Thud!

Belinda swiftly pinned Rosaline's shoulders down onto the bed with force.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Rosaline screamed and struggled, but Wendy quickly grabbed her legs, holding them down tightly.

“Let go! Let go of me!”

Rosaline thrashed on the bed, but she couldn’t break free from the two women’s firm grips.

“Butler! What are you doing?! Call the soldiers! Arrest these people immediately!”

Rosaline’s shrieks echoed throughout the mansion, but the butler averted his gaze, looking conflicted.

Although he felt that forcibly treating her was going too far, the Marquis of Branford had given a direct order. They couldn’t just stop now.

‘If this fails, a bloodbath is inevitable.’

If the treatment were to fail, not only would Ghislain and his group be held responsible, but the soldiers and staff who ignored the Marquis’s orders would likely face severe punishment as well.

The butler regretted ever recommending Ghislain to the Marquis. He had never imagined that things would spiral so out of control.

As Rosaline’s strength ebbed and her screams subsided, her breaths came in harsh, ragged gasps. Ghislain leisurely strolled into the room.

“It feels like we’re trying to capture a wild beast... Wouldn’t it have been easier if you had just accepted the treatment willingly?”

Rosaline glared at Ghislain with murderous intent, her voice dripping with venom.

“You think you’ll get away with this? Do you even know who I am?!”

“Well, considering I’m here to treat you, I’m well aware of who you are.”

“I’ll have you killed!”

“If the treatment fails, I’ll be dead anyway.”

“You... insane bastard...”

Rosaline was so taken aback that she could barely speak. She had never encountered someone so impervious to reason.

Ghislain clapped his hands, signaling to the servants.

“Let’s get some light in here. Open the curtains.”

The moment he gave the command, the servants rushed in, pulling back the curtains and flooding the room with light. As the room brightened, Rosaline’s eyes, hidden behind her mask, widened in fear.

“Wh-what are you doing…?”

“I need to assess your condition. I’ll be removing your mask.”

“D-don’t!”

As Ghislain approached, Rosaline struggled violently again, but his tone remained firm.

“I understand you may feel embarrassed, but if I’m to treat you, I’ll need to remove the mask.”

“I don’t need treatment!”

“Yes, you do. Once I’m done, you won’t need to hide behind this hideous thing anymore. Trust me, I’ll make sure you never have to wear it again.”

Ignoring her protests, Ghislain removed the mask, and as he did, he frowned deeply.

Rosaline’s face was inflamed, with patches of skin that looked burnt and peeling, much worse than he had expected. The various failed treatments had clearly worsened her condition over time.

Everyone else in the room gasped, covering their mouths in shock.

“Aaagh!”

As sunlight poured in through the window, Rosaline screamed and thrashed as her skin worsened even further under the exposure. In that brief moment, the condition of her skin became even more alarming.

Ghislain quickly stepped between her and the light, shielding her, and barked at the servants.

“Close the curtains, quickly!”

Even after the curtains were drawn, Rosaline couldn’t calm down immediately, her eyes filled with tears.

“You bastard…”

The only thing that escaped her lips were curses. What kind of doctor makes a condition worse?

Seeing her eyes burning with hatred, Ghislain awkwardly scratched his head.

‘This is worse than I expected.’

It was a blunder on his part not to stop the servants from opening the curtains, but the records from his previous life hadn’t mentioned her condition being this severe.

Nevertheless, the underlying illness hadn’t changed, and the treatment method he had prepared should still work—as long as Rosaline could endure it.

“Well, now that we’ve assessed the situation, it’s time to begin the actual treatment.”

At Ghislain’s signal, the servants brought over a bowl of dark, foul-smelling liquid.

“This is the medicine you’ll need to drink twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening.”

Rosaline scowled at the pungent scent emanating from the bowl. The dark, murky liquid looked like poison.

“Do you think I’m going to drink that?”

“Oh, you will.”

Without warning, Ghislain deftly manipulated her neck muscles, causing her mouth to involuntarily open. Despite her struggles, she couldn’t close it.

Ghislain calmly poured the medicine into her mouth.

Gulp! Gulp!

Some of it spilled, but most of it went down her throat.

“Ugh!”

The moment the medicine hit her tongue, Rosaline gagged violently. The taste was beyond revolting, something that could only be described as coming from the depths of hell.

She wanted to vomit, but her body wouldn’t let her. Ghislain had ensured the liquid went down.

“You bastard... I drank it, so let me go! We’re done here!”

“Done? We haven’t even started. That was just the tonic. The real treatment comes next.”

“You think you’ll survive this? After everything?”

