Chapter 35
“Please check carefully if there are any side effects besides destabilizing mana.”
Florencia emphasized her request once more.
“Yes, I’ll do that. Leave it to me. And… do you need more mana stabilizers? The ones you took last time?”
“That… not yet. I’m fine for now. I’ll request more if I need them later.”
“All right, as you wish.”
Florencia pulled her hood back down over her face and stood up.
After she hurried out of the room, Omar—left alone—murmured to himself.
“She said she needed mana stabilizers up until a week ago. And now she brings in something that does the exact opposite… Just what are you scheming, Saintess?”
Then came another knock on the door.
The knock of a new customer.
‘A lot of customers tonight.’
A good thing, of course.
Omar quickly arranged a polite smile on his face.
The woman who stepped in as the door opened was Hailey.
Even with his eyes still covered by a black cloth, he could immediately recognize her mana and her scent.
“Oh, Hailey! Welcome—good to see you again.”
“Omar.”
Her voice was subdued, in stark contrast to Omar’s cheerful greeting.
Accompanying Elion had been tolerable, but meeting Omar alone—without her lord—wasn’t something she enjoyed.
Still, it was one of her assignments, so she had no room to complain.
As Hailey sat opposite him, Omar asked:
“How are the two of you doing?”
“I’m here to talk about that. The lady’s condition suddenly worsened the day before yesterday. Even though she had received plenty of mana the day before. Why do you think that happened?”
“Why didn’t the lady come herself? I need to examine her to give a precise diagnosis.”
“Her Highness did get better after receiving mana from His Highness, but her parents are extremely worried. They’ve put her under a confinement order.”
“Ahh, I see.”
Omar nodded in understanding.
After thinking quietly for a moment, he spoke carefully.
“Hm… I’d have to examine her to know for sure, but here’s what I think. The lady’s body is currently in a very unstable state. Even if she receives mana every day, her instability doesn’t change.”
“…I see.”
Hailey kept her gaze fixed on the black cloth covering Omar’s eyes, listening intently.
“So she might seem fine most of the time, but there will be moments where she suddenly becomes unwell. In fact, given her condition, that reaction is normal. Until she fully recovers, she must be cautious at all times.”
“Got it. I’ll tell the two of them everything you said.”
Hailey stood, having finished her business—but Omar stopped her with another question.
“How is the Grand Duke? Is he all right?”
“Yes. He’s been doing fine without any issues.”
“Is he taking any medicine?”
Why the sudden question about medicine?
Though puzzled, Hailey answered sincerely.
“No. After his last visit here, he hasn’t taken anything. And thanks to meeting the lady, his headaches and low fevers have vanished completely.”
“That’s good to hear. I hope it stays that way. He must not take something like a mana stabilizer carelessly.”
“A mana stabilizer?”
“Just saying. Even if a medication is famous for balancing mana, he should always double-check before taking it.”
Hailey found it strange that Omar suddenly brought up mana stabilizers out of nowhere.
Normally, he only answered questions—he never volunteered extra information.
The Omar she knew from their Academy days ten years ago had been exactly like that.
You had to ask the right questions if you wanted anything out of him.
‘Has he changed after treating patients for more than ten years?’
Hailey tilted her head at the difference.
Perhaps reading her thoughts, Omar added:
“These days, I’ve seen more of those drugs around. Medicines said to help with mana stability sometimes end up destabilizing it instead—or causing all sorts of side effects. Anyway, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
“Right. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Omar.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Assuming his changed demeanor came from years of dealing with all kinds of people, Hailey stood to leave.
Once she was gone, Omar slapped his own mouth with his palm—smack, smack.
“Ugh… why is this mouth running wild today? Control yourself! Rule one: Don’t answer questions nobody asked! Rule two: Never reveal another customer’s request!”
He had come dangerously close to saying everything.
He nearly warned her outright to watch out for the Saintess.
Even if he wasn’t a licensed physician and worked in the shadows, there were professional ethics he had to uphold.
He could never reveal another client’s personal information or requests.
Was he softening because Hailey served her lord faithfully?
Or was it because he’d grown attached to the rare, precious possessed girl he might be able to save?
Or was he simply worried—worried about the saintly-faced woman doing twisted things in the dark?
“Whatever the reason—meddling is dangerous. Absolutely not!”
Omar mentally tightened the reins on himself again.
Each year, the Burnett Ducal Estate held a party during the social season, known for its extravagant spectacles.
One year it featured a circus performance, another year a fashion show, another a magic show.
Everyone wondered what special attraction the duchess had prepared this year.
But this year was different.
Nobody cared about the duchess’s main event.
Because everyone’s attention was focused entirely on one thing—the first appearance of Grand Duke Klitzman in the capital’s social scene, and the lady who would be at his side.
“There they are!”
“Can you see who his partner is?”
“Let’s see… Ah, it’s the second daughter of House Payson!”
“Oh my, it really is!”
Every gaze in the grand hall turned toward Rubyana and Elion, and the once-bustling venue fell silent.
Striding in arm-in-arm, the two were almost blindingly beautiful.
The silence didn’t last long. Soon the murmurs began.
“So the Grand Duke’s partner really is Lady Payson.”
“Does that mean the article on the front page of the gossip paper was true?”
“Probably.”
“Heavens… how scandalous!”
A Grand Duke carrying a young lady into a hotel in broad daylight—
Naturally, the “hotel scandal” was the first thing on everyone’s lips.
The whispers reached Rubyana’s ears loud and clear.
Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
‘I was sick, that’s why!! Honestly—people really do see only what they want to see!’
She had plenty she wanted to shout back—but she swallowed it all.
To maintain her smile, she forced a little tension into her upturned lips.
She couldn’t let the whispers shake her. Absolutely not.
But to her relief, the hotel scandal didn’t remain the focus for long.
It had already burned through the rumor mills days before—old news.
People quickly turned their attention to the spectacle right before them.
“Look at Lady Payson clinging tightly to the Grand Duke’s arm! They actually make a surprisingly good pair.”
“And the height difference—so ideal! I want to date a tall, broad-shouldered, muscular man like that too…”
Admiring gazes shot toward Elion and Rubyana like arrows.
People examined their looks, their gestures—every little movement—as if inspecting them under a lens.
“Oh my! Did you see the Grand Duke prepare Lady Payson’s dessert for her? I didn’t know he could be that considerate!”
“I thought he was only good at wielding a sword on the battlefield.”
“Oh my goodness—did you see Lady Payson laugh at something he said? Did he tell her a joke? What do you think he said?”
“The Grand Duke can make jokes?! We’re seeing so many new sides of him today!”
