When the Count arrived, the maids instinctively stepped aside, allowing him to see Dolores lying on the bed.
At this moment, Dolores wasn't fully conscious. Although she was moaning in discomfort, her headache and weakness left her listless, and she didn't even notice Felix's arrival.
"How is she?" Felix asked as he sat by the bed, reaching out to feel Dolores' forehead. The temperature didn't seem too high, and he frowned in confusion. "Is she running a fever?"
The maid who had been caring for her replied, "Yes, my lord, but Miss Dolores' temperature isn't too high. It's likely just a mild fever."
A fever was a serious condition, and if the temperature rose too high, it could even be fatal. A low-grade fever, in their eyes, was actually a good sign.
Felix shared the same opinion.
"Is it a cold?" Although catching a cold in the summer was rare, it wasn't unheard of.
The maid replied, "It's possible, but we'll need to wait for the doctor to confirm."
"Let me take a look."
Wei Wei moved to the other side of the bed. Instead of feeling Dolores' forehead—where the maid had placed a wet towel, making the temperature unreliable—she reached into Dolores' nightgown to feel the temperature of her chest. Confirming that it was within the range of a low-grade fever, she then took Dolores' hand and began to check her pulse.
Wei Wei had acquired medical knowledge from the system. Although she hadn't tested it on others, she had experimented on herself and supplemented her knowledge over time. She was confident in her skills.
As soon as she felt the pulse beneath her fingertips, her expression changed.
Felix asked in surprise, "You know medicine?"
Wei Wei's actions were familiar to him. Doctors often diagnosed patients by checking their pulse (medieval doctors would determine if a patient had a fever by the pulse rate, which bore some resemblance to traditional Chinese medicine's pulse diagnosis).
"Yes," Wei Wei replied casually, continuing her examination. She turned to the maids and asked, "Did you change her clothes earlier? Did she have any rashes or similar symptoms?"
The maids exchanged glances. "Do mosquito bites count?"
Wei Wei realized she couldn't rely on them. She parted Dolores' hair and quickly found several small pink rashes of varying sizes.
"It's not a cold," Wei Wei confirmed. "It's chickenpox. Based on her pulse, the condition isn't severe."
As she spoke, her mind automatically recalled the treatment methods. Although the original formula's Chinese herbs couldn't be found here, her recent study of Western medicinal herbs wasn't in vain. "Dr. Wei" quickly thought of substitutes and formulated a new, usable prescription in her mind.
While the effectiveness might not match the original formula, it was at least suitable and effective.
Before she could ask for paper and pen to write down the prescription, a loud crash interrupted her. She turned to see a maid had knocked over a basin of water.
The maid looked terrified, unsure if it was due to her clumsiness or something else.
The others in the room also looked uneasy.
Felix stood up, his expression grave as he looked at Wei Wei. "Chickenpox? Are you sure?"
"Yes, she's already starting to develop the rash."
Wei Wei glanced around the room and realized that people in this era hadn't had the chance to be vaccinated. Therefore, everyone in the room was likely to be infected with chickenpox.
Would she be infected? Wei Wei felt a pang of regret for not asking the system about this earlier.
But soon, she reassured herself that she probably wouldn't fall ill. Not only had the system given her a healthy body, but if the system hadn't provided any protective measures during her transmigration, she would have likely fallen ill shortly after arriving. After all, many diseases prevalent in this era have been eradicated in the future. If she, as a transmigrator, hadn't been given any protection, she probably wouldn't have lived to see old age.
Of course, precautionary measures were still necessary.
While her mind raced with thoughts about her health, she multitasked by addressing Felix. "Anyone who has been in close contact with Dolores in the past few days is likely infected. You should have someone check if anyone else has developed the rash."
Chickenpox spreads through droplets, air, and direct contact, and it's highly contagious. However, it primarily affects children, and adults are less likely to be infected.
Wei Wei understood this, but the others didn't.
So, everyone in the room felt a chill run through them as if they had already fallen ill.
To Wei Wei, chickenpox wasn't a serious illness. Even in China, pediatricians specializing in traditional Chinese medicine have extensive experience with it. But in Europe, chickenpox had a high mortality rate, especially since it was contagious. People in this era were terrified of it.
A younger maid, trembling, asked in a tearful voice, "Will... will we be okay?"
Wei Wei realized they were scared and quickly reassured them. "It's fine, it's fine. Chickenpox isn't a serious illness. With proper care, she'll recover in two weeks. And adults over twenty... I mean, older adults, have a very low chance of infection. Those who've had chickenpox before don't need to worry about getting it again."
