Chapter 73

I finally managed to get some time alone. I had been overwhelmed being constantly surrounded by Winnie, Norman, and Freyer for several days, but as my head cleared, something came to mind.

 

“The guild!”

 

I hadn’t contacted Kenny for nearly a week. He must have things to ask me about. Surely, Kenny must be facing difficult situations.

 

“I need to contact him.”

 

I went to retrieve the communication sphere I kept in the desk drawer to contact Kenny.

 

“Where did it go?”

 

I couldn’t have been mistaken; I always kept it in the same spot where I used it daily. I also put it there after contacting Kenny recently.

 

“Did I put it somewhere else?”

 

Thinking I might have forgotten it on the sofa in front of the fireplace while checking documents the other day, I approached the fireplace.

 

“Where is it?”

 

Since it wasn’t in the expected place, I searched every possible spot in the room. But I couldn’t even find anything resembling the communication sphere. As I was searching the bedroom, Winnie entered the room.

 

“Young Lady, what are you doing?”

 

I lifted a cushion on the sofa and asked,

 

“Winnie, have you seen the communication sphere?”

 

“…The communication sphere?”

 

“Yes. I need to contact Kenny, but it’s missing. Did you take it to the study?”

 

I usually kept documents there, so it might be buried under paperwork, and I missed it. After all, I wasn’t the type to put things exactly in their place.

 

“I, I tidied it up!”

 

“You tidied it up?”

 

“Yes!”

 

It was possible that she had cleaned up the communication sphere that was lying around while tidying. I nodded in acceptance.

 

“Then could you bring the communication sphere to me?”

 

“Oh, no!”

 

At her high-pitched shout, I looked at Winnie with a bewildered expression. Lately, she had been frequently stopping me and saying no.

 

“Why not this time? I understand the other things, but absolutely not this time. I have to contact Kenny.”

 

Winnie avoided my gaze and told me,

 

“It’s not that you can’t, Young Lady… the communication sphere can’t!”

 

“The communication sphere can’t?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Winnie nodded vigorously, up and down, and said,

 

“I accidentally dropped the communication sphere while cleaning, and it broke.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Would I lie to you, Young Lady?”

 

I looked at Winnie with a skeptical gaze.

 

Winnie was truly bad at lying. The current Winnie found it difficult to meet my eyes and kept fiddling with her nose with her right hand. All the signs of lying were present.

 

“And, just in time, some documents and a letter arrived from Kenny!”

 

“…Then why didn’t you bring them to me?”

 

“Because you were sick, Young Lady, and Butler Norman and His Highness Freyer both said it might be too much for you and told me not to deliver the documents.”

 

Since I hadn’t been awake for several days, they were trying to prevent me from overexerting myself. But now, I absolutely had to check on the guild’s affairs.

 

“Then, could you bring me the letter and documents, Winnie?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Winnie quickly rushed out the door and returned to me, holding the documents and letter in both hands.

 

“Here you are, Young Lady!”

 

“Thank you.”

 

I first opened Kenny’s letter, and upon reading its contents, I jumped up from my seat.

 

“I have to go to the guild.”

 

 

***

 

 

Freyer was not at the mansion due to pressing business, which was a good time to drop a bombshell. I immediately called Norman and told him.

 

“I need to go to work.”

 

“Absolutely not, Young Lady.”

 

Norman replied strongly and added,

 

“I will have them send letters regarding the guild work…”

 

I showed Norman the documents I was holding.

 

“Winnie said you told her not to show me the documents and letter.”

 

“Yes… I made that choice because the Young Lady’s health comes first.”

 

Norman’s expression showed he would definitely not listen to me, but this issue was one I couldn’t easily give up on anymore.

 

Currently, the staff working at the guild numbered around ten people. Among them, the only person I could entrust with the overall guild affairs was Kenny. However, a major problem had occurred at the guild while I was unconscious.

 

‘In that case, I have no choice but to use my ace card.’

 

“Then, call the healer.”

 

“The healer?”

 

I crossed my arms and nodded three or four times.

 

“Yes, I know everyone is worried about me and is preventing me from going out. But for my sake, no, for the sake of our family, I must go to the guild to check on the work. If the healer says I’m fine, then let’s end the bed ban, or rather, the going-out ban.”

 

“But…”

 

“Young Lady!”

 

“If the healer says I need absolute rest, I will handle the guild work from the mansion without complaint. How about that?”

 

Everyone frowned, looking dissatisfied, but I couldn’t compromise any further.

 

“You must truly keep your word, Young Lady.”

 

“Of course. I don’t go back on my word.”

 

“Understood. We will bring the magic…, no, the healer.”

 

Perhaps it was not a bad offer, as Norman finally accepted my request.

 

 

***

 

 

Soon after, Norman brought the healer, and I told him the main point.

 

“I can’t stay at the mansion right now, but everyone keeps stopping me, saying I’m not well. I’m going to follow whatever the healer says after checking my condition.”

