The Marquis Branford surveyed the dimly lit room, his eyebrows furrowing.
'What a mess.'
The room smelled stale, mixed with the stench of blood, revealing just how severe the ordeal had been.
Rozalin lay on the bed, looking gaunt and worse for wear compared to fifteen days ago.
"Open the window."
Swish!
The knights accompanying the Marquis opened the windows, though they kept the curtains drawn just in case.
As the wind stirred the curtains, a few servants stepped forward to block the light from shining directly on Rozalin.
In a corner of the room, Ghislain sat with his arms crossed, his dark circles betraying his exhaustion.
"Young master! Are you all right?"
"My lord!"
His followers rushed to check on him.
"Young lady!"
The butler, looking anxious, hurried into the room as well.
Disturbed by the sudden commotion, Rozalin slowly opened her eyes and sat up.
"Ah…"
She let out a sigh, a sound that blended relief with the residual aftereffects of pain.
Pointing directly at Ghislain, she commanded,
"Seize… that man immediately…"
Now that it was over, she wanted him locked up. Her mind was fixated on paying him back for the suffering and humiliation he had put her through.
"What are you waiting for? Arrest him, now!"
Her shout left the knights uncertain, and they looked to their commander for guidance.
Toleo gave a silent signal, and the knights immediately blocked the exits and surrounded the area.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Ghislain's followers shifted their stances, surrounding him and eyeing their surroundings cautiously.
"Young master, what's the plan now?" whispered Belinda urgently.
Ghislain merely sighed, his face etched with fatigue, without a word.
Meanwhile, Claude mentally prepared for the worst.
'If things really go south, we might have to take one of them hostage.'
But Toleo, the commander of the Branford knights, hadn't risen to his position by chance.
The knights were already positioned to protect Rozalin and the Marquis the moment Ghislain's followers showed any suspicious movement.
The tension in the air thickened, but the Marquis spoke up with an indifferent expression.
"Remove the mask."
Scoffing, Rozalin nodded.
"Right. I suppose even a charlatan's treatment requires proof. Though we all know what to expect."
With a rough motion, she yanked off her mask and threw it aside.
Although the window was open, she no longer felt the need to hide her face from the sunlight.
After all the torment she'd endured, a little sunlight was hardly a big deal.
"There! Satisfied? Now, seize him!"
Though she glared at everyone in the room, no one moved.
"Oh…"
People made sounds of amazement, as if unsure whether to be shocked or in awe.
Frustrated, Rozalin shouted with renewed anger.
"What are you all doing? Are you only going to move if Father orders you?"
"Ah, young lady… young lady! Young lady!"
The butler took Rozalin's hand, tears streaming down his face.
The signal sparked a chorus of gasps from the servants and knights alike.
Confused, Rozalin's eyes darted around.
"Why… what's going on? Why is everyone…"
Her heart began to race as a sudden realization flashed through her mind.
Glancing around, she gestured toward the servants blocking the window.
They hesitated, then cautiously stepped aside.
Sunlight poured through the gap in the curtains, illuminating her cheek.
She winced at the warmth but quickly realized she felt no pain. She touched her face in wonder.
"Could it be…"
Choked with a mix of fear and hope, she managed to stammer,
"A… a mirror…"
At her request, the servants scrambled to find one, quickly bringing it close to her.
"Ah…"
It had been so long since she'd looked into a mirror that her own reflection felt foreign.
Her disheveled hair and blood-stained clothes made her look more like a woman from the slums than a noble lady.
But that was irrelevant.
With trembling fingers, she touched her cheek.
Her features were defined, her skin clear.
A few faint red spots remained, but they were hardly noticeable.
"My… my face…"
The sunlight caused no harm. She stared in disbelief at her reflection, barely able to process what she was seeing.
The butler, still crying, murmured through a trembling voice,
"Young lady, you're healed. You're fully healed. The treatment… it really worked."
Wiping his tears, he signaled for someone to fetch a fresh set of clothes.
"Oh…"
Rozalin remained in a daze.
The treatment that had felt like torture had actually worked.
"This… this must be a dream… or some cruel joke…"
Having never expected this outcome, she was stunned.
If this was a dream, it would be the cruelest nightmare of all.
Turning to Ghislain, she stammered,
"This… this is a lie, isn't it? Some kind of hallucination…"
"It's no trick," Ghislain said, stepping forward with a playful smile.
"The treatment is over. I know it was hard, but you did well. You endured."
At his words, she finally broke down, lowering her head.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Ah…"
Rozalin clutched her chest. The pain and sorrow she had held back for so long surged up in waves.
Finally, she was free of this wretched illness.
Finally, she could step out of the darkness and see the light again.
