Chapter 013: Doctor Sarah Windfold
HAHHH
The deep and heavy sigh from Alwyn caught Randy by surprise. He quickly turned to see his friend's face, filled with a rare expression of worry.
"Alwyn, what's wrong?" Randy asked, furrowing his brow, sensing an unusual tension in Alwyn's demeanor. "Your face... You look so worried. It's not like you, who's usually so calm," he continued, bewildered.
"Lady Athaleyah... I don't know what to do," Alwyn replied, his voice filled with frustration.
"Why?" Randy exclaimed, still puzzled. "Isn't Lady usually trouble-free, except when she's ill, but that's not something we can control..."
"That's the problem, Randy," Alwyn cut in, his expression darkening, his eyes filled with anxiety. "Lady has never complained, not even once! And it only makes me worry more seeing her condition become so confusing."
Randy paused for a moment, trying to process his friend's strange complaints. He hadn't expected Alwyn, who had always appeared indifferent and unbothered since their academy days, to be so frustrated with a young lady who would soon be his master's wife.
"You might be right," Randy finally said, breaking the silence. "We've always been used to a young lady who's a bit spoiled. Sometimes it even gets on our nerves. But now, dealing with a lady who does everything on her own, we're left feeling lost. In the past eight days, I've noticed that those three servants have just been lounging around, doing nothing. It's as if Lady Galina wouldn't have any problems at all without them..."
"Mm," Alwyn nodded, lost in deep thought.
Randy continued, his expression shifting as if something was bothering him. "Speaking of them, I feel like there's something off between the servants and their mistress. It's almost like they're out of sync."
Suddenly, Alwyn sat up straight, no longer leaning back. "Is that so?" he exclaimed, his eyes sharpening with a curiosity he couldn't contain. "I think... that's exactly what I've been feeling."
Randy stared at Alwyn, slightly surprised by his deep reaction. "Alwyn, I feel like your response just now was strange..." he said seriously.
Alwyn nodded, his expression signaling he was ready to dive deeper into the conversation. What started as a light discussion now felt serious, almost like they were investigating a much bigger mystery.
"Listen, I'm only good at physical work," Randy continued, his tone more serious now. "I'm not as good with documents like you. I'm not someone who's skilled at describing people... I've only met Lady Galina when we picked her up and took her to the train... Unlike you, who interacts with her daily. But Alwyn, the impression I get from her is warmth... At first, I didn't think much of it. But in the past few days, I've sensed something different. Lady Galina is very different from her servants. I'm sure... Usually, there's some kind of chemistry between a personal servant and their mistress, even without words. But those three servants... I feel something's wrong, like insecurity. They give off a strange vibe, don't they?"
"Instinct?" Alwyn asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"Yeah... Maybe!" Randy nodded. "You know, my subordinates are very cautious around Lady Galina. They know who she is and the purpose of her marriage to our Lord Duke. By instinct, they try to learn more about her. What she is, who she is, and how she really is."
Alwyn stared at him intently. "And then?" he asked, his voice flat, but his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Randy took a deep breath before continuing. "None of my subordinates trust what the servants say about Lady Galina. They feel the same way I do... You know, a personal servant like them would always be by their mistress's side almost all the time. They know their mistress better than anyone, even the mistress's own parents."
"So you mean..." Alwyn pressed, now completely serious.
"Those servants don't know anything about Lady Galina," Randy said, his voice firm. "Even the soldiers can sense it... Whether intentional or not, they have sharp instincts. They can detect anything that makes them uncomfortable. There was a time when the three servants were separated, and my subordinates tried to ask them a few questions... And you know what happened?"
Alwyn stared at him intently, clearly intrigued.
"Their answers didn't match up, not at all. Alwyn, out of the three servants, Rosa is the most obvious when she's lying..." Randy finished, his tone serious, his gaze filled with conviction.
Alwyn listened intently, absorbing every word Randy said. He started to feel like there was something much bigger at play here than a simple suspicion. All the information he had gathered so far seemed to be at odds with the reality in front of him. Lady Athaleyah Galina, the one he thought he knew, now seemed completely different from the woman on paper. Everything felt like a puzzle, growing more difficult to solve.
---
The next day, following the conversation between Alwyn and Randy, Alwyn found himself engaged in a discussion with Dr. Sarah Windfold, the young doctor who had been hastily brought from Ceron Station four days ago. They were seated in Alwyn's office.
Dr. Sarah, only 23 years old, yet possessing a charisma that commanded respect, made Alwyn treat her with a degree of reverence, even though they had only just met.
"How is Lady Athaleyah's condition, doctor?" Alwyn asked, his voice firm as he sat behind his desk, his gaze fixed on Dr. Sarah, his expression betraying the concern he couldn't conceal.
"Her condition can't be called good just yet, but given Lady Atthy's physical health, I don't foresee any serious issues..." Dr. Sarah replied calmly, yet confidently.
"Atthy!" Alwyn thought in surprise, hearing Dr. Sarah refer to Lady Athaleyah so familiarly. It felt strange, like an intimacy that didn't quite belong.
"I don't understand, doctor?" Alwyn asked, trying to mask his surprise, which was obvious on his face.
"Well, Mister Gusev," Dr. Sarah continued, her voice steady with confidence, "From my initial examination, it's clear that Lady has an exceptionally strong physique. Even her three servants don't compare to her. Perhaps it's because they come from a different region..."
"A different region?!" Alwyn exclaimed, his sharp gaze fixing on Dr. Sarah, now sitting across from him.
