The Ridsdels walked through the underground corridors, occasionally lit by torches. The basement of the chapel was connected to the ducal residence.
Louise Dunst was waiting for them in the basement study of the mansion. The three of them were alone, but they were talking so quietly that only the other could hear. Mrs. Dunst's eyes were drawn to the flower petals that had settled gently on the tea in the teacup.
“I’m sure it’s okay since she's drinking it again. Is it true that she stopped drinking it simply because she switched to a different tea?”
“Yes. She was drinking herbal tea from the field without knowing anything. She might have gotten sick of the rose scent. Angie was so sensitive that even old memories that had been closed off were coming back to her.”
Laura's natural lies were leaking out of her mouth. It was from a mother's heart to protect her daughter. Her pale complexion, her emaciated body, and her dull hair were all due to withdrawal symptoms. It was clear that she had stopped drinking on purpose, even though she did not know why. Mrs. Dunst nodded.
“It’ll be okay now. You don’t have to worry.”
“That’s true, but... Is it really okay? Even if her memory returns to normal, what on earth was that dream? She said the man in her dream was Martin Silva.”
At Laura's words, one of Mrs. Dunst's eyebrows twitched.
“Martin Silva...?”
The puzzlement was evident in her eyes, her tone of voice, and even in the tips of her fingers as she put down the teacup. It seemed as if she really didn't know.
“She said he escaped from the island. In her dreams. Could he be one of the escapees?”
“Up until now, all the escapees have been tracked down and dealt with. Of course, there are people whose whereabouts are unknown at sea, but it is safe to say that there is no chance of their survival.”
Mrs. Dunst took a small bottle out of a drawer and thrust it toward Laura. Laura accepted the bottle containing the white powder with a puzzled expression.
“As far as I remember, there was no remedy with that name. Dreams are just dreams. From now on, mix this sleeping pill with roses. She will sleep soundly for a while without dreaming.”
“Madam, about our daughter.”
Patrick Ridsdel had been silent the whole time, but then suddenly opened his mouth. His wrinkled eyes were worried.
“I’m sure Angie is safe? I heard that Lord Kai excluded her from both the Remedy and Duchess candidates before he entered the treatment room. The Lord strongly insisted on doing so.”
“That’s right. Everyone was expecting it, but... the young master eventually changed his mind.”
“Then the child’s safety is guaranteed, right? Even though the child’s blood is particularly compatible with him, there are plenty of other children out there who are equally compatible.”
“Yes, that’s true. You two... I guess you’ve grown very attached to Angie. You seem genuinely worried.”
“Honestly, that’s how it turned out. She was such a lovely child...”
The Ridsdel couple nodded at the same time. They were too empathetic, like real parents, but they couldn't help feeling attached. Then Laura intervened again.
“But, whenever the master wakes up for a moment, he always sends a letter to Angie... Do you happen to know what it says?”
“I don’t know. As you know, the Blackwell family’s letters are sealed, so you can’t open them in advance. But it’s probably just a letter of greeting. Even though Angie has been ruled out as a potential bride for Remedy or something... I guess Master still has feelings for her. He's still sending her a letter of greeting like that.”
Mrs. Dunst lowered her clasped hands to her knees with a stern expression.
“With this, Angie can live peacefully on this island like she is now. You two know well what will happen to the child whose original role as Remedy will be finished... Fortunately, Angie is healthy. It’s probably because the master has been able to survive so well without Remedy’s blood that Angie has rarely been used.”
Patrick and Laura's shoulders trembled simultaneously.
“The Master ordered that Angie be left alone. He did not want her to end up like Lucia and Natalia. His orders are absolute, as you know, and even more so now that Master Edward is no longer here.”
“But, Ma’am, Angie’s mind is very strong and she has a strong immunity to drugs. Even while drinking rose tea, she sometimes said something strange. It felt like her past memories were coming back to her piece by piece. What if... this medicine doesn’t work and Martin keeps appearing in her dreams, and her old memories come back little by little regardless of the rose tea?”