 

“Ah, well then, I will check your physical condition.”

 

The healer felt my pulse and nodded.

 

“Your recovery rate is faster than expected.”

 

“I’ve been taking my medicine diligently.”

 

I had been dutifully taking the dreadful medicine after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was probably thanks to having someone looking after me.

 

“In that case, is it possible for me to go out now?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

The healer began to ponder, exhaling through his nose, and everyone watched him intently. He nodded slightly and replied, “In this condition, I think it would be fine for you to go out and handle your work.”

 

I silently shouted ‘Yay!’ with delight. Norman and Winnie’s reactions were in contrast to mine; their faces lost all hope, and they began to protest.

 

“Didn’t the magic… didn’t the healer specifically tell us to take good care of the Young Lady’s body?”

 

“The Young Lady has not fully recovered yet!”

 

“So, if you could re-examine her…”

 

The healer shook his head and lowered my arm, which he had been holding the pulse of.

 

“I understand your concerns, but the unstable man… hup.”

 

“!”

 

In the blink of an eye, Winnie covered the healer’s mouth, and I was utterly astonished by the sight and stared at them.

 

Both the healer and Winnie seemed dumbfounded by the unfolding situation, only rolling their eyes at each other. Winnie quickly took her hand away from the healer’s mouth.

 

“A-A bug was about to fly into his mouth!”

 

Norman sighed, moving his lips as if he had something to say.

 

“May I speak with you privately, Healer?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the others. These were the actions of people hiding something from me.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

They all immediately clammed up in unison, and Norman replied to me.

 

“I’m getting old, and my back hasn’t been well lately, Young Lady.”

 

“?”

 

“So, I wanted to ask the healer if he could examine me separately.”

 

“That’s right! Butler Norman has been suffering immensely lately, saying his back isn’t good!”

 

Everyone spoke as if they had rehearsed it, but since it concerned Norman’s health, I dropped my suspicion.

 

“Norman needs to be careful now, too.”

 

“Thank you for your concern.”

 

I asked the healer once more.

 

“Then, can I go out to the guild and work from now on?”

 

“Yes, it would be best for you to rest today and go out starting tomorrow. Please do not forget to take your medicine diligently, and it would be good to increase your stamina through consistent exercise. Also, please keep your distance from magic tools as much as possible.”

 

“?”

 

I tried to ask about the magic tools, but Norman and Winnie hurried the healer out, and he swiftly left.

 

“Still, I’m glad the going-out ban was lifted so quickly.”

 

I was finally able to go to the guild after nearly two weeks.

 

 

***

 

 

In the end of the hallway, Norman asked the healer in a very low voice.

 

“Healer. Is there really no problem?”

 

“Currently, the unstable mana has subsided considerably, and the situation has slightly improved. It seems that the method of blocking exposure to surrounding mana was effective.”

 

The fact that the Young Lady’s body had improved was definitely good news, but Norman and Winnie could not feel completely relieved right now. Winnie, who was standing beside him, carefully asked the healer.

 

“Are you saying that she will be unstable if we don’t restrict mana…?”

 

“The situation could possibly worsen again.”

 

“Th-Then what if she is exposed to mana after going outside?”

 

Winnie was practically in tears. Norman and Winnie were on edge with anxiety about the Young Lady stepping outside. They had removed as many magic tools as possible inside the mansion and blocked contact, but the outside world was fraught with unexpected dangers.

 

“Butler Norman, perhaps it’s time to inform the Young Lady about her constitution…”

 

“Later… Let’s tell her once the Young Lady stabilizes.”

 

“But…”

 

“His Highness Freyer also advised against telling her.”

 

Norman decided not to inform the Young Lady of her constitution. Although the Young Lady might suspect this fact, since there was no treatment method currently available, they agreed it would be better to inform her once a treatment was found.

 

“If the Young Lady collapses again… I’m so scared.”

 

The Young Lady complained daily about the lack of a communication sphere, and it would be even harder to restrict her outside.

 

To conduct guild business, she needed a communication sphere to contact the Baron, various guests, and trading guilds.

 

‘The Baron is not answering our calls.’

 

They had tried to contact the Baron immediately to ask when he could return, but since there was no news, the employees of the Baron’s residence could only fret and worry.

 

“Is there no other solution?”

 

The first solution the healer had initially suggested was to minimize mana exposure, and the second was to transfer the accumulated mana in the body through a medium. Currently, the first method was almost impossible.

 

“…”

 

Norman looked down at the floor in anxiety, and Winnie was also silent.

 

“I will look for another method to stabilize the unstable mana and extract the accumulated mana from her body.”

 

“Really…?”

 

“Of course. Am I not a healer and a mage who treats patients?”

 

Thanks to the confident healer, Winnie and Norman’s expressions softened.

 

“We ask for your help.”

 

The healer’s eyes sparkled, and he smiled.

 

“Of course. Just trust me.”