Keeping her gaze fixed on the floor, the healer spoke haltingly.
Resting one hand against his temple, Varkas silently observed her before giving a calm instruction.
“Sit down for a moment. There was something I wanted to ask you anyway.”
The woman looked startled.
“You mean... me?”
“Yes.”
Leaning back against his chair, he nodded toward the seat across the desk.
After standing frozen in an awkward posture for several moments, she cautiously lowered herself onto the edge of the chair.
“It seems you've become quite close to the Grand Duchess lately. Was there some particular reason?”
Apparently caught off guard by the unexpected question, she stared blankly for a moment.
“There wasn't any special reason. I simply ended up helping Her Grace take care of Khan quite often... I think she's become more comfortable around me than before.”
“I've heard she spends a great deal of time at your cottage. What does she usually do there?”
“She often naps with Khan in my room, or brings books to read. Sometimes she watches while I prepare medicines. Occasionally...”
The woman hesitated before abruptly falling silent.
Varkas raised an eyebrow.
“Occasionally... what?”
“She... occasionally helps me with my work.”
She confessed it as though admitting a secret.
Varkas questioned his own hearing.
“She does chores in your cottage?”
“I-I believe she became interested in what I do... Sometimes she helps sort medicinal herbs or prepare reagents.”
A disbelieving laugh escaped him.
She had once treated even him—the heir to the Grand Ducal House—as though he were a servant. The idea that she had willingly assisted with the work of a humble attendant was almost absurd.
He had received regular reports about her ever since, but because he did not want her to feel she was being watched, he had specifically ordered that they be limited solely to matters concerning her safety.
As a result, he knew almost nothing about how she actually spent her days.
Suppressing an inexplicable irritation, he continued in a flat voice.
“What was her relationship with the deceased healer?”
The woman's face immediately tightened.
Only then did she seem to realize that she was effectively being questioned.
Leaning slightly across the desk, Varkas continued evenly,
“You don't seem particularly shaken by that woman's death. I take it the two of them weren't on especially good terms?”
She swallowed nervously, buying herself time before finally answering.
“Until last year, Her Grace got along well with Lady Marisen too. However... after Her Grace promoted me from assistant healer to her personal healer, there began to be some... disagreements.”
“Disagreements?”
The woman hesitated.
She seemed worried that anything she said might somehow harm the Grand Duchess.
After remaining silent for a long while, she carefully continued.
“Whenever Lady Marisen and I disagreed over a prescription, Her Grace increasingly chose to follow my judgment. Lady Marisen became dissatisfied because of that... and Her Grace became furious, so naturally the distance between them grew. Then Lady Marisen met with that tragedy...”
“So that's how the rumor began that the wolf my wife keeps was responsible for killing the healer.”
Varkas finished coldly.
The woman hurriedly defended the Grand Duchess.
“Though she never showed it openly, Her Grace was deeply distressed by Lady Marisen's death as well. Losing someone she had once been close to was painful enough, but then everyone began looking at her with suspicion...”
“Do you truly believe that wolf is innocent?”
At his casually thrown question, the woman's expression stiffened ever so slightly.
She looked down at the floor for a long moment before slowly raising her head.
“Yes. Khan has done nothing wrong.”
Varkas silently studied the healer's dark brown eyes.
She spoke with unwavering conviction.
“Khan is an exceptionally intelligent monster. He understands that if he harms someone, he won't be allowed to remain by Her Grace's side. Because of that... he would never attack a person without reason.”
Varkas slowly stroked his chin in thought before giving a faint nod.