Looking at Cedric, who in turn was looking at him with furrowed brows, Marcus signaled to him that he was leaving.
Entering his own room, he laid down on the queen-sized bed provided to him. Its softness was like water to a thirsty man in the desert.
Marcus, who was so habituated to sleeping on hard surfaces, now felt like he was in heaven. This was the first time that he had felt a bed after coming to this world, and the first one he got might be one of the best in the world.
He couldn't get rid of this addicting feeling. After this, he might not be able to sleep on the ground anymore. All the thoughts he had of escaping completely vanished from his mind.
'I guess I just got another reason to help the count.'
Cedric sat on the sofa and spoke to Marcus in a grave tone.
"I believe I already clearly warned you to be cautious of that girl."
"I didn't see anything wrong with her. She is a good person and a bit playful. However, you speak as if there is something which only you can see around her, like a ghost."
"You made a small mistake in that deduction of yours. I do see something, and everyone else does too except you seems. Remember those guards from earlier? They were there not because they can't take action from a distance, but rather it was a show of power to warn the other party not to overstep their bounds. And also, what I saw was far worse than some mere ghost."
Marcus had already fallen asleep midway through his speech; the bed was just too comfy for him.
Cedric eyed Marcus with a stone-cold gaze. This was the last warning he was giving this ungrateful bastard.
Cedric vowed in his heart that if there ever came a life-threatening situation, he would be the first one to abandon Marcus in a hair's breadth.
*********
Next morning, Marcus was awakened by a glass of water being poured on his face. Being drenched was definitely not a good experience for him.
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!" Marcus let out a wrathful shout at the culprit.
His eyes had still not recovered from the drowsiness, so it took him some time to open them.
Opening his eyes, he saw the non-expressive Cedric, but his eyes were smiling. He nonchalantly informed Marcus about the situation.
"The count is waiting for us. You should get ready."
"What, get ready?"
"The count has already provided you with some clothes. After all, it's different for the nobles to tolerate filth in their house."
Marcus saw that Cedric was wearing his usual armor, or rather, he was wearing a fashionable coat.
Marcus, too, did not wait long for Cedric to hand him a similar shirt and overcoat.
He looked at his own rugged clothes, feeling pained because of them being called filthy. These clothes had been with him for so long that he felt weird changing into some clothes that fashion models in his previous world would wear.
It was like letting go of your old yellow pillow to be replaced by something fancy. It would take time to get used to it.
It was only after he received another reminder from Cedric that he started to change.
Exiting his room, he saw the head butler standing at the door waiting for him. He received a bow and a "good morning."
Sol started to guide Marcus to the count's daughter's room. Marcus followed his lead, even though being treated like a VIP was unsettling; it's not like he was complaining about it.
Reaching the young lady's room, Sol gently knocked on the door.
"Come in," the count was the one who gave permission.
Entering the room, Marcus was surprised by its sheer size and emptiness. Yes, there were decorative furnishings, but the room was mostly empty.
The bed in the room was the center point of everyone's attention. Isabel and her attendant were already there; they seemed to have arrived before him and were waiting for him to show up.
"Now that everyone is here, we can start."
Marcus strode to the count's side and peeked behind the curtain-covered bed. A lone woman was laying there.
Marcus's face turned black with disgust. On the bed lay a completely disfigured person. There were no eyes or fingers, giving the person a ghastly appearance.
Marcus found it hard to believe that this person could still be alive.
Isabel was the first to speak up, "As I have told you earlier, I have the cure for your daughter. If you and your daughter are okay with the side effects, then I will start my preparations."
"Yes, please. We are fine with your solution. So, how long is it going to take you to do it?"
"It will take a week to complete it. I will need the help of the knights, if you may permit."
"Yes, of course. Tomorrow, all the knights would be gathered for you."
Isabel gave the count a bottle of potion and instructed him on a few things.
"Make sure to give her one spoonful of it, diluted with water, every day until the final medication is provided."
The count nodded, indicating his agreement. After that short meeting, Marcus felt a bit awkward that he didn't get anything to say, and the meeting was already over.
Being sidelined like this was something he didn't like. Marcus felt at a loss for what he should do in this situation.
Fortunately for him, Sol came to clean up the awkwardness for him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, breakfast is ready. You may proceed to the dining hall."
Marcus was indeed hungry; he had not eaten anything last night. Following Sol's lead, everyone started to move towards the dining hall.
Isabel spoke to Marcus as they moved down the hallway.
"Tomorrow, all the knights will be gathering for the expedition. Do be prepared."
"Where are we going?"
"To find ingredients for the medicine."
"Are you a doctor?"
Isabel started laughing as if she had heard the best joke of her life. "You truly are the most interesting guy. You do have a great sense of humor."
'Eh, did he say something wrong again?' Marcus pondered to himself.
Whenever he found himself in these kinds of situations, he only had one solution: changing the topic.
"So, who are the knights who are going to accompany us?"
"They are Knight Cornwell's people, obviously. Even though an imperial knight can be considered a noble, they are still subject to the higher nobles."
"I heard that Knight Cornwell was a baron's subordinate."
"That's old news; he has already become one of the count's direct subordinates."
Marcus was a bit surprised by this news, but since he didn't have much interest in this kind of stuff, he didn't bother with it. They had already reached the dining area, and his stomach had already become restless after seeing the food displayed on the table.