Chapter 3
***
Huh?
Adrian narrowed his eyes without realizing it.
"Money?"
Then he slowly asked back.
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"A large salary... Is that really all?"
"Of course, as a doctor, my primary responsibility is to heal my patients. If the Bernst family had truly needed me, I wouldn't have budged even if they offered five times the amount."
"………………So to summarize, patients and payment—that's all? Everything?"
Lalit stared at him silently and asked calmly.
"Is there any other condition a doctor could possibly need?"
"You swore you'd never return here again, even staking your father's honor on it."
"My father sold me as a servant. I, too, can sell his honor as much as I wish."
Adrian was at a loss for words.
Truly, he had never gotten the impression that Lalit cared much for money.
But people change. Just as Adrian had changed over the years, it was entirely possible that Lalit had changed too.
Eight years carried that much weight, after all.
When you thought about it, it wasn't bad news. If 'money' was all it took to move someone, then it was actually quite easy. Especially for Adrian, the master of the Pertiano Duchy.
"Well... no. Right, no. Truly, your professional understanding is excellent."
"Thank you."
Amidst the dizziness, her appearance caught his eye once more.
She wore a simple dress, without a single piece of the usual glittering jewelry. Yet, her snow-white skin, long neckline, and delicate, well-defined features stood out, making her undeniably beautiful.
Her loosely tied, wavy brown hair fell down just as he remembered. A few strands drifted down to touch her white nape, strangely drawing his gaze. Adrian spoke even more arrogantly.
"I don't need anything else either. Take good care of my Grandmother."
"I'll do my best."
"First, examine the old lady. After that, I'd like to hear your opinion. Once we agree on the proper course of treatment, we'll finalize the contract through Evan then. Matilda will show you where to stay and such. Do you remember Matilda?"
Matilda was the head maid at the Duke's residence. She had served in that role for many years, and eight years ago, Lalit had been one of the young maids under her care.
"Yes, I remember."
As far as Adrian knew, the old Lalit had been very fond of Matilda. Despite that, there was no particular look of welcome on Lalit's face.
"Alright. She'll be here soon, so follow her. You'll likely be staying in the room right next to Grandmother's."
"The room next to the Lady’s... I understand."
Judging by her expression, she hadn't forgotten the layout of the Duke's mansion. Adrian chuckled softly in response.
"You don't have to call her 'Lady' anymore. Almost everyone calls her 'Old Lady' now."
Only then did Lalit notice something amiss and immediately corrected herself.”
"I will call her Lady Eleonor."
Since she was no longer a maid, there was indeed no reason to call Eleonor 'Lady'. From that attitude, Adrian realized that Lalit truly wanted to be treated as a 'doctor' in this house, not a 'maid'.
"In that case, may I leave now? It seems we've finished all necessary conversation. Besides, I'm eager to check on Lady Eleonor's condition."
There was nothing wrong with Lalit’s words. They were correct.
He had covered all the ground that could be covered between the Duke, the employer, and a doctor who wasn't even his personal physician.
"Well, that's true."
But Adrian barely acknowledged her words, slowly folding his arms.
After all, she needed his permission to leave. Adrian took a moment to calm his flustered mind and managed to put on a composed expression.
Then, in the most nonchalant voice possible, as if it had just suddenly occurred to him, he tossed out the question.
"So... was being a doctor your dream all along? You never mentioned it. As far as I knew, you wanted to be an art critic."
Lalit sat upright and answered in a businesslike tone.
"It's a career path I chose because, if I have the ability, it offers stable and ample income."
"What about an art critic? Isn't criticism also an academic major?"
"Only people who don't worry about making ends meet can study criticism for a long time. Even then, there aren't many magazines that publish criticism by commoners, let alone pay them for it."
"Ah, I see. I didn't know that. Magazines seem a bit inhumane."
Come to think of it, the person famous as an aesthetic critic now was also the second son of a high-ranking noble family, wasn't he? Adrian, glancing at Lalit's expressionless face, asked one more question.
