Chapter 36 ~ Subserving

"Mission—... Success!" Kurai flipped her hair as she walked into the back of the clinic, in the brief period Irene was between patients. J was walking out, and he bumped fists with the novae as they passed one another. The apothecary turned in her chair, looking up from her notes.

"Yes, we... I heard your progress earlier. It seems all with well with the boy."

"Mhm! He was getting weird ideas at first, but in the end he agreed to stop getting into scraps if he knows what's good for him."

"I'm sure it was the best way to get it through to a young man his age. Good job."

"My pleasure! Besides, I didn't realize it would be so fun. Not just the fight itself, but pushing his buttons beforehand... Mr Meus always tells me to be so polite and cordial and respectful, for all the good that ever did. I could get used to this instead."

"There's a time and a place for everything, Kurai. Try not to overdo anything. Now, I should be getting back to work. I have another appointment soon, as soon as I finish with John's treatment notes."

"Oh, wait, before you do..." She had thought to ask for advice with how to handle social anxiety while passing as a foxfolk in public, but that nervousness had passed. 'Let them look' echoed in her mind. No, there was a more pressing matter. Her voice lowered to a murmur. "Are you still convinced that Robin poisoned Mr Meus?"

"Yes." She set her pen down. "There is no doubt in my mind. I may have fumbled with my accusation. I was far too hasty... I had feared for my own sake in the moment instead of taking a more rational approach. But he definitely is causing harm."

"Sadly, I do think... something's going on. The way he was acting was really strange for him. But I don't believe he's going so far as to poison anyone. I mean, why would he want to kill Mr Meus...?"

"Poisoning doesn't have to be lethal. If he intended for it to be fatal, it would have only taken a single dose. No, he's trying to hurt the lord. Weaken him, perhaps. The way he's been acting about this 'sickness' is unmistakable. Telling me what he wants me to diagnose, not showing any concern as if he knows what's going on..."

"...But why? I don't understand. Do you think some outside force is compelling him to do it? I haven't seen anyone unfamiliar show up. Nothing..." She paused as her thoughts converged on a horrid possibility. Her face said it all, even as her voice shied away. "...Nothing strange has been happening at all."

"No, I don't think he's being paid. Not directly. But there was one offhanded question in one of my correspondences with the lord that stood out." She steepled her fingers, staring unblinkingly into the novae's eyes. "He asked if I thought you would be fit to officially become a lady of the manor. An idea that Robin had been pushing for multiple times. Then I recall you mentioning the boy being very affectionate with you lately. Only then did the lord succumb to this condition, falling into frequent doubts about what-ifs should he become unable to head the estate anymore. It's as if Robin was trying to make you more reliant on him while elevating your status at the same time..."

"...No. I don't know where you're going with this, but you're delusional. Clearly you need to finish up with your work so you can get some rest. I'll leave you to it." She wouldn't stop shaking her head as she turned to leave. The apothecary sprung to her feet, grabbing Kurai's sleeve.

"Kurai. Is this really what you want to happen?"

"I... I mean..." The novae's breath seized up in fear of the very idea. "...Maybe there's more going on. Maybe something happened that Robin felt so desperate to even consider such a thing. Meus is still a slave owner at the end of the day. Him being so weakened is... it could be the only way Robin could... defend himself..."

"Listen to yourself. Do you really believe what you're saying right now?"

Kurai's eyes cast down to the ground. Irene still didn't stop burrowing her gaze into the girl's skull.

"...You're not always right, Miss Irene. What if you're wrong about this too?"

"You're right; I'm not. But I want what's best for them, Kurai. We both saw him nearly drown in the bathtub thanks to the effects of the poison. What do you think would have happened if we didn't intervene? The boy was scared because he didn't realize how much risk he caused. I couldn't prove it at that moment, but I still have to do something."

"...All you did was run off. Is that it?"

"I still have patients that also need treatment, Kurai. I can't abandon them. Lord Meus has enough sense to not put his life at risk for at least one day, but... more than that, I am trying to think of how to handle this. You've now seen how complicated this is."

"Well..." She sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"For starters, get some prepared foods and drink for Lord Meus. I was going to show up after work, but you can handle this now. Make sure they're not left alone with Robin. He shouldn't be handling anything consumable. Frankly, he should be put under lock and key until we know what's really transpired. An investigation will need to be conducted. The police aren't going to do much if we ask them, but I know someone who can get us a decent PI."

"And, hypothetically, if he is found guilty...?"

"..." Only now did Irene hesitate. Was she afraid of Kurai's compliance, or did she actually care for Robin after all? "We'll have to find a way to address that issue when the time comes."

"I see. I should let you get back to your patients, like you said." The novae was anxious to leave.

"Tell Lord Meus what I said," the apothecary insisted.

"...I will." The novae morosely left the clinic, donning her coat as she stepped out into the chilly air. Even though she could see all angles around her, her head still kept tilting to gaze into the sky as she wrestled with her thoughts.

