The Blue Dot

[Portia's POV]

It is almost dusk when I am walking in the corridor, looking for Oliver. The red twilight shine from the glass window to the floor makes me feel as though walking on a long bright red carpet.

I still had a little bit of time before dinner and hearing Anthony's final verdict regarding my problem, so I went to find Oliver to talk about another important matter.

This is such an important matter when it comes to my life in the future.

I know—that the current problem is also a critical condition. The high probability of my body exploding because of unstable mana flow becomes dangerous. Strangely, I am not worried about it.

For now, I am much more worried about Diane's future fate.

Back then, when I was eighteen, I suffered a strange illness. That illness made me unable to speak and paralyzed for almost three months.

Of my bad reputation in society, they accused me of being cursed. They always considered me a cursed being that should be eradicated from society. So, my title changed from Loser Lady to The Cursed Lady. As a result, no single doctor was voluntarily willing to help me. Because of these strange rumours, I was moved to a secluded mansion near Palmerston's forest so I would not infect my family and put their lives at risk.

I lived there with Diane and two other maids. I did not know why they were so selflessly helping a dying person like me. I even told her to return to the main mansion and left me here dead alone, but Diane insisted on taking care of me. At that time, I no longer thought of surviving. If I die soon, it is better for Diane and the others.

Besides, what was the point of living if no one ever looked for me in that secluded mansion?

It is obvious if I was abandoned, like cutting rotten arms from the main body.

However, in the last week of the third month I lived in the secluded mansion, Diane told me that she had received a letter from a doctor who was willing to help me. Still, the doctor's house is too far from the mansion. Diane had to ride a carriage to fetch the doctor. In fact, I did not want Diane to go. At least she should be here when I died and put flowers on my grave.

But I could not stop her from riding that carriage. The last time I saw her was when she climbed the carriage wearing her favourite formal dress. She looked beautiful and elegant, just like my usual Diane.

Another week passed. A carriage came inside the mansion's yard. I went down using a wheelchair and get assisted by Lily, another maid who worked here with Diane. The rejoicing feeling filled up my heart, knowing that Diane was back.

But it was not Diane.

It was Anthony. He came here with another strange person who acquainted himself as an abroad merchant and close friend of Anthony. He told me if that person had medicine to cure me.

I did not know why, but when I looked at Anthony's face, it made me suffer a lot to hold outrageous feelings that welled up inside.

I knew it was not his fault that his daughter had fallen sick like this. I also knew that he had come to a place like this to bring medicine for me.

Still, where has he been for the last three months? He, Adeline, or Yuri never once visited me or even sent a single letter to me in this secluded place. Did they really abandon me in the end? They did not know how much in a day I thought about getting suicide rather than living in a hell like this.

Miraculously, I survived after eating the special medicine from that abroad merchant. Although I had to vomit and cough blood for three days, I could speak again and move my feet like it was.

As the rumour of my curse being lifted was already widespread in society, I was summoned back to the main mansion. But I insisted on staying there until Diane was back. She might look for me if I got back to the main mansion.

Until one gloomy morning, a letter came.

It was first read by Lily. When I came down to look who the sender was, Lily was already crying. My entire world fell apart then, and my heart felt like it would shatter into pieces.

Diane died in a single-carriage accident. According to that letter, the carriage that brought Diane collapsed into the ravine. The carriage was found later by an adventurer that passed by. There were no survivors.

I still remember how I cried like a madwoman and blamed myself repeatedly. If I stopped Diane before she could go, would she still stand beside me and give me a genuine smile like she used to?

Another week passed, and a small funeral was held for Diane. When all people returned to their usual activities, I still sat there with a plain black dress and crumpled face after crying too much. I swore inside my heart that if I could go back, the first person I would save is Diane, who has always been my mother, friend, sibling, and the closest person in my life. No one else.

"What's he doing there?"

I stop at the front entrance of our greenhouse when the person I have been looking for is inside. But I realize something within a second. "Right, he's a botanical expert. It's reasonable he's there."

The reason I was looking for Oliver is apparent.

The Blue Dot.

It is the scientific name of my strange illness. Blue dots on the back of the neck are this illness's starting symptoms. Oliver releases a medical press about The Blue Dot two years after my case. It was that moment when all people realized I was not cursed but suffered from an endemic disease.

Despite this fact, none of them apologized to me for their rude behaviour and false accusation, making me suffer from a lot of hate speech. Even I am still seen as a cursed woman that does not belong to live among them.

I never give a damn about them. Since the beginning, I have never been considered a human being in their eyes.

But this time is different. I can change the future with help from Oliver. Even though the current Oliver does not know about The Blue Dot, I want him to do the research earlier and find the antidote for me. So when I start to have the symptoms of this illness, I can recuperate soon. The most important matter, Diane will not die in a carriage accident. I will save her.

"Mister Oliver, I—"

I rush into the greenhouse and approach Oliver, who sit on the chair with his back to the door. But when I arrived there, he was in a deep sleep.

"Perhaps he's tired after a long ride. Would it be more convenient if I came back later?" Frustrated, I kick a small piece of gravel on the ground and am about to turn around before I spot something on the table.

That is … Oliver's journal research!

My eyes glance toward Oliver. Great, he is still sound asleep. Will it be alright for me if I peek inside the journal without his permission?

"Ekhem. Mister Oliver, can I see your research journal?"

"Oh, of course, you can. Please take your time, Young Lady," I answer my question with a low voice so I will not wake him up. I take that thick-leathered cover journal and put it on my lap as I sit on the grass with my legs crossed.

Wow! It is no wonder why Oliver gets the title of a genius doctor. Just look at this neat and clear explanation. Even I who did not have a health education background, can read this without too much trouble.

He is not a genius but a diligent and hard worker.

After that, I got immersed in reading his journal and flipping the pages with an excited face. He recorded all sorts of plants and their efficacy for medicine. However, some dangerous plants could kill a person with a drop of their essence or sniff their pollen. But on the right hand, those dangerous plants could be an antidote or tonic for rare illnesses.

I did not know … that the plant world could be this vast.

Everything was very enjoyable to read until I came to the last page of this journal book, and I saw a dried flower attached there using clear tape. I read the explanation with a loud voice.

"Blue Lily. Grow in a lowland near the Empire castle. Unidentified. If ingested for too long, it will pose the infected to be in a paralyzed state. A high dose of the pollen will lead to speech and motoric failure. There is no antidote—"

"What are you doing?"

"Hic!" I was surprised when I heard Oliver's voice behind my ear. His journal fell into my lap unconsciously, and he took it back.

"Are you reading my book without my permission?"

Oh, shit.