“That won’t happen. If it doesn’t work out...”
Mrs. Dunst's mouth tightened a little.
“With your consent, we can inject the amnesiac in the second stage. That might be better. Although it is rare, the few people who have gone through the second stage have actually become happier. They have lived happily on this island without any worries until they die, and they will continue to do so.”
The couple was dumbfounded by Mrs. Dunst's assertion. Stage 2 meant a reset process using amnesia drugs. If, unfortunately, old memories gradually returned and the drugs did not solve the problem, a reset process had to be carried out to erase the old memories and plant new ones.
It was an island rule that could never be broken. The intangible law had to be applied to everyone without exception.
“But it’s better for her to be alive and well. The master wants Angie to continue living. I think the master is also very fond of the child, just like the two of you.”
Mrs. Dunst smiled faintly. The couple rose from their seats with somewhat relieved expressions. Left alone, she folded her hands neatly and drank the rest of her cold tea.
It was a secret to the Ridsdel couple, but Angie could continue to be used as a remedy depending on the young master's condition. Although she would not become a Duchess, Angie's blood was too well suited to the young master's constitution. If a better remedy than Angie appeared and became the young master's companion, then Angie would no longer have to sacrifice her body.
She would either be disposed of after its use as a remedy, or she would go through a reset process and live a peaceful life as a new Angie. If it were the former, it would be the Ridsdels who would drink the forgetfulness potion. It would be better for them to completely forget Angie as if they had never had a daughter. Just like the Hawkins couple who had taken on the role of Elliot's parents after his death were living so well now.
“Oops.”
Mrs. Dunst put down her glass as if she had forgotten and picked up her pen. She had to send a message to Baron Samuel Dervan, a collateral member of the ducal family on the mainland of Trieste.
“It’s been a long time since I greeted you. Lord Kyle is recovering steadily, albeit slowly. Therefore, the marriage between him and your niece, Leticia Dervan, will proceed as planned, so I hereby give you the instructions on behalf of Lord Kyle to prepare in advance.”
The middle-aged woman placed the letter in a white envelope and pressed the brass seal against the opening. The envelope was sealed tightly with the white eagle emblem of the Duke of Blackwell. A pull of the ceiling string brought Jerome, the loyal servant of the late Edward Blackwell, into the study.
The first frost of the year had settled on the greenery. Blood was dripping down on the frost. The blood was fresh and lukewarm, probably from a creature that had died not long ago.
The horrific corpses of decapitated birds and squirrels were piled up in the middle of a hollow in the forest of the Duke's den. There was an eerie chill in the eyes looking down at the pile of corpses that would become food. It seemed that pleasure had passed its peak and reached a state of perversion. A soft song flowed out from between the lonely lips that seemed to be drawn.
“Last year’s grave, large sprouts are starting to sprout from the corpse, breaking through the coffin-”
Like a line from Mother Goose, the eerie lyrics were carried by a pleasant bass and scattered in the wind.
“Red flowers will bloom in full force this year-”
So much blood has seeped into the earth as nutrients.
His beautiful eyes folded in half and filled with arsenic. It was hard to suppress the ecstasy that reached its peak with each kill. He glanced down at the dagger that was still bleeding and threw it absentmindedly over the corpses of the beasts.
The burial was in the final stages of its ecstasy. The lion's grave, for the umpteenth time, was silently made and buried in the earth.
The forest was terribly silent. The surviving birds did not even flutter their wings. In the heavy silence, everyone just opened their eyes and remained silent.
Until the end of winter, December, Angie had not had a single dream. Naturally, she stopped seeing Martin Silva. Little by little, the old memories that had raised her head and confused her consciousness quickly faded away.
Angie would often find herself in deep distress several times a day. She would struggle daily between the danger of forgetting important things she had to realize and the desire to continue living her peaceful life without any worries.
Angie opened the closet door of her maid's room to take out the fourth letter that had arrived last week. It was the only comfort that had soothed her longing heart. If it weren't for this letter that kept coming just before her longing rose to her throat - if it hadn't been for that, she would have buried herself in a much bigger conflict.