She almost slipped up, forgetting that in the Middle Ages, girls were considered adults at fourteen. In modern times, teenagers as old as fifteen or sixteen could still get chickenpox.
Those who were older or had already had chickenpox relaxed a bit, but the maid who had asked the question was clearly under twenty and had never had chickenpox. She looked like she was about to collapse from fear.
Felix, now calmer, spoke up. "Alright, all of you stay in the room and don't leave. Butler, go check on the others, especially Caroline." He knew Butler Barton had had chickenpox before, and since the butler hadn't gotten too close to the bed earlier, Felix believed he was safe.
Caroline, however, was a real concern. She lived close to Dolores, and the little girl often visited her niece. She was likely to fall ill as well.
"Butler Barton, wait a moment," Wei Wei stood up. "Chickenpox spreads through saliva, air, and direct contact. First, find some clean cloth to cover your mouth and nose, then go check on the others. Be careful not to touch them."
"Understood, Miss Wei Wei," Butler Barton replied, already covering his mouth and nose with his hand as he left.
Not just he, but the maids in the room also covered their mouths and noses with their hands or towels.
"The rest of you don't need to stay here," Wei Wei turned to the maids. "Which of you have had chickenpox before?"
Two maids stepped forward, indicating they had.
"You two stay with me to take care of Dolores," Wei Wei assigned tasks, then turned to Felix. "The others should be isolated in a separate room. If they don't develop symptoms within a week, they're safe."
Felix nodded and arranged for the others to stay in the adjacent room. As for himself, after some thought, he decided to stay.
While he handled the arrangements, Wei Wei began to lower Dolores' fever.
She took out the silver needles she had brought and began to perform acupuncture on Dolores.
To the uninitiated, this scene was terrifying. But Dolores was too out of it to protest, and Felix, the only one with the authority to stop her, remained silent. The maids, too, stayed quiet and let her work.
Wei Wei explained in terms they could understand. "This is a bloodletting therapy in acupuncture. I'm using it to lower her fever."
Bloodletting to reduce fever was something they understood. Doctors in this era often did it, though they typically drew more blood. Wei Wei's method, using such small needles that barely drew any blood, was unfamiliar to them.
But Wei Wei's method worked. Within half an hour, Dolores' temperature had dropped, and her headache began to subside.
The little girl felt better and, no longer sleepy, began to let her thoughts wander.
"Miss Wei Wei, am I going to die?" Dolores asked, her voice muffled by the mask Wei Wei had improvised for her. Wei Wei had also made masks for herself, Felix, and the maid staying to care for Dolores. She had even instructed the maids in the adjacent room to make their masks and wear them.
"No, this is just a minor illness," Wei Wei replied, her voice slightly muffled by the mask but her eyes crinkling in a familiar smile. "Once you take the medicine, you'll get better soon."
The necessary herbs had been gathered earlier from the wild, and while Wei Wei was performing acupuncture, she had sent a maid to the kitchen to prepare the medicine.
Perhaps it was the trust built over time, but Dolores believed Wei Wei's words. She nodded, then reached up to scratch her face, only to be stopped by Wei Wei.
"Don't scratch the chickenpox. If you break the blisters, they'll leave scars," Wei Wei warned. "Do you want to end up with a face full of pockmarks?"
Dolores certainly didn't. She had seen people like that, and they looked terrible.
The sick little girl whined pitifully, "But it's so itchy."
"Then don't scratch. Here, gently pat it with the back of your hand. Bear with it for now. Tomorrow, I'll find some herbs to help with the itching." Wei Wei instinctively wanted to pat Dolores' face herself but stopped, remembering she could also be infected. She let Dolores do it herself.
The little girl gently patted her cheeks and indeed felt some relief. She smiled at Wei Wei, her eyes curving into crescents.
Watching from a distance, Felix's worry lessened slightly.
The maid who had gone to prepare the medicine finally returned with the decoction. As she brought the bowl to the bedside, she informed Wei Wei, "As you instructed, the kitchen has disinfected all of Miss Dolores' utensils, and tomorrow's menu is ready."
Wei Wei nodded, not overly concerned about this aspect.
The dining utensils of the castle's masters were fixed and stored separately. Moreover, at Wei Wei's request, after each meal, the utensils were soaked in boiling water and periodically boiled for a while. Thus, the risk of transmission through utensils was minimal.
