The Villainess's Secret Bedroom Service
Chapter 27: The Treatment

Chapter 27: The Treatment

"Ah, yes... Nice to meet you, Lord Altair."

The man smiled and shook his head.

"Please, I am of no noble birth. Just call me Altair, Lady Rosalie."

Despite his kind and friendly demeanor, Rosalie could not help but feel uneasy. There were several people related to the Temple that were mentioned in the novel, but the name Altair was definitely not one of them.

’There was also not a single word about High Priest Alexander Saro having a disciple... Am I remembering it wrong again? If this keeps going on, I’m afraid I might lose the upper hand here.’

Although anxious, Rosalie had to play the part, and remain calm and collected because even if she knew she was inside a novel, she could not remain oblivious to the fact that its world could have many characters whose existence was not known either to the author or to their readers. Moreover, now that she was going against the original plot, the aftermath of her actions could change the flow of the entire story.

Even if she was just a minor villainess, whose existence did not really matter.

The girl smiled back at Altair and replied, her voice still retaining a slight shade of nervousness,

"Alright. Altair. But is it alright to call you all the way here because of a monir wound?"

Altair took a seat beside Rosalie, their bodies almost touching, and she could smell a subtle scent of something fresh and flowery emanating from his pristine Temple uniform. It was strangely calming and even soothing, almost like medicine.

The man extended his open palm to Lady Ashter, his gaze fixed on her right hand, which she had kept clasped against her chest all this time.

"There is no such thing as a minor wound, My Lady. Now, may I examine your hand?"

For some inexplicable reason, Rosalie found it difficult to resist his melodic voice. He seemed like a mysterious charmer, enchanting her with his captivating presence and soothing aura. Unable to refuse, she obliged his request.

"Yes... Thank you."

She placed her right palm atop his, immediately feeling the warmth of his gentle touch. Altair covered her hand with his other, closed his eyes, and in that moment, Rosalie noticed a faint spark dancing between their joined hands, as if attempting to pass through their skin.

The tiny spark gradually grew and multiplied, transforming into a radiant white mist that tingled lightly against Rosalie’s skin. Within moments, the dense shimmering mist began to dissipate, leaving behind a sense of relief, as if a dark and heavy burden had been lifted from within her. Confused, she turned her gaze to Altair, who met her eyes with an unfamiliar kindness and, perhaps, even affection, reflected in his deep silver gaze.

"All done, Lady Rosalie."

Altair smiled as he uttered those words, however, when Rosalie attempted to withdraw her hand, he suddenly tightened his grip, his gaze fixed on her clear gray eyes.

"Uhm, Altair? Thank you for treating me, could I please have a look at my hand?"

The man trapped her pale, trembling hand between his larger, softer palms. His expression darkened, yet he maintained a peculiar friendly smile on his sensual lips. He leaned closer to the girl, their faces nearly touching, and spoke in a low, somewhat detached voice.

"There is something peculiar about you, Lady Rosalie. I sense that your soul is greatly unbalanced, disturbed by an external force..."

Rosalie felt her blood run cold. Altair’s words seemed to have shaken her to the very core and a strong wave of fear washed over her in an instant.

’Has he discovered that I am not from this world? Or perhaps he sensed my Acme? Maybe both? And if so, what does it mean? Will I face execution?’

"... lie?... Rosalie?"

Immersed entirely in her anxious thoughts, she turned completely deaf to everything else, and it took Altair a good couple of minutes to finally be able to bring her disgruntled state back to reality.

"Lady Rosalie? Are you alright?"

The man placed one of his large hands on her forehead and she felt calm once again. Altair was undoubtedly in possession of a strange power to soothe her anxiety and yet, that was exactly what made her uneasy at the same time.

As if having read her thoughts, Altair offered her another kind smile and continued, now in a warm and reassuring tone,

"Your strange affliction bothers me greatly, Lady Rosalie. I would like to treat you if you do not mind."

"N-No! That’s fine, really! I do not feel anything at all!"

The girl failed to control the volume of her voice. Scared that he might find something suspicious about her during the treatment, Rosalie jerked her head away and pulled her hand behind her skirt, her heart galloping inside her chest like a wild horse.

Altair, however, seemed entirely unbothered even by that strange behavior. Instead, he examined both of his hands with a rather disappointed look on his face, then straightened his posture, and said,

"Pardon my impudence, My Lady. Is there something that frightens you?"

"... What if there is?"

Altair adjusted his long silver hair, rose from his seat, and knelt before Rosalie, gently taking her hands in his. His lips formed a reassuring smile as he spoke,

"Do not be afraid, Lady Rosalie. As a representative of the Temple, I assure you that I mean you no harm. You have my word."

Once again, Altair’s soothing voice had a hypnotic effect on Rosalie, causing her to release all tension and fear from her body. She couldn’t help but feel drawn to him, even if she wondered if he was more of a tempting snake than a charming presence. Nevertheless, her mind refused to question his intentions any further. There was something about him that convinced her of his pure intentions.

As he had mentioned, he was a man of the Temple.

"Alright..."

"Good."

The man rose to his feet and patted Lady Ashter on the head as if she were an obedient dog, his touch bearing an overwhelming sense of affection. He continued,

"What do you think about meeting two to three times a week? I can come here to see you, and I am sure your fiancé would not mind. He only wants what is best for you, does not he?"

Rosalie nodded, offering him a subtle smile.

"Yes, I believe so."

"Then,"

Altair kissed the back of the girl’s hand and looked straight into her beautiful eyes,

"I will see you again soon, My Lady."

***

Altair closed the door to his coach, leaning back in the seat, a wide grin plastered across his face. His heart raced in his chest, the sound ringing in his red, hot ears. Overwhelmed with joy, he could no longer contain his laughter, which bordered on the edge of hysteria. His face flushed red, resembling a burning flower.

Looking at his hands that had touched Rosalie just moments ago, he felt an unfamiliar tingling sensation, as if his very being was on fire. The excitement consumed him, exhilarating every fiber of his being. Struggling to contain his manic laughter, he covered his mouth with his left hand, mumbling to himself,

"I touched her... Haha! I really touched her... I touched Rosalie Ashter!"