Chapter 28
‘Where… am I?’
Idel’s hazy vision took in the unfamiliar room. A large window with heavy curtains, a big comfortable bed, a nightstand, a sofa, and a table—everything was strange.
As she tried to call out for someone, a dry cough escaped her throat, which felt rough and scratchy. At that moment, she heard movement nearby.
“Idel, are you awake?”
“Daisy…?”
“Yes, it’s me, Daisy. Are you feeling alright? Is anything hurting or feeling strange?”
Idel was confused to find Daisy by her side, but she moved her limbs and fingers to answer the question.
“Well… I think I’m okay, except for a tingling sensation in my toes.”
“Do you remember everything from before?”
“Everything from before? …Yes, I think I remember everything.”
Even the memories she wished she could forget were still vivid, so it seemed there was nothing wrong with her memory.
Daisy sighed in relief and spoke.
“You’ve been unconscious for two days. The doctor said you were really close to dying.”
“Did I really…?”
“Yes, they said even if you woke up, you might have suffered some damage. Your fever was incredibly high, and you’ve developed a bit of frostbite on your feet.”
Daisy gripped Idel’s hand tightly with an emotional expression. Hearing about the frostbite, Idel’s last memory surfaced.
“Now that you mention it, what happened? I was in the laundry room, wasn’t I…?”
She remembered standing in the icy cold water that felt like it would freeze her to the bone, stepping on curtains. No, wait, Masha had slapped her. What happened after that…?
As she tried to recall more, Daisy, with a tense expression, held her hand tighter and whispered.
“Madame Bohen tried to torment you, didn’t she? She’s truly awful! She’s a terrible person.”
Tears seemed to be welling up in Daisy’s large eyes, full of frustration and anger.
Daisy took a deep breath to calm herself down before recounting what had happened during Idel’s unconsciousness.
Masha had falsely accused Idel in front of Laszlo, Celia and Laila had blocked Laszlo’s path to plead that Idel was ill, and when Laszlo found Idel collapsed, he immediately called for a doctor and gathered the servants to issue stern warnings.
“So, Madame Bohen’s lies were completely exposed. Not only her false accusations against you but also her claim that she knew all the imperial protocols, and that no one could speak directly to the Count…”
“Wait a minute. So, until now, the only servant allowed to speak with the Count was Madame Bohen?”
“Pretty much. We were told never to speak to the Count or the young lady unless they asked us something directly. We were only allowed to communicate through Madame Bohen.”
That statement was true in some ways and false in others.
Ordinary servants weren’t supposed to speak to the masters without reason, but they could speak directly to them if there was a valid reason, without having to go through the head maid or the steward.
‘Madame Bohen used that to consolidate her power.’
In this household, the head maid had become the only channel through which the master’s opinion could be heard and the only way the servants’ voices could reach him.
It was likely that most of the servants were inexperienced, so her lie had worked.
Seeing Daisy shaking her fists in excitement, it seemed she had accumulated a lot of grievances against Masha as well.
‘Maybe Daisy was also bullied because she was nice to me.’
Idel felt a pang in her heart.
Given that Celia and Laila had been discriminated against for supporting her, it was almost certain that her suspicion was correct.
Idel smiled as she squeezed Daisy’s hand gently.
“So, have you been taking care of me since then?”
“Yes, the Count gave his permission. Celia and Laila were very worried too, but the laundry work couldn’t be done with even one person missing.”
“Ah, Celia and Laila have had a hard time because of me.”
“Because of you? It’s all Madame Bohen’s fault.”
Daisy pouted, grumbling in a way that Idel found adorable.
“Thank you, Daisy. You saved my life.”
“My care was nothing special! It was the doctor that the Count called who really did wonders.”
“Oh, the Count called the doctor?”
Daisy nodded vigorously.
“A rather peculiar man,” Daisy recalled. “I was terrified that something terrible might happen to you, but that doctor didn’t show any emotion at all.”
