Chapter 17
The sight of a woman in uniform is already surprising, but to find out she is also a doctor is astonishing; after passing through the gate, everything felt full of surprises.
The woman seemed quite familiar with such gazes, lightly bowing her head as she introduced herself.
“I’m Second Lieutenant Nora Wilson, from the Army Battalion. As you can see, I’m a woman. I am also a soldier and a doctor.”
“Oh, I…”
Hermia began to speak, but Nora quickly added,
“I completed formal education at university and obtained my medical license. I enlisted after passing the same exams as everyone else. There was nothing illegal about the process or the results, so you can rest assured.”
Her rapid-fire speech suggested she had said this many times before, even sounding a bit bored. Hermia rolled her eyes and finished her introduction.
“I’m Hermia Vansen. I’m also a woman. As you can see…?”
“Excuse me?”
“…?”
Hermia was so used to being judged by prejudiced eyes that while Nora was surprising, she wasn’t uncomfortable. Noticing Nora’s unexpected reaction, she smiled awkwardly.
“I’m sorry. I thought you would react negatively; I jumped to conclusions.”
“What do you mean?”
“No, never mind.”
Nora hurriedly unbuckled her leather bag and knelt down.
“Let’s take a look at your foot first. Oh dear, it’s bleeding quite a bit.”
“First?” Hermia frowned with concern. Nora suddenly changed her demeanor and began examining the injury as if she were a deity.
She cleaned the heel with an alcohol swab, applied ointment, and carefully placed a bandage before sending her maid away. Once they were alone, she flipped Hermia’s eyelids and examined her mouth while asking various questions.
Hermia felt dazed as she followed orders and repeatedly lifted her clothing.
Finally, after finishing the examination and hastily jotting something down in a file, Nora stepped back.
“Thank you for your patience. Please be careful to keep the wound dry. And… I apologize for my earlier rudeness.”
Rudeness? What does that mean? Still bewildered, Hermia heard a knock at the door.
“The meal is ready; the master has sent for you.”
“Oh, Emily. Please deliver this to the Colonel.”
Nora folded the note twice and handed it to the maid named Emily, who hid her hands behind her back.
“It seems better if you deliver it yourself. Everyone else has been told to attend as well.”
“Us too? The gathering is definitely next week…”
The maid silenced Nora with a fierce glare and smiled sweetly again.
“Today is the gathering.”
“Oh, I see.”
Hermia awkwardly watched Nora leave before getting up herself.
She thought she wasn’t particularly clueless, but since she had been in the dark all along, maybe that wasn’t true.
Declining the crutches brought by the maid, she put on soft slippers and slowly walked down the hallway.
The mansion was spacious and luxurious inside as well. After all, it had a reception room accessible from outside; this level of opulence was expected.
The reception room they had just exited could easily accommodate fifty people for tea. It had two pairs of double doors adorned with antique patterns.
‘Time to stop looking around.’
Although the shimmering emerald curtains beckoned her to come closer, Hermia resolutely focused ahead and followed the maid.
She noticed servants walking gracefully down long corridors—unlike in Countess’ residence where maids would stroll arm in arm chatting away.
Perhaps because their master was a soldier, they were adhering to similar rules? While pondering this, they reached their destination.
—
[Malnourishment, signs of anemia. No signs of physical punishment.]
Walter crumpled up the note Nora handed him and passed it to Aiden immediately.
“Good job. Go take a seat.”
“Yes.”
Nora briefly bowed and took a seat near the middle of a long table. Walter’s officers were seated according to rank beside her, and she naturally took her place while receiving nods from them.
A moment later, the dining hall door opened and Hermia entered with Emily. The soldiers who had been looking at them turned their heads collectively when Walter stood up.
The sound of dozens of chairs scraping back made Hermia flinch in surprise. The sight of dark-clad soldiers staring at her was intimidating.
‘Wow! That’s scary.’
As she calmed her racing heart, Walter approached her.
“Are you already able to walk?”
“Yes?”
“If someone saw you now, they might think your leg was broken,” Walter said jokingly.
Mel, who was seated to the Duke’s right—clearly an important position, chuckled softly as she sat down. Hermia understood what that meant.
The Countess always sat to her father’s right side; Mel surely knew that too. That seat was where the Duke’s wife would sit.
‘Is this how they’re informing me? That stings a little.’
