‘Hoo…’

Ghislain took Rosaline’s hand and steadied his breath.

‘Compared to my past life, she lacks both the determination and mental strength. And since the treatment period is shorter, the shock will be greater. Can she really endure this...?’

Just like a sword that grows stronger through being tempered, people too become resilient after overcoming trials.

Even Ghislain himself had once been a reckless fool, only obtaining his current mental fortitude after surviving many such ordeals. But now, Rosaline was simply a fragile and sheltered noblewoman.

‘I have to proceed cautiously while breaking through.’

Ghislain began to slowly channel mana into Rosaline’s body.

“You will feel an unfamiliar sensation from my mana. It will hurt, but you must endure it. It’s the only way to cure your illness.”

“What?”

“I’ll begin now.”

As Ghislain’s voice became more serious, Rosaline swallowed nervously.

‘Wait… could this be dangerous?’

In a trembling voice, Rosaline asked, “What exactly am I supposed to endure? How painful will it be?”

Ghislain didn’t respond, focusing only on controlling his mana. Even with the best medicine, only a small portion of its essence could be absorbed into the body. Most of it dissipates.

‘I must harness the energy before it dissipates.’

Ghislain’s mana swiftly spread throughout Rosaline’s body, chasing the lingering medicinal energy.

‘Now, let’s break through.’

His heat-infused mana started to forcefully break through the cold energy that had settled in various parts of her body.

Crack!

Rosaline felt a jarring sensation, like something shattering inside her. Immediately following that was an overwhelming pain.

“Aaaahhh!”

A horrific agony overwhelmed her body, causing her to scream uncontrollably.

It felt as though something heavy was stabbing her entire body with spears. No, “stabbing” wasn’t enough to describe it—sharp, piercing spears were tearing through her insides, shredding her organs.

The revolting taste of the medicine she’d taken earlier faded from her mind in an instant.

Rosaline had never felt such intense pain before. If she had known it would hurt this much, she would have run away beforehand.

Desperate to escape, she tried to wrench her wrist free from Ghislain’s grasp, thrashing wildly.

“Stop! Please, stop!”

The butler and the other servants, waiting nearby, were shocked at the sight of her writhing in pain.

Why was she in so much agony during a treatment?

Was Ghislain really a quack?

“Master! Are you sure this is safe?” Belinda held Rosaline down tightly, closing her eyes in distress.

Sweating heavily from the strain of controlling his mana, Ghislain responded, “If she struggles, it will hurt even more. She has to trust me and endure it.”

“No! Please! Please stop! Aaaargh!”

Trust was nonexistent between them. Telling her to endure when there was no trust was futile.

Watching Rosaline writhe in pain, Ghislain’s expression hardened.

‘As I expected, it’s not easy.’

He had started confidently because he knew the answer, but that didn’t mean it would be simple.

‘Even though I’m using the most efficient method to speed up the process, the pain remains the same.’

There was no guarantee that she could hold on until the end.

Rosaline bit down on her lips so hard that they started bleeding, but the pain from her lips was nothing compared to the agony inside her body.

“Ughhh!”

Her body shook violently, and Ghislain immediately withdrew his hand.

If he pushed any further, Rosaline’s condition would become dangerous.

He had no choice but to stop, having broken through far less than what he had planned.

This was why he had scheduled the treatment over two weeks, accounting for such setbacks. But now, even that seemed a tight deadline.

“We’ll stop here for now. You did well.”

Even though progress was slower than expected, this was only the first session. If they picked up the pace a little, they could still finish within two weeks.

The real issue was whether she could endure the remaining sessions.

“I’ll resume treatment in the evening.”

Rosaline was too exhausted to respond, gasping for air. When Belinda and Wendy cautiously released her, she collapsed onto the bed.

Seeing the treatment had finished, the butler rushed over in concern.

“Quick, check on Lady Rosaline!”

The servants hurried to her side, wiping the sweat from her brow.

Once they finished cleaning up, Ghislain scooped up a generous amount of cream and began slathering it over Rosaline’s face.

He applied so much that it seemed like they would go through a jar every day at this rate.

Watching this, the butler hesitantly asked, “Uh, don’t you think you’re applying too much?”

“This is the right amount.”

Lying there, Rosaline muttered weakly, “It won’t work… I’ve tried using it before... You quack...”

“That’s because you didn’t address the root cause. This cream will help cool your skin and speed up recovery throughout the treatment.”

Though what he said was true, applying such large amounts wasn’t necessary.

‘But this is a great opportunity for extra profit—I can’t miss out on that.’

Ghislain grinned inwardly.

If they used up the cream this quickly, they’d need to buy a lot more.

Ghislain planned to charge a hefty fee once Rosaline’s treatment was complete.

After all, the family was wealthy, and they wouldn’t make a fuss about the cost of a few jars of cream.

As Ghislain reveled in his secret glee, Rosaline clenched her teeth in frustration.

The cream wasn’t the issue—she’d be willing to endure applying it for a year if she had to.

She would even consider drinking the revolting medicine every day.

But the pain—the unbearable, excruciating pain—was simply too much.

“You mean… I have to go through this again?”

“Yes.”

“For two whole weeks...?”

“Yes.”

