“It feels a lot better now, doesn’t it?”
“…Thank you so much…”
“It’s nothing. The treatment was fairly simple.”
I gave the injured maid, Aileen, a reassuring smile and dropped the scissors I had used to cut the bandages with a light clink.
“But the young lady’s condition seems different from what my father and I were told. Don’t you think so?”
Aileen understood what I meant and shrank back slightly.
Right. If I hadn’t spoken with Lara and Isabelle, I wouldn’t have known.
That the young lady was so mentally unstable that she lashed out like that.
The Duke’s household had kept this hidden and only talked about her physical symptoms publicly.
Probably to protect the family’s honor.
“…We didn’t mean to deceive you. It’s just that her condition kept worsening over time…”
Instead of blaming Aileen, I decided to change the subject.
“It’s fine. But may I ask a few more questions? When did the young lady first start acting strangely—mentally, I mean?”
“About four or five months ago.”
“I see. Was there any major event or emotional shock around that time?”
From what Lara and Isabelle said, the young lady hadn’t always been like this.
She even teared up at my father’s scolding, which meant she likely understood that her actions were wrong.
So there must’ve been some kind of turning point.
What could it have been?
“Hmm… Well, she’s always been sheltered in the mansion… Ah, about six months ago, the Duchess, Lady Rubian, passed away from an unknown illness. Since then, the whole household’s mood became gloomy.”
Aileen’s eyes grew somber as she said this.
Wait… her mother died?
A huge exclamation mark popped into my head.
For a child, losing a parent could cause serious PTSD… But why is everyone saying she has a contagious illness?
Even if medical knowledge here is limited, they wouldn’t confuse grief with an infectious disease… right?
From what I had seen, Lily didn’t vomit frequently or have any rashes that would make others avoid her.
“Wait a second. Is it possible that the young lady stopped eating after the Duchess died from shock?”
“The young lady’s illness has nothing to do with the Duchess’s death.”
Aileen replied firmly.
“Because she didn’t show the slightest bit of sorrow over her mother’s passing.”
Her words confused me.
Parents are everything to a young child.
Losing one would cause overwhelming grief.
So what was she talking about?
“That makes no sense—”
Aileen explained further.
“It’s hard to believe, but not just me—everyone agrees on this. During the entire month of mourning, Lily didn’t cry even once.”
“……”
“She became quieter when speaking about the Duchess, but otherwise she behaved normally. She ate well and even smiled cheerfully.”
“Ah…”
I couldn’t say anything in response. I just let out a quiet sigh.
That was the moment I fully realized how little this world understood about mental health.
In this world, no one connected emotional trauma with physical illness.
But mental wounds can strike anyone, like the flu.
In older times, emotional suffering was seen as a personal flaw.
In this world, people were blamed for being lazy, sinful, or punished by the heavens.
In a way, that’s not so different from our world even now.
As Aileen explained more, I began to understand why Lily had been isolated in the annex.
She was different from other children.
Her grief didn’t show immediately. And since she didn’t cry, people started calling her “strange.”
Then, when she began experiencing headaches and nausea, they believed she was cursed or being punished by the gods.
How could things get so twisted…
Lily was just too young to process her feelings.
She might’ve been denying her mother’s death and barely holding on.
But the adults around her ignored her pain and judged her for not grieving the “right” way.
Of course she was sad…
A hollow, frustrated sigh slipped out.
I held my aching head and asked Aileen,
“Aileen, how many types of love do you think there are?”
She looked puzzled at the sudden question, but answered seriously.
“I suppose… quite a few? Like between parents and children, or lovers…”
“Exactly. And what about types of sadness?”
“……”
Aileen didn’t answer. So I said firmly,
“Don’t assume there’s only one way to express sadness. There are all kinds—including the kind the young lady feels.”
I stood up, ready to start planning Lily’s treatment, and grabbed the doorknob.
I ignored the surprised stare I felt from behind.
***
Later, back in my room, I collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.
“Just as I thought… It seems like mild depression…”
Childhood depression looks different from adult depression.
For example, Lily’s aggression, mood swings, and reduced appetite all fit.
Sometimes, it even shows as obsessive behavior.
One thing’s clear—this is definitely not ADHD.
ADHD and depression can look similar at first, but ADHD doesn’t usually show up so suddenly.
And Lily showed no symptoms at all before her mother died.
Luckily, this wasn’t an untreatable illness.
Lily was still young, so with care, she could get better.
If only this were the modern world…
I let out a sigh into the air.
Normally, childhood depression is treated with antidepressants that are safe for kids.
Quick and focused treatment is important because the brain is still developing.
If only I had escitalopram,
(a common antidepressant for children)
She would likely improve quickly…
But in this world, there were no such medications.
And most people in the Duke’s household didn’t even understand her condition.
That made this a very difficult environment to treat depression.
Still, it’s not incurable.
I had to try everything I could to ease her sadness and aggression.
I picked up a quill and parchment and started writing down every possible diagnosis and treatment method for Lily.
Then—
Just as I was pulling my hair out, thinking, the door suddenly opened and my dad walked in.
“Phew, you’re already here.”
“Yes, but… are you okay? You don’t look well.”
I asked, concerned. He didn’t answer, just nodded and sank into the chair in front of him.
Then, without me asking, he started talking about his checkup with Lily.
Thankfully, he shared details I hadn’t heard before.
As I listened intently, he finished and looked at me.
Then he said carefully,
“After putting all the pieces together, I’ve come to think that the usual treatments alone might not be enough for the young lady.”
I opened my eyes wide in shock.
Wait… does that mean he’s thinking of giving up?
“You’re not saying she’s beyond help, are you?”
