70: Stage Actor Brandon / More Light / Highly Nutritious Spicy Soup 6

“What on earth are you saying!”

Jill raised her voice in anger for the first time since she started living in the mansion in the Forest of Temptation.

“I would never treat someone like you again! Never come here again! I would also refuse any stage costume production!”

“H-hey, why are you so angry?”

Brandon looked at the apothecary’s face as if seeking help.

But the apothecary only let out a sigh.

In the awkward silence, perhaps noticing Jill’s loud voice, the others entered.

“What happened? Oh, you woke up.”

“Brandon! You’re awake!”

Those who entered were Maureen and Chris, the troupe’s manager.

“……A-ah, I am sorry. I forgot to go and call you.”

“That’s fine, but…….”

As Maureen spoke, Jill tried to reply and realized that she had clenched her fist tightly.

Jill took a deep breath, as if to suppress a trembling voice.

“It‘s nothing. Brandon’s body had recovered. His physical strength might have dropped a bit, but I believe there would be no problem in putting him in a carriage and sending him home.”

“Th-that helped. It would be bad to trouble you any further. Let’s go home for now.”

“But we have not even thanked you……nor paid the medical fee.”

“I’ll take care of everything here, so just rest at home! You almost died!”

Chris scolded Brandon.

It did not lead to the kind of argument seen a few hours ago. Chris helped Brandon, who still seemed confused, get ready to leave and said, “I would come to thank you again soon.”, then left.

“Phew…….”

Jill felt a sudden wave of exhaustion.

Jill sat down on a chair, letting out a heavy sigh.

Jill thought to herself that being a doctor was impossible. If she lived like this every day, she would lose her mind. No matter what anyone said, she firmly resolved never to put up a sign saying, “I can heal.”

“I’m sorry, I raised my voice.”

“No. Those words should be spoken aloud. I hoped he would understand…….”

The apothecary spoke as if to comfort Jill.

However, he probably also felt a sense of futility that it likely did not get through.

Thus, the people dispersed.

◆

The next day, Jill stood at the counter of the Witch Hand Craft branch as usual. After giving it a day, Jill’s anger had subsided and she regained her calm. Jill reflected a bit that it might have been a bit bad to have almost thrown the patient out.

“Were you concerned about yesterday?”

“Yes, somewhat. I wondered if there had been a better way to say it.”

“It’s fine. There were idiots like that in the knight corps as well.”

“W-were there such people?”

“I did not mean that they used lead-based face powder. I meant there were fools who dared to do dangerous things of their own accord.”

In response to Jill’s question, Maureen shrugged her shoulders as she answered.

“Such people were not necessarily bad, which made it all the worse. They usually had good spirits and were kind. Men respected those kinds of people, saying ‘What a brave fellow he is’……forgetting that there were people like that manager supporting them behind the scenes.”

“……Why did they make light of their own lives?”

“They thought that if they died splendidly, they would leave proof that they had lived.”

“Proof of having lived…….”

“In my old home, we dealt with fighting one way or another as our job. There were those who received honors posthumously, and those treated like heroes. But they were respected not because they died. It was because they lived to the fullest. There were those who misunderstood that part.”

Maureen spoke casually as she wiped the dishes.

However, her gaze seemed to be looking somewhere far away.

“……If one was a stage actor, there would probably be someone dazzling that they admired.”

“Probably. Even though there was no need for life-or-death matters, it’s ironic.”

“There were probably many people who risked their lives.”

Carol’s voice was also somewhat subdued.

She seemed a bit shocked by the image of the admired actor, Brandon.

“……Ah, then, perhaps.”

While engaging in such chit-chat, Jill suddenly realized something.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Could it be that lead-based face powder was widespread?”

At Jill’s words, both Maureen and Carol were at a loss for words. They probably were about to nod in agreement, realizing what it meant. Perhaps the backstage of the plays they had casually watched was a terrible scene.

“Excuse me, is Lady Jill in?”

At that moment, the shop’s door opened.