No direct contact until now and allowing Mel to casually address him by name left Hermia with no choice but to conclude her marriage to Walter was already a done deal.
Hermia forced a smile while dragging a chair from an empty spot near the door to sit down. However, Emily grabbed her arm and lifted her up with strength.
“Oh my! Why are you sitting all the way at the end…?”
“?”
Emily moved her again to sit opposite Mel—essentially placing her in what would be considered a couple’s child seat in Countess’ residence. A wave of confusion washed over her again.
Walter sat between the two women as all other soldiers took their seats too.
“Henry… right? Nice to meet you again,” Mel greeted someone familiar sitting next to her with an indifferent expression as he nodded slightly in response.
‘What’s wrong with him? Would it hurt him to say something back?’
Feeling awkward, Hermia heard Mel cautiously ask,
“If my sitting here makes you uncomfortable…”
“Huh? Oh.”
Mel seemed to be seeking permission to dine together at the same table since she had just recently been a maid; perhaps she worried it would bother Hermia.
However, seeing Mel glance at Walter while speaking suggested she hoped he would reassure them both that it was fine.
Hermia didn’t mind sharing a meal with Mel at all and responded casually,
“The Duke told me your name is Melissa. I also know for sure that you are the Count’s daughter.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide it on purpose… It’s just that my memory has started coming back recently…”
Mel blinked rapidly as if flustered; it was hard to tell if it was an instinctive reaction or carefully calculated innocence.
“Let’s talk more about that later; for now, shall we eat?”
Walter gently interrupted while looking at Mel.
As Mel nodded in agreement, the door opened again and carts filled with various dishes began rolling in one after another.
Hermia sipped on pre-prepared drinks while taking in all the food being laid out on the table.
Her attention was immediately captured by glistening roasted turkey dripping with oil followed by meat pies served with honey and jam alongside large trout drenched in sweet sauce placed right in the center of the table.
Next came cream stew filled with mushrooms served beside her personal plate.
Once everything was set up, Walter raised his crystal glass as if preparing for an important speech.
Whatever it was better not take long; just then he opened his mouth,
“Let’s eat.”
“Yes!”
The subordinates answered loudly in unison before diving into their meals aggressively as if they had no interest in anything but eating.
“I hope everyone will taste everything out of respect for our chef,” Walter encouraged Hermia who remained still for a moment before finally picking up her spoon.
“Thank you for this meal.”
As those words instinctively escaped her lips, everyone paused briefly before continuing again. Hermia didn’t notice this shift as she started tasting the stew.
“…It’s delicious.”
Her quiet remark caused sudden commotion among the servants who began bustling around more energetically than before.
—
As the maid who took Hermia’s plate went outside, other maids rushed in.
“Isn’t she completely different from Helen in The Stolen Noble Lady?”
“They say she’s picky and only takes a bite before getting bored, but that doesn’t seem to be the case!”
“Which noble lady greets everyone before eating?”
“I heard from Sir Henry that her stepmother treated her terribly at the Count’s residence.”
While they whispered among themselves, Aiden approached with a cough. He handed a crumpled piece of paper to the line of maids.
“Dispose of this.”
“Yes, Head Butler.”
After politely accepting it, the maid watched as Aiden disappeared back into the dining hall.
As she unfolded the paper, other servants gathered around her as if it was expected. Once they read its contents, they all sighed in unison.
“Oh my! Malnutrition!”
“How pitiful! But why does she come off as a villain in the book? The author must have some prejudice against commoners!”
“In that sense, I support Lady Hermia. Maybe it’s because she comes from a similar background that I feel more inclined to root for her.”
“Honestly, though, Lady Melissa… Remember how she started bossing us around the moment she arrived?”
When someone brought up Mel’s name, the atmosphere quickly turned somber. They continued their conversation cautiously.
“It’s understandable that she’s thrilled about regaining her noble status, but…”
“She’s been a bit much, hasn’t she?”
Nods of agreement passed among them at someone’s brave comment.
“No matter how much of childhood friends they were, we’re not Miss Melissa’s personal maids.”
“I even gave her a foot massage just a few days ago.”
“Shouldn’t such things be done at her own home?”
“When I first saw the Stolen Lady, I felt sorry for her, but honestly, I don’t understand why she wants to enjoy the rewards of her struggles here.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
The maids sighed deeply before dispersing back to their places.
