“Did the young lady ever suffer greatly?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you ask that…?”
Is it such a surprising question? Led by Hannah, Cecilia visibly stiffened at the question of whether I had a serious illness as a child.
It was as if she’d been caught revealing something she didn’t want to, or as if she’d been posed with a question she couldn’t answer about something she wished to hide.
“I just thought so. Since Cecilia has been with me since I was born, you must remember everything, even the parts I can’t recall, right?”
“That is true, but…”
She struggled to respond. This felt serious. Just as my suspicions were growing over what seemed like an innocent question, Cecilia finally spoke up.
“You might not remember, but when you were very young, you had a severe fever.”
“When was that?”
“You were walking but not quite speaking well… you must have been about two or three years old? You were a bit bigger than Valerie is now.”
“How badly did I suffer?”
“At that time, a severe fever was spreading among children in the city. Nobody knew the cause, and it was highly contagious. Households with children were cautious, and many lost their lives to this fever.”
“So, I had that kind of fever.”
“Yes.”
“If ten children caught the disease, then… only one or two would survive, right? It was a terrifying illness.”
“One of those one or two was you. Isn’t that surprising?”
“Yes, actually…”
Cecilia paused, her expression turning perplexed as she hesitated. Her look signaled that she couldn’t speak freely, yet she wanted to.
Even though she seemed hesitant, if I coaxed her gently, she would share what I wanted to hear. I had learned how to get her to open up.
“I occasionally remember snippets of my childhood in dreams. I feel pained because I can’t recall any happy memories with my family… But it seems like I’m starting to remember. However, there are gaps in my memory, and if someone could help fill those gaps, I think I could remember everything.”
I looked down, feigning sadness, prolonging my sentences. Cecilia was particularly sensitive to emotional appeals; if I evoked guilt or sympathy, she would easily yield.
Threats or intimidation didn’t work on her at all, but showing vulnerability seemed effective. It was like the story of the sun and the wind, where the sun won the bet by warming rather than pushing.
“Oh my, our young lady… Yes, I can’t express how much the late Count cherished the young lady who has now become the Countess. It was as if he feared she’d fly away if he held her too tightly or break if he didn’t, showering her with endless love and care.”
“Right? I dreamed of my father. He called me his beloved Celly, my jewel, embracing me so tightly while saying I mustn’t fall ill.”
“Oh, that indeed matches the memories of the late Count! He always called you that—his beloved Celly, my jewel Celly, my precious jewel. Knowing you remember that makes me want to cry, Lady Celeste.”
“Oh, no need to cry, Cecilia. Let’s not dwell on tears. Could you share more stories from that time? Listening might help jog my memory completely.”
If she starts crying, Cecilia will lament the tragic past of the pitiful Celeste for at least two hours. I must prevent those tears from falling.
At my frantic gestures, Cecilia quickly put down the handkerchief she seemed ready to use, taking a deep sigh as if reluctantly preparing to speak.
“At that time, you were indeed very ill, just like the other children. Despite the late Count bringing the most skilled doctors every day, it was hopeless. Every one of them said this fever had no cure. All they could do was pray to God. If luck smiled upon you, you might survive; otherwise, they couldn’t guarantee anything.”
Cecilia’s voice thickened with emotion as she recalled that time, her words tinged with sadness.
“The late Count became more haggard by the day. It was natural, given his precious only daughter, whom he would cherish even at the cost of his life, was teetering between life and death.”
“But then, did a miracle happen? Seeing me here, alive and healthy, it feels that way.”
“Indeed, it was a miracle. But whether it was truly a destiny granted by God or…”
“Or?”
Cecilia lowered her voice and glanced around, despite it being just the two of us.
“I’m not sure if it was a miracle created by human hands…”
“What do you mean? A miracle created by human hands? If someone used their power to save me, that’s just medicine, right? Can it even be called a miracle?”
“I feel it’s not a miracle that arose solely from medicine.”
Memories flashed through my mind—someone chanting incantations, the secretive atmosphere of a ritual. And my father, constantly expressing gratitude, alongside Marina, a woman clearly not a doctor but resembling Franz.
“So?”
“Oh dear, I shouldn’t say this…”
“It’s okay, share it with me, Cecilia.”
“How much have you been told to keep your mouth shut, Your Excellency?”
“My father isn’t here anymore. He has passed away, and now I am the Count. So, please tell me, Cecilia.”
This is no longer a request. I am a Count, and Cecilia is the Count’s nurse.
So, she can’t refuse my words. Straightening my back to convey that intent, Cecilia clenched her handkerchief with a resigned expression.
“But hearing you say that with that expression really reminds me of the late Count. It’s quite moving…”
“I get it, I get it. Enough with the sentimentality. So what happened next?”
“One day, the late Count returned to the mansion with a resolute expression and told us to prepare to go out with the young lady. At that late hour, and especially taking the ailing young lady with him, the Count and the other attendants tried to dissuade him. However, his resolve was too firm, and in the end, we had no choice but to comply. And…”
“And?”
“After a few hours had passed, the entire household of the Count couldn’t sleep, waiting for him and the young lady, who still hadn’t returned by late night. As midnight passed and dawn approached, a carriage finally returned to the mansion.”
“The carriage that my father and I were in.”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
The concise version of the story was now leaving only the climax. I eagerly urged Cecilia for her next words.
“The Count personally carried the young lady out of the carriage. But…”
“But? Don’t keep me in suspense, hurry up and tell me, Cecilia. I’m dying to know.”
“Oh, I really don’t know if this is okay…”
“It’s fine. If it helps me recall my memories with my father, it would be great, right?”
“Yes… Anyway, the expression on the late Count’s face when he carried the young lady out of the carriage was a bit strange. Rather than merely strange, it felt… unfamiliar?”
“His expression was unfamiliar?”
“Yes. When he got into the carriage, his face was dark, as if all the worries in the world were weighing him down, but when he emerged, it was markedly different.”
“How so? Did his face brighten?”
“There was still some shadow, but how should I put it? It felt as if the heaviest burden had been set down somewhere. Even though the worry was still visible on his face, there was an inexplicable sense of relief and reassurance about him. I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, so it must be accurate.”
“A sense of relief and reassurance…”
“From the next day, the lady’s condition began to improve so remarkably that it seemed unbelievable. The lively atmosphere in the Count’s mansion, which had been half in mourning due to the notable changes in the lady’s complexion and health each day, was revived.”
Could it be that the place where her father went, while holding the young Celeste, was the same one I saw in my memories?
If the ritual they performed borrowed power from a forbidden darkness and that’s why Celeste was brought back to life…
“Miraculously, the lady is alive. It’s the miracle seed of Louise, and for a while, the late Lord referred to her like that.”
Is it really a miracle? Or could it be a distorted outcome created by someone’s strong wishes?
My head throbbed. It was hard to distinguish what was real and how much was mere suspicion and speculation. The swirling chaos in my mind grew larger, threatening to engulf my entire consciousness.
“I see. I understand. Thank you, Cecilia.”
“Oh dear. You must be tired, right? Just how long will this healing magic need to be performed?”
“I don’t know. But everyone is working hard for me, so I shouldn’t complain.”
“It’s just that you look so exhausted. You want to rest, don’t you? I’ll prepare your bed.”
I wanted to see Karl. Whenever my thoughts become this tangled, he always comes to mind. Now that I think about it, it has already been several days since I last saw him…
