CH 36

[Young Lady Boyd has fallen unconscious!]

Upon hearing the news from Isabel, Adeline immediately ran to the party hall.

Isabel, and of course, Melissa, went after her in a hurry.

There was no other choice given the situation.

“Vivian! Aah, my baby. Come on, wake up.”

After quickly arriving at the party hall, they saw Countess Boyd screaming while holding her unconscious daughter.

The collapsed young lady was the Countess’ youngest daughter, whom she got at a late age.

Adeline caught her breath and approached the young lady lying in the arms of Countess Boyd.

“Where is the doctor? Did you call the doctor in the castle?”

“He is currently doing rounds in the village as per His Grace’s command. I’m keeping in touch with him, and I sent a knight to get a doctor from outside the castle.”

Isabel quickly answered.

In other words, no doctor could run there right now.

Adeline bit her lips and checked the pulse of the fallen lady.

Fortunately, there was a pulse, but both her energy and breath were as weak as a candle in front of the wind.

‘The situation is very bad.’

Feeling stunned, Adeline glanced at the unconscious young lady once again.

‘Her face is getting really pale…’

She helped heal Leo’s both big and small wounds, as he came back injured every now and then, whenever she could, but she lacked professional medical knowledge.

Adeline worried as it was impossible to accurately diagnose and take action.

“I know a few things about medicine. I can buy some time until the doctor arrives.”

While she was at a loss, Melissa, who had rolled up the sleeves of her dress, sat down next to the unconscious lady.

As Melissa, wearing a tattered dress, drew closer to her daughter, Countess Boyd pulled her tighter into her arms.

It was a reflexive move.

“Countess Boyd! Are you going to kill your daughter?”

“W-what do you mean…”

“Only Lady Melissa can take a look at her condition right now. If you want to save your daughter, leave it to her at once.”

Adeline’s voice was calm but powerful.

Under pressure from the voice that was lower than usual, Countess Boyd released her embrace and laid her daughter on the floor.

Melissa thanked Adeline with an eye greeting, then calmly examined her breath and pulse.

“First, we have to make it easier for her to breathe. We should loosen her corset.”

Countess Boyd’s pupils shook at Melissa’s words.

Even if the party hall was filled with women, it was shameful to undress in front of so many people in order to loosen the corset.

Adeline knew this well. The impact it would have on the young lady, who had just made her debut in the social world, would be enormous.

“Ladies, Young Ladies. Can you hold each other’s hands and stand like a wall to cover Young Lady Boyd? While keeping your backs to us, of course.”

“Of course, Your Grace.”

“Of course!”

As soon as Adeline devised a method, the women that were around them surrounded the fallen lady.

As Adeline had said, they turned their backs on the lady and held each other’s hands to cover her.

Only Countess Boyd, Adeline, and Melissa could see the fallen lady.

“Our vision is blocked, so no one can see us either.”

After Adeline’s confirmation, Melissa nodded and immediately took off the collapsed young lady’s dress before loosening the corset straps.

She was unable to breathe just from how tightened her waist was.

“Her complexion was so pale, and her hands were cold that I quickly thought she either had an upset stomach or was suffocating. Given how tight her corset was, that seems to be correct.”

Melissa sighed and looked at the unconscious lady with pity.

Her assumption was right, and as soon as she loosened the overly tight corset, the young lady’s complexion started improving.

Upon confirming this, Melissa brought the small handbag she had put down next to her into her arms. It was an old bag that made the wives and the young ladies click their tongues for being ugly.

“It’s medicine. A medicine made with healthy herbs. Rest assured, Countess Boyd, that it wasn’t made at the poor Baron’s house and no strange ingredients were put inside.”

As soon as Melissa took the medicine from the bag, Countess Boyd was startled again, and this time, Melissa did not put up with it before Adeline stepped forward.

Countess Boyd avoided her gaze, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Melissa let out a small sigh, pulled the unconscious lady into her arms, and let the medicine flow through her dry lips.

“Ugh…”

“Vivian!”

With the corset that was tightening her body gone and the medicine taking effect, the unconscious lady frowned and moved slightly.

It was evident that she was regaining consciousness.

As her body began to react clearly, both Melissa and Adeline sighed in relief.

“Mother?”

“Aah, Vivian. Are you awake? Do you know how surprised I was?”