The maid fed Dolores the lukewarm decoction. The bitter, strange taste made Dolores nauseous, but she didn't dare refuse, especially with her brother watching.
After drinking the medicine and rinsing her mouth, Dolores felt a bit better. As the medicine took effect, the already exhausted girl quickly fell asleep.
Once she was asleep, Wei Wei didn't stay to watch over her. After washing her hands, she instructed the two maids to give Dolores warm water at intervals when she woke up and to call her if anything seemed amiss.
It was already past three in the morning.
Felix escorted her back to her room.
"Thank you for today."
"No need to thank me. Dolores is my student too," Wei Wei waved her hand. "Take care of yourself. Although adults are less likely to be infected, there's still some risk."
"What about you? Have you had chickenpox before?" Felix asked tentatively, but when she didn't deny it, his expression darkened. "You haven't had chickenpox, yet you've been in close contact with Dolores. Aren't you afraid of getting infected?"
Wei Wei felt a bit guilty. "I'm trained in medicine. I know how to avoid infection. It's not that easy for me to get sick."
"But there's still a chance, isn't there?" Felix said sternly. "Don't take such risks next time."
"I know. It's just because it's Dolores. If it were someone else, I wouldn't be so eager to help."
Her words would soon come back to haunt her.
Wei Wei, who had stayed up late and planned to sleep until noon, was rudely awakened by the butler.
"Miss Wei Wei, Miss Caroline has also come down with chickenpox."
After Dolores fell ill last night, the castle's inhabitants had a restless night. Many who hadn't had chickenpox before were terrified of catching it, and the atmosphere in the castle had become tense.
Fortunately, Felix acted quickly. He had the maids make a batch of masks for everyone, isolated those who might be infected, and relayed the precautions Wei Wei had mentioned. When the servants learned that adults were less likely to be infected, they became less fearful. Only the younger servants and their children were confined to their rooms and told not to go out.
During the time Dolores was ill, no one else showed symptoms, which gradually reassured the worried servants.
However, when Butler Barton went to check on Caroline last night, Mrs. Nancy, who had received the news, was extremely anxious. Dolores had spent time playing with Caroline in her room the previous day, and Caroline's health had always been fragile.
Sure enough, by morning, Caroline had developed chickenpox.
But unlike Dolores, Caroline's chickenpox appeared alongside a fever, and because her constitution was weaker, her fever was more severe.
Wei Wei, who had gotten less than five hours of sleep, had to force herself to get up and check on Caroline.
She repeated the same process as with Dolores: acupuncture to reduce the fever, followed by medicine. Fortunately, Caroline wasn't as lively as Dolores. Although she cried incessantly due to the fever, Wei Wei's precise needlework didn't cause her pain, so she didn't struggle. The herbal medicine prepared for Dolores was adjusted for Caroline's smaller dose, making it suitable for her as well.
This was Wei Wei's first time interacting with the little girl. Although Caroline was said to be two years old, she was two months shy of her second birthday. She was very small and thin, with sparse, curly hair that resembled dry grass, clearly malnourished.
Fortunately, her pulse indicated that aside from a weaker immune system, she didn't have any other serious conditions—if she had, given the state of European medicine at the time, she likely wouldn't have survived this long.
Caroline was still breastfeeding, and among her caretakers was a wet nurse—but this wet nurse hadn't had chickenpox, so she was now afraid to nurse Caroline.
Wei Wei didn't immediately suggest weaning the child. Although many people in modern times claim that babies could start weaning at six months, it is better for children to breastfeed until two years old if possible, especially for premature babies like Caroline.
"If you're afraid to nurse directly, express the milk and feed her with a spoon. During this time, you'll need to eat lightly. Follow the same diet as Dolores. By the way, do you have children of your own? Have you been in contact with them recently?"
A wet nurse's children would naturally be young, and if there had been contact, they might also be at risk of infection.
Fortunately, since taking up her position, the wet nurse had been unable to return home due to Caroline's daily need for milk. Her family only came once a month to collect her wages, and this month's visit hadn't happened yet. She hadn't seen her family in over twenty days.
Thus, her child was safe.
"That's good. From now on, you'll need to be careful. For at least a week, don't have direct contact with anyone else, and don't remove your mask when meeting others."
The wet nurse was willing to express milk, and her job was secure. Although she would be isolated for a week, she obediently followed the instructions.
After she left, Mrs. Nancy frowned and asked Wei Wei, "Are you sure we don't need to find another wet nurse? We could find one who's had chickenpox."
