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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: A Visit to the Royal Physician
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Kaysen flinched. Cradled in Darcy's arms, Marso’s eyes stared at him, feeling more unfamiliar today than ever.
“He's the one who couldn't accept that I've changed.”
A strange sense of guilt washed over him at her reproachful tone. His conscience pricked at him as he met her emotionless face and downcast eyes.
People don’t change easily. Having spent more time wallowing in the mire than living in the palace, Kaysen knew this to his bones. The preconceptions born from his experience had forged the values that sustained his life.
He had heard the misunderstanding between her and Ryan had been resolved. He’d thought it was just another one of her fabrications, but surprisingly, Ryan hadn't denied the rumors.
*‘Do not bring this subject up again.’*
He had only spat out the words, clearly displeased.
*Can people really change?*
Lost in thought, the lines on Kaysen’s brow deepened. He stole a glance at Marso.
Just then, his eyes met Marso's, who was looking at him as if he were pathetic. She murmured with a placid expression.
“You must be emotionally scarred from today's events. I suppose it's best that I, in my great magnanimity, understand.”
The grating words made Kaysen bristle. The corners of his mouth trembled.
*Scarred! The Marquis had no choice but to follow Ryan because he knows the imperial palace so well.*
*Lately, he'd had many sincere conversations with Reshuan. There was a chance for him, too…*
*Huh?* Kaysen, who had been making excuses in his head out of frustration, tilted his head.
Marso, who was usually so busy being considerate whenever she saw him, was completely different today. The way she looked at him was different, too.
Before she changed, Marso had treated him as if he didn't exist, only to busy herself with pretending to be kind once she decided he had some use.
This new side of her was also unfamiliar. No, perhaps this was better. He no longer had to feel anxious watching her interact with Reshuan.
But the reason he felt strangely uneasy must have been because of her jet-black pupils, which stood in stark contrast to her once-gentle demeanor.
*Which one is the real her? Has she really changed? Or was this her original personality?*
The reason it bothered him so much was that her sudden change was uncannily similar to his own younger self, who, exhausted by people, had tried to abandon everything.
*What if the mask he thought she would one day reveal never existed in the first place?*
*‘It’s too soon to judge.’*
It had been a long time since he’d run into the reclusive Marso. The impression he had now could just be a momentary delusion.
So he had to be cautious. To ensure Reshuan wouldn't get hurt.
Kaysen followed behind Darcy, his guard raised once more.
***
Darcy’s arms were more comfortable than I’d expected. I thought we’d just go to a drawing room or a guest room since I only needed a short rest, but our walk was getting quite long.
We even passed the door Darcy had broken earlier. The door—or rather, the remnants of it—which had yet to be fully repaired, was surrounded by magic stones.
*‘So the palace uses a lot of magic stones, too.’*
Among them, I spotted Marquis Etoile talking with a mage.
The Marquis didn't see me, but I could see him.
No wonder I hadn't seen him at the ballroom earlier; there was a reason. It seemed he was following orders from either Ryan or Kies.
He must have used this to effectively manage Darcy and the other mages.
Working in a place like this, he probably didn't even know his daughter was hurt. No, perhaps he just wasn't interested in the first place.
*But really, where are we going?*
Surely we weren't leaving the palace to return to the Etoile main estate?
“Darcy, you're the star of today's ball, so you have to go back. You know that, right? We can't go too far.”
My simple plan to rest in a drawing room with a maid and then return was going up in smoke.
Darcy shrugged at my words.
“We're almost there. And I played the part of the star plenty enough earlier.”
*…He certainly did leave the strongest impact.*
If we were almost there, it probably wasn't the Etoile estate… Were we going to the palace where Darcy was staying?
*By the way, when is Kaysen going to leave?*
As I narrowed my eyes and shot Kaysen a look, he spoke as if wronged.
“My path also happens to lie this way. Where are you going… Your Highness. Surely, the place you're headed isn't…”
Kaysen’s mouth fell open in shock.
“Yeah. This is why I didn't want to come with him…”
A sense of unease emanated from Darcy as he spoke with a sigh. *What is it…?*
“Darcy, where are we going?”
“To the residence of Robarta, the royal physician.”
“Robarta should be seeing to Lady Reshuan right now!”
“And whose fault is it that she got hurt? Of course we have to go. What if there's something more wrong with your ankle?”
Darcy retorted irritably at Kaysen’s words.
