Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

"I'm an editor at Medical Review! Those data... those data were clearly peer-reviewed!"

Several members of the medical association whispered amongst themselves, their faces pale. One of them, an elderly man with white hair, slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "Absurd! We approved a mild treatment for hysteria!"

As the music faded, the entire auditorium transformed into a hilarious farce. The gentlemen and ladies who had been applauding the 'scientific miracle' were now like cats whose tails had been stepped on, displaying expressions of righteous indignation. The sound of their canes striking the ground was like percussion music in a puppet theater.

Like mushrooms after the rain, they choose to grow in the most fertile soil.

Charlotte watched the farce with a cold eye, a barely perceptible sneer playing on her lips. She gently adjusted the position of the girl in her arms, making Eliza more comfortable leaning against her shoulder.

"Gentlemen, please be quiet and do not disturb Eliza's sleep. What's more important now is—"

"Send this liar to jail!" someone in the audience shouted.

"Revoke his medical license!"

"Let him experience the electrotherapy he invented!"

The crowd erupted in angry shouts, as if they couldn't prove they hadn't supported the farce unless they did. Several uniformed guards rushed forward and roughly twisted Pritt's arms.

The 'rising star of medicine' looked ashen-faced, his slicked-back hair hanging loosely over his forehead, making him look like a crow soaked by the rain.

“You can’t do this!” Pritt struggled, his bow tie askew. “I’m employed by—”

"Shut up, you liar!" The guard punched him hard in the stomach, turning the rest of his sentence into a painful groan.

"Please make way." Ignoring the scenery before her, Charlotte said to the crowd blocking the aisle, her voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.

Those spectators who had been craning their necks to watch the spectacle immediately parted to make way, like Moses parting the sea. Some even exaggeratedly took a few steps back, as if getting close to the female doctor who exposed the fraud would tarnish their status as 'innocent bystanders'.

But as their figures crossed paths, Pritt suddenly fell to his knees.

“Dr. Valenti! Please let me explain!” He clutched Charlotte’s skirt, tears streaming down his face, completely oblivious to how ridiculous his actions seemed to others. “It was those people who instigated me. They said as long as, as long as—”

"If you were standing up for academic ideals, I could think more highly of you. But now it seems that you are only doing it for your own selfish desires, yet you lie about dedication and talk about sacrifice."

The gleaming handcuffs shone coldly under the gaslight, and those words became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Pritt suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, shouting as he was dragged away, "You don't understand! Science requires sacrifice! That woman was already going crazy! Nobody can save her!"

Covering the girl's ears to prevent the foul language from reaching her heart, Charlotte strode through the automatically parting crowd, leaving the noise and accusations completely behind.

"Let's go home."

His voice was soft and gentle. Eliza, nestled in his arms, was curled up as if in a half-dreaming, half-awake state, sometimes whimpering like a kitten, and sometimes rubbing her burning forehead against the doctor's neck.

As I stepped out of the auditorium, a cool breeze of early summer brushed against my face.

She gently placed Eliza on the bench by the fountain and took out the ointment she carried with her. As the cool ointment touched the burning temples, and as the slight jolt dispelled her drowsiness, the girl instinctively flinched.

"Good girl, you know, you are much stronger than I imagined."

Her long eyelashes cast shadows, and Eliza's soft murmur wasn't a dream, "But... I'm still scared."

"Doctor, did I mess up again...? I should have held on, even if I clenched my fists or bit my lip until it bled, I shouldn't have lost my composure like that."

The waiting carriage carried the two of them and sped off on their way home.

"Shh, don't speak." She withdrew the ointment and gently wrapped the girl's thin shoulders with a soft fabric. The movements were slow, yet every detail remained within the girl's sight—this was how one treats a frightened animal, providing sufficient safe distance and warning.

Can--

"I'm so scared, scared of losing myself, scared of never being able to see you with my own eyes again."

