Five days had passed since then.
Having attended her friend’s funeral and fulfilled their dying wishes, Konehl-Ghervil began to emerge from her somber mood.
Yet, her emergence was less about genuine recovery and more about shielding those around her from worry.
At the funeral, she encountered Cedric-Lamar, the commander of the Third Knight Order, a man whose expression perpetually suggested someone owed him money they refused to repay.
Most people offered this assessment, though Konehl-Ghervil attributed it largely to the scars marring his face, particularly the left eye, which lent him a fierce look.
Despite his intimidating appearance, he proved to be warm and unassuming.
After the funeral, he extended his gratitude to both her and the Director, doing so in his straightforward manner by reserving the city’s most popular restaurant for a lavish meal, treating his subordinates as well.
This delighted Govet-Ghervil, who, while Konehl-Ghervil was preoccupied with the dinner party and other guests, secretly slipped into another room to gorge herself.
Ever since Konehl-Ghervil had awakened, she had restricted Govet-Ghervil’s diet to vegetarian meals, often leading her to wake up hungry in the night.
It was not done out of spite.
Ultimately, the culprit was Dr. Callan, whose endless supply of high-calorie foods had caused Govet-Ghervil to gain considerable weight; indeed, when she slept on Konehl-Ghervil’s chest at night, she would press down so heavily that it became difficult to breathe.
Thus, whether for her own health or for the sake of her sleep, Konehl-Ghervil had been forced to steel her heart.
What could Dr. Callan do? She could only wait for Govet-Ghervil to sneak to her for treats, for she dared not offend either of them.
Upon discovering this, Konehl-Ghervil seethed internally, and when Commander Lamar, at the dinner table, learned of her close friendship with Dr. Callan, he subtly probed for information about the woman, which Konehl-Ghervil promptly divulged in its entirety.
She surmised that the Commander likely had some rivalry with Dr. Callan and sought to understand her opponent.
Such an act would surely cause Dr. Callan some minor inconvenience.
This, of course, was predicated on the Commander being an upright man.
****
The day after the Knight Order departed, new troubles arrived.
Bryn-Worth, the local representative of the Dream Society, presented a thank-you gift: a finger-length silver bookmark engraved with a closed eye motif, which allowed one to borrow most books from within the Society.
Konehl-Ghervil had explained more than once that Esli was the one who had eliminated the mythical creature, and that gratitude should be directed to her family or her Knight Order.
However, upon hearing this, these individuals became even more convinced that the white rose, crafted from Konehl-Ghervil’s blood, had played the decisive role.
The more she tried to explain, the more convoluted it became, leaving her no choice but to accept the gift with a sigh.
****
On the 13th, she went to Valo-Ramsey’s residence to bid him farewell, but her knocks went unanswered.
A letter left behind revealed that his vacation had concluded, and he had already departed for the Royal Capital.
A pang of disappointment struck her.
During her busiest days, not even a shadow of the fellow had been seen; apart from the funeral, he had spent the rest of his time sleeping soundly at home, so at least leaving a letter for old Mr. Diller to deliver showed a sliver of conscience.
Returning to the sanatorium’s office building, Konehl-Ghervil found Dr. Callan working in her office, ostensibly on vacation, yet others were not, and all compiled documents and reports required her review and approval.
She had, to some extent, taken over Bishop Gomor’s duties, a role she would maintain until her departure from Florence City.
After the funeral, the old man had journeyed to the Royal Capital; whether for censure or commendation, it was a certainty that Florence City would soon welcome a new Bishop.
With the diocese’s myriad affairs now resting upon Dr. Callan’s shoulders, she was utterly swamped with work.
“Is Govet-Ghervil not with you?”
Upon seeing Konehl-Ghervil, Dr. Callan set down her documents, instantly disengaging from her work, a genuine smile gracing her face.
“No, she’s still napping.”
Shaking her head, Konehl-Ghervil sought a place to sit.
She glanced around, only to find no available seating in the expansive office.
“Come here.”
Dr. Callan shifted, patting the vacant space on the sofa beside her with her right hand.
“…No need, thank you… I’ll just stand for a moment.”
In the days since she had awakened, whenever an opportunity for solitude arose, the woman’s excessive enthusiasm invariably made the atmosphere awkward.
Previously, the woman’s demeanor towards her had indeed been somewhat flirtatious, yet it had always remained within the bounds of playful banter between close friends.
Now, however, that flirtation carried a hint of offense and unbridled insolence.
This caused her considerable distress.
When she questioned Govet-Ghervil about the reason for her friend’s change in disposition, she received only an ambiguous reply.
The proposed solution, however, was surprisingly clear and simple: sever all ties.
This was hardly a solution; it was a method for complete severance.
“Once matters here are mostly resolved, we can return.”
Dr. Callan, showing no disappointment, naturally turned to another topic.
“Are you very busy lately?”
Gazing at the piles of documents on the desk, Konehl-Ghervil hesitated, wondering if she should inquire about the Blood Rose now.
