"Don't tell me--"
"Marquis Benedict, I will be glad if you keep your reticence from this point on." Ilya interrupted the Marquis without even looking at him.
The man scowled at the warning before pursing his lips. To stop a grimace from growing on his countenance, he went and sat on the couch in front of Ilya. He then began rubbing his temples with his fingers while watching Dantalion sort the situation with Ilya.
"Hearing how you warned Marquis Benedict, I won't ask any more about these newly appeared burn marks." Dantalion uttered, sighing when she looked Ilya in the eye, "You will tell me later. I won't leave you alone until you do."
The woman already anticipated that she wouldn't get any affirmation from Ilya. And, much to her frustration, her expectation didn't betray her.
Dantalion proceeded to stand up with a deep sigh. She approached the nurses and said, "I'll need two people to assist me. Hana, Bard, come with me."
"Yes, Your Grace," In unison did the two replied.
"Jester, wash your hands and put some gloves on this instant. You're tasked to put on our gloves."
"Right away, Your Grace."
The young man then ran towards the adjacent room where the comfort room was located. He was able to come back within a couple of minutes to accomplish his superior's orders.
In the meantime, the nurses who went to fetch a tub of water had returned. They immediately placed the tub on the table. Another nurse laid three sheets of towel on the area of the couch beside Ilya. The items requested by Dantalion were also placed on the table, fully sanitized and arranged neatly.
Once the preparations were complete, one of the nurses lifted the tub and set it on top of the pile of towels. Dantalion took her spot beside Ilya and knelt down.
Exercising utmost caution, Dantalion lowered Ilya's hand down the tub. The dried-up blood, together with the fresh drops, quickly clouded the water. The woman painstakingly cleaned Ilya's hand as much as she could, making sure to not hit the glass fragments. As for the burn marks, she did her best to be gentle in rinsing them.
The second she was done washing Ilya's hand, Dantalion took it out. One of her assistants hurriedly removed the tub, opening up a space for Ilya to place her hand on. Dantalion procured the pair of tweezers and started taking out the glass fragments.
It was fortunate that there weren't a lot of big glass fragments. However, Dantalion was still having a difficult time removing the small pieces. Because of the gloves, her sense of touch was a tad hampered. She couldn't exactly figure out whether there were fragments under the skin of Ilya's palm.
The process took more than half an hour to be finished. Dantalion immediately went ahead with cleaning up the wounds.
"Please bear with it, Your Grace, even if your hands feel like burning," Dantalion advised as she began tapping the wounds with a piece of cotton ball wet with alcohol.
Leahmir Dantalion wasn't confounded when Ilya showed no reaction. She was already sentient that Ilya could tolerate that amount of pain.
Sighing, Dantalion yielded to her ponderance, "It would've been better if she at least groaned. I don't even know if I'm doing my job properly because of her silence.'
The second that she was done cleaning the wounds, Dantalion let the alcohol dry for a few seconds prior to putting an ointment over the burn marks. From there on, she covered Ilya's hand with a roll of bandage, leaving only the fingers exposed.
Dantalion rose to her feet and bowed, "It's done, Your Grace. I will replace the bandage every four to six hours, or more often if you desire so."
Ilya simply nodded at the woman. Hence, Marquis Benedict was forced to speak on her behalf.
"Lady Dantalion, I appreciate your help for today. Your staff too. I'll make sure to reward them properly."
"Thank you, My Lord."
"I think you've all had a long day. You can dismiss your staff. Lady Dantalion, stay for a while in case Lady Gertrude is in need of something."
At his words, the nurses went out of the room as soon as they were done tidying up the mess. The maids were also told to vacate the parlor. The three people left inside the room maintained their quietude momentarily, mimicking the brief silence of the entire mansion.
At present, Ilya was living in one of the mansions under the supervision of the Royal High Court. It's the sort of place occupied by high-profile individuals whenever any of the three courts ordered them to be under surveillance.
Though Ilya wished to be back at her old cottage located on the outskirts, the Representatives prevented her from doing so. Their main justification was her poor health, compelling Ilya to surrender.
A few minutes before the sun set, Ilya spoke at last.
"Marquis Benedict, from this moment going forward, I don't want anyone paying me a visit aside from Lady Leahmir Dantalion."
"Does that include myself?"
Instead of affirming, Ilya just gave the man a long stare. The Marquis understood what she wanted right away, pressing him to lean back on the couch.
"I'll do as you say. However, I have one condition."
"Speak,"
"You will leave the reconstruction of the Gertrude Estate to me. I don't mind whatever specifications you may have, I will have my men follow all of your instructions."
"Do as you like."
Marquis Benedict said nothing more. On the other hand, Dantalion didn't bother taking a seat as she listened to the two converse. She couldn't bring herself to think of a topic that would keep both Ilya and the Marquis invested in. To her relief, Ilya began a discussion that she was curious about.
"Lady Dantalion, do you know where I got these burn marks?" Ilya asked while looking at her bandaged hand.
"Enlighten me, Your Grace."
Ilya diverted her gaze towards the Viscountess as she answered, "They're wounds I've gotten before time reverted."