Ancia’s sincerity, Bianca finally dropped the dagger.
And then she sobbed, whispering apologies over and over.
Julie, moving faster than the eye could follow, kicked the dagger away as Bianca collapsed.
Ancia rushed forward, catching her in her arms before she could fall.
Bianca’s body was burning with fever. Yet even so, she hugged Ancia back with all the strength she had.
“I’ll help… I wanted… to help…”
“Yes, thank you. You helped me by letting me help you. You did so well.”
“I… I was helpful… right?”
“Yes. Now you can sleep peacefully. When you wake up, you won’t hurt anymore.”
“Okay…”
Bianca, as if truly believing Ancia’s words, let her body go limp.
Julie and Ellie quickly supported her so Ancia wouldn’t fall with her.
Rather than waiting for help, Ancia had the guards assist in carrying Bianca to the estate physician.
The physician examined her and gave a quick diagnosis.
“For a commoner, her self-treatment was remarkable. But… she’s lost a lot of blood.”
Ancia’s breath caught. Bianca already looked so pale.
“She’s still breathing.”
“Yes. But it’s growing weaker.”
Was blood transfusion even possible in this world? If so, they’d need blood types…
What could she do? Feed her liver? Something rich in iron?
Seeing the confusion on Ancia’s face, the doctor shrugged lightly.
“If she’s low on blood, we’ll just replenish it.”
“How?”
“With a healing mana stone, of course.”
“Isn’t that only for external wounds?”
“Healing stones are technically regeneration stones. They restore lost blood as well.”
He said it like it was common knowledge. Only then did Ancia feel a little relief.
“Then please, use it.”
“We can’t.”
Though a healing stone sat right on the table, the doctor shook his head.
“You just said it would help.”
“The duke’s estate only uses healing stones for nobles and knights.”
That made sense. Even the count’s estate had only a few of these stones. They were rare and valuable—likely not abundant even in the North.
Still, to have one in plain sight and not be allowed to use it…
