Chapter 7
***
Lalit continued matter-of-factly.
"If you'll allow it, I'll administer medication to confirm whether it is indeed Axenfeld Syndrome. If it is, she should open her eyes within a few days. Of course, that will be temporary, and she’ll slip back into a coma soon after. But from then on, with proper treatment, she can expect a full recovery."
From the perspective of someone entrusting their patient to her, it was a confident demeanor that inspired trust. Yet, there wasn't a hint of pretension or boastfulness.
Adrian felt anew just how incredibly competent a doctor Lalit was. It was different from merely encountering her impressive resume spouted off from documents.
'Damn, she's cool.'
It was a moment that made his own efforts to smoke a cigar stylishly seem ridiculous.
'Damn, she's grown up well.'
He'd wanted to be annoyingly impressive after they parted. He'd wanted Lalit to admire him.
Instead, he was the one admiring her. Feeling an inexplicable sense of defeat, he said bitterly.
"Send the relevant documents tomorrow. I don't want to leave Grandmother's condition entirely in the doctor's hands without knowing her status myself."
Eleanor was Adrian's sole guardian. It was only natural she was the one he worried about and cared for the most.
Adrian was inwardly uneasy about Lalit's simple, concise diagnosis. But the expression on her face when she confidently declared, 'I read every paper,' was quite impressive.
'I have no choice. I'm her devoted grandson………….. I must make decisions solely for Grandmother.'
In the end, he couldn't bring himself to make the decision to dismiss Lalit for his own peace of mind. It was for Eleonor's sake. At least he now knew the name of a suspected illness, even if it was the first time he'd ever doubted it.
"Understood."
While he marveled anew at his own filial devotion, Lalit replied respectfully. Then, taking a deep breath, she continued.
"However, separate from the illness, there is something else I wish to mention regarding Lady Eleonor's condition."
"What is it?"
"She exhibits very mild symptoms of Ebran flower poisoning."
"………………Ebran flower? What is that?"
"It's a type of spice found in desert regions. Prolonged, long-term consumption can lead to death. Its scent is usually so overpowering that only trace amounts are used, but since a large quantity is required to cause death, it isn't classified as a poison. "
Lalit's words continued calmly.
"The fact that the symptoms are mild, that it doesn't appear she consumed it long enough to significantly affect her health, and that the Duke's residence has long adhered to Dr. Jansen's policy of never using spices from outside regions in the Duke's family meals... It doesn't seem like something that happened at the Duke's residence, but I mention it for your reference."
"Then it was consumed somewhere other than the Duke's residence? Still severe enough to cause mild poisoning symptoms?"
"The spice that caused problems at my first workplace, the House of Orten, was precisely the Ebran flower."
Lalit spoke in a low voice.
"The Marquis of Orten had become quite unwell, and I identified the cause, removing all Ebran flowers from the kitchen. What surprised me then was how faint the Ebran flower's scent had become. That means it's highly likely someone could consume it for a long time without realizing it."
"Hmm..."
"I immediately proposed designating Ebran flowers as a poisonous substance, but the academic community hasn't accepted it yet."
To summarize, it meant that while not yet officially classified as poisonous, a spice that appeared highly dangerous was circulating.
"Dr. Jansen initially wrote in the medical log, 'It is judged to have been ingested during external engagements.' However, he likely didn't know that faint-scented Ebran flowers exist. It's a fact unknown to most physicians in the empire."
"That's something we absolutely must note."
Adrian nodded slowly. Lalit hesitated, then spoke cautiously.
"It's all conjecture at this point, but perhaps the target wasn't Lady Eleonor. That might be why it stopped."
If the target was the Duke of Pertiano's residence, the situation now meant they should be targeting Adrian instead of Eleonor.
Lalit pursed her lips, then muttered with a sigh.
"I overstepped. I apologize."
Adrian stared at Lalit and smiled faintly.
