"Young lady!"
The butler, who had been watching in a state of anxiousness, cried out in shock.
"Ugh…!"
Rozalin, with dazed eyes, continued to cough up blood.
Even though Belinda and Wendy had loosened their grip, she no longer struggled or tried to get away. She merely slumped over, blood trickling from her lips.
"Stop… you madman…" she whispered faintly before her head drooped.
Belinda cried out again in urgency.
"Young master!"
"I know. It's almost over."
Ghislain took some of his mana and used it to shield the torn mana pathways in her body.
Leaving foreign mana in another person's body risked clashing with their own mana, but there was no other option at this point.
During his time as the Mercenary King, there were times he had used this method in emergencies. The situation wouldn't worsen from here.
"Sigh..."
Ghislain released her hand. The treatment is over for now. Even if he wanted to continue, he couldn't.
"Young lady! Young lady!"
As soon as Ghislain stepped back, the butler and attendants rushed to Rozalin's side.
The butler cleared the blood pooled in her mouth and wiped her face, then glared at Ghislain with fury.
"What kind of treatment is this? Are you trying to kill her?"
The fact that she was coughing up blood indicated internal damage. What on earth did her insides have to do with healing her face?
'This has to stop. At this rate, her life is in danger!'
"I'll inform the marquis! Stop this madness now!"
"I can't."
"Enough! This is intolerable!"
Despite the butler's outburst, Ghislain's expression didn't waver. Instead, he replied coolly.
"Are you above the marquis?"
"What… what did you say?"
"The marquis approved this. Who are you to say it should stop?"
"But, even so…"
"If she's left untreated, she won't live long anyway. Don't interfere if you don't want to see her die young."
"That's ridiculous! Even if that were true, why would that matter to you?"
Ghislain chuckled softly.
"Why wouldn't it? There's a lot at stake in this."
The butler had no authority to stop him. All he could do was seethe with anger.
Ignoring his protests, Ghislain applied cream to Rozalin's face. As he placed the mask back on her, she didn't respond, simply lying there, breathing shallowly.
Looking down at her, Ghislain spoke in a troubled voice.
"There's no stopping the treatment now."
He had stirred up her entire system. Stopping now would leave her in worse condition than before they started.
Whether it succeeded or failed, he had no choice but to see it through to the end.
***
Before the next treatment, the butler went to see the Knight Commander, fuming.
'He's a dangerous man. He doesn't look like someone who'll submit easily, even if he fails. It's no wonder he has a reputation for being reckless. I need to prepare before he causes real trouble.'
To prepare for any potential disaster, the butler decided to ensure that Ghislain and his party could be subdued immediately if necessary.
"Sir Toleo! Do you have a moment?"
"Oh, what brings you here?"
The Knight Commander of the marquis knight order, Tolleo, greeted the butler respectfully.
Despite his official rank being higher, he couldn't dismiss one of the marquis' most trusted aides.
The butler kept his expression neutral as he spoke.
"There's something I need to discuss about the man treating the young lady."
"What is it?"
"It seems we should strengthen our security just in case."
Toleo looked at him, puzzled.
"Don't we already have soldiers posted in case the treatment fails?"
"I don't think that's enough. We need to reinforce the manor's guard and bring in knights."
"Hm, wouldn't that be excessive?"
The butler shook his head and explained the situation.
Upon hearing that the young lady had coughed up blood, Toleo's expression grew serious.
"Even though Baron Fenris has a wild reputation, his followers are seasoned soldiers, victorious in recent battles."
"It was just a minor skirmish in the borderlands."
"Call it an old man's intuition, but some of them seem quite confident and don't seem intimidated by the marquis' authority."
The butler warned in a grave tone.
"Perhaps it's ignorance of our ways, given that they're from the north… Very well. I'll ensure the manor is sealed so no one can escape. I'll also select a few of my best men to stay close."
"Thank you. Now, I'll return to the young lady."
As the butler left, Toleo subtly gestured to four knights to follow him. From that point, the manor's security tightened further.
Not even an ant could slip through.
***
When Ghislain approached Rozalin's room once more, the butler returned with knights in tow.
Ghislain glanced at them with a smirk and asked,
"Planning to interfere?"
"We'll step in if things look dangerous."
"If you disrupt the treatment, the young lady's life will be in danger, so think carefully."
The butler gritted his teeth.
If Ghislain was channeling mana during the treatment, any interference would indeed be fatal.
In other words, during that time, the young lady was essentially his hostage.
Ignoring the butler's reaction, Ghislain entered the room.
This time, Rozalin didn't struggle or lash out. She simply sat on the bed, leaning back as if lost in thought, staring into space.
