The inn’s apothecary scowled the moment he laid eyes on the blue-haired woman.
An apothecary summoned to an inn in the royal capital should be well-acquainted with nighttime casualties. Even so, he held his breath when he unwound the black cloth cinched around Serena’s side. One puncture wound... two shallow gashes... and the skin was discolored.
"Poison?" the apothecary muttered.
I felt my brow furrow. If there was poison involved, the medical bill was going to skyrocket. The capital was truly out to bleed my wallet dry.
"How long will it take?" I asked.
the apothecary looked back and forth between me and Serena. A villainous-looking noble bringing in a blood-soaked woman in the dead of night—it was suspicious beyond belief. However, once he realized I was the one paying, his expression instantly shifted into that of a professional merchant.
"Washing and stitching the wounds, plus three doses of anti-venom... If a fever sets in, we'll need additional medicinal infusions. It won't be cheap."
"Don't fleece me. Just make sure she doesn't die."
"This isn't the sort of injury where 'not dying' is the only concern, but..."
"Then get her to the point where she can walk without dying. Don't use any unnecessary aromatic oils or expensive cloths. Ordinary bandages are fine."
The apothecary shrugged as if exasperated. Serena remained sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at me intently. She didn't seem to be in pain. Her complexion was ghastly, yet she didn't even groan. To anyone else, it would have been eerie, but to me, it looked like efficiency. She didn't make a fuss over pain, and she wouldn't struggle during the treatment. That meant less hassle. Hmph... a good trait.
As the apothecary began washing the wounds, Serena’s fingers slightly gripped the edge of the bed. She was exerting strength, but she didn't make a sound. Seeing her like that, even the apothecary looked a bit awkward.
"Young lady... it’s all right to cry out if it hurts. No one here will blame you."
"...Not necessary. Crying out doesn't reduce the pain."
"Well... that isn't quite the point, but..."
"If it won't reduce it, then staying silent is the same, isn't it?"
The apothecary looked at me, troubled. Don't look at me. I don't know her either. She was just a woman I found in an alleyway. Between her stoicism and how she handled those three thugs earlier, I already knew she wasn't an ordinary girl.
While I waited for the treatment to finish, I sat in a chair and mentally tallied the figures on my ledger. I subtracted the inn stay, the medicine, the carriage fees in the capital, and the return escort fees from the reward money. Once I returned to the domain, there was road maintenance, bridge planks, lent rice for the villages, and Raisa and her mercenaries' wages. Money vanished the moment it touched my hands. And now, I had this woman’s treatment costs to deal with... It was enough to make my blood boil!
However, it wasn't a total loss.
Serena seemed highly capable. Her footsteps were silent, and her presence was faint. She could move even while injured. To top it off, she was well-featured—and she was being pursued for some reason. If she had nowhere else to go, there was a chance I could hire her for a bargain...
After the apothecary left, I turned my attention to Serena, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed.
"You can't stay in the royal capital, can you?"
Serena let out a short breath, her hand pressed over the bandages on her side.
"No... I can't. I'm being hunted. They are persistent..."
"Will they follow you even if you leave the capital?"
"It's possible. However, my pursuers cannot move openly. If they were to invade a noble’s domain in force, they would be the ones in trouble."
I see. It didn't mean her problems would disappear, but at least I wouldn't have an army descending upon my mansion. If it was only a few people, I could just have the woman herself deal with them. At the very least, it was better than bringing her back without confirming the risks.
"If I ask for details, will my troubles increase?"
"...Yes."
"Then I won't ask for now. You probably don't intend to tell the whole truth anyway. However, as long as I'm taking you to my mansion, don't hide the possibility of pursuers. If someone approaches, report it before you take it upon yourself to cut them down."
"Is that all?"
"What I want to know is whether you can work, how much trouble you'll bring to my doorstep, and whether you're worth the cost of your keep. I'm not so idle that I'd listen to your life story and weep for you."
For the first time, Serena showed a flicker of confusion.
"...You are a strange man."
"I get that a lot. So, do you have anywhere to go?"
Serena fell silent. That silence was all the answer I needed. A woman with a destination wouldn't be found dying of poison in a back alley.
I leaned back in the chair and thought. She was skilled. She was silent, and she had neutralized three men despite her injuries. Not only could she take some of Mylene’s workload, but she would also be perfect for the night watch.