“For any request of yours, even if I am swamped, I will make time to assist you.”
“However, everything comes with conditions.”
Hearing the latter half of the sentence, Konehl-Ghervil breathed a sigh of relief; unconditional help would have been entirely uncharacteristic of Dr. Callan.
“It’s nothing difficult, and it should fall within your purview. I wish to purchase some Blood Roses from the hospital department, preferably accompanied by a batch of seeds.”
“To create Nightmare Revelation?”
“Indeed.”
“Hmm… based on the price of ten Trin Gold Coins per finished bloom… how much was it for a plant and seeds again…?”
Unable to recall immediately, Dr. Callan retrieved a large ledger from the bookshelf and began to leaf through it.
While waiting, Konehl-Ghervil silently calculated how much she could afford from her Royal Bank account.
Two days prior, she had already asked Dr. Callan to prepare the necessary documents for her commission, concealing their true purpose, intending to return to Mistfall City to unseal her account herself.
She feared that if Dr. Callan knew of her wealth, she might reduce her assistant’s salary, and Konehl-Ghervil dared not gamble on a ruthless employer suddenly finding their conscience.
At ten Trin Gold Coins per bloom, she could at most purchase around thirty; it would be better to buy seeds directly.
At worst, she could refrain from using her dream powers, such as mental suggestion, until new roses could be cultivated.
For daily life, reading was sufficient, and as long as she didn’t learn new scripts, her condition wouldn’t worsen.
Seeds offered another advantage: once cultivated and given sufficient time to yield a mass production, the problem would be permanently resolved.
“Found it.”
Dr. Callan looked up at the young woman.
“Due to the Blood Rose’s non-wilting characteristic, they are sold only as seeds or finished blooms, with mature plants being prohibited for sale. Finished blooms are ten Denarii each. As for seeds… they might be a bit expensive: two thousand Trin Gold Coins per fruit, containing five to twenty seeds.”
“Shouldn’t seeds typically be cheaper than the flowers?” Konehl-Ghervil’s lips twitched, suspecting a blatant markup.
Two thousand Trin Gold Coins!
Considering factors like cross-pollination, purchasing seeds from a single fruit might lead to plant degeneration, so buying two is generally recommended.
Four thousand Trin Gold Coins! She would have to drain her own blood and sell it, and even then, someone would have to buy it to earn that much!
Dr. Callan explained unhurriedly,
“The Blood Roses of Florence City are an improved multi-seasonal variety, capable of blooming three to five times a year with proper care. Purchasing seeds requires approval, which I have the authority to grant. In truth, the original intent behind this pricing was to prevent the Blood Rose plants from being widely disseminated, so I do not recommend buying them.”
“If you wish to buy finished blooms, I can offer you a twenty percent discount for personal use, limited to ten flowers.”
Closing the ledger, the woman sighed and shook her head with feigned helplessness.
“The Order has strict regulations, and my hands are tied.”
“I apologize for the disturbance. I shall take my leave.”
Konehl-Ghervil bowed slightly and turned to depart.
What good would ten flowers do? She might as well return home and await the blooming of the few roses the Director had left behind.
She could hardly compel others to violate regulations.
“Wait, don’t rush off. Aren’t Blood Roses quite important to you…?”
Dr. Callan could no longer sit still; she rose and hastily reached for Konehl-Ghervil’s hand.
“I never said I wouldn’t buy them.” A blank expression greeted the woman.
“Then why…?”
“I’ll just go find an underground black market hospital, sell all my body parts and blood, gather enough money, and then come back to you to buy them.”
“…”
“No, no, absolutely not.”
Realizing she had angered the young woman, Dr. Callan wrapped her other arm around Konehl-Ghervil’s waist, adopting a posture of appeasement and apology to bridge the distance between them.
“I have a way for you to acquire immature plants without spending a single coin. They should produce roses within two months at most.”
Seeds for two thousand, yet plants for free.
‘This woman was indeed trying to inflate the price.’
“Tell me more.”
Without exposing her, Konehl-Ghervil maintained her impassive expression.
“An immature plant costs one hundred Trin Gold Coins. I’ll sell you two, and this sum will be deducted from your future mission earnings, while your regular salary will remain unaffected.”
‘I knew she had ill intentions.’
Konehl-Ghervil quickly realized this was a new indenture.
Considering her mission pay of two hundred Denarii per day, she would essentially be working for this woman for three hundred and twenty days for free.
If paid directly, the price would have been acceptable.
“I won’t profit a single coin from this; in fact, I’ll be fronting the cost for you. You won’t find a better deal anywhere in this kingdom.”
Seeing the young woman’s hesitation, Dr. Callan kindly urged her.
“I have an additional condition.”
Konehl-Ghervil stated her demand,
“Under no circumstances are you to compel me to undertake external missions.”
“That is your right.”
Taken aback by the immediate agreement, she paused, then suppressed a triumphant smile as her plan came to fruition.
“…Ahem! I hope you won’t live to regret this day.”