Dr. Callan was acutely aware that she had thoroughly botched things.
She harbored no intention of blaming herself, however.
Her opponent was simply too cunning, and her teammate, far too obtuse.
This realization also brought her clarity on one crucial point: Govet-Ghervil held no sisterly authority over Konehl-Ghervil.
Konehl-Ghervil, it seemed, was the true mistress of the household.
Though she couldn’t fathom the reason, this was undeniably welcome news.
Just as Konehl-Ghervil had previously threatened her, Dr. Callan could now retaliate by threatening to ‘expose Govet-Ghervil’s misdeeds before Konehl-Ghervil.’
While such a maneuver would swiftly regain her leverage and initiative against Govet-Ghervil, it would prove detrimental to her long-term objectives.
Ultimately, they were blood relatives, whereas she was an outsider.
Pushing matters too far would make a graceful exit impossible.
Winning over Govet-Ghervil would be immensely beneficial to her aims, and this presented a prime opportunity.
“If I promise not to deduct your salary, will you abandon the notion of these so-called household rules?”
‘She didn’t threaten you?’
Konehl-Ghervil’s certainty in her own judgment wavered slightly.
“You know, this case involves the Dream Society and the Blood Rose, and Govet-Ghervil’s abilities played a significant role.”
“Are you attempting to laud her achievements?”
It wasn’t that Konehl-Ghervil harbored any great prejudice against Govet-Ghervil; her true desire was for them to coexist harmoniously.
In certain respects, their personalities were strikingly similar: both equally arrogant, both equally disdainful of others.
Such clashing temperaments were bound to ignite sparks.
“Everyone has their own way of conducting themselves, and if someone proves themselves capable, I wouldn’t mind having a second friend to whom I could confidently entrust my back.”
She could sense the sincerity in Dr. Callan’s words.
Dr. Callan had, remarkably, lowered her guard.
‘What could possibly be her motive…?’
They say a woman’s heart is the hardest to fathom, and Konehl-Ghervil was now experiencing that truth firsthand.
“Keep your word, then. My salary… I suppose I’m on an outdoor assignment now, aren’t I?”
At two hundred Denarii a day, it accumulated to a considerable sum over several days.
The Blood Roses cultivated on the outskirts of the hospital seemed to cost 10 Trin Gold Coins per blossom, and merely thinking about it made her head ache.
Submerging everything below her nose in the water, she propped her straight, elevated legs on the edge of the wooden tub, glumly wiggling her toes against each other.
For a long moment, no reply came through her mind.
‘Was that request truly too much…?’
“If it’s truly impossible, then just settle it as normal work, I suppose.”
The royal family had already paid the compensation.
Even capriciousness should be applied appropriately.
‘Issue a certificate.’
‘Have Dr. Callan get a discount when buying Blood Roses.’
Still, there was no response.
“Not even this? You just agreed!”
“– Of course! I’ll pay your fixed monthly salary, I apologize… I’ve been a bit agitated lately. –”
“Given your palate, agitation is quite inevitable.”
She recalled Dr. Callan consuming intensely spicy food without so much as a flicker of expression.
The pleasantries between friends had run their course; it was time to delve into serious matters.
“Has your external investigation made any progress?”
“– We’ve searched almost the entire city, yet found no one. Currently, there are two lines of inquiry: the Baron, who remains comatose after drinking the potion you gave him out of fear of certain things, and the special green iguana blood that cursed the gang assassin. –”
“– I’m handling the former, and Valo-Ramsey is in charge of the latter. With so few clues, progress has been negligible. –”
“Special green iguana blood… perhaps I encountered it today…”
Konehl-Ghervil recounted everything that had transpired during the day to Dr. Callan.
This elicited another wave of anxious concern from her.
It took considerable persuasion to calm the woman.
“– The Florence City diocese should have annual desert expedition records, particularly this year’s. Check if there’s anyone named Theodore-Dubois. –”
“– The records indicate that the expedition in June this year was a normal accident, caused by a sandstorm. We investigated it initially but didn’t have a chance to tell you. –”
“If it were merely a normal accident, three survivors wouldn’t have just vanished.”