"Then come to my place. On the surface, you'll be an apprentice maid."
"...On the surface?"
"Yeah. That way it won't be unnatural for you to be moving around the mansion, and you can learn Mylene’s work. You'll handle the night watch as well. I don't intend to waste those skills of yours just serving tea."
"I have never been a maid..."
"You're an apprentice; that's the point. If you already knew how to do it, I wouldn't be calling you an apprentice, would I?"
"I don't know the etiquette of a mansion. I don't know how to serve tea, how to fold clothes, or how to greet guests."
"That's why I'm putting you under someone who can teach you. Knowing what you can't do makes you much easier to handle than someone who lies about their skills."
Serena pressed her fingers against the edge of her bandage. Her gaze was lowered, but she wasn't sleepy. She was weighing every word I said.
"...And the pay?"
"Low," I replied instantly. No point being vague about that; it only leads to trouble later.
"I'll provide food and a bed, and I'll cover medicine for any injuries sustained on the job. However, don't bring trouble into my home. If you think pursuers are coming, tell me. If you start a fight on my property without warning, it just increases the cleaning work."
"If pursuers come, what should I do?"
"Make sure they don't. If they do, stop them outside the gates. No, wait... looking at you, you'll probably try to execute them. Don't kill them. Disposing of corpses is a hassle."
"Is it better not to kill them?"
"Obviously. Dead bodies mean more paperwork."
Serena fell into a brief silence. What was there to think about? Usually, when someone tells you 'don't kill,' you just don't kill. Growing up in the capital's slums must have skewed her common sense.
◇
The next morning, I headed to the royal palace alone to finalize the remaining procedures.
I collected a portion of the reward money and the permit copies, but Serena was still unable to get up when I returned. Her fever had spiked during the night, and the apothecary insisted she shouldn't travel until she had finished three doses of the anti-venom.
The inn stay was extended by two days, and the medical bill climbed again.
The capital really was trying to kill my wallet.
Still, it was cheaper than putting her on a carriage with open wounds only to have her die halfway home. In the end, I pushed my departure back two days, staying at the inn until the apothecary gave her the okay to travel as long as she took frequent breaks.
On the day of departure, our return carriage had one more passenger: the blue-haired woman.
Serena seemed a bit drowsy from the medicinal infusions, but her eyes never stopped scanning our surroundings. Outside the window, behind the carriage, the sound of the wheels, the coachman’s hands—she checked every detail with a sharp, practiced gaze.
If she was being hunted, such vigilance was only natural.
Even so, every time we stopped at an inn, I made sure to check that she wasn't sending signals to anyone. So far, there had been no suspicious movements.
When we finally returned to the domain, Mylene was there to greet us in front of the mansion.
"Master, welcome home. I trust you haven't been injured..."
Mylene trailed off, her eyes locking onto Serena standing behind me. Blue hair, a black cloak, bandages, and an expressionless face. She certainly looked like someone who required a detailed explanation.
"I picked her up in the royal capital."
"...You 'picked her up,' did you?"
"This is Serena. I found her in an alleyway. Apparently, she has nowhere else to go. I'm hiring her as an apprentice maid. You'll teach her the household duties. I'm putting her in charge of the night watch."
Mylene blinked once, then hurriedly bowed her head. She was clearly bewildered, but she didn't complain. Perhaps it was because she knew the feeling of being "picked up" herself.
"I understand. Serena-san, was it?"
"...Just Serena is fine."
"Very well, Serena-san. First, I will prepare a room and some clothes for you. After that, I'll show you around the mansion."
Serena stared at Mylene.
"I will do as ordered."
"It's not about orders yet; it's fine if you just focus on learning. Master has a blunt way of speaking, so if you're confused, please just ask me."
"Is it okay to ask?"
"Yes, please do."
"Understood."
I watched the two of them, inwardly satisfied.
As I thought, her footsteps were silent. She could lighten Mylene’s load and handle the security at night. Even with one more mouth to feed, she would more than earn her keep.
—Heh heh heh, what a lucky find.
Vain hadn't the slightest clue that the woman was known in the capital's underworld as the Shadow-Stitcher. There was no way he could have known. To Vain, Serena was simply an exceptionally efficient apprentice maid he’d happened to find in a back alley.