She hadn't even noticed the fire in the fireplace dying down.
“Miss.”
A familiar voice awakened Rose from her deep thoughts.
“…What is it?”
Rose turned her head from the window. Standing there was Sonya, a maid with freckles dotted precisely across the bridge of her nose.
Sonya had followed Rose from the Vikander castle. Of course, she hadn't volunteered for it. Being the youngest, she had been pushed into the role.
Because of that, Sonya was always blunt and dismissive towards Rose. She hadn't spoken a single word to her even in the carriage on the way here.
“Sonya!”
Another maid standing behind Sonya suddenly scolded her.
“Your form of address! You should call her My Lady.”
“……Ah.”
Sonya flinched in surprise and mumbled.
“My Lady……”
“I apologize, My Lady. Please forgive her.”
Sonya was the one who made the mistake, yet the other maids scrambled to beg for forgiveness. That actually killed Sonya’s spirit.
Rose looked at the sullen Sonya and the maids beside her who were nervously gauging her reaction.
‘How fascinating.’
The rest of the maids excluding Sonya—that is, the maids who had worked in Schmaichel Castle for a long time—had been no different from Sonya at first.
They were not rude, but they were strictly businesslike, and at times, they seemed to be wary of Rose.
It was probably because of the rumors about Rose that had spread throughout high society. That she had such a terrible temper she had cycled through numerous maids. Or perhaps it was dissatisfaction with having to serve the eighth wife already.
However,
‘What's gotten into them?’
Everything changed drastically with a single scolding from the head maid, Selma.
‘Your attitudes toward My Lady are appalling! Snap out of it!’
Once Selma took charge, the undercurrent of distrust that had subtly permeated the maids vanished without a trace.
It was a change as drastic as the creation of the world. She had seen these maids in her past life, but it was the first time she learned they could be so kind.
That wasn't all.
Selma also dealt strictly with Sonya, who couldn't kick her habits from Vikander Castle and acted laxly.
‘Do you know where you are, making such insolent eyes?’
‘N-no, I……”’
‘My Lady, I apologize. May I take a moment to teach Sonya the rules of this castle?’
Dragged away by Selma like that, Sonya returned with a deflated expression. And she became remarkably—no, incredibly—submissive.
“My Lady, I'm sorry……. The physician has arrived. Would you like to be examined?”
Sonya asked carefully, paying attention to every single word. Her pitiful appearance might have invoked some sympathy, but Rose’s heart did not waver in the slightest.
Because she remembered every single thing Sonya had done in her past life.
‘Do you think that maid won't report anything to the Vikander family?’
It was exactly as Dane had said.
Sonya had eagerly carried news about Rose back to the Vikander family. Thanks to that, the Viscountess Vikander had become even more aggressive, constantly scolding Rose.
Saying she should have known it, that Lord Schmaichel would never take a fancy to someone like her, and so on.
‘I wonder what she’ll report this time.’
Rose was immensely curious about what kind of reaction the Viscountess Vikander would have upon hearing the news.
“Alright.”
When Rose nodded without any reproach, Sonya’s face brightened. Soon, Joel entered the room carrying his medical instruments.
“My Lady.”
“Welcome, Joel.”
Rose greeted Joel while lying comfortably in bed. Joel approached the bed and asked in a gentle tone.
“How are you feeling? I can prescribe some medicine for you.”
“I am merely tired.”
Rose shook her head, her demeanor soft yet resolute.
“I should get better after some rest.”
“Hmm, but His Lordship……”
Seemed to not want to let you sleep?
-Joel frowned and smiled, seemingly unable to bring himself to say the words.
Everyone in the room, including Rose, knew that fact. Dane had been a total mess this morning.
“Ahem, I understand. Instead, I will tell the kitchen to prepare food that will nourish your body. That is acceptable, right?”
“Please do.”
She had declined indirectly, but truthfully, Rose didn't want to take the medicine Joel prescribed. That was because every action and word from him was suspicious.
“My Lady, I will check your pulse for a moment.”
Thump, thump.
She could never forget the pain of when her heart was pierced. While conversing with Joel, she felt a chilling sensation, as if a creepy bug were crawling up her body.
But she gritted her teeth and endured it. Pretending to be fine, she offered her wrist to Joel.
‘I need to extract information.’
She had to find a gap in the defenses of a man who could stab someone with a straight face.
“Your pulse is normal, but your hands are a bit cold.”
“Are they?”
“When I checked your pulse yesterday, it was also on the cold side. Do you usually feel coldness in your extremities?”
It was because she was tense in front of Joel. But she couldn't just say that outright.