“– You make a valid point. –”
Dr. Callan hesitated for a moment.
“– What I wanted to tell you is that our subsequent investigation confirmed that the original location of Burdurka Town has become an endless desert, devoid of any oasis, and the expedition team never even visited that area. –”
“Was that place not marked on any map?”
“– It was, but that was before June. Since that expedition, Burdurka Town has become a place that simply doesn’t exist. –”
Listening to the slowly fading songs, dances, and cheers of the townspeople outside, Konehl-Ghervil felt the hairs on her arms prickle.
This was far too eerie.
A town of over two thousand people had vanished into thin air.
Or perhaps it had never truly existed.
“– There’s no need to be alarmed; all evidence indicates that Burdurka Town did indeed exist. –”
A light laugh echoed in her mind.
“– Many possibilities could explain such a phenomenon: a collapse, getting lost, or being shielded by an unknown power. That area is near a forbidden zone; anything could happen there. –”
“– With the three survivors missing, the trail has gone cold, and we are unable to make a definitive judgment. If we could only find the missing pages from the notebook, perhaps we would uncover the reason for the town’s disappearance. –”
Ignoring the fellow’s deliberately frightening jest, Konehl-Ghervil’s thoughts drifted elsewhere.
If the town had vanished due to a catastrophic disaster, was she truly safe remaining within its boundaries?
Leaving the town for the desert before then would multiply the dangers exponentially.
There was currently no better option.
“– Just because we can’t find records for this year doesn’t mean there weren’t issues in previous years; information about Burdurka Town might be found elsewhere. –” Dr. Callan continued.
“– Besides Theodore-Dubois, there’s also Martina-Sali, Genipa-Berber… –”
Konehl-Ghervil counted on her fingers, recalling.
“– And then Sausy-Alamany. Those are the three individuals. –”
An extra measure of caution was always prudent.
These individuals were all locals from the town who had left a deep impression on her.
Optimistically, waiting in the town might lead her to encounter the expedition team, allowing her to follow the trail and uncover the cause of the incident.
“– I’ll remember that. Actually… there’s another reason I wanted to reach out to you… –”
A hesitant, stammering voice echoed in her mind.
“When did you become so indecisive?”
“– I’ll just say it directly: Do you consider me a friend? –”
“No.”
“……”
“Just kidding, as payback for earlier.”
A brief pause followed in her mind.
“– What do you think is a relationship that goes beyond friendship? –”
‘This…’
Konehl-Ghervil felt as though she were speaking to an adolescent girl.
It was difficult to reconcile this girlish demeanor with a prominent figure from the Hospital Department.
“If you’re looking for a conventional answer, I suppose it would be ‘lovers.’ Why do you ask?”
“– Are there no other answers? –”
“Hold on a moment. Where did you first see me?”
A flicker of impatience crossed her; could Dr. Callan truly have regressed into a teenage girl…?
“– In the cellar at 101 Lily Street. I not only saw you, but I also saw your bruised and swollen backside. –”
Submerged in the water, Konehl-Ghervil’s face flushed crimson.
“…It’s me, alright, but why…?”
“– I want to hear your own understanding, not a conventional answer. –”
The voice in her mind seemed to grow impatient.
Konehl-Ghervil silently gazed at her reflection in the water.
A touch of helplessness settled over her.
Someone had just mentioned considering Govet-Ghervil a second friend.
She, then, was Dr. Callan’s first friend.
Having never had friends since childhood, she had developed a profound dependence upon finding one.
‘Perhaps it’s just a little brat who never experienced friendship rapidly “maturing.”‘
“When you are willing to sacrifice everything for another, even your life, I believe such a friendship transcends the mundane and needs no worldly definition; it surpasses both friend and lover.”
“– Pfft… –”
A sudden burst of laughter erupted in her mind.
“– I never imagined you possessed a talent for philosophy. –”
“If you continue like this, I’ll banish you from my mind.”
‘And here I was, wasting my mental energy with such earnestness.’
“– Thank you, Konehl-Ghervil. –”
Lying in bed, Dr. Callan’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“– I know what I want now. –”