"What?!"
I jumped out of bed as if scalded with boiling water. This was the last thing I expected to hear immediately upon waking. Maybe I was still asleep?
But Elisha's worried expression, pale as a sheet, didn't look much like a prank. I decided to clarify the situation.
"What do you mean, 'fell from a tree'?" I asked as calmly as possible.
"I... I don't know exactly what happened," the maid justified herself, "But when the servants found her, she was already lying under the tree with a broken arm..."
I exhaled noisily, touching the bridge of my nose as if I had a headache at that moment.
"So you're saying she broke her arm?"
"Y-yes..."
"And how did you determine that?"
"Well... Uh... It's dislocated in the other direction."
"..."
Silence on my part caused agitation in the maid.
"My Lady, what should we do?" she asked uncertainly.
Without further explanation, I threw on my robe, intending to go and verify for myself what had happened. But then I turned and answered briefly.
"What else? Call Xavier..."
As it turned out, the commoner had indeed fallen from a tree. This news hit me like a bolt from the blue. Just yesterday, nothing had foreshadowed trouble.
I had organized a farewell tea party where we spent our last hours together. Today, I was supposed to accompany her to the capital, where we would finally part, and the commoner would begin an independent life without me.
And suddenly, this morning, out of the blue, such terrible news.
Although the commoner's arm looked bad indeed, I hoped it was only at first glance. Maybe everything was fine internally.
I didn't lose hope that everything could still be quickly fixed. But the family doctor's words proved otherwise.
"Well, it's an open multiple fracture," concluded Xavier, putting away his examination instruments.
When the family doctor gave the commoner such a diagnosis, I was horrified.
"What are you talking about?" I exclaimed, "How could this happen? She just fell from a tree!"
Mentally calculating, the height of that tree didn't exceed seven meters. This distance could be compared to the second floor of a residential building. Getting a sprain or fracture in such a case was, of course, possible. Especially with an unlucky fall.
But I had never heard of anyone being so seriously injured from such an insignificant height!
"Apparently, your charge was unlucky. I managed to identify fractures of several bones in her right arm, as well as tissue rupture. This is quite a severe case."
I pursed my lips.
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The commoner had lost consciousness after falling from the tree and still hadn't regained it. Thank the gods, at least there were no new concussions. In theory, she should have woken up by now.
When Xavier delivered his not-too-encouraging diagnosis, I could only accept it. Well, accidents happen to everyone...
"How long will the treatment take?" I asked hoarsely.
"Hmm... For an ordinary person, it would take no less than six months. But considering this girl has exceptional recuperative abilities, I think a few weeks will be enough."
"A few weeks...?"
The doctor nodded.
"During this time, she shouldn't remove the bandage. I'll prescribe the necessary ointment. It should make the treatment more effective."
"Okay," I took a deep breath, "Thank you, sir."
When Xavier packed his bag and was about to say goodbye, he courteously reminded me:
"My Lady, I did warn you."
"Oh...?"
"That things wouldn't be so simple with her," the doctor adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
I snorted.
I got the impression that the doctor had some kind of special prejudice against the commoner. Completely unfounded, in my opinion.
"Nonsense," I retorted, "Accidents happen to everyone. She's not to blame for anything."
The doctor sighed and didn't voice his true thoughts on the matter out loud. In fact, in thirty years of practice, he had encountered such a "strange" fracture for the first time...
The arm was damaged everywhere possible, yet the main muscles necessary for arm movement remained intact.
The doctor could even formulate a theory: could this really be just a coincidence?
It felt as if someone who understood the structure of the human body had deliberately inflicted the injury on themselves...
However, this thought remained only in his head. The doctor knew that even if he voiced his assumption aloud, the duke's daughter was unlikely to believe him.
Surprisingly, Camilla's perceptiveness sometimes bordered on incredible naivety.
The physician sighed. "Well... What difference does it make to me? I've already done my job."
When Xavier left, I pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. The victim's weak breathing and the ticking of the clock — that was all that sounded in this room for quite some time. And then the commoner, who hadn't reacted before, moved her lips.
"M-m-m..."
I raised my head and looked at her. The girl tried to open her eyes, which had been closed all this time.
"It's alright. I'm here, with you!" I hastily spoke to her, "How are you feeling?"
Her golden eyes turned to me.
"Now... Better already."
I sighed with relief.
"Well, thank God," I smiled strained, adjusting the blanket, "The doctor said you'll need to stay in bed for a while, so it's better not to get up yet."
"Okay."
"Can you... Can you explain to me how you fell from the tree?" I asked cautiously.
In fact, the circumstances of this strange incident worried me more than anything else. Moreover, how did she even end up on the tree?
A momentary tension flickered across the commoner's face. After hesitating, she answered:
"A cat."
"What...?"
I was bewildered by such an unexpected answer.
"I climbed the tree to get a cat."
While my eyebrows continued to rise in bewilderment, the commoner explained her words.
It turned out that a stray cat had somehow wandered onto our grounds. I was more than sure it was an accident, since my brother couldn't stand animals and definitely wouldn't have allowed such a thing. The cat could have gotten in through a gap in the fence, or one of the servants could have brought it in unknowingly.
Be that as it may, the commoner accidentally witnessed the cat stuck in a tree, with no one able to get it down. One of the servants ran for a ladder but might not have made it in time, as by then the branch the cat was sitting on would have broken. In the end, the commoner decided to save the animal herself and even got injured in the process.
Having heard this story, I was deeply impressed. I was once again amazed that such a person could exist. She had not only a beautiful face but also a soul. After all, to give all your strength and even take a risk to save some little creature... Not everyone would have the courage for such an act.
Therefore, I admired her and at the same time felt sad.
"What a pity that with such qualities she was born a commoner." Moreover, apparently, she had no lofty ambitions. So this world truly loses a lot.
"Now I understand," I nodded, "You did the right thing by saving her. It's just a pity you got injured."
"You pity me?"
At these words, I shuddered.
There was something unusual in her golden eyes. A shiny metallic shade of color, like hot molten gold. I couldn't take my eyes off this beauty.
"Of course... It must have hurt you."
When I answered like that, I saw a suddenly appeared smile on her face.
"Why is she smiling?"
But for some reason, I was pleased to see her smile.
"Yes, with a smile you're even more beautiful."
At that moment, of course, I still didn't realize how incorrectly I had interpreted what had happened.