Chapter 42

On the day Liv was supposed to pose for another nude painting, she arrived at Brad’s studio only to find it locked, with him nowhere in sight.

Once might be understandable, but twice in a row without any work being done…

Normally, she would have been concerned enough to ask around, but unfortunately, Liv didn’t have the luxury to worry about Brad. She had received a message to bring Corida along, as the session had been canceled. Regarding the examination, she had invoked Adolf’s name to convince Corida, and to Liv’s relief, Adolf himself came to pick them up.

That seemed to reassure Corida a bit. Furthermore, Adolf was adept at keeping things lighthearted, chatting amiably throughout the carriage ride to ease Corida’s nerves.

By the time they arrived at Berryworth Mansion, Corida’s anxious expression had completely softened.

“Here we are at last.”

“Wow…”

Corida’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the mansion before them. Liv fully understood Corida’s reaction, so she let her admire it for a while.

It was only her second visit, but the place still struck her as remarkably beautiful.

“Welcome, Miss Rodaise.”

Philip, who had been waiting at the entrance, greeted Liv and Corida politely.

“And we have a lovely guest as well. Welcome to Berryworth Mansion. I am Philip Philemond, the butler here. You may call me Philip.”

“Hello, Grandpa Philip. I’m Corida Rodaise. You can just call me Corida.”

Seeing Corida address Philip so casually, Liv gasped and tried to stop her, but Philip burst into laughter before she could.

“Thank you, Miss Corida. If you have any questions about the mansion, feel free to ask me anything. Oh, do you like fruit tarts?”

“I love them!”

“That’s wonderful. We happened to prepare some just in time.”

His last words were directed at Liv, who smiled awkwardly at him. Holding Corida’s hand, she slowly walked into the mansion. Adolf had gone ahead, saying he needed to make a report, so Philip was the one guiding them.

Corida couldn’t keep her mouth closed as they made their way to the parlor. Liv had visited a noble’s mansion before as a live-in tutor, but that estate wasn’t nearly as lavish or grand as this one.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

The parlor was warm, likely because the fireplace was lit. As soon as Liv and Corida took their seats, maids quickly prepared refreshments. Corida, who had never received such an extravagant reception, looked around in awe.

Once the maids withdrew, Corida leaned over to Liv, whispering quietly, “Sister, the owner of this mansion is the one who wants to help us, right?”

“Yes.”

“Have you met him? What kind of person is he?”

“…He’s just a kind person.”

Corida’s face was filled with doubt. “He’s helping us just because he feels sorry for us? Does anyone like that even exist?”

“He’s doing it out of compassion.”

“No, it still sounds weird. We’re not the only unfortunate people in the world. Doesn’t he want something else?”

Liv thought Corida had been completely mesmerized by the mansion’s splendor, but it seemed she was harboring her own doubts.

“Something else?”

“Yes. Maybe he’s attracted to your beauty…”

Liv let out a faint smile at Corida’s serious musing. While it wasn’t entirely correct, it struck oddly close to the truth, making Liv hesitate to deny it outright.

Fortunately, before Liv had to respond, the parlor door opened, and Adolf appeared.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

A woman Liv had never seen before appeared behind Adolf.

Wearing a monocle, she was a stern-looking, gaunt middle-aged woman with streaks of gray in her neatly tied brown hair. She was holding a medical bag.

“This is Dr. Thierry Gertrude. She will be examining Miss Corida Rodaise today. Dr. Gertrude, this is Liv Rodaise, Corida’s guardian, and this is the patient, Corida Rodaise.”

“Hello, Doctor.”

Thierry looked at Liv and Corida with a rather condescending expression. Liv quickly extended her hand for a handshake, but instead of accepting it, Thierry just stared at it.

Finding the doctor’s demeanor less than friendly, Liv withdrew her hand but kept her smile and spoke again, “I heard you are very skilled. It’s an honor to be examined by you. We appreciate your help.”

“Corida, you say?”

Thierry’s gaze fixed on Corida. Corida, who had been stiff with nervousness, flinched under her stare and shrank back, gripping Liv’s dress tightly. She paled, especially when she caught sight of the doctor’s medical bag.