Soon after, the collapsed lady regained consciousness.

Although some color had returned to her, she was still slightly pale, and the speed at which she responded to Countess Boyd’s words made it seem like her mind was still hazy.

“Isabel. Are you here?”

“Yes, Your Grace. I’m right in front of you.”

“Tell the maids to bring a blanket to cover the Young Lady.”

“I’ll move right away.”

In order for the doctor to come to them, the wall the women had made in a hurry needed to be dissolved.

She couldn’t wear the dress properly again, so she needed a cloth to cover her loosened clothes.

“Now that she has regained consciousness, I think it will be fine to just wait for the doctor to arrive.”

“That’s right. You did a great job. Thank you.”

Adeline smiled brightly and grabbed Melissa’s hands.

As if she didn’t expect this kind of contact, Melissa looked at Adeline with a somewhat surprised face.

“Your Grace!”

Isabel brought a blanket and handed it to her, and at about the same time, the doctor arrived at the party hall.

The women gave way, and the doctor urgently checked on the young lady.

Melissa also explained the condition she had identified and the medicine she had given her.

“You did great. It seems her condition subsided quickly without worsening thanks to you. However, she is still in a dangerous situation, so it will be better to move her and examine her thoroughly.”

The doctor genuinely admired Melissa.

Adeline looked at him satisfactorily and offered a room to the doctor and Countess Boyd.

“Thank you, Your Grace. How can I repay this favor…”

Countess Boyd, who was about to head to the room with her daughter, approached Adeline and thanked her.

The woman who had attacked Adeline during the tea party was acting unimaginably polite.

“You have to thank Lady Harmon, not me. I didn’t do anything. It was all thanks to Lady Harmon.”

Adeline nitpicked her gratitude and praised Melissa.

Melissa was the one who sorted out the situation that could have turned more serious.

“… Thank you, Lady Harmon.”

Even in front of the benefactor who had saved her daughter, Countess Boyd could not fully give up her pride.

It seemed that she didn’t like the fact that the daughter of a poor baron was the one who saved her daughter’s life.

Melissa bowed her head lightly, seemingly not surprised.

She had experienced it so often in the aristocratic society that she had gotten good and enduring punishment, so she was not hurt by each of these gazes.

Adeline was bothered by that.

That’s why she wanted to praise Melissa even more.

“Thank you all for your consideration towards Young Lady Boyd today. I was really impressed when you held each other’s hands and made a wall.”

Adeline thanked the women who remained in the hall, then looked at Melissa.

The gazes of the women in the hall followed Adeline and turned to Melissa too.

“I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Young Lady Harmon for all her hard work. It is no exaggeration to say that Young Lady Harmon saved Young Lady Boyd’s life.”

Melissa, who responded politely, looked around embarrassed as soon as she straightened her slightly bent knees.

The temperature of the eyes that looked at Melissa had changed dramatically.

They weren’t clicking their tongues, saying that she was shabby, nor were they ignoring her for being the daughter of a poor baron.

Even though they weren’t perfectly favoring her, at least their contempt and disregard had been completely erased.

“…”

Melissa looked at Adeline with trembling eyes.

Adeline was just looking at Melissa with a soft smile.

In fact, it was thanks to Adeline that the women changed the way they looked at Melissa.

It was definitely Melissa’s ability that saved Young Lady Boyd, but without Adeline, who had set her merit straight, it was obvious that nothing would have changed.

‘Her mind has changed.’

Just as Melissa realized that the temperature of the gazes towards her had changed, Adeline noticed that Melissa’s feelings towards her had also changed.

Adeline grinned as she approached Melissa and took her hand.

“So, I want Young Lady Harmon to stay by my side and aid me. As a young lady with a lot of capability, she will definitely be of help to me.”

It was as if she had officially declared that she would make Melissa her handmaid.

The women whispered in surprise.

But Adeline didn’t mind it at all. Still smiling, she looked at Melissa.

In this situation, there was no way Melissa could refuse the offer.

To put it simply, it was as if Adeline had put Melissa on a dead-end path with a grin on her face.

“It is a great honor, Your Grace.”

In the end, Melissa took over the handmaid position as Adeline wished.

Adeline smiled proudly, thinking it was a great outcome.

It was a hunting method she learned from Kael.

In the same way he made Adeline his spouse, Adeline made Melissa her person.