Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 108

He occasionally witnessed traces the hanging had left on Lisanne. Just before falling asleep, Lisanne always adjusted the blanket delicately. She would pull the edge of the blanket down so it wouldn’t cover her face too much, making sure her eyes and nose were exposed. Even when he silently watched her, she never pulled the blanket all the way up to her head. It seemed she was frightened, reminded of the black cloth the executioner had thrown over her head on the gallows.

Another thing: Lisanne never wore a muffler, no matter how cold it was. The reason for this was so clear that even Ezekiel, who had always been involved in her wardrobe, couldn’t bring himself to suggest it again. Instead, the most he could do was turn up the collar of her coat or wrap a shawl loosely around her neck and shoulders.

“When we get back, let’s call a doctor and just get a diagnosis.”

Still, there was some progress today. Now that Lisanne’s family had provided a pretext to examine her throat, this was the perfect opportunity. Ezekiel tried to persuade her.

“At the very least, we need to know exactly what condition you’re in. That way, when you meet your mother and father again, you’ll be able to explain something to them.”

The family, who had only just managed to reunite after being dragged to different camps and suffering hardships, had a powerful effect. Lisanne ultimately couldn’t refuse.

***

The doctor glanced at Major Ezekiel Valdemaira. The girl leaning back against a large pillow had made every physician associated with this estate nervous.

The doctor had heard from the servants how grim the atmosphere was in the mansion the day Ezekiel had returned carrying the girl who had stood on the gallows. Because of her, loud voices had erupted from the study more than once, and for a time, the staff had tried to avoid the two masters, worried they’d get caught in the crossfire. She was a very quiet, yet tumultuous guest.

In the past, the major had been so occupied with training and war that even the servants barely remembered what he looked like. But since the first day of the New Year, when he brought this girl home, he had practically lived in the mansion. Even now, he stood firmly behind her, watching the examination with sharp eyes. The pressure made the doctor break into a cold sweat.

He carefully examined the inside of her throat and attempted a few tests.

“Try making a long sound, like ‘Ah.’ Aaaah.”

“……”

“Your voice really doesn’t come out at all? Let’s try a lower pitch. Aaaah.”

“……”

“Take a deep breath in, and out.”

“……”

“Does it hurt? It doesn’t hurt, right?”

“……”

“Do you feel any foreign sensation or discomfort in your throat?”

“……”

“I heard the coughing has almost stopped, and the wounds have healed quite a bit. Surprisingly, the condition of your throat is better than expected…”

After thoroughly examining the girl’s vocal cords and receiving no reaction to anything, the doctor shook his head uncertainly.

He left the bedroom to speak with Ezekiel alone.

“To be honest, I don’t know why she can’t speak. Even though her throat was once badly injured, it’s now significantly healed on its own. The medicine mixed into her meals must have helped a lot. Her voice might change, maybe sound hoarse or different from before, but to be unable to make any sound at all… well, that’s very strange.”

The doctor cautiously added his personal opinion, “Could it be that the young lady is choosing not to speak?”

Ezekiel’s face instantly turned cold.

To make the most of this single opportunity that Lisanne had reluctantly agreed to, he had carefully selected a doctor with a reputation for skill. And yet even that doctor had come to a tentative conclusion based on the assumption that Lisanne was lying. It was absurd.

“What’s the point of calling you people doctors when you’re all this incompetent?”

Lisanne wasn’t the type to lie like that. If she had been able to speak, she would’ve unconsciously let out some sound several times by now. When she had been startled by him touching her in the underground crypt without permission, or when she reunited with her family, she should have at least let out a short scream or sob.

But despite staying close to her for as long as he could, Ezekiel had not once heard her make a sound.

“If a doctor doesn’t understand a patient’s symptoms, their job is to study the reason, not to suspect the patient. If you lack the ability, you should at least watch your mouth.”

There were already too many people inside and outside the mansion watching Lisanne because of her past as a death row inmate. Not wanting any unnecessary rumors, Ezekiel made sure the doctor kept quiet. At the same time, he couldn’t help but wish the doctor’s foolish diagnosis were true.