As her fingertips brushed against her neck, Eliza grabbed her wrist, tears welling in her eyes. "Why... why did you have to wait until last? I thought you didn't want me anymore..."

The choked question tore away the last veil of restraint. Charlotte looked into those eyes brimming with pain and dependence, and suddenly realized how cruel her scheme had been—she could have stopped this farce much sooner, but deliberately waited until the girl was on the verge of collapse.

The carriage rolled over a protruding stone slab, and Eliza lost her balance and fell forward. Charlotte caught her, feeling the unnatural stiffness of the body in her arms.

“I need evidence,” the doctor finally replied, running his fingers through the girl’s sweaty hair. “The Medical Association will not believe accusations without evidence, even if it is not a reason for you to suffer.”

This was a perfect reason, professional and legitimate. But Eliza's eyes told her that this wasn't the answer the girl wanted.

The girl shook her head, tears wetting her clasped hands, but there was not a trace of reproach. "No... I understand... you did it to save me..."

Perhaps it was self-deception, or perhaps deception was harmless; a sickly blush appeared on her pale face, and her voice grew softer and softer.

"But as the electric current passed through my body, I kept thinking, if it were Dr. Bella, she definitely wouldn't have made me feel this much pain..."

That pure trust pierced her heart like a dagger. Charlotte remembered the marks on the examination table, the scorch marks from the electrodes, and the way the girl stubbornly called her name even in excruciating pain—all this suffering stemmed from her meticulously planned 'rescue'.

But for Eliza, can her actions truly be considered redemption?

"It won't hurt anymore," she promised, her voice a little hoarse. "I promise."

Even as a wicked woman, Charlotte has her own principles and choices. She will not abuse the body and mind of any little bird, not even with a mere lie.

“You seem somewhat wavering,” Adeline’s voice echoed in his mind. “Calculations indicate that this event will make Miss Eliza even more dependent on you.”

Charlotte did not respond, but simply tucked a stray strand of the girl's hair behind her ear.

“I don’t need data to tell me this. Her pain is real, and I took advantage of that pain.”

"You regret it?"

They are intertwined whispers of the heart.

"No, I'm just wondering if, when I mold her into my ideal image, I'm also stripping her of her uniqueness as 'Eliza'?"

Adeline was silent for a moment, the subtle sound of gears turning echoing in her mind. "I don't understand this contradiction. According to human behavior models, modifying others to meet one's own needs is a common phenomenon."

Charlotte chuckled softly, casually breaking off half a bunch of flowers from a nearby bush and tucking it into the former's hair.

"That's why I said that mere observation cannot be a way of learning, Adeline. The sweetest fruits often grow on the edge of being out of control."

"If we help her become an extraordinary being, her so-called hysteria will indeed be cured, and those greedy wandering spirits will no longer haunt her, constantly accompanied by pain and torment. Instead, they will be transformed into further nourishment, allowing her to realize her innate talents."

"However, without hysteria and without the necessity of dependence, Dr. Bella is no longer her antidote, her necessity."

As dusk deepened, silence fell over the carriage.

Only the creaking of the wheels filled the gap between them. Charlotte looked out the window at the flowing street scene and realized that this was the first time she couldn't deal with the girl in front of her with professional jargon or gentle lies.

As the sound of horses' hooves faded, the lights in the doctor's residence dimmed, but thankfully the kerosene lamp in front of the door had never been extinguished, emitting a long-lasting warmth.

"So, your choice is the latter. Does that mean you're stopping here?"

Adeline's questioning came again, but Charlotte shook her head firmly.

she says:

"No,"

“I will still do everything I can to help this girl become extraordinary, even if she no longer needs a doctor, no longer depends on the care of others, and can perfectly cope with the world even alone.”

“I can accept Eliza’s farewell and departure, and I can accept the past unfamiliarity and distance, because she was a patient, and I was just a kind doctor.”

