Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Chapter 200

Call me Mr. Swinton

Madame Griselda spoke with a cold voice. “Do you think that she’s exclusive to you, Lord Karn? Though Rosanna is a Rose, at the end, she is still a Courtesan. If the price is right, she will need to entertain the guest.”

“Madame Griselda, you -!” the young man growled angrily.

“Stop, Lord Karn. Just stop,” The woman on the bed pushed away the blanket covering the lower half of her body. Though the modest nightgown she wore reached below her knees, one could see that the rash had reached every part of her body, including her legs. “I was just unlucky enough to catch this disease from a guest. I’ve asked Madame Griselda to keep you away from me because I don’t want you to see me like this.”

The sight caused young Karn to flinch, and he turned his face away. Seeing his reaction, Rosanna did not get angry. “Lord Karn, it’s time you wake up and face reality.”

“Why?” the dandy gritted his teeth, gathering his courage to look at the ill woman in front of him. “I told you that I’d buy you. I could’ve taken you away. Then you wouldn’t have to continue selling your body.”

“Lord Karn,” she said, as she struggled to breathe in. Connie saw that she was very weak, likely from being confined to the bed. “You are just one of my many guests.”

“But, Rosanna! The words you said to me. Those words of comfort and praise, were those all lies?”

“…will you be satisfied if I say it out loud? Yes. It was just business. You gave me your gold, so I gave you, my services. That was all it was. I would do the same for anyone who paid me enough. It was all fake. Even this name, Rosanna, is not my real name,” the woman said. “Now you have your answer. Please leave.”

“Rosanna…I…ugh…”

Karn, unable to accept the truth, wobbled unsteadily to the door. His face was pale and his gaze was empty.

“Ah, you made him cry,” Connie said.

“Please don’t blame him. Lord Karn is a good man. Unlike some of my guests, he did not hit me or humiliate me. All he wanted from me was words of comfort. But that seemed to have made him falsely think that my words were sincere.”

“Is it really?” Connie saw the earnest look on the woman’s face, and noted a hint of hurt in her eyes. But she did not comment. She was there for other business.

“Madame Griselda, who is this gentleman?”

Before the middle-aged woman could speak, Connie introduced herself using her own voice. “Pardon the need for the disguise. My name is Cornelia Asterium Steelheart. I’m here to find a cure to this disease.”

Hearing the name, Rosanna’s face wore a look of utter shock. “The Lady in White? Please don’t kid with me, Milord.”

Connie revealed her face. Seeing this, Rosanna quickly glanced at Madame Griselda. When she saw her nod, the woman quickly made a move to get up, but she was halted by Connie’s hand over her shoulder.

“Don’t get up.”

“Milady! How can you touch my diseased body like that?! It might infect you!”

“If I don’t touch you, how am I going to know how to cure you?”

Ever since she contracted the disease, Rosanna was afraid to be touched, as she feared that it will infect the other person. But when she heard the steady voice coming from Connie, she could not help but shed a tear of hopefulness.

“I think it would be best if we keep my identity between us. While I’m here, just call me Mr. Swinton,” she pulled a stool nearby and turned to Griselda.

“Let’s not waste any more time, then. Madame, I ask you to give me time to speak with her in private. While I am doing so, please gather the fourteen people affected by the disease.”

“They’re not here. I’ve put those who are showing symptoms in a separate building that I own a few blocks away. One of the Healers told me to do that.”

“Oh? Sounds like a competent one. I’ll have to meet that Healer later,” Connie said while pulling out a leather bag from her Item Ring. Inside was several empty vials. “So why is Miss Rosanna not there with the others?”

“It was Scarlet’s wish so that she can take care of her. The two shares a deep sisterly bond.”

“Very well. In that case, I’ll trouble you to escort me there later,” she said. “Now, get out please. I’ll have to ask some very private questions to Miss Rosanna.”

Madame Griselda exhaled quietly before exiting the room.

“Now, Miss Rosanna. I want you to be entirely honest with me,” she said, as she placed a container on the bedside table and poured a bitter-smelling solution into it. The sharp bite of strong alcohol permeated Rosanna’s nose. “When was the last time you had sexual relations? Who was your partner? Did you have sexual relation while experiencing these symptoms? Also, I need to know when you start showing sores and the rash.”

“Milady! T – these are very uncouth questions!”

“Didn’t I say it’s private?” Connie said nonchalantly. She pulled out a leather scroll which contained a row of needles about twenty centimeters long. The sight of the sharp objects unnerved Rosanna that she began to have second thoughts.

Connie took one of them out of the scroll and immersed it in the solution. The solution was a concoction she made after reading about sterilizing and disinfecting medical tools to prevent contamination. When she read that it took a good fifteen to twenty minutes to sterilize a needle properly using strong alcohol, she immediately set out to create a solution that could cut this into less than a minute. The only drawback was the smell was enough to peel paint off a wall.

“I need them to know the incubation period and the stage of your disease,” she told her.

She then took out a small book and dipped a brush into an inkwell that she took out from her Item Ring.

“This…this isn’t easy.”

“Look, Miss Rosanna. Right now, I’m not Lady Steelheart. I’m your Healer. Furthermore, you’re a woman, I’m a woman. We’ve all had experience with a bit of nightly activities. I don’t really care who you had sex with, something like that can be found out easily as long as I give the right people some money. So, if you’d be so kind to spare me the effort.”