Why should I trust anything that backstabber has to say, anyways?
She's delusional.
If anything, we need to find a way to deal with her causing problems.
I'm not wrong.
I know who I can trust...
There's no way Robin would...

Arriving back at the manor, her eyes were immediately drawn to the coat rack as she slipped the key back in her pocket. There were three pieces of outerwear she did not recognize: An illustrious men's fur coat, a sharply pressed women's designer jacket, and a thin shawl. It wasn't hard to guess why they were there; just over in the parlor, she could hear two unfamiliar voices going off at length. Even if she didn't have advanced senses, she could still smell the reek of tobacco wafting from both the parlor and their coats alike.

"—simply a disgrace! Why, do you really think you're bringing Mother's family any honor with a ramshackle abode like this? Just walking up from the street and seeing that sorry excuse for shrubbery, I could hardly believe our little brother lived here!"

"Quite, and all these grounds just for you and a single slave? It's as if you still haven't moved on from that old fling. When will you start finally acting like an adult, little Bartholomeus?"

"I started twenty years ago, when I finally moved away from you all. If you truly have such a low opinion of me and my home, then I suggest you cease your pining and find something else to sink your talons into."

"Such uncharity! Don't you have the slightest bit of gratitude? We'll turn all these misfortunes around, little brother! All you need to do is stop giving such a cold shoulder to your own kin for once."

"As if—!" The discussion ground to a halt as soon as Kurai appeared in the doorway. Inside the parlor sat Meus and Robin, while across from them were an older man and woman, with a maid standing demurely beside them. The maid had very apparent beastly features, resembling a cat's ears and tail. She leaned down to whisper in the unfamiliar man's ear.

"Well, hello! Who is this? Oh, don't tell me you've started receiving guests for once, brother dearest!" the man exclaimed. He wore a garish green suit over a bright blue shirt, with a striped tie to add even more color to his outfit. His short, dark hair was nonetheless frayed at the receding hairline, giving him a disheveled, frantic appearance. His moustache was little more than a thin line laced across the upper lip.

"Hmph, look at how gussied up she is. I bet she's some lady of the night. How Bartholomeus has fallen." The woman, on the other hand, was dressed in a modest, morosely grey dress, with only blue earrings to split up the monochrome of her attire. Her hair was likewise greying, propped up in a tight bun as it was.

"Oh, you know as well as anyone that it wouldn't be a lady our brother sends for. She might be an actress instead."

"Even worse," the woman scoffed.

"Um... Hello, what's going on here?" The sight worried Kurai. The tension in the air was suffocating. Meus's eyes looked tired as he heaved in a messy arrangement of his daytime attire, likely tossed on quickly after laying in bed for most of the day again. His sickness had clearly not improved one bit. Robin's clasped hands pressed against his lips, while his eyes told a story of fear.

"It is called having a meeting, my dear. Surely you're not so daft as to not have heard of it."

"Yet still so daft as to ignore when I asked who this girl is."

"...My name is Kurai. I live here," she carelessly confirmed, frustration growing at her brow.

"She lives here! Why, brother, you never told us about a new resident!"

"Yes, yes, and what's your full name, girl? Surely you know your last name."

"Um... That... is a difficult question to answer."

"A difficult question! Just a simple name, is that really so hard? Good grief, Bartholomeus, you really do know how to pick the dullest knives in the drawer."

"I'm not stupid. It's just that things are complicated right now. I would prefer you didn't say such things about me to my face."

"Such a temper on her too!"

"Hmph, yes, well, just because a knife has an edge to it doesn't change the fact it's dull." The woman clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Everyone, please, calm down," Meus interrupted. "This is Kurai, a pupil of mine who is... temporarily staying with us due to difficulties. Kurai, these are my older siblings, Geoffrey and Evangeline." While they showed no reaction, the maid did curtsy despite receiving no introduction. "We are just finishing up a discussion, so if you'll excuse us..."

"Oh, don't be so quick to dismiss us, dear brother! Why, I have to ask, could it be that this pupil can't give her last name because she's planning on changing it to 'Selland'?" Geoffrey steepled his fingers as he seemed proud of his accusation.

"Um, that's..." Kurai looked over to Meus, unsure how much she should disclose. Even that momentary silence was enough.

"Right on the money, was I? Oh ho, charming, charming! I suppose this puts much into perspective. I had been wondering why our little Barty boy was refusing our generous offers to take this old dusty responsibility off his hands. I should have known he had something like this planned!"

"Giving away a whole estate to some floozy? Certainly explains how unreasonable he has been so far. Must have been those alchemical fumes rotting his brain like a hatter's..."

"Nothing is going on. Now, I'd appreciate you dropping the matter and leaving me be. I don't need this when I still am recovering from a fever," the professor groaned.

"Of course. Yes. Nothing will be going on, I agree." Geoffrey rose to his feet, flashing a knowing smile at his sister.

"...Very much so, yes," she responded with a smile of her own. It was as cold and sharp as mid-Winter glass. "Come, Tam. I believe I've seen all I need to here." The maid followed her masters to the door, donning her thin shawl after helping both of them with their own coats. Just like that, they were gone.