“I suppose they are a bit.”
“It seems your blood circulation isn't very good. Hmm……”
After pondering for a moment, Joel spoke.
“The winters in Schmaichel are quite harsh. If you are to survive this winter, it would be best to take medicine that warms your body up.”
“Please do so.”
She could just throw the medicine away secretly.
Rose thought so and accepted for now. If she rejected the medicine too outright, she might arouse Joel’s suspicions.
“Thank you, Joel.”
“Not at all. You are His Lordship's precious person, are you not? We must take even better care of you.”
He said it with a smile, but somehow, it felt like a knife was hidden in his words. No, it felt even more so because she knew it was Joel who said it.
“You are working hard late into the night.”
Rose deliberately changed the subject. She needed to converse with Joel a bit more.
“What hard work? If moving from that corridor to this one is hard work, then I suppose it could be considered hard work.”
The surrounding servants chuckled softly at Joel's joke. Before she knew it, the atmosphere in the room had relaxed comfortably.
Joel was probably always this kind of person. That must be why no one had ever suspected him.
“Have you lived in this castle all along?”
“I have no family. Well, actually, I suppose I do.”
Just as Rose paused, Joel continued.
“Lord Dane is my family. He is no different from a son to me.”
It was quite a touching statement, coming from the man who had personally killed him.
She was breathless at his audacity. Seeing everyone around her moved by Joel's words made her even angrier.
“Have you served His Lordship for long?”
“Since His Lordship's father, that is, since the time of Lord Worssen Schmaichel.”
Perhaps thinking it was just the curiosity of the new lady of the castle, Joel comfortably answered every question she asked.
“You’ve been in the castle for a very long time. Don't you feel stifled staying here all the time?”
“Haha, not always. I do go out to purchase herbs.”
“Why not send a merchant?”
Rose was faithfully playing her part as well. With the most innocent face, she continued asking questions, pretending it was pure curiosity.
“Well, I could do that, but I am a bit picky. I feel more at ease when I check the quality myself. Also, there is no one in the castle who knows as much about herbs as I do.”
“Hmm, then you must go out often. That must be quite a hassle.”
“Every Monday. That is when the herbs are freshest.”
Rose carved Joel's words into her mind.
‘Every Monday.’
It was an opportunity to search Joel's room. She might even find traces of his collusion there.
Joel shrugged and smiled.
“You don't need to worry too much. It's not that far away.”
“I am grateful. After all, you are responsible for His Lordship's 'health.'”
Rose also put on a heavy smile. Adding a single remark with a subtle sting.
If it had been her past self, she could never have dreamed of acting like this. It seemed that after dying once and returning, she had become quite brazen.
“Haha, I feel good that you care for me so much, My Lady.”
Joel didn't bat an eye.
“Ah, My Lady, by any chance.”
He glanced around briefly, then whispered to Rose as if making a secret offer.
“You don't need…… black nightshade, do you?”
“Black nightshade?”
Rose widened her eyes.
The herb Joel mentioned, black nightshade, prevented pregnancy. In other words, it was a contraceptive herb.
If she were her past self before the regression, she would have been greatly flustered by his question.
‘He is wary of me gaining His Lordship's favor.’
However, the current Rose coolly saw through Joel's true intentions.
Whose orders is he acting under? He's trying to stop her from monopolizing the Schmaichel family.
Her thoughts were long, but her actions were fast.
“What is that?”
Rose feigned ignorance of Joel's words and tilted her head with an innocent face.
“……”
Joel stared intently at Rose's face for a moment, then,
“I spoke out of turn. Just out of excessive caution.”
He stood up, pretending it was nothing.
“Get some good rest for tonight. His Lordship will return tomorrow around noon.”
Was it normal for a physician to know His Lordship's exact schedule?
Rose barely held back the urge to question him.
Since he was hoping for Dane to die, it wouldn't be strange for him to be plotting some sinister scheme. Could he possibly be hiring assassins? Her head ached from all the suspicions.
“Then I will take my leave.”
After Joel left the room, Sonya carefully arranged Rose's beddings.
“Have a good night, My Lady.”
After placing a single candle on the table, the maids silently left the room.
“……Phew.”
Left alone in the room, a sudden wave of fatigue washed over her. It was the aftermath of dealing with Joel while fully tensed up.
Rose forced strength into her heavy eyelids and pondered. What she had to do now, and what she had to start with.
And she reached a conclusion.
‘I need to meet His Lordship quickly.’
There were a few things only she could do for him. She would have to hurry so she could prepare.
‘Tomorrow……’
He returns. Rose closed her eyes, feeling relieved by that fact.