"Does Sir Gusev not know?" Dr. Sarah asked, almost sounding surprised.
"I... I don't understand..." Alwyn paused, trying to make sense of Dr. Sarah's confusing statement.
"Let me explain, Sir," Sarah continued patiently. "Lady Atthy is sick because her body is struggling to adjust to the new environment. Motion sickness was the starting point..."
"I know that, you already explained it," Alwyn cut in, still unable to understand how this connected to the odd feelings he had been experiencing.
"But, the three servants are ill because of exhaustion. Haven't you noticed, Sir, that the symptoms they're experiencing are different from Lady Atthy's?" Dr. Sarah asked, her gaze penetrating, as if urging Alwyn to consider something deeper.
"Then, what do you mean by they come from different regions?" Alwyn asked, growing even more confused by the increasingly unclear explanation.
"Sir Gusev," Dr. Sarah said, her words now more deliberate. "Just by their physical appearance, it's clear that Lady Atthy comes from a warmer climate."
"I know that, Lady Athaleyah is from Nauruan..." Alwyn responded quickly, as if he understood.
"Yes, Nauruan... but there is a part of Nauruan that is cooler. However, Lady... she is from Caihina, a desert and savanna region on the border of Nauruan."
"Desert, savanna?!" Alwyn exclaimed in shock, hearing this new piece of information for the first time. Suddenly, memories from a few days ago flooded back to him—the conversation he had with Lady Athaleyah, which at the time seemed like a casual statement, now felt like a long-forgotten clue.
A brief flashback, an excerpt from their conversation:
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"Lady, this is my fault for forgetting your condition..."
"It's fine, don't blame yourself... I'm used to being in the desert and savanna, so my body was a bit shocked when we started entering the colder Alps..."
---
"Yes... Desert and savanna. There is a desert on the outermost part of Caihina, and then a vast savanna in the middle... it takes about three to five days of travel from the center of Nauruan to get there. In Caihina, there are several large residential areas. There are nine villages there, located in remote areas forgotten by the Nauruan government. But despite being neglected by the government, those nine villages are quite self-sufficient. Though, I was also quite surprised. I didn't know that any nobles lived there..." Dr. Sarah explained fluently.
"You know quite a bit about Nauruan, Dr. Windfold..." Alwyn said seriously.
"I visited there when I was a teenager, following my teacher," Dr. Sarah answered flatly, as if it wasn't something particularly remarkable.
"Dr. Windfold, are you sure Lady Athaleyah is from Caihina?" Alwyn asked, his gaze locking with Dr. Sarah, a lingering question in his mind.
"I'm certain, Lady was raised in Caihina. The necklace around Lady's neck proves my point. It's an identity worn by the girls in Caihina."
"Necklace?!" Alwyn thought in shock, suddenly remembering the necklace Lady Athaleyah always wore—never taken off, as if it were part of her.
"Ah, I remember that necklace. Even Randy thought it was odd..." Alwyn's brow furrowed as the memory of his conversation with Randy resurfaced in his mind.
Two unique necklaces, always worn by Atthy, never removed—Alwyn now understood what Dr. Sarah meant about the necklace. He and Randy had once discussed it, thinking it was just a trend or a custom among noble ladies. However, the necklace didn't seem to match the attire Lady Athaleyah wore, adding to the odd impression they had of her.
"I understand now. So, will Lady Athaleyah recover soon?" Alwyn asked hopefully, seeking reassurance.
"It will take time, but I think Lady Atthy will adapt. Generally, most people only know that deserts are hot. That's true, but the heat is extreme. Sir Gusev, you can see Lady Atthy's dark skin, though it's also possible that genetic factors are contributing. But when the sun sets, the temperature in the desert drops drastically, even below zero. From that, and the symptoms Lady experienced, and her physical strength, it's highly likely that her body will adjust gradually..."
"Alright, I trust you. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Lord Gusev."
"Please..." Alwyn replied, though his mind was still racing with questions.
After the door closed, Alwyn sat in his chair with a vacant expression. Thoughts were swirling in his mind. "Dark skin, green eyes, red hair... Not just one, but so many things don't match the reports on paper... What is this really?" he thought, feeling more trapped in a web of increasingly complex riddles.
---
Finally, after a long journey, the much-anticipated day arrived. The train reached the Alpen station. The soldiers who had made the round-trip journey before looked utterly exhausted. This long trip had taken ten days for Atthy, and over twenty days for Alwyn and the rest of the group, who had traveled back and forth.
However, despite arriving, Atthy and her servants were still not recovering. They were still feverish, the effects of the exhausting journey still lingering. Their bodies seemed unable to cope with the toll of such a long and grueling trip.
"Lady..." Alwyn said, his face filled with deep concern.
"I'm sorry, Sir Alwyn... it seems I am completely drained. Could you help me?" Atthy asked in a faint voice, her body aching all over, her bones feeling as though they were pierced by a thousand needles.
"Of course, Lady... Wait... Wait a moment, I'll find..." Alwyn began to reply, but his words faltered. His gaze was locked on the tall figure standing in the doorway.
"Even from the moment you were heading to my residence, you've been a burden to everyone!" boomed a deep voice from the doorway, clearly aimed at Atthy, delivering a sharp rebuke.
"The Honorable Lord..." Alwyn quickly bowed, immediately recognizing the presence of the man.
"Alwyn, you can't even handle this!" the large man thundered, his tone unfriendly. Though his voice was soft and flat, every word that left his mouth seemed to pierce straight to Alwyn's heart, silencing him. The words Alwyn had wanted to speak now seemed to freeze in his throat.
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