Louise Dunst was waiting for them in the basement study of the mansion. The three of them were alone, but they were talking so quietly that only the other could hear. Mrs. Dunst's eyes were drawn to the flower petals that had settled gently on the tea in the teacup.
“I’m sure it’s okay since she's drinking it again. Is it true that she stopped drinking it simply because she switched to a different tea?”
“Yes. She was drinking herbal tea from the field without knowing anything. She might have gotten sick of the rose scent. Angie was so sensitive that even old memories that had been closed off were coming back to her.”
Laura's natural lies were leaking out of her mouth. It was from a mother's heart to protect her daughter. Her pale complexion, her emaciated body, and her dull hair were all due to withdrawal symptoms. It was clear that she had stopped drinking on purpose, even though she did not know why. Mrs. Dunst nodded.
“It’ll be okay now. You don’t have to worry.”
“That’s true, but... Is it really okay? Even if her memory returns to normal, what on earth was that dream? She said the man in her dream was Martin Silva.”
At Laura's words, one of Mrs. Dunst's eyebrows twitched.
“Martin Silva...?”
The puzzlement was evident in her eyes, her tone of voice, and even in the tips of her fingers as she put down the teacup. It seemed as if she really didn't know.
“She said he escaped from the island. In her dreams. Could he be one of the escapees?”
“Up until now, all the escapees have been tracked down and dealt with. Of course, there are people whose whereabouts are unknown at sea, but it is safe to say that there is no chance of their survival.”
Mrs. Dunst took a small bottle out of a drawer and thrust it toward Laura. Laura accepted the bottle containing the white powder with a puzzled expression.
“As far as I remember, there was no remedy with that name. Dreams are just dreams. From now on, mix this sleeping pill with roses. She will sleep soundly for a while without dreaming.”
“Madam, about our daughter.”
Patrick Ridsdel had been silent the whole time, but then suddenly opened his mouth. His wrinkled eyes were worried.
“I’m sure Angie is safe? I heard that Lord Kai excluded her from both the Remedy and Duchess candidates before he entered the treatment room. The Lord strongly insisted on doing so.”
“That’s right. Everyone was expecting it, but... the young master eventually changed his mind.”
“Then the child’s safety is guaranteed, right? Even though the child’s blood is particularly compatible with him, there are plenty of other children out there who are equally compatible.”
“Yes, that’s true. You two... I guess you’ve grown very attached to Angie. You seem genuinely worried.”
“Honestly, that’s how it turned out. She was such a lovely child...”
The Ridsdel couple nodded at the same time. They were too empathetic, like real parents, but they couldn't help feeling attached. Then Laura intervened again.
“But, whenever the master wakes up for a moment, he always sends a letter to Angie... Do you happen to know what it says?”
“I don’t know. As you know, the Blackwell family’s letters are sealed, so you can’t open them in advance. But it’s probably just a letter of greeting. Even though Angie has been ruled out as a potential bride for Remedy or something... I guess Master still has feelings for her. He's still sending her a letter of greeting like that.”
Mrs. Dunst lowered her clasped hands to her knees with a stern expression.
“With this, Angie can live peacefully on this island like she is now. You two know well what will happen to the child whose original role as Remedy will be finished... Fortunately, Angie is healthy. It’s probably because the master has been able to survive so well without Remedy’s blood that Angie has rarely been used.”
Patrick and Laura's shoulders trembled simultaneously.
“The Master ordered that Angie be left alone. He did not want her to end up like Lucia and Natalia. His orders are absolute, as you know, and even more so now that Master Edward is no longer here.”
“But, Ma’am, Angie’s mind is very strong and she has a strong immunity to drugs. Even while drinking rose tea, she sometimes said something strange. It felt like her past memories were coming back to her piece by piece. What if... this medicine doesn’t work and Martin keeps appearing in her dreams, and her old memories come back little by little regardless of the rose tea?”
“That won’t happen. If it doesn’t work out...”
Mrs. Dunst's mouth tightened a little.