"It's a bit awkward to accept an apology for that."
"Huh?"
"But I can't exactly return an apology I've received. If you overstep your bounds just a little more, I'll gladly accept that apology without a shred of guilt."
"I advise you to be mindful of that sour, pungent sensation that stings your nose after the bitter taste in the food you eat daily, often."
"It's terribly presumptuous of you to question the Duke's kitchen management, but still, the situation is too mundane for me to accept an apology just yet."
"………………I urge you to reflect on whether there exists such deep-seated resentment in the Duke's life that someone would resort to such a difficult, arduous, and cunning method of poisoning."
That was truly beyond the pale.
Lalit now wore an expression prepared not just for an apology, but for penance. Adrian waved his hand, easing the tense atmosphere.
"I'll take it. That apology. Since my very life was called into question, I suppose I should accept it. Yeah."
Of course, for such a light reply, his heart felt rather heavy.
Nothing was certain yet, but some danger might be looming over the Duke's house. Lalit had uncovered that small possibility.
………………But could she be trusted?
Everything would become clearer with time.
"I know nothing about the affairs of noble houses, but…."
Lalit hesitated, then added as if making a great decision.
"Please, please be careful."
The reason she paused before such a simple request was obvious.
She must have judged it pointless—not about money or cures.
But perhaps because of that, it felt sincere, making Adrian's stomach flutter.
Annoyingly, like old times, helplessly.
"I suppose I should inform Matilda first."
Adrian spoke slowly.
"Matilda is the head maid who's been with Grandmother for years, someone I trust unconditionally. And anyway, it happened in the kitchen."
Matilda was the young maid Eleonor had brought from her hometown. She was the most trustworthy person in this house.
"Thank you."
Lalit rose silently, finished speaking, and bowed respectfully.
"Then I shall take my leave."
"Yes, go ahead."
But Lalit didn't move. She just stared silently for a while, as if displeased by the smoke wafting from the cigar.
"...."
"Hmm?"
"...."
Adrian finally surrendered to the fierce green eyes glaring at the cigar.
"Uh, uh…………………"
Without thinking, he stubbed out the cigar he’d only lit once.
"I did smoke it all. It was time to put it out anyway. It's absolutely not because your gaze bothered me."
Only then did Lalit give a very subtle smile before turning away.
Watching that retreating figure, Adrian frowned slightly. That tiny smile, shown for the first time today, strangely lingered as an afterimage.
Only after the plain skirt vanished through the doorway and the door closed silently did Adrian let out a faint sigh.
Usually, Jansen didn't close the door silently when leaving. He was a doctor, not a servant. But Lalit, though she came as a doctor, couldn't shake the ingrained habits of a maid.
Long ago, after he had fallen asleep, she used to leave just like that, without a sound. He always woke to the sound of her leaving, vowing to hold her back, but it was useless. Lalit was always faithful to her role as the 'maid who must exist as if she were not there.'
"Ah, damn it."
He felt a pang of melancholy, remembering that time for no good reason.
***
After leaving Adrian's room.
'Is this overstepping? Or not?'
Even after charging Evan the additional fee, Lalit couldn't bring herself to enter her own room and hesitated for a long while.
'But…………….'
She had warned him about the flower. Adrian would investigate anyone who might harbor a grudge against him.
She had reported everything she knew; there was nothing more she could do here now.
But she couldn't shake the unease. Leaving an unresolved risk factor behind felt unsettling, no matter how you looked at it.
'Let it go. I did what I could.'
………………Had she really done enough?
Was this the best she could do?
Was this truly all she could manage?
'It's too strange. Honestly, it's too insignificant to harm anyone. It has little to do with Lady Eleonor's illness…….'
This peculiar phenomenon swirled through her mind. Then, a thought struck her like lightning.
"I should tell Matilda first."
'Wait.'
Lalit's eyes widened. Something suddenly occurred to her. She began running toward the kitchen.
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