Women in this era often had many children, so finding a lactating woman wouldn't be difficult.
Wei Wei shook her head. "Caroline is almost two years old. She'll start weaning in a couple of months. Changing wet nurses now might make her uncomfortable, so it's better not to switch."
Breast milk composition changes over time, and Caroline has been drinking this wet nurse's milk for nearly two years. Switching to a wet nurse who had recently given birth wouldn't be suitable. Moreover, due to poor nutrition, ordinary women in this era often didn't produce much milk, and feeding for six months was considered long. Finding a wet nurse like Caroline's would require looking in other noble households.
Mrs. Nancy, convinced by Wei Wei's explanation, dropped the matter. After seeing Wei Wei reduce Caroline's fever in half an hour, she was firmly convinced of Wei Wei's medical prowess, far surpassing any doctor she had met before.
Once Caroline's condition stabilized, Wei Wei went to check on Dolores. The little girl had already taken her medicine and was being coaxed to eat breakfast.
In this era, people typically ate two meals a day, but patients were allowed breakfast. Wei Wei had the kitchen prepare noodles—not in the Italian style, but as a soft soup noodle with only some vegetables and salt in the broth. It was bland, which was why Dolores only took a few bites before refusing to eat more.
Besides, she had just drunk a large bowl of bitter medicine, and her stomach was full.
Wei Wei saw that Dolores' spirits were good, but the chickenpox rash had fully erupted, causing intense itching and discomfort. The poor girl couldn't scratch, making her utterly miserable.
Wei Wei fed her a few more bites of noodles before giving up and handing the bowl to the maid. "Next time, have her eat something before taking the medicine."
Then she told Dolores a couple of stories to distract her. Once the medicine took effect and Dolores fell asleep, Wei Wei left.
She changed her clothes and went downstairs to find Butler Barton, asking him to arrange for a few people to accompany her to gather herbs.
Butler Barton quickly assigned some men to her and asked, "Do you need me to select two new personal maids for you?"
Neither Qin nor Penny had had chickenpox, and since they had been in close contact with Dolores, they were now isolated. Thus, Wei Wei was temporarily without attendants.
Wei Wei shook her head. "No need. It's just for a short while. I can manage." She knew that if she hired new maids now, Qin and Penny, already worried about falling ill, would be even more distressed.
She changed the subject. "Where's Felix? Still resting?"
Knowing what she was asking, the butler replied, "Yes, the young master only returned to his room to rest this morning. I haven't informed him about Miss Caroline's illness yet."
That explained why she hadn't seen him earlier.
Before leaving, Wei Wei remembered something else. "Last night, someone went to fetch a doctor, right? Did they arrive?"
"Yes, but they left," Butler Barton frowned. "The doctor was terrified when he heard the patient had chickenpox and refused to see Miss Dolores. Lord Felix ended up sending him away."
Wei Wei, who had wanted to see how doctors of this era treated illnesses, shook her head. "It's fine that he left. Let's just hope he doesn't spread rumors. It would be bad if it caused a panic."
Butler Barton reassured her, "Don't worry, I've handled it."
When the doctor left, Butler Barton had sternly warned him. Although the doctor was a freeman, as long as he wanted to remain in Sardinson County, he wouldn't dare spread rumors.
Wei Wei took five people with her to gather herbs. These were castle slaves. There weren't many slaves in Sardinson Castle; most were former freemen or serfs who had committed crimes and been enslaved. They had previously been responsible for gathering pigweed and herding livestock, so they were familiar with the local vegetation. One of the female slaves was particularly skilled at foraging and recognized many plants.
Wei Wei gave them samples of a few easily identifiable herbs and instructed them to gather more while she searched for the harder-to-find varieties.
The female slave, who had been foraging nearby, cautiously approached Wei Wei after noticing the herbs she was collecting and told her where she had seen a large patch of them.
Wei Wei handed her the herb she was holding. "Are you sure it's this one?"
The slave examined it, even sniffing it, and nodded. "Yes, it's this one. It blooms with small purple flowers in the fall, right?"
That confirmed it! Wei Wei nodded and asked if she had seen any of the other herbs.
Apart from some that grew deep in the forest, the slave could help her find most of them.
This was a pleasant surprise.
After successfully locating several hard-to-find herbs, Wei Wei asked the slave, "What's your name?"
The slave, who had no mask and could only wrap a rag around her face, replied with shining eyes, "Kama. My name is Kama."