The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

However, Ghislain ignored her warning and strode confidently into the room.

The room was far too shabby to belong to a young lady of a powerful noble family.

‘She’s living in a place like this?’

The butler’s expression stiffened slightly, perhaps embarrassed by the poor state they were showing to Ghislain’s group.

“My lady, it is the Marquis’s order. For the next fortnight, Baron Fenris will be treating your skin condition.”

“…….”

“He is highly knowledgeable in medicine and herbalism. He even personally makes the cosmetics currently in vogue in the capital.”

“…….”

Despite the butler’s continued explanations, Rosalyn only breathed heavily without uttering a word.

Although her face was hidden behind a mask, the air around her made it clear enough what kind of expression she had.

Ghislain clicked his tongue at the sight.

‘There was no record of her living like this… Well, it’s not the kind of story that would spread. They must have kept it tightly under wraps.’

There had been little information in the records he had seen in his previous life about how Rosalyn had lived. Mostly, it just mentioned that she had lived quietly in seclusion after marriage.

Even those remaining records only spoke of her past kind and gentle character, as the butler had described.

‘Well, it has nothing to do with me. Once I treat her illness, we won’t have any reason to meet again.’

Ghislain cleared his throat and spoke gently.

“I am Ghislain. From now on, I will be treating your illness…”

Before he could finish, Rosalyn interrupted him in a chilling voice.

“I don’t need it, so leave.”

Her tone was as cold as ice. It was almost a relief that she was speaking politely, even though she was addressing a noble.

Ghislain quietly stared into her eyes.

Rosalyn’s eyes were filled with resentment and hatred.

‘This doesn’t look good.’

A mix of self-loathing and unresolved issues had darkened her heart, making it burn black with despair.

Ghislain had often seen people with eyes like these.

When such people finally snapped after holding everything in, they usually dragged many down with them.

‘Still, it seems she’s somehow keeping herself in check.’

Even in his previous life, there had been no record of Rosalyn losing her mind and recklessly killing anyone.

Perhaps isolating herself like this was her way of preventing such incidents.

‘Even so, her reaction is far too extreme.’

A person suffering from an illness would usually cling to the hope of treatment, desperate to grab hold of even the smallest chance.

It didn’t make sense for her to refuse this strongly.

Sensing Ghislain’s confusion, the butler spoke in a bitter tone.

“My lady has suffered greatly from treatments until now. That’s why she is acting this way.”

“Heh…”

Ghislain understood the unspoken words from the butler and clicked his tongue.

‘Because of those bastards, she doesn’t even trust someone she’s meeting for the first time like me.’

He could understand Rosalyn’s feelings. The fear of living with permanent side effects from a failed treatment could be worse than death.

‘There’s no helping it. Earning her trust has to come first. Damn those amateurs, always causing trouble.’

Forcing a smile, Ghislain spoke.

“You’ve been through a lot, my lady. But I’m not like those other doctors.”

Rosalyn tilted her head slightly and asked, “How are you different?”

“I’m putting my life on the line for this treatment.”

“Ha.”

Ghislain’s words were serious, but all he got in return was a derisive laugh.

Rosalyn didn’t even try to hide her amusement, her shoulders shaking as she laughed, before speaking in a sharp tone.

“Listen, Baron. Do you really think none of those other doctors put their lives on the line?”

“…….”

“The ones who came looking to gain wealth and fame all said the same thing. ‘I’ll risk my life to cure the young lady’s illness!’”

“…….”

“Do you want me to tell you how all of them died?”

Unable to suppress her rising anger, Rosalyn finally raised her voice.

She jabbed her finger against Ghislain’s chest as she continued.

“Just because your cosmetic business is doing well, you think you’re some sort of remarkable, special person? You must be delusional. Your life is no different from the scraps of food I toss away. Even if you risk it, it has no value.”

“A-Ah, my lady! Please, you mustn’t speak this way!”

Even the butler, sweating profusely, tried to intervene against her rude remarks.

But she paid no attention and continued her sneering.

“Oh, there is one difference. None of them were noble doctors. You’ll be the first noble to lose his head. That should be interesting.”

“…….”

“Well, even if you’re a noble, you’re just a pathetic person who makes and sells cosmetics. I don’t see any issue if you die. What do you think?”

It was as if she couldn’t see her own status, the situation, or the people around her.

Ghislain could hardly find a moment to interject, left in a daze by the relentless barrage of venomous words.

‘Is she taking her anger out on me?’

No doubt people had been avoiding her all this time, leaving her with no outlet for her pent-up frustrations. It wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

But next to Ghislain was Belinda, who could not stand by and let him be insulted.

“My lady! Your words are far too harsh! What did our young master do wrong for you to speak to him like this on your first meeting?”

She stepped forward, raising her voice in protest.

Rosalyn turned to look at Belinda and stayed silent for a long while.

Then, her breathing grew rougher.

Seeing the hatred in Rosalyn’s eyes, Belinda was startled and took a step back.

‘Ah, did I make a mistake? I should’ve just kept quiet.’

Ghislain, too, belatedly realized the problem and carefully observed Rosalyn’s mood.

At the moment, Belinda’s skin was glowing, thanks to the diligent application of cosmetics. Rosalyn, already irritated due to her own skin issues, was hardly going to feel at ease seeing someone with such flawless skin.

Ghislain stepped between the two, forcing a strained smile.

“Haha, my lady. Please, just listen to me for a moment—”

“Get out.”

“No, please don’t be like this. I’m here to treat—”

“Get out! I said, get out!”

Rosalyn screamed and began throwing objects around the room once more.

The butler urgently grabbed Ghislain’s arm and pulled him toward the door.

“P-Perhaps we should leave for now. It might be better to come back once the lady has calmed down a bit.”