Kaysen fell silent at Darcy's words. It was true that I'd been injured because of Reshuan.
But even so, meeting the royal physician was a serious overreaction.
Before I knew it, we were on the path to a small, detached palace.
The path through the garden split in several directions.
To stop Darcy's overprotectiveness, I needed a good reason. A reason to shift his attention elsewhere.
“Darcy, I really just need to rest.”
“It's fine. It won't take long.”
Responding to me with firm finality, Darcy continued down the path, ultimately carrying me all the way to the small villa where the royal physician resided.
“But will the royal physician even be here?”
“We won't know until we go. She's the type to leave a note if she's gone somewhere.”
Darcy explained calmly. Surprisingly, he seemed to know Robarta. It was probably because he received treatment from her whenever he got injured fighting in Kies's stead.
The area around the small villa was a completely different world from the palace. The scent of something like herbs filled the air. It was a rather large field.
“Wow…”
As we neared the small house, Kaysen's anxiety seemed to double.
If I were alone, I would have stopped him, but I had the reliable Darcy by my side.
With a sigh, Kaysen spoke to us quickly.
“I'll go in first. I truly wish for Lady Reshuan to get her rest.”
As if fearing Darcy's retort, Kaysen hurried off. But before he could even go inside, the door opened.
And out came a grandmother with elegant white hair.
Sharp, intelligent eyes that suited her beautifully wrinkled face. And a ramrod-straight posture that defied her age—she was every bit the royal physician.
“…Is that Lady Robarta?”
“Yeah.”
*Is that what it means to age gracefully?* As I admired her, I belatedly sensed that something was off.
Robarta, speaking with Kaysen, didn't look like she was tending to a patient. Glancing at me, she walked over with an air of complete leisure.
*…Reshuan’s condition seemed quite serious, but she didn't come here?*
Soon, Kaysen ran over to us. He muttered, his face a mask of confusion.
“Your Highness, Reshuan never came here in the first place.”
A strange silence fell.
“A servant came by earlier but apparently just left.”
It was clearly a servant sent by Ryan or the Marquis to either come here or summon Robarta.
*But why was the servant sent back?*
*Did they go back to the estate?*
No, considering her deathly pale face and cold body, she was in need of emergency treatment.
“You must be the new prince I've heard about. It's a pleasure.”
Amidst the confusion, Robarta bowed politely to Darcy.
When she raised her head, a benevolent smile graced her face.
Darcy stared at her for a moment before whispering to me.
“Let's look at your ankle first. This worked out well.”
In the end, we entered Robarta's residence, carrying with us the unresolved mystery of Reshuan.
The first room of the small, three-room house was neatly organized with all sorts of tools and medicinal herbs for treating patients.
Finally out of Darcy's arms, I sat down on the bed.
“I'll lift your dress now.”
At Robarta's words, Darcy shoved Kaysen straight out the door. The sudden push almost made him slip.
“I'll go out, too.”
“…Over an ankle? It's fine.”
“Then I'll stay.”
He was about to follow Kaysen out, but his immediate acceptance was cute.
It seemed he wanted to see the condition of my ankle for himself.
When she lifted my dress, my red, swollen ankle was revealed. I hadn't realized it while being carried, but it was in worse shape than I thought.
“Good thing we came.”
“I know.”
The Marquis dotes on Reshuan. He would have tried to get her the best treatment possible. Just like Darcy is doing now.
“Oh dear, you've sprained it. Fortunately, it's not too severe. Did it hurt on the way here?”
“…I wasn't walking on my own.”
She chuckled when I answered with an embarrassed look. It seemed she was recalling the sight of me held tightly in Darcy's arms.
“I'll apply a poultice. If you wait about five minutes, you should be able to walk.”
Robarta stood up, ground some herbs, and rubbed them around my ankle.
“That feels cool…”
The pleasantly cool sensation felt good. I wiggled my toes instead of my ankle. The pain was definitely less than before.
“I'll pack some extra herbs for you.”
She took out a clear vial and filled it with the herbs. I bowed my head slightly in thanks.
“Since you're here, let me check if you have any other injuries. May I ask about the situation?”
She was a doctor for a reason.
She asked about the circumstances of my injury and pressed on various parts of my body to check for pain. I was impressed by her thoroughness.
At the same time, my questions only grew.
Seeing her meticulous skill, there was no reason for Reshuan not to have come here.
*‘Where in the world did she go?’*