“I already told you—if I can’t cure you, I’m as good as dead. You can scream and curse all you want.”

Realizing that her words had no effect, Rosaline stopped struggling, her breathing harsh and uneven. Her eyes, however, were still filled with murderous intent.

Sensing the tension easing, the butler asked cautiously.

“Can you really cure her?”

“Well, I know enough about the illness.”

His confident tone surprised everyone in the room. The butler, still nervous, pressed for more information.

“You’re certain? Even the most renowned doctors and priests couldn’t pinpoint the cause.”

Ghislain, inwardly panicking, thought quickly.

‘I have no idea what the actual cause is…’

The truth was, he didn’t know. He had seen the symptoms and the cure in the future, but not the explanation behind them.

‘The scholars who documented this stuff wrote way too much.’

Ghislain had only skimmed through the records, memorizing the parts about the treatment without bothering to understand the finer details.

But there was no way he could admit that now.

Ghislain cleared his throat and gave a vague explanation.

“Well, it’s about balance.”

“Balance?”

“Yes, the lady’s body is too cold, which caused her current condition.”

The illness stemmed from an excessive cold energy blocking the flow of mana through her body.

The solution was simple: remove the cold energy and restore the natural mana flow.

‘Though I have no idea why this cold energy appeared in the first place.’

Before anyone could ask more questions, Ghislain rushed to conclude his explanation.

“If we get rid of that cold energy…”

Rosaline cut him off with a scoff, her voice dripping with disdain.

“My body is constantly overheating, you quack.”

The butler also chimed in, agreeing with her.

“That’s true. The young lady is always running hot and struggles with heat.”

Everyone turned to look at Ghislain with suspicion.

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

‘Why would her body overheat if she’s cold inside?’

Thinking quickly, he laughed awkwardly and responded.

“You’re surprised, aren’t you? It must be confusing to have a cold body that’s causing so much heat.”

“No, the only one confused here is you.”

Ignoring the jab, Ghislain continued.

“Because the inside of your body is so cold, the heat escapes outward. The sunlight only exacerbates the situation, making your skin overheat and react violently.”

Drawing from every bit of medical knowledge he had gathered, Ghislain pieced together an explanation that sounded plausible.

The others nodded, seemingly convinced by his reasoning.

‘Did it work?’

Even Rosaline, who had been fiercely skeptical, didn’t offer any further rebuttal.

‘Phew... Being a doctor is harder than it looks.’

Relieved, Ghislain turned to resume the treatment.

But just as he was about to start, Claude interrupted with another question.

“Then, why did she get this illness in the first place?”

‘Are you serious, Claude?!’

Ghislain felt like screaming. How was he supposed to know the cause? All he needed to do was treat the illness, not explain its origins.

Suppressing his frustration, Ghislain smiled and placed a hand on Claude’s shoulder.

“You sure are curious, aren’t you? Well, the reason is...”

“Ow! Ow! My shoulder! You’re going to break it! Let go!”

Ghislain sighed and muttered.

“Some people are just born with it.”

The others exchanged doubtful glances but couldn’t refute him.

‘What are they going to say? She was born with it, and that’s that.’

With that single sentence, Ghislain shut down any further questioning.

“We’re short on time, so let’s leave it at that. No more questions.”

Reluctantly, everyone backed off, leaving Ghislain to begin the treatment.

But while he had finally gotten them to leave him alone, the real challenge was just beginning.

Treating Rosaline in her current, severely deteriorated condition was incredibly risky.

Moreover, she didn’t trust him at all, and this treatment was known to be excruciatingly painful—so much so that death could seem like a mercy.

‘In my previous life, she managed to endure it… but I’m not sure if she can handle it now.Back then, she endured it due to the endless humiliation and resentment she experienced.’

Ironically, in Ghislain’s past life, it was Rosaline herself who had discovered the treatment method. Even after marrying into a political arrangement, she lived secluded, unable to show her face in public. As the daughter of a powerful aristocrat, no one would dare openly insult her, but she knew all too well the scornful looks people gave her behind her back.

Constantly facing such indignities, she grew stronger, mentally if not physically.

With her intelligence and sheer determination, she eventually discovered the cure.

‘But by the time she found the solution, it was already too late.’

Although she managed to heal herself, the disease had already ravaged her body. She spent the rest of her life in fragile health, rarely leaving her home, and passed away only a few years later.

That’s why Ghislain needed her to endure this treatment now, despite the agony it would bring.

‘I just hope she can bear it... If she doesn't, both she and I will be in deep trouble.’

Failure was not an option—not for Rosaline’s sake, not for Ghislain’s, and certainly not for the future that hinged on her survival.