"I hear the Academy tuition is quite expensive. How did you manage it? Did you perhaps inherit something from a relative?"
"I only paid the registration fee and the first semester's tuition. After that, I received a scholarship."
"Hmm, I see."
Adrian tried to pretend he wasn't curious, wanting to ask, 'How did you pay the tuition and first semester fees?' But before he could, Lalit asked with a slight smile.
"Oh, and Your Grace. Might I add one more item to the salary negotiation while working at the Duke's residence?"
It was a truly subtle lift of the corners of her mouth, but it was the first smile she had shown since entering this room. Adrian leaned back in his chair and spoke as arrogantly as possible.
"Go ahead."
He struggled to swallow the words 'Anything.' Lalit continued firmly, her hands clasped together.
"I am currently Lady Eleonor's personal physician, but given how long I worked here as a maid, I worry the people at the Duke's residence might treat me not as a physician, but as the young maid I was eight years ago."
"Ah, that's possible."
Adrian nodded readily. The servants who remembered Lalit back then had also aged over those eight years, and it made sense they might still see her as a little maid. Lalit added calmly.
"But refusing that situation wouldn't be easy, would it?"
Adrian wasn't so foolish that he'd say, 'If anyone makes you do maid work, just refuse and say you're a doctor!' He knew that if Lalit really treated everyone that way, she'd be disliked for no fault of her own. So, he lifted his chin and proposed.
"Then I'll gather all the servants and warn them never to treat you like a former maid."
"No, Your Highness. I don't want special treatment either. I just ask that when I'm doing work unrelated to my employment or Lady Eleonor's treatment, you pay me extra wages in five-minute increments."
"Additional pay?"
"Yes. After all, I'm not examining Lady Eleonor every hour, and it's an opportunity for me to earn additional income beyond my contracted salary. I think it's a good opportunity for me."
The annual salary Adrian had promised her was not so low that she needed to seek 'additional income'. In fact, it was quite substantial.
Yet Lalit’s green eyes were utterly resolute. Instead of retorting, 'But I'm paying you plenty!', Adrian let out a faint sigh. He couldn't tell if her desire for extra money was genuine, or if she was proposing a compromise to get along better with the people at the Duke's residence.
"Alright, fine. I'll pay you 20 silver per five minutes. Keep a record of each work and bill Evan."
"Thank you."
Lalit gave a faint smile and bowed her head.
"Then I'll take my leave."
"Yes, sure."
Adrian replied curtly and let her go. This time, he had no reason to stop her from leaving for real.
She firmly grabbed her luggage and left the office, exchanging a few words with Evan waiting outside the door. With that, the office door closed with a squeak.
'Hah………….'
Her face, which had only talked about money, still lingered as an afterimage. Over that afterimage, the image of the young fifteen-year-old Lalit overlapped.
When had he first spoken to that girl? Not on a spring morning like this one, with green shoots emerging, but on a winter night when a blizzard raged.
"Young Master, you shouldn't be sleeping in the library. Please go upstairs quickly. If the Lady finds out, you'll be scolded again."
"No, I don't want to. I'm scared of the dark, scared of my room... It's too big, and I hear strange, scary sounds, and I can't sleep well, and I, I, I only have bad thoughts..."
"Then I'll sneak up with you. If I tell you stories all night about beautiful and precious things, there won't be any room for bad thoughts, and the night will fly by."
"But, why are you here in the library in the middle of the night?"
"Ah, that's………………."
A memory he thought he had forgotten, but hadn't forgotten a single bit. The sudden appearance of his first love was utterly confusing.
It was the moment Adrian, without knowing the real reason, tiredly ran his fingers through his golden hair.
Evan entered after knocking.
"Um, Your Highness."
"Why?"
"Well... Miss Lalit has already requested an additional 20 silver."
"What?"
"The item is <Private conversation with His Grace - unnecessary for employment and treatment>."
Adrian's jaw dropped. Apparently, the 20 silver was payment for him having made a few sticky personal inquiries to her.
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