This was not out of remorse, but merely out of the proper conduct, virtue, and behavior expected of Isabella, the actress playing the role.

The true nature of a doctor.

Chapter 182 Everything

As dawn broke and dusk fell, the girl, suffering both physically and mentally, had not yet woken up. Even though she had not slept on a soft bed, simply curling up in the doctor's arms brought her peace of mind, dispelling all her worries, making her eyes close and her breathing steady.

Only the occasional trembling murmurs in his dreams resembled the unconscious cries of birds startled.

Adeline's figure solidified again by the fireplace as she watched Charlotte gently tucking the patient in, the sound of gears turning exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

"Based on behavioral model analysis, there is an 87% probability that you are—"

The mechanical beauty suddenly fell silent and turned towards the door. Almost at the same moment, a loud crash came from downstairs as something heavy fell to the ground, followed by Mrs. Savarin's panicked cries for help.

“You can’t go in, Mr. Theodore! Dr. Bella is—”

"Go away!"

With that roar, heavy footsteps approached from afar, each one sounding as if it would chisel through the wooden steps. Charlotte had just stood up when the study door was kicked open violently, the door slamming against the wall with a terrifying sound.

Theodore von Dikbatov was standing in the doorway, his bow tie loose and his suit stained with wine.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he was holding a half-empty bottle of wine in his right hand. Drunkenness and anger had completely transformed this nobleman, who was usually very particular about his appearance, making him unrecognizable and devoid of his usual elegance and self-control.

Noticing the sour smell of perfume and sweat, Charlotte frowned but didn't change her expression, only holding the person in her arms tighter. Eliza pursed her lips slightly amidst the swaying, unconsciously clutching the doctor's clothes.

"Heh, how touching." Clearly, the newcomer took this dismissive attitude as mockery. "It seems our heroine has put on another good show."

"Leave here, Mr. Theodore von. Don't let me turn my last bit of respect into contempt."

It was a cold, discreet reminder.

"Disdain?" With a laugh, Theodore shattered the wine bottle, shards of glass scattering across the wool carpet. "What right do you have? You're nothing but an illegitimate daughter of a small family, a swindler who infiltrated high society with a few prescriptions, a lucky opportunist who doesn't know when to stop!"

"Alcohol is a dangerous thing. It can cloud perception and make words inaccurate. I can take what you said this morning as a momentary joke."

"Shut up, how dare you laugh at me." The man staggered forward two steps, his breath reeking of alcohol mixed with perfume.

Charlotte stood motionless in front of the bed, calmly watching the out-of-control man, her eyes reflecting his drunken state like a clear mirror.

“You’re right. After my father and mother passed away, I could be an illegitimate daughter outside the family.” Ru Feng’s voice was as gentle as if she were discussing the weather. “But at least I know that a true nobleman would not barge into a lady’s room in the morning while drunk.”

These words completely ignited Theodore's anger. He violently overturned the medicine cabinet beside him, and the test tubes smashed on the ground with a crisp sound.

"What are you pretending to be, with your saintly sentiments and selfless aloofness? Do you think you can change anything with just pretty words?"

“Do you know how many eyes are watching today? Do you know what the city’s newspapers will write tomorrow? Eliza was supposed to prove at this clinic... prove that the Dikbatov bloodline has not been completely tainted by the curse, prove that apart from their gifted singing voices, this family still has steadfast and noble character, and still has merit.”

"With just a little pretense, as long as she can fool everyone as she used to, she can pretend that her hysteria has been cured."

He pressed on relentlessly, he was hysterical, as if he were completely consumed by material desires, like a patient truly suffering from hysteria.

“But that’s not treatment, it’s torture for the patient.” Charlotte wouldn’t budge. “If you really care about Eliza, you should have rejected this absurd idea long ago. Anyone with eyes can see that his resume is fabricated.”

"Instead of those rumors, you should be more concerned about your sister's health. Have you seen the scars left by these electric shocks?"