Rosanna was astonished by the candid way the supposed Lady in White spoke. After a few hesitant stutters, she began to talk, which Connie wrote into her small book dispassionately.

“Very good. Now I’m going to take some samples.”

Connie took out the needle from the solution and held it between her fingers. Seeing the long needle, Rosanna could not help but let out a yelp of fear.

“Hold out your hand, please. You’ll feel a bit of a prick.”

“W-wait. Stop - !”

Without waiting for affirmation, Connie punctured her skin with the long needle infused with Energy, and pulled out a string of red blood which was connected to the sharp point of the needle. She controlled the string of blood with the little finger that she held the needle with; inserting the blood into a vial in her other hand. The blood continuously flowed from the puncture wound into the vial. Connie stared at it until she was satisfied with the amount before cutting off her Energy and the last of the blood safely entered the vial.

Rosanna watched the whole thing, mesmerized by the fantastical scene that she forgot about the pain.

After stoppering the vial, Connie wrote on a small piece of paper and placed it back into her leather bag. She then poured the strong-smelling solution onto a piece of cotton and wiped the wound with it. Another thing she learned from the Medical Books.

As a Cultivator, as long as one managed to cultivate the right Technique or Art, one could even survive after being blown apart. It was different from fragile mortals, who could die from a simple cold. They needed extra care.

“W-what was that? I’ve never seen any Healers of Alchemist that can do that!”

“I am a bit more unorthodox in my methods compared to other Healers,” Connie said, as she waved off her surprise with a smile. “Now, l will take another sample from your sores. This one is going to be a bit more…painful.”

Outside, Nick, Scarlet, and Lia, were waiting by the door. They jumped up when they heard a muffled scream.

A few minutes later, Connie exited the room to meet the wondering eyes of the three.

“I’m finished with Rosanna. Make sure to open the windows in her room to get fresh air in in the morning. And don’t forget to get some proper food in her. Include garlic, ginger, and honey in her diet. I’ll send some more comprehensive list of food to eat and avoid later.”

“Thank you, Mr. Swinton,” Scarlet bopped slightly. “Madame Griselda have told me about you, and she asked me to take you to the dorm where the others were.”

“…very well,” Connie nodded. “Mark, I’ll be going with Miss Scarlet. Also, you are free for the night. Go ahead and enjoy the place. I’ll pay for everything.”

“Er…on second thought, Swinton…I think I’ll skip for tonight,” Nick said ruefully.

“Are you sure?”

“We are prepared to offer you our best girls for tonight, Mr. Mark. As a way of showing our appreciation,” Scarlet added.

“Nah. I’ll…I’ll just go. Think I’ve had enough excitement for the day.”

“Suit yourself,” Connie raised an eyebrow. Nick was not the kind to refuse free things. However, she did not think too much about it.

After separating ways with Connie, Nick got out of the Rose of Paradise Club, took one rueful look at the bright building, and proceeded to grumble angrily.

“Dammit, here I am, offered to spend the night free of charge in the most exclusive whorehouse in the Capital, but I ruined it for myself.”

And indeed, it was entirely his own fault. Back when he followed everyone to Rosanna’s room he was curious about the beauty of the other top flower girl of the establishment and tried to get a glimpse of her. He stole a good look of her as Connie entered, only to immediately regret his decision. The sight of canker sores and red rash on a woman had dampened his appetite greatly and he was no longer in any mood to enjoy the company of women for the night. It was all he could do to hold in his vomit and try to not think about the unsavoury sight.

Sighing loudly, Nick shoved his hands into his pockets and grumpily walked down the streets, sucking down the night air with a vengeance. The sooner I find a good place to have a quiet drink the better.

Suddenly, he heard a moan and saw an upturned butt and a pair of fancy pants and a shiny left boot; the other one was missing. He recognized that shiny boot.

“Hey, it’s the idiot son,” Nick said. He looked left and right before making his way to the unlucky man and said.

“You need help, kid?”

There was no answer. Sighing, Nick kicked away the trash and pulled the man’s leg. With a grunt, he turned the body to face him with the tip of his leg. He saw a face swollen black and blue. The man was missing his top.

“Mrrgh…” the no-longer- dandy looking man moaned when he saw Nick’s face. “Are you here to laugh at me?” he said with a resigned groan. “Leave me be,” he moaned pathetically. “I’m just a useless man who just got dumped by my true love!”

He was so pathetic that Nick felt sorry for him, despite his earlier stupidity.

“Come on, kid. There are so many women in the world. I mean, if you want to have some fun, I can introduce you to a good place. I’m sure you can find someone that can rock your boat.”

“Nooo. I don’t want any boat-rocking. I haven’t even had my first yet. I want it to be special!” he complained.

“W-wait. What? Kid, you mean you’ve never done the four-legged beast with her?”

“I know! I know it’s pathetic! I know that! But I can’t help it! That’s how much she meant to me. But it doesn’t matter anymore. Nothing matters.”

“Oh, wow, this is…just…wow,” Nick rubbed his chin with a grin, a sudden interest on the dandy was spurred. He put Karn’s arm around his neck and helped him up. “Come on, kid. Let’s you and me go to tavern and share some stories over ale. I’m sure it’s going to be fu – I mean – helpful to you.”

Nick frowned and dropped him with a thud, eliciting a quiet moan of pain from Karn.

“On second thought, let’s get you cleaned up first. You smell like shit.”