I Won't Clear Up the Misunderstanding. I Don't Mind Being the Villainess. - Chapter 29

Rain, the Duke’s personal doctor, didn’t make a fuss and came straight down the corridor.
He quickly examined Holger and immediately made his call.
“Right, let’s move him somewhere he can rest comfortably for now.”
Following his instructions, I had two of the footmen take Holger up to his room and settled him on his bed. The whole time, Holger just kept muttering apologies between agonized groans.
“I’m prescribing pain relief and anti-inflammatory patches, but don’t you dare try to return to duty with these.”
“Understood…”
“Since the injury is this severe, you really should see a specialist and have a custom-made corset fitted. If you don’t have one in mind, I can write a letter of referral.”
“Please do…”
Holger said this while still on all fours, only slightly raising his hips. I’d asked the other staff to wait outside the room; I wanted to protect the old steward’s dignity as much as possible.
Rain took his history, asking Holger when he had last eaten, and then prescribed several medicines as promised.
“This particular medicine is strong, so you have to take it with food. And only twice a day—make sure you leave at least a five-hour gap…”
“Excuse me, may I just interject?”
I cut into their conversation.
“I think it would be best to contact Holger’s family.”
Even if he plans to recuperate at home, he’ll need help from his family or household staff. Plus, someone will need to collect his personal effects from the Duke’s residence.
“Yes, you’re right. We’ll certainly need someone to collect him, and ideally, I’d like to brief his family on the situation if possible.”
Rain agreed with my suggestion, speaking in a calm tone. He was a very handsome doctor with black hair and deep blue eyes, draped in a white coat over his slender build.
Seeing him up close, I noticed something.
(He looks a bit like Kevin, doesn’t he? Guess that’s obvious, since they’re related and close in age.)
Rain Foster is from a cadet branch of the House of Abenius. The Foster baronial house is a prestigious family of physicians and has served as the family doctor to the Duke’s house for generations. This is due not only to their relationship but also to their undeniable skill. Even among them, Rain was widely known as a genius doctor.
However, he possesses one fault that ruins all those good qualities: a habit of sexual harassment. That said, he hasn’t yet committed the harassment toward Erica that I remember from the comic. I’m guessing it’s just because his patient is Holger and the situation is too serious for that nonsense.
(If only he could manage to stay this serious all the time.)
I watched Rain speak with a grave expression, thinking to myself.
“It would be fine if the House of Abenius always had sturdy servants like ours, but otherwise, we should probably look into getting a wheelchair.”
“Do you really think… will it be difficult for my back to fully recover?”
“We can ease the symptoms, but a complete cure will be challenging. Judging by the severity, I suspect this has happened many times before without you ever seeking proper treatment.”
“Yes…”
Just listening to the two of them talk—Rain and Holger—was already making my spirits drop. I even started to feel a dull ache in my own lower back, despite being a young woman in her teens.
“Doctor, I was wondering… the reason Holger couldn’t get adequate treatment for his back pain, isn’t it because of the demanding nature of his work as Steward?”
When I brought that up, both of them turned their attention to me.
The Duke, the head of the House of Abenius, regularly stays in the Royal Capital, and his personality is the way it is. On top of that, the Duchess has been absent for nearly a decade. In these circumstances, didn’t Holger, the Steward, frequently have to act as the substitute backbone of the house? Especially when Kevin is in the Capital, he wouldn’t have had anyone else to consult.
“If the Ducal House forced Holger into an environment where he couldn’t take necessary rest, then I believe we should cover his medical expenses.”
“My Lady…”
Holger looked at me with tears welling up in his eyes. I don’t know why, but I thought he resembled an elderly, small dog.
“Ultimately, the Duke will have the final say, but I think it’s perfectly acceptable for me to propose it.”
I explained my stance to both of them, suggesting that his severe back pain was, at least partially, a work-related injury.
This wasn’t at all about trying to mask the guilt I felt for delivering the final emotional blow that triggered his collapse.
If Kevin refuses to pay for the treatment, the matter is closed. If he agrees, I will get Holger’s thanks as a bonus. And, if I’m lucky, my standing with Holger’s son, Carvel, will improve before I even have to do anything else.
Since I have to report Holger’s condition and his eventual retirement to Kevin anyway, I might as well place a calculated bet that costs me nothing. I wore the most sincere expression I could manage while, internally, I was running the numbers on my advantage.