“Go away… Please… stop…”

She had no energy left to move, tears welling up as she murmured.

How could she possibly endure this pain for two entire weeks?

All she wanted was for someone—anyone—to come and kill this man standing before her.

Pretending not to hear her pleas, Ghislain placed the mask back over her face and spoke.

“I’ll see you again this evening. Everyone, make sure Lady Rosaline’s room is well-guarded.”

The mercenaries took turns guarding her room, ensuring that Rosaline didn’t try to leave.

Though the butler felt uneasy about continuing this treatment, he didn’t intervene for now.

Thanks to the butler’s diligence, Ghislain and his companions received the best care. Every meal served was top-notch, and the clothes provided for them were nothing short of luxurious.

Anything they needed was brought to them instantly, with a mere gesture.

Yet, despite such heavenly treatment, the group lived in constant anxiety.

“Aaaaah!”

The reason for their discomfort was Rosaline’s agony.

As her mana paths were gradually cleared, her screams only grew louder.

“Stop! Please, stop! Aaah!”

“Just a little more! You can do this!”

No matter how much Ghislain encouraged her, Rosaline didn’t hear a word. She couldn’t understand why she had to endure such pain.

There was no way this could be considered treatment.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll definitely kill you! Aaaargh! Stop!”

“If we don’t fix this now, you really might die.”

“I don’t care! Just stop!”

Her refusals and threats continued, but Ghislain didn’t flinch.

Realizing her threats weren’t working, Rosaline turned to the servants.

“Stop bringing me this damn medicine. If you don’t, I’ll kill you before the two weeks are up.”

Terrified by her threats, the servants’ faces turned pale.

Branford’s orders were to cooperate with Ghislain, so they couldn’t refuse his requests.

But quitting and fleeing would mean defying Branford, which would also lead to their deaths.

“Please, spare us!”

The servants dropped to their knees, pleading for mercy.

Watching the scene, the butler tried to reason with Ghislain.

“Perhaps we should pause for now. Lady Rosaline is clearly struggling. We could consult with Lord Branford again...”

Ghislain placed a hand on the butler’s shoulder, cutting him off.

“Pause? Consult again? You still don’t understand the situation?”

“W-what do you mean…?”

Ghislain smiled coldly.

“We can’t stop now. Don’t you get it? My life—and my family’s future—depends on this.”

There was no time to negotiate or waste arguing over delays.

But seeing the confusion and helplessness on the faces of the servants, Ghislain made a quick decision.

“Bring all the ingredients and tools here. From now on, I’ll prepare the medicine myself.”

“You mean… you’ll do it yourself?”

The butler awkwardly tried to protest.

If word got out that a nobleman like Ghislain was performing such menial tasks, it would damage Branford’s family’s reputation.

But with Rosaline’s fierce resistance, there seemed to be no other choice.

“Ugh…”

Rosaline glared at Ghislain with murderous intent.

No matter what she said, it had no effect on him.

Even a prince wouldn’t dare treat her like this.

“I told you to stop! Can’t you understand? I said stop!”

“We’re starting the next treatment.”

"I don’t need it! It’s my face! I don’t care! Just leave me alone! Where did they find such a quack?!"

Ghislain, however, was not someone who would tolerate such hysterics. Without any further delay, he grabbed her wrist firmly.

"Let go! Let me go! I’ll kill you! Get my father! Call him right now!"

Rosaline thrashed wildly again, but it was no use. Belinda and Wendy restrained her just as they had before.

Ghislain forced the medicine into her mouth and began the treatment once more.

“Aaaaaargh!”

Despite her best efforts to resist, the pain of the treatment broke down even her last shred of will. She abandoned all attempts to escape, succumbing to the overwhelming agony.

“Gurgle… gurgle…”

It was then that blood trickled from her mouth, and her rolling eyes began to shut.

“My lady!”

The butler, who had been nervously watching from the side, cried out in shock.

“Urrggh…”

Rosaline, feeling the creeping shadow of death, groaned in terror.

‘I… I can’t take anymore…’

At that moment, Ghislain’s expression twisted with alarm.

‘Damn, if I continue, she’ll die.’

He gritted his teeth and gradually withdrew his mana.

It wasn’t that he had made a mistake. It was simply that Rosaline’s mana paths had become so damaged that they couldn’t withstand the force of his treatment.

Considering how weak her body had become after years of isolation, it was inevitable that the shock of the treatment would wreak havoc on her insides.

‘Her giving up halfway also didn’t help.’

Although Rosaline had rejected the treatment from the start, her refusal still signaled that there was some will left in her to resist.

But now, with the continuous pain grinding her down, even that fragile resolve had shattered.

Rosaline’s physical and mental state had reached their breaking points.

At this rate, Ghislain would need to proceed even more cautiously and gradually, or else risk killing her.

‘This is dangerous. At this rate, I won’t be able to finish in time.’

Had he miscalculated the amount of time needed?

No, the allotted time was not the issue.

Was her condition worse than expected?

It was worse, but not beyond what he could handle.

There was only one answer.

Rosaline’s willpower was the problem.

With no desire to go through with the treatment, her body was giving up before it could reach its limit.

Belinda, who was holding onto Rosaline, urgently shouted to Ghislain.

“Master! You have to stop now!”