The admiration she had shown earlier seemed to vanish, replaced by sheer fear. Corida wasn’t merely intimidated by Thierry’s stern attitude; seeing the medical bag had brought back bad memories.

That bag was just like the one the doctor from years ago had carried. It had triggered her traumatic memories.

Seeing Corida’s frightened demeanor, Thierry frowned slightly. Liv put a comforting arm around Corida’s shoulders and said, “She has some bad memories related to doctors. I hope you’ll understand if she seems scared.”

For the first time, Thierry’s expression changed, her eyebrows lifting slightly as she looked at Liv.

“What kind of memories?”

After considering how much she should say, Liv spoke calmly, “He attempted excessive bloodletting.”

“And then?”

“When her life was in danger because of it, he insisted on performing surgery.”

“Surgery? From what I’ve heard of her symptoms, surgery shouldn’t have been necessary.”

“He didn’t see it that way. He… wanted to examine her brain.”

Corida took a sharp breath, but Liv continued, trying to stay composed. She knew sugar-coating the events wouldn’t work with Thierry. It was better to be straightforward about Corida’s fears and hope that Thierry would maintain her professional demeanor.

Adolf sighed sympathetically at Liv’s blunt account, while Thierry remained silent for a moment.

Thierry’s gaze returned to Corida, now much softer than before.

“To be honest, this is my first time treating a child.”

“Pardon?”

“But that doesn’t mean it will be an issue. I’m very skilled. I’ve kept many people alive who were on the brink of death. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better doctor anywhere.”

There was no arrogance in Thierry’s voice—she spoke as if she were merely stating a fact.

“One thing is certain: the quack you encountered wasn’t a doctor but a madman exploiting a patient for his own curiosity. I am not a madman; I am a doctor.”

Thierry stepped forward, placing her medical bag on the table in front of Liv.

“A doctor’s job is solely to save and treat patients. For that, the patient must trust the doctor. I won’t force you to trust me, but I won’t tolerate being compared to the madman you met.”

Her gaze shifted to Corida, who was hiding behind Liv. Corida, who had looked like she might burst into tears at any moment, now stared wide-eyed at Thierry.

“Will you let me examine you, Miss Corida Rodaise?”

Corida, looking dazed, nodded as if entranced. The terrified expression on her face had eased considerably.

Watching this, Liv let out a sigh of relief. Thierry seemed far more competent than the quack they had met in the past. She indeed seemed worthy of being the Marquis’s personal doctor.

At the same time, Liv found herself thinking that she wanted to see the Marquis.

She needed to thank him, of course… But perhaps she also just wanted an excuse to see him.

***

Liv hadn’t realized just how sociable Corida could be.

She had some inkling—Corida had always gotten along well with their neighbors. She had even grown close to Adolf in no time.

But she hadn’t known it was to this extent. Unlike Liv, who maintained a polite distance from others, Corida had no reservations about embracing the kindness offered to her.

“I’m glad you liked the dessert. Haha.”

Philip had quickly grown close to Corida as well. Although Corida had shown some restraint around Adolf, aware that he was the master of the house, she treated Philip like a kind old neighbor.

Philip seemed genuinely pleased by Corida’s behavior.

“It’s really delicious. If you opened a shop in town, you’d never run out of customers!”

“Ivan would be delighted to hear that. Ah, Ivan is the head chef here. He’s always disappointed that no one gives him much feedback on his cooking.”

“I could give him my thoughts all day long!”

“Haha, I must introduce you to Ivan sometime. He is an expert in all kinds of dishes.”

Watching Corida act as though she had visited the mansion dozens of times, Liv let out a long breath. It was better for her to be comfortable like this than to be nervous and scared.

“Miss Rodaise, would you like to meet with the master now?”

Adolf, who had been contributing to the cheerful atmosphere much like Philip, approached Liv with a gentle suggestion.

Liv nodded, having already intended to meet the Marquis to thank him, though she couldn’t help but cast a worried glance at Corida.