If that were the case…

If that were the case, it would be a relief. The soft, calm low voice that had always tickled his ears now existed only in his memory.

If he were never able to hear her voice again…

Then he would rather all the sounds in the world disappear.

***

It was already the fourth visit.

Lisanne awkwardly straightened the pale blue outfit she wore. It was just a walk from the main building to the annex, yet Ezekiel insisted it was an outing and bundled her up in layers.

The first clothes he dressed her in didn’t fit properly in size or length, but at some point, he began bringing clothes that fit Lisanne perfectly. He had never measured her, so how he figured it out was a mystery. Even the shoes and gloves fit her hands and feet exactly.

Ezekiel kept his promise to allow visits depending on her recovery progress. Every four or five days, he took her to the annex.

On the first day of visiting her parents, they observed the appropriate distance as instructed by the doctor and only briefly saw each other from afar. But in the next visit, the gap closed by a few steps. After that, they were close enough to hold hands. That day, their hands remained clasped until sweat made them slippery from the warmth.

Ezekiel never failed to accompany her on visitation days. From Lisanne’s point of view, it wasn’t necessary, yet he still tightly laced shoes that fit her feet and escorted her along the familiar path without fail. Even upon arriving at the hospital room, he didn’t leave but seated her in the prepared chair and stood behind her like a guard.

It didn’t help that the person of the highest status was standing there, so naturally, Lisanne’s parents couldn’t feel at ease. Seeing the sick couple struggle to sit up instead of lying quietly in bed, Ezekiel finally added a short explanation that he was more comfortable standing due to his occupation, which calmed them.

At that moment, Lisanne was slightly surprised. Now that she thought about it, it was rare to see him sitting and resting comfortably, but she hadn’t thought it strange. The bedroom she stayed in now was originally his, yet she, the guest, took over his room, and she hadn’t even considered asking where the owner was sleeping.

No… was he even sleeping properly?

Lacking the stamina to get through a full day, Lisanne often dozed off and woke repeatedly. And whenever she awoke, the man who hadn’t been there before sleep was always by her side again. He would stand blankly by her bedside, flipping through the book she had been reading, checking the fruit on the plate, adjusting the lamp’s position for better lighting, or sometimes looking at her with such intensity that the heat could be felt on her cheek.

Lisanne glanced sideways at the hand gripping the backrest of the chair she sat in, then quickly looked away.

“Well… Lisanne, you’re eating and doing well, right? We’re doing okay too. We’re getting much better day by day. The meals are so good lately that we’ve even gained weight.”

“The illness is nearly gone now, and they said we’ll be allowed out of this room soon too….”

Perhaps due to their long years of service under the Valdemaira household, her parents couldn’t speak easily. It was obvious they were carefully filtering their words, gauging Ezekiel’s mood with each sentence.

But it didn’t take long to understand where her parents’ true concern lay.

“Um, you have a guest.”

A servant entered and informed Ezekiel of a visitor. He first checked the time and furrowed his brows. He didn’t want to leave Lisanne, but ending this visit just five days in felt too soon.

“Lisanne, can you be alone for thirty minutes? I’ll be right back.”

The phrase “be alone” was not quite accurate. Her family was in the same room, and the servants were frequently moving just outside the door. Her father and mother’s conditions had improved so much that they were already talking about returning to a normal routine.

Lisanne nodded. She wasn’t a child, and there was no need for him to fret over every little thing. Even so, Ezekiel called a servant and gave additional instructions before leaving.

“Lissy.”

As Ezekiel’s footsteps faded, Lisanne’s mother cautiously glanced toward the hallway and called her. Lissy. It was a childhood nickname she hadn’t heard in a long time. Her voice was so small, like whispering a secret, that Lisanne had to lift her back off the soft chair and lean forward to hear.

“I’ve been wondering since last time… Are you going to become the lady of Valdemaira?”