"So what!" Theodorf ripped off his tie, revealing a gruesome scar on his collarbone. "Who hasn't been injured for the sake of the family? Our mother broke her bones multiple times on stage, and our father completed a tour despite a stomach hemorrhage! The glory of the Dikbatovs is forged through such sacrifices!"

"It's all over now. The banks are taking back their loans, the factory contracts are being cancelled, and even the lowest-ranking businessmen dare to boss me around!"

His voice suddenly lowered, tinged with a morbid fanaticism: "Unless, Eliza can return to the stage, she is our last hope, those debts... those contracts..."

Eliza, awakened by the noise, opened her eyes in confusion. When she saw the person's face, a bewildered expression appeared on her pale face.

"Brother, elder brother?"

Theodore turned at the sound, his reddened eyes fixed on the girl. His expression at that moment was indescribably complex—anger, disappointment, worry, and a deeper, unseen jealousy.

“Eliza…” The man’s voice suddenly became unusually soft, as chilling as a viper’s hiss, “My dear sister, you’re finally awake.”

He staggered toward the bedside, but was stopped halfway by Charlotte. The doctor leaped between them, the hem of his white coat stained with the spilled medicine, yet he maintained an infuriating composure.

"Get out of the way," Theodore uttered through gritted teeth. "I'm taking my sister home."

“She needs rest now.” The brown-haired beauty simply stated a medical fact: “Central nervous system fatigue caused by electrical stimulation is no joke.”

"Hehe, taking a break, what a good reason."

"After my mother passed away, how much effort did I put into preserving this family and protecting Dikbatov's reputation? And yet, during the most important social season, you groveled at someone else's feet, crying out your helplessness."

"Do you know why Father preferred to sleep in the stables rather than go home? Because madness flows in our blood! Because everyone sees us as objects of interest, not as respected nobles."

He muttered to himself, cursing the injustice of the world, blaming others for their inaction, and denouncing all the misfortunes that had befallen him.

However, when those blue eyes shimmered with tears, and those thin lips pursed slightly, sending forth gentle words, the previous whispers completely lost their basis, becoming like rootless duckweed.

“Brother, I never had the thought of backing down. You said that the spring banquet during the social season was important, so I went without hesitation. Even though the rumors were like rain, you said that the treatment would alleviate the family’s predicament and ease your burden. Even knowing that pain was coming, I didn’t care.”

Eliza's voice was soft, yet like a sharp pair of scissors, cutting through Theodore's carefully crafted excuse. Releasing her hand from his waist, she slowly sat up, supporting herself on the edge of the bed, the lingering red marks of the electric shock still visible on her slender wrist.

Yes, this young woman was never a coward or incompetent person; she had her own principles and unwavering perseverance.

“I have never shirked my responsibilities to the Dickbatov family.” Eliza looked directly into her brother’s eyes and spoke softly, “Mother’s exceptional talents were bestowed upon me, not you.”

"This is indeed unfair to my elder brother. It is precisely because I know how hard you work to support the family that I am willing to be a pastry placed before the nobles of Florence. Even knowing the shame of my own actions and the mocking praise, I still pretend to be a perfect person who is needed in every situation."

Theodore's expression froze, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he involuntarily stepped back, the shards of the bottle crunching under his shoes with a dull thud.

"No, that's not how it is..."

It is a weak and feeble rebuttal.

The man haphazardly pulled at his hair, the expensive hair wax leaving sticky strands between his fingers.

Releasing Charlotte's hand, she staggered forward, her eyes fixed on her brother with neither blame nor resentment, but only an understanding bordering on pity.

“Brother, do you still remember the amulet you gave me ten years ago, the pocket watch filled with smelling salts and your care? Do you remember that day at the circus?” The girl’s words were as light as a feather falling to the ground, “That lion being whipped, it could have torn the trainer to pieces, but it chose to endure the pain…”