TFM 79

Chapter 79

***

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I will serve you to the best of my ability from now on.”

Talia scrutinized the girl, who looked rather untrustworthy, with a sharp gaze. Even at first glance, the maid seemed clumsy.

Had they assigned a newbie just to make her life difficult? She snapped at her in a cold tone.

“My nanny will attend to all my needs. So just go call her.”

“By ‘nanny,’ do you mean that half-dwarf woman?”

The woman, who had introduced herself as Areta, frowned.

“I’m sorry, but Your Highness is to become the mistress of this eastern estate. You must have attendants befitting your station.”

Talia, sensing the contempt in her voice, narrowed her eyes.

“My nanny once served the Empress herself. Surely you don’t think a Grand Duchess is of higher rank than the Empress?”

The woman’s face hardened.

Talia pressed her sharply.

“Can’t you hear me? I said to fetch my nanny at once!”

The woman, who had been holding her ground with her lips tightly sealed, finally bowed her head.

“As you wish. I will leave your grooming to the attendant Your Highness brought with you. Once you are ready, please summon me. I will guide you through the castle.”

“I don’t need any guidance.”

At the blunt refusal, the woman’s face visibly stiffened.

Talia paid no heed and continued coldly.

“Have you forgotten that I’ve traveled a long way? I intend to rest in my room for a few days, so don’t disturb me.”

The head maid, who had been pursing her lips as if about to say something, soon stormed out with the young maid in tow.

Though she felt a surge of anger at that insolent attitude, she didn’t want to earn a reputation for cracking down on the servants like a tyrant from day one.

Talia flopped down onto the bed.

A moment later, the nanny entered the room, yawning, her hair disheveled and her eyes crusted with sleep.

Her lack of decorum made Talia’s blood boil. Wasn’t she being openly disrespected precisely because she went about looking like that?

Talia snapped in a sharp voice.

“What on earth is that a sight? Go wash your face right now.”

“Oh, come on, why are you in such a bad mood first thing in the morning?”

The nanny pouted, then poured water into the basin by the window and washed her face.

After that, she roughly combed her hair with her plump hands and began stoking the fire in the fireplace.

Meanwhile, two burly servants brought in a large tub filled with water. Once they had set the tub down behind the screen and left, Talia bolted the door shut and stepped into the tub.

The nanny immediately brought a soft towel and soap and washed her from head to toe.

Her skin flushed red under the rough touch, as if she were being rushed through a tedious chore, but Talia gritted her teeth and endured it. It was a hundred times better to be treated a little roughly than to show her scars to strangers.

She dried herself with a towel, trying not to read too much into the nanny’s attitude, which had grown noticeably cold since her body had been ruined.

“None of your clothes fit anymore. You seem to have lost too much weight.”

The nanny, who had been dressing her in a gorgeous silk gown, let out a series of deep sighs.

Talia finally couldn’t hold back any longer and blurted out,

“Stop sighing. I hate hearing it.”

“Can’t I even breathe as I please?”

“I said don’t sigh when you’re looking at me! You keep doing that because you can’t stand the sight of me.”

The nanny didn’t say a word. Talia, who had secretly hoped she would deny it, glared at her with a sorrowful look.

The nanny was the one who had played the role of a mother in place of Senevere. Wasn’t she the one who had taken care of her since she was a newborn who couldn’t even speak?

The fact that even the nanny found her appearance repulsive tore at her heart.

Swallowing the sorrow that rose to her throat, Talia pushed her toward the door.

“That’s enough. Get out.”

“I understand. I’ll leave, so please don’t push me.”

The nanny shook off her hand somewhat roughly and walked out without a second thought.

Once she was alone, the rage that had been boiling inside her immediately turned into anxiety.

In this foreign land, the nanny was the only person she could trust and rely on. If even she turned her back on her, she would be completely isolated.

She regretted having snapped at her so suddenly. She should have been more patient…

“Your Highness, I have come at the young master’s request. May I intrude for a moment?”

Just as she was nervously biting her lip, a unfamiliar voice came from outside the door.

Talia hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Come in.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a young woman with deep wheat-colored skin opened the door and stepped inside.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. My name is Tiuran. The Young Master instructed me to closely monitor your health.”

Talia scanned her carefully with a wary gaze.

She was a pretty woman with long, strong-looking limbs, taut skin that suggested she was perhaps thirty years old, and intelligent-looking dark brown eyes.

“Are you the healer of the Grand Duke’s family?”

“Yes.”

The woman replied calmly.

Talia wore a skeptical expression. The woman was far too young to be the healer of the most powerful house in the East.

Perhaps sensing her distrust, the woman’s smile faded slightly.

The healer asked cautiously.

“I heard you suffer from chronic pain due to a severe leg injury. May I examine the injured area for a moment?”

Talia instinctively took a step back.

She had not the slightest intention of showing her scars to a complete stranger.

“I already have a personal healer. So you can go tend to other matters.”

“But Your Highness…………….”

“I’ll speak to Varkas myself, so you may leave now.”

The woman, who had been biting her lower lip as if deep in thought, cautiously opened her mouth.

“If you’re uncomfortable showing me your leg, would you mind extending your hand for a moment?”

“Why my hand?”

“I’ll channel magical energy through your hand to examine your body. After assessing Your Highness’s condition, I’ll prepare medicine tailored to your constitution.”

Talia furrowed her brow. She had never heard of such a strange method of examination.

“Can you really do that?”

“I have been training to become a healer of my clan since I was seven years old. If you give me just one chance, I will do my very best to help Your Highness.”

The woman seemed sincere. Talia, who had been scrutinizing her face, decided to give it a try and held out her hand.

The woman wrapped her calloused, firm hand around Talia’s palm.

Talia flinched at the rough, bark-like texture, but only for a moment; she soon felt a warm sensation spreading through her palm like a stream of water. Shivering at the strange sensation, Talia felt the lukewarm heat spreading all the way to her stomach and abruptly pulled her hand away.

The woman furrowed her brow as if deep in thought and stared intently at Talia’s face.

“Before we begin rehabilitation for your leg, I think you need to regain your strength first. Your body is in a very weakened state.”

“………………What am I supposed to do?”

“First of all, you need to eat well and get plenty of rest. I’ll prescribe some medicine that should help, so please take it every day without fail.”

Talia, who had been hoping for some kind of novel treatment, looked disappointed.

“I didn’t make time for this just to hear such meaningless drivel.”

“….”

“That’s enough. You can leave now. As you said, I’m in a weakened state, so I need to rest.”

As she lay down on the bed, the woman left the room as if resigned to her fate.

Talia pulled the blanket up over her shoulders and tried to catch up on her sleep. But before long, the pain that had been dormant began to creep up her bones.

Tossing and turning, Talia could take it no longer and rang the bell.

Before long, the young maid she’d been introduced to earlier rushed in. She couldn’t remember the girl’s name. Talia gave her a haughty nod.

“Right now, fetch the healer I brought from the imperial palace.”

***

A chilly wind swept harshly across the vast plain.

Gripping the reins as he rode through the pasturelands, Varkas turned his head to take a careful look at his hometown.

The last time he had set foot on this land was ten years ago, when he received the news of the death of Tesalin, the mother of Lucas and Raina.

Back then, the land had been entirely gray.

Since he had not visited Kalmore since that time, the hometown in his memory had always remained monochromatic.

***

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