Daisy thought back to the pale, thin man who looked more like a patient himself. He examined Idel, who was burning up with fever, with a calm and impassive expression that didn’t inspire much confidence.
After a quick examination, the man had opened his large bag, mixed various substances from numerous vials, and handed over some medicine, calling it a fever reducer and a tonic, before leaving abruptly.
Daisy had been quite impressed by how the doctor had shown no sign of being intimidated, even in front of Count Laszlo.
“We should be sure to thank both the Count and that doctor,” Idel said.
“We might not see that doctor again, but you should definitely thank the Count. He stayed by your side the whole time the doctor was there.”
“What?”
Idel was quite taken aback.
It was generous enough of the Count to have summoned a doctor for a sick maid, but to have stayed by her side as well?
‘Surprising… to say the least.’
But as Idel thought back on how little in her life had gone according to her expectations, she felt a bit ashamed for having judged Laszlo so hastily.
She listened to Daisy’s excited chatter, occasionally smiling, but inwardly, she resolved to thank Laszlo as soon as she was well enough.
* * *
Two more days passed.
As Daisy had suggested, the doctor’s medicine seemed effective. By the evening, Idel had recovered enough to get out of bed.
She sat on the edge of the bed, moving her frostbitten feet slightly.
‘My toes are sore, but the dizziness has mostly subsided.’
The pain that had wracked her body, making her feel like she’d been beaten, had almost disappeared, and even the constant aches in her back and knees from work had eased significantly.
Judging by the deepening twilight outside, Laszlo should have already returned from the palace.
‘It would be rude to delay my thanks now that I’m able to move around.’
Laszlo usually left for the palace early in the morning, so this was the best time to catch him.
Despite feeling a bit apprehensive about facing him, Idel knew she should fulfill her obligation.
She threw on a shawl that Daisy had lent her over her indoor clothes and made her way to his study. Trying to straighten her posture, she knocked on the door.
“Count, it’s Idel.”
“Come in.”
His voice was low, firm, and as dry as ever.
As she pushed open the door, the smell of leather, the unique scent of parchment, and the earthy aroma of post-rain soil, mingled with the scent of burning wood, filled the room. It suddenly struck Idel.
‘Now that I think about it, he doesn’t wear any cologne.’
Not that he smelled unpleasant—quite the opposite. But the fact that his natural scent was reminiscent of the fields was intriguing.
Having lived among people who doused themselves in all sorts of perfumes, Laszlo’s natural scent made him seem almost ‘raw’ to her.
“Hmm? Idel Lanca… or rather, you’re no longer a Lanca.”
“Please, just call me Idel.”
“Then… Idel.”
Though she had corrected him before entering, Laszlo seemed slightly surprised by her presence.
Idel also found it strange to be called only by her first name, but she knew she would have to get used to it.
She bowed deeply.
“I heard that you called a doctor and saved my life. Thank you.”
Laszlo remained silent until Idel had fully straightened up, then he casually remarked, “You’ve lost weight.”
Idel instinctively clasped her hands together, noticing how thin her hands had become.
She had always been slender, but the illness had caused her cheeks to hollow out, making her appear even more emaciated.
‘As if I wasn’t already a clumsy maid, now I’m weak and frail as well. I must look so pitiful to him.’
She tried to smile.
“I’ll do my best to recover quickly.”
“There’s no need to put so much effort into that. Just rest.”
“Thank you. Then I’ll take one more day off before returning to the laundry room.”
“Did the fever affect your hearing?”
“Pardon?”
Idel wondered if she had made some grave mistake. But in his usual indifferent tone, Laszlo explained.
“I told you to rest, and you responded by saying you’ll return to work.”
“Ah… But I’ve recovered enough to not need to stay in bed any longer, and the laundry work must be piling up…”
“You’re quite confident just because your fever’s gone down. While Ailan’s medicine is effective, overexerting yourself will make it all for nothing. Do you plan to waste the expensive medicine I gave you?”
He seemed to be barely paying attention to her, flipping through some documents as he spoke. However, he soon set the papers down and looked directly at her.