“With your consent, we can inject the amnesiac in the second stage. That might be better. Although it is rare, the few people who have gone through the second stage have actually become happier. They have lived happily on this island without any worries until they die, and they will continue to do so.”
The couple was dumbfounded by Mrs. Dunst's assertion. Stage 2 meant a reset process using amnesia drugs. If, unfortunately, old memories gradually returned and the drugs did not solve the problem, a reset process had to be carried out to erase the old memories and plant new ones.
It was an island rule that could never be broken. The intangible law had to be applied to everyone without exception.
“But it’s better for her to be alive and well. The master wants Angie to continue living. I think the master is also very fond of the child, just like the two of you.”
Mrs. Dunst smiled faintly. The couple rose from their seats with somewhat relieved expressions. Left alone, she folded her hands neatly and drank the rest of her cold tea.
It was a secret to the Ridsdel couple, but Angie could continue to be used as a remedy depending on the young master's condition. Although she would not become a Duchess, Angie's blood was too well suited to the young master's constitution. If a better remedy than Angie appeared and became the young master's companion, then Angie would no longer have to sacrifice her body.
She would either be disposed of after its use as a remedy, or she would go through a reset process and live a peaceful life as a new Angie. If it were the former, it would be the Ridsdels who would drink the forgetfulness potion. It would be better for them to completely forget Angie as if they had never had a daughter. Just like the Hawkins couple who had taken on the role of Elliot's parents after his death were living so well now.
“Oops.”
Mrs. Dunst put down her glass as if she had forgotten and picked up her pen. She had to send a message to Baron Samuel Dervan, a collateral member of the ducal family on the mainland of Trieste.
“It’s been a long time since I greeted you. Lord Kyle is recovering steadily, albeit slowly. Therefore, the marriage between him and your niece, Leticia Dervan, will proceed as planned, so I hereby give you the instructions on behalf of Lord Kyle to prepare in advance.”
The middle-aged woman placed the letter in a white envelope and pressed the brass seal against the opening. The envelope was sealed tightly with the white eagle emblem of the Duke of Blackwell. A pull of the ceiling string brought Jerome, the loyal servant of the late Edward Blackwell, into the study.
***
The first frost of the year had settled on the greenery. Blood was dripping down on the frost. The blood was fresh and lukewarm, probably from a creature that had died not long ago.
The horrific corpses of decapitated birds and squirrels were piled up in the middle of a hollow in the forest of the Duke's den. There was an eerie chill in the eyes looking down at the pile of corpses that would become food. It seemed that pleasure had passed its peak and reached a state of perversion. A soft song flowed out from between the lonely lips that seemed to be drawn.
“Last year’s grave, large sprouts are starting to sprout from the corpse, breaking through the coffin-”
Like a line from Mother Goose, the eerie lyrics were carried by a pleasant bass and scattered in the wind.
“Red flowers will bloom in full force this year-”
So much blood has seeped into the earth as nutrients.
His beautiful eyes folded in half and filled with arsenic. It was hard to suppress the ecstasy that reached its peak with each kill. He glanced down at the dagger that was still bleeding and threw it absentmindedly over the corpses of the beasts.
The burial was in the final stages of its ecstasy. The lion's grave, for the umpteenth time, was silently made and buried in the earth.
The forest was terribly silent. The surviving birds did not even flutter their wings. In the heavy silence, everyone just opened their eyes and remained silent.
***
Until the end of winter, December, Angie had not had a single dream. Naturally, she stopped seeing Martin Silva. Little by little, the old memories that had raised her head and confused her consciousness quickly faded away.
Angie would often find herself in deep distress several times a day. She would struggle daily between the danger of forgetting important things she had to realize and the desire to continue living her peaceful life without any worries.
Angie opened the closet door of her maid's room to take out the fourth letter that had arrived last week. It was the only comfort that had soothed her longing heart. If it weren't for this letter that kept coming just before her longing rose to her throat - if it hadn't been for that, she would have buried herself in a much bigger conflict.
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