Chapter 27

Indeed, she was revered as “The Holy Woman.” Her beauty was undeniable, but it was her constant charity that earned her the respect of both nobility and commoners. When illness forced her to retreat, the people lamented her absence. Her return was a celebration – a saint blessed by God, restored to health and ready to care for the needy once more.

But that’s just one facet of who she was. Would their rivalry over a man have been different if circumstances were different? Odette was simply reclaiming what she felt was rightfully hers, albeit in an underhanded way. To Lelusha, Odette was a villain, but she knew everything was a matter of perspective.

Who would Odette be in their next encounter, reborn in new bodies and circumstances?

“Odette will be delighted to see you,” the woman said. “You were very close as children.”

Odelliana’s brows furrowed. “Really?”

“When she was little, Odette would always accompany me on visits. Eventually, the visits stopped, though I know she always regretted it. She’ll be thrilled to reconnect.”

“If she’s volunteering, it might be a while before she returns.”

Can one truly overcome the dissonance between their physical form and their soul? If Odette is as kind and good as Blair suggests, could Lelusha even consider dredging up past sins for retribution?

Lost in thought, Odelliana felt a tap on her hand. Glancing up, she saw Matthias beside her, gesturing towards a sealed letter on the table.

“Oh,” she said, picking it up. “This is the letter I was going to deliver to you, Blair. Saved you a trip.”

“A letter?” Blair’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Yes,” Odelliana explained. “I was worried after losing contact and had a favor to ask.”

“A favor? What is it?”

“I need another efficient servant,” she said, her voice dropping to a low whisper.

“Are the current staff insufficient?” Blair asked.

Odelliana hesitated. “…The children here are competent, but I can’t trust them. They all belong to my parents, reporting my every move.”

Blair pursed his lips. “I see. Then you need someone like Matthias – someone unaffiliated with your family, loyal only to you.”

“Exactly,” Odelliana nodded. “I’m already searching for someone to replace me here, someone to be my eyes and ears when I can’t visit. Finding an outsider takes time. In the meantime, could Matthias deliver his reports through this new person?”

A pause. Blair furrowed his brow in discomfort. “Odelliana,” he began cautiously, “while I understand this is a misunderstanding, it’s best to avoid gossip. Maintaining proper boundaries between men and women is important. Keeping Matthias so close might raise eyebrows. Even your parents are worried.”

“Speaking of worried parents,” Odelliana added dryly, “they’ve taken their concern to a new level, personally supplying me with contraceptives.”

The accusations were baffling. Shouldn’t normal parents verify facts before jumping to conclusions? Clearly, Odelliana’s parents were convinced she was a predator.

“I’ll be careful,” she promised.

“Yes, I trust you, Odelliana,” Blair replied, though his voice held a hint of doubt.

He lingered, reluctant to leave. Finally, with a heavy heart, he departed, his figure forlorn.

“My only protector is powerless here,” Odelliana murmured, glancing at the closed door.

Matthias, looking in the same direction, nodded. “He’s limited in his influence.”

“What power does a second son truly have?” she sighed. “Their parents and the heir hold absolute authority. Besides, kindness is often mistaken for weakness. The more gentle you are, the more the world seems to exploit you.”

Despite the chaos, Blair’s visit and the distraction caused by the Grüsewald heir had calmed her.

“I need to see doctors,” she declared.

“Bringing them here is impossible, Master,” Matthias replied. “You’ll need to go out.”

“Is it even possible?” she worried.

Matthias turned to the window, where five knights guarded each section. “It won’t be difficult,” he assured her.

“But it must be a secret. No one can know I left.”

A reassuring smile touched Matthias’ lips. “Leave the arrangements to me.”

***

Past midnight, Matthias, having scouted the area earlier, slipped through Odelliana’s window like a phantom. Though she initially suspected him – a spy perhaps? – her tense muscles relaxed at the sight of his moonlit face.

“You startled me,” she gasped. “Why did you come in through the window instead of using the perfectly good door?”

“More dramatic, wouldn’t you say?” he winked. “Besides, it’s quicker leaving this way.”

With practiced efficiency, Matthias pulled an outer garment over Odelliana and bundled her in a thick blanket before carefully scooping her up.

“Are you trying to turn me into a cocoon?” she teased, despite the warmth spreading through her.

“The night air bites,” he countered. “Better safe than sorry.”

“Safe, yes, but completely immobile.”

“Precisely,” he chuckled, already leaping out the window. They headed towards the secluded pond adjoining the annex. A towering wall, easily ten meters high, bordered the pond. A rope dangled invitingly, no doubt Matthias’ afternoon handiwork.

He could have scaled the wall with ease, Odelliana thought, impressed. But using the rope was a clever way to maintain his disguise.

Despite her slight frame (over 40 kg wasn’t nothing), Odelliana worried Matthias might struggle carrying her up the rope with one hand. Yet, he ascended the wall with effortless skill, his thin physique betraying surprising strength honed by a lack of proper nourishment.

Sliding down the rope on the other side, they were met with a waiting horse. With practiced ease, Matthias bundled Odelliana, still cocooned in the blanket, onto the horse before joining her. One arm encircled her securely, the other grasped the reins.

“Relax,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”

The sensation of riding after so long was unnerving. Though a past life filled her with memories of chafed thighs and a sore backside, the unfamiliar height and feel of the horse sent shivers down her spine. Her unbalanced posture, a consequence of weakened muscles, made clinging to the saddle a struggle. Without Matthias’ firm hold on her waist, a tumble was inevitable.

The irony wasn’t lost on her – a once-feared knight now fearing a simple fall.

Uncertain how long they rode under the cloak of night, Matthias finally pulled the horse to a stop before a dark marketplace. The deserted streets, devoid of even a single soul or a lit shop, were eerily quiet. As they passed through this spectral landscape, a small, dilapidated wooden building on the verge of collapse came into view.

“This is the abandoned warehouse you requested,” Matthias announced, guiding the horse to a stop. “The doctors are waiting inside.”

A faint glow emanated from the dilapidated warehouse. Matthias dismounted first, then carefully lifted Odelliana down and carried her towards the entrance.

Inside, four figures rose to greet them: an elderly man, a middle-aged man, and two young women in their mid-twenties.

“Is this the patient you mentioned?” the elder inquired.

“Yes,” Matthias confirmed.

“Very well,” the man said, gesturing for them to come forward. “Let’s have a look.”

The doctors took turns examining Odelliana, meticulously employing various diagnostic tools. They used artifacts that reacted to heart conditions, along with stones that changed color when exposed to unhealthy blood.

After a thorough examination using a variety of methods typically associated with diagnosing heart disease, the doctors reached a unanimous conclusion.

“Her heart appears perfectly healthy,” the elder doctor announced. “Both her pulse and blood chemistry show no signs of any heart ailment.”

Relief washed over Odelliana – for a moment, at least. If it wasn’t heart disease, then why on earth would the Duke of Grüsewald prescribe heart medication?