After that time, Carmila stopped trying to impose herself as the lady of the house, yet, she kept pestering me with “suggestions” whenever she found me acting in what she considered improper or incorrect.

—Madame, it would be better if you rest on your back when you sleep —she said the time she came to wake me up and found me sideways hugging a pillow.

—Madame, that kind of food isn’t too healthy, try to eat it with moderation —she said when she caught me eating one too many sugary pastries.

—Madame, at least let the other attendants help you when you bathe Lady Violett —she said when… you get the point.

Since I could dismiss her opinions now, it was less stressful and a bit more tolerable to have her around. I have even gotten her approval to walk around the house, but there was one topic she wouldn’t relent, I still couldn’t go out.

—Madame, you went through a whole ordeal when you gave birth to Lady Violett, and the Doctor said your defenses would take some time to recover. I can’t allow you to leave the house until he gives you his approval.

—But I have been locked inside for almost a week, I need some fresh air. Can I not even go to the garden?

She stopped for a moment to consider it, as I tried to make a face as sad as possible.

—I suppose… the garden is fine —she said, and I almost jump from the joy—¸as long as we take some precautions so you don’t caught any bad miasma. And of course, Lady Violett needs to stay indoors.

I bit my tongue. I didn’t know if that “bad miasma” was a real thing in this world or just the explanation they gave to sickness caused by germs, bacteria, or virus. In any case, I thought I could probably deal with it, but Violett was indeed too young. I wanted to be absolutely sure she would be fine, so I would wait for the Doctor before taking her out.

—Fine —I said, accepting the compromise—, Sophie, could you take care of Violett while I’m gone?

—Eh? Me? —she asked, incredulously.

—Of course you —I said, getting up from the bed. She might be the less experienced and younger attendant, but she was the one I trusted the more. Of course, I couldn’t say that aloud.

Carmila went out of the room and returned after a few minutes, bringing with her gloves, a facemask, and even a cane to help me walk. I could say a lot of things about her personality, but I couldn’t complain about her attention to details. While she was gone, I had been telling Sophie everything she needed to know about taking care of Violett.

—She is sleeping right now, so she should be fine for at least half an hour more. Now, if she wakes up and makes this face —I said, burrowing my eyebrows and pouting—, it means you need to change her diaper, but if she opens and closes her mouth and swings her arms, it means she is hungry. Call me if that happens.

—Aren’t babies supposed to cry when they get hungry?

—Hmmm, I suppose, but I don’t think I have heard Violet crying since she was born —I said, getting closer to her crib—, maybe she is too proud for that, just what you’ll expect of a villainess.

—Madame?

—Ah, no, it’s nothing —I said. I was pretty sure I was murmuring that, so I wanted to believe she hadn’t heard what I had said.

I put on the gloves and the facemask, and held onto the cane, giving a glance to the interior of my room before leaving it. It was the first time I was going to leave Violett alone, and I felt anxious already, but I was doing it for her benefit. After all, me going to the garden was nothing more than an excuse. I had bigger plans.

—Now, would you like for me to prepare the gazebo or to set up the chairs on the lawn? Should I ask an attendant to bring you a book? —Carmila asked as we walked towards the garden.

—None of that, I won’t take that much time. Just a quick peak, to see how much of a mess it really is.

—T-the garden, Madame?

—No —I said, opening the doors a bit too dramatically and letting the breeze enter the room—, the greenhouse.

—Madame, the garden is fine, but entering the greenhouse is a completely different thing. I can’t allow you to go there.

—I won’t be entering it, I won’t even touch it. Just looking from outside should be fine.

I had been walking, and reached the end of the concrete slab. I wanted to take my shoes off and step on the grass, but I knew Carmila would never approve of it. I made a mental note, however, that it would be the perfect place for a picnic. I shook my head to focus, and set my gaze on my objective. Our property went beyond our garden, into the woods that surrounded the house. There wasn’t a wall, but there was a magic forcefield that kept wolves and other beings from ever reaching us. On the very edge of the barrier, almost absorbed by the forest, there was something that I had thought was just an abandoned shed. The glass walls were so covered in dust and mud that they looked like wood from the distance.

—Could you open the door, Carmila? —I asked when we reached the front of the greenhouse.

—It would be my pleasure, Madame —she said, but neither her tone nor expression matched her words. She must have been glad she was also wearing gloves.

I was expecting to be assaulted by a rancid smell as soon as she opened the door, but it only smelt like an old place with bad ventilation. There was a broken glass panel on the ceiling, so any gas that had accumulated would have escaped through it. There were lots of pots, but they didn’t had anything resembling a plant or flower anymore. There was mold, and I thought I saw some fungi growing from a wooden table. I made sure Carmila stood away from the door, covering her mouth, just in case. After I had finished my inspection, I asked her to close the door and we returned to the house. She immediately threw her gloves into the trash, washed her hands, and put a new clean pair of gloves.

I sat in front of the table, next to the still open door, basking on the light of the sun. There was a plate of cookies near, so I helped myself with one. Carmilla threw a glare towards me, but with resignation she started to make tea and poured me a cup while I took another cookie.

—Might you been satisfied, Madame? —she said, and for a moment I thought she was talking about the cookies, and not about the greenhouse. I’m still not entirely sure she didn’t mean it both ways—. I told the late master several times that we should have gotten rid of it…

—I’m indeed satisfied, and thus, I would appoint you with the important job of restoring it.

—Ma-madame? Wouldn’t it be better if we dispose of it and remake it entirely?

—Perhaps, but that could take lots of time. And besides, if Arthur didn’t wanted to dispose of it, there might have been a reason for it —I said, it felt weird to say his name—, I want to believe that was the kind of man he was.

—Madame…

—Ah, but I’m not against remodeling it on the future, maybe expanding it so we can grow many more plants.

—Madame… —she said again, in a different tone.

I managed to make her accept this task by pointing out that she didn’t have to do it personally, but could have the other attendants do it for her.

—Just make sure they wear gloves and facemasks too. Everything that has moss or fungi should be burned, and we can wash it from the outside with a hose.

—With a hose? —she said, and for a moment, I thought I had committed another anachronism—, won’t it be more efficient if we get someone who can use water magic to clean it for us? Otherwise, pumping it to have enough force will require an outstanding strength that I’m not sure anyone in this houses posses.

—Ah! That’s brilliant! —I had completely forgotten that magic users lived on this world.

While we were finishing the details of the cleaning project, a maid come toward us. She was Iridia, one of the attendants that were part of Carmila’s posse, but she had been very polite and respectful towards me and Sophie since we move in.

—Madame, Miss Carmila, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but we have a visitor —she quietly said—. Doctor Conrad has arrived.