A small man, dressed in a flawless black shirt, polite in demeanor.

It was Chris, the manager of the Canary Troupe.

◆

Once seated at the table, Chris handed Jill a heavy cloth bag.

“Please accept this.”

“This is…….”

Jill’s face filled with surprise.

All of the contents were gold coins.

It might have reached as much as a million dina, a huge sum.

“No, I cannot accept so much. After all, I was the one who got carried away and treated him…….”

“Not at all. Any doctor who saw him would have thrown up their hands. Rather, this might be too little.”

Naturally, Jill tried not to accept it, but Chris was also stubborn.

“Then please accept it as a refund. As a cancellation fee for the job.”

“That would be the same as not accepting it. Besides…….”

Chris spoke in a strangely grave tone and paused meaningfully.

“Besides?”

“The fact that Brandon was saved would likely have been seen by the theater people and other actors as well. Even if I tried to keep their mouths shut, I could not stop the rumors…….”

“Ugh.”

Certainly, at that time, Jill had not cared about the eyes of others.

Jill thought that if someone had worried about such a thing in a life-or-death situation, she might have scolded them.

“Just the fact that you treated lead poisoning was no small matter. And on top of that, if it got around that you treated it for free……it would likely invite considerable trouble. To be honest, I also wanted to check if you had noticed that.”

“I’m sorry, I did not notice.”

Jill drooped her shoulders in dejection.

“N-no, no! I did not come here to scold you! I just thought you should be careful.”

“Master has a habit of doing big things without realizing their magnitude……so it’s good to heed that warning.”

Maureen spoke to Jill with a wry smile.

“Don’t bully me here. I will be careful.”

“It is a retainer’s duty to offer admonitions.”

Thanks to Maureen’s teasing, Chris also smiled.

Jill, now calm, was able to think about the situation. Not accepting this money would indeed cause the problems Chris spoke of. Also, Jill began to think she should listen to why Chris had such concerns.

“Understood. I will certainly accept it as a treatment fee. And about this matter, I will keep it as discreet as possible…….”

“Yes, of course I will not speak of it.”

“On that note, Chris. Are there others besides Brandon?”

What Jill asked about was people with the same illness as Brandon, that is, those who used lead-based face powder.

“Unfortunately, yes. Unfortunately, the powder that contains lead is of higher quality.”

With a pained expression, Chris nodded.

“There are those who continue to use the powder and retire halfway, never regaining their health. No matter how many times we appeal about the misery, it never reaches the performers or actors……I am truly delighted that Brandon recovered, but to be honest, having this story spread is very troubling. It might cause even more reckless people to use the powder.”

“That is……certainly…….”

“We want to banish it. That which shaves away the actors’ lives.”

Those words struck Jill’s heart.

When Brandon asked her to make stage costumes, Jill had simply felt passion. But Chris’s words held a harsher, sadder resolve.

“……Why do you try so hard?”

At Jill’s question, Chris looked puzzled.

“Why……is it strange? I am, after all, the head of the troupe.”

“There could be betrayals, or times you would not be understood, right?”

“Brandon is a fool, but he is not a bad man. He has his own desperate reasons……But, leaving aside that partiality……I like it.”

“You like……the theater?”

“To portray a person whom someone admires. To write a script that electrifies the heart. To produce a performance so astounding it engulfs the viewer. All of it sets my heart dancing. For that sake, wiping up after troublesome people is no big deal.”

For just an instant, the fatigue on Chris’s face vanished.

It was a dazzling expression.

Maureen had said that men respected a brave man.

But Jill found qualities worthy of respect in Chris’s smile.

“Yes! Let’s do our best!”

“Eh? Ah, yes. I will do my best.”

Chris responded ambiguously, not understanding what Jill meant.

He could not grasp why she said, “Let’s do our best” instead of “Please do your best.”

“So, I have a request……could I have a little more money?”

Chris gaped in surprise at those words.

A fire had been lit in Jill’s heart.