"What was that all about?" Kurai moved over to the sofa the siblings were sitting on. Even unoccupied, their stench still lingered enough to dissuade the novae from taking her seat.

"My own flesh and blood decided they weren't enough of a nuisance already." Meus leaned back in his chair, completely spent.

"Weren't they the ones bothering you about your will?"

"Yes. Now they've stepped up to insisting of 'sharing' ownership of the estate immediately. It's been nothing short of petty demands with nothing to give in return. They simply think all these years later, they can still bully me."

"...Think they need to be taught a lesson?" Her mind had already been awash with new experiments.

"I really hope you're joking. Violence isn't the first response you should have. There's a... time and a..." His voice faded away as he gripped his head. Only a sudden cough broke the silence.

"Mr Meus, are you alright...?" It was a foolish question. She didn't need to ask. "We should get you back to bed. I can carry you there."

"I'd... never ask a young lady like yourself to... have to..."

He might not have asked, but it wasn't a refusal either. Kurai carefully took him into her arms, holding him in a princess carry. The middle aged man surely was ashamed to be seen so vulnerable, but if there was anybody he trusted at a time like this, it was the once-humble novae. She gently laid him down on his bed once they made it to his room. He shivered as he pulled the blankets up high.

"I can't believe you had to get dressed in your condition just to speak with them in your own home. I can imagine you had good reason, considering how they acted."

"Quite... When my strength returns to me, I'll need to change out of these. For a man my age to be curled up in bed with a waistcoat and a belt still on... You'd think I'm a red-eyed tyke after Sunday service, haha... ha..." Another coughing fit interrupted him. The novae patted his back.

"Easy there... Do you need something to drink, sir? I feel like some hot tea would be ideal for clearing your pipes."

"Oh, no need for that now. I just need to rest... Really, I could use some company to keep my mind off of things, but I'm afraid I can't hold much of a chat with my head like this..."

"Hm..." Kurai tapped her chin, a smile only growing wider on her face by the second. "You know, I really loved those vocal music boxes you got for me. It seems like an eternity since then. The first one you gifted me still is one of my most precious treasures..."

"Aha... Funny, that. It was a leftover trinket, you know? A novelty, really. I hadn't touched the thing in so long, so I gave it to you as a spur of the moment idea. Could I have ever imagined such a small gesture would have meant so much to you."

"It's those small touches that show us who we really are, sir, when we act without any scripts or pretensions. Yours really is a beautiful nature."

"That a man my age would ever be called beautiful... If it was anybody else, I'd think you were joking."

"It's the truth. The more I see of the world, the more glad I become that you were the one I grew up with. I can't even imagine what it would be like if I had awakened to the world anywhere else..."

"I'm sure you would have been fine. You're a smart girl, resourceful..." It sounded as if he would continue, but he lost his voice again.

Kurai frowned at the thought. Even with her nurtured state, had she been attacked by Irene even a week earlier, much less attracting the ire of multiple people at once... It wasn't hard to imagine how many ways things could have spiraled into a disaster.

"...Hehe. I appreciate your confidence, sir. Still, I wasn't bringing it up just to reminisce. I've been working on my singing all these months. I still don't think I'm as good as the songstresses in the music boxes are, but... I feel confident enough that I'd like to show you how far I've come."

"Really now? I remember you were so shy about this in the past. Well... you have my curiosity. Then please, go ahead."

Kurai stepped back, clearing her throat. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When they opened, the room filled with her voice.

"Sleepwalking child of the circle,*
they kept you away, and how!
Trapped in the weeds of your fantasies,
losing your face and screaming out loud.
But silent, like the ends of the halls
of your mind, of the sky!
That something must end,
the doors finally open,
and all you can think is 'Why, why!'
Hush now,
it's over.
I want you
to know
that everything changes when someone gets lost."

The lord of the manor wiped at his eyes. His smile was that of a proud father. Just outside the door, Robin listened in. He thought not being visible was enough to hide anymore. The novae ignored him, gazing expectantly at Meus. He sniffled, taking a deep breath in.

"...That was wonderful. Thank you, Kurai. You really have grown so, so much."

[If you would like to listen to the above song, you can do so here: https://files.catbox.moe/t71o8r.mp3

It's not an AI song. It's an audio file I've had for over a decade now. The poor audio quality isn't thematic. It's a demo song for a cancelled project that only a few thousand people at most ever knew about. This particular song never had a public release either. It's about as much of a lost content as you can get from a forgotten indie work. Since then, I've lost contact with the friend who sung it, so I can't give any credits either. So, just consider this an echo from a past that never was, quietly reverberating off of walls far removed from its source. A singsong tribute to all the unsung stillbirths of creative works. I still value it all even if nobody else ever will.

All that being said, it still both fits Kurai and story content soon to come, so I hope you appreciate it even just a little. Maybe later on, you can come back here and you might be able to hear it in a new light.]