“Yes, yes, that sounds wise.”

Ghislain swatted away a few flying objects and quickly retreated out of the room.

Thud.

Even after the door closed, the sounds of items being smashed echoed from within for quite some time.

Scratching his chin, Ghislain wore a troubled expression.

“I need to calm her down and at least get her to talk before I can even start the treatment.”

“You should just go back. How are you going to treat someone in that state? You can’t even get near her. Even the Marquis of Branford wouldn’t be able to say anything if she refuses treatment,” said Claude.

The others nodded in agreement, sharing Claude’s sentiment.

But Ghislain shook his head.

“That’s not an option. There’s no guarantee she’ll just be left alone.”

He had a purpose in coming here, and he couldn’t just give up after being turned away once.

Claude clicked his tongue in frustration.

“How do you plan to persuade someone like her? She’s been through so much that she’s full of distrust. She doesn’t listen to reason.”

“Hm, that’s why I need to calm her down first…”

“You think that’s possible? She seems like she’s rotting from the inside out because of this illness.”

“…I have to at least try to talk to her.”

“You just tried, and it didn’t work.”

Ghislain frowned and glared at Claude, who flinched and averted his gaze, pretending to be occupied with something else.

After a moment of contemplation, Ghislain nodded, as if he had thought of a solution.

“We’ll just force the treatment on her.”

Everyone tilted their heads, doubting their ears for a moment.

Belinda, seeking clarification, asked again.

“What did you just say?”

“I said, we’ll restrain her and treat her by force.”

“…Is that really okay?”

“We have permission anyway, so what does it matter? I’ll just show her results. Isn’t that right?”

Ghislain turned to the butler, seeking agreement. The butler stammered as he replied.

“But forcing it is a bit… How about taking some time to persuade her?” the butler hesitantly suggested.

“She’s too riled up right now to even have a conversation. When exactly would I persuade her? We only have two weeks,” Ghislain retorted.

“Well… that’s true… but…”

“We can’t just sit around twiddling our thumbs for two weeks and end up failing. I’ll take care of it, so just cooperate. You’re not the one responsible for our lives, are you?”

“Ah, understood.”

With the butler’s reluctant agreement, there was no longer anything to hold him back. Ghislain immediately started giving orders.

“Good, first, let’s talk about the medicinal ingredients we’ll need. Go and buy enough top-quality mandrake root for her to take twice a day.”

“Mandraroga root?”

Not only the butler but also the others around looked at him in surprise.

Mandrake root was well-known as a tonic, but it was typically consumed by men. The prevailing belief was that its strong, heating effects were actually harmful to women.

Though Ghislain could guess the doubts in everyone’s minds, he didn’t bother explaining and continued with what he had to say.

“Yes, it’s essential for treating the Marquis’s young lady. Along with that, gather some other herbs as well.”

The butler, with a worried expression, nodded. Since the Marquis of Branford had given permission, there was no point in opposing it.

* * *

Most of the medicinal ingredients Ghislain requested were rare and expensive.

Yet, it took less than half a day for the Marquis’s household to acquire and brew them, once again showcasing the immense wealth and influence of the Branford family.

As he carefully inspected the decoction, Ghislain found himself once more impressed.

“Alright, let’s head to the young lady.”

Belinda cautiously asked, “But how are you planning to enter the room? If she doesn’t open the door, there’s nothing we can do, right?”

“If she refuses, we’ll just have to break it down. But it would look bad, so maybe the butler could give it a try first?”

“Me?”

The butler looked at Ghislain, taken aback.

“Who else? Or should I just tell the Marquis we’re giving up? Are you ready to take responsibility for that?”

With a sigh, the butler nodded in agreement.

The group gathered once more and made their way to Rosalyn’s room.

Knock, knock.

The moment the butler knocked, Rosalyn’s irritated voice shouted from within.

“What is it? I told you not to come!”

In a trembling voice, the butler replied, “Ah, I’ve brought new attendants to serve you, my lady.”

“What? Who asked for that?”

“However… the household has been short-staffed lately, hasn’t it? So we’ve brought in some new staff. We thought it best to introduce them to you since they’ll be attending to your needs.”

There was a moment of silence from Rosalyn.

Even though she stayed secluded in her room to avoid people, she couldn’t avoid her personal maids entirely.

There had to be someone to prepare her meals, bathwater, and clothing, as well as to clean the room.

The maids would always try to finish their tasks as quickly as possible, but Rosalyn couldn’t even tolerate them for that short amount of time.

Whenever something displeased her, no matter how minor, she would lash out fiercely.

It was not uncommon for the staff, worn out by her outbursts or unable to bear the stress, to quit.

“Let them in.”

After a long pause, Rosalyn’s curt reply came.

The tightly shut door slowly opened, and two women stepped inside.

They were dressed neatly and elegantly in the Branford family’s exclusive attendant uniforms, carrying themselves with grace.

They bowed slightly toward Rosalyn.

“Hello, my name is Belinda.”

“I’m Wendy. It’s a pleasure to serve you.”

As Rosalyn slowly inspected their faces, her expression twisted.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

These were clearly the women who had been with that so-called doctor earlier.

And now they had the nerve to appear as new attendants? The audacity was beyond belief.

“Are you playing games with me? Do you two have a death wish?”

Grinding her teeth, Rosalyn stood up from her seat. Even so, Belinda didn’t wipe the smile off her face.

“From today onward, we will serve you with the utmost care. I’m quite experienced in such matters.”

“Serve me? What exactly do you mean by that?”

“We will begin treatment. Please prepare yourself.”

“What? Who gave you permission—”

Before Rosalyn could finish her sentence, Belinda and Wendy sprang into action like lightning.