As if speaking to himself, Ghislain remarked,
"I'm starting the treatment. You'll need to endure again."
Belinda and Wendy approached her, looking exhausted.
As they moved to hold her down, Rozalin finally spoke.
"Wait."
They stopped and looked at Ghislain as if asking what to do.
He nodded slightly, and they stepped back.
"Is there something you'd like to ask?"
"I want to know…this treatment… Could it kill me?"
Ghislain paused, then nodded honestly.
"Yes. If you can't endure, it could kill you. It's more than just painful."
The butler and knights looked furious at his nonchalant tone.
How could he hide the possibility of death and proceed with the treatment without informing them?
'Don't think you can do as you please.'
The butler clenched his lips, trying to control his anger.
Rozalin, on the other hand, simply nodded without a word.
What a twisted situation. She'd rejected treatment to avoid dying, only to learn that death was still a risk.
Her father had approved the treatment without consulting her opinion.
And this so-called doctor insisted on continuing, even against her wishes.
"So… even if I don't go through with this treatment, I'll die anyway?"
"That's correct. Your body will continue to weaken until eventually, you won't be able to move."
She let out a dry laugh.
"You sound like a scammer; I can hardly believe a word you say."
"You don't have to believe me."
Ghislain had no intention of convincing her.
People rarely believed they would die from an illness, no matter how certain he was.
"I won't ask why you're risking your life and reputation for this. You must want something from my father and are using my illness as leverage."
"I won't deny it."
"But… Do you really think I'll survive this treatment? I nearly died last time."
"With willpower, you can survive."
It wasn't an empty encouragement to just tough it out.
In her past life, she had survived this treatment—one that had been even cruder, more painful, and much longer.
She had the potential to endure; it just hadn't surfaced yet.
With a self-deprecating smile, Rozalin asked,
"And if I can't endure, I'll die?"
"There's a very high chance."
"Why not put me to sleep first, then?"
"That would increase the risk of death."
If she lost consciousness during the treatment, her heart could stop unexpectedly.
She needed to be awake and mentally prepared to withstand it.
"Easy for you to say… How long has it been?"
"It's been three days."
"Three… just three days…"
Only three days had passed.
That meant there were over ten days of this torment left.
Just the thought made her feel sick.
"Then… before we start, check if I'm in any condition for it. I still feel terrible inside. Are you sure it's safe to continue?"
Ghislain nodded and approached her.
As usual, he pulled up a chair, sat beside her, and held her wrist.
Closing his eyes, he channeled mana to carefully examine her internal state.
'Not bad.'
Thanks to the emergency treatment, her condition had stabilized somewhat. She'd have to grit her teeth, but it was manageable.
'She seems calmer today. Has she realized there's no escape?'
It would be better if she abandoned resistance and decided to trust him, even just a little.
Time was a bit tight, but if Rozalin held out, full recovery wasn't impossible.
'Let's hope things go smoothly today.'
Though others couldn't see it, each session exhausted him too.
This treatment required intense concentration and a significant drain on his mental energy.
Just as Ghislain was about to withdraw his mana and release her wrist, Rozalin slid her free hand under the large pillow beside her.
"Hm?"
Absorbed in his examination, Ghislain almost missed the movement, but then he looked up.
In her hand, Rozalin held a decorated dagger, aiming it directly at his temple.
"Young master!"
"My lord!"
"Agh!"
Belinda, Gillian, and even the butler shouted in alarm.
But Ghislain calmly caught the dagger between his fingers and glanced at his startled companions.
"What? Why the fuss?"
"Just… be careful, please."
"Come on, as if something like this would work on me."
Rozalin gritted her teeth.
"You make cosmetics, manipulate mana, wield a blade… You seem to know how to do just about everything for a doctor."
Ghislain shrugged and feigned modesty.
"I am quite versatile."
"This is your last warning. Stop this treatment. This isn't a cure; it's torture."
"This is the only way to treat your illness."
"Treatment? If we keep going, I'll really end up dead!"
They fell silent, locked in a battle of wills, each refusing to back down.
Those around them were at a loss, unsure how to intervene.
'…Interesting.'
Ghislain looked into Rozalin's eyes, barely visible behind her mask, and thought to himself that perhaps this was a breakthrough.
Her eyes gleamed with a murderous and desperate intensity.
A strange smile formed on his lips as he spoke.
"For someone who claims to want to live, you've been hiding a dagger by your bedside."
"…"
"Maybe you don't really want to live like this. Deep down, you'd rather die than live this way."
"…"
Rozalin's mouth twisted slightly, her eyes still blazing with fury.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]