No matter how much she tried to hold back, the flood of emotions overwhelmed her.
"Ah… ngh…"
"Young lady…"
The butler, tears streaming down his face, watched her as she covered her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs.
Even the cold-hearted Marquis of Branford remained silent at this moment.
"You know, maybe we should give the lady some time to process everything. She probably wants to cry in peace without us here," Belinda suggested with a click of her tongue.
The butler eagerly agreed, nodding.
"Yes, yes. We should all step out for a bit. Come on, everyone."
With glances at the Marquis, people began to file out of the room.
The Marquis looked at his daughter for a long moment before he, too, left without a word.
"Let's go, let's go."
The butler herded everyone out of the room.
As soon as the door closed, Rozalin's soft weeping turned into heart-wrenching sobs.
"See? Sometimes people can be so dense," Belinda muttered, though she clamped her mouth shut as the Marquis looked her way.
The Marquis scoffed and looked over at Ghislain.
"You truly succeeded. I have to admit, your skills are impressive."
In the end, he'd lost the bet, but he wasn't unhappy about it.
Seeing his long-suffering daughter finally healed was more than enough compensation.
Ghislain merely shrugged, showing no particular reaction.
The butler was the first to approach Ghislain, bowing deeply.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! You truly are the finest healer in the kingdom! Please forgive my disrespect!"
'Ah, that's… not quite it.'
If he wasn't careful, he'd be known as some legendary healer. What if every noble in the kingdom started seeking him out?
'No way… surely not.'
Though he was slightly rattled inside, he maintained a calm, confident demeanor.
Seeing that Ghislain's followers finally looked at ease, Belinda glanced over at the Marquis, smirking inwardly.
'Just look at his grumpy face. If you've got complaints, go ahead and say them.'
It seemed even the formidable Marquis wouldn't dare make a fuss now.
Claude, meanwhile, shook his head inwardly. He was relieved they'd survived the ordeal, but he still couldn't wrap his head around what had just happened. It defied common sense.
'Wow. Just… every time, it's astonishing. This actually worked?'
He squinted, scrutinizing Ghislain from head to toe.
'Can't shake the feeling he's only got half the knowledge.'
Ghislain's unconventional methods seemed as if he only had the answer without knowing the underlying cause. He got results, but the how remained a mystery.
After eyeing Ghislain's group, the Marquis frowned.
"Have Rozalin come see me later. For now, summon my vassals. It's time to conclude my deal with Baron Fenris."
A murmur of excitement spread around the room.
"Concluding the deal" meant acknowledging Baron Fenris's contribution and agreeing to his request.
Curious about what Ghislain would ask for, everyone looked at him with anticipation.
***
A short while later, the Marquis gathered his key vassals in the main hall.
The butler escorted Ghislain and his entourage with great respect.
The Marquis sat at the head of the room, resting his chin in his hand as he looked down at the group.
"An impressive outcome. I thought it was just bravado, but you're no mere novice with empty words."
His advisors looked up in surprise; this was unusually high praise from the Marquis.
"Your methods may have been unorthodox, but a promise is a promise. State your wish."
Everyone turned their attention to Ghislain, their faces filled with curiosity.
What would he ask from such a powerful figure as the Marquis Branford?
The hall was filled with suspense and intrigue.
Ghislain took a deep breath and raised his head.
"My request isn't anything grand."
The Marquis nodded, intrigued.
"Speak freely. Whatever it is, I'll likely grant it."
Ghislain let out a slight smile of relief.
"Please become my guardian."
"...What?"
The Marquis's surprise was palpable.
Everyone around him shared the sentiment, staring at Ghislain in shock.
The Marquis clarified with slight disbelief.
"Did you say… guardian?"
"Yes."
"Not just a sponsor?"
"Nope."
"...Hah."
For the first time, the Marquis's stoic expression was tinged with astonishment.
The gathered crowd mirrored their lord's expression, staring at Ghislain in stunned silence.
Only Belinda looked on with pride.
'Wow, that's my young master!'
Ghislain had always believed in taking not just one step but two, even if it meant bleeding the person dry.
And here he was, aiming to keep milking the favor from a man as intimidating as the Marquis.
'Clearly, he learned well.'
Boldly standing his ground, Ghislain waited as the Marquis finally let out a deep hum.
"Hmm…"
Asking for sponsorship was one thing; becoming a guardian was a whole different matter.
A guardian would mean the Marquis would be held accountable for any trouble Ghislain caused in the future.
He claimed he didn't want anything grand, but here he was, demanding a relationship that would allow him to keep coming back to the Marquis for help whenever he wanted.
This young man was far bolder than he appeared.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]