Chapter 81

By the time I unwittingly opened my eyes and tried to gather my senses—

I saw people bowing in unison, all in the same posture.

Regardless of whether they looked like merchants, commoners, cloaked assassins, or obvious nobles.

They all struck their chest twice and placed one fist over their heart as they bowed their heads—a gesture so peculiar that it remained etched in my memory.

Every time I drifted in and out of consciousness, I saw it from different angles, making it impossible not to remember.

“Still, it’s a relief you got here quickly. The head of the house…”

There was a man who called Aivert rather casually.

And—

“To finally see your face, only to find you lying down like this. What a shame.”

I think I heard a comment that made no sense like that.

Memories surged and vanished like stamps pressed all at once in my dizzy mind, and Rodella opened her eyes in confusion.

It felt like countless memories were evaporating in an instant—like a sandcastle swept away by waves.

“You’re awake.”

“Where am I?”

Rodella opened her mouth, trying to hold onto her muddled thoughts.

“This is the capital hospital, Lenaris.”

It felt like déjà vu.

She was sure she had exchanged questions and answers like this before.

The ceiling and surrounding decorations, which she hadn’t seen in a long time, conveyed a sense of restrained beauty.

“……!”

What instantly came to mind was the Royden family.

She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed before—this place was so similar to Royden.

“What year is it now? Do you remember the season?”

As she answered the questions being asked amid her mental fog, Rodella felt her consciousness gradually becoming clearer.

And then, it hit her.

The physician checking her condition had the unmistakable air of a noble family servant—something you’d never feel in an imperial hospital.

Rodella recalled her last visit when she had gone to see Lady Royden.

Even then, the doctors had clearly been nervous around her.

“The bleeding stopped early, but you didn’t wake for quite some time, so there was much concern.”

The doctor, seemingly satisfied that her responses were normal, continued.

Rodella tilted her head slightly.

“For a long time?”

Had she really been lying down that long?

It felt more like she had been drifting in and out of sleep for a few hours.

“Yes. It’s been about three days since you last woke.”

The doctor’s shocking statement came as he explained more details.

What? Three days?

“So you should refrain from any strenuous activity…”

“No, wait a minute.”

Had she really been unconscious for three whole days?

Rodella’s eyes widened.

She instinctively tried to sit up, but was immediately overwhelmed by pain that coursed through her entire body and collapsed back down.

“Ugh!”

“Your body went through a lot. Moving too suddenly will cause pain.”

The doctor gently laid her back down.

“The head of the house was very concerned because the bleeding was severe.”

“That…”

That comment made Rodella feel that something was seriously off.

The way he so casually referred to “the head of the house” seemed to mean Aivert.

But it was strange to hear that term in a private hospital like Lenaris.

If the hospital had deep ties with a noble family, other nobles wouldn’t have used it freely.

Of course, the overly respectful attitude was odd too—but this statement nailed it.

Rodella asked the question.

“Is this hospital somehow connected to the Royden family?”

The doctor answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“This hospital is the property of Royden.”

It was a strange way to put it. Not “owned by the Royden family,” but simply “the property of Royden”—subtly different.

“……?”

Rodella’s confusion deepened, though the doctor, unaware, bowed again.

“The head of the house instructed that Lady Rodella Syveric be treated with the utmost care and not experience the slightest discomfort.”

The doctor spoke politely and stepped back with great caution, as if he were a subject in the presence of an emperor.

Click.

Once the door closed, Rodella was left alone in the spacious hospital room.

“……?”

She blinked slowly.

The Royden family she knew was certainly an old and noble house.

But their power had waned since the previous head.

And after Lady Royden withdrew from social circles, the family no longer held any real influence.

Even Aivert, after becoming head of the family, had focused more on his knighthood duties than restoring the family’s prestige…

“….”

Or had he?

Rodella suddenly recalled the day they had gone to submit a regular report together.

The many polite nods directed toward him.

Lady Royden had been absent from society for some time—yet those connections extended to Aivert?

Rodella, who had seen the underbelly of the nobility from her time in the treasury, knew this well: Nobles never maintain relationships that bring no benefit to their house.

Even if someone had been close to Lady Royden, if it brought no social gain, few would go out of their way to treat Aivert warmly.

So had Aivert been participating in social events?

Absolutely not.

As more questions piled upon questions in her mind—

Knock knock.

A soft knock came at the door.

“Rodella, are you resting?”

It was the chancellor’s voice. Rodella’s eyes shot open.

“No!”

Even the chancellor had come? Well, she had been unconscious for three days. It wouldn’t be surprising if everyone had come by now.

Thinking about how she must have looked while lying there so messily made her face burn.

She tried to fan herself with her hand, but her body still didn’t respond well—proof that she really had been bedridden for days.

“Am I disturbing your rest?”

At that moment, the chancellor peeked in through the door.

Rodella quickly shook her head.

“Not at all!”

“Are you feeling any better? A lot of people were worried.”

Up close, Chancellor Ameris looked tired.

Rodella, who had been helped up into a sitting position, glanced at her with concern.

Even though Ameris had never exactly lived an easy life, she now looked far more exhausted than she ever had during Rodella’s time at the treasury.

Not that Rodella was in any position to be worried about others after just waking up.

“I imagine so. Being unconscious for three days…”

Rodella mumbled, clenching and releasing her hand that still lacked strength.

She had suffered minor and major injuries before, but this was the first time something like this had happened.

Even after the carriage accident on the day of her academy graduation, she had only stayed in bed for a day.

Watching her drift into thought, the chancellor gave her a faint, pained smile.

“I feel like I sent you to a difficult place.”

Rodella startled and quickly shook her head.

“No, not at all.”

She waved her hand gently—still not in any shape for sudden movements.

Ameris took her hand and slowly closed and opened her eyes.

“Well, strictly speaking, this incident wasn’t the knights’ fault to begin with.”

Then her eyes narrowed with a faintly scornful smile.

“You know what’s funny?”

“…What?”

“Normally, if someone’s injured during public service, they’re sent to a national hospital. But Aivert insisted you be brought to Lenaris.”

Still smiling, Ameris added,

“He even threatened to destroy the national hospital if that’s what it took to get you into Lenaris.”

“What?”

Rodella’s jaw dropped.

What the hell kind of stunts is that guy pulling?